Chapter 62: Chapter 62

Elari

I didn’t get much sleep that night. In fact I tossed and turned so much that I was sure I popped a spring in the mattress. Sometime just before dawn I gave up completely and rolled out of bed and got dressed quickly in the Frostveil physical education kit of deep blue sweat pants and sweatshirt.

The other girls always wore the skin tight tee and shorts but there was no way I was going out in this cold weather with my arms and legs exposed. I knew they wore it to gain the attention of the boys in school and I already had too much of that.

Stretching quickly , I went to my window and flicked back the drapes to look out at the snowy hellscape. Out in the real world spring would be in full swing. Blossoms would be weighing down the limbs of trees. Spring flowers would be everywhere. It would be a riot of colour and bird song as the world came back to life. But here?

Here it was as cold and white as always. Like Frostveil was locked inside some kind of bubble. That we were locked into this world of cold and snow in some weird attempt to keep us miserable and on edge.

I missed my old life so badly. In the months I had been here those feelings had dimmed down but they were raging today. I wanted to go home.

Shaking the thought away, I headed out into that icy hell and took off at a slow steady jog.

Usually I hated running. In fact back in my old life I had hated all kinds of exercise but not here. Here it felt like the only time I could settle my mind was when I was out for a run. Maybe it was because my wolf demanded exercise. I knew she wanted to be free so she could run on all fours and feel the cold wind in her fur but as we couldn’t do that yet, it was down to me to tire her out.

I took off to the left, crossing the bridge and then darted off onto a well worn path. The running track that wound around the perimeter of the school grounds. It was a long ass run and I had never completed it before but I was going to today even if it left me breathless and tired for my classes.

Less than half a mile in, I saw headlights and paused.

Headlights here? What the hell? Hiding behind the frozen trunk of a tree I watched as a sleek black car pulled to a stop and Kade unfolded himself out of the back seat.

He paused , said something to the driver and stretched his arms above his head before stalking off towards his dorm. I couldn’t take my eyes off of his retreating back. I couldn’t help it I followed after him. Keeping to the trail and moving as quietly as I could.

What was Kade doing off campus? In all the time I had been here I’d only seen a normal world car here twice. And one of those times had been when my mom and the chancellor had been here. It didnt make any sense that a car had been sent for Kade unless something bad was happening.

Maybe my new father had figured out it was me who was the key to power in this country and not my mom. Maybe Kade had sold me out? I couldn’t rule out-

Something grabbed me by the waist and span me effortlessly into the thicker underbrush. My back was slammed into a tree trunk and too thickly muscled arms trapped me against it.

“Spying on me Lari?” Kade grinned down at me. A flash of white in the grey darkness.

I swallowed hard. “I was just running.”

His dark eyes narrowed. “Maybe before you spotted me you were but not now. Unless we have different ideas of what actually running is.” The corners of his lips pulled up in a more natural smile that made his eyes sparkle. “I knew you were there watching me when I got out of the car. I always know when you’re close Lari.”

He dropped his hand, his fingers tracing against the flushed skin of my cheek.

“What are you doing outside before dawn?” Back and forth his fingers continued to move. “It’s not safe for you out here.”

“I couldn’t sleep.” I couldn’t help but lean into his hands and close my eyes which made him sigh happily. “So I decided to run.”

The pad of his thumb brushed against my lips. “That doesn’t sound like you.” He teased.

“Why did you leave campus Kade?” I asked.

This time his sigh wasn’t happy at all. “It’s best if you don’t know.”

“Did he hurt you again?”

“No.”

“Why don’t I believe you?” My voice shook and the grip he had on my face became  something not so gentle. My eyes snapped open to find him staring at me and breathing heavily.

“Because you are smart and you're beginning to realise just what kind of man our father is?” He chuckled trying to lighten the mood.

“What happened, Kade?” I whispered. “What did your father want from you?”

“It doesn’t matter because I won’t do it and neither will I allow it to happen.” His eyes flashed angrily. “I will never let it happen. I promise you.”

The ragged way his voice tore its way out of his throat made my heart clench in panic.

“I will never ever.” He growled low in his throat. “Let it happen. Trust me.” One hand on my cheek , he dropped his other hand to my wrist. Pushing up my sleeve and my ever present bangles to swipe his thumb against my mark. Or was it his mark? It was impossible to tell where I ended and he began anymore.

“You do trust me don’t you?”

I shouldn’t. I knew that.

I nodded. “Always.”

One word and it was all he seemed to need. Nodding his head he stepped back. My arm was still in his hand. His thumb was  still on my pulse.

“Kade?” I didn’t want him to let go of my arm.

Slowly he turned to me, his dark eyes burning with a fire that I knew was mirrored in mine and then he was on me.

And his lips tasted like fire.