“So you’re okay with Caden staying?” Quade’s stomach churned. Dandrot had final say on who stayed and who didn’t.
“What?” Dandrot looked up again. “Oh, yes, of course. If he makes you happy, then by all means.” Picking up a sheet of paper, Dandrot’s eyes darted side to side as he read. “And according to Ten, he has two friends who want to stay as well.” He peered up at Quade. “Humans?”
“Yeah. They’re his best friends, and they refused to leave him when we fought the Bogran. They’ve been there for him his whole life.”
“Then of course they can stay.” He put the paper down, flipped his glasses up, then folded his hands in front of him and stared at Quade. “So tell me about this Tree of Life business. Is it a threat to us?”
Knowing Dandrot would ferret out the truth, Quade jumped right into it. “Yes. I won’t lie. Whatever is after Caden might very well try to get him here. If you think it best that I take him away, I’ll do that.”
“What? Nonsense. Protecting the Tree is the sacred duty of all demihumans. If he dies, we all die. We need to double the guards to ensure our people don’t get hurt, but as far as Caden leaving? No, I want him to stay here, and I’m going to ask you to protect him.”
Like Quade wouldn’t. “You’ve got my word, sir.”
“Good. Anything else?”
“No, that’s about it.”
“All right. I’ve got to get back to work. Thank you for keeping me informed. If you need anything, have Jack call me or stop by again. It’s always nice to see you.”
“Thank you, Dandrot.”
Quade turned to leave, excited to be able to tell Caden he could stay. Just as he opened the door, he heard Dandrot mutter again about where he’d left his glasses. Quade shook his head and stepped out into the hall, a wide grin on his face.
He’d done everything he could to find ways to make Caden stay, and now he’d gotten permission for Matt and Kieran, which would make Caden happy. It was funny how rudderless Quade had been until he met Caden. He hated the life he was living, and the few bright spots he had—Ten, Jess, and a few other people—barely made up for it. Once Caden came into his life? Quade wanted to grab it with gusto. He wanted to make Caden happy, because seeing him smile was worth any effort.
“You’re in love.”
Quade knew the voice, but that didn’t mean it wasn’t a shock to hear it. Why he didn’t smell the little brat coming was yet another mystery.
“If you don’t stop doing that, I’m going to have Caden use you as fertilizer for his garden.” He turned to find Ten standing there, holding out a blue raspberry popsicle. Quade snatched it, tore off the paper, and sucked the treat into his mouth. “This doesn’t get you off the hook.”
“I know. It’s just… I like seeing you happy too. Caden is a good man.” A sadness hung over Ten.
“What’s wrong, buddy?”
The smile faded and Ten threw himself at Quade, clutching his small arms around Quade’s waist. Quade tossed away the popsicle and held Ten.
“I can’t see his future,” Ten wailed. He put his hands on his head and squeezed hard enough that Quade could see the skin turning red. “I keep trying, but everything ends and all I see is darkness.”
“Hey, stop that.” Quade knelt, bringing him eye to eye with Ten. “I’m going to protect him, you have my word.”
Shaking his head harshly, Ten gulped in air. “You don’t understand. I don’t see any futures. Not yours, not Caden’s, and not mine. This isn’t how it’s supposed to be. It all changed.”
“Okay, what changed it? Think hard, buddy. What’s the last thing you see?”
Quade stood and took Ten’s hand. He led him to the living quarters and took him inside, then went to the freezer, took out Ten’s favorite ice cream sandwich, and brought it to him.
“I don’t know what happened. Before I could see you and Caden together years from now, but then the edges of the vision darkened and everything started getting fuzzy. Then, after the Bogran, it all went black. I think we’re going to die. This wasn’t how it was supposed to be.”
Quade had never seen Ten scared. After all, the kid had faced Quade’s demons without batting an eye. Seeing him now tore at Quade and caused his wolf to rear up, demanding they take care of… their pack.
“Hey, look at me.” He reached out and cupped Ten’s cheek. “I want you to hear what I’m telling you, okay? I will not let anything happen to you or Caden. The two of you are my pack, my home. I will protect you and keep you safe from harm.”
Ten closed his eyes and sighed. “You won’t be able to.”
“Have I ever lied to you, buddy?”
Ten snuffled. “No.”
“Then take what I’m saying as the truth. I won’t lose you.”
Ten’s eyes opened, and in his expression, Quade saw a faint glimmer of hope. It broke Quade’s heart to see him like this.
“Do you mean it?”
Ofttimes it was hard to remember that for all his power, all the incredible things he could do, Ten was a child who still needed an adult to be his rock. Quade hugged Ten close, hoping to give him strength through their contact.
“Of course I do.” He held him back at arm’s length. “Ten? Have I ever told you I love you?”
Frowning, Ten shook his head.
“Then that’s my fault. My wolf and I? We owe you a lot because you brought us together. Even before that, though, we each thought of you as pack, and that’s family, no matter how you slice it.”
Ten’s lip trembled. He threw his arms around Quade’s neck. “I love you too, Daddy.”
Caden looked over at Kieran and dissolved into a giggle fit. “Kieran can’t hold his liquor.”
Kieran was sprawled over Matt’s lap, his hand lodged in Matt’s pants. He turned his head and smiled and said, “I love you, Shur.”
Matt shook his head. “Love you too, boy. Maybe we should get some sleep.”
Doing his best to sit up, Kieran got frustrated when he couldn’t dislodge his hand. “Your zipper is trying to eat me!” He giggled, then belched. “I know. I’ll eat it back.” He bent over and buried his face in Matt’s crotch.
“Yeah, okay. This little peepshow is over.” Matt fished Kieran’s hand out of his pants, then stood and pulled him up. “Come on. You can continue that in the bedroom.”
“Oh, but I wanted to talk to Caden some more.” Kieran reached for his half-full champagne glass. “And try some more of this delicious bubbly stuff.”
“No, sweetheart. You’ve had more than enough.”
Kieran batted his baby blue eyes. “But, Shur… Shur… Sir, it’s a party.”
“And you’re slurring your words, your eyes are crossing, and you were drooling on me. All of this tells me you need to get to sleep.”
“But I thought you were gonna fuck me!” Kieran’s lower lip jutted out. “Do you know how long it’s been since you fucked me? Like twelve hours. That’s almost an eternity.”