Kanin

I left Cade in his room to get a shower. After he told me his life story, I saw Cade in a different light. He was strong. He was loyal. He’d chosen to protect his family, to protect them he had to fake his own death. I couldn’t even imagine having to do something like that.

I made my way down to the kitchen, my stomach growling. I hadn’t eaten anything today. I’d been too busy at the training session and then caught up in the drama with Cade. I hadn’t left his side since he unwillingly changed and was knocked out by Trent.

When I made my way into the kitchen, Trent was standing at the island sipping at a coffee mug. He glanced up from a newspaper to look at me. “How is he?”

I nodded, “better. He’s getting a shower right now.”

“Good.” He said, leafing through the newspaper once again. His eyes scanned the pages quickly.

“Where did Jax run off to?” I questioned.

“Probably his office. He barely comes out of there.” Trent informed me.

“What does he do in there?”

“Beats me.” Trent shrugged.

I popped a few pieces of bread into the toaster and propped myself up on the counter. I kicked my feet back and forth and gripped the counter beneath me.

“What is it?” Trent questioned out of nowhere.

I looked up at him, “huh?”

“Why are you twitchy?” He abandoned his newspaper and coffee before him. “I can smell your nerves.”

“You can smell them?” My eyebrows lifted. I was learning more and more every time I talked to one of them.

He nodded, “like I can hear your heart beat is faster than usual.”

I cleared my throat, “good to know.”

“So, what is it?” He asked again.

“I want to speak to my father.” I said lightly, turning away from him. “He doesn’t even know if I’m alive. He’s probably scared out of his mind. We already lost my mom, I don’t want him to think he lost me to.”

Trent tensed suddenly, like I’d said something wrong. His eyes went wide for a moment and then settled on me intently. He said nothing.

“Please, Trent. Let me at least send him a text or something.” I begged. “Jax doesn’t even have to know. I just want to tell him that I’m okay.”

He still was quiet, but I saw something flash in his eyes. I knew he wanted to help me.

“You can get a burner phone, one time use. That way my father can’t trace it.” I pleaded. ”Please, Trent.”

He groaned, “I can’t believe I’m doing this.” He came around the counter and stood right in front of me. “No funny business. One text. No hidden messages. I will know. I can tell exactly when you’re lying.”

I nodded, “thank you.”

“And if this goes south,” Trent shook his head. “I swear-” he cut off, but I heard the threat loud and clear.

“I owe you, Trent.” Tears clouded my vision.

“Yeah, big time.” He shook his head again. “I have to run out and do errands anyway. I’ll pick up a burner while I’m out.”

“Take me with you?” I asked.

“Heck no. That’s where I draw the line. Alpha was clear on that order. You are not to leave this house without him.”

I watched Trent leave, disappearing out the front door. Jax had really said I couldn’t leave without him? Great. I was never going to leave, period. Jax couldn’t even stand to be near me. No way he’d willingly walk me out the front door.

Now I was alone.

Alone.

The front door was right there. The wolves had left me unguarded. I slipped silently from the counter, forgetting my burning toast. I peeked around the corner, listening closely to the silent house. I could still hear the shower running above me. Everything else was quiet.

I kept my steps light, but quickly made my way towards the front door. My hand was on the knob. I pulled the door open. I caught a glimpse of a black sports bike and lots of trees. Then the door was slammed shut and I was forced away from it.

Crap.

There were no words spoken as I stared up at the stormy eyed alpha. He towered over me, strong and powerful. He didn’t look angry, of course not. His face conveyed nothing but that irritating calm.

He leaned close to me, too close, “Your toast is burning.”

I could now smell the smoke in the air. I spun around and jogged to the toaster. I pulled the black toast out quickly. They weren’t even edible now, not that I had an appetite anymore. When I turned back around, Jax was gone. I sighed, closing my eyes against the hammering in my chest.

“You okay, Princess?” Cade’s voice startled me. I jumped, my hand placed over my heart.

I opened my eyes to look at him. His hair was damp from his shower. He looked refreshed and alert. There was a bruise forming near his temple on the right side, that was where Trent had punched him.

“What happened to your toast?” He moved around me and picked up the plate of black bread. He dumped it in the trash can. “Are you that bad of a cook that you can’t even make toast properly?” He teased. It was good to see that he was back to his old self again.

“Yeah.” I told him, watching as he placed two more pieces of bread into the toaster for me.

“You’re pale, are you sure you’re okay?” He questioned, getting a better look at me.

“Oh, me? Yeah I’m fine.” I lied. I was far from fine. I was anything but fine. Nothing was fine about any of this.

I knew he could tell, but he said nothing about it. I suddenly wondered if all werewolves could hear my lies. Something about my heartbeat, Trent had said.

If so, I was screwed.

“What am I supposed to do while I’m kidnapped?” I questioned, watching as Cade buttered the two pieces of toast for me.

I saw him roll his eyes, “think of it as a vacation.”

“This isn’t my idea of a vacation.” I crossed my arms over my chest. “I picture myself somewhere near the water wearing a pair of cool sunglasses.”

Cade turned to look at me, the crooked smile I’d come to love was on his face. He reached over and pulled open a drawer in the island. Fishing inside, he pulled out a pair of Aviator sunglasses. He stepped closer to me and placed them on my face. “Now all we have to do is get you a kiddie pool.”

“That wasn’t exactly what I had in mind.” But these were cool sunglasses.

He only shrugged.

“Seriously, Cade. You realize I can’t stay here forever, right? I have school starting in almost a month.”

He stopped what he was doing, his hands gripping the edge of the counter. “I know, Kanin, I know.”

“Then let me leave.”

“I couldn’t even if I wanted to.” He said, his voice merely a whisper. His words only meant for me. He didn’t want anyone else hearing what he’s saying.

“What do you mean?”

“Jax issued an order. He’s the alpha.” He said almost angrily. “No one can disobey his orders.”

“What happens if you do?” I questioned.

“It doesn’t matter, because we can’t.”

“But if you did?” I prompted.

“Kanin,” Cade stepped closer to me, so close I could smell the peppermint on his breath. “We physically can’t disobey an alpha’s orders. It’s like a part of us, my wolf. It’s like in our DNA or something.”

But I had a feeling that if he could, Cade would let me leave.

“If I can’t leave, then I think I deserve some kind of answers.” I pushed.

“Another thing I can’t give you.” Cade said quietly, his eyes searching mine quickly.

“He made that an order, to?” I questioned.

Jax was making it so I didn’t know anything. He wanted me in the dark, but I was bound determined not to stay that way. If I wanted answers, I was going to get them. One way or the other.

“Everything that pertains to you is an order.” Cade said.

“What do you mean by that?”

“Just as it sounds. I practically need special permission just to talk to you. And when I do, Jax knows everything that happened.”

"Everything?” My heart picked up speed for some reason. Like it was afraid that Jax knew how I felt, even if I didn’t even know myself.

What was it about me that needed to be watched all the time? Why was the alpha so bound determined to keep me under lock and key, watching my every single move?

“He’s probably listening in right now, knows exactly where we are and what we’re doing.”

I instinctively looked over my shoulder.

“He doesn’t need to be in the same room to see you, Kanin.” Cade whispered.

“How then?”

Cade didn’t say anything for a moment, his eyes searched mine almost like he expected for me to know the answer already. “It’s his senses. An alpha is like fifty times stronger than a regular werewolf. They can do things that I can only dream of. And Jax-” Cade paused, his voice lowering even more. “He’s the strongest alpha I’ve ever seen, ever heard of.”

“He’s so young, though.” I said suspiciously. It was hard to imagine someone like Jax, even as brooding as he was, could be so powerful. He could barely be any older than twenty-one.

“Jax’s father always put a lot of pressure on him to be the best. He was better than everyone even when we were kids. Now that he’s alpha, he’s ten times better.”

“Cade, what happened to his father?” I asked once again.

“Jax would kill me if I told you.” He ran a frustrated hand over his face. “Heck, he’s probably going to kill me anyway.”

I didn’t say anything. I was beyond frustrated. Jax had kidnapped me. Now, he was making it impossible for me to understand why. This couldn’t be happening. I couldn’t even begin to understand what a wolf pack would want with me. Sure, my father had killed someone important, but to get revenge they could’ve killed me ages ago. Instead, Jax wanted me alive.

Suddenly, Cade pulled me close. His hands were tight around my forearms. His eyes searched mine, “Watch yourself, Kanin. One step out of line and Jax might not hesitate to take care of you.”

Take care of me?

What?

My father had once used the same words when referring to the wolves. Like it was an easy thing to do, to just kill someone without blinking. Maybe to Jax it was. Maybe he really wouldn’t hesitate to take care of me.

Either way, I didn’t want to find out.

“Cade, what lies are you telling the girl now?” Trent’s voice came flooding into the kitchen.

Cade’s arms quickly dropped from my arms, but I could still feel the heat of them. He cleared his throat and stepped away from me.

My attention was turned towards Trent, who carried two plastic bags in his hands. My burner phone. I suppressed a smile. If I couldn’t get out of here, I could at least tell my father that I was still alive. If only for the time being. I had no plans to walk a straight line anymore. I wanted answers and I was sure as heck going to get them.