May flinched at the sound, unsure if it was anger directed at her or the sight of her marred skin. She wanted to turn, to see what storm had overtaken him, but before she could move, Kade's hands were on her shoulders. "Don't," he rasped. His palms burned against her skin, both protective and restraining. She couldn't see him like this—not when the thin thread of his humanity was unraveling.
His breathing came in growls. The animal inside him clawed to the surface, demanding release. His forehead nearly touched the back of her head as he steadied her in place, as much to ground himself as to hold her still.
"Mr. Kade?"
He wished—God, he so wished—that he could end it. That he could drag Kingsley into werewolf territory, rip him to shreds, and leave his carcass for the crows. If he could just get the man across the border, there would be no rules stopping him. Just her safety guaranteed.
But then—sensing his distraction, the way his grip loosened for a second—May seized her chance. She twisted in his hold, slipping free and turning to face him. The sudden movement caught him off guard, his defenses down. He immediately snapped his eyes shut, every nerve screaming to hide what she'd seen. But it was too late.
Her breath hitched audibly. She had seen it—the golden blaze in his eyes. Her lips parted, trembling with shock, her heart racing as puzzle pieces she hadn't dared to believe clicked into place. This wasn't the first time, no. She remembered fleeting moments before—moments when she'd thought the light was wrong. But tonight, in the rawness of his fury, she couldn't deny it.
She reached for his face, her hand trembling yet steady in its intention. Her thumb brushed against the sharp line of his cheekbone, warm skin meeting calloused softness. "Let me see," she whispered. "Don't hide from me." Her eyes glistened.
Kade hesitated, torn between instinct and her request. He opened his eyes. The golden fire still burned there. It painted his irises in molten light. He held her gaze, bracing for recoil, for disgust, for the one thing he could never endure—her fear.
"What are you?" May breathed. She wasn't even sure it was the right question, wasn't even certain it was a question. It sounded more like an exhale of realization, like her mind was trying to catch up with the impossible thing her heart already knew. A part of her wanted to step back, but the other part—the reckless, yearning part—leaned closer instead.
Kade swallowed. What was he? A beast? A protector? He wasn't sure himself, and he wasn't sure he wanted her to know the truth—not when truth could only drive her away. "Not yet," he thought, the decision clawing at him. Some truths were too heavy to share, not when the bond between them was this fragile.
"You're not going to tell me, are you?" May asked. Her eyes searched his face, desperate for answers, desperate for him.
Kade forced a smile. Slowly, he shook his head. The gesture was final, yet gentle.
"I'm not afraid of you." She said it as though daring him to contradict her, as though daring him to believe her.
"You shouldn't be," Kade replied, the wolf receding under the balm of her words. He pulled back slightly, giving her room, forcing the beast down until his eyes shifted back, green once more. They were calmer now. He drew in a long breath before speaking again, picking up her shirt from the floor and handing it to her. "I'm going to see Kingsley tomorrow. And you are coming with me."
Her eyes widened, panic flashing across her face. "Wh…what?"
"Stop running, May. It's time you face him head on. And I will be there." He leaned forward slightly, his presence overwhelming, a shield and a storm all at once.
Her pulse hammered in her throat. "Don't you understand how dangerous he is?" she asked, desperation coating every syllable. She wrapped her shirt around herself, but her eyes never left his.
"I understand exactly how dangerous he is," he said quietly. "And I'm telling you, May—he's not half as dangerous as me."
"Go get some rest. I'll finish up with your cleaning."
"I cannot. I cannot sleep. How can I?" Exhaustion clung to her face, but so did defiance.
"You want me to watch over you all night?"
May's lips parted, her breathing shallow. "I don't know how to answer that," she whispered. "It's just that… whatever has to do with you seems like a betrayal to Mark. If I say yes, I feel guilty. If I say no, it sounds insane. Am I making any sense?" Her eyes shone, too open, too vulnerable, searching his face like a woman begging for him to understand her chaos.
Kade nodded slowly. "You are fighting something you have no business fighting."
"What does that mean?" she asked, her chin lifting stubbornly. She hated half-answers, hated the riddles he wrapped himself in.
"You ask a lot of questions," Kade muttered amused. His mouth curved faintly, the smallest crack in his usual restraint.
"No, I don't," May countered, almost indignantly. "If I did, I would ask why the place you come from seems like another world entirely. I would ask why you are so confident you can handle Kingsley." Her throat worked as she swallowed, her eyes never leaving his. "I would ask why… why it feels both safe and risky to be next to you." The confession lingered in the air, too intimate for the silence that followed.
Kade bit his lower lip, dragging it between his teeth. All legit questions, he thought bitterly. "For now," he finally said, "let's focus on getting Kingsley off your back, okay?" He moved closer, close enough that she could feel the heat radiating from him. "I promise I will be wide awake all through the night."
"No… you should get your rest for tomorrow," May said.
Kade turned from her out of the kitchen, muscles shifting beneath the plain shirt that clung to his shoulders. He bent to pick up the bucket and rags she had abandoned earlier by the door. Even in the simplest of movements, there was authority.
"I'm going to take a shower," May said, forcing her tone to sound casual though her heart gave a nervous little skip. "And I'll be back out."
Kade's dark eyes lifted, pinning her in place with an intensity that made her mouth dry. "Can I trust you not to drown yourself in the bathtub this time?"
She bristled, heat rushing to her cheeks. "I am not suicidal."
"Says the woman who almost slit her wrist open with broken glass just a few minutes ago." The drawl in his voice made the words sting even more.
May pressed her lips together, swallowing the protest that rose. He was right. She hated that he was right.
"Leave the door unlocked," Kade said as he straightened, looming over her like a shadow she couldn't shake. "If you're not out of there in ten minutes, I'll break the door down and come in."
A sigh slipped from her lips in annoyance.
With that, May turned and walked away, trying to ignore how much lighter she felt under the weight of his watchful eyes.
******
Steam curled through the bathroom as May finished her shower, the hot water leaving her skin flushed and her mind uncomfortably alive with thoughts of him. She deliberately chose a nightdress that was modest, the neckline high enough to hide the curves he might otherwise notice. She didn't want him thinking she was desperate. She didn't want him thinking about her at all.
Except she did.
When she reentered the living room, Kade sat sprawled in the armchair, a glass of whiskey resting against his palm. The scent of it hung faintly in the air.
"Five more minutes," he said without looking at her, "and I would've been in there."
"Well, thank heavens I finished as quickly as possible then." May said, drawing her knees up onto the couch as if that tiny shield of posture could defend her from Kade's sharp gaze.
"Why?" he asked. "Are you afraid I'll see something you don't want me to see?" His eyes flickered toward her, the hint of a wolfish grin tugging at his mouth, as though he was already amused by whatever flimsy excuse she might come up with.
"Uhh… actually yes."
Kade's grin widened. He leaned forward, elbows resting on his knees, and said softly, "May, I may not have seen much a year ago, but I know exactly what you look like beneath all those clothes you just threw on in a bid not to distract me."
Her face flamed, her whole body prickling with awareness. "I don't know what you're talking about," she snapped too quickly, which only seemed to fuel his enjoyment.
"Don't you?" His green eyes glittered in the dim light of the apartment, the whiskey in his glass catching a golden reflection as if echoing the heat of his words. "That's not what you usually wear to bed. So you think the more clothes you throw on, the safer you are."