She was nearly shrieking by the time she was done, and shaking so fiercely that her teeth were chattering together. “Cassie…”
“No!” she screamed. Clawing terror seized hold of her. A sense of impending doom settled over her, her chest constricted so tightly that she could hardly breathe. She was gasping, choking, as she tried to get air into her tortured lungs.
Devon kept hold of her as she tried to get away; she needed to be free of the vehicle and the pressing weight on her chest. Julian leaned over him, grasping hold of her chin and pulling her head forcefully toward him. “Enough princess!” he snapped as Devon released a ferocious growl that caused the hair on the back of her neck to stand on end.
“Get your hand off of her!” Devon spat.
Julian chose to ignore him as he continued to hold onto her. “We are not going back there. I promise you that much, we are never going back in there. They will never touch you again. You need to keep yourself under control because we have got to learn what is going on here. We need to know what they were trying to do to us down there, and what they have done to this town.”
Cassie bit her lip hard, fighting back the wave of tears that filled her eyes. “Or what they did do to us,” she whispered, thinking of her red eyes and the strange control she’d had over herself earlier. Thinking of the shots they had injected her with that had turned her veins a different color as it seeped through her blood stream.
“Yes.” Cassie sat silently for a moment, trying to breathe through the pressure that lingered in her chest. Julian’s full mouth twisted into a small smile. “You survived down there, you will survive this.”
Cassie nodded, a single tear slid down her face as she set her shoulders in resolve. “You’re right,” she whispered. “We need to know. And don’t call me princess!”
He grinned at her, squeezing her chin briefly before retreating to the far back of the vehicle. Everyone stared at her in stunned silence, and then their gazes darted briefly toward Julian. She could sense their confusion and uncertainty, sense the questions rolling through them, but no one said a word. She turned slowly toward Devon, hating the stunned, wounded look in his eyes. She squeezed his hand tightly, looking to reassure him and ease his fears, but she wasn’t sure she succeeded.
Devon was her heart, but he was going to have to accept the fact that Julian had become her friend, and her savior, in a time when she had desperately needed both. He would have to accept the fact that she and Julian had forged a strong bond while they had been held captive, and that Julian owned a piece of her heart now. A piece that still confused her, and one that she didn’t understand. Julian was more than her friend, she cared for him deeply. Their bond had become so strong that she thought of Julian as good of a friend as Chris and Melissa, and she needed him in her life as much as she needed them.
Though, she didn’t want Devon to know right now about the fact that Julian had kissed her. He would destroy Julian if he learned that, and she could not allow that to happen. Especially since it had been her fault for allowing the kiss to happen. At the time she had been confused about her feelings toward Julian. She knew that Devon possessed her heart and soul, but Julian had become a big part of her life, and she loved him. But she could never love him like she loved Devon, and although she had doubted that, Julian never had. He had simply needed to kiss her, simply wanted the moment for himself.
She thought back to Julian’s words after he had kissed her. “I know princess, I know. I just needed this.”
At the time she hadn’t known what he meant by that. Had not understood what he had known, but she understood now. Though she had been lost and confused, Julian had known that she would always choose Devon over him. Julian had understood that though she did love him, it was always Devon that she belonged with, and to. And although it had happened once, both she and Julian knew that it would never happen again.
Tears clogged her throat, she clung tighter to Devon. It was not a secret that she would always keep from him, and one day she would tell him, but she couldn’t do so now. Now she needed Devon to trust Julian as much as she did. She couldn’t lose Julian now, she had grown to trust him and love him, and she needed him to help get her through all of this. She would always need him she realized.
She had never kept anything from Devon, but this was a secret she would have to keep for a little while. At least until Devon realized that Julian was different. That Julian was no longer their enemy, nor was he the same murderous monster that had once been Devon’s best friend, and had once helped Devon slaughter numerous innocents. No, this Julian was evolving, becoming someone different, becoming someone good, and trustworthy. He was learning to care for someone other than himself; he was becoming more human again and less of a monster. He had become someone that she loved and who loved her in return. He would do anything to keep her safe, and she would also do the same for him.
Even if the person she had to keep him safe from was Devon.
Cassie squeezed Devon’s hand again, seeking reassurance as she leaned her head against his chest to savor in the scent of him. His hand entangled in her hair, crushing her to him with a desperation that left her breathless, and on the verge of tears. She ached for the loss and confusion and terror that he had gone through. Ached for the turmoil and confusion she sensed boiling through him. He bent his head to her, his lips pressed gently against her forehead, her cheek, before finally resting against her neck.
She felt the rapid increase of his tension, felt the hunger that surged through him. Cassie closed her eyes; her body tingled with excitement as she felt the hot press of his teeth against her skin. She wished fervently that they were not here, that they were not ensnared in this unending horror. She wished that they were alone so that she could truly enjoy his presence, his love, his strength.
Wished that they were alone so she could reassure Devon that it was him she was in love with.
Cassie’s eyes flew open as the vehicle came to a stop. Her hands tightened upon him as a fresh wave of panic threatened to consume her. She needed to be strong now, she had to be strong. Taking a deep breath, she pulled slowly away. He kept hold of her hand as she rose up to look at the large red general store. “Why are we here?” Dani inquired, her eyes darting nervously around the deserted street.
“Supplies,” Luther answered briskly.
“Julian and I will go in first.”
Cassie’s hand tightened around Devon’s as her eyes flew wildly to him. They had just found each other again; she wasn’t ready to part with him yet. “I’m coming with you,” she said forcefully.