Page 67 of Cage Me

“We need to go find someone,” she replies coolly.

“Why?”

She offers him a soft smile. “Because we need to have a little chat with her?”

“Are you going to chat or are you going to fight?” His eyes narrow. “Why does it have to be you?”

She reaches across the table for him and holds his hand. “Sometimes things are too important to let other people handle. This is one of those times. But you’ll have fun here, and you’re safe with Kasha.”

Peter glances over at me, then back at his sister. “You’re safe with Drake.”

He says the words as if nothing else could be truer, and the weight of responsibility not only to my mate but to her family sits heavily on my shoulders.

“I am, but he’s also safe with me.” She winks, making him laugh.

“You are pretty strong, Pence.” His lips twist. “I wonder who would win in an arm wrestle?”

“As long as it’s not done on my table, my money is on your sister,” Kasha says as she finally joins us, her long hair damp and face free of any makeup.

Peter’s eyes light up. “Can they use the table outside?”

She shrugs. “Sure, but you’ll have to help me rebuild it if they break it.”

His fist shoots up into the air. “Deal!”

I tilt my head at Spencer. “Are we doing this?”

“Not today, but as soon as we’re back, you can count on it.” She stands and holds her arms out. “Come give your sister a hug.”

His shoulders droop as he trudges around the table. “Do you have to go right now?”

“Unfortunately so. There are people waiting on us, and it wouldn’t be nice if we disappointed them,” she says, holding him tight.

“Yeah, I guess,” he murmurs before pulling back, then surprises me when he comes to give me a hug. “You’ll come back too, right?”

“Of course, I will.” I’ve never had anyone to make promises like that to, but by saying the words and looking into his wide, hopeful eyes, something twists in my chest. The foreign feeling wipes out my earlier worries. This isn’t just about protecting Spencer. It’s about keeping their family together and not missing out on the chance to be part of that.

I hug the boy, then catch Cara’s stare on me. “I haven’t had a vision since we came here, but I know you’ll take care of my daughter.”

“With my own life,” I promise.

“Try not to let it come to that, yeah?”

I hope to hell not. We all have a lot to fight for now. This isn’t just about my vengeance any longer. It’s about protecting the people in my life and getting the chance to live for the first time in a millennium.

Chapter 26

SPENCER

Saying goodbye to my mother and brother wasn’t the hard part of the morning. It was once again making sure Kasha will do whatever it takes to keep them safe if Drake and I fail or if things don’t go as planned.

I feel confident that she wouldn’t accept the responsibility if she wasn’t going to do her best, but that doesn’t stop me from worrying.

Yet, it also doesn’t stop me from walking out the door and heading to Spells once again.

Drake and I arrive just after nine in the morning to find the door locked. I shake the handle and look at him. “It’s never been locked for me before.”

“Maybe someone else is in here,” he suggests, trying to peer through the tinted windows.