“I still don’t get why, but I know things would be a whole lot worse for me if you weren’t here,” he admitted, a serious but grateful honesty drifting into his expression.
“Before all of this, I didn’t care about anything. Every day of my life was just about scraping my way through enough to survive, and honestly, it was getting harder. Even after I killed my handler, if Jeff hadn’t shown up, I think I would have just waited for them to come and kill me. I didn’t want to feel anything anymore if all it was ever going to be was that.”
“I meant what I said the day I found Genesis curled up with you in the hospital. You’re not alone anymore.”
Cadi pulled her hands free and cupped his face like she had seen some of the others around her do. It seemed like an appropriate gesture and she just needed to touch him. “You have me now and I’m not… I’m not going anywhere, okay? I don’t want to be anywhere else. I don’t want to try to picture what things would be like had Genesis not barged into your room and caused us to meet, okay?”
“Yeah, but I’ll never be a model on the catwalks of Paris, will I?”
As isolated as their pack generally was from the closest populated areas, they weren’t as behind on things as some might assume they’d be. They had good trade connections with the city, and even though the settlement itself was practically ancient in terms of existing, they’d renovated and updated things periodically to keep up with the world around them.
“With a face like that? Pretty sure a broken nose wasn’t what killed your modeling career prospects.”
It was a low blow, but he had to have seen it coming. After all, they were always trashing each other like that. Especially when they were children and had used shows and movies to start their fights.
“I’m just saying, she could probably do a whole lot better than me of all people.”
Vaughn wasn’t even sure why the pup had latched onto him so hard, but at the same time, he found it extremely difficult to say no to the kid.
“I wouldn’t really call myself the best choice for anything if I’m honest. At least right now.”
“She doesn’t think so.”
Honestly, Cadi understood what Genesis saw in him. The child was one of the most open of them, the most extroverted, the least damaged. It was one of the only things that really gave her hope for anything.
“Oh, that time? Sorry, I think you gave me a little amnesia too.” he chuckled, recalling the moment perfectly since his nose still bore the permanent evidence of that scrap with the way it was no longer as straight as it used to be when he was a child.
“Knocked a tooth out too, if I remember correctly? Nearly swallowed the damn thing.”
“You had my arms pinned, headbutting you was the only option I had left given the position,” she replied with a shrug, still a little proud of herself for that one.
Vaughn’s eyes widened at that. It wasn’t a complete surprise with how the pup seemed to have latched onto him, but he was still pretty much a kid himself and had never even considered the possibility of being a father.
“Maybe when things settle down a bit, she’ll be a little less insistent?”
The scar on Cadi’s stomach hadn’t gone unnoticed, and Vaughn remembered that she’d mentioned that her handlers had had her sterilised when she was only a little older than Genesis was, so he guessed that the whole thing was probably a bit of a sore point, despite the pups continued attempts to construct herself a family.
She shrugged a little, trying to swallow back the swell of emotion. It pained her to know that she could never really have kids of her own but, at the same time, she loved the twins as if they were her own.
“I don’t know, she adores you. She doesn’t really give much thought to anyone else. It’s why she drew you so many pictures.”
Cadi had tried to explain to Genesis that she couldn’t just start calling people her parents, so at least the child had taken to asking permission first. Not that it was much better.
Isaac wasn’t lying when he had said that Ana didn’t know where he was or that he’d never lead any of her family to the pack. He didn’t mention, however, that he’d set her up in a motel just over the state line, and that he’d already convinced her to put serious consideration into turning against her family for both their sakes.
“Pretty sure I broke your nose.”
Not that it had been on purpose but still. It wasn’t like it was the first time any of them had ended up with broken bones from wrestling, especially with the size difference between them. It never stopped Anya from taking on the boys though and she never expected them to go easy on her either.
“She’s got a stubborn streak, huh?” he acknowledged, a grin still firmly planted on his face.
“I remember what it felt like when I was her age to not have anything close to another of our kind to be attached to. I’m glad she’s got you so she doesn’t have to go through that.”
“Careful, she keeps asking if you can be her dad,” she warned, unable to keep her own grin from widening.
“All I had was Bailey for a little while when he was a pup. But then Marni took him away from me and it nearly broke me completely. Genesis and Salem have never been away from each other. Sable almost died for them. I don’t want them to go through anymore pain so I have no idea what to say to Genesis over her wanting to call me mom. I don’t want to upset her.” Even if the whole thing just broke her heart.
“Maybe? If I let you.” he shot back, his tone an obvious attempt at sibling banter despite the heavy air that hung between them.
He never wanted to upset her in any way, and he knew that she had a point, but he couldn’t quite bring himself to tell her that he’d already gotten in a little too deep for either of their comfort.
“Do you remember what happened the last time you made a comment like that?” she returned, crossing her arms and tapping her foot against the ground.
It was easier to play around, to taunt one another, but she had every intention of tracking him later. Things were far from over yet and she wasn’t going to let him get himself hurt.
“Last time I was shorter than you, I was twelve years old.” he teased playfully, trying to get the smile back on his sisters face and maybe divert the conversation onto a different subject.
The faintest hint of a smile touched her lips, but she tried not to smile outright, refusing to give him the satisfaction. “Can still kick your ass.”
ofviolentdeath 