A Cold Wind Blows (Forgotten series, #3)

Chapter 30

"Its okay." I murmured the words to Caden as he drew in laboured breaths. My heart was in my throat and I fought back tears. The healers were close. Less than two minutes away. Caden was tough, he would survive that long. There was a low sound of distress that had my head lifting. Lace crumpled to the ground twenty feet from me, her eyes on Caden and her expression a mask of pure anguish. "He's alive." I said it quickly before turning back to him and brushing his hair from his face.

"The healers are coming." I didn't know what had happened. Caeda had been inconsolable and I hadn't gotten a word out of her. All I knew was that Caden was in rough shape. Someone had attempted to claw his chest open, knicking his face and his ear in the process. It had been a violent action against a child. My child. I felt a dark rage tinged anguish rush through me but it was kept at bay by the fact Caden needed me.

Lace sat down right in front of me, her head close to my own as her hands touched him, feeling for life under his skin. She let out another sound of distress and her shoulders shook. I shushed her gently, reaching out and grabbing her arm. I pressed my cheek to hers in comfort. I could feel the hot sting of her tears against my skin before I pulled away and gently moved Caden into her arms. He gave a low cry, tears leaking from his eyes before he blinked them open slowly.

"Mama?" His voice was a croaky whisper and Lace nodded, holding him tightly as she brought her face to his, brushing her nose along his gently. There was vulnerable tenderness to how she held him that I had not seen in her before.

"Oh baby, mama is right here. Are you going to stay with me?" She pulled her head back slightly before she cupped his face and brushed his tears away with her thumb. I could see her entire form shaking as she held him close. My own body shook violently with many emotions that I couldn't pinpoint or truly feel.

"Iz scared." He made a choked noise that sounded like a cross between a sob and a gasp of pain.

"Its okay, baby. Its okay, my little one." She shushed him gently as she smoothed her fingers over his cheek and through his hair, leaning down to kiss his nose and his good cheek and his forehead.

"Its hurted." His whispered words were punctuated with those choked sounds and Lace continued to gently shush him, trying to get him to calm down, to breathe. I held his hand, shifting so my bulk sheltered him from the rain.

"I know, little one. Its going to be okay." Her voice was nearly cracking as she rocked him slightly.

"He chased us. Gabby got hurted too." At that I wanted to cry as Caeda was doing at the reminder. Gabriel had died attempting to save my boys and now instead of bearing his mark she would bear the burden of his stone on the walk to the Grieving Wall. I didn't know how she could shoulder that burden alone.

"I know, my boy. I know." She smoothed his hair away from his face and pressed a kiss to his forehead. His words were slurring slightly. He was growing weaker. I hoped to moon the healers arrived soon. They could stop his death. They couldn't heal him but they could keep him alive and right now that was all that we needed.

"He hitted Caeda and tooked Eli." At the words Lace's gaze met mine. Her mask was gone and I could see her. There was stark pain filled vulnerability to her expression, tainted with anguish but vengeance made the darkness of her eyes glint savagely.

"Find our boy and kill the bastard who did this." She spoke through gritted teeth as her shoulders shook with her restraint to keep her composure. Tears rolled down her cheeks and I nodded, her need for vengeance was mirrored in myself. I wanted to crucify who ever had done this to our little family. I wanted to maim who ever thought they could take my son. My wolf had already had vengeance for those who thought to take our territory but that was as an Alpha. This was personal.