didn’t need to search the room further. Cade and Sarid must still be out. He’d hit the gym. Talk to the boss afterward.
Halfway to the door a quiet sniffle stopped him. Another weight added to his chest, making it difficult to inhale. He frowned, hesitated, turned.
“Hey.”
Emma whirled. “Lucas. You startled me.”
He rubbed his twitching eyebrow. Yeah, I know . “Sorry about that.”
Emma used her free hand to rub her face. When finished, gray paint smudged her right cheek. Despite her state, Lucas saw why Cade fell. Large brown eyes, angelic face, sleek body. “I’m looking for Cade.” He made a pretense of glancing around the room.
“He’s not here.” She sniffed.
“You okay?”
She nodded as tears filled her eyes. “Sorry. Don’t pay any attention to me.”
He walked closer, gaze on her recent painting. “What are you working on?” He eyed the canvas, slowly tilted his head.
Emma sniffed again, setting her paintbrush on the easel’s ledge.
“Is it a flower?”
She nodded.
It certainly wasn’t a replica from Martha Stewart’s line. The green stalk sat in front of a semi-blurred hill filled with brightly colored flowers and sunshine. The main flower wasn’t colorful or in the sun. Its brownish-yellow petals drooped and wilted.
“It’s dying.” Her voice was flat.
The weight suddenly disappeared from Lucas’s chest, leaving him empty. He gazed at Emma’s profile. She was staring at the flower, the tears gone, her expression blank. “Do you want to talk?” he asked quietly.
She nodded, stopped in mid bob, shrugged, frowned. “It’s not a good idea. Cade might—” Another pause. Her eyes narrowed. Fists clenched. The roar in Lucas’s ears was almost overkill. He didn’t need it to know she was angry. “Yes, I’d love to talk. I have no one else, except for Gabe, but Cade doesn’t—” She broke off again, shaking her head. “Thank you.”
Lucas motioned to the black leather couch separating Emma’s art studio from Cade’s office. She walked a few steps, paused. “Maybe I shouldn’t sit. I don’t want to get any paint on the couch.”
“I wouldn’t worry. Martha complains she doesn’t get to clean enough in your wing. Apparently you make the bed and bring your clothes to the laundry room.”
A small smile lifted the corner of her mouth. It didn’t stay long. She sat on the edge of the seat. “It’s rude not to. She has so many other responsibilities. I don’t want her to have to pick up after me and Cade, too.”
“She likes her job. We wouldn’t give her duties she didn’t enjoy.”
“I know.” Emma grew quiet.
Anxiety and sorrow vied for the top spot in Lucas. He breathed slowly, trying not to let it affect him.
“I’m sorry,” she said just before tears fell down her cheeks.
Lucas put his arm around her shoulders. “Some emotions can’t be stifled. It’s—” He recognized the thump on his spine seconds before Cade’s voice, full of bridled anger, filled the room.
“What’s going on here?” Cade’s blue glowing gaze was locked onto their half embrace.
Emma raised her head. The Sept leader glared at Lucas, while holding his hand out for his bahshrett . She stood immediately and went to him. Her love for Cade was ten times brighter than the despair she’d shed moments before. Cade’s gaze moved to Emma when she neared.
“You’re crying. Why are you crying?” He cupped her face, thumbs wiping away the wetness. Cade’s head jerked up. His fangs flashed as a low rumble echoed through the room. “Lucas, what did you do? Why have you upset her?”
“He was helping me,” Emma spoke before Lucas could open his mouth. She laid her hand on the side of Cade’s face, overtop the scars near his left eye. “I was upset before he came in.”
Lucas felt his own surprising appreciation for Emma’s defense right before Cade’s anger rolled through him, taking control. Slowly coming to his feet, he willed his eyes to remain
Halfway to the door a quiet sniffle stopped him. Another weight added to his chest, making it difficult to inhale. He frowned, hesitated, turned.
“Hey.”
Emma whirled. “Lucas. You startled me.”
He rubbed his twitching eyebrow. Yeah, I know . “Sorry about that.”
Emma used her free hand to rub her face. When finished, gray paint smudged her right cheek. Despite her state, Lucas saw why Cade fell. Large brown eyes, angelic face, sleek body. “I’m looking for Cade.” He made a pretense of glancing around the room.
“He’s not here.” She sniffed.
“You okay?”
She nodded as tears filled her eyes. “Sorry. Don’t pay any attention to me.”
He walked closer, gaze on her recent painting. “What are you working on?” He eyed the canvas, slowly tilted his head.
Emma sniffed again, setting her paintbrush on the easel’s ledge.
“Is it a flower?”
She nodded.
It certainly wasn’t a replica from Martha Stewart’s line. The green stalk sat in front of a semi-blurred hill filled with brightly colored flowers and sunshine. The main flower wasn’t colorful or in the sun. Its brownish-yellow petals drooped and wilted.
“It’s dying.” Her voice was flat.
The weight suddenly disappeared from Lucas’s chest, leaving him empty. He gazed at Emma’s profile. She was staring at the flower, the tears gone, her expression blank. “Do you want to talk?” he asked quietly.
She nodded, stopped in mid bob, shrugged, frowned. “It’s not a good idea. Cade might—” Another pause. Her eyes narrowed. Fists clenched. The roar in Lucas’s ears was almost overkill. He didn’t need it to know she was angry. “Yes, I’d love to talk. I have no one else, except for Gabe, but Cade doesn’t—” She broke off again, shaking her head. “Thank you.”
Lucas motioned to the black leather couch separating Emma’s art studio from Cade’s office. She walked a few steps, paused. “Maybe I shouldn’t sit. I don’t want to get any paint on the couch.”
“I wouldn’t worry. Martha complains she doesn’t get to clean enough in your wing. Apparently you make the bed and bring your clothes to the laundry room.”
A small smile lifted the corner of her mouth. It didn’t stay long. She sat on the edge of the seat. “It’s rude not to. She has so many other responsibilities. I don’t want her to have to pick up after me and Cade, too.”
“She likes her job. We wouldn’t give her duties she didn’t enjoy.”
“I know.” Emma grew quiet.
Anxiety and sorrow vied for the top spot in Lucas. He breathed slowly, trying not to let it affect him.
“I’m sorry,” she said just before tears fell down her cheeks.
Lucas put his arm around her shoulders. “Some emotions can’t be stifled. It’s—” He recognized the thump on his spine seconds before Cade’s voice, full of bridled anger, filled the room.
“What’s going on here?” Cade’s blue glowing gaze was locked onto their half embrace.
Emma raised her head. The Sept leader glared at Lucas, while holding his hand out for his bahshrett . She stood immediately and went to him. Her love for Cade was ten times brighter than the despair she’d shed moments before. Cade’s gaze moved to Emma when she neared.
“You’re crying. Why are you crying?” He cupped her face, thumbs wiping away the wetness. Cade’s head jerked up. His fangs flashed as a low rumble echoed through the room. “Lucas, what did you do? Why have you upset her?”
“He was helping me,” Emma spoke before Lucas could open his mouth. She laid her hand on the side of Cade’s face, overtop the scars near his left eye. “I was upset before he came in.”
Lucas felt his own surprising appreciation for Emma’s defense right before Cade’s anger rolled through him, taking control. Slowly coming to his feet, he willed his eyes to remain
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