The Misadventures of Kade and Celine

When her eyes fluttered open, Celine felt a faint twinge in her side and tensed; momentarily expecting to find a deranged elf standing over her with a knife again. Then she remembered that Kade had found her. She sat up with a gasp, turning to see that she was in her own bed and Kade was asleep next to her. She had probably been out for a while as her body worked to heal itself. Her gasp made Kade stir, his eyes cracking open.

“I didn’t mean to wake you,” she said. He sat up, shaking his head.

“I meant to be awake when you came to.”

Celine threw her arms around his neck so enthusiastically that she knocked him back onto his pillow, and kissed him.

“Not a bad way to wake up,” he mumbled. She was still clinging to him like he was a life raft.

“Kade, I’m so sorry you told me not to open the door for anyone and I did I was so stupid but he said you were hurt and then Lawson grabbed me and took me to his stupid little torture room and you had to come save me I’m sorry-“

“Whoa, hey.” Kade gently covered her mouth with his hand. “He was going to try and take you no matter what. If the plan with Bayley failed they probably would’ve broken the door down. Besides, I’m fine. None of us were hurt, except for you. And speaking of which, you shouldn’t be moving around so much.”

“I’m fine,” she said, refusing to be pried off of him. “I’m pretty sure I’m healed by now. And I’m still sorry you guys had to come save me because I didn’t listen to you.”

“I’ll always come for you,” he said quietly. “You're my home, too, Celine.”

She rested her forehead against his. “Is Lawson dead?”

“Very.”

“Good.”

Kade laughed softly. He kissed her again and then sat up and swung his legs over the side of the bed, as best he could with Celine still holding onto him. Even when he stood up she just sort of dangled off of him like a bizarre piece of jewelry.

“I’m not going anywhere,” he promised, amused. “I want to check to make sure you’re actually fully healed, and your dad will want to see you now that you’re awake.”

Celine finally relented and released him. He gently undid the bandages around her midsection to reveal normal, wound free skin. He looked relieved, letting her shirt fall back down. Celine touched her abdomen gingerly; the skin had healed but she could still remember the pain and the area still felt a little tender.

“The broken arm Christophe gave me felt like a warm fuzzy hug compared to the repeated stabbing,” she muttered.

“He got what he deserved and then some,” Kade assured her.

“I tried to tell him that would happen, but he didn’t listen.”

Kade laughed, pulling her closer. He kissed her forehead and then her nose and she snuggled against his chest, still not really wanting to let him go.

“I love you, Garlic,” he said.

“I love you too, Kibbles.”

He grinned. “Come on, everyone’s going to want to see that you’re okay.”

Celine yelped faintly as he picked her up.

“I can walk,” she pointed out. He still carried her down the stairs, earning them a slightly amused look from Silas.

“Daddy, you should be sleeping,” she scolded as Kade set her gently on her feet.

“I’m old enough that staying up one day won’t kill me,” Silas replied, catching her in a gentle hug as she ran to him. “You gave me quite a fright, my dear girl. I was almost afraid we were going to lose you.”

Celine shook her head. “Lawson wanted the wounds to heal,” she said. “That way I could get better, and he could stab me all over again.”

Disgust settled over her father’s face. He glanced to Kade, who also looked displeased.

“You said you killed him, right?” Silas asked.

“Yes, sir.”

Silas nodded in approval, giving Celine’s shoulders another light squeeze. “I think you picked a good one,” he remarked.

“I know I did,” Celine said, giving Kade a softly adoring look that made his ears turn red. She turned to Bobby and Leroy, smiling warmly at them. She hurried over to hug them and plant kisses on their cheeks.

“Thank you for helping rescue me,” she said. They were both red in the face and seemed a little shy again with her gushing, but they smiled.

“We should probably go, and let you all get some more rest,” Bobby said. “We just wanted to wait to make sure you were okay.”

“You guys really came through,” Kade said. “I appreciate it.”

“Any time, Alpha,” Leroy replied and Kade’s ears turned a little red again. Celine couldn’t hide the smile on her face. She had slept into the early evening, and once the sun descended; Silas left to return to the Sundown District.

“I think you two deserve a nice evening just the two of you,” he said. Even Jinxie went out for a night flight. Kade noticed Celine staring at him.

“What?” he asked.

“You promise you didn’t get hurt? You’re not hiding an injury from me or anything, are you?”

He smirked. “You’re welcome to come check me for any injuries.”

She rolled her eyes but she was laughing. “Kade, I’m being serious.”

“So am I.”

“Kade.”

“I got a little knick on the ankle with some silver, otherwise I was fine. Also, you were right. Shifting is easier when I don’t try to resist it.”

“It only took a war with elves for you to admit I was right,” she teased. “Alpha,” she added, smirking when he blushed. She walked over and wrapped her arms around his waist.

“That still sounds weird even though people keep saying it,” he said.

“I think it sounds just right,” Celine said. “I knew you guys would be good for each other. You needed some friends, and they needed someone to display natural leadership qualities.”

“Oh come on, I don’t have any of those,” Kade protested.

“You’ve been my hero for the last year,” Celine said. “If I can see it then so can other people.”

Kade smiled crookedly. “To be fair, the hero is nothing without his princess.”

Celine blushed and Kade laughed, leaning down to kiss her. “It’s been a year and you still blush when I flirt with you. I guess you really do still like me after all this time.”

“Just a little,” Celine confirmed. “Just enough to want to marry you and spend my very long life with you, and just enough to be wildly attracted to you. That’s it.”

“Oh just that much, huh?” Kade cracked a smile, tickling her sides until she giggled and tried to wriggle away. He pulled her back and lifted her off her feet, spinning her around.

“Can we maybe explore that whole ‘wildly attracted to me’ thing you were talking about?”

Celine laughed, kissing him again. “Only if you promise to stay home with me tomorrow.”

“Deal.”