Page 21 of Cultivating Caden

“Buddy, you have to let the doctors check you over. You really overdid it yesterday, and they want to be sure you didn’t hurt yourself.”

Ten leaned back and stared Quade in the eye. “You were fighting.”

Quade seemed startled. “What? No, I wasn’t.”

That silver gaze narrowed. “You went out last night and got into a fight with a wolf.”

“Stop doing that!”

Ten cocked his head and continued to stare into Quade’s eyes. “Even though you really wanted sex. Why didn’t you talk to—um… never mind.”

“Talk to who, buddy?”

Ten’s eyes slid in Caden’s direction again before returning to Quade’s face. What the hell was that about?

“Nothing. Why were you fighting?”

Quade sighed. “My wolf wanted out. He needed the open sky and fresh air to run off his excess energy.”

“It’s because I wasn’t there for you. I’m sorry.” He reached for Quade, but was stopped when Quade grabbed his wrists.

“Uh-uh. You’re not doing any of that until the doctor says it’s okay.”

“You’re feeling lost again. You’re afraid of the rage inside you and what it could mean to those around you.”

Quade’s lip curled up. “Stop that. Now.”

“Why can’t you trust yourself? I’ve told you before that your wolf is part of you. Embrace him.”

Leaping up, Quade took several steps away and turned to Caden. “Can you take him back to the infirmary? Go to the elevator at the end of this hall and down to the lower level. Someone will direct you from there.”

Without waiting for an answer, Quade stormed away.

Ten sighed and folded his thin arms over his chest. “He’s having a mood right now.”

“We should get you back to the infirmary.”

This time, Ten turned his imploring gaze in Caden’s direction. “Can’t I stay here? We could play some video games.”

“I don’t have….” Caden frowned, then sighed. “I have video games, don’t I?”

The smile he got from Ten was radiant. “I might have told them you would need them.”

“So Quade says you’re the one responsible for the things in my refrigerator?”

A quick dip of the chin.

“See, you made a mistake. I don’t eat meat.”

“Well, no, but Mr. Martin does.”

“How did you know he would even be here?”

An enigmatic smile rattled Caden. All of this was so far outside anything he knew.

“I know things.”

“Yeah, so I hear. So what happens if we go in to play games? How upset is Quade going to be?”