Page 18 of Ours (The Possession Duology #2)

Pacing back and forth beside Lexi’s hospital bed, Kade kept his dark eyes on her sleeping face.

She looked so peaceful, so angelic. It was in stark contrast to how she looked only hours before.

He couldn’t remember the last time he had ever been so afraid.

Her doctor assured him that she and the baby were fine, that her contractions were caused by nothing more than dehydration and stress.

Even with that assurance, he couldn’t ignore the nagging feeling that something horrific was about to happen, and that he would lose them both.

Lifting his arm, he swiped his hand over his tired face.

Letting out a sigh, he winced as his fingertips brushed against the bite mark on his jaw.

That had been fun to explain away. The last thing he needed was to be dragged to the Cambridge police department for domestic assault.

Luckily, the authorities that came to visit were under Bloodbayne’s payroll.

Moving his gaze from Lexi, he glanced towards the electronic fetal monitoring machine. A small smile brightened his face as he listened to the sound of his son’s heartbeat. It was strong and steady, whooshing at a healthy one hundred fifty-three beats per minute. His boy was definitely a fighter.

“Just like his Mommy,” he whispered, reaching over to take her hand in his.

Feeling a small squeeze around his fingers, he turned his attention back to her. Noticing her eyelids flutter, he held his breath as she began to stir. He prayed that it was his Lexi waking up, and not the bitch.

“Hey, Sweetheart, how are you feeling?” he asked, keeping his voice as soft as he could.

Moaning softly, Lexi fought off the remaining grogginess from her much-needed nap.

Shaking off the last bit of her nightmare, she met Kade’s worried eyes.

Deep lines etched into his handsome face, the aftereffects of worry and stress.

Good, she thought. After what just happened, he deserved to feel like complete shit.

“The baby,” she rasped, trying to pull her hand from his.

Tightening his hold, he stopped her hand from slipping away.

While she had every right to be mad, he would be damned if he let her shut him out.

“He’s fine, my love. Healthy as a horse.

They were able to stop your contractions and he’s not showing any signs of distress.

They said they would take you to do an ultrasound when you woke up just to make sure, but he seems to be doing just fine,” he said, leaning over the gurney.

“I don’t know what I would do if anything ever happened to you or our boy.

God, I love you so much. So fucking much! ”

Pursing her chapped lips together, she felt her eyes well with hot tears. She was relieved to know that her baby was healthy, but his hollow declaration of love made her sick to her stomach. How could he possibly love her after everything he did with her?

“Really? You love me? You sure have a funny way of showing it,” she said, her voice filled with a mixture of pain and anger. “If you really loved me, you wouldn’t have done what you did .”

Closing his eyes, he felt a sharp sting on his cheek from her verbal slap. He deserved her fury, he only wished they could save this fight for a later date. A much, much later date.

“How much do you know?” he asked, reluctantly meeting her gaze once more.

“Everything,” she replied, successfully pulling her hand from his. “She made sure of it. The first time I couldn’t fault you, you didn’t know...but you sure as hell knew by the fifteenth time, didn’t you?! God dammit Kade! You just kept fucking her! Again, and again and again ! Why?”

Swallowing hard, he dropped his eyes to the linoleum floor. He wasn’t used to feeling shame or guilt. He couldn’t answer her question even if he wanted to. He didn’t know why he kept going back to the bitch for more. Sure, the sex was phenomenal, but he always felt disgusting afterwards.

“I don’t know,” he replied, keeping his voice low.

Huffing a laugh, she rolled her eyes at his pathetic answer. “You don’t know?” she asked incredulously.

Shrugging his broad shoulders, he threw his hands up in frustration.

“I honestly don’t know! All I can say is that I missed you!

I missed you so much and I didn’t know when, or if, you were coming back.

I know it’s sick…and I know it’s twisted.

..but every time...every single fucking time, I pretended that you were the one I was having sex with,” he replied.

Holding in a sob, she stared into his remorseful eyes.

She wished she could hate him for lying, but she knew in her gut that he was telling his truth.

Her alter made a point of allowing her to watch them every time they had sex, and every single time he screamed out her name as he came.

He made it abundantly clear to Nikki that she wasn’t the one he wanted. So why was she so damn upset about it?

“Is she there right now?” he asked, arching a brow. “If she is, you can ask her yourself. I never wanted her. I only wanted you .”

Drifting her gaze to the IV embedded into her left hand, she sighed. “No, she’s not,” she answered, keeping her attention on the needle piercing her vein. “She’s been silent since we left the house.”

Stopping himself from smiling, he felt a wave of instant relief. Finally, the wicked witch was dead. “Oh? Well, good, that’s good! Really good! Maybe she’ll stay that way!”

Turning back to him, she watched as he nervously smoothed the bed sheet over her pronounced bump.

His unpermitted touch made her scowl. She wanted to push his hand away, to tell him to shut up and stop annoying her.

But as soon as she opened her mouth, she felt the soothing roll of her son as he responded to his father’s touch.

It was the reminder she needed. There was much more at stake, they all needed each other. No matter what.

“How can I make it up to you, Lexi?” he asked, encouraged by the gentle kicks from his son. “Tell me how I can make this better.”

Wiping the tears from her cheeks, she cleared her throat. “You should let me fuck him,” she said without thinking.

“ What ?” he demanded, confusion dancing over his features. “What the hell are you talking about? Fuck who?!”

Licking her lips, she lifted her bruised shoulders into a tiny shrug. Her solution shocked her just as much as it did him. Wanting to see how he would react, she decided to run with it. He deserved to squirm.

“The one in your head. I know he’s in there,” she replied nonchalantly.

Well, well, well. This just became a hell of a lot more interesting , Demetri quipped.

Completely caught off guard, he huffed a disbelieving laugh. He couldn’t remember ever talking about his alter with her. How the fuck did she know?

Monsters recognize monsters, Kade. Isn’t that what you told her? Demetri teased.

Ignoring the bastard, he sucked in a large breath. Straightening his posture, he tried to put on the airs of being cool and collected. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said.

“Oh, stop it! I know damn well that you’re fractured just like I am.

Fuck, I’m sure I’ve met him already! Remember the first time you took me?

Well, there were moments when you didn’t seem like you.

They were brief, but there. Now…maybe the mechanics and hierarchy is different between the two of you, and that’s why the switching seemed seamless, I donno.

But oh, he’s in there all right,” she said, thoroughly pleased with the dumbfounded look passing over his face.

“Want to make this better” Then let me screw him. It’s only fair, right?”

Shaking his head, he balled his hands into tight fists at his sides. Like hell he would let that ever happen. If Demetri ever got his hands on her, it would be over. “No way. No fucking way!” he exclaimed.

Now, Kade, I think you should hear her out. This makes sense! Demetri said with a snicker. She gets her revenge, I get my revenge. It’s a win-win situation if you ask me!

“Why not?” she asked curiously.

Yeah, why not? Demetri wondered.

Pushing out a low growl, Kade leaned over her. Unable to keep his possessiveness in check, he hovered his face an inch from hers. Hardening his features, he bared his sharp teeth.

“Because you are mine, Lexi, and mine alone. Never forget that you will always be mine,” he said, his voice tinged with darkness. “You, and this baby, belong to me. Do you understand?”

Keeping her green eyes locked onto him, she found herself nodding in response. Suddenly, her little flippant request didn’t seem so humorous. He may love her, but he wasn’t exactly stable. She needed to watch herself, lest she tangle with the wolf again.

Pleased with her obedience, he moved to place a tender kiss upon her forehead. “That’s my good girl,” he praised.

Opening her mouth to offer a reply, she was interrupted by a rapid knock on the door to her room.

“Come in,” he bellowed before she had a chance to.

“Knock, knock,” said a sweet voice.

Watching the door open, Lexi plastered a faux grin on her face as a friendly looking brunette entered her room.

Judging by her pink scrubs, she guessed the young woman was a nurse, although not the nurse she remembered when she was first admitted.

She prayed that she hadn’t overheard her crude conversation with Kade.

“Hi, there! I hope you’ve had a good nap? My name’s Emma and I’ll be your nurse. There was a shift change while you were sleeping,” she said, walking towards the hospital bed carrying a large cup. “How are you feeling?”

Nodding her head, Lexi glanced from Emma to Kade, and back again. “I... I’m feeling much better now. Thank you.”

“Oh, good! I’m glad to hear that. Your husband was so worried about you,” Emma said, motioning to Kade with her free hand. “You've got a good one.”