Chapter Thirty-Six – Up in Flames.

I'm in a lecture when I hear my my phone vibrating. Hurriedly, I take it out and quickly exit the hall. There are 6 missed calls and 4 text messages already that I have failed to attend to since my phone was in my bag.

"Hello?" I greeted, wondering why Kaden was calling.

"Why didn't you pick up earlier?!" He demands, making me wince at how angry he sounds.

"Kaden...I have a class right now and my phone was in my bag. What's wrong?"

A thunderous growl filters through the speaker making me pull away at the sheer volume. He sounds furious and I wonder what has made him so upset. Our bond is suddenly twisting tightly in anger, frustration and something dark. All these intense emotions are coming from Kaden.

"Kaden, calm down and tell me what's wrong." I urge, pacing the hallway and ignoring the students who are eyeing me as they walk past.

"He ruined it, I hate him so much! I'm going to f*cking kill him!" He snarls in anger, breathing harsh as he tries to control his emotions. "I need you Luna. Rico should be in the parking lot by now, he'll bring you back here -"

"Hold on, at least tell me what happened?" I interrupt, leaning against the wall.

"No. I don't want to talk, please Luna just get here quickly. I'm going out of my f*cking mind, I need you." His voice takes on a desperate tone which makes me worry even more.

"Okay, I'm on my way. I'm coming...just don't do anything rash."

"Hurry." He grits out and hangs up, but I manage to catch the shouting in the background.

I let out a shaky breath before quietly slipping into the lecture hall and grabbing my bag from my seat, whispering to Eva and Maddox that I'll talk to them later. I send them a reassuring smile as they watch me with concern before I leave the hall.

Rushing through the building, I finally reach the exit and hurry down the steps. I notice the familiar face of Rico who is restlessly tapping his fingers on the steering wheel, staring ahead with a frown. I immediately get into the passenger seat and strap my seat belt on before he starts the engine, speeding out of the parking lot.

"What's going on, Rico?" I ask, my heart hammering away in my chest.

He sighs heavily, taking a left at the university gates. "The back of Kaden's house was set on fire last night, someone tried to kill him whilst he slept. That someone, we believe, is Ace."

I gasp loudly, staring at him in shock. The thought of someone hurting Kaden has my heart aching painfully. I slouch in my seat, blinking away tears. 

"H-He's okay, right? Is he badly hurt?"

Rico nods his head, glancing at me from the corner of his eye. "He'll be alright Luna, just a few scratches and mild burns. Thankfully he smelt the smoke before it reached his bedroom and the guards from Axel's pack arrived. They managed to put it out but the wall opposite the kitchen, the bathroom and some of the floor upstairs is burnt, barely standing."

"Weren't the guards supposed to be at his house already?" I frowned in confusion. 

"Yes," He nods, pausing to concentrate on ongoing traffic before turning. "But usually there's a five minute delay in changing shifts throughout the day.We're assuming that Ace or someone who works with him have been watching the guards closely."

I shuddered at the thought of Ace being so close to Kaden, watching...planning. Anger bubbled up within me, wanting to hurt the man who had been tormenting my mate for years. Kaden didn't deserve this. 

"Can the house be fixed?" I ask hopefully, knowing how much Kaden prides himself on building that house from scratch.

An unsure expression crosses Rico's features before he nods slowly. "It's going to take time though."

I nod, silence ensuing in the car as he drives on. My leg bounces nervously, wanting to see Kaden right now but he lives an hour away. Although Rico is driving as fast as he can, I know the earliest we'd reach there will be in 45 minutes at least.

The entire ride I'm anxious, my leg bouncing uncontrollably that even Rico told me to calm down. Kaden has spent so much time building that house and to have someone try to harm him and destroy his home, I can't imagine how upset he must be.

I only hope he has calmed down because the way he sounded on the phone, it seemed like he was ready to tear everyone and everything apart.

***

Finally, Rico pulls into the space beside Kaden's Mustang.

I hop out of the car before Rico can even properly park it, forgetting about my bag as I run through the gap in the treeline. I gasp when I see the charred wood at the side of the house, the canopy above the patio sloping downwards as it has lost a beam, which lies broken and burnt on the grass.

All his friends are here and walking around the mess. And then my eyes connect with ocean blues. He has black soot on the left side of his face and large patches of dirt on his clothes. His forearm is wrapped tightly with a piece of cloth, blood trailing down the length of it. He looks exhausted and sad, no matter how much he tries to hide it.

What if I lost him? What if he didn't smell the smoke and the fire got to him? What if Ace reached him and caused him pain? The thought of losing him terrified me. 

A strangled sob escapes my lips and I break out into a run, meeting him halfway and launching myself into his waiting arms. I wrap my arms around his neck tightly, nuzzling my nose into the crook of his neck as a few tears escape the corner of my eyes.

I pull back after a minute and cup his face, rubbing away the soot on his temple. "Are you okay? You're not hurt anywhere else, right?"

He brushes away my tears, holding my waist tightly. "Hey, don't cry. I'm fine, angel."

"Why would he go so far as to try and kill you?!" I cry, hugging him tightly once more, afraid he will disappear.

He hushes me and slides his hands underneath my thighs, hoisting me up onto his waist before carrying me into the house. I sniffle and cuddle into him further as he sits down on the couch. I feel him stroke my back in a soothing manner as his lips press firmly against my temple.

Pulling away, I look to my right to see the wall and part of the stairs burnt, the glass pane of the patio door covered in soot. Thankfully the smoke has cleared out but the windows and doors remain open to let in fresh air. I pay no mind to everyone else walking in and out of the house, carrying tools and new planks of wood in their hands.

"How...why?" I trail off, looking around helplessly.

Kaden sighs heavily before cupping my face, turning my head towards him. He opens his mouth to speak but is cut off by a loud yell from outside as the actual canopy breaks off and lands on the floor, just about missing Derek and Chris.

"God dammit!" Kaden growls furiously, setting me on the couch gently before marching outside.

I rush after him, stopping beside Rico as he winces when Kaden roars in anger before walking towards the front and stomping down the steps of his house, muttering about how he "isn't going to take this any longer."

"Yeah...this is the part where you calm him down before he destroys everything in his path." Rico muses aloud, making me squeak before running after Kaden.

I manage to catch up to him just before he got into his car and drove off. Catching hold of his arm, I turn him towards me and try not to flinch when he snarls inhumanely. Ignoring how he glares at me in pure anger, I take his hand in mine and rub my thumb across his skin.

"Where are you going?"

"To kill Ace! He's the one who did this to me Luna, he deserves what's coming!" He replies, body trembling in anger.

"Kaden," I step closer, hesitantly touching his arms. "You can't do that -"

"And why not?!" He yells, shrugging away from touch. "I've been dealing with his shit for so long and when I've reached the final straw I can't even fight back?! I'm not weak!"

He walks over to his Mustang and leans against it with a thunderous growl that shakes the ground, crossing his arms and glaring at the green grass. Sighing, I walk over to him and stand between his legs, wrapping my arms around his waist. He doesn't react and instead looks away with a huff.

"I know you're not weak Kaden, but retaliating will only make it worse. I don't want to rush to the hospital next time because that's what will happen if you blindly walk into Ace's trap. I cannot see you hurt." I smile sadly when his eyes connect with mine. "I'm sure you'll think of a way to fix this without bringing harm to yourself. Please don't put yourself in danger okay?"

He stares at me for the longest time, a stubborn glint in his eyes with his chin tipped upwards. Eventually, after giving him my best puppy dog look, he growls lowly before nodding. A defeated sigh escapes him as he pulls me close and rests his forehead against mine.

I caress his cheek gently, my gaze on his tired features and how his ocean blue eyes don't hold that shine anymore. I wrap my arms around his neck and hold him, stroking his hair. It's like all the energy leaves him and he slumps into my embrace, wrapping his arms around my waist and nuzzling his cheek against my shoulder.

"I don't know what to do...the house...it's going to take weeks to build again." He whispers brokenly, a heavy sigh escaping him.

"We'll work something out. You can stay at mine or I'm sure one of your friends will offer you a place."

He nods against my neck and I pull away. "Yeah, I'll ask Rico."

I smile and grab his hand, pulling him towards the house again. "Everything will be fine. I'll help too!"

"Yeah?" He asks, turning to me with a half-hearted smile.

"Of course! My dad's an architect and he designed our house back in Amsterdam. Whenever the carpenters came around I would always help." I explain, my feet light as we make our way up the steps to his house.

We walk inside and meet Rico and the guys talking about the best way to fix the house again. Everyone talks strategies and which stores would be our best bet to buy supplies and wood from, Kaden recalling where exactly he had bought materials from to build his house.

I offer my suggestions hesitantly because I'm unsure if they will be of any help. But everyone likes my ideas and even agrees that mine is the most logical way of fixing the canopy back on to the beams again. If Kaden's house is back in shape by the end of this, I don't mind whose idea they take.

Kaden and the guys go back to work, some driving off to grab supplies from the city. Meanwhile, I call my parents and check in, asking about their day while they inquire about mine. After telling them that I love and miss them and bidding goodbye, I decide to make some tea and sandwiches for everyone as they have been working into the late evening now.

Searching in Kaden's fridge, I decide to make turkey sandwiches and grab the ingredients. Whilst the kettle is boiling, I quickly make enough sandwiches so that the men can have seconds or thirds if they like. Living with a brother taught me that no matter what, men always have a much bigger appetite.

They all take a break when I bring out a tray, thanking me as they grab a cup of steaming hot tea and a sandwich. Kaden smiles tiredly at me and grabs my hand once I have set down the tray on the little coffee table that managed to survive. He pulls me onto his lap and I try to fight the blush that is threatening to grace my cheeks as his friends look away with knowing smiles.

Rico and Derek, however, lean back in their chairs and openly grin at me, snickering when I finally blush in embarrassment and hide my face in the crook of Kaden's neck. I hear Kaden's peeved snarl before he kicks the legs of their chairs in a lightening quick motion, causing them to yell in surprise, losing their balance and ending up on the floor. 

"Stop staring at my mate! She's mine!" He growls furiously before breathing in my scent deeply.

I burst into a fit of giggles, the rest of the group laughing loudly as both of them cuss Kaden out. Looking up to my mate, I sigh when the sight of obsidian eyes greet me in return, a telltale sign that Ajax is present. 

"Look man, I know you're pissed but you didn't have to go into overprotective Alpha mode on -" Derek cries out and dodges the turkey sandwich Kaden throws at him, catching it with an annoyed glare. 

"Someone hasn't gotten laid in a while." Rico smirks, making everyone erupt into laughter whilst my cheeks brighten to resemble a fire truck. 

Kaden sets me down onto the chair in a flash before he's sprinting after the boys with an angry roar. I shake my head in amusement at the sight of him shoving his two friends to the ground, shouting out threats that we all knew he had no intentions of fulfilling.

***

It's nine at night when we finish with the staircase. Half of Kaden's friends were working outside on the patio and the others had been trying to finish the stairs by tonight. I was on standby, handing them nails and tools from the toolbox along with carrying planks of wood into the room with Rico and Owen.

Everyone agrees to meet tomorrow and file out of the room, except Rico. Kaden is talking to him in hushed tones outside on the patio while I lounge on the couch inside. I'm fighting to stay awake because I have been up since seven in the morning.

And that's why I barely hear them step inside and close the doors until Kaden speaks. Opening my eyes, I sit up and look at them as they stand by the half-completed staircase.

"Mind if I crash at yours Rico? I can't exactly get up to my bed right now." Kaden mutters, staring up at the stairs with displeasure.

"You don't even have to ask bro. I'll meet you there?" Rico smiles, bidding goodbye to the both of us when Kaden says he will be there in a while.

I smile and wave to Rico, glaring when he wiggles his brows and winks at me on his way out. Ever since he realised that Kaden and I had marked and mated, he would find any chance to embarrass me.

Huffing at the sound of his laughter, I turn to face Kaden who is already staring at me. I am about to stand up but he makes his way over to the couch instead, taking a seat beside me before pulling me onto his lap so that I straddle him.

"You okay?" I whisper, caressing his cheek when he sighs heavily.

"I will be." He nods, a small smile on his lips. "Thank you for coming today."

"Anytime. You look exhausted, you should head to Rico's soon and get some rest." I murmur absentmindedly, tracing the light signs of dark circles under his eye.

"Will you stay with me tonight? I won't sleep if you're not next to me." Kaden mumbles sleepily, playing with my hair.

"Of course. But first, you need to get that nasty gash cleaned up." I state, before walking to the kitchen to grab some medical supplies from one of his cabinets and washing my hands.

I shoot him a stern look when he groans in displeasure, taking a seat beside him which proves to be pointless when he tugs me back onto his lap again. I grab hold of his arm gently and untie the piece of cloth he has on as a makeshift bandage before working on disinfecting the wound.

What I thought was going to be an easy task turned out to be difficult because I couldn't ignore how Kaden's eyes are fixated on my lips. Trying my hardest to ignore the intensity in his baby blues, I concentrate on soaking the gauze in some water and gently wiping his skin with it.

"I'm sorry, this usually stings." I rush when I see him flinch slightly.

He reassures me that he is okay and I continue, cleaning his arm thoroughly of the dried blood before patting the area dry with a towel. I wrap a large bandage around his arm and make sure that his wound is covered before cutting the cloth and putting it back in the box. His wound is in the process of healing because of his abilities but I had to disinfect it.

"There, all better." I smile proudly, grabbing the box and extra supplies before putting them back where they belonged.

As I make my way back to Kaden, he stands and pulls me into an embrace, kissing my neck sweetly. My breath hitches as I wrap my arms around his waist, returning the hug. It's almost comical how small I am compared to him.

"I love it when you take care of me...my own little nurse." He grins cheekily, pulling away with that familiar twinkle in his eyes.

I giggle and roll my eyes, pushing him away before grabbing my bag. Because Kaden was too lazy to unpack his suitcase when he came back from the Toronto trip, he had some clothes until the upper floor was fixed and we could go up and assess the damage. Kaden had climbed up a ladder and tried to check through the balcony windows but they were so black with soot that he couldn't see anything.

"Ready to go?" He asks, grabbing my hand after he had locked the doors to the patio.

I nod and we step outside, making sure that the front door is locked before we make our way to the tree line. He helps me into his car like a true gentleman before getting into the driver's seat. We pull away from the house and drive down the dirt path. A content sigh escapes my lips as Kaden wraps his left arm around my thigh, his thumb rubbing circles onto my skin.

Smiling sleepily at him, I turn my gaze to look out the window, the sight of twinkling stars bidding me goodnight as I closed my eyes. My mate is safe and that's all that matters.

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Next update: Tuesday! 

- R.W.