Final Extraction by Julie Trettel

Silas

Chapter 23

 

 

 

Vada was asleep in my arms snoring softly.

My head was spinning.

Patrick had kept our meeting short as I relayed the most basic details to Jacob Winthrop. There was really nothing more than that to add, at least not yet. Perhaps something would come up from interviews, but over all I felt confident that we had a good vision of what had happened and why. I didn’t particularly care to dwell on it knowing that Vada had been in the midst of that evil for far too long.

I was worried about her. We hadn’t really talked about what had happened to her in there. I didn’t know how she was feeling about that, or about me.

When I’d come back to the room, she had been gone. At first I was angry about it, then upset thinking she had left. By the time she returned, I had been pacing, terrified something bad had happened to her and feeling hopeless to stop it.

I was pacing the room trying to calm myself as I petted Fury when she walked in.

It had taken everything in my power not to run to her, but I didn’t have to because she’d come to me on her own terms.

I smiled down at her sleeping form wrapped around myself. Making love to her had been the most rewarding experience of my life. I had never imagined sex could be so very different and so powerful when it was with someone you truly cared about.

Sex in the past had been a fulfilling release for me. I’d never cared much about my partner or even what she felt even if that did make me sound like an asshole. This time I could have cared less about my own needs. I only wanted to give my all to her and in the process I was somehow rewarded with the greatest experience of my life. That was definitely not just sex.

My heart was full, and I was at peace for probably the fist real time in my entire life. And as she laid there I allowed myself to truly hope for just a moment. If she rejected me now, I didn’t think I was strong enough to survive it.

 

*****

 

My phone rang and I jolted awake. I hadn’t even realized I had fallen asleep. Vada stirred lightly next to me.

“Hello?” I asked after swiping to accept.

“Silas?” Painter asked.

“Yeah?”

“Why are we whispering?”

“Vada’s sleeping.”

“So things are going well?”

“Definitely. I think I might have Emma to thank for that. She mentioned running into her yesterday. They were in our nests.”

I could hear the smile in my old friend’s voice as he spoke. “Yeah, she says it gives her comfort when I’m away. I’m glad they found each other.”

“So what’s up?” I asked not wanted to talk long and risk waking her, though my mind instantly went to all the things I wanted to do to her when she did finally wake. I was growing hard again already just thinking about it.

“We’re done with the last of the interviews. Three more planes have shipped out along with two more buses. We have about two hundred people left with no idea what to do with them.”

“Well, they won’t necessarily get their own rooms, but we should be able to house them all here. I’ll confirm it with Kyle and Patrick first, but start making arrangements to get everyone home.”

“We were all hoping you’d say that. All teams will be reporting back for debriefing as well. I’m going to send our unit back by plane along with Clara’s team if you’re cool with that? We’ve been gone the longest and Woody, Michael, and Elliot volunteered to run escort back to headquarters.”

“I love that idea. Get your asses home safe and sound. I’ll let you know when you have clearance.”

“Thanks.”

I hung up and dialed Kyle Westin’s number.

“Heard you have your mate with you. I didn’t figure I’d hear from you for at least a week,” he answered.

I chuckled. “You know me better than that. There’s still work to do.”

“What’s up?”

“I’m going to run this by Patrick too, but here’s where we stand.” I relayed the information Painter had given me along with the plan for consideration.

“Sounds good. We can easily handle two hundred at the Lodge. It’s not a problem. That will give time away from inquiring humans to decide what to do next.” There was some distraction on his side of the conversation. “Oh, and Silas, Kelsey wants me to tell you that tonight is ladies’ night.”

“What the hell do I care about their girl time?”

“Apparently Emma is picking Vada up at seven.”

“Oh.” I stared down at my sleeping girl. She hadn’t mentioned that, but we hadn’t exactly had time to talk either.

Kyle chuckled. “You’re welcome to join me and the guys at the Crate.”

“Yeah, okay. We’ll see. No promises.”

“I expected nothing less. See you later.”

I hung up with Kyle and immediately called Patrick. That conversation was like déjà vu and nearly identical.

With that settled, I shot a text off to Painter giving him the green light to roll out and proceed with the plan as discussed.

I checked the time. It was five o’clock. I was going to have get Vada up and moving, but first, I needed her again. I considered several delicious ways I could wake her that would be gratifying to us both. While I was still deciding, she awoke on her own and reached for me.

“I need you again,” she said as she started kissing my chest before she even opened her eyes.

“I’m here,” I told her. “I’m going to make you feel so good.”

I toyed with her until she was whimpering and squirming at my touch, and then I gently made love to her. It was sweeter this time, leisurely, as I memorized every point of her body that brought her pleasure until she was screaming my name once more.

I was afraid she was going to try to go back to sleep again, but she seemed far more energetic after our second time together.

“You can’t fall back to sleep. Emma’s picking you up at seven.”

She frowned.

“If you don’t want to go, I will happily call and tell her you’re cancelling.”

She groaned. “I’d rather stay here with you.”

“I don’t think there’s anything in this world I would rather do than lay in bed with you, but we do have the rest of our lives for that.”

“You mean the rest of my life,” she said sadly.

“Full bond or not, I’m not living without you, so no, I meant our lives.”

“But you know what happened to me, Silas. I’m going to die a horrible, human cancer riddled death, just like Trevor’s mom.”

I gritted my teeth. “Martin has all the data. When they get back he’s going to run some tests. We’ll know more about what we’re dealing with then.”

“I’m scared,” she whispered.

“Me too,” I admitted which wasn’t easy for me.

“Even knowing it’s all a possibility, you still want me?”

“More than anything,” I said without hesitation. “There is nothing in this entire world I want to do more than lay here with you in my arms and making love to you over and over again.” I brushed her hair from her face and kissed her.

“Love? Is that what this is?”

“Hell if I know.”

I kissed her again.

She pushed me back. “But how does someone know what love is?”

“I’ve never been in love, Vada. I honestly don’t know.”

“Is it just a feeling?”

“Maybe.”

“I think of it as security, caring, patience, and comfort, when you want to spend time with someone even if you do nothing. When you want to wake up every day in their arms. Love should be simple and just feel natural, right?”

I chuckled. “I guess. I’ve never really thought of it. But if that’s how you describe love, then I already know.”

I did, too. There was no doubt in my mind.

“Know what?”

“That I love you.”