A Night Away Read Online Free PDF Page A

boy’s hair long because it looked so much like his.
    “What’s wrong little man? Mommy and Daddy weren’t ignoring you.” Much .
    Kade let out a hollow laugh and sat next to her. “No, we would never do that.”
    Mel frowned. “Hey, what’s that laugh about?”
    He shook his head. “Nothing, just thinking.”
    “About what.”
    “Let’s put Finn down for a nap and we can talk about it.”
    Chills raced up her arms, and a lead weight settled in her stomach. Oh God. Was it too much for him? Was he leaving her and Finn? What if he didn’t want them anymore? Her pulse raced, and she gripped the stuffed frog so she wouldn’t hold on to Kade and never let him go.
    Kade stroked her cheek. “Hey, none of that. Everything’s fine. At least it will be.”
    She leaned into his touch but didn’t calm down. What did he want to talk about?
    “Hey, buddy, it’s time for your nap,” Kade said.
    Finn scrunched his brows and frowned.
    “Yep, it is, baby,” Mel agreed.
    “Come on, buddy.” Kade settled Finn into his arms and stood before walking into Finn’s room.
    Mel let out a ragged sigh and leaned against the entertainment center. Too much had just happened. Her little boy had taken his first steps, and Kade was leaving her.
    Well, he hadn’t come out and said it, but what else could that cryptic comment mean? She knew she and Kade had been drifting apart since the baby was born. They’d just been too busy and too tired to do anything about it. And other than the casual touches recently, it hadn’t felt like they were really mated. Her wolf whined and Mel shut her eyes. Even her wolf missed Kade’s wolf. They didn’t go out hunting anymore, really. She only shifted when she needed to, and Kade did a little more because he was training the adolescents and protecting the den. She just needed a night off where she could focus on their bond, and then, she’d be okay. They needed to talk about how to manage their son and their time, but if Kade wanted to leave, how would that work?
    Mel set her shoulders. She wasn’t a push-over. She was the Heir’s mate, damn it. Kade couldn’t leave. Not unless she wanted him to. And by God, she didn’t.
    “I can see the wheels turning in your head. Stop it, baby. It’s not what you think,” Kade said as he walked back in the room and sat on the floor across from her.
    Mel raised her chin. “And just what am I thinking?”
    “I’m not quite sure, but it doesn’t look good.”
    “You can’t leave us, Kade,” Mel blurted out.
    Oh God. She hadn’t meant to say it like that. Her pulse raced, but her gaze never left his face.
    Kade paled and gripped her upper arms. “Dear God. Is that what you thought? I would never, ever , leave you and Finn. What kind of man do you think I am?” He let her go, stood, and paced around the room.
    Mel held back a sob. She wouldn’t cry. Not now. “I don’t know, Kade. I just feel so cut off from you that I don’t know what to think anymore.”
    He ran a hand over his face and let out a soft growl. “See? This is our problem. We don’t talk anymore. I’m so sorry that you’d even thought about that. It makes me wonder what I’ve done to make you even think I didn’t want to be in this mating anymore.”
    He looked so broken that Mel stood and ran into his arms. She inhaled his scent and let her heartbeat sync with his.
    “I’m sorry. I just miss you.”
    “I miss you too, baby. But I have an idea.”
    She looked up at him and sniffed. “What idea?”
    “Let’s go away tomorrow.”
    “Away? You know we can’t do that.” But hope spread through her.
    “Yes, we can. Just for a night.” Kade kissed her forehead. “We need it, Mel. Even more than I thought if you were thinking that I’d leave you.”
    Mel kissed under his chin. “I’m sorry, I didn’t really think it. It was just sort of a worst case scenario kind of thing. But you know we can’t leave, Kade. We have Finn and other responsibilities.”
    Kade let