Free Kate Allenton by Guided Loyalty

steps.
         “You can’t leave me here, Cathy; please help me.”
         She ignored his pleas. There was nothing left she could do for him. Tears fell down her cheeks. He was another person she’d trusted who had betrayed her. He’d been her friend.
         She reached the top of the stairs and walked out into the hallway, only to be stopped from behind. Ethan pulled her into his arms, and she sagged into his embrace when her tears turned into sobs. Her whole body shook as she cried into his shirt, soaking the soft cotton.
         All at once, everything finally registered. She’d been left by the man who was supposed to love her all her life; she’d been kidnapped; she was the only one who could stop the mad man; all of her friends and the Phantoms were in danger, and Jonah’s betrayal cut to the bone. She sobbed more, louder, unable to stop.
    Ethan lifted her off her feet. She didn’t have the energy to fight him, and she didn’t want to. She leaned into his warmth and closed her eyes as she continued to sob. She’d had no one since he’d left her, no one to lean on, and just for a minute, she wanted him to hold her, to comfort her.

         Cathy buried her head in his chest and let all of the remaining adrenaline leave her body. She was safe in his arms, no matter how much she hated the thought. She needed him, at least for now.
         Her body sank into the mattress when he laid her down. He didn’t move to get in the bed with her; he just pulled the covers over her and kissed her forehead. “I’ve got you. Just rest.”
         She closed her eyes, not having the energy for a verbal sparring match. It could wait. It would have to wait. She’d need her strength for that fight. Mentally drained, she could no longer hold her eyes open. She didn’t want to. She let the darkness suck her under and, with her last thought, wished for everything to go back to the way it had been, a naïve world with no Black, no wolves, and no wrongs to be righted.
                                                         ****
         Ethan caressed Cathy’s face with his gaze. The normally porcelain surface was red and splotchy, and it had almost killed him when she’d broken down in his arms. He’d never meant to hurt her. He would have given his life to keep her happy and safe. He was failing miserably. He was the worst mate ever in the history of mates. Intending on keeping her safe, he’d put her in harm’s way. Worse than that, he’d put her in his father’s sights. His heart ached, and his head hurt. This shouldn’t be happening. He’d done everything right. When he’d found her, he refrained from sleeping with her, even though his wolf was demanding and hard to hold back. He wanted, no, he craved, the feel of her lips on his, to taste his mate’s sweet nectar. He’d be a lost cause if that happened. He wouldn’t have ever been able to let her go, and that’s what he’d needed to do. He needed her as far away from him and Black as possible.
         Black was notorious for finding ways to manipulate people. Until now, Ethan had nothing the old man could use. Until now, Ethan had been happily pissing the old man off every chance he got, foiling his plans, and ruining his feeble attempts to control everyone around him. The thought of even calling the man father sent a shiver down Ethan’s spine. Black was only the man who’d housed him when his parents had died. That was all. Ethan hadn’t been brought up in an environment filled with love and understanding. He wasn’t sure if he even knew what those words meant, much less how to provide Cathy with what she deserved and craved.
         Two hours went by, and Cathy was resting peacefully. Ethan had used the downtime to think. He needed to make arrangements and implement a new plan that didn’t include Cathy seeing Black again.
         A knock on the door pulled him from his