by Aja Foxx
Gunner carefully pulled out of me. I expected him to drop down on the bed beside me and go to sleep. In my limited experience, that's usually what men did after sex. Instead, Gunner rolled off the bed and walked to the bathroom.
I heard the water run and then Gunner came back into the bedroom with a warm washcloth. My eyes widened when Gunner gently wiped me clean and then carried the washrag back to the bathroom. I heard the water run again.
A moment later, Gunner was back. Only this time, he crawled into bed with me. He pulled me flush against his body and then pulled the covers up over both of us. He pressed my head against his chest and then wrapped both arms around me.
"Thank you, Henry," he whispered. "I won't let you down."
Let me down?
What was he talking about?
I tried to lift my head, but Ginner just held me in place, his arms tightening around me. "Gunner—"
"I'll be a good mate, you'll see."
Who was he trying to convince?
Chapter Twenty
~ Gunner ~
The loud knocking on my door woke me before anything else did. I growled as I opened my eyes. This was not how I had planned to wake up, especially the morning after my mate let me claim him.
When the knocking persisted, I rolled out of bed and stormed across the floor, flinging the door open. "What?"
Bear lifted one eyebrow. "Harry is getting ready to shift. Butch thought Henry might like to be there."
Shit.
I shoved a hand through my hair as I turned and glanced over my shoulder. Henry was awake and watching us, but he had the covers pulled up to his eyes. "Yeah, give us a few minutes to get dressed and then we'll be there."
"Don't take too long," Bear said. "You know that first time shifting comes on its own timetable."
Unfortunately, I did.
"We'll be quick."
I shut the door and walked back to the bed, climbing up onto it and stretching out next to Henry. I smirked as I grabbed the blanket and started tugging on it down until Henry's naked body was bared to my hungry gaze.
"I think you grew more gorgeous in your sleep."
I was almost positive of it.
Henry snorted. "That doesn't happen."
No, I was pretty sure it did.
"You'd be wrong." I moved closer, climbing over the top of Henry until I was over the top of him, pressing him into the mattress. "If I had ten minutes, I'd prove it to you."
"Rain check?"
I grinned. "You read my mind."
It was short trip simply because all I was thinking about was Henry and doing wicked, wicked things to his luscious, naked body.
"I guess we have to go, huh?"
"Yeah," I whispered, but I didn't move. Henry felt too good under me.
Amusement danced in Henry's blue eyes. "Are you going to move?"
"Maybe."
And maybe not.
I groaned when Bear pounded on the door again.
"Hurry it up!" the man shouted.
"Come on," Henry patted my shoulder and then slid his fingers down my arm. "I want to be there when Harry shifts for the first time. We can come back afterwards and fool around."
I liked this plan.
I even liked watching Henry climb out of bed after I rolled off of him. I did not like watching him cover up all that glorious naked skin.
This sucked.
"Tell me about what's going to happen."
"Oh, well." Knowing I had no other choice, I rolled out of bed and reached for my clothes. "The first time you shift isn't easy and it hurts like hell. It gets easier after that that."
"After watching you shift," Henry said, "I'd assume that it takes a little training for your bones and muscles to learn the procedure. That might explain the pain. You're not born shifting." Henry frowned. "Are you?"
"No." I chuckled. "We don't shift for the first time until we hit puberty. Can you imagine a bunch of shifter kids running around? We'd get discovered by humans for sure."
Henry shivered. "That would be bad."
Very bad.
"Harry will be incredibly hungry when he shifts back so I'm sure Rooster is cooking him up a feast fit for a bear. Shifting burns off a lot of calories."
"That explains why you're so fit."
Henry laughed when I struck a pose and flexed my muscles. I liked this side of him. He always seemed too serious. I liked seeing him laugh with such abandon.
"One of these days, I'll take you out to a place in the woods I go to. I'll shift and we'll go for a walk."
Henry's jaw dropped. "What if someone sees you?"
I snorted. "It happens, believe me. Some stupid ass hunter shot me the last time I went out."
Henry's brow flickered. "Just how often do you get shot?"
"More than I like."
Henry shook his head as he bent to pull his shoes on. "I really need that infirmary."
"Well, the club owns the buildings on either side of us. I'm sure Butch would be willing to give you a deal on one of them, especially if he knows you plan to build an infirmary."
"I do because you all seriously need one. I have no idea how you survived this long."
Pure dumb luck.
Once I was dressed, I held my hand out. "Ready?"
"Honestly? I think I'm a little nervous."
"What you need to remember is that once Harry goes through his first shift, he'll be healed. All the medications the doctors had him on will burn away and his body will repair whatever damage was done over the years. He'll be healthy and happy and he won't be going anywhere for a very longtime."
A sweet smile crossed Henry's lips. "Yeah."
"He's not going to die now, Henry."
Tears flooded Henry's eyes. "That would be really good."
"Come on, mate." I nodded my head toward the door, a little choked up myself at being able to call Henry my mate. "Let's go help your brother get better."
Once Henry took my hand, I led him out of my room and down the hallway to the guestroom Harry was using. Tex stood outside the door. As soon as he saw us coming, he reached over and opened the door.
I heard Henry inhale sharply when we stepped inside and then he pulled away from me. If I didn't know he was going to his brother, I would have protested.
Harry lay on the bed covered in only a sheet. It wouldn't make sense for him to be in clothes since they'd be destroyed as soon as he shifted. He was twitching and groaning, something I vividly remembered from my first shift.
Jefferson sat next to him, whispering to him as he wiped him down with a damp cloth.
I walked over to stand next to Butch, who stood off to one side of the room. "How is he?"
"Close," Butch replied. "He's already sprouted hair a couple of times."
Oh, that meant he was really close.
"Once things calm down, Henry's going to want to talk to you about the building next door. He wants to build an infirmary on the first floor and a residence for me and him on the second."
Butch gave me a quizzical look. "I take it things went well?"
A huge grin was my only answer. I didn't think I needed to say more.
"Guess this makes you my son-in-law."
I growled.
Butch chuckled as he slapped me on the back. "Welcome to the family."
I started to tell him to fuck off, but a high pitched cry from the bed interrupted me. When I turned and saw Harry arching into the air as fur sprouted up along his arms, I raced over and grabbed Henry, yanking him back.
Brothers or not, Harry might not immediately recognize Henry when he shifted. There were going to be so many sounds and smells, Harry would be overwhelmed at first. He needed just a few minutes to figure out the new world he had suddenly found himself in.
I pulled Henry to me, his back to my front, and wrapped my arms around him. "Just watch, mate."
Henry nodded. "I hate seeing him in pain."
"I know, but it's a process he has to go through to become a b
ear."
I didn't know a bear shifter alive who hadn't gone through the same thing. The first time was always the worst, the most painful. After that, it got easier each time they shifted.
But that first time really sucked.
Henry's breath caught when Harry's bones cracked and reformed. His muscles stretched. His face elongated, turning into a muzzle and snout. Fur sprouted up and covered every part of his body.
Shifting usually happened very quickly, but it took Harry over ten minutes to finish his transformation from human to bear. By the time he was done, he lay there panting. I knew he wouldn't be moving anytime soon. He needed to rest.
"Is it over?" Henry whispered.
"It is," Butch replied. "And he's a handsome bear."
I smiled at how proud Butch sounded.
"Now that he's shifted," Butch continued, "he'll have burned off all the medicines the doctors have been feeding him. His body will start to fill out and he'll regain all the muscle he lost due to his illness."
"Really?" Henry sounded doubtful, but so hopeful.
Butch nodded. "A couple of more shifts and you won't even be able to tell he was ever sick."
I caught a flash of tears on Henry's face as he turned and buried his face in my chest. I wrapped my arms around my mate as he cried. "Harry is going to be okay, Henry. You're not going to lose him."
"If I had known about you earlier, he never would have gone through all of this."
"Hey." I grabbed Henry's chin and lifted up until our eyes met. I hadn't realized until that moment how much guilt Henry was carrying around. "You didn't know, and as soon as you did, you took action. Don't blame yourself. You did everything you could to save your brother."
"He's right, Henry," Butch said. "If you'd been raised as a shifter or even the child of a shifter, this wouldn't have been an issue, but you weren't. You discovered this world two days ago. And now look at your brother."
I chuckled when I looked up. Harry, apparently, wasn't as exhausted as I'd expected him to be. He'd somehow gotten Jefferson down onto the bed and pinned him there, and was even now licking him all over.
They were definitely mates.
"Is he going to eat Jefferson?" Henry whispered.
I chuckled again, even louder. "Jefferson could only hope."
The door opened and Rooster walked in with a platter of raw meat and a large bowl of water. Butch took them from Rooster and carried them over and set them on the floor next to the bed.
"Son, it's time for you to eat. You have to let Jefferson up now."
Harry made a low chuffing noise.
Butch reached out and stroked a hand over Harry's fur. "I know you don't want to let him go, but you need to. You have to eat. You can have him back just as soon as you're done."
"I'll be right here, Harry," Jefferson said. "I'm not going anywhere."
That seemed to satisfy Harry. He gave Jefferson one more long lick and then climbed off the bed. I assume he got a good whiff of the meat because he fell on the plate and started scarfing it down like he was a starving man in front of a buffet.
"I wouldn't get too close," Butch warned. "He's gotta be so hungry right now."
"But he's okay?" Henry asked. "The leukemia is all gone?"
Butch frowned as he glanced at Henry. "He didn't have leukemia. I thought you understood that."
"Oh, I did. I meant the symptoms and his prognoses. He's going to be okay?"
"Yes, Henry." Butch smiled as he glanced back to Harry. "Harry is going to be fine."
I was pretty sure that right there was what was going to let me keep my mate.
The door opened again. This time, Tex stepped inside and pushed the door almost all the way closed before turning to face everyone. "Hey, Butch, there's some lady downstairs demanding to see you."
Butch frowned. "Who is it?"
"She said her name was Sarah Nash."
"My mother is here?" Henry whispered.
Oh crap!
"I'd better go see what she wants." Henry glanced back at Harry. "How soon can he shift back?"
"He should stay in this form for a little longer if he can," Butch replied. "His body needs time to adjust."
"Okay, I'll go down and see if I can stall her or get her to go away, but I'm pretty sure she's here for Harry. He needs to shift back in case she demands to see him."
"I'll go with you," Butch said. "I think it's about time Sarah and I have a little reunion."
"I'll stay here and keep an eye on Harry," Bear said. "Tex, go get Peanut. I want the two of you to man the door. No one is allowed inside without permission."
Tex nodded before opening the door and walking out.
Henry wiped the tears from his cheeks and then glanced up at me. "Do I look okay?"
"Almost." I knew how much his appearance meant to Henry so I straightened his bowtie and smoothed down a few of the wrinkles in his shirt. "Now, you look perfect."
He'd look better naked.
Henry swallowed tightly. His fingers curled into my denim cut. "Please don't take anything she says personally. I don't feel the same way in any shape or form."
That didn't sound ominous at all.
"I'm your mate, Henry." I brushed the hair back from Henry's face. It wasn't long, but the bangs fell over his eyes at certain times. "I only care about what you think."
"I know my mother loves me, but she can be a bit...preoccupied with appearances. Sometimes, that overshadows everything else."
I really wanted to know more about that, but we didn't have time right now. If we didn't go down and see what she wanted, she could try to come up here, and that would be very bad.
"Just remember that you have someone to stand with you. You're not alone in this anymore."
Henry's smile was tentative. "I've never really had that. I know my parents loves me, but it's always been Harry and me against the world, and he's been so sick." Henry shrugged. "It felt like I was alone a lot of the time, especially after I moved away from home."
"You're not." He'd never be alone again. "Mates for all eternity, remember?"
Henry's smile widened and the sparkle came back to his blue eyes. "I remember."
I grabbed Henry's hand. After bringing it to my mouth and pressing a kiss to the top of it, I led him out of the room. I could hear loud voices even before I reached the top of the stairs.
Henry gasped. "Oh, she's pissed."
She was being rude.
"I demand you bring him to me immediately!" she shouted. "Bring him to me!"
I heard someone else say something, but the words were muffled.
I didn't recognize the voice.
"Come on," I said as I tugged Henry down the stairs. "She's not going to go away just because we wish it."
And oh man, did I wish it. If she made Henry this upset, I didn't want her anywhere around him. It just wasn't my place to say that, not yet. Hopefully, Henry would come to that conclusion on his own. If not, I might have to step in to protect my mate.
This was not going to end well at all.
Chapter Twenty One
~ Henry ~
I was going to throw up. I just knew it. My stomach was one big knot and it was getting tighter with each step I took down the stairs. I was pretty sure my blood pressure was through the roof.
My mother's voice was getting louder and more vicious with each word that came out of her mouth. I knew from personal experience that pretty soon, it would be sharp enough to flay the skin from your bones.
When we reached the bottom of the steps, I saw my mother going nose to nose with Razor. If I remembered correctly, he was the treasurer for the club. He didn't look happy. His arms were crossed and he was staring down at my mother as if he wanted to squash her like a bug.
Norman Nash, the man I had grown up believing was my father, stood slightly behind my mother, glancing around as if he was in fear for his life and wanted to be anywhere else except where he was.
He was a good man and had always been decent
to me and Harry, and there was a part of me that was saddened that he wasn't my biological father. But there was another part that was resentful, too, because he had to have known, and he never said a word.
"Mother."
Scathing eyes turned in my direction, filling almost immediately with surprise. "Henry."
"Is there a problem?"
It wasn't a good thing when her eyes narrowed. "Henry, what are you doing here?"
I really wasn't sure how to answer that.
"He came to see me, Sarah," Butch said as he stepped off the stairs and stopped next to me. "It would have been polite to let me know I'd fathered twins, don't you think?"
My mother's nostrils flared as she glared at Butch. "James."
I cocked my head to one side as something in my mother's expression beat at my brain. "You're not surprised to see him here."
My mother's eyes snapped back to me. "I'm not here to discuss that...that man, Henry. Where is your brother?"
"Resting."
Like I'd tell her where Harry was.
"Go get him," Sarah replied. "It's time to leave."
"No." I almost didn't get my protest out. It wasn't often that I defied my mother, well, except for when it came to my medical career. "Harry is fine where he is."
"Don't be ridiculous, Henry. You, more than anyone, should know Harry needs constant medical attention, something I doubt he'll get in this place."
"And that would be why I am here. Harry is getting constant medical attention, by me."
"He needs to be home with his nurse."
"He's fine, Mother." He was actually better than fine, even if he was a little furry at the moment. "He's resting and I'd advise against moving him right now."
Or ever.
"This is not acceptable, Henry," she replied. "I do not want Harry, or you, in this...this bar. It is no place for either of you."
She was never going to let that go, so I tried a different tactic. "Why didn't you ever tell me that Butch was my father?"
"You didn't need to know."
Bullshit!
"Even when Butch could have been a bone marrow match for Harry? You couldn't even have told me then? Butch is our biological father. He could have cured Harry."