by Macy Blake
And speaking of cell mates, his opened one icy gray eye and stared at him. He’d clearly disturbed him by moving around. “Don’t look at me like that, Tony! I can’t help it. I’m bored.”
Pip wiggled around again, trying to find a more comfortable spot. He should have known better. One giant white paw reached out and pinned him down by the chest. He squirmed like a bug for a second before giving up. “You’re mean.”
Tony closed his eyes and ignored him.
“Let me up.”
No response. Not even a twitch.
Pip pushed at Tony’s paw, but he couldn’t begin to move him.
“If you don’t let me up, I’m releasing the beasts.”
One ear perked up.
Pip closed his eyes and pulled his magic to him. “Momma always said to me, Phillip Isaac, you better practice because one day you’ll need to be able to use your magic. Ha! I was supposed to save the world or something. If she knew I was meant to be a giant cat toy, she’d probably have changed her story. Maybe told me to study harder or something.”
Tony’s claws budged a bit. Never hurting him, but making him aware.
“Impatient much?” Pip growled, but he released his magic anyway.
Three otters sprang forth from him, the illusion so real it was impossible to tell that they weren’t actual otters. Tony opened his eyes. He pulled his paw away from Pip and prepared to pounce, allowing Pip to roll away and scowl. Not that he held it for long. Tony was his only friend at the moment, and he couldn’t stay mad at him.
He let the otters do their thing. Tony loved playing with them. It wasn’t like he could hurt them. Unlike Pip, whom he could actually do real damage to. But he’d only been scared of Tony that first day, when he’d been dumped unceremoniously into the middle of the floor, his kidnappers not giving a rat’s ass if he was hurt or not.
He’d heard the growl first, then a snarl. He almost peed his pants when the giant white tiger appeared out of the shadows and pounced on him. But Tony hadn’t hurt him. It was weird. He’d hovered over Pip protectively, and the kidnappers had run scared. Since then, anytime Pip needed something or was hungry, Tony seemed to know. And then the bad dudes appeared with food or more books or magazines. Never any electronics. They weren’t stupid, even if they looked it. It was weird, but Pip was convinced Tony was like, sending psychic signals to them or something. Not that he minded.
Pip had a sneaking suspicion that without Tony, he’d have been a lot more miserable in his cage. Tony kept him safe and somehow, even if Pip hadn’t figured it out, Tony managed to make sure he was taken care of. And boy, when the Big Bad had appeared in the doorway, Tony had lost his mind. The guy had even tried giving a speech to Pip, but Tony wasn’t having it. He’d snarled and growled for so long the guy eventually gave up and left, locking them in with some magic spell that Pip had absolutely no hope of breaking. He really should have listened to his Mamma and practiced his magic more.
He really didn’t know how long he’d been locked in the room with Tony at this point, but he knew enough to know that Tony wouldn’t hurt him, and that was pretty much all he had to worry about at the moment. He’d never really known anything about tigers. They were abstract creatures. Sure, he knew they were dangerous, but he never really understood just how far down he was on the food chain until he’d spent some time with Tony.
His otters continued to dance around, crawling between Tony’s legs and all around him. He chased them and batted at them, not unlike a house cat. All he needed was to get Tony a big box and the image would be complete. Pip let out a sigh and settled back against the wall. He was sure he’d have been rescued by now. Even though the Big Bad had pretty much told him his mate would never find him, Pip had been sure his knight in shining armor would come through the door, all big and muscly and drool-worthy. He’d scoop Pip up in his arms and get him out of this room. What Pip wouldn’t give to see the sun again. And he wanted to call his mom. And even his big brother.
Tony ambled over to him and plopped down across his legs. Pip let out an oomph as his only friend for the past several months settled against him.
“Sorry, buddy. Just a little melancholy today. I really thought he’d find me by now, you know?”
Tony licked a stripe up his neck, his tongue rough and scratchy.
“Ow. Cut it out. You know my skin is delicate! Tongue burn is disgusting.”
Tony settled back against Pip’s legs. He called his magic back, and the otters disappeared. Pip settled in for another long and boring day, trying not to lose hope. He’d managed to whine long and loud enough to get a new batch of books from his keepers. They thought they were being funny when they dropped off a bag of old romance novels, but Pip had been delighted. He’d been stealing romance novels from his mom’s collection since he was old enough to understand what a boner was. And so what if the books didn’t have hot guy-on-guy action? Like he cared. He could lose himself in a world of love and happily ever afters. It was exactly what he needed. If they’d really wanted to stick it to him, they’d have brought a bunch of horror novels or something. Like his life hadn’t already become enough of a horror without them adding to it.
He grabbed one of the romance novels off the stack and opened it, preparing to read out loud to Tony for a while as he’d taken to doing every day. He honestly wasn’t even sure Tony understood. There were moments when he seemed like he did. But he’d never shifted, and Pip didn’t think any shifter could stay in his animal form for as long as Tony had. Then again, what did he know? And it wasn’t like Tony actually ate anything. He’d tried to share his food with him more than once, but Tony just stared at it like it was the most horrible thing he’d ever seen and closed his eyes. No food, no water, and well, not to put a disgusting spin on things, but no poop either. He’d been really concerned about having to clean up tiger poop those first few days. But nope. Nothing. There was definitely something special about Tony.
After Pip read the first few pages which introduced a really rakish duke who was determined to find the perfect, well-mannered, boring bride, Tony twitched. There really wasn’t another way to describe it. One second, he had a lapful of sleepy tiger and the next, Tony was aware. His entire body had gone from relaxed to at attention, even though he hadn’t actually moved.
“Tony?”
Something was happening. Pip could feel it. He gave Tony a shove, and Tony actually moved for him, standing and crowding Pip back against the wall. He crouched behind Tony’s larger form. There really wasn’t any other place for him to hide, and honestly, Tony had been quite the deterrent to the minions who were looking after him. One guy who’d had the bright idea to try and get handsy while delivering Pip his dinner had ended up with his arm snapped in Tony’s jaws. Pip still heard echoes of the guy’s scream in his ears.
The door opened, and a big giant of a man with yellow eyes stood in the doorway.
And Pip knew he’d met his destiny.
“You came!”
Pip ran from his spot and leapt into the stranger’s arms. He peppered around a thousand kisses over his face. It took him until a thousand and one to realize his savior was frozen in place.
“Um, hi.” Pip lifted his head and stared into dreamy yellow eyes that honestly seemed a little confused.
“Hi,” another voice said.
Pip hadn’t realized they weren’t alone.
He looked over his mate’s shoulder— because this guy had to be Pip’s mate. He was everything he’d ever daydreamed about— and found another guy standing there. He was young, and really hot in that boy-next-door kind of way. And he was wearing really cool armor.
Wait.
Armor.
As in, knight-in-shining?
“Uh-oh.”
But before he could worry about his mistake, Tony made a sound he’d never actually heard the tiger make before, and then the cute guy was down, buried beneath five hundred pounds of tiger and getting his face licked off.
The big guy hol
ding Pip dropped him like a hot potato.
“Sawyer!”
Tony snarled when the guy moved, and that was a sound Pip was very familiar with.
“Antonius McClaw Portman! Stop that right now.”
Tony looked up at him, clearly annoyed at Pip’s tone.
“What have I told you about delicate human skin? Cut it out!”
Tony snarled out a complaint.
“And you!” Pip poked yellow eyes in the chest. “Stay back. Don’t you know what a protective tiger looks like? He’ll eat your face off, and that’d be a shame because dear goddess your face is sheer perfection.”
And as if that wasn’t enough, another perfect specimen of mankind appeared in the hallway. This one had blue hair, and blue eyes, and wings, and he had a sword. Pip swooned and landed against Tony’s broad back. His tiger didn’t mind, but the guy beneath him let out a grunt of pain.
“Oh, sorry. Forgot you were under there for a second. Please, please tell me you’re my mate,” Pip said to the blue-eyed dream. “I mean, if it isn’t hunky pants over here, then it better be you.”
“Step back, Guardian. I must… save my mate from… the giant cat which is licking him.” Blue eyes hadn’t really even looked his way.
Pip tried not to pout as he looked down again and found Tony happily grooming the poor guy he’d pinned. “Tony! Seriously. You’re gonna crush the poor guy’s kidney, and then his mate is gonna be cranky. And hey, they’re probably here to rescue us. Wouldn’t that be great?”
Tony lifted his head and made another of his growly sounds.
“So move your big giant furry butt, already!”
“Dakota, is he speaking to the tiger?” Blue Hair was adorably confused. Sure, he wasn’t as hunky as Hunky Pants, but he was definitely worthy of some Pip-on-him action. There was something really erotic about him. And the wings. Pip had some serious ideas of things to do with those wings. Naughty, naughty things.
Yellow eyes, whose name was clearly Dakota, plucked Pip off of Tony’s back before he could disappear into his daydream, and he dangled in the air in front of him. “I believe so.”
Pip leaned his head back and smiled at who was obviously his hunky hunk of a mate. Clearly, this was going to be one of those romance novels where the alpha hero didn’t like his plucky mate when they first met, but over time the plucky one wore them down, and then they had incredible sex often and repeatedly and fell in love for ever and ever.
“He makes strange swooning noises,” Dakota said.
“I’m not making strange— meep!”
Dakota moved Pip aside once more and the gorgeous blue-eyed man came into the room.
“Can someone help me?” Sawyer asked.
Pip wished he knew Blue Hair’s name. He really was a beautiful man. And the sword thing was really hot. Pip turned back to his mate. “Do you have a sword?”
“What?” Dakota asked.
“It’s okay. You don’t have to use a sword to be hot.”
“You are very strange. Ask your pet to move off of my mate.”
Pip’s heart fell. His mate. And Blue Hair said boy-next-door was his mate, too. Not fair. Neither one of them were Pip’s mate? Sawyer got two and Pip got none.
“Not fair.”
“Is he… injured?” Blue Hair asked.
“Loch,” Sawyer gasped. “Giant tiger. Focus.”
“He’s not hurting you,” Loch said.
“He’s really not,” Dakota added. “You’d be dead already.”
“Feels like I’m dying,” Sawyer gasped.
“Oh yeah, he’s heavy as hell,” Pip said. “Tony! Look!”
Pip cast his spell and the otters leapt out in a second. They bounced all over Tony’s head, annoying him until he moved and swatted them away. Sawyer managed to stand up, but once he did, he had Tony’s attention once more.
“Brace yourself,” Pip warned.
Tony bumped his head into Sawyer’s chest and sent him flying back against Loch.
“He likes you,” Pip said. “Which is weird, because he doesn’t like anybody except me.”
“We need to get out of here,” Loch said. “It took longer than we anticipated for Dakota to get through the locks.”
“Come, little one,” Dakota said.
Pip started to protest. He wasn’t that little. But then again, it was kind of hot and maybe he’d misunderstood the mate thing and Sawyer wasn’t really the mate of both of these giant hunks of perfection. Besides, he had another concern.
“What about Tony? We can’t leave him here!”
Sawyer looked up at Pip and smiled. “We aren’t. Hi, I’m Sawyer. We’re here to rescue you.”
“You are?”
“Yep.”
Another man appeared at the end of the hall. Big, and broad, and gorgeous. “Oh,” Pip sighed. “That must be my mate. I have been such a good boy to deserve that hunk of—”
“Sawyer, get your ass in gear.”
“Coming,” Sawyer said before turning to Pip. “What’s your name?”
“Phillip. But everyone calls me Pip.”
“Hi, Pip. I want you to stay with Dakota, okay? He’s going to get you out of here.”
“Okay.”
Dakota tucked Pip behind him and started down the hall. Pip held onto his shirt, looking back over his shoulder to make sure they weren’t leaving Tony. But no, of course they weren’t. Tony had basically attached himself to Sawyer’s side while Loch brought up the rear with his sword out and ready, and his wings sort of hovering protectively over Sawyer. So dreamy.
He could hear lots of commotion going on outside. Funnily enough, he had never seen anything of where he was being held except for the room he’d been placed in with Tony. He had a bathroom and a bed and a giant tiger and that was pretty much it.
They reached a hallway and another gorgeous guy made his appearance. This one also had a sword, but it was covered in blood. Pip gulped.
“Is that a tiger?” Blond Hunky Swordsman asked.
“Yep,” Sawyer replied.
“That’s a complication.”
“I know. Let’s move.”
It was odd how they all kind of deferred to Sawyer. He was the youngest of them, clearly. And he didn’t have any weapons. Although he was wearing the really cool armor which probably was important.
“Draco!”
Hunky Hottie with dark hair reappeared. Draco. Pip wanted to swoon. Even his name was sexy.
“He’s making the noise again,” Dakota said.
“I heard it as well,” Loch added. “Perhaps he is injured.”
Pip glared at him before turning his back on them both. Dakota and Loch clearly didn’t understand the importance of this moment. He was about to meet his mate.
But no. Draco grabbed Sawyer and kissed him before pulling away and looking him over. “You aren’t hurt?”
“No. I’m fine.”
“Another one?” Pip whined. “This is because I didn’t practice my magic, isn’t it? Or because I didn’t eat my vegetables? I’m sorry, Universe! Please forgive me. I just want one. Is that too much to ask?”
Sawyer snickered and drew his attention. “I’ll explain everything once we’re out of here, okay?”
“Yeah, sure,” Pip pouted.
They continued through the maze of rooms until they came into a big room where a giant horse and a big creature with an eagle’s head and wings stood guard. There were multiple bodies on the ground, and a few body parts that Pip didn’t care to investigate too closely.
Pip gulped.
“Eduard, we have a complication,” Sawyer said.
“What kind of complication?”
Another voice. This time from a guy about Pip’s age who stepped out from behind one of the support columns. He looked a little worse for the wear, but he was hot, too. Kind of boy next door cute like Sawyer. Pip wouldn’t mind—
The blond swordsman kissed the new cutie.
Pip huffed. Seriously. The levels of unfair were r
eaching epic proportions.
“Sawyer, is that… is that what I think it is?” the young guy gasped out. He’d finally caught sight of Tony who was still stuck to Sawyer like glue.
“Pretty sure. Which means we really need to get the hell out of here, fast. I just have no idea how we’re going to transport the tiger.”
Tony bumped his head against Sawyer’s hand.
“Don’t worry, big guy. I’m not leaving you behind. I just have to figure out how exactly to get you home.”
Magic began to build, and Pip looked around. They all did.
“Sawyer, in the middle.”
And within seconds, Pip was shoved beside Sawyer while the others surrounded them. But Pip saw something they didn’t. Tony’s eyes had begun to glow. “Um, excuse me?”
“It’s okay, Pip,” Sawyer said. “We’re going to get out of here. My guardians will protect us.”
“Yeah, but—”
Sawyer wrapped his arm around Pip’s shoulder, but his attention was on their surroundings. It was really sweet of him to try to comfort Pip like that. Maybe he shouldn’t be so jealous of Sawyer and his many mates after all. He was obviously one of the good guys.
Magic continued to build, and then there was a giant pop. Pip screeched a little and clung tightly to Sawyer. He couldn’t help it. He startled easily.
“What the—”
One of the guys— Pip had already lost track of most of their names— seemed really startled as well, so Pip opened his eyes. They weren’t in the same place they’d been before. They were standing in a backyard surrounded by about a thousand guys with swords.
“Oh shit,” Pip said. He tried to scoot a little closer to Tony, hoping his friend would continue to protect him.
“We’re home?” Sawyer said.
“We’re home,” the other young cute one said before he began to laugh.
This was their home? Pip had no idea who Sawyer was, but clearly he had a lot of bodyguards. And mates. Don’t forget that Sawyer also seemed to be a giant mate-hog. So unfair.
“How the hell did that happen?” Blond Sword Guy seemed as confused as the others.
“Did you see a portal? It felt like a portal,” Sawyer asked.
Pip looked down, and Tony’s eyes weren’t glowing anymore. He poked the tiger in the side, getting an annoyed growl in reply. “Do you mean to tell me that you could have gotten us out of there the entire time? What the hell, Tony?”