Acceptance

by Grace R. Duncan

  Miles chuckled, then groaned. “’Kay. No laughing. Got some internal shit going on. Need rest for shift.”

  “We’re out. We’ll be right out the door in the living room if you need us.”

  “’Kay.”

  All four left, and Miles closed his eyes. He didn’t even hear the door close.

  WHISPERING WOKE him. The sweetness of his mate’s scent hit him, and he opened his eyes to see Quincy sitting on the side of the bed, staring at him with a look Miles couldn’t begin to decipher. He saw terror, worry, and fury, among others, though none came across their bond. He suspected Quincy was holding them in carefully.

  Tanner stepped into the room behind Quincy. “No trace from what I can tell. None of the wolves that went looking can find him.”

  Quincy got up and stalked toward the door. “This isn’t going to stand. I’m done with his shit.”

  Tanner stepped in front of him. “Hey, wait. That’s not going to help either. Miles needs you here right now.”

  “My mate is strong. He’ll recover. But if my asshole of a father is dead, he can’t hurt Miles any more.”

  “Tanner’s right, Q,” Chad said. “We’ll deal with it—all of us—but it’s clear it’s going to take all of us, and right now Miles needs to recover before anything can happen.”

  “Dude, he’s not going to be sitting there alone, waiting for you to come kill him,” Jamie added, stepping up to him as well. “You’ll walk right into a trap. That’s exactly what they want.”

  “They’re right, Quince,” Miles said. It came out a whisper still, but it didn’t matter.

  Quincy heard. He spun around and moved back to the bed. His hands were clenched into fists, and Miles couldn’t miss that the fury was currently winning the bid for control.

  “Hey,” Miles whispered, reaching up. He winced when he saw the bruising and swelling on his hand. “They’re right,” he said again, his voice a little stronger, though still horribly weak. “You’ll do a lot more for me if you stay for now.”

  Quincy sighed and drooped. “I am so sorry, Miles,” he said, shaking his head.

  “Hey, hey, no. Don’t you go blaming yourself either.” Miles scowled, relieved to hear his voice, though still scratchy, coming out a little better.

  “Either?” Quincy asked.

  Miles nodded, tilting his head toward Chad, who was back in the corner chair. “He blames himself too. But this isn’t on either of you. It’s on whoever ordered it.”

  “I should’ve—”

  Miles shook his head. “No. All that’s going to do is waste time. Going over what might have happened if we’d done something differently is an exercise in futility. They may well have gotten to me one way or the other. We have to let that part of it go.”

  Quincy took a breath, closing his eyes. He went through a few more inhales and exhales, then finally opened his eyes again and nodded. Miles was glad to see the fury seemed to have died down some.

  “You’re right,” he murmured. “You’re right. So…. How are you feeling?”

  “Like I was hit by a three-hundred-pound jaguar at full speed.”

  Quincy’s lips twitched. “I don’t think he weighed three hundred pounds.”

  “Then two hundred and fifty.” Miles rolled his eyes. “Too damned much muscle.”

  “So, do you think you can shift now?”

  Miles turned inward, prodding his wolf. “Yeah, I think so. Not sure I can do it more than twice, but even that’ll help a lot.”

  Quincy nodded. “Um… do you want me to try to help you get your clothes off?”

  Miles pursed his lips, then shook his head, wincing when his brain rattled again. “No. That’d hurt like a bitch. Just the splints, because my wolf legs won’t like those at all.”

  Quincy carefully unwrapped the makeshift splints and set them aside. Miles gritted his teeth as his still mostly broken legs were moved. Finally Quincy stepped back, and Miles closed his eyes, giving over control to his wolf.

  Normally the shift felt as natural as breathing. Normally, though the bones reformed and muscles realigned and it seemed like it should, it didn’t hurt. However, because he was reforming broken bones this time, it hurt like hell as they knitted themselves back together for the most part. They’d still be weak for a while, until he could eat and shift more, but for now, at least, they were much more on their way to being how they’re supposed to be.

  When his vision was gray, his body was covered in fur, and his hands had turned into paws, Miles flopped down onto the bed, utterly exhausted. He’d overestimated the amount of energy he had, or underestimated the amount it would take for a healing shift. He wasn’t going to be able to shift back right away.

  Quincy helped get his scrubs off, tossing them aside. “I’m so burning those,” he muttered.

  Miles gave a tired chuff. He couldn’t really blame Quincy for wanting to. He sighed, resting his head on his paws and looking up at his mate.

  “I’m guessing you can’t shift back yet, can you?”

  Miles lifted his head and shook it.

  “Would food help?”

  Miles thought about it briefly, then nodded the best he could. His head still hurt like hell, but it was getting better.

  “I’ll get him something. I’m sure we’ve got some steaks in the fridge,” Finley said, hurrying out.

  Quincy looked around. “Could we be alone for a few moments?”

  Chad, Jamie, and Tanner simply left.

  Quincy turned back to Miles. “I thought maybe I’d shift and lay with you.”

  Miles looked up, warmth spreading through his chest at the idea, and thumped his tail a few times.

  With a chuckle Quincy stood back and tugged his shirt over his head. “I’ll take that as a yes.” He kicked his shoes off, then shucked his jeans and underwear at the same time. Miles had only seen Quincy naked when he was injured, and at the time, Miles had been in full doctor mode. Now, even though he was exhausted, he could appreciate Quincy’s lean, sexy grace.

  Quincy grinned at him, then closed his eyes. A moment later Miles watched in fascination as the teeth dropped, claws grew, fur sprouted, and then Quincy dropped down as the rest of his body changed shape. He stretched and yawned, then stood and jumped up onto the bed next to Miles.

  Miles shuffled around until he lay alongside Quincy, resting his head on Quincy’s paw. Quincy licked his face, and Miles was briefly thrown off by the texture of Quincy’s tongue. It felt good, though, having his mate close, caring for him.

  “Oh. My. Gods. That is adorable.”

  Miles looked up to see Finley grinning at them, holding a plate of raw steaks. Quincy gave a quiet growl, but Finley didn’t look the least intimidated. Quincy’s nose twitched, and he went back to bathing Miles.

  “That is kinda cute,” Chad said as he followed Finley into the room.

  Finley grinned at him. “You and Jamie were like that when you first shifted.”

  Quincy snorted.

  Chad narrowed his eyes. “Don’t get any funny ideas, kitty cat.”

  Quincy’s tail twitched, and then he went back to ignoring them.

  Chad laughed as he and Finley brought not one but two plates of raw steaks over.

  Finley turned to Quincy. “Do you want some too?”

  Quincy shook his head.

  “If you change your mind, it’s there.” Finley leaned in. “You’re a gorgeous cat. May I feel your fur?”

  Quincy dipped his head, and Finley ran his fingers over Quincy’s head.

  Miles surprised himself with the wave of jealousy that hit at someone else touching his mate. Quincy’s head whipped around, and he managed to look surprised, even in jaguar form. Miles drooped even more than his exhaustion had made him, putting his paws over his head and whining.

  “What’s that all about?” Chad asked.

  Miles peeked out to see Finley shaking his head. “I don’t know.”

  Quincy licked Miles’s face and, when Miles moved his paws, rubb
ed his face all over Miles’s. Scent-marking him. Showing who he was mated to. Miles sighed and nuzzled Quincy back for another moment, then looked up at Finley.

  Finley was smirking. “He was jealous I was touching his mate.”

  “Oh.” Chad nodded, chuckling. “I remember that well.”

  Finley grinned. “Oh yeah. Anyway, Quincy, your fur is soft. I mean, I know most domestic cat fur is soft, but for some reason, I didn’t expect yours to be.” He stepped back. “All right, then. Thank you, Quincy. You guys eat and rest.”

  Finley and Chad left, and Miles focused on getting sustenance, trying to ignore the embarrassment still going through him at his ridiculous jealousy. He downed two steaks before he remembered to even breathe. When he finished the first plate, he nudged the other toward Quincy, but Quincy just pushed it back at him. Miles sighed but could tell Quincy was going to be stubborn, so he simply finished the second plate as well. By the time he had, he was feeling a lot better.

  And content and sleepy. Especially when he realized… Quincy was purring.

  It was a rough sort of purr, not what he’d heard from pet cats, but there was no doubt what it was and that Quincy was trying to soothe him—very likely the jealousy and the pain. Miles licked Quincy’s face a little, then resettled against Quincy and put his head once more on one black paw. He fell asleep to Quincy bathing him.

  WHEN MILES woke, light filled the room and the vast majority of his pain was gone. He’d forgotten just how much having a mate near can help. Even though he and Quincy hadn’t bonded much or claimed each other yet, the link they did have helped.

  He sat up, yawned, then carefully climbed down off the bed, not wanting to disturb the still-sleeping Quincy. He tested his limbs, then shook and happily realized nothing was still broken. He was still sore in all sorts of places, but that wasn’t going to go away for a little while. Unless he could shift a few more times.

  He didn’t really want to get out of wolf form yet, but he had other urgent matters to deal with. With a sigh he nudged his wolf back and brought his human form forward. Just as he settled into his human skin, he looked up to see the human version of Quincy lying on the bed watching him.

  Quincy’s lips twitched. “You know, for a dog, you’re kinda hot.”

  Miles snorted and lay down next to Quincy, pulling his very naked mate into his arms. “Well, for a cat, you’re kinda hot too.”

  Quincy laughed. “Thanks.” He ran his hands up over Miles’s arms, tracing his fingers over Miles’s neck. Miles guessed bruises still covered his skin, since it usually took a few shifts for something like that to go away completely. “I will end this. They made a big mistake coming after you.”

  Miles nodded. “Yes, they did, for a few reasons. Let’s just take the moment we’ve got here, hmm?”

  Quincy didn’t reply except to lean in and brush his lips over Miles’s. Miles tilted his head, tightening his arms and deepening the kiss. Quincy rewarded him with a soft moan and by leaning into him more.

  “Well, good to know you’re feeling better,” Chad said.

  Miles scowled at him as he yanked the edge of the comforter, covering Quincy’s ass. “Better enough to be annoyed by an interruption like that.”

  Chad grinned unrepentantly. “Fin made breakfast. French toast, sausage, the whole thing. He sent me to see if you’re hungry, but I can tell it isn’t food you’re interested in.”

  Miles rolled his eyes and looked over at Quincy, who sighed.

  “Too late for that. Besides, he needs to heal more, and food will help that.”

  “We’ll be down in a few,” Miles said.

  “Damn. I was hoping to listen in.” Chad closed the door just as the pillow Quincy threw hit it.

  Miles laughed. “How does Jamie put up with him?”

  Quincy shook his head. “I have no idea. But I guess they work. Destined, right?”

  Miles nodded. “Yeah, they are. I guess we should go for food.”

  With a sigh Quincy kissed him softly, then climbed out of bed. “Guess so.”

  Miles stretched and crossed over to his scrubs, making a face. “Ew. I am so not wearing them again.”

  “Here,” Quincy said, opening a suitcase. “These should fit until we can get your stuff. I think it’s still in Chad’s car.”

  Miles took the gray sweatpants and blue T-shirt, pulled them on, and grinned when they fit him pretty much perfectly. “Guess we’ll have to be careful with whose clothes are whose,” he said, chuckling.

  “I doubt we’ll care.” Quincy smiled as he pulled out his own pair of sweats and another T-shirt and put them on quickly. After they stepped through the door, Miles took Quincy’s hand, brought it up to his mouth, and kissed it. Quincy returned the kiss to Miles’s hand, and they went out to the dining room. Miles still had to walk slowly, the bruising and soreness worse than he’d initially thought, but he was grateful for his shifter abilities and his mate. Without them he’d be dead.

  “Welcome back to the land of the living,” Jamie said, chuckling. He set plates out at the table, and Miles took a seat. Quincy retrieved coffee, then helped set the food out. When they had everything, he picked a few sausage links, then took a piece of offered french toast from Chad.

  Miles looked around and frowned. “So… is anyone going to tell me what happened after I got knocked out?”

  Chapter 7

  QUINCY WASN’T entirely sure he wanted to hear this. The sight of Miles so bruised and broken had boiled his blood. He’d wanted to turn around right that second and drive to New York to shoot his father.

  As much as he didn’t want to admit it, he was glad they’d talked him out of it. Jamie had been right, as had Chad. Miles needed him here—even more than Quincy had originally thought—and running off half-cocked was hardly the way to go about things.

  So despite not wanting to hear, Quincy needed to. As an information broker, he knew just how important every little piece of it was. He needed to rein in his fury and refocus.

  Chad sighed. “So, Jamie and I had taken Miles’s bags, but as we were leaving, Miles told us to go ahead, he wanted to grab his computer, and that he’d be out in a minute.” He shook his head. “I’d checked the apartment first and hadn’t seen anyone. Even the closets, but apparently—”

  “There’s a second door in my loft. For getting furniture and such in and out,” Miles said at Quincy’s raised eyebrow.

  Quincy nodded.

  “So, we think the guy picked the locks and got in that way. The door wasn’t broken—I would have seen that when I checked the closet—so that’s the best I can come up with for it, and his scent was everywhere. It was muted—I guess he was trying to mask it?” Chad asked.

  “Yeah,” Quincy said. “We… we used to not mask our scents. Ages ago, before we started hiding from the wolves, we always did what was, essentially, a partial shift. The glands we use to scent-mark, which create our particular smell, we left in place. Once we started fighting with the wolves, we had to learn how to shift those glands as well.”

  “Ah, I can see that,” Miles said, and nodded.

  “I’m surprised he left that much behind,” Quincy said, frowning.

  “Well, the thing is, I’m not entirely sure most wolves would have found it,” Jamie said thoughtfully.

  Quincy raised his eyebrows. “Oh?”

  Jamie nodded. “Chad’s senses are still new. He hasn’t learned how to filter things and mute them in human form yet.”

  “Oh.” Quincy considered that. “So Dumber—I’m guessing it’s him—was banking on the fact that you’d all be in human form and, thus, not smell anything.”

  “He really is dumb,” Jamie said, shaking his head.

  “I think he just underestimates us,” Tanner offered. “I think he believes we’re truly just dumb dogs.”

  Quincy snorted. “Let him keep thinking that. It’ll be his fuckup.”

  Chad pointed at Quincy with his fork. “He certainly didn’t expect two more ‘dogs’ t
o show up and fight him.”

  “You were in wolf form?”

  Chad coughed. “Yeah. So, I went out to the car and put the bag in the trunk, but something was bugging me. I’ve always tried to follow my instincts, and decided to go back in to walk Miles out. Well, when I got in there…. Dumber wasn’t expecting someone else. I really don’t think he was expecting me to go wolf.” Chad cleared his throat. “I’m still dealing with control issues like that. Extreme emotion gives him control. And I was pissed, so the wolf came out.”

  “He called to me through our telepathic link, and I came running. I’m sure Dumber wasn’t expecting two wolves.” Jamie chuckled. “He took one look at me, then back at Chad, and ran like the hounds of hell were after him.”

  “Well, I wouldn’t say we were from hell….” Chad smirked.

  Miles laughed and Quincy chuckled.

  “So what I’m not getting,” Finley said with a frown, “is why the bat?”

  Quincy sighed. “I think they were trying to make it look like a break in by a human.”

  “That explains why he tried to strangle you,” Chad said quietly, glancing at Miles.

  Quincy whipped his head around to stare. “Strangle him?”

  Chad nodded. “That’s what he was doing when I found them. He jumped up right away, but took advantage of my shift to… uh… hurt Miles a little more.”

  Quincy swallowed a few times, suddenly very much not hungry. “I need to know. I want every detail I can get.”

  Chad frowned. “Are you sure?”

  “Yes.” Quincy nodded firmly. Miles put a hand on Quincy’s leg, and Quincy grasped it.

  “All right.” Chad sighed. “He kicked Miles in the ribs, then stepped on both hands as he came at me.”

  “Well, that explains that,” Miles muttered.

  Quincy took a few deep breaths, praying to Bastet for calm. It took a full minute before he could speak. “Well. He won’t get away with it.” He ate another piece of sausage because he needed fuel.

  “So… now what?” Chad asked.

  Quincy frowned. “Okay, well… I need to call my father. I doubt he’ll take responsibility, but I have to try. Then… I think it might be best if we lay low here for a bit.” He glanced up at Finley, then Tanner.