Burning Bright

by A. Catherine Noon

  “Bring the bears to the infirmary!” he all but shouted. Neal and Felipe started yelling at once, but he ignored them. “Gather all the wounded shifters and bring them to triage. Use doors as stretchers. Now!”

  “Jesus, Doc.” Mitch chuckled. “Subtle, much?”

  “God dammit, Doc, this is not our problem!” Neal shouted.

  “Back off,” Sasha snapped. “I’m a doctor, not a butcher. Kiril and his men acted with honor. And he saved my life.”

  Neal growled but Sasha ignored him, moving to check on his supplies. More men and huge furry brown shapes started pouring in. The bears hadn’t worn Kevlar and suffered from being on the front lines of the shooting.

  He went to the largest furry mass, knowing it must be Kiril. Even unconscious, his size amazed Sasha. Close to half a ton, it was a wonder that Sasha could still breathe after being crushed under that. A tall man applied pressure bandages. Sasha paused, looking around to double-check he didn’t miss any other more serious injuries.

  “You need to heal him or the clan will fall apart.” The serious brown eyes of the bear’s medic studied him.

  “There are others…”

  “If you’re gonna do this,” Neal cut in, “he’s right. Take Kiril first. If he dies, the shit hits the fan for real.”

  They locked gazes, and Sasha couldn’t decipher Neal’s expression.

  Neal’s face softened then, and he cupped Sasha’s face. “All right, Doc. I get it, I do. Do your work, okay?”

  Sasha’s heart warmed but then he looked back at the wounded. There were so many.

  A new voice startled him. “We’ll look to the others.”

  Sasha blinked. “Aunt Z?”

  His aunt strode in, dressed in scrubs and already wearing gloves and a mask. A Guardian, dressed in the black combat gear of the warrior circle, followed her. “Wait until it’s safe, Zoe.”

  “Wait until it’s safe, my wrinkled ass. I’ve been in more battles than you are old, Chad.”

  The big man, Sasha’s buddy since childhood, looked harassed but glared around the triage center. He waved at Sasha, distracted, then spoke into the mouthpiece of his head set. “All clear. Hey, Sasha.”

  “Chad, what the fuck are you doing here?”

  “I called them,” Neal told him. “Calm down. You offered, I decided it was a good idea. There wasn’t time to tell you.”

  You mean you forgot. Sasha flushed, annoyed, but had to concede that he’d need their help. His aunt being there took a huge weight off his shoulders, and she could oversee the work he did on the ones in human form. “All right…”

  “I didn’t really give him a choice,” Aunt Z interrupted. “I assume you’ve done triage; where do you want me to start?”

  Calmness filled him in spite of the stress. The number of wounded no longer overwhelmed him. “The ones in human form are there—” he pointed, “—and you can’t be infected by them.”

  “I’ll start there, then. I’ve set a dampening spell to keep this area from crawling with curious police.” Her gaze sharpened as she glared at him. “You should have called me sooner. It’s a good thing Neal decided to, or we wouldn’t have even made it now. We’ll talk more about that later.” Her voice sounded stern and threatening.

  Great. Now he was in trouble and it was his stinking idea to call them in the first place. She smiled before turning away, lessening some of the impact of her tone, but he didn’t look forward to their little talk.

  Sasha reached for a set of clippers. With this many buzz cuts around him, Steve had easily gathered up several earlier. He concentrated on shaving the fur around Kiril’s bullet wounds. Gods, but they needed a clinic.

  The medic with the bears hovered at his elbow. Sasha glanced at him. “What’s your name?”

  “Drew,” he answered with no trace of any Russian in his voice. “Drew Wilson.”

  “I’m Sasha Soskoff. What can you do for me, Drew? How much training do you have?”

  “EMT One,” the man answered. Taller than Neal, his muscular form made Sasha feel tiny next to him.

  “Okay. Get him prepped. I have to get these bullets out.”

  Drew nodded and filled a syringe while Sasha examined the enormous body for more bullets. He counted five by the time he got through, the examination taking longer than he wanted it to due to the bear’s sheer size. Picking up a scalpel, he started work.

  To prevent the same problem with the flesh healing, like it had with Steve, he used magic to enhance the scalpel. It worked. The flesh gave under the knife, parting like it should. He would need to talk to his aunt and see if she had any suggestions for improving them. Time to remove the first bullet. Here, fishy fishy; come to papa.

  Across the room, his aunt took control of her bevy of patients, snapping orders and enlisting any able-bodied person within range. He wanted to laugh, but the wounds in front of him took all his attention. Sasha sank into the zone, focused on teasing out the bits of metal.

  There were plenty to keep his attention, no doubt about that.

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  Full Circle

  Exhaustion pulled at Sasha; even his fingers ached. Tending to the last bear turned out to be full-fledged surgery. He’d finally finished, but his patient nearly died on the table. Actually, on a door. The bullet grazed an artery and caused internal bleeding, and the bear nearly bled to death before they could stop it. Or notice it. The big idiot had been all stoic. Steve noticed the pressure bandage originally applied hadn’t been doing a damned thing.

  The rest of the bears, the ones able to stand anyway, hovered around Sasha and hummed while he and his aunt worked. They refused to be shooed away. Drew told him it would help the wounded bear heal. Sasha did feel something stir with his empathy, but couldn’t be sure. Atonal, it vibrated his collarbone.

  Bears hummed. Who knew?

  He really needed a better set-up if the tigers got into trouble again. Sasha shuddered at the lack of a sterile environment. Only the shifters’ natural metabolisms saved them from infection. Everyone watching bothered him, as well, until the work absorbed him.

  Leaving his aunt in charge of the patients, Sasha went to clean up. The antiseptic odor on his hands and arms clung like a second skin and Sasha wrinkled his nose as he scrubbed. He went downstairs to see if Neal wanted some food, but Neal wasn’t there. Sasha went back up, a yawn splitting his face. He missed the top step and caught himself by the banister.

  “You work too hard.” Neal stood in the hallway by his door. He came over and slipped an arm around Sasha’s shoulders. “Come on.”

  Sasha let the bigger man guide him into the apartment and lock the door.

  Neal looked down at him. “Carlos is downstairs in the security office, keeping an eye on things. It’s you, me and Steve.”

  “And I’m cooking dinner,” Steve put in. “Grilled cheese and tomato soup.”

  Sasha grinned. “That sounds perfect.” He slipped into the bathroom to take a quick shower and by the time he emerged, Steve finished cooking.

  “I used four cheeses in the sandwiches,” Steve told them. “And the bread’s from the bakery.”

  “You’d think he wants something,” Neal muttered, but grinned.

  “Yeah. Us to clean the dishes.” Sasha winked. He took a bite and closed his eyes.

  “I guess he likes your grilled cheese.” Neal chuckled.

  Steve cleared his throat. “Yes, well, I am the best cook in this unit.”

  “Riiight.” Neal took a bite. “Maybe.”

  Steve ate his sandwich, eyes twinkling.

  Tiredness roared over Sasha and he set his spoon down. “Long fucking day.”

  “Yeah, but we won,” Neal grunted.

  “What happens now?”

  “With what?”

  “The Russians?”

  “They find some other poor sucker to harass. I don’t know.”

  “It seems like they should be punished for what they did,” Sasha grumbled. “I mean, they caused
all this trouble and got away with it.”

  “Not really,” Steve disagreed. “They lost their leader’s son, and Ivan himself isn’t doing too well. I’m not sure he’ll live through this.”

  “He won’t,” Neal confirmed. “I got word before I came upstairs.”

  “Death is a shitty way to solve a conflict.” Sasha glared at him.

  Neal blinked. “Huh? A minute ago you wanted them punished.”

  “Dead men don’t learn anything.” Sasha sat back. “How do you know that whoever replaces Ivan will be any better than he was?”

  Neal shrugged. “We don’t.”

  Sasha glared at him. “That’s stupid.”

  “Hey, man, I don’t make the rules.”

  “Drink your iced tea,” Steve advised. “You certainly made an impression on the Plemya.”

  “They like my shampoo.”

  Neal snorted a laugh and banged his chest a couple times to clear a crumb from his airway. “Excuse me?”

  “Kiril said I smelled good.” Sasha took a sip of tea. “Honey is in my shampoo and bears like honey.”

  “I meant with your surgical skills.” Steve gazed at him with a smirk.

  “Oh.”

  “He sure gets grumpy when he’s tired,” Neal told Steve.

  “Good thing I made coffee.” Steve’s grin widened.

  Sasha frowned at him. “I’m right here.”

  “So’s the coffee,” Steve retorted.

  They finished their sandwiches and Steve got up to pull some lemon sorbet out of the freezer. Sasha collected the plates and set them in the sink, while Neal poured them each coffee.

  Sasha had a sudden sense of home.

  “Does Steve have to go back?” he blurted.

  “Go back where, Doc?” Neal asked, wiping down the table.

  He blushed, he could feel it. “Nothing.” He lost his nerve to tell Neal that Steve should move in with them. Besides, he was supposed to get a condo to himself and didn’t want to remind them of that. He liked the status quo.

  Neal walked over and leaned up against the sink, while Steve bracketed him on the other side.

  “What did you mean?” Neal asked.

  “Well, I don’t know. It’s…this feels like home, you know?” He wanted to say more, but couldn’t get it past his lips.

  Steve brought the sorbet cups over to the coffee table. Neal hesitated a moment and then walked over to flick on the television. Sasha joined them, sinking into the couch with a sigh. “I love this couch.”

  Neal chuckled softly. “Good. Took me a fuckin’ ordeal to find the damn thing.”

  Sasha looked up at him and caught Steve nodding. “You have no idea.” The black man rolled his eyes.

  Neal slipped very warm hands around Sasha’s shoulders and started massaging the knots out. Steve sat on the other end, bouncing him, and lifted Sasha’s left foot to dig into the meaty flesh with strong thumbs.

  Sasha closed his eyes, reveling in it.

  The two men worked on his body, both heading toward his center, until he lay like putty. He didn’t know who stroked him first, but his cock awakened. He arched his back, stretching his body, and Steve pulled his waistband down. His eyes popped open as Steve licked his shaft and then took his entire length into his mouth. The hot moisture caused his toes to flex and he pressed into it.

  Neal bent down, curling at the waist, and kissed him. Neal started to move off the couch and Sasha caught him. He stroked Neal’s hardness through his pants. Sasha started to reach for Neal with his mouth, but Steve hit the right rhythm.

  Panting, he tried to catch his breath. “Steve.”

  “Yeah, hon?” Steve said, coming up off him and pumping with his big hand.

  “Gods, man, don’t stop.”

  “I thought you wanted something.”

  “Please,” Sasha cried, arching his back. Arousal filled his body and almost hurt, pulsing up and down his cock as Steve moved his hand.

  Steve chuckled and resumed his steady movements with his mouth, sending tingles up and down Sasha’s body.

  “This would be more comfortable in a bed,” Neal pointed out.

  Sasha, though, couldn’t answer. His body responded to Steve’s movements and he started to moan and gasp. He never made this much noise with other lovers, but something about the way Steve and Neal touched him brought it out.

  As Sasha came in a hot rush in Steve’s mouth, Neal kissed him. Neal’s mouth caressed his and teased his tongue, and Sasha slipped his hands into his hair. Neal finally let him up for air and Steve released his cock, stroking his stomach with a sweaty palm.

  Sasha collapsed against the couch, spent.

  “You killed him,” Neal noted, poking Sasha’s shoulder.

  “Tickle him,” Steve advised. “See if he’s faking it.”

  “I’m awake.” Sasha struggled into a sitting position. “I’m awake.”

  “Works every time.” Steve gathered the melted sorbets and brought them to the freezer, while Neal stood.

  Sasha rolled off the couch to stand, and followed Neal into the bedroom. The big bed looked like it waited for them, the sheets fresh and new. Lube and various toys clustered on the bedside table, but no condoms.

  “Where are the condoms?”

  Neal came closer and cupped his head with one big hand. “You wanted this to be between us.” Neal licked Sasha’s bottom lip. “Steve and I talked, and we agreed.”

  Sasha’s heart started to pound. “Both of you?”

  “We can’t catch anything,” Steve said as he walked in and locked the door. “So it’s safe.”

  “And we decided it was time,” Neal told him. “We’re together, the three of us, for better or worse. Might as well act like it.”

  Sasha almost asked, what about Carlos, but he didn’t want to ruin the moment. Besides, Carlos could join them after his shift.

  Sasha flopped onto the bed on his stomach, and Steve laughed. “I think he’s worn out, Neal,” the big man murmured.

  “Oh, well, I guess we’ll have to make do…”

  Sasha heard the sounds of Neal going down on Steve and rolled over. “Hey.”

  Steve winked at him. “Sorry, buddy. You wanted to sleep.” He gasped as Neal did something he liked and pumped his hip a little, then caught himself on Neal’s shoulder.

  “That’s not fair,” Sasha protested.

  Neal chuckled, but didn’t stop. Steve’s breathing quickened, and his hand clenched Neal’s shoulder as he tried to keep his balance. He let his eyes close, a smile playing around his lips, and moaned.

  Neal cupped Steve’s balls in one hand and Sasha’s erection built painfully, watching them. Rolling onto his stomach, Sasha stroked Neal’s leg with gentle fingers.

  Steve groaned, and opened his eyes. “Nearly there, Boss,” he murmured.

  Sasha almost came himself in response.

  Neal milked Steve and he came with a cry, bending over Neal’s head at the waist. Sasha reared up on his knees and kissed him, Steve’s mouth cool from panting.

  Awakened by all the activity earlier, and watching the two men now, Sasha’s empathy spun through him like a vortex. He shivered and squeezed Steve’s arm where he held on for balance. Steve laughed and Neal released Steve’s cock, then rolled onto his back like the huge cat that he was.

  “God, I love it when you do that,” Neal groaned.

  “Huh?” Sasha frowned.

  “Your magic,” Steve told him. “It feels…”

  “Amazing,” Neal supplied.

  “Yeah.”

  Sasha cocked his head. “What does it feel like?”

  Steve’s eyes narrowed and he laid down on his back next to Neal. “It tingles and feels warm.”

  “And like I can see into you,” Neal added. “I know what you’re feeling, and can feel it too. It makes everything more intense.”

  Sasha blinked. “That’s how I feel it.”

  “I wonder…” Steve trailed off.

  Heat bloomed in Sa
sha’s chest. He gasped and caught himself against Steve’s chest. “Shit.”

  Steve chuckled. “Like that?”

  Sasha couldn’t speak, so he nodded.

  Then Neal put his hand on Steve’s shoulder.

  The sensations spiked and Sasha cried out. All three of them inhaled in unison, and Neal met Sasha’s gaze with huge eyes. “Wow.”

  “We were thinking,” Steve said then. “About no condoms.”

  Sasha’s heart started to pound.

  Neal grinned, obviously feeling it. “I think he likes that idea.”

  “No kidding!” Steve rubbed his face. “But just the three of us. Carlos has other partners, and it wouldn’t be a good idea. We don’t want you to catch anything.”

  Sasha nodded, breathless with excitement. “I’ve wanted that a while now.”

  Neal grinned. “Good.”

  Sasha rolled over, into Neal’s body, and kissed him. Neal kissed him back, stroking a hand through Sasha’s hair as he did it.

  Steve, meanwhile, seemed to be getting the hang of the energy and he swung the empathy around them like a shawl. Sasha grinned as Steve did it, the tingles igniting pleasure centers all up and down his body.

  “Up on your knees,” Neal ordered. Tugging on Sasha’s hips, he guided Sasha to kneel between the two bigger men.

  Steve’s warm hand cupped Sasha’s ass and then massaged, around and around, until Sasha’s erection nearly pulled the skin off his body.

  “Please…” he moaned. “Please.”

  Neal grunted and Sasha looked behind himself to see Steve pumping his hand, coated with lube, up and down on Neal’s cock. He guided Neal to Sasha’s opening, and Neal stroked himself up and down the crack.

  Sasha pressed back, reaching, but Neal chuckled. “Slowly. I want it to last.”

  “Please,” Sasha gasped.

  Neal slapped him lightly, bouncing him, and then gasped. “Wow. I can feel that through the empathy.”

  Sasha laughed. “Do it again.”

  Neal set up a rhythm against his ass, alternating sides, and then sheathed himself to the balls in Sasha’s body.

  All three of them groaned.

  Steve moved in front of Sasha, angling to kiss him, but Sasha got an idea. Grinning, he bent forward and caught Steve’s cock in his hand, then moved to slip the whole thing into his mouth.