They lined up along the fence line directly in front of them. One by one they laid down and put their heads on their paws. Sebastian glanced at the boys who were still yelling excitedly, he noticed Aeslyn had gone still, her cheeks were flush and she was staring intently at the animals. “Hey, you okay? They can’t get past the fence, we’re safe here.” He rubbed her back comfortingly.
She broke her stare and smiled sheepishly at him, “I’m fine, this is really cool. They are beautiful, aren’t they?” He was surprised by the awe he could hear in her voice and the light sheen of tears in her eyes.
Before he could respond the tour driver started the truck again and kept driving, as soon as they were past the animals the pride turned and climbed back up on the rocks and relaxed. The tour guide was excitedly telling the group that he had been doing that job for ten years and had never seen the animals do that. He seemed to be as excited as the boys were.
After that display, the rest of the ride was a little mundane. By sundown, the boys were yawning and ready for bed. Several hours outside always meant they crashed early for the night.
They grabbed dinner before leaving the zoo then made their way to the car. “Hang on before you strap Christopher in. If I change them into their pajamas now it will make life easier when they pass out in the car.”
“Smart idea, hand me his and I’ll help you.” She held her hand out waited for him to give her the outfit.
He should have warned her ahead of time but thought it would be more fun to watch her struggle. The boys favorite game was to try to keep their feet moving so he couldn’t get them in the footie pjs. It was basically like trying to dress an octopus and he was lucky enough to have to do it twice every day. He was enjoying the idea of someone sharing in the craziness that was his life.
By the time she was done both Benjamin and Sebastian were buckled up and watching her with amusement. “Why on earth would anyone invent anything that difficult to put on a child?” She was slightly winded as she tried to compose herself.
“That was easy compared to getting shoes on them, the little buggers love to scrunch their toes up so their feet won’t go into the shoes and everything is a game to them. I’ve learned that I have more patience than I ever knew.” His hands were itching to touch her, hesitantly he reached over and grabbed her hand. He was relieved when she entwined her fingers with his and sat back for the ride home.
They pulled into the driveway and found both boys passed out in the back with their mouths wide open doing the O sign. It never fails but at least he had someone to help him this time. “You can wait with one of them and I’ll be back out.”
“I’m a strong woman, I can carry one of them inside.” She lifted Christopher out of his seat and cradled him against her chest.
He tossed their diaper bag over his shoulder and carried Benjamin inside. He laid him in his crib and stretched his back. Every day they get a little heavier, it was a constant reminder to him that one day soon they would be too big to carry and the thought nauseated him.
He grabbed the baby monitor and closed their door quietly. “It’s nice outside, want to sit on the porch swing for a bit?”
“Sure, that sounds nice.” She turned and headed for the front door.
“I’m going to grab some drinks for us, I’ll be right there.” Now he just had to figure out how to get her to stay for another night and he really didn’t want to have to get another concussion in order to do it.
Chapter Seventeen
Aeslyn leaned back against the swing and closed her eyes. The breeze felt good against her skin, she forgot how hot Florida could be. Her body was exhausted, she had no idea how tiring it was to be a parent. She had no idea how he had been doing it alone all this time. Her admiration of him had tripled throughout the day.
Her eyes fluttered open when she heard him step on to the porch. He stood there holding two beers in one hand and a bottle of wine in the other. “Preference?”
As she opened her mouth to ask for the wine when she recognized a quiet buzzing sound coming towards them. Without hesitation, she jumped up and wrapped herself around him.
For a second, she stared into his eyes, she could see the confusion in his then watched as it turned to horror. She heard the bottles smash on the ground, she felt their cool liquid splash against her as she crumpled to the floor.
The bullet had hit her in the back below the left side of her rib cage. She had never been shot before, it was way more painful than she expected.
“Aeslyn, hang on, let me see where you are hurt.” She could hear the slight panic in his voice even though his medic training had kicked in and he was assessing her injury.
“You’re not hurt, are you?” The pain was nearly intolerable but she had to be sure he hadn’t been hit before she let oblivion take over and she passed out.
“I’m fine now stop talking and lay still.” She nodded in submission than closed her eyes and let the darkness overtake her.
Chapter Eighteen
Sebastian was excited when Aeslyn rushed at him to attack him with kisses. He heard the whiz of the bullet at the very last second, it was too late to move her. The force of the bullet slammed her body against his. The look of surprise on her face crushed him, she literally took a bullet for him.
Every ounce of training he had kicked in, “Hang on sweetheart, we need to get inside.” Sebastian didn’t know why someone shot at them or if they would be back. He reached behind him, opened the door then stayed low and pulled her inside.
He squashed the fear down as deep as he could and started triaging her. Blood was pooling underneath her left side. He lifted her shirt and found a hole. He rolled her gently and found the entrance hole on her back.
Her eyelids fluttered closed, her breathing was shallow but steady. He ripped his shirt off and stuffed it underneath her to block the hole. He pressed down on the exit wound and reached for his cell phone. He fell forward as her body started convulsing, at least that’s what he thought was happening. The phone fell from between his shoulder and head, “What the…” Sebastian threw himself back against the door. “What the hell,” Aeslyn was gone, in her place was an eight-foot-long tiger. He sat frozen for a minute, he knew there were shifters out there he had just never met one. How did he not know she wasn’t human? His mind reeled with questions, were there other shifters around him and he was clueless? Shouldn’t she have told him what she was before she slept with him?
The animal whined in pain, regardless of the hundred emotions running through him he still had to help the creature. He picked his phone up off the ground and called Connor.
“Hey, can you get here now. Something happened, I need your help, bring your med kit.” He could hear the panic in his voice but didn’t care enough to hide it.
“I’ll be there in ten.” No questions asked that’s what was great about the military, your unit always had your back.
He hated that his hand shook as he reached out to touch the cat, were they dangerous in animal form? Did he have to worry about her attacking him? She whined again, his heart broke knowing it was Aeslyn lying there and it was supposed to be him.
A car door slammed out front, Sebastian peaked out the window next to the door, it was too fast for Connor to be there so the shooter had to be back to complete the job. His gun was locked away in his bedroom, he had to think fast on how to protect them. He reached into the hall closet and grabbed the only object inside that may be of any use. He held the umbrella at his side, hoping the pointed end would be able to do enough damage to slow the killer down.
The footsteps thundered onto the porch, he swung his arm up ready to attack as the door opened. “Seb, where are you? Holy shit, Connor called saying you needed help but this,” Sebastian dropped his arm in relief, Jackson was standing in the doorway looking shocked. “What happened to Aeslyn?” Sebastian glanced down to see she had shifted back into a woman, her clothes were nonexistent, they had torn apart when she had changed into the cat.
Jackson kneeled beside her, “What are you doing, she is bleeding everywhere.”
“She was just a cat.” Sebastian reached down and went back to putting pressure on the wound. He glanced up and saw Jackson looking at him like he had two heads. “I’m not kidding, she was seriously eight feet long, she looked like a tiger but different, but that’s not the point, she was a cat.”
Another car door slammed outside, Jackson peeked outside, “Connor’s here.”
Within seconds Connor was in the doorway, out of breath from running. He cursed at the scene in front of him. “What happened?” He kneeled down, checked her pulse while he waited for an answer.
“I don’t know, we were standing on the porch when a bullet hit her. I didn’t see where it came from but I can tell you it was coming for me. She jumped in front of it.” His voice hitched, it hurt him to think about her doing that for him.
“Why would someone be shooting at you?” Connor and Jackson were shocked. “Did you call the cops yet?”
“Well something else happened, I hadn’t even thought about the cops yet.” Sebastian paused, saying it again didn’t make it sound any more real. “She...she turned into a lion or tiger or something then shifted back into a woman.”
Connor didn’t seem surprised by the announcement. He pulled back the blood-soaked cloth to inspect both holes. “The shot went clean through, shifters heal fast, all they need is time. If she’s fazing in and out she must be in a lot of pain but unfortunately, Morphine isn’t going to help her.” He dug in his medical kit and pulled out rolls of surgical tape. “We can’t stitch it if she is going to shift again, let’s tape them up as best we can. Jackson can you grab warm, soapy water and washcloths so we can clean her up. While we sterilize the wounds and take care of her can you put towels down on the guest bed so we can move her in there.”
Both Jackson and Sebastian sat frozen, staring at their best friend during his dissertation.
“Now’s not the time for questions, let’s get her taken care of then we can talk.” Sebastian knew Connor was trying to put them off but his mind was reeling. How did he know so much about shifters, why was he not surprised to hear she was one, and if he knew why didn’t he tell Sebastian before he slept with her?
“What about the boys? Are they safe here with her?” Connor snarled at Jackson’s questions.
“She’s not a feral creature. She won’t attack any of you.”
Jackson held his hands up defensively, “I wasn’t being an asshole. Animals attack when they are hurt, you can’t blame me for asking.”
“You’re right, I’m sorry. Seb, the reality is, someone shot at your house, that is more dangerous to your sons than she is. Can they stay at your moms for a couple of days?”
Sebastian’s entire world was upside down, he was numb trying to process everything that has been happening for the last thirty minutes. “Let’s get her in bed then I’ll take them over to my mom’s. Jackson can you get the water, I’ll call her real quick and let her know she’s having guests.
He glanced around the entryway, now that everyone had calmed down he noticed how much blood she had lost, his phone was lying in a pool of it on the floor. He reached for it and saw her blood was covering him too. “I’ll be right back.”
He rushed to the bathroom, he couldn’t get clean fast enough. Twenty-four hours ago she was lying in his bed and now he was wearing her blood. His mind was finally starting to slow down and he was quickly realizing he didn’t care that she was a shifter or that she had hidden it from him. He trusted his gut and it was telling him she was his.
He peaked in the boy's room and found them fast asleep, how nice it was to sleep so deeply and undisturbed. He sat on his bed with a heavy sigh, picked up the house phone and dialed, “Hey mom, sorry to call so late. I need a favor, Jackson showed up on my doorstep, he’s a mess, his latest love affair broke it off with him and he’s devastated. Connor’s coming over and we’re going to cheer him up. Do you mind if I bring the boys over and they can stay with you?”
“Sure honey, I’m always delighted to have company. GIve Jackson a hug for me and I’ll see you when you get here.”
He hung up the phone, feeling only mildly guilty about lying. He opened the drawer next to the bed and pulled out the small lock box. He punched the code in, the lid popped open. He grabbed the gun out and put the box away. He kept the ammo on a shelf in the closet, he loaded the gun and tucked it behind his back.
He did not survive three tours of duty to be taken out by a thug in his own home.
Chapter Nineteen
Sebastian went back to the entryway and silently started cleaning Aeslyn’s stomach and hip. He had seen worse wounds before yet knowing it was someone he cared about made it that much more difficult to handle. He nodded gratefully at Jackson as he laid towels over her breasts and hips, trying to give her privacy.
When there was nowhere left to clean but the bullet holes they carefully pulled back the cloth and dabbed the area with the soapy water. Aeslyn moaned loudly but stayed unconscious. Sebastian felt guilty, he couldn’t help flinching whenever she moved, he was still nervous she would shift again.
“Okay, let’s tape her up and get her off this cold floor.” They made quick work of closing the holes, Connor went to scoop her off the ground, Sebastian held his hand up to stop him.
“She’s mine, let me do this.” He lifted her gently and held her against his body, he couldn’t fathom how a huge animal was inside this tiny body. If she shifted now he would be smothered. The image had him laughing out loud.
It was a slow walk down the hall but he didn’t want to risk opening the wounds more. He laid her gently on the bed and pulled the blanket over her. He ran his fingers through her hair, rubbed his thumb across her cheek, hoping she would open her eyes and look at him. After a few minutes, he gave up and went to find the guys.
His two best friends in the world had rushed to his aide without hesitation, helped care for a Catwoman and now they were on their knees scrubbing the tile. “You guys don’t have to do that, I can get it later.”
Connor waved him off, “I’m going to finish this then go sit with Aeslyn. You are taking Jackson with you to drop the boys off at your mom’s. I have my gun in case someone comes back to finish the job, I’ll watch out for her till you come back. Now go get cleaned up so you don’t give your mom a heart attack.” He went back to scrubbing.
The questions weighed heavily between the trio, everyone was willing to put the conversation off a few minutes longer.
Without another word he turned around and went to his room. He tore the clothes off as fast as he could and threw them in the trash can of his bathroom. Blood had soaked through onto him, his stomach rolled remembering the last patient he lost. He had worked hard to forget those last couple of weeks overseas and this was threatening to bring all of those feelings back up. His face had gone pale, sweat rolled down his temples, he recognized the symptoms. He was afraid, fearing she wasn’t going to wake up.
“Kitty Cat.”
Sebastian heard the tiny voice and ran for the guest room. Benjamin was standing by the bed staring at the lion passed out on the bed. Connor and Jackson ran in behind him, everyone stood frozen for a minute. Benjamin turned around, yawned and held his arms up to Sebastian.
He scooped the small boy into his arms, he turned his head into Sebastian's neck and fell back to sleep.
“Maybe I should get Christopher and we get them out of here. If you’re lucky he’ll think he had a dream.” Jackson turned and left to grab the other boy.
Connor helped Sebastian pack clothes and toys in the diaper bag then stood to watch from the porch with his gun in hand as Jackson and Sebastian loaded the boys into the car. The tension was radiating from all three men. Sebastian nodded to Connor then pulled out of the driveway. His mind was focused on his surroundings but his heart was back at the house with Aeslyn.
Chapter Twenty
Sebastian was exhausted, more emotionally
than anything else. Jackson had played up his broken heart as they dropped the boys off. Sebastian’s mother hugged him and told him he’d find the right girl someday. Sebastian’s skin had been crawling watching his mom comfort Jackson and his fake broken heart while Aeslyn was at his house fighting for her life.
The tension intensified as they pulled in his driveway, his house had been his one place there was no violence, nothing to fear, he could relax and not have to be always aware of his surroundings.
Now someone had shattered that illusion and brought danger right to his front door. Ten minutes earlier and the boys would have been in their arms.
“You squeeze the steering wheel any tighter you may bend it.” Sebastian sighed and unclenched his hands.
“Sorry, I’m still trying to process the last few hours. I think I have whiplash from how fast my entire life has changed. It’s only been a few days and I’m embarrassed to admit it out loud but I was thinking long-term with Aeslyn. Now I’ve been attacked in my home, she was shot, and oh yeah, she’s a freaking tiger, or lion, I don’t know what she is.” Sebastian’s forehead rested in his palms, his fingers twisted in his hair.
“I know it’s a lot to take in but I don’t think her being a shifter should be a deal breaker. Look at it this way, guys love to brag about getting pussy, you can actually mean it!” Jackson thought his joke was hilarious, his smile faded to a look of questioning. “Wait a minute, don’t cats have like four nipples? Does Aeslyn have four or do the other two just disappear when she’s a human? I mean where do the nipples go?” Jackson stared off into the distance contemplating his questions.
Sebastian was never going to admit it but now that Jackson mentioned it he couldn’t help but think back and try to remember if he saw more than two nipples. His questions were valid, along those same lines, where did the fur go? He saw every side of her body and there definitely were no indications she was anything but human. “I appreciate your attempt at cheering me up, I’m definitely not letting her go just because she’s a shifter. I mean, I don’t really know anything about them but that must mean they aren’t bad or scary right?”
Paranormal Dating Agency: My Oath To You (Kindle Worlds Novella) Page 5