LostwithLeo

by Shelley Munro

  “Assigning blame won’t help,” Felix said, straightening from his crouch. “Let’s load up and get back to the resort. Fingers crossed Scarlett has discovered information to help Leo.”

  Leo struggled to his feet and padded onto the shuttle. Betrys glanced at her clenched hands and noticed she still wore the green robe she’d found by the sleep-bed. She let out a squawk. “Wait, I need to get dressed.”

  Caspar bowed in her direction. “Wear it back to the resort, my dear. The robe will remain solid until you reach your room.”

  Betrys’s eyes widened. “I think I might grab my own robe.” She ran back into the dwelling and let out a squeak of alarm when Caspar appeared in front of her. She glared at him until he turned his back and only then did she scramble into her own garments. “Thank you.”

  Caspar beamed. “My pleasure.” He paused then frowned. “Take one of my knives for your protection. A strong and admirable woman should receive gifts.” He strode to the collection of weapons and selected a knife with a glowing ruby in the hilt. He pulled it from its leather sheath, studied the blade and replaced it. “Think of me whenever you use it.”

  “I couldn’t.”

  “A mere token of thanks,” Caspar said in a firm voice.

  “Thanks.” She stuffed the jeweled dagger out of sight in her pocket. “It was very nice to meet you, even if you do poke your nose into other people’s private business.”

  Caspar’s delighted chuckle followed her from the dwelling.

  Chapter Ten

  The instant the shuttle landed at the resort, Felix, Leo and Casey jumped out. Betrys shadowed them while wondering if she should follow or make herself scarce.

  Leo halted and turned, his tail swishing.

  “Leo, what—” Felix broke off, his gaze connecting with hers.

  Betrys came to a complete halt at Felix’s expression. There was worry and concern for his brother, and a fierceness that made her fear for her safety.

  Leo growled low in his throat and Felix severed their connection.

  “Come with us,” Casey said.

  “No, I don’t think—”

  At Leo’s sharp grumble, she stopped her verbal thought.

  “Come with us,” Felix ordered. “We’ll need to ask you questions about Iseult. We need to know what we’re dealing with.” On uttering those words, he stalked off. Casey fell in behind, but Leo didn’t move. At her hesitation, he padded up to her and gave the back of her legs a hard shunt in the direction his brother and sister-in-law had taken.

  “Okay.” Betrys sighed. Meeting the rest of his family felt like an ordeal, one she’d love to dodge. Another sigh whooshed from her. Hiding wasn’t an option.

  Felix and Casey disappeared inside a building.

  “Where’s Leo?” a masculine voice demanded.

  “He’s coming,” Felix said.

  Leo waited until she entered then followed on her heels. The interior was spacious, yet Betrys found it difficult to discern the use of the space. An exercise area or perhaps another holo room. A sturdy table stood in the middle. Stacks of building materials and tins of paint filled the far corner. A work-in-progress, she decided.

  “Betrys,” the man said. “I’m Saber.”

  “Yes.” She shifted her weight from foot to foot, trepidation doing a number on her nerves. After a hasty breath, she forced a smile. “You did the welcoming speech.”

  He gave a curt nod before turning his attention to Leo. “Scarlett hasn’t discovered much. It seems the Spiderus race is secretive. We’re going to need to make a decision. Do you want us to cut this thing out?”

  “Bearing in mind the task might be beyond my skills,” Casey declared.

  “But if it’s a parasite of some type, it would need to come out whenever it’s finished its pupa stage or whatever the hell it’s doing inside you.” Felix added his opinion, and it wasn’t difficult to discern his worry.

  “He’s in a lot of pain,” Betrys said. “Caspar gave him a tonic, which helped a little. I’ve noticed him pressing on the wound, but I didn’t realize it was bothering him so much. Almost overnight, the area has bulged out, and I could feel something moving beneath the flesh.” Emotion built, became a heavy weight expanding up her throat, and she had to stop, swallow.

  Leo moved closer and leaned against her legs. He butted her hand with his head and a choked laugh escaped her.

  “You’re not meant to comfort me.” Her hand slid over his silky head and she found herself scratching behind his ears. “This is my fault.”

  “Your fault?” Saber said in a sharp voice. “How so?”

  Leo growled—a low and mean don’t-mess-with-me snarl—and his older brother lifted both his hands in silent surrender. Then Leo butted her hand in a demand for more petting.

  A shaky laugh escaped Betrys. “I guess Leo hasn’t told you everything.”

  “You were the one who got him on the shuttle and sent him home when he was sick,” Saber said. “For that, you have our thanks. And Leo told us you have a son who is living at Spiderus Mansion. If I had a son I’d want to protect him. I’d do anything to keep him safe. Anything.”

  “Thank you for understanding.” Some of the tension leached from her muscles and her hand resumed the slow up-and-down stroke of Leo’s silky head. He leaned into her a little more and a rumbly purr emerged from his throat.

  Two more people arrived—another dark-haired man who resembled Leo and Felix plus a young woman who wore her hair piled on top of her head in a donut-shaped bun. Her green eyes and black hair spoke of her relationship to the Mitchell brothers.

  “Scarlett,” Saber said. “Did you learn anything?”

  She shook her head. “Nothing more than we already know. We’re going to have to operate on instinct.”

  “I brought the instruments you wanted, Casey,” the man said.

  “Thanks, Sly.” Casey accepted a black leather bag, from a man who Betrys decided looked like another Mitchell brother. He possessed the same green eyes and black hair, long in his case, and held back with a hunter-green bandanna.

  “Leo, let me see your scar.” Saber took charge.

  Leo obediently flopped over on his back to expose his stomach.

  Betrys studied the scar along with the others. While it was visible, the old wound had lost the redness, the swelling reduced. “Something about his feline shape seems to make the thing inside him subside. If he’s in humanoid form, the thing bulges out and pulses a lot more.” She paused to take a breath, part of her surprised at her calmness. The man she’d touched and kissed possessed a dual nature. She’d had no idea and Iseult hadn’t suspected a thing either. Maybe his feline characteristics had been the difference that saved him from death.

  “Leo needs to shift to human,” Casey said. “If what Betrys says is true that would make the thing easier to cut out.”

  “We need a container to put the thing inside.” Saber’s creased brow told Betrys he was trying to think ahead and plan for contingencies. “Something solid that will keep it enclosed. Whatever it is, we don’t want it to escape and find another host.”

  “What about a preserving jar?” Sly asked.

  “Just the thing.” Saber nodded in approval as Sly disappeared out the door. “Casey, get everything prepared and sterilized ready to go before Leo shifts. We want him as comfortable as possible.”

  Betrys squeezed into a corner and acted invisible, clammy hands wrapped around her middle while she attempted to tamp down her growing panic. They were cutting Leo open—a dangerous act—yet the brothers and sister and Casey worked as a calm, competent team while she was the interloper. When she realized she was swaying, she placed one palm on the wall. Goddess, she hoped Leo survived this ordeal. Iseult hadn’t done this to any other male. Was this a coincidence? Had his wound become infected since his return to the resort?

  Sly rushed back, a preserving jar in hand. “I told Ma one of the beasts had a parasite and we wanted a container so we could transport it to Dalcon
for identification. She gave me a bottle of vinegar and said we should pour it over the parasite to preserve it.”

  Saber chuckled. “Did she want to come and watch?”

  “She’d just put a batch of scones in the cook-box,” Sly said. “She needed to supervise the new staff.”

  Casey pulled several items from the medical bag. “Place a clean sheet over the table. I’m going to inject the surface area with a numbing agent. The medical wand should do the trick. It might even spit out a diagnosis if we’re lucky.”

  Saber walked over to Casey and Leo. “Okay, Leo. We’re ready for you. Shift now, and we’ll see what we’ve got.”

  Leo scanned the interior until he saw her trying to hide. He butted her leg with his head, and Betrys crouched to bury her head against his shoulder. The second she released him, he licked her cheek, the abrasive nature of his tongue across her skin transmitting messages of instant lust. A soft hum escaped her, echoed milliseconds later by a rumble that translated as satisfaction. Color rushed to her cheeks and one of the brothers laughed. The heat in her face intensified.

  “Save that for later, Leo,” Saber said in a stern voice, but Betrys caught the underlying humor beneath his severity.

  Casey sanitized her hands. “Let’s do this.”

  Leo prowled toward the sheet-draped table. He stopped beside Saber and his sigh was loud in the silent room. He didn’t want to do this, and Betrys couldn’t blame him.

  Leo took another audible breath and after a long pause, the transformation commenced. Betrys stared in a combination of fascination and horror. Surely that must hurt? Or maybe they became used to the way their skin and muscles warped and the snapping and popping as their bones and skin realigned to their alternative form. The shift took precious minutes. They’d be vulnerable at this stage.

  Finally, Leo’s naked form slumped on the floor in front of them. Two of his brothers crouched beside him and helped Leo onto the table.

  “Betrys,” he gasped.

  “I’m here.” She moved forward.

  “Stand on the other side of the table.” Saber seemed comfortable bossing them all about. “Give Casey room to work.”

  “Holy fuck,” Sly said. “Look at that sucker.”

  “It’s grown bigger.” Betrys stared at the distinct bulge from Leo’s stomach. “Much bigger than it was earlier this morn.”

  “It needs to come out.” Saber frowned, and Betrys saw his concern for his younger brother.

  Casey examined the instruments and chose a scalpel. “I think it’s trying to emerge. Whatever it is, we don’t want it running around the room. Make sure the door is locked so no one can enter until we’re done. Felix, Saber, I want you to prepare to grab it. Scarlett, you spray the thing with this knock-out solution. I’ll tell you when. Wait, everyone put on gloves. We don’t want it burrowing into anyone else.”

  Leo groaned, pain etched into his features. Betrys took his hand and squeezed. This was her fault and she intended to stand by his side and help correct the consequences of her actions.

  “Right.” Casey scanned their faces, her manner calm despite the simmering tension that filled the room. “Everyone ready?”

  “Do it.” Leo’s pained groan made the hair at the back of Betrys’s neck prickle.

  “I’m injecting the area,” Casey said in a level voice. Her face was serious, her concentration absolute.

  A woman who handles herself well in a crisis, Betrys thought. Good, Leo needed stellar people on his side.

  Leo grunted, his big body arching upward as the thing in his stomach protested the numbing agent Casey injected. It bucked and writhed beneath Leo’s skin.

  Casey picked up the medical wand and made an incision.

  * * * * *

  Iseult screamed, daggers of pain transmitting from her head to the myriad tiny hooks on the ends of her legs. White-hot and searing, it was agonizing. Too much to bear. She collapsed onto the white floor of her web and curled into a ball. The two on-duty guards rushed to her aid, but she struck out at them. Hissed. One of her feet caught a guard in the leg, jerking him off balance. He toppled with a loud thump then tried to scuttle from Iseult’s reach.

  Iseult screeched, the torture indescribable. The agony came from inside, radiated outward, much like her web.

  “Take me to Tiraq,” she ordered, the words sharp and clipped in the Spiderus language. “Six guards. Don’t care what that manager at the resort says.” As soon as she relayed the command, some of the pain inside her subsided—enough for her mind to clear. Tiraq. Yes, gut instinct told her she needed to travel. Every part of her shouted the action was necessary.

  “When do you want to leave, my lady?” one of the guards asked.

  “Now. No, wait. Tomorrow. We will need to make preparations, gather weapons.” The blast of pain tailed off, Iseult uncurled her limbs and struggled to her feet. “I will prepare. Be ready to depart on the morn.”

  * * * * *

  Betrys couldn’t see much because Leo’s family crowded him, their faces full of tension, their bodies held in still readiness. She kept holding his hand and watching his expression. He watched her in return, and she caught the strain in his features, the worry, a trace of fear, and once again, guilt clawed her mind. All her fault. All her fault.

  “Not your fault,” Leo whispered, his voice harsh.

  “Fuck.” Saber’s voice held shock. “Is that what I think it is?”

  “What is it?” Leo growled, a sharp demand. “A worm of some sort?”

  “Not exactly,” Scarlett said. “It’s more of an egg sac.”

  “Let me lift it out so we see what we’re dealing with.” Casey set down her scalpel and exchanged it for a more suitable instrument.

  Leo bit his bottom lip, his fingers clenching hers so tightly Betrys winced at the pressure.

  “You’re hurting him,” Betrys croaked and Leo slackened his grip a fraction.

  “Don’t care. Don’t care. Get it out of me.” Leo clenched his jaw.

  “I’ll do it as fast as I can,” Casey said.

  Leo moaned and squeezed her hand again. Betrys bit on her tongue, determined not to distract Leo or Casey. They were right. The thing—egg sac or whatever it was—had to come out because it was endangering Leo’s health.

  “Got it,” Casey said in triumph. “Slide that jar over here.”

  “What is it?” Leo demanded. “What’s inside the egg sac?”

  “Two creatures. They’re insects of some description,” Casey replied. “Ugh, they’re moving. Quick, put the lid on.”

  Saber slapped a gloved hand over the top and held up the jar. “Where did you put the vinegar?”

  “It’s here,” Sly said. “I’ll pour it into the jar.”

  “Lid.” Saber fastened the top of the large jar then held it to the light.

  “Tell me what they are,” Leo demanded in a hoarse voice. “I need to know.”

  “They look like spiders.” Betrys pressed a hand to Leo’s chest to keep him flat. “Don’t move. Casey needs to suture you up.”

  “Make sure there aren’t any more in there,” Leo ordered.

  “That’s what I’m doing,” Casey said. “Hand me the sterilizer liquid.”

  Scarlett passed her the bottle, and Casey sprayed the region.

  “No, I don’t think anything else is in there. I’m going to close the wound now. We’ll know in a couple of days if there are more problems. I couldn’t see another foreign object, but we’re working blind here. There, all done. You’ll know when you’re ready to shift.”

  “As soon as the numbness wears off.” Leo glanced at the jar and shuddered. “Are you sure you got them all?”

  “I think so,” Casey answered.

  “Thanks,” Leo said in a gruff voice and looked at Saber. “Help me to my room? I’m so tired. Didn’t get much sleep last night.”

  “Sure.”

  Scarlett held up the jar and studied the contents with a moue of disgust. “They’ve stopped moving.�
�

  “Yeah, I think the vinegar has done the job,” Sly said.

  Casey set down her needle and stripped off her gloves. “Or it might have been because they weren’t quite ready to hatch yet.”

  “Do you have anything to add, Betrys?” Saber asked.

  Betrys shivered in ghoulish fascination as she stared at the things Casey had dug from Leo. “This has never happened before. I don’t think Iseult has any idea—that’s if she’s responsible.”

  “She must be,” Felix said. “It’s too much of a coincidence that they grew in the wound she inflicted.”

  Betrys nodded. “Iseult’s behavior has been off recently. Her guards too. I thought…maybe… I don’t know what I thought. I’ve never seen them act with…with such exuberance.” She shivered. “They’ve been singing and it’s plain creepy.”

  “While Leo is sleeping we’ll work out a plan to retrieve your son.” Saber helped Leo off the table.

  “In my room,” Leo said. “Need Betrys to stay with me.”

  Saber frowned, his forehead furrowing, before he gave a clipped nod. Shades of Leo, Betrys thought. That was what he looked like when he was unhappy or thinking. The brothers were so alike. Even Scarlett’s facial expressions fell into line with her brothers. It was very obvious they were siblings.

  “I’m in.” Felix straightened.

  “Me too.” Casey’s chin lifted in challenge when her husband’s face screwed up into what Betrys was beginning to think of as the Mitchell scowl. “I’d be an asset at a clandestine job. You know it.”

  Felix’s frown softened. “I know, sweetheart.”

  “I’m in,” Sly said. “Joe will want to help too.”

  Saber nodded. “Four of you should be able to do the job.”

  “She hasn’t confirmed her booking yet,” Scarlett said. “What if I contacted her and asked if she still wanted to stay at the resort, tell her it’s a courtesy call because there is a waiting list of women wanting to holiday at Middlemarch Resort. If she doesn’t want to confirm her booking, then we’ll give her place to someone else.”