Dying to Live: The Shifter City Complete Series

by Liam Kingsley

  He moved his head closer to Hail’s. Hail’s breath caught in his throat and his eyes blazed. Logan drew it out for long, excruciating seconds. He could feel Hail’s pulse pounding against his palms as he swept his hands over the other man’s shoulders and captured his head between them. They were close enough now to exchange breath, and Hail seemed to be struggling for air. So slowly that is was barely noticeable, he closed the final gap between them and softly touched his lips to Hail’s. Hail wrapped his arms around Logan and returned the kiss with fervor, giving up his last resistance.

  They broke apart a second later. There were footsteps in the hall.

  Chapter Five

  “How are his vitals?” Sven, Broderick’s husband, asked as he walked into the room. “Can he come? Broderick’s pretty insistent.”

  “Oh, um,” Hail said, flustered. “I, um, let me check.”

  Sven’s indigo eyes burned holes into his shoulders, but he did his best to ignore it. Sven had an uncanny ability to read someone’s mood or any given situation based on seemingly nothing. Vibes, he said. He was in tune with the vibes, whatever that meant. Logan’s vitals looked okay, but they could be better. Snow was trusting his judgment. If he let Logan go and Logan collapsed at dinner, it would be on his head. Unless….

  “He’s still a little iffy,” Hail said. “I could only let him go now if I came with to monitor him.” He caught Logan’s amused little smile out of the corner of his eye, and did his best to keep his expression as blank as possible. Sven’s eyes darted from one to the other, then he sighed.

  “Fine,” he said. “Shouldn’t be a problem. I’ll go tell Broderick. Get this one some clean clothes and have him up at the house as soon as you can.”

  “You got it,” Hail said. He puffed out his cheeks and sighed as Sven left the room.

  “Who was that, and why does he scare you?” Logan asked.

  “Who says he scares me?” Hail shot back, but he could feel his ears go red.

  “Gonna ignore that, because you’re full of shit,” Logan said with a little laugh.

  “That was Sven, Broderick’s husband. He was the first male shifter to give birth. Actually, I think he was the first shifter to give birth at all. Let me think. Yeah, Junior’s birthday is in April, and Lucky’s birthday is in August. So yeah, first ever shifter pregnancy. He’s also a little bit psychic I think. He always knows more than he should about…well, everything. It’s like he’s always watching, but with more than his eyes, you know? He teaches guided meditation, yoga, and shifter Lamaze. He’s good…I mean, he knows his vibes, but… he really creeps me out, you know?”

  “Yeah,” Logan said with a grin that seemed to say more than Hail knew how to interpret. “Yeah, I understand.”

  “Oh!” Hail said, suddenly realizing. “Do you want a shower before you go? I’ve got some spare clothes around here, I can go grab them for you, but if you want a shower I’ll just take you there first and bring you the clothes to change into when you’re done.”

  “Yeah,” Logan said. “That would kick ass.”

  Hail grinned and helped Logan out of bed. He was still attached to numerous monitors, and it took a few minutes to get him fully unencumbered. Being so close to his golden skin and toned abs made Hail’s blood run hot again, but he suppressed the urge to engage in another battle of dominance. Whatever it was that had happened between him and Logan was utterly new to him. He’d had his flirtations and crushes, a few boyfriends, a girlfriend or two, but he’d never experienced heat like that before. He’d never been so instantly and overwhelmingly invested in an intangible, unspoken struggle. Even the memory of it was threatening to make him lose control, so he focused on something else. Logan was wearing loose, baggy jeans which were stained three inches deep around the bottom and had holes in both knees. The waistband was ripped at the seams, and the button looked as if it had been sewn on repeatedly.

  “If you like them, you can have them,” Logan said, jolting Hail back to the moment.

  “Oh! Sorry. No, I was just… kind of… never mind.”

  “Okay.”

  “Okay. Okay, so I was reading a chapter of your life through the pants…I mean, you don’t get to wash very often, you’ve had to do a lot of hard work and running and shifting at inopportune times, and you wear things until they’re literally falling off of you because you don’t know when you’re going to be able to replace them, or if you even will be able to replace them.”

  Logan raised his eyebrows and nodded approvingly. “Not bad,” he said. “Good eye for detail. You might actually survive out there.”

  “You think?” Hail asked eagerly.

  “Nah,” Logan said, walking past him to the door. Hail’s heart sank. Logan stopped just inside the door, and turned to look at him. “Not alone, anyway. In a pack, though….” He trailed off and shrugged. “So where’s the shower?”

  Hail felt mildly embarrassed and bewildered as he walked Logan to the showers. Logan was still as smooth, still as enticing, but there was something else there, too. Something dangerous in a different kind of way. He tried to figure out what it was, but all he could come up with was the image of a pet jaguar with a cobra in its mouth.

  “Not helpful,” he muttered to himself as he pulled a set of clothes out of a storage closet. The clothes were very literally one size fits all, because they were designed to stretch as shifters did. The shirt was a basic sleeveless tunic, a sort of classy-looking muscle shirt. The pants were loose-fitting on a human, with a snug waist and a few deep pockets. Both items, plus the underwear, were made of a specially designed material which could stretch or contract to fit any sized shifter, and would stay in place and undamaged no matter how many times the person shifted while wearing them. He took the clothes back to the bathroom and stepped through the door just in time to see Logan emerge naked from the shower stall.

  Hail froze for a moment, allowing his eyes to sweep over Logan’s golden form. The shaggy mane of silky black hair glistened almost blue as it fell to his muscular shoulders. His upper arms were brutally scarred. Hail, understanding shifter physiology, knew that he must have received those scars some time after his first change. His chest was broad but not deep, and on his left pectoral, there was a tattoo of a demon shredding through his skin. The angle of his waist to his thin, exquisitely cut hips shot heat from Hail’s eyes down to his toes. Logan turned away and bent over to pick up a towel he’d dropped on the floor. Hail nearly lost control at that moment. Logan’s ass, still glistening from the shower, was absolutely perfect. Hail fought the image of plunging into him over and over, locking inside of him until he spilled his seed, but the image refused to be dismissed.

  Hail averted his eyes and cleared his throat to get Logan’s attention.

  “I brought you clothes,” he said, examining the tiles on the wall. “How are you feeling?”

  “Ravenous,” Logan said in a low growl.

  Startled, Hail looked back at him. Logan was striding across the bathroom toward him, still naked, his eyes gleaming gold and his sex fully erect. Hail stammered for a moment, something about Broderick waiting, but Logan didn’t seem to hear him and he couldn’t seem to control the words. Before he knew it, the armful of clothes were on the bathroom floor, and he was pressed against the bathroom door with Logan’s lithe, wanton body.

  “You want me?” Logan asked, tangling his fingers in Hail’s hair. “Or do you just like to look?”

  “I’m sorry, that was inappropri…oh!” Hail’s sentence was cut short as Logan sank his teeth into his neck and ground his hips against Hail’s.

  “Did I ask for an apology?” Logan hissed.

  “No….” Hail said. Then, more firmly, “No. You need to get dressed. Broderick is waiting.”

  “Screw Broderick,” Logan snapped. “This is life, Hail. You see something you want, you take it, because if you don’t it’ll be gone the next time you look. I want you.”

  “I….”

  “You gonna tell me you don’t w
ant me? ‘Cause, I mean, that’s fine. Give me two seconds to handle this and we’ll go.” Logan turned away and Hail grabbed his arm and spun him back around, then kept moving until Logan was pinned to the door.

  “I do want you,” Hail said. His voice trembled, but he couldn’t help it. His entire being was vibrating with want, and there Logan stood, taunting him with his wicked smile.

  “I do want you,” he said again, stronger this time. “But on my terms. Now is not the time or the place.”

  “The only time that exists is now,” Logan said, running his hands over Hail’s torso. “The only place that exists is where you are.”

  “A quantum pick up line? That’s a new one on me,” Hail said, momentarily giving into the need to press his body to Logan’s.

  “Stick with me kid,” Logan whispered in his ear. “I’ll show you all kinds of new shit.”

  Hail snarled and kissed Logan, devouring his mouth with great, lustful thrusts of his eager tongue. Logan responded in equal measure, and once again they were caught in a battle for dominance. Logan pushed off the door, trying to spin so Hail was against it, and Hail resisted. They struggled against each other, tasting each other, pushing and resisting and tearing at each other until they were both sweaty, panting messes. Logan slid his hands into Hails pants, gripping his hips and grinding against him. Brisk footsteps rang through the hall outside, and Hail pushed away from him. There was a rap at the door.

  “Is Mr. Kim in there?” Snow’s voice asked.

  “Yes, I’m helping him get ready for Broderick,” Hail answered. His voice cracked as he said Broderick’s name, and he winced.

  “Good, they’re waiting.” The footsteps moved on down the hallway.

  “Dress,” Hail snapped. “Now.”

  Logan shrugged and pulled the clothes on. He ran his hands over them, appreciating the velvety softness of the fabric.

  “These aren’t bad,” he said appreciatively. “Where are my boots, though?”

  “We’ll grab you some slippers on our way out,” Hail said. “Your boots were taken to get cleaned and repaired.”

  “Why?” Logan asked suspiciously.

  “Because we take care of our own here,” Hail said. “And you’re one of us.”

  Logan smirked and shook his head, but didn’t say anything. Frustrated lust and irritation at Logan’s utter irreverence and rejection of the acceptance of the clan made Hail feel hot and tense. He took a long breath through his nose, soothing his nerves. Logan was going to drive him absolutely crazy. He half hoped that Logan’s recovery would mean his departure; the rest of him hoped that Logan would stay at least long enough for them to finish what they’d started. Soreness radiated through his most uncomfortable places, and he ripped a box of slippers off of a storage shelf with far more force than necessary, sending a whole stack of boxes tumbling to the floor. Logan coughed a small laugh, then knelt down to sort through the shoes. Hail struggled for control as he stacked the boxes back in the cupboard.

  “These’ll work,” Logan said, rocking back and forth in the crumpled ankle-high slippers. They were made from the same material as the other clothes, and were designed to withstand all things shifter. Logan seemed happy with them. He shuffled across the floor in a sliding little dance, then scooped up the last few boxes and handed them to Hail with a grin.

  “Well there you go,” Hail said. “Now you even look like one of us.”

  “Gonna have to do something about that,” Logan said thoughtfully, then shrugged. “Alright, so where’s this Broderick dude?”

  Hail gestured for Logan to follow, and they took the elevator to the first floor. Hail watched Logan’s face carefully as they stepped through the sliding door and into the city. Logan took it all in with a quick, calculating gaze—the research center, shining white and gleaming in the sunlight. The cobblestone walking paths winding around the hospital, leading to the city center beside it. The city center lay in an identical building to the hospital, except that the shops and offices opened into the street. Shifters sat around outdoor tables, sipping tea and lemonade. Directly across from them, Broderick’s house sat on top of a small hill, looking grand and important. Below, in the lower valley behind them, the neighborhood spread out like a flower garden in a patchwork of pinks, yellows, blues, and creams. Logan scanned the perimeter, as far as he could see in all directions. His eyes locked on the gate, the only way in or out of the city, which was nestled in the thick wall beside the research facility.

  “What do you think?” Hail asked proudly.

  “I think I need to get the hell out of here,” Logan said darkly. “Let’s get this over with.”

  Logan strode toward the big house, though Hail hadn’t told him where they were going, and Hail followed. He was bewildered at Logan’s reaction, and frankly a little hurt. He was tired of being here, but objectively, this city was a shifter’s paradise. What was not to like?

  Chapter Six

  Logan stepped aside when they reached the front door and allowed Hail to ring the doorbell. This house was very obviously the most important house on the campus, and he had rightly assumed that this was where he was to meet the oft-referred to Broderick. The door was opened by the same tall, blonde man who had come into the room to check his vitals. His indigo eyes lit up when he saw Logan.

  “Come in, come in!” He opened the door wide and gestured for them to enter. “Dinner is about to start.”

  Logan followed Sven through the surprisingly open, breezy house to the dining room in the back. Large windows lined the wall, overlooking an intricate garden with a fire pit in the center. Mariella, Robert, and José were all seated at the table. A small boy and an even smaller girl were there too, and at the head of the table sat a mountain of a man with wild, red hair and a thick, curly beard. He stood when Logan entered, and stepped around the table with his hand extended.

  “Pleased to meet you,” the man said. “I’m Broderick Thyme, high alpha of Regis Thyme.”

  “Logan Kim,” he said, shaking the man’s hand.

  “You’ve met my husband, Sven,” Broderick said, gesturing to the blonde man who was taking his seat. “And these are my children. Regis Thyme the Second, and Aurora the First.”

  “Nice to meet you,” Logan said, nodding stiffly at the children. Children made him uncomfortable. He never knew how to interact with them. They nodded back at him, and Broderick gestured for him to take a seat beside Mariella. He did so, with great relief. Introductions were inherently uncomfortable. Hail sat on his other side, and José was directly across from him. José refused to meet his eyes. It didn’t bother Logan any; he actually found it rather amusing.

  “How’s it going?” Logan asked Mariella quietly.

  “It’s been…interesting,” she replied hesitantly. She tugged on her shirt, a tunic made of the shifters’ own material. “Glad you’re here.”

  Everyone had been seated, and two people came in from the kitchen with platters of food. It was some kind of salad with greens, nuts, fruit, and little crumbled chunks that could have been meat or cheese. Logan wasn’t much of a leaf eater, but his body had been so starved of nutrients over the last eighteen months that his mouth began to water at the sight of it. He picked up his fork, then noticed that no one else had. He put it down again, as unobtrusively as he could. Finally, Broderick took a bite, and the whole table began to eat.

  “Mariella,” Broderick said. “Would you like to get Logan up to date on our talks, or shall I?”

  “Go ahead,” Mariella said. “I’ll explain anything he doesn’t understand.” She winked at Logan, and he suppressed a grin. They both knew that there was very little that Logan wouldn’t understand.

  “Very well,” Broderick said, wiping his mouth. “Logan, it has recently…very recently…come to our attention that there are shifters living outside these walls in great number. These shifters are vulnerable to hunters, exposure, malnutrition, and all manner of hostility from human society. As shifters, we feel a familial bond with
others of our kind, and wish to open our borders to them. However, it has been pointed out that the rumors of our facility being some kind of prison has actually kept our people safe over the last ten years. We are currently debating the options. We want to come up with a way to bring the most vulnerable shifters into the fold without exposing ourselves to attack.”

  Logan nodded as he chewed his food. Made sense.

  “Obviously a broadcast or a press release is out of the question,” Broderick said. “What we need are a team of shifters who are willing to leave this place and find shifters to bring home, without spreading the word that we are a safe place. To the outside world, these shifters would be bounty hunters. To us, they are rescue personnel. We need people who can embody both aspects, while navigating and surviving the human world.”

  Logan nodded again, more slowly this time. He saw where this was going, and he wasn’t sure how he felt about it just yet.

  “Unfortunately,” Broderick continued, “we have very few shifters living here who are willing to risk their lives outside these walls. We might be able to come up with a volunteer or two; in fact, we should, simply because our people are knowledgeable about shifter physiology, and would know what to do if they discovered a shifter in crisis. I would hope that we could spare some medical personnel…”

  “I’ll do it,” Hail said quickly. Logan stopped chewing and looked at him with surprise. He hadn’t taken the man seriously when he said that he was itching to leave, especially not after everything Logan had told him about the outside world. Broderick seemed equally surprised.

  “You would go out with a team of shifters into the human world?” Broderick asked.

  “Yes, sir,” Hail said confidently. “I’m as skilled at medicine as any other doctor here, except maybe Snow, and I am officially offering my services.”

  “Fair enough,” Broderick said. “So there’s one volunteer. Mariella. You’ve had a chance to discuss this with your people, correct?”