by K. C. Wells
“Oh my fucking God.” One of them gaped, his eyes wide.
Dellan gave him a watery smile. “Hey… Crank.” He shivered.
Rael noticed immediately. “Let me go find you something to wear.” He got up, heedless of his own naked state, and crossed the floor to the ladder. Horvan still held on to Dellan, and he leaned into him, sharing Horvan’s warmth, relishing his strength.
Dellan waved to the men, the action instinctive. “Hi, guys.” The words came out more firmly that time and were apparently all the invitation the men needed to surge around him, patting his back and arms and staring at him in obvious wonder, tears sparkling in the eyes of both Roadkill and the doc.
“Welcome back,” Doc said, his voice quavering. Dellan clasped his hand.
“This is the second time in twenty-four hours you’ve woken us all up, and I couldn’t be happier about it.” Hashtag patted Dellan’s shoulder. “You make a nice human, Dellan.”
He laughed. “Thanks.” His stomach rumbled, and he glanced at Horvan. “Is there… anything to eat? I’m… starving.”
Roadkill grinned. “Stay where you are, H. I’ll see to this.” He headed for the refrigerator.
Rael came down the ladder wearing a pair of sweats and a T-shirt. In his hands he held another pair and a sweater. “These should fit. We’re about the same size.” Dellan took them, his breath catching when their fingertips brushed.
Thank you… mate. Dellan squirmed into the pants.
“Do you know who we are?” Hashtag asked. “How much were you able to pick up?”
Dellan smiled. “I know… your names.” Speech wasn’t as easy as he’d hoped, but with every passing minute, his mind sharpened.
“Baby steps,” Horvan whispered, stroking his back. “Eat first, then get some sleep. Talking can wait until the morning.”
Crank snorted. “Hate to break it to ya, but it is morning.”
A wave of fatigue rolled over him, and Dellan realized Horvan was right.
“Do you want a shower before bed?” Rael asked him.
Dellan was about to say no, when the thought of hot water on his skin changed his mind. “That sounds good,” he admitted. Only thing was, he hadn’t tried standing on only two feet yet, and part of him wondered if he remembered how to keep his balance.
“Want me to take a shower with you?” Rael asked.
The snickers and chuckles that erupted left Dellan in no doubt where his new friends’ minds were located. He laughed, shaking his head. “You guys.”
Rael rolled his eyes. “He’s been human for how long?”
“Take your shower now,” Roadkill called out. “Food will be another five minutes or so. Just soup and a grilled cheese sandwich.”
Okay, that sounded fucking amazing. “Fastest shower… in history,” Dellan joked. “Time me.” Horvan helped him to his feet, and he stumbled a little. “After I’ve learned… to walk again,” he added, chuckling.
“I think we should leave them to it,” Doc commented. “As Horvan said, there’ll be plenty of time for questions when Dellan has had some sleep. Back to bed, boys.”
Crank grumbled as he headed for the stairs. “Christ, it’s like Christmas when I was a kid and I got up in the middle of the night to see if Santa had paid a visit. My parents told me if I didn’t get my ass back in bed that second, there’d be no Christmas.”
Hashtag laughed. “Well, we’ve already got our present,” he said, pointing to Dellan. “So I suppose this counts as Christmas.” He smiled. “Good to have you with us, Dellan.” And with that, he tugged Crank down the stairs.
“I need my sleep too,” Doc added. His gaze met Dellan’s. “We have so much to talk about.” He followed Hashtag and Crank.
“You wanna try walking to the bathroom?” Horvan looked him up and down. “You seem to be a little steadier on your feet.”
“That’s because… I’m standing still,” Dellan said with another wry chuckle. He held on to Horvan’s arm as they walked slowly across the floor, Rael behind them. “Same place where… you gave me a bath?” Words were coming more easily to mind, as though he was shrugging off the tiger with every step. Except he could still feel his tiger within him, at peace.
Dellan sat on the side of the tub, removing his clothing. Horvan seemed unruffled by the fact that he was naked, and even in a flaccid state, Dellan could tell his mate was on the large side. Not to mention ripped as fuck.
Not now. That pleasure would have to wait.
Rael stripped off and climbed into the tub, helping Dellan into it while Horvan flipped on the shower. Dellan groaned aloud at the first feel of hot water cascading down his body. “That feels so good,” he moaned.
Then it got even better as Rael wiped soapy hands all over him, getting into every crevice. Dexterous fingers rubbed shampoo into his hair, massaging his scalp and sending waves of sensual pleasure through his body. Dellan raised his hands, staring at them. When was the last time I saw hands instead of paws? Skin instead of fur?
Questions that badly needed answers.
We’ll talk about that, I promise. Rael rinsed away the last of the lather. But right now let’s get you dry and fed.
And asleep in a bed, Horvan added.
Oh my God. A bed. Sheets. Pillows. Dellan was in heaven just thinking about it.
He stepped carefully out of the tub, his legs trembling slightly, and Horvan instantly enfolded him in a soft towel that smelled of lavender.
Too many sensations.
He clung to Horvan, his heart racing. “Too much,” he murmured.
Horvan enveloped him in his strong arms. “Bed. Now.” Then he lifted Dellan and carried him out of the bathroom. “Bring the food,” he told Rael. “He can eat it in bed.” Dellan buried his face in Horvan’s broad chest, his arms looped around Horvan’s neck as Horvan headed for their loft bed.
“If I find toast crumbs,” Rael warned, but Dellan heard the laughter in his voice. Horvan aided him in climbing the ladder, and Dellan couldn’t help but remember leaping that distance like it was nothing. Right then instead of a powerful tiger, he felt like a newborn lamb.
It wasn’t long before his belly was full and sleep was tugging at him. The bed needed to be a little wider, but Dellan wasn’t complaining, not when he was sandwiched between his mates, their arms around him protectively, their bodies warming his. His thoughts grew fuzzier, and yet through the fog that was creeping into his mind, one thing remained sharp.
Will they come after me?
“There are things I need to tell you,” he said, striving to stay awake, but the combination of shower, food, and bed was having a soporific effect.
“And they can wait for a few hours,” Horvan told him firmly. “Sleep now.” He kissed Dellan softly on the lips, and the tender embrace brought on a bout of fresh tears, as though his emotions were in complete disarray.
Rael’s hand was gentle on Dellan’s face. “Please. Get some sleep. You’re safe now.”
Dellan couldn’t keep his fatigue at bay any longer. He closed his eyes and sank like a stone into the waiting arms of sleep.
WHEN HE opened his eyes, it was daylight. The sunlight reflected on the floorboards below, casting a warm glow in the room. The curtain that separated them from the living space beneath them was drawn back, and Dellan caught the sound of voices.
Horvan was missing, but Rael was lying on his side, his head cupped in his hand, staring at Dellan. “Hey, sleepyhead.”
“Were you watching me sleep?” The idea filled Dellan with warmth.
Rael grinned. “I was about to tickle your nose with a feather to wake you up. Breakfast is ready.”
Dellan sniffed the air, and his stomach responded with a loud grumble. “This is getting to be a habit,” he said apologetically.
Rael laughed. “I’m always ravenous when I shift back. You definitely have an excuse.” He handed Dellan the pants and sweater he’d briefly worn a few hours previously. “There’s a new toothbrush in the bathroom, and a raz
or if you want to shave.”
Dellan scrubbed his hand over his rough cheek. “I think I was trying to grow a beard. Should I remove this?”
Rael’s eyes gleamed. “Not on my account. Beards are sexy as fuck.”
That did it. Dellan was never going clean-shaven again. He recalled his brief glance in the mirror. “Even with the bits of gray?”
Rael chuckled. “Especially with the bits of gray. Now get dressed before I change my mind.”
“Change your mind about what?”
Rael’s blue eyes seemed to darken. Staying in bed and spending all day just touching you. Kissing you.
Heat barreled through him. Do you hear me complaining about that prospect?
I can hear you two. And if you stay up there any longer, two things will happen. I won’t be held responsible for the consequences, and we’ll shock the fuck out of all these guys. Not that I care.
Rael laughed. “I think that’s our cue to get dressed.” With obvious reluctance, he threw back the sheets and began putting on his clothes. “We’re coming,” he called out to Horvan.
Down below, Crank guffawed. “Oh, is that what the noise is?”
Dellan stared unashamedly at Rael. He was slighter in build than Horvan, his chest covered with a soft-looking down of pale brown hair that was almost blond. His thighs were toned, his belly flat, with very little body fat. Dellan liked the fact that Rael wasn’t rippling with muscles.
That’s my job. Even in Dellan’s head, Horvan’s voice resounded with pride.
Dellan laughed softly. “Hearing you two in my head… already feels like it’s normal.” He pulled on his pants and sweater, then smiled when Rael handed him a pair of thick socks. “To keep my back paws warm?”
Rael bit his lip. “We usually call them feet, remember?”
Which only served to remind Dellan of his most pressing question—how long had he been a tiger?
“But on the plus side?” Rael kissed him, a lingering kiss that stirred his senses. When they parted, Rael smiled. “You sound much better. Your speech is almost back to normal.”
“Really?” That filled him with pride. He was making a concerted effort to speak accurately.
Dellan climbed carefully down the ladder, to be greeted warmly by the others. Social niceties would have to wait, however. “What’s today’s date?”
“Saturday, March fourteenth,” Roadkill told him.
That explained it. “Then I’ve been locked into my tiger form… for about ten weeks,” he calculated. “I knew it had been a while.” When silence fell abruptly, he frowned. “What have I said?”
“Dellan,” Horvan said softly. “It’s March 2020.”
Breathing became difficult. A sudden coldness hit him at his core. His head was spinning. “2020,” he repeated, struggling to draw air into his lungs.
“Sit down,” Rael urged him, guiding him to a chair at the table. Dellan sank onto it, putting his head in his hands.
More than a year. I was a tiger for more than a year.
Horvan’s hand was at his back, gently rubbing him. Dellan detected the familiar aroma of coffee under his nose.
“We did wonder if you were aware of the passage of time.” That was the doc’s quiet voice.
“The answer to that would be a big fat no.” Dellan picked up the mug and sipped the hot brew. He sighed. “Wow. Talking about not knowing what you have till it’s gone. I missed this.”
“Apparently, your brain responds well to caffeine,” Hashtag commented. “You’re sounding better by the minute.”
“How much do you remember about what happened?” Doc asked him.
Before Dellan could reply, Horvan was in there. “How about we give him a chance to get used to walking on two feet again before we grill him?”
Dellan stretched out his hand and took Horvan’s. “Hey, it’s fine. And believe me, I want to know what I’ve been missing.” He straightened. “Okay. The last thing I remember was going to my office right after New Year’s—that would be New Year’s, 2019.” He closed his eyes, visualizing the room, his desk. It was harder than he’d imagined.
“You okay?” That came from Hashtag.
Dellan opened his eyes. “Yeah. It’s just that everything’s still a bit hazy in here.” He tapped his temple. “Speech is coming back, but the memories?”
“Lemme help you,” Crank said suddenly. “Your fuckwit half brother came to see you, and he wasn’t alone.”
Dellan blinked. “How did you…?” Then it came to him. He met Rael’s gaze. “You saw it inside my head.” Rael nodded, and Dellan took a sip of coffee before continuing. “Anson had asked for a meeting. Said it was important.”
“Do you know why your stepdad left the company to you rather than Anson?” Roadkill asked, his expression thoughtful. “Was it his age, or was there something else?”
Dellan smiled, then turned to Horvan, who’d taken the chair next to his. “I like him. Astute man.” He returned his attention to Roadkill. “Tom always told me the company would be Anson’s one day. That was fine by me. I was only Tom’s stepson, right?”
“But something changed his mind,” Rael concluded.
Dellan nodded. “Anson was twenty when Tom showed the first signs of cancer. He’d been working for Tom for two years at that point. I’d been with the company since I was eighteen, and by then I was a manager. Anyhow, one day Tom said he’d been making plans. That was when he sprang it on me. He wanted me to run the company. I assumed it was because of Anson’s age, and I said as much.” Dellan paused, his throat tightening.
“That was a long speech. You don’t have to talk about this now, you know?” Horvan said in a low voice.
“Yeah, I do. Because I think this lies at the heart of what happened to me.” Dellan took a deep breath, framing his thoughts before uttering them. “Tom said it wasn’t Anson’s age and inexperience that bothered him—it was his attitude toward people. His… overbearing stance. His inflexibility. The fact that he could be very… opinionated. Tom said I was quite the opposite. He said I made up my mind based on facts, not emotion. That though I was firm, my mind could be changed by a decent argument. He liked the fact that I was logical.” He drank a little more, then shrugged. “He felt the company would do better with me at the helm, rather than Anson.” Dellan smiled at Hashtag and held up his coffee. “I think you’re right about my brain and caffeine.”
“What happened when Anson discovered his father’s plans?” Horvan asked.
“Tom had left him with a more than generous allowance, as well as what he earned with the company, and a position on the board. I think it’s fair to say Anson resented me from then on. And he wasn’t quiet about it or his dislike for the situation.” Dellan sagged into his chair. “I never dreamed he’d go to these lengths to gain control of the company.”
“Did you tell him you were a shifter?” Doc inquired.
And there it was, the question that had been nagging Dellan ever since he’d been freed.
“No, I did not,” he said slowly. “I told no one at the company.”
“Well, someone did. How else could he turn up with that guy who drugged you, forcing you into a shift?” Rael demanded. “He had to know.”
“He did know.” Quickly, Dellan shared with them the fragment of memory from his dreams the previous night. “He was planning on keeping me as a tiger.”
“And what about the rest of it?” Crank coughed. “Are you aware of times when you weren’t… alone in your cage?” He glared at Horvan. “And in case you missed it, that was me being tactful.”
Horvan snickered. “I’m amazed. I didn’t know you possessed any.”
“Okay, what is Crank hinting at so delicately?” Dellan said, puzzled.
Rael covered Dellan’s hand with his. “We saw men putting female shifters into your cage. In one case, they forced a shift by drugging her.”
“Shifters… in the cage with me?” Dellan was completely baffled. “Why would they do…?” He stilled. �
��Oh.”
“Do you remember any of those times?” Rael asked.
Dellan closed his eyes, suddenly weary. “Apart from that one memory of Anson, I can’t remember a whole lot in any great detail.” He tried to work out how far back his memories went. “Do you think I find it easier to remember your names because once you got me out of there, I wasn’t being drugged anymore?” It had to be a possibility.
“I think part of you remembered the shifters,” Rael commented. “Your dive into the river as soon as we got here?”
Okay, that part he remembered. But he was drawn back to that cage. Why the hell would they put shifters in there with him? To calm him when he got stressed out?
“Do you remember me coming to the office that first time?”
Dellan opened his eyes and stared at Rael. “No.”
Rael swallowed. “You spoke to me, inside my head. You asked me to help you.”
Dellan had reached his breaking point. Tears trickled down his cheeks, and he couldn’t stop them. “Oh, thank God you came. I could still be there if not for you. For all of you.”
Horvan’s arms were around him, and Rael knelt beside his chair. Dellan clung to his mates, his sobs gradually dying away.
Dellan was aware of Horvan’s voice, gentle yet firm. “I think that’s all for now. He’s had enough.”
“There is one last question I think we all want to ask.” Doc’s voice was quiet. “Did you know the man who shot you?”
“I’d never seen him before.” Dellan couldn’t suppress the shudder that rippled through him. “And I never want to see him again.” Every instinct he possessed told him that the man was not only cruel, but dangerous.
“Then let’s hope he doesn’t want to see you either,” Roadkill remarked. All heads turned his way, and he nodded. “That’s what we’re all thinking, isn’t it? That someone is going to come looking for Dellan?” He shivered. “This isn’t over.”
Chapter Nineteen
DELLAN WATCHED as across the room, Rael and Horvan were making dinner. Their preparations involved a good deal of laughter, and the sound lightened Dellan’s spirits.