“Hey, you need to go out?” he asked, then yawned. He had no idea of the time. They’d all headed for bed around nine.
Then he realized Dellan had jumped up to the loft again.
Sleep.
“Okay, go to sleep, then.”
It seemed all Dellan wanted was permission. Before Horvan could say anything, 440 pounds of tiger plopped on top of him. What the fuck?
“Rael?” Horvan gave the sleeping Rael a nudge. “Goddamn it, Rael. Wake your ass up.” Dellan weighed a ton.
“Whaaaat?” Rael was lying on his side facing the wall. “Do you know how long it’s been since I had a good sleep?” he whined. He rolled over, and even in the dim light, Horvan saw his eyes widen. “Holy shit,” he whispered.
“And heavy shit at that,” Horvan agreed.
Rael reached out and stroked Dellan’s paw. “Dellan? What’s going on?”
No sleep without Dellan.
The words were firm, insistent, and to Horvan’s mind, they showed the first signs of possessiveness. They also sent a pang of guilt through him.
“You’re right. We shouldn’t be sleeping without you. How about if we all go into the living room and sleep together? Now that we’re a… family, it makes sense to be together, right?”
Dellan got up, climbed off the bed, walked over to the top of the ladder, and leaped into the air, landing on his front paws with a soft thud. Rael rubbed his eyes and followed, climbing down the wooden ladder, Horvan behind him. When they reached the spot where they’d heaped blankets for Dellan, Rael sighed.
“You know what? Let’s make him really comfortable.” He stepped out of his shorts, pulled his tee over his head, and shifted.
Instantly, Dellan approached him, sniffing, and Rael flopped onto his back. Dellan studied him, brushing his head against Rael’s mane. Mate. My mate. Lion. Lion and human.
Horvan watched them, his heart lighter than it had felt for days. When Dellan nuzzled Rael’s belly, moving lower toward his groin, Horvan had to smile.
Yeah, you’re gonna have a lot of fun with that when you finally shift back.
Then Rael rolled over and stood, facing Horvan. Dellan took a step toward Horvan, his head raised as he sniffed the air again. As if synchronized, they walked toward him.
Horvan grinned. “Now I know why I’m a cat person.” He stripped off and shifted, standing still as Dellan approached him, his nose in the air as he drew Horvan’s scent into his nostrils.
Bear. Beautiful bear. Dellan lowered himself to the floor, and Horvan buried his snout in that glorious striped fur, inhaling his mate’s aroma. He lay down on the blanket, and immediately Dellan moved to his side, rubbing against him. Rael went to Horvan’s other side, and suddenly Horvan was sandwiched between two purring big cats. They snuggled against his flanks, their three heads almost touching.
Horvan smiled to himself. Big cats don’t purr. Yeah, right.
He was asleep within seconds.
HE KNEW exactly what had awoken him—Dellan was whimpering, as though in pain. His tail thrashed, hitting the floor. Horvan was instantly alert, checking the space around them for any threats. When he saw they were alone, Horvan shifted, reaching for Dellan, laying gentle hands on him, sending out a flow of calm.
What stopped him dead was the image in his head.
It had to be the same memory as in Dellan’s previous nightmare, because there was the stranger again, standing beside Anson. Only this time, there was more than one image. It was as if Horvan was seeing the event through Dellan’s eyes.
The stranger pointed something at Dellan, something Horvan couldn’t make out, and then pain seared through his neck.
With a cry, Rael shifted before moving closer to Dellan, as though to protect him, and Horvan knew he’d shared the experience. Rael’s chest heaved, and his breathing was erratic. He drew in a deep breath before speaking.
“He shot Dellan. Horvan, he shot him.”
Chapter Sixteen
RAEL WAS still shaking. Whatever had struck Dellan, he’d felt it as though it had lanced through his own body. Dellan had come out of the nightmare, and Horvan was curled around him as if he were shielding Dellan with his body. The physical connection seemed to do the trick. Dellan’s breathing grew less labored, and he lay quieter, Horvan’s hands moving over his flanks in a gentle, soothing motion.
“It wasn’t a bullet,” Rael insisted. The pain had felt sharp, almost needlelike, and in the immediate aftermath, a burning sensation spread out from the point of entry. Rael shivered. “I think it was some kind of dart, or something very like it.”
Horvan nodded. Rael was conscious of Horvan’s constant flow of calm thoughts directed toward Dellan.
“Is everything okay up here?” Crank appeared in the doorway that led down to the lower floor. He wore a red flannel onesie.
Despite the shock still jolting through him, Rael smiled. “Oh, that look is definitely you, Crank.”
“Fuck off.” Crank came over and knelt beside them. “Is Dellan okay? It didn’t sound so good from downstairs.” He stretched out his hand to stroke Dellan, but hesitated. When Dellan raised his head, pushing against Crank’s palm, Rael sighed with relief. Crank let out a shuddering breath and slowly stroked Dellan’s sleek fur and velvet nose. “There now. It’s okay. Your mates are here.” He kept his voice low and calming.
Rael was impressed, both by Crank’s gentle approach and Dellan’s reaction. “He likes you.”
“That’s a relief. He’s obviously not thinking of me as dinner.” Crank met Horvan’s gaze. “Another nightmare?”
Horvan nodded. “Only this time, we shared part of it.”
Rael quickly told Crank what they’d seen and felt, and Crank’s face darkened. “That bastard. I don’t know who I hate more right now—the fucker who shot him or the fucker who let him. Because it’s obvious Anson was in on this. He was there, wasn’t he?”
“What is this, a pajama party?” Roadkill emerged through the door, looking sleepy. He blinked when he caught sight of Rael and Horvan. “Oh. Apparently not. Is it one of those kinda parties? And if so, why wasn’t I invited?”
Horvan rolled his eyes. “We shifted, doof.” He reached over for his clothing, shivering.
Rael wasn’t sure that reaction was entirely to do with the temperature. He pulled on his own shorts and tee.
Crank rose to his feet. “Well, seeing as we’re all awake, I’m gonna make hot chocolate. I’m freezing my ass off here.”
Roadkill came over and crouched beside Dellan. “Yeah, good idea,” he said absently, stroking Dellan’s back. “You okay, Dellan?”
Tears pricked Rael’s eyes when Dellan responded. “He said ‘good friend.’”
Roadkill’s smile was huge. “I’ll take that.” He leaned in until his nose was inches from Dellan’s. “I’m gonna be your friend as long as you need me.” When Dellan’s nose touched his, Roadkill chuckled. “That tickles.” He straightened before rubbing his hand over Dellan’s ruff.
“We think that guy shot him with a dart or something. Maybe that was the first time he was drugged,” Rael mused.