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 razor 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.