After that, there was a lot of waiting.
Geir was standing in one place and wouldn’t let him come near, and Nina was clearly entranced watching Kayla take charge.
So the two of them followed the Sentry Leader around from a distance, trying not to get in the way. She was straight out of a movie and they had front row seats.
Kayla had one team stripping all of the technology from the dead humans and the building where they’d been keeping the children, another leading the captives into one of the vans, and Healers checking out the four shifters who had been wounded. He gathered from her rapid-fire talk on the phone, in between commands, that they had brought down a whole kidnapping ring.
In between, she snagged a bottle of water from one of the trucks, handed it to some poor guy who was upchucking at the side of the road, and then went back to issuing commands with a gentle hand on his back. In his mind, that made her even more of a badass.
Oh, and then the coolest part. They were dumping all of the bodies in the building and then they were going to burn it to the ground. He imagined all sorts of slow-motion fire scenes where someone tossed a single match in and then they all ran for the hills…
He wanted to see, but he was getting the sense that it would be hours before they were done and they wouldn’t be doing it alone. Because, yeah, the dead guy who’d tried to kill him was getting loaded into a truck, but apparently they needed to have someone come by and photograph him or something. Super icky, but still cool. He was so glad that wasn’t his job.
Kayla was Declan’s new hero. Well, aside from Geir, of course. Nina seemed to agree.
Geir, finally, shifted back to his fully human form. Unlike his usual shifts, this one looked slow and painful. Geir’s muscles strained as he clenched his fists, and a grunting yell emerged from his half-shifted throat. Declan watched every second of it anyway, committing it to memory. He still wanted to paint it, but he wasn’t going to ask him to pose if it hurt that much. His man was still fucking awesome.
Someone draped a blanket over Geir’s shoulders. He scrunched up his face for a moment, like he was trying to remember where his tongue was. Kayla stepped up beside him and he started explaining something about four other missing children. And some bodies that he was responsible for.
Kayla gave instructions to a cougar and an elk in some punctuated language, then watched them dart off into the night.
Then Geir turned in a slow circle and pointed out whoever had been missed.
A moment later, they were joined by what must have been the rest of the crowd of children. Everything was chaos. Some of the kids laughed, some sniffled, and some were cautiously quiet. They were all bedraggled and a little scratched up, but it looked like Nina had one of the worst injuries and it had already closed. The Healers and other helpers went to them, but Nina stayed at Declan’s side, watching it all.
Someone started ushering kids into the vans, and Declan followed Nina in.
A young boy, who he was pretty sure had been a porcupine, joined him on the other side. If he couldn’t hold Geir, being surrounded by kids was the next best thing.
Geir slid into the front seat where he couldn't touch anyone else. He looked over his shoulder, finally meeting Declan’s eyes. “Are you alright, Hummingbird?”
“Me? I’m awesome.” As he said it, he realized that he actually was. He was safe. He had people who he could count on, the best boyfriend in the world, and a story that he could tell.
Still shaking off the terror of the night, he decided to ham it up. “I went on an adventure, earned two medals, discovered more of your superpowers, and made a new friend.” He gave Nina an extra squeeze. “How about you?”
Geir blinked at him. “I’m… fine? I’m not hurt. I just...” He reached toward Declan with one hand and then pulled back. “You were supposed to stay in the van. I almost lost you.” His voice came out at a broken whisper.
“I’m still here,” he replied, making all of the promises that he could with his eyes. Hopefully Geir would understand. Hopefully Geir would keep him pinned down and close for days after this.
Declan felt something sharp on his legs and looked down. “May!” he cried. She’d climbed right up into his lap in kitten form. He snuggled her close until she hopped down and pounced playfully at her own tail.
It hurt where her claws dug in, but Declan was so relieved that he couldn’t begrudge her. Thank goodness they’d gotten to her so quickly.
Geir made a motion, like he was reaching for her, before he put his hand back. “I’m glad you’re safe, kitten,” he finally whispered.
She purred up at him, then kneaded Declan’s thighs a bit with her claws and settled in.
Declan watched Geir’s face as he watched May. His expression was poignant and also sweet. Like he’d just realized how special May was. Declan had always believed in kitten power.
Geir’s gaze shifted to Nina, then. He still had that fond, half-worried look on his face, although Declan was certain he’d never met the young bear shifter before.
Geir had saved a lot of lives tonight, but it seemed like something had been freed in him too. He looked exhausted, like they all were, but he visually checked that each of the children was nestled in the back of the van where they belonged. When he turned around he was smiling just a little.
This was not the grumpy old kraken that Declan knew, and he couldn’t wait to discover more.
Declan opened his mouth to ask, but Nina butted in. “What do you mean you earned two medals?”
He laughed, only a little giddy. “Oh, so you want to hear the heroic story of Declan the Great, who rescued the fair bear maiden by touching bugs? Listen closely…”
He wasn’t sure if he was making any sense, but he kept the children entertained until they dropped off to sleep on the long ride home.
As the night faded into day and he slipped halfway into dreams, he thought he finally understood how all of the pieces fit together. He started another story. About a beautiful boy who was also a hummingbird. His cheeks were red like wild roses and his clothing was woven with sweet herbs and ferns. He found the man who had followed the sun under the rim of the sky, where he watched carelessly as the endless ages and battles of the earth passed beneath him. Then, with sweet words, the boy brought him back to life, like Spring returning to warm the earth. Wherever he walked, flowers grew, carrying his messages of life and renewal.
The shifter who was driving gave him a few interested looks when he recognized parts of the story, but he didn’t interrupt. Declan knew it didn’t quite make sense, but it would when he painted it, he was sure.
“What did you think of my story?” he finally asked. “It’s called ‘Hummingbird and Kraken.’”
Geir turned and gave him an indulgent look. “I was waiting for the aliens.”
Chapter 32
Geir
“Geir.” A low, sweet voice cut through his sleep. “Geir!”
Geir blinked slowly awake. Declan was pressed closely to his side in a tangle of arms, legs, and tentacles. Just where he belonged.
“Geir, I need to get up.”
Geir grunted. It was too early, and Declan’s naked skin tasted too good. He needed him close.
He needed him close because… Memories from the night before filled in. The bunker full of kidnapped children. The simple rescue mission that had become an all-out battle and then a massacre. Whispers between the shifters that the kidnappers were working for some larger organization, maybe even the government.