Hagen, Lynn - Stormy Eyes [Brac Pack 5] (Siren Publishing Everlasting Classic ManLove) (11 page)

“Guys ready?” Storm looked into the rearview mirror.

Everyone nodded. He pulled away and onto the paved road, two other SUVs following him. They reached the place and parked in the lot.

“Haven’t seen you guys in awhile.” Thomas, one of the counselors there greeted them. “Had me worried for a moment.”

“You can’t get rid of us so easily,” Cecil teased as he ran with Blair over to a corner to start another lesson. Blair had come to them illiterate, and Cecil was teaching him from the basics up. Blair wasn’t ashamed of it. He set his mind to it instead. He was making real progress. Storm was proud of the Alpha’s mate for helping him.

“This is Kyoshi and Keata.” Storm introduced the two.

“Pleasure to meet you.” Thomas shook their hands as he left them to wander around.

Storm watched as Tank lifted the smaller children up, helping them score a basket. He was glad the warrior had recovered so quickly. They had been friends a long time, and he would have hated if anything happened to him.

“Keata seems to be having fun,” Storm said to his mate.

Storm looked across the gym, Keata jumping rope with a bunch of girls. His mate’s cousin seemed to fit right in.

“He’s smiling,” Kyoshi noted. “Keata doesn’t seem to do a lot of that lately.”

“He’ll be fine.” Storm kissed the top of his mate’s head before joining the other warriors. Kyoshi walked over to the craft table where the rest of the mate’s were sitting.

Storm watched as Kyoshi raced across the gym ten minutes later, grabbing hold of his arm. “Where is Keata?”

This got Storm’s immediate attention. The warriors had been so lax talking to Thomas that no one had noticed Keata disappear. He looked over to the group of girls, but Keata was nowhere in sight.

“Search the building.” Gunnar growled as he went outside.

Storm took the back double doors out, spotting a group of kids by the playground. They were huddled together, which raised his suspicions.

“Just take a hit.” One of the punks was handing Keata a joint.

Keata shook his head, backing away from them. “No,” he stated firmly as he grabbed a bar on the merry-go-round. He stepped onto it, trying to cross to get away from them.

One of the guys laughed as he spun Keata around. “You look like a girl. I should fuck you like one.”

“If you want to have your cock cut off afterward.” Storm growled at the guy taunting Keata.

“Who the hell are you?” The one who had offered his services to Keata asked. So these punks had no fear. Well, Storm would change that. He stood to his full height, Gunnar and Tank coming out to stand at his flanks. The punk swallowed hard, his eyes darting to all three men.

“I’m his brother-in-law. Mess with him again and I’ll make sure the cops haul you in for drug possession. And if that doesn’t scare you…” Storm’s eyes turned crimson, and a wet mark appeared on the front of the punk’s jeans.

They scattered to the wind, and Storm stopped the merry-go-round from spinning Keata around. “Come on, buddy.” Storm pulled him off. He had to carry the young man because Keata was too dizzy to walk on his own.

“What’s going on?” Loco asked as he pulled Keata from Storm’s arms.

“Some punks tried to get Keata to use drugs.”

“No!” Drew shouted, “No, Keata. Don’t ever do that. It will destroy your life.” Drew pulled at Keata, pulling him from Loco’s arms as he hugged the small man.

“
Tell Drew I’m not stupid. I know drugs are bad
.” Keata hugged Drew against him.

“He’s says he’s too smart for that.” Kyoshi smiled at his cousin.

Storm was proud of him for resisting peer pressure. He grumbled. “I swear I’m going to get a cowbell to put around his neck.”

“Come one, men. Time to grab a bite to eat.” The warriors ushered them out of the rec center and into the vehicles, driving further into town to the local diner.

* * * *

Storm led his mate over to a booth by the window. He tossed his leather on the back of the booth as Kyoshi took a seat.

“Why can’t he sit with us?” Kyoshi whined.

Storm chuckled at his mate. Keata had run over to Loco’s booth and scooted in next to the warrior. He knew Kyoshi was trying. “Because he chooses to sit with Loco.”

Kyoshi crossed his arms over his chest and stuck his bottom lip out. Storm leaned over and nipped it as he slid into the booth. Kyoshi picked at his nails as he stared over at the other table.

“Leave him in peace.” Storm grinned at his mate. “Room, remember?”

“I remember.” Storm leaned down and kissed the pouting bottom lip.

Storm grabbed a menu, flipping it open as he read the selections. He watched Kyoshi watching Keata from the corner of his eye. His mate had the motherly strings bad.

“Have you decided?” the waitress asked after grabbing her pad and pen from her half apron.

“I’ll have the steak with baby carrots and a salad.” Storm replaced the menu into the chrome holder.

“And you?” She turned to Kyoshi.

“I’ll have a set of balls on a platter,” Kyoshi mumbled as he glared at Loco.

“Excuse me?”

Storm gaped at Kyoshi. Did his mate really just say that?

Kyoshi blinked at them as if he just remembered he wasn’t alone. “I, uh, said I’ll have a hamburger and fries.” His face turned a deep crimson as he looked away.

The waitress left them to take the other table’s orders. Storm stared at Kyoshi for a moment. “Are you okay?”

Kyoshi shrugged his shoulders. “Fine, why?”

“Maybe because you tried to order testicles.”

Kyoshi narrowed his eyes and pointed secretly to the other table. “I know what men want. If they try to get it from Keata, I’ll be ordering all their testicles.”

“What the hell is wrong, Kyoshi?” He had never seen his mate this diabolical before. It was frightening.

“I–I don’t know. I feel funny.” Storm watched as a shaky hand reached up and wiped dots of perspiration from Kyoshi’s brow. “I don’t feel right.”

“I’m going to get that order to go.” Storm raised his hand to get the waitresses attention.

“Storm,” Kyoshi cried.

Storm snapped his head around to see blood on Kyoshi’s hand. “Shit.” He cursed as he grabbed the glass of water sitting on the table. Storm poured some on his mate’s hand then wiped it with a napkin. There was nothing there.

“What happened?” Storm grabbed Kyoshi’s other hand, examining that one as well. Nothing.

“I want to go home,” Kyoshi sobbed.

“Come on, dragonfly.” Storm slid out of the booth, dropping a few bills on the table. He had to catch his mate as he collapsed. Storm began to panic.

“What’s wrong?” Loco asked as he ran over to them.

“I’m not sure.” Storm cursed as pain ripped through his bicep. He looked down to see a set of claws embedded in his skin. Just as quickly, they retracted.

“Holy shit,” Loco whispered.

“I’m sorry, Storm.” Kyoshi cried in Storm’s arms.

“It’s okay, baby.” Loco held the diner door open as Storm ran to one of the SUVs. Loco helped again with the passenger door. Storm set his mate in his seat and buckled him in. Kyoshi fell forward, grabbing his midsection and screamed.

“We’ll be right behind you,” Loco shouted as he raced toward the diner.

Storm ran around the front of the truck and jumped into the driver’s seat. Kyoshi had fallen against the passenger door whimpering.

Storm pulled his cell phone out. “Maverick, I need the physician. Something’s wrong with Kyoshi.” He tossed the phone aside and started the truck, ripping it into reverse as he peeled from the spot they were parked in.

His phone rang, but he ignored it. He reached over and grabbed his mate’s sweaty hand. “It’s okay, dragonfly. I’ll get you home.”

“It hurts.” Kyoshi panted in his seat. Storm was terrified something was killing his mate. He was human after all, well, maybe except for those claws. What the hell was going on? Even though he couldn’t get sick now that he was mated to Storm, something was hurting him. But what?

The SUV’s ass fishtailed as he raced up the gravel drive. He tossed the gear into park and yanked the door open, not even bothering to turn the motor off. Storm ran around to grab his mate from his side.

Kyoshi’s breathing was shallow, and he was trembling. He screamed, his hands wrapping around Storm’s neck as his body stiffened. Claws dug into Storm’s neck, but he ignored the pain, rushing his mate inside. Maverick held a door open to the same room that Tank had been brought to.

Storm laid his mate down gently, cursing and pacing, at a total loss of what to do. The other warriors and mates joined him, all waiting for the doctor.

“Keata, what’s wrong with him?” Storm asked in desperation.

“Don’t know.” Keata shook his head back and forth, crying as his cousin lay there in pain.

“Look.” Blair pointed as canines grew from Kyoshi’s mouth then receded.

“Is he from a wolf pack in Japan?” Maverick asked as he watched the change fight to come over Kyoshi.

“I think he would have mentioned something by now.” Storm looked at Maverick. Kyoshi cried out again, and Storm crawled onto the bed, pulling his mate in his arms. A yowl was wrenched from Kyoshi’s chest. The same chest was expanding and collapsing at a rapid rate. He pulled at his clothes, crying out once again.

“Undress him, Storm,” Maverick instructed.

The room turned their backs as Storm fumbled to get his mate’s clothes off. He covered Kyoshi with a sheet, letting everyone know they could turn back around. Storm ran his hand over Kyoshi’s small chest, where he felt the tiniest of hairs under his palm.

“Maverick, he’s growing hair,” Storm said in astonishment.

Kyoshi’s body jackknifed then slammed back down.

“Do something!” Storm yelled at his Alpha, too distraught to care. If he lost his mate to whatever was happening, he wouldn’t be able to go on. Kyoshi was his heartbeat.

“What do you want me to do, go grab my magic eight ball from my office and ask it to tell me what’s wrong with him?” Maverick pinched the bridge of his nose, and Cecil came over, wrapping his arms around the Alpha. Maverick sighed. “Sorry, I’m just as worried and just as lost.”

“He looks as if…” Remi took a step forward.

“He’s going through his first change.” Cody finished for him. “But how? He’s nineteen. If he is a were-creature, shouldn’t he have gone through that by now?”

“I would know if my mate were a were-creature,” Storm bit out then turned to Maverick. “Wouldn’t I?”

Chapter Nine

“Depends on what creature he is. It’s not widely known, but there are more than just wolves. All we can do is wait to see what he changes into.”

“What about the herbs?” Gunnar asked.

“We have all we need in the garden. Do you know how to make it?” Storm wasn’t sure if the special tea that helped to ease the pain a wolf experienced with their first shift would work with Kyoshi, but he kept that to himself.

Gunnar nodded, leaving to go brew the tea.