A large vampire that was obviously the man’s mate wrapped his arm around the canine shifter. He comforted the man as the medics kept working. I saw enough to understand that the shifter’s reaction was probably more about Hadley. I assumed this was the guy who’d lost his parents recently too.
But he definitely didn’t treat Hadley like a one-night stand.
I watched it all as if it were a nightmare I couldn’t get out of. I plopped on the floor when the blond crawled
into
the bed with Hadley when the doctor assured him it was okay and it would help Hadley to hear the voices of the people he cared about.
“Shouldn’t that be you?” Abram asked me quietly as he squatted next to me.
“Apparently not,” I whispered, still not able to stop looking at Hadley, needing to watch for myself that he was showing signs of improvement.
“Can someone get me a cloth or something to wash him up? He won’t want to wake up nasty like this,” the blond asked.
“No, no, he wouldn’t,” I agreed to no one in particular. Then two medics insisted I was checked out, thinking I dropped to the floor from my injuries. I let them lead me to another section of the clinic as my heart broke all over again. First the thought of losing Hadley—and now losing Hadley another way to another man.
This was why I swore to never give my heart to anyone. It only led to pain.
11
I woke to a firm body pressed against mine and a hand stroking my chest. I moaned and moved my arm around him. “You okay? They got you to safety?”
“Yeah, Try let us out of the PP jails and we escaped here to Daniel,” a familiar voice assured me.
“Torr?” I tried to open my eyes but they weren’t working yet. “Fuck, my eyes hurt. What’s that all about?”
“Apparently you didn’t shut them during the blast so you could make sure you were protecting the King. It might take another day or so but you’ll be okay.”
My head spun as it hit me who was speaking. Great, dizzy and a massive migraine. Nice combo. “
Chicago
?”
“Yeah, it’s me, Hadley. Aurelo and I have been here the whole time since they brought you in.”
“Thanks, but where’s Torr?” I whimpered as I tried to sit up. “Is he okay?”
“King Torrance? Yeah, he’s fine. He’s around here somewhere. Cuts and bruises, broken wrist or something, but fine.”
“Where is he? How bad are the bruises?” I reached up and moved my hands over my face, feeling they had patches over my eyes even if I couldn’t get them to open yet.
“No, don’t touch that. You have to leave those on for now,” Chicago coaxed. “Calm down, Hadley. We’re here.”
He had to be hiding something or Torr would have been there. He wouldn’t have left me so injured and let another man tend to me! “Chicago, I need
Torr
! Please, then help me find him or tell me where he is. Why isn’t he here?”
“I’m here, Hadley,” Torr whispered from my left.
My heart stopped racing as the adrenaline rush cut off just from the sound of his voice. “Are you okay? What happened after I went down?”
“I’m fine. Everything’s fine.” I could hear the distress in his voice and lost it.
“No, it’s
not
!” I bellowed, tired of people placating me, but that hurt like a bitch so I grabbed my head. “If it was fine, you’d be here with me. Why is Chicago lying next to me? Did I need like shifter nearness healing? Why wouldn’t you do it?”
“Why would the
King
do it?” Chicago asked quietly as he sat up.
And then it hit me. “Are we back to not telling people, Torr? I thought we were past that?” I rubbed my chest as I sat up and swung my legs over the side of the bed. “Really? Was I deformed or something and now you retract your claim as my suitor or whatever?”
“What?”
Chicago and Aurelo gasped. I didn’t have time for them though.
“Not at all,” Torr rasped, and I heard him take two hesitant steps towards me. “I forced Abram to go back for you, Emrys ended up getting you out, because I could still hear your heart barely. Then it turns out the crystal helps me lick wounds better so I licked you as best I could before Abram performed CPR. Then we were helicoptered here where Chicago thanked me for saving you for
him
and crawled into bed with you.
“Oh, and he’s been promising that you would make more
videos
if you wake up. Apparently it was a very
special
bonding moment for you both.”
“Torr, please come here,” I whimpered, holding my hands out to him. “Please? Don’t make me chase you when I have a shitty sense of smell as an owl and I can’t see. If I have to listen you out, I’m going to fall down a flight of stairs.”
“Your guys’ noses are that bad?” he hedged as he came a few steps closer. “You didn’t know who you were in bed with?”
“No, I thought it was you!” I swore and suddenly he was hugging me.
“You weren’t fully awake yet but promising Chicago all the pleasure you could give him, begging for his tight ass. I thought you knew it was him,” he admitted as peppered my face with kisses.
“Did I say his name?” I sighed, hating Torr would doubt himself like this. “Or did I call out
babe
which I use for my lynx?” Then again, I’d almost died so he got a pass. I’d be beside myself if the tables were turned.
“You said
babe
,” he muttered. Then he leaned back slightly and gently pulled off one patch. “Keep your eyes closed. I don’t know if this will work but it should help with the pain.”
“You’re the boss,” I chuckled. He gave me a few hesitant licks and it was like the best cooling balm on painful burning. “Yeah, that feels wonderful. Thank you, my lynx.”
“Just so we’re clear, you’re choosing me over Chicago, right?”
“Torr, there’s nothing to choose,” I growled as I dragged his body against mine. “I
love you
. Chicago and Aurelo took me to their bed
one
night to expand their sexual experiences. That’s it. It was about them and I got some much needed action. I’d say now we’re friends. Yeah, I was worried for them, but there’s not competition or choice to be made.”
“Good. Dog, get out of my owl’s bed then. You didn’t know Hadley’s situation had changed with all the confusion and lack of communication going on. It happens. Now you know so get away from him.”
“I love when you get all snarly and jealous,” I teased and tried to kiss his lips but missed horrible and got his ear.
That worked too.
“We weren’t trying to start trouble,” Chicago muttered as the bed moved. “We were worried about you.”
“It’s all good, Chicago. It was just a misunderstanding. Thanks for making sure I was being taken care of and—”
“But it’s
my
responsibility now,” Torr interrupted before licking my other eye a few times. “And he prefers my ass. Hadley said it was the best ever so no more
videos
.”
Not sure he needed to say that but okay. Nice declaration, Torr.
“Right, sure, sorry. I didn’t know Hadley had hooked up.”
“And no one’s better than
my
Chicago,” Aurelo argued. Wow, this was going downhill fast. I rubbed my hands down Torr’s arms, asking him to take it down a notch.
“Well, luckily for you and me, everyone is different along with their preferences,” Torr purred as he moved me into the bed again and climbed up next to me.
“How so?” Aurelo taunted and I groaned. Yeah, egg on the jealous
King
.
“Because if your statement was true, then you and I would be out our mates since there is
no one
sexier than Hadley and he could have any gay man he wants. If he wanted your Chicago, you’d be in trouble.”
“Okay, guys, let’s not start this,” Chicago pleaded. “I was just trying to talk to Hadley when he was out so maybe he’d come back around from hearing a familiar voice. I didn’t know he fell in
love
and had a partner.
Hooking up
was a bad choice of words and I meant no insult.”
“They’re good people, Torr. This isn’t your
Discovery
where you need me to knock them out of the running,” I reminded him.
“Right, yeah, sorry,” he muttered and snuggled up to me. “Been through the wringer thinking I lost you not once but
twice
.”
“Not going anywhere, babe.” I felt as if I could finally open my eyes but decided to give them some more time. “Can you guys give us a bit? My man is raw. We’ll find you later.”
“Yeah, sure,” Aurelo agreed. “Glad you’re okay, buddy.”
“Thanks, you guys too. I’d heard you’d gotten out but not made it here. I’m glad you’re all safe.”
“Sorry, Hadley. We’ll see you later.”
“Nothing to be sorry for, Chicago. We’ll catch up with you,” I assured him.
“And show you how I can please my man and your
videos
aren’t needed,” Torr mumbled under his breath.
“Or we could make some of our own?” I suggested when I knew we were alone. He slugged me in the chest, and I couldn’t help but laugh. “We were messing around before I met you, and I helped Chicago make a tape for
Aurelo
. That’s all. It’s not like I have a copy and have been watching it. I love
you
, Torr.”
“Fine, but you’re making one for me then,” he grumbled but I could hear that playful edge in his voice.
“Gladly. You want a strip tease or—”
“Whatever you did with the
dog
.”
“Well, that would require two people. Who would you like to help me?”
“Pushing it, Hadley. You’re
really
pushing it. Get some rest before I kick your ass.”
“You owe me groveling still,” I yawned.
“Consider my suffering and making sure you were saved when they thought you were already dead my groveling.” He shook against me. and I realized he was still really fragile.
“I won’t ever leave you, Torr. You’re it for me and stuck with me now.”
“Good,” he whispered. Moments later he was snoring softly against me. I hugged him tightly and decided to join him in sleep. I could use the rest.
* * * *
I woke screaming as I was back at the blast, smelling my own burnt flesh, the gods awful amount of pain, and fear for Torr if I died. It took him a few minutes to get through to me but then I knew he was there. I kept muttering that I didn’t think I’d ever have him again, be with him. I didn’t mean it in the sexual way for once.
But Torr still thought it was a good idea for stress relief and rode me right in the medical center. He licked my eyes and told me he loved me, would take good care of me in my recovery.
Made a guy not want to tell his partner he was pretty much healed.
We dozed for a little bit after we were spent and by then I could see. A little painful but I could see.
Torr coaxed me out of bed with the promise of getting to see our new rooms.
Our
. I liked that.
“Oh hey,” Chicago greeted as we bumped into him and Aurelo walking into the med center. “We just wanted to check on you on the way to breakfast.” He twisted his hands together as he stared at his feet.
Fibber.
“And by
on the way
he means clear across the stronghold,” Aurelo teased, rubbing the sexy malamute shifter’s back.
“Better. Almost best, thanks.” I glanced at Chicago and saw all the worry in his eyes. Then he cut them to Torr. “I appreciate you checking up on me.”
“I wasn’t sure I’d be welcome—” I cut him off by pushing him up against the wall and kissing him.
“You are a wonderful man, Chicago,” I whispered against his lips. “You love and do just about everything with your whole heart and you’ve loved no man before Aurelo that you don’t know how to flip the switch off. I know this, okay? You’re still my friend but only my friend. I fell in love. He’s it for me as Aurelo is for you. So you care for me and that’s
okay
. Just treat me like one of your brothers, you worry for them, but you’re not ever touching them.”
“Then why did you kiss me?” he panted, staring up into my eyes.
I leaned in and pressed my lips against his ear. “Because sometimes it’s fun to stir things up. We’re both going to have the sex of our lives now with our jealous men. Plus, I wanted a proper goodbye now that we’re closing that door.”
“I do like fun.” He gave me a wink as I pulled back, quickly kissing me. “Glad you’re okay. It would have sucked to lose you. Oh, Director Woodrow’s flipping shits and wondering if you’re okay.”
“If you see him, tell him I am and that I’ll come find him later today.”
Chicago nodded and moved away from the wall, giving Aurelo a sultry look before the man scooped him up and ran off with his shifter. My good deed for the day was done.