Jerome began to shift even before the odd questions finished rambling through his head. It wasn’t like he had much choice. The alligator shifter had his scent now, so he would have no trouble tracking him.
Besides, if he was truly in another shifter’s territory, he needed to ask forgiveness and beg leniency.
As Jerome shifted, his muscles popping, his tendons snapping, and his limbs cracking, he heard the pale man ask, “You okay, Aziel? Where are you hurt?”
“My calf,” Aziel responded gruffly. “Cut it on something.”
“You cut it on something all right,” the alligator shifter responded snidely. “You cut it on that otter’s claws.”
“Huh, didn’t realize they were that sharp,” Aziel muttered, obviously focusing on his leg rather than the stranger’s words.
Finally, Jerome finished his shift and straightened, turning to look at the pair. “I apologize for hurting you. I—” He grimaced. “I shouldn’t have done that. I’m so sorry.”
“You’re right. You shouldn’t have done that,” the alligator snapped. “He was—”
“Hey, Tristan, relax,” Aziel cut in, patting the pale, light-brown haired man’s hand where it gripped his side. “It was everyone’s fault and no ones. An accident.”
While Jerome’s brows shot up, surprise filling him at Aziel’s words, Tristan’s lip curled. “How the hell do you figure that?”
Aziel snorted, his pained expression taking on a hint of wry amusement. “Well, you are the one who popped up next to a happily feeding otter. You’re a damn alligator, man.” He actually rolled his eyes. “What did you think would happen?”
Tristan’s eyes narrowed, and his expression hardened. “He’s a stranger in our territory and swimming in my pond. He deserves a bit of a hard time.”
“Guess that’s a shifter mentality I just don’t understand,” Aziel muttered as he took a step toward shore. He grimaced, stumbling. “And I guess I might need a hand.”
Jerome sprang forward. “Yeah, yeah, I can help. It’s the least I can do.” He took Aziel’s hand, and goose bumps immediately broke out on his skin and tingles erupted across his palm.
“Oh,” Aziel whispered, his eyes widening. “Wow. Sorry.” He cleared his throat and glanced over Jerome’s shoulder, his expression clearing. “Guess I’m a little cold.”
“It’s more than that,” Jerome murmured softly. “You, well, you’re my—”
“If you’re not going to help him out of the pond, then I will,” Tristan grumbled, stepping up to Aziel’s other side. He gripped Aziel’s free arm. “Lean on me, then. I’ll take ya to the doc.”
Tristan’s terse grumblings yanked Jerome out of his shock at touching his mate for the first time. Refusing to be outdone, he quickly turned and slipped his left arm around Aziel’s waist. He urged his huge human mate to lean on him instead of the alligator shifter.
“I, uh, I feel a little funny being helped along by two naked men,” Aziel muttered even as he obeyed. He wrapped his right arm around Jerome’s shoulders as he gripped Tristan’s forearm with his left hand. “Maybe you both should put on some sweats?”
Snorting, Tristan’s low chuckle rumbled from him. “Really? You have a healthy rush of blood dripping down your calf, and you’re worried about propriety?”
Aziel muttered, “Well, what if Collin sees us?” He leaned even more heavily on Jerome, and his voice took on a tired and almost absent note. “He’ll be pissed you’re holding another man while naked.”
Jerome felt Aziel stagger. Looking up into the big human’s face, alarm flooded him. His dark eyes were heavy-lidded, and his brows were drawn together, as if it were difficult to concentrate.
“Shit,” Jerome gasped. Looking down, he spotted the blood oozing steadily down Aziel’s thickly muscled calf. “I must have hit a vein or something. Shit. I’m so sorry. You need to sit. We need to wrap this. You’re losing too much blood.”
“Whoa, buddy,” Tristan muttered. “Stop panicking. That won’t help.” He pointed at a log. “We’re just gonna ease you down right there, Aziel,” he said, guiding Jerome with his own actions. “And let’s take off this shirt and use it as a compress.”
When Tristan reached for the hem of Aziel’s t-shirt, Jerome couldn’t suppress his snarl. The alligator shifter’s eyes narrowed as he glanced his way. Jerome immediately took the opportunity to replace Tristan’s hands with his own and ease Aziel’s shirt from his torso.
Aziel rested his hands on the log on either side of him. He hunched over, swaying slightly. As Jerome crouched, he noticed that Tristan had gripped Jerome’s upper arm. Peering at Aziel’s calf, he winced, seeing his claws had done a number on the flesh of the back of it.
“I’m so sorry, Aziel,” Jerome cried, his heart feeling as if it skipped a beat. “Can you ever forgive me?”
Jerome pressed the t-shirt to Aziel’s calf, causing the human to moan deeply. Feeling terrible, he nibbled his bottom lip as he peered up through his lashes at the human that was supposed to be everything to him. To Jerome’s surprise, Aziel was smiling at him.
“Aww, don’t stress over it, handsome,” Aziel murmured. The human rested both forearms on his thighs, leaning forward heavily. While Aziel’s head was bowed, Jerome could still see that the human was eyeing his body appreciatively. “You can kiss it better as soon as my head stops swimming.”
Jerome just bet that Aziel wasn’t really aware of what he was saying. That was okay, in a way, because it told him that his mate found him attractive. On the other hand, Jerome feared just how out of it he seemed.
Opening his mouth to ask Tristan his advice, Jerome realized they were alone. He swung his head left and right, searching for the alligator shifter. Except, he was nowhere in sight.
“Where—”
“Getting the doc,” Aziel muttered. Lifting a hand, he touched Jerome’s cheek, tracing along his jaw line. “What’s your name?”
“Jerome,” he instantly replied. Goose bumps broke out on his jaw, traveling down to his neck. Even despite the fucked up situation, his blood heated and flowed south. His dick plumped at his groin. “Jerome Laguna.”
“Jerome,” Aziel slurred, lowering his arm back to his thigh as if needing it to support him. Hell, with how massive his torso was, maybe he did. “Nice name. You attracted to me, Jerome?”
Realizing Aziel was staring at his prick, Jerome cleared his throat. “You know about paranormals? About mates?”
Aziel’s dark lips curved into a wide smile, showing off even white teeth. “Yeah.” He waggled his black brows playfully. “Are you going to claim you like me because I’m your mate?”
“Yes,” Jerome answered, needing to be honest with Aziel. “You are my mate, and I cannot express my regret at injuring you.”
“My fault,” Aziel mumbled, his voice growing soft. “Shouldn’t have jumped like I did.” He heaved a sigh and hung his head, muttering, “God that hurts so fucking bad.”
Guilt racked Jerome. He wanted to take his hand away, to maybe ease the pain by licking across his flesh. His saliva would help Aziel heal. Unfortunately, that would also start the bonding process, and he’d never do that without permission.
“Sorry Tristan freaked you out,” Aziel continued, still mumbling. “He’s not a mean guy. Just... a bit possessive of his pond. How’d you find it, anyway?”
“A guy at a café in town told me about some fishing holes,” Jerome told Aziel, answering his prattling just so the human had something to focus on. “I strayed quite a bit from where I first entered the water. I’ve been swimming in the area for two days, just exploring and playing in the water. Crossing Arizona sucked, so—”
Jerome paused and shrugged. He didn’t really expect a human to understand his need to let his animal out, so—
“I bet that was horrible for your otter,” Jerome mumbled. Moving his right elbow to his thigh, he rested his head in his hand. “Too dry. Too hot. No secluded places to swim.”
His brows furrowed as he added, “All the oases and springs have resorts built around them, right? And the spring runoff is already dried up.”
“Yes.” Jerome gaped. His fingers twitched where he pressed the cloth to Aziel’s calf, wishing he could touch the human’s face and rub away the pained creases there. Instead, he just met his gaze and asked, “How could you know that?”
Aziel’s smile appeared wan, concerning Jerome. “Got a few other shifter friends.” He sighed deeply, and his eyelids drooped. “More chatty than Tristan.”
“Well, I’m glad you think so highly of me,” the aforementioned man claimed, his tone teasing as he stopped next to them. “Brought the doc.”
“Thank the gods,” Aziel mumbled.
Jerome peered beyond Tristan and spotted a pale, bald man. The lean, tone male seemed to swiftly assess the situation with his calm, pale-gray eyes. He immediately crouched next to Jerome and reached for Aziel and the t-shirt Jerome pressed to his leg.
The scent of something filled Jerome’s nostrils. He realized the man might appear human, but he wasn’t. He wasn’t a shifter, either.
Jerome wasn’t certain what he was, and it took every bit of self-control he possessed to keep from growling at the man and pushing him away from Aziel. Only the fact that the guy had been introduced as the doc gave Jerome enough control to stay his instinct. Plus, Aziel obviously knew him, since he didn’t seem alarmed to be touched by him at all.
“Well, damn,” the doc grumbled. “Deep slice here. What did this?”
“M-My claws,” Jerome volunteered. “I was scared and kicked out with my back claws and... gods, I’m so sorry.”
The doc only glanced at him and grunted. “Okay, Z. I gotta move you, and this is probably going to hurt,” he warned, retying the t-shirt around his wound. “You feel free to pass out.”
“K,” Aziel responded softly. To Jerome’s surprise and pleasure, the human reached out and grabbed his wrist. “You’ll come? I’ll see you there?”
Resting his free hand over Aziel’s where he held Jerome, he murmured, “If they’ll let me, I’ll be in to see you as soon as the doc says I can.”
Aziel nodded once, then his grip loosened and fell away.
“Interesting.”
Jerome leaped to his feet and pivoted in one quick move. His eyes widened, his jaw sagged open, and shock coursed through him. He didn’t know when they’d arrived, but a trio of... things stood behind them.
They were all big, six-foot-six and up big. They had mottled skin in various colors that appeared thick enough to be considered a hide. They all had black hair of varying lengths, pointed ears, bony brow ridges, clawed hands and wings.
Holy shit!
“Wha—”
Before Jerome could even get the word out, the hugest of the males—who stood over seven feet if he was an inch—crooked his fingers and cut him off.
“You’ve stumbled into the territory of a gargoyle clutch, shifter,” he stated. “I’m Chieftain Maelgwn. This is Second Tobias and Enforcer Einan.” He indicated left and right. “I’m afraid you’re going to have to come with us.”
Slowly rising, Jerome’s mind whirled. Gargoyles? Sure he’d heard mythology about them, but he’d never suspected they were part of the paranormal world. Foolish, he supposed.
Before he’d managed to take even one step, the doc’s movement caught his eye. He gaped once more as the human-looking doc changed. In seconds, he’d sprouted huge black wings, his pale skin hardened to a mottled green color, and his body grew and thickened with heavy muscle.
The creature—gargoyle—lifted Aziel into his arms, spread his wings, and leaped into the air. Nibbling his lip and swallowing hard, Jerome watched the doc fly away with his mate. His otter urged him to follow... swiftly.
For that reason, when Tobias rested a clawed hand on his shoulder and urged him in the same direction, Jerome didn’t even consider fighting the hold. It occurred to him that the males didn’t seem particularly aggressive, just concerned and worried. Jerome felt the same, so he started explaining.
“I left my pod, which is located in the Amazon, about six months ago,” Jerome told them. He glanced to the left and noticed he had the chieftain’s attention. Dipping his head in submission, he continued, “They never openly disapproved that I’m gay, but a couple of the enforcers always looked the other way when I was harassed. When other members of the pod targeted just me, it was fine. I could handle it. I’m a pretty strong giant otter and can fend for myself.”
As far as his pod went, there were only a few larger than him, and while he wasn’t particularly aggressive enforcer material or anything, he’d learned swiftly how to fight, how to defend himself. He could take on three of the smaller males, sometimes four or five if they didn’t get the jump on him.
“But then my family’s food stores were raided. The enforcers didn’t even bother to pretend to look into it.” Jerome grimaced as he shook his head. “I’d become a liability to my family, so I left.”
“And came here? Why?” Second Tobias asked, his tone incredulous. “And why harm a human?”
“I didn’t mean to harm Aziel, and I didn’t come here on purpose.” Knowing he could do little else but tell the truth, Jerome explained everything, from hearing about openly accepted gay shifters in the United States to how he’d found the pond and river system. He even went so far as to share that Aziel was his mate.
Chapter Four
True to Doctor Perseus’s prediction, Aziel passed out. As soon as the gargoyle lifted him into his arms, the black spots that had been threatening at the edges of his vision descended. He hadn’t tried to fight it, not even a little.
Aziel awoke to the sound of beeping and groaned. His leg felt as if it was on fire and he desperately wanted to scratch it. Except, he wasn’t so out of it that he didn’t remember what had happened. If he scratched it, it would only make it worse.
Maybe the doc has something for the itching. A cream, maybe.
Cracking open one eyelid, Aziel saw the lights had already been turned down low. He opened his other eye and blinked, focusing, then glanced around the room. The room appeared to have been painted a deep tan, but that could have been the lighting, and there were nature pictures on the walls.
Aziel noticed his left leg was in a sling, elevated with a strap around his ankle. He figured that was to keep the pressure from the wound that he knew was on the back and left side of his calf. The bandage on his leg went from ankle to knee.
Sweeping his gaze to the right, Aziel noticed an IV inserted into his arm. “Damn,” he mumbled. “What the hell happened?”
Needing answers, Aziel thought about shouting. He figured Doctor Perseus or one of the other medical staff at the estate couldn’t be far. Then he noticed an intercom button to his left.
Aziel reached over and pushed it. “Hey.” His voice came out far weaker than he’d thought it would. “Someone there?” He released the button and waited.
Good thing I didn’t try to yell.
An answer came a few seconds later. “Hey, Aziel.” He recognized Cosmo’s voice. “Glad you’ve woken. You had us worried. Give me two minutes, and I’ll be right there.”
Using the last of his strength, Aziel pressed the button again. “Thanks.”
Aziel rested his hand on his stomach and let out a slow breath. He really did feel bad. Having experienced plenty of scrapes, sprains, and even a broken leg, he couldn’t remember ever feeling so shitty.
“Damn,” Aziel mumbled. He allowed his eyelids to slide closed. “What the fuck happened?”
“It seems a combination of bacteria from the pond and that strange otter shifter’s claws caused a hell of an infection,” Cosmo told him.
When did he come in? How long did I drift before I spoke? God, I didn’t even realize I’d spoke aloud.
“Is it still in my system?” Aziel asked softly, prying open his eyelids so he could watch the blue-skinned gargoyle as h
e checked over a monitor. Surely that would explain the chilly sheen of sweat he felt coating his skin. “How long was I out?” Remembering the handsome shifter who’d claimed he was his mate, Aziel blurted out, “Where’s Jerome?”
Cosmo’s blue brow ridges lifted, his expression one of surprise as he glanced toward Aziel’s face before returning his focus to his wound. “You actually want to see the guy who attacked you?” He scoffed softly, then his tone hardened. “Why? To yell at him? If you’re wanting to take a swing at him, you’re gonna have to wait until you’re on your feet.”
Leaving the bandage off, Cosmo added, “And you were out about forty-eight hours.” His blue-eyed gaze met Aziel’s, his expression full of concern. “You’d lost a lot of blood, so we had to do a blood transfusion. We thought you’d rouse within five to eight hours, but then the infection set in.” Cosmo moved to the head of the bed and slid his fingertips along Aziel’s brow, perhaps verifying temperature old-school style. “Your fever has gone down, now, though. Let me get you something to drink.”
“Thanks,” Aziel replied softly. He watched Cosmo cross to a plastic pitcher resting on a side table. When the gargoyle poured a clear liquid—water, probably—into a plastic cup, his other comment registered with Aziel. “I don’t want to hurt Jerome.” Aziel watched Cosmo cross to him. “Was an accident.”
Cosmo slid his arm under Aziel’s shoulders and helped him up a little as he brought the cup of water to his mouth. “Just a couple small sips,” he urged. “Gotta make sure your stomach can handle it.”
Aziel did as he was instructed. He sipped the water, then again a little more. While he would have preferred to gulp the entire cupful, he didn’t resist when Cosmo pulled away from him.
“Jerome said it was an accident, too,” Maelgwn commented, entering the room. His deep gray eyes held concern as he swept an assessing gaze over Aziel’s form. “But we had to talk to you, too. While he scented as if telling the truth, with how acrid he smelled from remorse, it was tough to tell.”
Sighing, Aziel nodded. “It was an accident. I’d like to see him.” His mind finally snagged on another bit of information. “Two days? I’ve been out of it for two days?” Aziel groaned, pushing to a sitting position as he attempted to pull his ankle out of the sling. “Shit! I need to get out of here. Gotta finish my project. Still need to collect a few samples and have loads of write-ups to do. I—”
The Otter's Tale Page 3
