Wes

by Catherine Lievens

  Nysys leered and wiggled his brows. “No words, but maybe something else?”

  Keenan slapped Nysys’ arm. “That one was bad. It sounded like you were proposing to put your cock in his mouth, and you better be glad Morin wasn’t here to hear you.”

  “Nah, he knows I’d never cheat on him. I was talking about Wes’ cock, of course.”

  Taylor rolled his eyes while Wes gaped at the scene in front of him. He’d known some pretty weird people in his life, but Keenan and Nysys definitely were the weirdest. They had no brain-mouth filter, and Nysys looked like he’d chosen his clothes in the dark. With his eyes closed. Keenan had seemed normal when Wes had first met him. Angry, a bit scary, but normal. Wes couldn’t have been more wrong, obviously.

  Taylor pushed Nysys off the bed, seemingly uncaring about the fact that the man toppled headfirst and didn’t hit his head just because he put his hands out. “Hey!”

  “He needs to eat,” Taylor declared. He looked at Keenan, and Keenan scampered off the bed without having to be asked, holding his hands up in surrender.

  Taylor nodded at him and Wes sat up, without help and without too much pain. Taylor put the tray on Wes’ lap and Wes’ mouth watered. “I hope you like it. They’re only leftovers, but Isaiah is pretty good with chili.”

  “It looks good.” Especially since Wes had last eaten a couple of days before, not that he’d tell Taylor that.

  “It is,” Keenan answered. “Isaiah is a chili God.”

  “What are you two doing here?” Taylor asked, and Wes was grateful for the reprieve. He dug into the warm chili and put the spoon in his mouth, groaning when the spices hit his tongue. Taylor smiled at him and patted his leg, but he went back to giving his attention to Nysys and Keenan.

  “We were curious,” Keenan said.

  “We heard Noem and Jared talking about their new patient and we wanted to know who it was,” Nysys added.

  “You mean you were spying on Jared and Noem,” Taylor said.

  Nysys gasped and pressed his hand on his heart. “Spying? Us? Never!”

  “Yeah, never,” Keenan intervened, bouncing on his feet. “We just happened to be hiding in the pantry.”

  “You weren’t supposed to tell him we were hiding,” Nysys scolded.

  Keenan shrugged. “Not like he didn’t know that. The people in this house should know better than to talk about secret stuff without checking if we’re there first.”

  “True.”

  “We couldn’t find anything more than Wes’ name, though, so we came here to investigate.”

  Taylor crossed his arms on his chest. “And what did you find out?”

  * * * *

  Taylor could see Wes was more than a little overwhelmed, so he took it on himself to distract the two imps. It wasn’t something he’d normally do willingly, but Keenan and Nysys were a little too much even on their best days, and this clearly wasn’t one of those.

  “Well, I’d already met Wes twice,” Keenan declared. “The first time he was hitting on Joshua.”

  Wes’ spoon clattered in his bowl and Taylor looked at him. His eyes were wide and scared, and Taylor reached out and patted his hand. He hoped it’d be enough to reassure him that Taylor didn’t care about the fact that Wes had clearly tried to have Joshua pay for sex with him. Not much anyway, and Wes didn’t have to know it.

  “And the second time?”

  “It was the other evening. I was with Jonah, and he bumped into Wes.”

  “Well, I’d never met him before,” Nysys intervened. “And I don’t know anything about him except that his name’s Wes and that he was hitting on Joshua, but I only know that because Keenan told me.”

  Taylor noticed Wes had already finished eating and took the tray from him. “Do you want more?”

  Wes shook his head and patted his stomach. “I’m fine for now. Whoever Isaiah is, tell him this was delicious, okay?”

  Taylor nodded and put the tray back on the nightstand. He could feel Nysys’ and Keenan’s gaze on him, and he knew they were dying to bombard both him and Wes with questions. He didn’t know if Wes was up to it, though, and more importantly, he didn’t know what Wes wanted them to know.

  “Are you two together?” Keenan asked.

  Taylor really should’ve known it would take Keenan all of two seconds to get to that conclusion, but he didn’t know how to answer, so he looked at Wes.

  Wes shrugged. “I’m his mate.”

  Keenan and Nysys’ eyes went huge and Taylor stopped them before they could launch themselves on Wes. “Nope. He’s still hurt, guys.”

  “But he’s your mate! You’re his mate! That needs a congratulatory hug!”

  Taylor opened his arms and wiggled his fingers. “Give it to me, then. I’ll take one for the team.”

  He didn’t have to wait for long before he was swamped and his arms were full of squealing twinkish guys.

  “I’m so happy for you!” Keenan yelled in Taylor’s ear, making him wince.

  “Yeah, even though you’ve been here for only three months, we already love you,” Nysys added.

  Taylor patted their arms and pushed them away after a while, because a small dose of them was more than enough for him.

  Wes was looking at them curiously, and Taylor explained, “Mates are special, like getting married. You know, we only have one and everything.”

  “And I want to hug you too, Wes,” Nysys said, pointing at him.

  Wes looked scared for a few seconds, then gestured at his body. “I’m hurt, remember?”

  Nysys’ smile was wicked when he answered, “Oh, I know. But I’m a Nix. I’m going to fix you, baby.” He raised his hands and wiggled his fingers.

  Wes leaned backward and looked at Taylor, his eyes asking for help.

  Taylor knew Nysys wouldn’t hurt Wes, though, so he just shrugged and let Nysys do his thing.

  Nysys inched closer to Wes, patted the top of his head, and tried to reassure him. “I won’t hurt you, honey. I’m just going to speed your healing up. Noem already did, but you were asleep.”

  Wes grinned. “You heard that when you were spying on him?”

  Nysys winked at him. “Exactly. Ready?”

  Wes nodded and closed his eyes, and Taylor watched as Nysys’ hand lit up. He moved them on Wes’ body, up and down his torso, then down his legs. “Damn, boy. They sure did a number on you.”

  Wes snorted. “You should see the other guy.”

  “I did,” Taylor told him.

  Wes’ eyes popped open and went wide when he saw what Nysys was doing. He waited until Nysys’ hands stopped glowing, his gaze never leaving Taylor. Once Nysys stepped away, looking tired, Wes asked the questions Taylor knew he’d been dying to ask ever since he’d first woken up. “How did you see the guy? What happened to him? What about the other three?”

  “It was after you fell asleep. I knew you wouldn’t wake up soon, so I went with my brother when Joshua called him from the hospital. You managed to knife the guy twice, in the guts. He’s not getting out of there soon, babe.”

  Nysys whooped. “Atta boy! That way you have time to report him.”

  Wes’ expression shut down. “I’m not reporting him.”

  Nysys looked confused, bless his colorful heart. “Why not?”

  Taylor sat on the bed, as close to Wes as possible, and hugged him close. “Is it because of what you told me before? You don’t want anyone to find out?” he asked in a whisper.

  Wes nodded and tried to push Taylor away, but Taylor didn’t let him. He kissed his hair and looked at Nysys. “You healed him. He can’t report it because now he’s fine. What reason would he have had to hurt that guy?”

  Nysys frowned. “I hadn’t thought of that. Maybe I shouldn’t have healed you, huh?”

  Wes sighed and leaned against Taylor. “No, you did well. It makes things easier for me.”

  “But it’s a pity you can’t do anything to those guys,”
Keenan pointed out.

  “I don’t know,” Taylor intervened. “They attacked my mate. That should make them a council problem.”

  Keenan scrunched his nose. “Not really. Wes is human, and they didn’t hurt him because they know about shifters, just because they’re idiots.”

  “But human justice won’t help, and they shouldn’t be let free. I bet this wasn’t their first beating.”

  “I’ll talk to Dom, see what he says. I guess throwing those guys in jail somewhere is doable. Maybe we could plant evidence or something.”

  “You’d do this for me?” Wes asked, wonder in his voice. “Why? You don’t even know me.”

  “Honey, you’re Taylor’s mate. That means you’re family now,” Nysys explained.

  “Just like that?”

  “Taylor told you, it’s like marriage, even if you guys aren’t mated yet. Just by being his mate, you got yourself a family, and a pride full of people who’ll do whatever they can to help you and keep you safe.”

  “But...”

  “Take me and Keenan, for example. I want to go over to the hospital and rip that guy’s balls off, and I know for sure that Keenan would come with me and hold him down while I do it. Why? Because we’re family, and you are too.”

  “That’s...” Wes was clearly overwhelmed, and Taylor smoothed his hand down his mate’s arm. “Thank you,” Wes finally said. “I never had that.”

  “Had what? Someone ready to rip balls off for you?”

  Wes laughed. “That too, but I meant family. I don’t have one, and I... well, I’ve been on my own since my mother died when I was twelve.”

  Keenan and Nysys looked at each other. “Aww,” they said at the same time.

  “He’s healed, right?” Keenan asked.

  “Yup,” Nysys answered. They turned to look at Wes and Wes inched closer to Taylor.

  “They’re scary,” he whispered.

  “I know,” Taylor whispered back, just before Nysys and Keenan launched themselves on the bed and tried to smother Wes with hugs.

  Taylor held on fast to avoid begin dumped on the floor and was hugged along with his mate.

  “We’ll take you shopping!” Nysys hollered next to Taylor’s ear, and Taylor was pretty sure he was now deaf on that side.

  “And we can have movie nights, we can gossip, and when’s your birthday?” Keenan added, just as enthusiastically.

  Wes gave Taylor a glance over their heads and Taylor laughed. “Just go with it, babe. They might be a bit much, but they mean everything they say.”

  “That’s what’s scaring me.”

  * * * *

  “You’re fine.”

  Wes looked at Jared. “Really?” It was hard to believe, since it had been only three days since he’d been beaten.

  “Yes. Noem and Nysys did a good job. You might feel a little sore, but you’re good to go.”

  “That’s just weird.”

  Jared laughed. “Don’t I know it.”

  “Aren’t you used to it?”

  “Now, yes, but there was a time, not even that long ago, when I didn’t know about Nix and what they could do. We had to heal just like everyone else then.”

  Wes played with the edge of his sheet. “So, I can go home?”

  “If you want to.”

  “I should, right? Because even if I don’t want to, I have to go back to my life.”

  Jared pulled the chair closer to Wes’ bed and sat down, his legs stretched in front of him, his ankles crossed. “I don’t know much about you except for your medical records, well, the little medical records I managed to unearth when you arrived here. I... won’t say I know this for certain, but I have an idea about what happened to you and what you might have done in the past few years.”

  Wes cringed and wished he could hide under the sheet without looking like an idiot. But Jared’s eyes held no judgment as he talked, and Wes was still flabbergasted by that. It looked like no one wanted to judge him in this house, although only Taylor knew for sure what Wes had done. Maybe the others would too, once they found out, and Wes wasn’t sure he was ready to lose Keenan and Nysys, not this soon.

  “I’m not judging you. I don’t know what it’s like to live your life, and I’m sure you didn’t make any decision without thinking about it. But if you want to change your life... this is a great opportunity. I know that as a human you might not understand why we’re ready to help you and expect nothing in return. My own mate had a bit of a hard time understanding that, although for different reasons. We want to help you.”

  “You’re right, I don’t get it. You’re complete strangers, yet you took me in, you healed me, and you’re not asking for anything back. It sounds almost too good to be true.”

  Jared grimaced a bit. “Well, our life isn’t perfect. Far from it, actually. We have a hunter group after us, and shifter groups often fight between them and against other creatures. It’s not without danger, but so far we haven’t lost anyone.”

  “So you’re saying that I could trade my lonely and bleak life for one where I’d be in danger but I wouldn’t have to worry about where my next meal would come from, if I even got one?”

  Jared cocked his head. “I can see why Keenan and Nysys are so enthusiastic about you.”

  Wes looked down. “I can’t.”

  “You will, if you give them—and us—a chance. Like I said, our life isn’t perfect, but we’re safe here in Whitedell, especially in the house. Numbers are in our favor, and unlike most big shifter groups, we care for each other. It does make a difference. So yes, you could trade your lonely and bleak life for one where you’d be in danger, but I don’t think it’d be more so than your actual life.”

  Jared uncrossed his ankles and leaned forward. “If you’re really doing what I think you have to do to survive, then your actual life is probably even more dangerous than this one. What happened to you demonstrates that, I think. So you’d actually be safer here, you’d have a family, food and warmth, and you could decide what you really want to do with your life.”

  “I want to say yes, because who wouldn’t?” Wes said with a chuckle. “But it’s like I’m waiting for the other shoe to drop. Nothing good ever happened to me, at least not without having to pay for it, and I feel like I’m not paying anything here.”

  “But you are, and I guess that’s what most humans have difficulties understanding. You’re it for Taylor, his happy-ever-after, even if you met only a few days ago. Sure, he might find someone else if you decide you don’t want him, but it’ll never be the same. He’ll never have the feeling of completeness again, the sensation that you’ll always be there and you’ll always understand him. You’re giving him love for the rest of his life, and I think that’s a huge way to repay whatever Taylor might do for you.”

  “But what about my past?”

  “Does Taylor know?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Did he say he didn’t want you anymore for that?”

  “No.”

  “Then I don’t see the problem.”

  “What if someone else finds out? Would all the men living here really want me to stay if they knew?”

  “It’s not their problem. I honestly can’t think of anyone who might be angry, but even if someone was, as long as you don’t try to hit on them or on their mate, you’re safe.”

  Wes snorted. “Ever heard of bullying?”

  Jared’s expression was hard. “Of course I did, but believe me, it wouldn’t be possible for anyone to be bullied here.”

  “As if. It’s possible anywhere.”

  “Okay, maybe it is, but no one is going to turn away if they see it, and Dominic will expect you to talk to him if something happens. We already have more than enough problems with what happens out there. The last thing we need is for something to happen here, where we should all be safe.”

  “What do I do, then?”

  Jared got up and patted Wes’ foot over the sheet. �
��Whatever you want to do. You want to stay at your apartment? Do it. You want to come live here but not with Taylor? Do it. You want to keep on doing your job? Do it.”

  Wes snorted. “Not likely. I hate it. I just don’t know how to do anything else.”

  “Then learn, Wes. You have the opportunity to do it now.”

  Jared left the room and Wes hugged his knees. He didn’t know what to do, and Taylor was bound to arrive any moment, so Wes had to think.

  He didn’t want to hustle anymore. He’d never wanted to do it in the first place, but he couldn’t believe he really had an alternative. Turning the opportunity down would be stupid, and he knew it. Wes could have a home and friends for the first time since his mother had died. He could have a man who wanted to love him, even if Wes thought he didn’t deserve it.

  It was a no-brainer.

  He’d made his decision when Taylor knocked on the door and came in, looking hesitant, a bundle in his hands. He put it down on the foot of Wes’ bed. “Jared told me you can go home.”

  “I know. He said I’m fine.”

  “And do you feel fine? Because you can stay here for as long as you want or need to.”

  Wes straightened his legs in front of him and moved his torso from left to right. “I feel good. Hurts a bit when I make specific movements, but it’s nothing I can’t stand.”

  Taylor swallowed and Wes’ gaze locked on his Adam apple. He wanted to lick it, and just like when they’d had sex, it surprised Wes. He wanted to do so much with Taylor, things he’d never really done for pleasure, and not only that.

  “Are you going home, then?”

  “Do you want me to go home?”

  Taylor stared at Wes. “Honestly? No. I want you to stay here. I want you to live with me in my room. I want us to ask for a suite, so we can have more space. I... I want you to be able to stop... working, if that’s what you want to do. I want you to be safe, always, no matter what you do, no matter where you do it.”

  “Even if I decide to do it away from you?”

  “Even then. What I care about, what my lion cares about, is that you’re happy. And safe, can’t forget the safe part. We come after that.”