Shad

by Catherine Lievens

  “Jayden! Move!” Dominic yelled.

  “He’s my mate!” Jayden yelled back, and Dominic froze.

  “Your mate?”

  It seemed like everyone stopped moving at once. The bear quieted behind Jayden and crouched. Nate trotted away, keeping close but not too much, and Dominic just stared at Jayden.

  Gabriel still held Shad behind his back, even if his mate was trying to see what was happening.

  “Yes. My mate.”

  Dominic’s eyes went to the bear. “Shift.”

  “He can’t. I’ve never seen him in his human form,” Jayden answered.

  “Why?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “Let me see!” Shad hissed behind Gabriel.

  Gabriel moved away, albeit a bit reluctantly. He didn’t think the bear would attack, not anymore, but he’d rather be safe than sorry, so he stayed close to Shad and stopped him when he tried to move closer.

  Gabriel grabbed his phone from his pocket and turned the flashlight on. The lightening was weird and made a lot of shadows, but it was enough to actually see something. Dominic had a determined expression as he looked straight into the bear’s eyes and used his alpha voice. “Shift.”

  This time it worked. The bear groaned and slumped on himself. Jayden twirled around and reached for his mate, but the bear was already shifting.

  The man who appeared almost fell in the snow. He would have if Jayden hadn’t been there, but the weasel shifter was obviously having a hard time keeping his mate upright. Dominic moved forward and helped Jayden, and Gabriel took his first good look at the man.

  His hair was brown and curly, and so was his beard. He was a bit too thin, as if he hadn’t been eating very well, but Gabriel could see what remained of the muscles he must have worked hard on before whatever had happened to him happened.

  The man blinked at Jayden. “What...” he asked in a croak.

  Jayden sobbed and went to hug his mate, nearly bowling them both to the ground in his haste. Dominic tsked and started to pull his jacket off. “Come on, help me dress him. We have to take him back inside before he freezes to death.”

  Gabriel took the opportunity to look around. “Where is he?” he asked.

  Nate appeared by his side. “We lost him in the confusion.”

  Gabriel groaned. They’d done all this for nothing. He looked at his mate, expecting Shad to be sad, but he was grinning up at Gabriel instead. “What’s up?”

  Shad raised a hand and shook it, and Gabriel noticed the bottle Shad was holding. The contents rattled. “I have them. The pills. He gave them to me just before you got here.”

  * * * *

  They all trudged back to the mansion. Jayden’s mate was shivering and stumbling in the snow, and Jayden looked desperate to help him, but he clearly wasn’t sure how. His hands hovered a few inches away from his mate’s skin, but he didn’t actually touch the man.

  Shad grimaced and tugged on Gabriel’s hand. When Gabriel turned to look at him, Shad pointed at Jayden with his chin. “Why don’t you go help them?”

  “Because I’m helping you.”

  “I don’t need help. I made it out here on my own, I can make it back.”

  “You’re sure?”

  “Yeah.” Shad pushed Gabriel away and watched as he strode toward Jayden as if the snow didn’t even bother him. Jayden stiffened when Gabriel put a hand on his shoulder, but Gabriel leaned forward and whispered something to him and Jayden nodded stepped away from his mate.

  Gabriel touched the man’s arm and Jayden’s mate twirled around, his eyes wide. Gabriel raised his hands. “Hey, sorry. I just want to give you a hand.”

  Gabriel looked at the man’s feet with a significant glance. The man slumped and gave a tiny nod. Gabriel seemed to consider the situation, glance back at Shad, shrugged, and leaned forward. Jayden’s mate yelped as Gabriel swung him up and settled him in his arms, bridal style, before starting to walk again.

  “You’re not angry, right?”

  Shad looked at Jayden. “Why should I be?”

  “Because Gabriel is carrying him in his arms.”

  Shad slid his arm in the crook of Jayden’s elbow and tugged to make him start walking again. “Nope. I was actually the one to tell him to help.”

  “You told him to carry my mate?” Jayden asked with incredulity tinting his voice.

  “Not exactly. I just told him to help, but walking barefoot in the snow has to hurt like a bitch.” Shad waited to see if Jayden was going to say anything, but his friend stayed silent. He even tried to move away and get closer to Gabriel, but Shad didn’t let him.

  “I don’t think so,” he declared, tightening his hold.

  Jayden gave him a confused glance. “What?”

  “When were you going to tell me about your mate?”

  Jayden rolled his eyes. “What, like you told me Gabriel was yours?”

  Shad spluttered. “There were extenuating circumstances.”

  Jayden shrugged and helped Shad get back on the driveway. They continued walking toward the gate, which Gabriel had just passed. Dominic and Nate were behind Shad, talking in whispered tones. Shad really wouldn’t have wanted to be in their place at the moment—they’d lost the mole and still had no idea who it was, and they couldn’t even use Shad as bait anymore. Not that he would say no if they asked, even if he had the pills he needed now, but the mole couldn’t be stupid enough to think Dominic and Nate had found him by coincidence.

  Shad tightened his hand around the bottle of pills he’d slipped in his jacket’s pocket. Feeling the light weight of it in his hand was reassuring and gave him hope that the end of the mess that his life had been ever since he’d been captured and brought to the lab, was in sight.

  “He nearly attacked me one day, when I was in the forest. But he smelled me before he did and stopped, and I realized he was my mate. I’ve been coming out here since then.”

  “That’s it?”

  “Yes. He never shifted, not before tonight anyway.”

  Shad patted his friend’s hand. “It’ll be fine, you’ll see.”

  “I hope so.”

  They climbed the mansion steps, stomping their boots with each step. Gabriel was already inside, helping Jayden’s mate to sit in a chair, so Shad took his boots off and went in search of a blanket. He found three of them in the living room and grabbed two, then went back to the entrance.

  Dominic and Nate were both staring at Jayden’s mate, and Shad couldn’t deny they were intimidating, even if he knew them, so he couldn’t imagine what was going through Jayden’s mate’s head.

  He came closer and handed a blanket to Jayden, who was hovering close, then went down on his knees and wrapped the other one around the bear shifter’s legs. His feet were an angry red and freezing cold to the touch, so Shad rubbed them a little as Jayden took care of his upper half.

  “What’s your name?” Nate asked brusquely.

  Shad scowled at him but he didn’t move, even if he wanted to stick a hand in his jacket and take one of the pills.

  “I... I don’t know.”

  “You don’t know? What can you tell us about yourself?” Dominic asked in a gentler voice.

  “I don’t remember anything. I just... there’s only the forest, the trees.” The man’s eyes were wide and distressed, and Shad wanted to hug him. He kept his distance because he knew Jayden would want to be the one to do the hugging, even if he looked like he didn’t know whether to come closer or run away.

  “No names? Nothing?” Nate asked.

  “I... maybe.” They all waited as he crunched his nose and seemed to think hard.

  Gabriel came in as the bear shifter thought, a tray in his hands. “Sorry this is instant, but it was the best I could do this fast.”

  He put the tray on one of the small tables that stood in the entrance and handed the mugs full of coffee out. He crouched in front of Jayden’s mate and offered him one. “I
don’t know how you take your coffee.”

  “Oh, black. Thank you.”

  “He remembers something,” Nate pointed out. It wasn’t said in an angry or teasing way, but it still ruffled Shad the wrong way. Jayden’s mate didn’t seem to notice, though.

  “Heath,” he declared.

  “That’s... your name?” Jayden asked.

  “I think so, but I’m not sure.”

  “That’s what we’ll call you, then,” Dominic said. “If it’s all right with you, of course.”

  “Yeah. Yeah, it is.”

  “How did you end up here?” Nate asked.

  Dominic shook his head. “Why don’t we all go to bed? It’s... two in the morning. We can talk later. I think we all need to get some sleep. Shad, can you come to my office at four PM?”

  “Uh, sure.”

  “Okay. Jayden, is three good for you?”

  Jayden looked startled at the thought that Dominic wanted to talk to him, but he nodded. “Yes.”

  Dominic scrubbed his face with a hand. “All right. I’ll see you all after we get some sleep. Oh, and Shad?”

  “Yes?”

  “I expect you to take the pills the mole gave you to Jared as soon as you can.”

  The alpha climbed the stairs fast, leaving a flabbergasted Shad behind. “How did he know?”

  “He probably heard you telling me,” Gabriel pointed out.

  Shad shrugged and took the bottle out. He snapped it open and took a pill out, gulping it down with his coffee. He knew it would take a half hour to start working, or at least that was how it had gone the first time. Even if it was slower, he should feel better by morning, or when they woke up anyway.

  “Ready to go to bed?” Gabriel asked softly. Shad nodded and got up, but Jayden’s voice stopped them before they could get away.

  “Uh, guys? What do I do?”

  Shad looked at his friend. He was still hovering, too close for it to be a coincidence but far enough that he and Heath didn’t touch. Heath looked... like crap. His hair was a mess, his beard was all over the place, and he looked lost. His eyes were jumping from one thing to another, sometimes stopping on Jayden with a look that could only be need.

  “Go to sleep.”

  “Yeah, I know, but what about Heath?”

  Shad cocked his head. “Take him with you.”

  “In my bed?” Jayden squeaked.

  Shad laughed. “Yeah. You don’t have to do anything, Jay. Just have him shower quickly, give him a pair of sweats and a T-shirt and go to sleep.” Shad softened his voice. “I think he needs to be close to you. He doesn’t know where he is, or even who he is, but he knows who you are. You’re his mate, and his bear knows that. You’re reassuring, like home. Don’t push him away.”

  Jayden shook his head and tentatively offered Heath his hand. Heath looked at it before smiling lightly and taking it. He stumbled as he got up from the chair, his feet still wrapped in the blanket Shad had put on his legs, but Jayden was there to catch him.

  Shad bundled the blankets and left them on the chair, making a mental note to put them away the next day—or rather in a few hours—then they all made their way upstairs. Jayden and Heath stopped at the first floor and Jayden softly smiled at Shad before tugging his mate along the hallway.

  Gabriel and Shad climbed another set of stairs and Shad took off his jacket as soon as they stepped inside the attic. He let it fall, not caring about where it fell, and collapsed on the bed, still dressed. He heard Gabriel chuckle and felt the mattress dip.

  Gabriel manhandled Shad under the covers, but Shad was too gone to care. Just before he fell asleep he felt his mate undress him and climb on the bed to slide beside him, then an arm wrapped around his waist. He snuggled closer against Gabriel’s chest and let sleep claim him.

  * * * *

  Gabriel woke up surrounded by Shad. He was on his back, Shad’s top half completely on top of him, their legs tangled together. Shad’s face was tucked in the crook of Gabriel’s neck and he could feel his mate’s warm breath on his skin. Another thing he could feel was Shad’s morning wood digging in his side.

  Gabriel squirmed. He wasn’t uncomfortable, but it wasn’t the most comfortable of positions either. Shad looked light, but having him on top of Gabriel—and not in a fun way—didn’t do for easy breathing.

  “Wha’ you’ doin’?” Shad muttered.

  “Trying to breathe.” Shad huffed and rolled away, but Gabriel pulled him closer again. “You can stay. Just... not on top of me, Okay?”

  “Mmm. Time is it?”

  Gabriel reached out and took his phone. “Ten.”

  “In the morning?”

  “Yes.”

  “What are you doing awake then?” Shad pushed himself up. He looked adorable with his bedhead hair and his still sleepy eyes.

  “Maybe it was because I couldn’t breathe?”

  “I’m not that heavy!”

  “I never said you were.”

  Shad stuck his tongue out and Gabriel laughed. “You have a lot more energy than usual,” he pointed out.

  Shad’s eyes widened. “Oh, the pill! It must have worked already.”

  The smile that bloomed on Shad’s face made Gabriel want to never let him go. And the best thing was that he didn’t have to. “How many do you have?”

  “I didn’t look.” Shad rolled to the edge of the bed and pushed away the cover. He looked down at himself, then looked at Gabriel. “I don’t remember getting undressed before going to bed yesterday.”

  “That’s because I was the one to undress you. Jeans aren’t comfortable to sleep in.”

  “But briefs are.”

  “Of course.”

  “So it has nothing to do with the fact that I’m half-naked?”

  Gabriel shrugged. “You can’t prove anything.”

  Shad shook his head, a smile still playing on his lips. He walked to the living room area of the attic and searched through his jacket’s pockets, making a small triumphant noise when he found what he was looking for.

  Shad made a beeline for the bed and dove back under the covers, snuggling close to Gabriel. He opened the pill bottle and looked inside. He was silent as he counted the pills.

  “Twenty-nine.”

  “How many do you have to take per day?”

  “One.”

  “So you have enough for a month.”

  “Uh huh.”

  Gabriel waited for Shad to close the bottle again before rolling on top of him. “You know, you took the pill yesterday without even thinking it could’ve been something else. What if the mole had been trying to kill you?”

  “Why would he have? I was more useful to him alive and well than dead.”

  Gabriel growled. “You’re reckless.”

  “Not really. I just didn’t have anything to lose.”

  Gabriel pressed his lips together, trying to keep in the harsher comment he wanted to make. “I did, though. Never do anything like that again. Please.”

  Shad put the bottle on the nightstand and looped his arms around Gabriel’s neck. He kissed Gabriel’s nose, then his lips. “I won’t. I promise.”

  “Good.”

  Shad scratched Gabriel’s scalp and Gabriel leaned his forehead on his mate’s shoulder, purring in delight. Shad chuckled. “You’re really a big pussy cat, huh?” Gabriel felt his mate’s finger dance along the edge of one of his ears, then the other. “What do you say we try to get rid of these?”

  Gabriel looked up again. “You know there’s only one way to do that.”

  “So? I’m well now.”

  If Gabriel had been a better man he’d have pointed out that Shad had taken only one pill and that it didn’t mean he’d be cured any time soon. But he wasn’t, and he hadn’t been the one opposed to mating while Shad was still sick, so he kept his mouth shut.

  “Are you just going to look at me or are you going to tell me if you want this? I know we didn’
t really discuss it past we’ll see when you’re better, but I thought—”

  Gabriel kissed Shad, effectively shutting him up. When he leaned back, Shad’s pupils were dilated. He licked his lips and Gabriel teased, “I finally found an easy way to shut you up.”

  Shad nodded.

  “Now, are you done talking? Can we get to the mating?”

  Another nod.

  “All right. Put your hands over your head and grab the headboard. Don’t move them unless I say so, huh?”

  “You’ve never been kinky before,” Shad pointed out.

  “Oh, this isn’t being kinky, believe me. But now that you’re better, we can finally play.” Gabriel hesitated. “If you’re okay with it, of course.”

  Shad nodded enthusiastically.

  “Tell me if I do something you don’t like, though. I’ll stop right away.”

  “Yeah, yeah. Can we get to it now?”

  Shad’s cheeks were already flushed and became even more so when Gabriel reached between them and pushed his mate’s briefs down his thighs. Shad licked his lips again and slowly raised both hands to grab the headboard. Gabriel pushed himself away and took his T-shirt off, throwing it to the side. “I know you’re impatient, but I’ve been waiting for this for a while. I want to make it worth the wait.”

  Shad shuddered. “What do you mean?”

  “You’ll see.”

  He leaned down and kissed his mate. “Just let go. I’ll take care of everything.”

  Gabriel kissed Shad again, rumbling in approval when Shad opened his mouth. They rubbed their tongues against each other’s, tasting and teasing, until they were both panting and Gabriel knew he had to start actually doing something more.

  He looked at Shad, taking in the way his mate’s soft lips were slightly open and red. He moved down Shad’s jaw, using his tongue to connect the few freckles he knew by heart now. He nipped the skin at Shad’s pulse point, making him jerk. Shad’s hips shot upward as he gasped, but he never moved his hands away from the headboard.

  Gabriel rubbed the tip of his fingers against Shad’s side, down to the jut of his hip, and lowered himself back down. He licked Shad’s nipple until it peaked and Shad groaned. Gabriel smirked and licked at the nipple again, knowing that his slightly more than normally rough tongue was driving Shad crazy.