by Maggie Walsh
“Usually when I wake up after a dreamwalk, I…I need…to shift for a while.”
The concern immediately fell from Castiel’s face and was replaced with a happy smile. He wrapped the other arm around Kia and pulled him in for another kiss. “Why would you be shy to tell me that?”
“I don’t know. I just felt weird saying it,” Kia responded with a shrug.
“You don’t ever have to be afraid or feel weird about telling me anything. Neither of you.” Castiel reached out and pulled Shay close to his other side, planting a tender kiss on his lips, too. “Okay, you two sexy men, let’s get dressed so we can head outside for a while, and Kia can shift.”
“Um, actually…” Kia started nervously, then stopped.
“What did I just tell you, mate? You can tell me anything. Just be honest with me and no matter what it is, we can work it out.”
“Shifting outside scares the hell out of us,” Kia and Shay confessed at the same time.
Castiel looked at them in surprise. “Really?” They both nodded. “Does this have to do with the size of your animals?” Again, they both nodded. “Okay then, shift and do whatever you need to do for as long as you need to do it. While you do that, I will run downstairs and grab us some lunch and bring it back up here. We can sit together in the kitchen or up in the lounge area and eat. Whatever you want. How does that sound?”
“Thank you, mate,” Shay and Kia again answered in unison. They each kissed Castiel on the cheek, then stepped back and shifted.
Castiel gave them each a bright smile as he crouched low and scratched their heads gently. “You are both the absolutely most adorable creatures I have ever met. And the sexiest men. Roam around and be free, I’ll be right back.” Castiel stood, then strolled from the bathroom.
Shay looked to Kia and gave him a small bark, then jumped on him to play. They wrestled for a few minutes, until they heard the outside door of their suite close. The two then jumped to their feet and ran out into the bedroom to explore their new home in animal form.
* * * *
Cass worked quickly, trying to get their meal together so that he could get back to his mates. He wasn’t sure how long they needed to roam in animal form, but he would give them all the time they needed. Plus, he loved looking at them when shifted. They were both so adorable.
Cass placed the plates of food on a tray and grabbed a few pieces of fruit, adding them, as well, then picked up the tray and turned. As he was about to step out of the kitchen, Christian, Raffy, Jesse, and Taylor were walking in.
“Another three-day marathon?” Taylor asked as he wiggled his eyebrows.
“No,” Cass answered with a chuckle. “We just had a small nap and none of us have eaten anything yet today. So, before we head over to see Aaron, I want to make sure my mates eat.”
“Tay and I were just about to head up to your room to see if your mates would like to go shopping,” Jesse said. “We noticed they didn’t show up with any belongings, and I’m not sure if they have anything we need to send for or not.”
Shit. What a crappy mate he’d been. He didn’t even think of that. Did his mates really need to roam free in animal form or had they just said that because they had no clean clothes to change into? Both did dress in the clothes they had shown up in when they woke up this morning.
“Cass?” Christian asked.
“Sorry, yeah, I was just thinking. I’m not sure if they need anything, or have anything I need to send for. I’ve been a crappy mate,” he confessed.
“No, you haven’t been, Cassy. You’ve been busy helping your mates with other things. I’m guessing one of them is a feline,” Raffy said sweetly.
He felt the big smile spread across his lips. “Yeah, Kia is a jaguarundi and Shay is a something fox. Shit, I forget which kind.”
“A fox? Really? Cool,” Taylor stated.
“So, is he a red one or something else?” Jesse asked.
“No, not red, and not that kind of fox. He’s a small creature. Shit, what was it called?” He struggled, trying to find the word he was missing. He knew it, and it had originally been on the tip of his tongue, but now.
“Oh, a fennec fox. I remember him saying that the night they arrived,” Taylor said.
“Yes, that’s it,” Cass replied.
“They are so adorable,” Raffy said excitedly. “Can I meet his animal?”
“Um…sure, I guess so. Come on up with me and I’ll ask them if it would be okay.”
“Yay. Thank you, Cassy,” Raffy said and kissed his cheek.
“Can I come along? I’ve never seen a fennec fox or a jaguarundi. I actually have no damn clue what either of those are, honestly,” Taylor said.
“Sure.” Cass headed up the hall to the front of the house and stairs with his four guests behind him. He guessed Christian and Jesse wanted to have a look, too. It made him feel a little strange bringing people up to his room so that they could look at his mates. Almost like he was taking them to the zoo, but he would make sure it was okay with his mates first.
Once they reached the door to his suite, Christian gave him a hand by opening the door for him as he stepped in, but out of respect, no one followed, which made him happy. He placed the tray on the low table near the door and looked around, but found no sign of his mates.
“Hey, my little sweet peas, where are you?” he asked as his gaze swept over the room and up to the loft.
“Sweet peas. I love how you call them that. It’s because they are like two peas in a pod, right?” Taylor asked through the open door.
Cass chuckled as he turned to look at Taylor over his shoulder. “Well, that and…you’ll see.”
He walked further into the room as he called out, “Shay, Kia, we have visitors that were wondering if it was okay with you if they could meet your animals.”
A small bark came from above him and Cass turned as he looked up to the loft, and there was Shay’s little head peeking out over the edge of the floor above. “It’s okay, mate.” He heard Shay answer in his head, and Cass loved that he had the mating link with them.
“What about Kia? Where are you, beautiful?”
A small hiss came from his left and Cass turned toward it to find the blankets on the bed moving. He smiled as he walked closer. “Kia, is it okay for Raffy, Christian, Jesse, and Taylor to come in?”
“Yes, but…um,” Kia stammered nervously in his head.
“What is it, sweet pea?” he asked back.
“This is so embarrassing. I…um…got myself…sort of…tangled…and…um…yeah.” Castiel burst out laughing.
He turned back toward the others waiting at the door and waved them in, then turned toward the bed. Another bark sounded and he looked toward the stairs to see the little golden fennec fox trotting down the spiral staircase.
“Oh, my gods, how adorable is that?” Taylor said happily as they all walked into the room.
“That’s my Shay. And somewhere over here…” Cass said as he knelt on the bed of pillows and began untangling the blankets as the small mound underneath them wiggled around. Shay jumped up on the bed and grabbed the blankets between his teeth and yanked as he pushed back with his front paws and took a few steps with his back paws.
Together they loosened the mass and pushed the blankets back, allowing Kia to slink out. He jumped at Shay and the two rolled across the bed, wrestling. “Okay, you two. We have company remember?”
The two little cuties stopped, then flipped onto their feet and walked over to Cass, sitting beside him and looking at their guests.
“You are both so adorable, and beautiful,” Raffy said. Moving closer, he knelt on the floor at the foot of the pillow bed.
“How much longer do you need to stay like this, mates?” Cass asked as he petted each of them.
“Only a little while longer if that’s okay?” they both answered in perfect sync in his head.
“Of course, it is. You take as long as you need.”
“Are they stuck like that for a while
or do they have free will to shift when they want?” Christian asked.
“We can shift as we want…”
“We just don’t get to shift very often…”
“So, when we do, we like to stay shifted for a little while.” They each spoke, finishing each other’s sentence where the other left off.
“Plus, we don’t want to show our bits and pieces to your family, mate,” Shay finished.
“Good idea,” Cass answered and petted them again.
“Raffy is a special wolf. Can we meet him?” Shay asked as he jumped from the pillow bed and walked toward Raffy, sniffing him as he circled.
“They want to know if they can meet your wolf, Raff,” Cass informed him.
“Yes, I would love that,” Raffy replied with excitement, then stood and began to undress.
“Angel,” Christian admonished.
“Sorry. I got excited,” Raffy answered with a laugh, then immediately shifted, his clothes tearing and falling away, his small white wolf now standing there. He leaned down and began sniffing Shay, as Shay got closer, studying him.
Kia jumped from beside Cass and joined the two on the floor. The three of them got to know each other for a few minutes before Shay barked then turned, heading for the other side of the room. He stopped halfway and looked back at them, barked again, then took off. Raffy’s wolf and Kia’s feline ran toward Shay. The three of them barked and hissed as they took playful swipes at each other, and ran around like puppies and kittens.
“Hey, Kia, see that panel by your head?” Cass asked. Kia turned his head to look at him and nodded.
“Jump up on it with your paws and you will hear a clicking noise. Once you do, step back, then pull the panel open.”
Kia did as he said, and Cass and the others chuckled as they watched Kia try to paw the panel open. Shay and Raffy joined him and the three of them managed to pull it back, revealing a large, metal door. Shay and Kia looked over to him and he could see the questions in their beautiful eyes.
“It’s a safe room. When you’re both back in your human form I will show it to you,” Cass informed them. They both nodded, then looked back to the large door for a moment, then turned and began running around the room again with Raffy as if nothing had interrupted their play.
“So, if they can shift at will, what’s up with the running around in animal form in your room?” Christian said as he sat on the floor, watching the three.
“They don’t want to show you their bits and pieces,” Cass answered with a laugh. “But they told me earlier that they are both afraid to shift outside. I think it has something to do with how small they are.”
“That makes sense with all the non-shifter animals out in the forest,” Jesse replied.
“As well as some of the shifter ones,” Tay added.
“Are you heading over to see Aaron soon?” Jesse asked.
“Yes. After I get them to eat something. I’m a little nervous to have Kia help Aaron now actually, but…” Cass began and shrugged. He then explained to them what his mates had told him earlier about Kia taking the nightmares into him.
“Oh shit. Then maybe we should find another way,” Jesse said.
“Kia wouldn’t like that. That’s why they didn’t tell me to begin with, because they were afraid that if I knew then I wouldn’t let Kia help people.”
“Wouldn’t let him?” Taylor asked with a raised brow as he crossed his arms over his chest.
“Their words, not mine. And I agree with you Taylor, so don’t give me that look. Kia doesn’t need my permission to do what he does. He is my mate, not my child.”
“Why don’t we get going so you and your mates can eat and go talk to Aaron? If you need us there, let me know. But I think you should at least talk to Micah first so he can inform you of what happened so there are no surprises,” Jesse said.
Now he was even more curious about what had gone on since he left. “Okay, Jess. I’ll give Micah a call.”
Chapter Eight
“You really need to try to eat a little more, Samuel,” Sasha coaxed gently.
“Thank you, Sasha, but I really am full. I’m not used to eating like this.”
Samuel’s answer didn’t sit well with Sasha and he found himself growling low in his throat, which was strange because he wasn’t a shifter like some of the others. He stood from the cot, moved the food tray to the cell door, and slid it underneath, leaving it on the outside until he left or someone came for it. Not that he was planning to leave any time soon. Since Samuel’s arrival, Sasha had only left twice while Samuel was sleeping, so that he could grab a quick shower, but he still wouldn’t leave unless Valor or Colby could sit and watch over Samuel while he was gone.
“What is going to happen now, Sasha? I have been here for almost four days and have answered all their questions. Now I don’t know what they will do to me,” Samuel asked quietly.
Sasha moved back to the cot and sat beside Samuel. “They won’t hurt you, sweetheart. I know this. The problem they are finding right now is what exactly to do. They know that everything you told them is true and none of the council hold any ill will toward you. They don’t want to punish you, but help you. The thing is, how do they do that? Micah and the others have already told me that they would love to move you into one of the suites upstairs, but as protected as this house is, they are still worried that you wouldn’t be safe enough.”
Samuel’s eyes went wide and Sasha could see the fear fill them. “Why? Will someone hurt me?”
“No one here, Samuel. You would be very safe from anyone who lives here, but we need to remember how powerful Minos is. And now that we know he is working with Hades that means we need to be even more vigilant. My king and his mate, Commander Phenex, as well as Lucifer’s mate, Demi, have been going crazy putting more wards and protection spells around this house since your arrival to try to ensure that Minos and Hades or any of their followers can’t get to you.”
“Okay. And it’s okay if I stay here. I feel safe down here. And Jesse brought me this new mattress and blankets, and all these clothes, so I’m more comfortable. And Taylor brought me in a TV and a video game thingy with games. And that man, Raith, brought me lots of books. So at least I won’t be bored,” Samuel said.
“Is there anything else you would like?” Sasha watched as uncertainty filled Samuel’s eyes right before he looked down at his lap and started twisting his fingers together nervously. Sasha placed a hand over Samuel’s. “What is it, sweetheart?”
After a moment of silence, Samuel replied, “That man. The one who looks just like me. I would like to see him again. To talk to him. When he was here, he left so quickly, and I could see the pain in his eyes. Is he okay?”
“I’m not sure. Raith said that Aaron is dealing with something right now, and seeing you sitting here has only added to what he’s been struggling with,” Sasha answered honestly. Samuel trusted him, and no matter what it was, he wouldn’t lie to Samuel and ruin that trust.
“Why does he look like me?” Samuel asked softly. Sasha could hear the confusion in his voice.
“I’m not completely sure, but I have an idea after speaking with Micah.”
Samuel’s head came up slowly, until their gazes met. “What do you think?”
“Let me ask you this first. What type of shifter are you, sweetheart?”
Samuel’s eyes filled with sadness and tears as his bottom lip began to tremble. The look broke Sasha’s heart. He picked Samuel up and placed him on his lap, holding him close. Samuel felt a little warm and that concerned him. He would have to ask Jesse or Noah to come and take a look at Samuel, seeing as Aaron wasn’t able to right now. “It’s okay, sweetheart. Whatever it is, we’ll do what’s necessary to make everything okay,” Sasha said as he rocked Samuel gently.
“I haven’t been allowed to shift into my animal in a very long time. I don’t even know if I still can. Malachi only allowed me to do it once or twice a year, but it’s been many years since I have done it.”
“Why wouldn’t he let you shift?”
Samuel shrugged. “I’m not sure, but I think because my creature is so small, he was afraid that I would be able to run and they wouldn’t see me. Malachi even had me create a serum that would stop shifters from taking on their animal forms, and he had me inject myself so I wouldn’t shift. But I haven’t taken it since Malachi left and Minos took over. I have just never thought of my animal, I haven’t seen him in so long.”
“Would you like to shift now? Maybe get reacquainted with him?”
Samuel stiffened in his arms and began to shake his head frantically. “No. No, I can’t.”
“Why not, Samuel? You’re safe here. I won’t let anyone hurt you or your animal.”
“No. Malachi said I couldn’t show anyone my creature because then others would know.”
“They would know what, sweetheart?”
“I don’t know. He just said I couldn’t do it because then others would find out and that would be dangerous,” Samuel cried.
“What could your creature possibly be that would be dangerous? You said you were a smaller creature, so I don’t understand.”
“I don’t know, but Malachi was very insistent that I never show others my ocelot.”
Sasha sighed as his eyes closed. It was exactly what he thought it was. Malachi probably knew exactly who Samuel was and that’s why he didn’t want him to shift. “Oh, sweetheart. Now I am pretty sure what I have been thinking is true.”
Samuel pulled back to look at him. His tear streaked cheeks made Sasha’s heart clench. “What do you mean?”
“You are an ocelot and you said you had a twin brother who you thought was killed.”
“I did have a twin brother who was killed. Malachi told me. My parents told me before they were killed. I don’t understand what that has to do with what my animal is,” Samuel said anxiously.
“I think Malachi lied to your parents about your twin. You’re an ocelot, Samuel, but more than that, you are a genius. You just met Aaron, who is a genius doctor, who is also an ocelot, and looks just like you,” Sasha explained.
