by Shea Balik
Thankfully, Teddy shut the fuck up and Nole hadn’t taken offense as he answered the question. “Honestly? I wish I knew. Sure, his burns were far worse than what you saw today, but I would have thought he would have healed faster than he has.”
Nole was once more leaning heavily against his mate as if soaking up his strength. “I’ve consulted with every doctor I know around the world. Most were stunned Kylo is still alive, the others gave the same treatment recommendations I’ve been doing. We all agree he needs to shift more, but I think being surrounded by a forest is hindering things. His seal needs the ocean.”
Yosi gave him a nod of thanks. “That is something I can give him.” Then he turned to Rus, who was standing close by, like always, “We need to head out as soon as possible.”
Trusting that Rus would take care of the details, Yosi looked over at Jazz and Wilder. “I still need to speak with you, but…”
Jazz waved him off. “Whatever it is, can wait. Your mate is more important.” He wrapped an arm around Wilder’s waist. “We get that.”
With reluctance, Yosi then turned to Teddy. “Would you do me the favor of taking me to Kylo’s apartment?”
He thought it would be better to ask Kylo’s friend than one of the others. Yosi wasn’t going to hold a grudge against the man for trying to look out for his friend, especially when it was Yosi’s mate. Kylo needed everyone he could get in his corner and Yosi wasn’t about to put a wedge between him and his friends.
When Teddy nodded and led him from the Alpha’s house, Yosi decided to offer a bigger olive branch. “If you would like to come with us, I’d be happy to make room for you. I’m sure your orca misses the ocean as much as Kylo’s seal.”
Teddy’s eyes lit up and he swore the man’s scowl had briefly turned into a smile. “I would appreciate that.”
Not exactly the cheerful response he was hoping for, but it was a start.
CHAPTER 6
“You okay there, Kylo?” Greyson asked. He was not only one of Kylo’s best friends, but he was also the one who had saved Kylo from the fire.
He was still somewhat undecided if he was grateful or not to his friend. At the same time, Kylo would have done the same for Greyson, so he couldn’t exactly blame the man for doing everything in his power to pull Kylo from that burning building.
What he could be was upset that Greyson was even there. Teddy must have called him. Otherwise, why would he be in front of Kylo’s apartment as if he were waiting on him? He should be ticked his friends were once again trying to come to his rescue, but if Kylo were honest with himself, which he tried to be after his near-death experience, he needed someone to talk to.
“I should have known the secret whisperer would be waiting on me,” he grumbled. Just because he might want to talk, didn’t mean he appreciated that his friends kept butting into his life.
There was a flash of sadness in Greyson’s features that the old Kylo would have instantly tried to make better. But this was the new, if not always improved Kylo, and he was done apologizing, especially when he’d repeatedly asked his friends to stop helping him all the time.
Was it really too much to ask that he be allowed to pretend he was a man, even if his body didn’t always want to act like one?
“Sorry,” Greyson said. “I just knew you had that appointment with Nole, and I figured you might need a friendly ear.”
Huh?
“Teddy didn’t call you?” Kylo asked suspiciously.
Greyson wasn’t great at lying, especially to Kylo, who had known him since they were teenagers. “Why would Teddy call me?” Greyson asked. None of Greyson’s tells were showing at the moment.
Just to test him, Kylo said, “Because Yosi Pendev showed up in a helicopter while I was there.”
Greyson’s brows rose up in surprise. “Seriously? I thought that guy never left his island. Jazz was just talking about how much the man valued his privacy. He’d even done a search, and you know how good Jazz is on the computer, but there isn’t a good photo of the guy like… anywhere.”
He didn’t want to, but Kylo had to admit to wanting to know more. He couldn’t imagine isolating himself on an island. Since Greyson had saved him from a school of shark shifters when Kylo was only fourteen, they had traveled all over the country. Even going as far south as South America to try and find a safe place to live.
“Are you telling me that you don’t know I just met my mate?” Kylo stared hard at Greyson, looking for any signs that he wasn’t being truthful.
But the way his eyes lit up like a Christmas tree, and the fact that he’d completely forgotten about Kylo’s condition when he went to give him a bone crushing hug, was all the confirmation Kylo needed to prove that for once his friends hadn’t been conspiring against him.
That said, he also couldn’t breathe as the pain that had already been at a ten, skyrocketed to levels he wasn’t sure he’d ever felt. Maybe at the time of the fire, but he’d been so damn out of it, that Kylo’s brain had thankfully blocked the memories.
“Oh Kylo, I’m so sorry.” Greyson kept one arm around Kylo for support. “Come on, let’s get you inside.”
At that point Kylo would have preferred his friend just picking him the fuck up and carrying him into his apartment. Later, he was sure he would appreciate that Greyson had let Kylo do it under his own power, but not right then. It was hard enough to breath as agony flowed through his veins, much less be able to think how to put one foot in front of the other.
It was only because Greyson kept telling him to move either the right or left foot that he was able to do so, and that was only because his body was on some sort of automatic pilot. For his brain sure as hell wasn’t working.
“Breath, Kylo,” Greyson said as they somehow made it into his apartment. “Kylo.” He heard his name shouted but it was as if it were coming through a tunnel.
He wasn’t sure what happened but when he finally was able to force his brain to pay attention, he was on his bed and Yosi was lying next to him, encouraging him to breath with him. A hand softly stroked him along his head and cheek and things began to slowly come back to him.
Obviously, he was able to feel that amazing touch, but it was the sound of Yosi’s voice that prodded his mind to reconnect to the world.
“I’ve got you, baby. Now let’s inhale. That’s right. You’re doing great. Now exhale.” Each word was gentle and sweet as Yosi patiently brought him back to the land of the living.
“There you go, baby. That’s it. Just keep breathing and it will get a better,” Yosi murmured.
Kylo didn’t have the heart to tell him it would never be better. Yeah, he may not be in the kind of agony that had him blacking out, but it would still always be there. The anguish of just being alive forever altering his life.
“They won,” he breathed out on the next exhale. “I tried not to let them, but it’s time to face facts. Alpha Vitus and his enforcers might be dead, but in the end, they did what they set out to do. They broke me.”
“No.” It was only one word, but it came out like a whip being snapped. Yosi’s dark blue eyes stared straight into his. “You are strong, resilient, and a fighter. Despite all odds, you are alive. That makes you the winner. More importantly, it proves that no matter what, you are brave enough to face whatever comes your way. No matter how tough it gets.”
Kylo wanted to believe his mate. He really did. But he just wasn’t sure how. Even his animal, who desperately wanted to get out, balked at the thought of having to feel the pain that coursed through him when he did.
“What if I can’t?” The fear and sadness that flashed in Yosi’s eyes had Kylo wishing he could take it back, but it needed to be said. Every single day, the thoughts of ending the agony were becoming more prevalent and Yosi needed to be prepared.
“Then I will see you in the next life, my love.” Tears swam in those blue depths, making them sparkle as the sun cut across the room from the window on the opposite all. “But I also know you aren’t a qu
itter, my mate.”
He let out a sound between a laugh and a snort between the tears he was now crying along with his mate. “We only just met. You don’t know if I’m a quitter or not.”
Yosi leaned closer and placed a kiss to the tip of Kylo’s nose. “But I do, baby. You fought every inch of the way to get dressed and then walk out of that medical suite despite how difficult it was for you. Then, you walked all this way to your apartment with your head held high.”
Kylo frowned. “How would you know that?”
His mate grinned. “One of my security team was following you.” Kylo’s frowned deepened at the implication of that. But Yosi reassured him before he could say anything. “You are my mate, Kylo. From now on, expect to have security always watching over you. I won’t let them interfere unless they feel you are in danger, I swear it.”
Still not sure how he felt about that, Kylo decided it wasn’t something that needed discussing for the moment. For now, he just wanted to stay there, with his mate next to him. “Can we sleep for a while?”
His heart soared when Yosi curled a little closer to him yet made sure not to put his hands or arms on any of his wounds. “I would love to hold you while you sleep, baby.”
His eyes were already starting to drift closed as a sense of peace floated through him, allowing some of the pain to recede. “Not a baby,” he murmured.
He didn’t want anyone thinking he was too weak to take care of himself. That was especially true of his mate.
“How about babe?” Yosi asked.
Kylo shook his head, hoping the motion could be seen since the exhaustion of the day was catching up to him fast.
“Okay,” Yosi said. “Well, I wanted a nickname that was just between us, so how about we sleep for now and come up with something you find acceptable later?”
That sounded good to Kylo. Too bad he couldn’t speak at the moment, for sleep had taken him into its embrace.
CHAPTER 7
Yosi hadn’t expected to sleep but having his mate in his arms relaxed him in a way he’d never experienced before. One minute he was luxuriating in the fact that he was able to hold Kylo, even give him enough comfort to fall asleep without quite so many lines marring his face from the pain. The next, it was dark out as Yosi came awake to the sounds of little whimpers his mate was making.
“Shhhh, my…” remembering at the last second Kylo’s request not to be called baby, Yosi said, “brave one.” It wasn’t exactly the term of endearment he wanted to use, but in this case, it fit, and he wouldn’t break his promise about using baby.
“I’ve got you,” Yosi whispered into Kylo’s ear.
Those beautiful grey eyes popped open, staring right at Yosi. Kylo blinked, then smiled. “You’re real,” he whispered, and by the way he suddenly was trying to look anywhere other than Yosi, he would guess Kylo hadn’t meant to say that out loud.
Chuckling, Yosi leaned in and placed a soft kiss to those lips that he’d been dreaming about just before waking up. “Yes, I am real.”
Then he kissed Kylo again, this time he didn’t keep it to a short peck. He started by kissing the edge of one side of Kylo’s mouth, making his way across that full bottom lip, before starting on the top. When he was back at the same delectable corner he’d begun, he repeated the process with his tongue.
Faint flavors of his mate filled his senses. Not only could he smell the orange and lime wrap around him, but they coated his taste buds. He’d been crazy to ever think those candies were the best things he’d ever had, because this was a million times better.
The sweet and sour blended together, causing Yosi to crave more. Deepening the kiss, he placed a thumb along Kylo’s jawline, encouraging him with a little pressure to open those succulent lips.
If he wasn’t busy with his mouth, Yosi would have shouted in triumph when Kylo opened for him, allowing him to dip his tongue inside. His eyes rolled in the back of his head as all those scrumptious flavors rolled across his taste buds. Addicted, Yosi knew he would never be able to resist the chance to kiss his mate whenever he could.
He swore he was flying high. Never had a kiss been anything like this in the past. Hell, nothing he’d ever experienced could come close to this.
Kylo whimpered. The pain clear in the pathetic sound and Yosi came crashing back to reality. Jerking away, he made sure no part of him was touching Kylo for fear of hurting him even more.
“No,” Kylo pleaded, even as he reached out to try and stop Yosi, which only had him hissing when he stretched too far, causing his healing flesh to pull. “Please don’t leave,” Kylo begged even as he tried to breathe through the pain.
“I don’t want to be the reason you’re in pain.” That was the last thing Yosi would ever do.
Kylo’s head moved the barest bit from side to side. Clearly, he couldn’t speak yet as he worked to inhale through his nose and exhale from his mouth. But he didn’t need to speak for Yosi to understand his mate didn’t want him to think he was the reason for the pain.
Except…what else was there to think? It had been while they were kissing that he’d been hurting.
There was a desperation in those grey eyes for understanding, but Yosi wasn’t sure what there was to comprehend. He’d hurt his mate. Him. It might not have been on purpose but that didn’t make it any less Yosi’s fault.
“Always in pain.” Kylo said each word as he blew out a breath. “Not your fault.”
Yosi let out his own breath as he thought about what Kylo was trying to tell him. But he wasn’t sure if it mattered whether Yosi had been responsible or not. His mate was in agonizing pain. If a simple kiss could cause all this, there was no way they’d be able to have sex.
Not that Yosi cared about that. Okay, that wasn’t entirely true. Obviously, he wanted to be intimate with his mate, but it wasn’t something he had to have. All he really wanted was to be with Kylo. To show him how much he meant to Yosi. To care for him and make him smile.
Sex would be great. Let’s face it, it would be mind-blowing. That said, it wasn’t necessary for Yosi to be happy with his mate. Except… how was he to claim Kylo without sex?
He would gladly let Kylo have his ass instead, but any movement was enough to trigger Kylo’s anguish. That was something Yosi didn’t think he could bare. Ever.
“Stop thinking so hard,” Kylo admonished.
During Yosi’s internal battle, Kylo had found a way to block the pain enough that he was once more able to talk. “How bad is the pain?” he asked, more than a little afraid to hear the answer.
But Kylo smiled. “It hurts like a bitch.”
How he was able to say that cheerfully, Yosi didn’t know. Sure, there was a heavy dose of sarcasm in his voice, but the fact that he was able to sound like nothing was really wrong at the moment stunned Yosi. “How do you do that?”
Kylo frowned. “Do what?”
“Find a way to make fun of what’s happening.” Yosi was sure he would be constantly moaning and groaning if he was going through what Kylo was.
“It’s that or cry,” Kylo told him. He lifted his left shoulder just a bit and added, “I cried enough those first couple of months.” This time he let out a harsh laugh. “Who am I kidding? I still cry every damn day when it gets too much, but I am tired of always crying. Instead, I make jokes, or tell people to fuck off. Either way, it helps.”
The telling others off was completely understandable. Yosi would have been yelling and cursing anyone who came near him.
“But as for you kissing me,” Kylo said seriously. “You didn’t hurt me. I promise.”
Yosi believed him. But he wasn’t sure it made a damn bit of difference. “That might be true, but…” Not sure how to bring up their mating, Yosi let his voice trail off.
“But what?” Kylo asked.
Maybe he shouldn’t bring it up. It wasn’t like it would make a bit of a difference. Yosi would bring Kylo to his island and hopefully by shifting several times and allowing his seal to swim, that would he
lp him heal further, but unless it was drastic, they would never be able to claim each other.
It would mean Yosi, and probably Kylo for that matter, would be more jealous and protective as they weren’t able to mark each other as theirs, but since there weren’t many people on the island, it shouldn’t be too challenging.
“What?” Kylo said again, this time more insistently.
Yosi shook his head. “Nothing. It doesn’t matter.”
“Clearly it does, or you wouldn’t have said anything.” Kylo was beginning to become more agitated. He even tried to roll onto his side so he could face Yosi.
The grimaces and small hisses from Kylo had Yosi rushing to stop him. First, he tried to put a hand on Kylo, but Kylo pushed it away as he continued to move. Unable to think of what else he could do to stop Kylo, Yosi blurted out, “We won’t be able to have sex and claim each other.”
“What?” Kylo shouted. But it wasn’t his tone of voice that had Yosi panicking, it was the fact that he’d sat straight up. Then an unholy scream, similar to the one Yosi had heard the first time he’d met his mate, echoed around the room.
“What do you need me to do, baby?” No longer able to think with his mate in that much agony, Yosi didn’t remember to not call him that.
“Stop fucking calling me baby,” Kylo screamed at the top of his lungs. “And we’re having sex even if I have to tie you down and fuck you.”
There was little doubt with how strongly Kylo was yelling, the entire apartment complex heard that, but just to be sure those embarrassing words weren’t missed by those who knew them the best, Rus, Teddy, as well as Greyson, who Yosi had met when he’d come to Kylo’s apartment to find his mate unconscious, yet still whimpering in pain earlier, all raced in with another man with even more colorful hair than Yosi.
The man, whose hair was done in a purple ombre from dark to bright with a few strands of pink and green mixed in, smirked with a knowing look in his eyes. “I hear you, Kylo. If you need help holding him down, I bet Chadwick will be happy to lend a hand.” Then he held out a hand to Yosi. “I’m Iniko by the way. It’s nice to meet you.”
