Hearts and Minds (A Shifter Chronicles Story, Sequel to Healing Minds)
Page 7
Xavier blinked, surprise flickering in his eyes. “What?”
Josh grinned, liking the idea. “Train me. Teach me what you know, and then you’ll know I’m capable of handling anything that comes our way. Prepare me.”
“I… um. Hmmm.” Xavier eyed Josh, and Josh thought he was considering it.
Josh kissed him again, suddenly excited. “Think about it.”
“Only if you think about this: that violent, aggressive shifters will be under my care. We’ll employ others who can handle them in therapy, but I’ll be dealing directly with them. Not you.”
Josh frowned. “I don’t like that.”
“Josh.”
“Xavier,” he said, using the same tone. “You think protectiveness is exclusively your territory? You think I want you in danger?”
Xavier’s gaze never wavered.
Josh struggled to loosen the tension in his shoulders. He didn’t want to argue or fight.
“We need to negotiate.”
“I thought we were negotiating.” Xavier raised an eyebrow. “I train you, but you leave the violent cases to me. You’ll know how to handle yourself, but you won’t put yourself into dangerous situations.”
Josh opened his mouth, but Xavier pressed a finger to his lips. “You’re talented at many things, Josh. I’m talented at other things. Let’s stick with our strengths, at least at the beginning, shall we?”
Josh blew out a breath. “Yeah. Fine. For now.”
“Thank you.” There was such intensity in his words, Josh’s mouth twitched. They weren’t finished with this argument, not by a long shot, but he felt they were on better terms than before.
He leaned down for another kiss when a sudden knock at the door startled both of them.
“What?” Xavier barked.
“Sorry, guys,” Misty said from behind the door. “But I just came over to get something I forgot, and Freddie arrived at the same time and is insisting that he talk to Josh. He’s feeling twitchy again and wants to talk.”
Josh and Xavier looked at each other.
“Only if I go with you,” Xavier said.
“Could you wait outside the door? He might not like the extra company.”
Xavier stared for a long beat before nodding. Compromise, Josh thought. It was hard, but it was worth it.
He stood, grabbed his clothes, but then turned and touched Xavier’s arm. Xavier looked at him.
“I forgot to ask you something.”
“What?”
“Will you be my Valentine?” he asked, sounding serious, while laughing inside.
Xavier stared at him for a split second before a grin burst on his face and a laugh bubbled up from his chest. He wrapped his arms around Josh and lifted him off his feet.
“Yes, mate, I’ll be your Valentine. I’ll always be your Valentine.”
Josh hugged Xavier tightly, closing his eyes. Despite everything, for a thrown-together celebration, it hadn’t been such a bad first Valentine’s Day after all.
###
About This Book
It was a whole bunch of fun to revisit Xavier and Josh and see how they were doing. They are my top five favorite couples in the series, and it was great to check in. I enjoy writing sequels centered around a holiday. I did Christmas for Derek and Brian (Psychic Moon) and Halloween for Jack and Travis (Blind Devotion.) But I decided Valentine’s day for these guys because neither of them have been in serious relationships before and as Josh stated, Xavier is a bad ass manly man so would he want to celebrate sap?
Of course I needed to add some drama, action, and conflict because what would a story be with those elements? And since the clinic and Haven will play a major role in later books, it felt like the right time to reintroduce and check in.
I didn’t need to change really anything in this story, except for Travis’s blindness. Due to the modifications in the second edition of “Blind Devotion,” I needed to remain consistent and tweak a few things. I think it all turned out great. This won’t be the last time we see Josh and Xavier, not by a long shot, so continue to join me for future installments!
May dragons guard your dreams,
M.D. Grimm
About M.D. Grimm
M.D. Grimm decided to become an author in the second grade (kind of young to make life decisions, but whatever) and nothing has changed since then (well, plenty of things, actually, but not that!). Thankfully, she has indulgent parents who let her dream, but also made sure she understood she’d need a steady job to pay the bills (they never let her forget it!). After graduating from the University of Oregon and majoring in English (let’s be honest: useless degree, what else was she going to do with it?), she started on her writing career and couldn’t be happier. Working by day and writing by night (or any spare time she can carve out), she enjoys embarking on romantic quests and daring adventures (living vicariously, you could say) and creating characters that always triumph against the villain (or else what’s the point?), finding their soul mate in the process.
Other Titles by M.D. Grimm
If you enjoyed this book, you might also enjoy...
A Warrior’s Redemption trilogy
Healing Lance
Forgiving Lance
Avenging Lance
Anthology
Guardians of a Giant’s Treasure
(Includes: Trash and Treasures, Night Guardians, A Giant’s Friend)
On Wings saga
On Wings of Thunder
On Wings of Passion (prequel)
Queer SciFi Flash Fiction Anthology
Renewal
Impact
Migration
Single Title
Eye of the Beholder
The Saga of the Bold People
Leopold
Legacy
The Shifter Chronicles
Psychic Moon * Celtic Warrior and Wolf Spirit
Love is a Whirlwind
Blind Devotion * Ghosts of Halloween Past
Hunter and Hunted
Healing Minds * Hearts and Minds
Master’s Blood
Hunted Guardian
The Serpent and the Angel
Predator and Prey
Shifting Moon
Feather and Scroll
Kindred Truths
Wisdom’s Allegiance
The Stones of Power
Ruby: Lost and Found
Peridot: War and Peace
Amethyst: Bow and Arrow
Agate: Then and Now
Emerald: Good and Evil
Carnelian: Dreams and Visions
Lapis Lazuli: Forgotten and Remembered
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