Authors: Joyee Flynn
“Leave me be,” I croaked out, my throat hurt from the vomiting. “I’ll clean it up in a minute. Just give me some space.”
“I’ll clean it up. It’s not a problem,” he replied softly and moved away from me.
“I can clean up my own puke, Curtis,” I growled none too gently.
“How? You don’t know the room, and you just hit your head.”
“And I’m blind, right? I’m weak and blind. You forgot that part.” I pushed up enough to plop on my ass as I grabbed my head again. It was wet against my fingers, and I knew I was bleeding. I’d have to shift to heal the wound.
“Don’t put words in my mouth, Shem,” he said firmly as he pattered to the bathroom. Well, I assumed it was the bathroom unless he had a tiled closet that made his voice echo. “I’m sorry you got hurt and upset by whatever I said. But I don’t think you’re weak, so don’t put that shit on me.”
“Fine, just leave it. I’ll get one of my brothers to clean it.”
“I can take care of my mate,” Curtis shouted as he turned on the sink.
I couldn’t deal with this right then. I needed to get out of there. My head hurt, I was embarrassed I vomited and couldn't clean it up, guilt and grief were swarming me faster than I could process, and I was just all around annoyed with myself. And most of all, I didn’t want to admit Curtis was right. I needed to be taken care of at times. I stumbled to the door and turned the knob before letting the change flow over me.
“
Shemael
, don’t you dare run from this,” Curtis roared out as I booked it from the room. As much as I knew he was right and had every reason to be upset, I couldn't stay because I felt as if the walls were closing in on me. “Get back here, Shem!”
I raced down the main staircase, grateful at least my head stopped throbbing, and out the door someone ran to open for me when he saw me coming. Smart vampire, because right then I wouldn’t have cared if I shattered the door barreling through it.
Once outside, I just ran. I made sure to circle the property since I knew when I got exhausted, I’d collapse and shift back. And the idea of being naked on strange grounds when I couldn’t see was scary enough to cut through my emotional fog.
It didn’t take long for Ham to join me as I circled the grounds. As we were litter-mates, we could talk to each other telepathically and had like a hive mind when in cheetah form.
I saw images in Ham’s mind of my mate crying to my brother, scared out of his mind at where I went and the danger I could be in. Well, shit, that wasn’t the reaction I’d expected from Curtis. Pissed I could handle. Worried and distraught, no way. I sent Ham back images of what had happened, the questions, the guilt, and the emotional turmoil I was feeling.
“You’re right. We need to have a family meeting,”
he said as we headed back to the mansion.
“We’ve let this go too long with our grief. It’s time we decide what’s the next step for our family.”
“Agreed,”
I replied. A few minutes later, we reached the back terrace. Before we even had to worry about shifting back and being naked in front of people, my mate came racing out the back door.
“Thanks for coming to get me, Ham. He doesn’t deserve to deal with my shit, and I never thought he’d be so upset I went for a run.”
“Did you tell him you were just going for a run?”
he asked in a tone that let me know Ham already knew the answer.
“Angel, I’m so sorry, okay? I won’t ever yell at you again, just don’t scare me like that,” Curtis rambled as he dropped to his knees and buried his face in my fur. “I can’t survive without you, Shem. You can’t leave me, baby.”
Cass came out with some clothes for Ham and I, and I shifted back. When I was in human form again, I threw my arms and legs around my mate.
“I wasn’t leaving you, big guy,” I said gently, running my hands over his back to sooth him. He was shaking in my embrace, and I started to feel even more guilt.
“Stop feeling guilty. Whatever it is, it wasn’t your fault. It was mine.”
“No, it was mine, Curtis. I should have told you I was shifting to heal the cut on my head, and I needed some air. I wasn’t running from you. I just couldn’t deal right then.”
“Okay, angel, whatever you need,” he said quickly as he moved his hands over my body as if checking for wounds. Then he growled loudly and started to pull off his shirt. “No one sees my mate naked but me.”
“I’ve got clothes, Curtis.” Cass chuckled and tossed a set at me. “Shifters are cool with nudity. You might want to get used to it now that you’re part of this family.”
“Sorry, I’ve not claimed Shem yet.” He answered and I felt his shirt brush my back as he put it back on as I got dressed. “We’re incredibly and obsessively territorial until that happens and sometimes afterwards.”
“But you’ve drank my blood when we’ve been intimate,” I whispered as my cheeks heated up with embarrassment.
“But not while I’ve taken you, angel,” he replied, cupping my cheek. “Just like you have to take me and bite me to claim me, the same is true for vampires. Or there has to be a simultaneous blood exchange. ”
“Oh fuck,” I gasped as once again his selflessness made me feel like a selfish asshole. “I–I didn’t know. I knew you were giving me time, but I didn’t know you weren’t claiming me until we did it that way. We can do it right now. I’m ready. Come on, you can take me.”
“I’m fine, angel.” He chuckled as I tugged on his hand with my arm only through one hole of my shirt. Of course, it was like trying to move an oak tree, even with my increased shifter strength. “I’m just a little extra possessive until I claim you.”
“But you don’t hurt, right? You’re not uncomfortable or clawing with need?”
“No, but thank you for your concern,” Curtis answered as he pulled me into his arms and brushed his lips across mine.
“I’m sorry about earlier. I was being a total brat,” I admitted as I finished pulling on my shirt.
“Since we’re all here, let’s go to the library and talk as a family,” Cass said loudly after he’d been whispering over with Ham. “There are things we need to handle.”
“I’ll leave you guys to it.” Curtis went to pull away from me, but I smacked him across the chest. “What was that for?”
“You
are
part of this family, my mate.” I snickered as I took one of his hands in both of mine.
“I’m good with that,” he replied and led me to the library.
A few minutes later, we were all seated and ready. I was snuggled on Curtis’ lap in an overstuffed chair, and while I could smell my brothers, I had no clue who was where. Swallowing loudly, I braced for the conversation to come. Part of me wanted to go hide in my room, but I knew it was time we dealt with what had happened and planned for the future.
Chapter 3
“Conley was kind enough to send some of his people to clean our house and take care of Mom, Mom, and Dad’s bodies,” Cass started after clearing his throat a few times. “I have their ashes in my room. Since they weren’t found in the best of condition, Conley explained to me that it might be best to have them all cremated together, and I gave him the okay.”
“So then let’s go home,”
Hael
said softly. “I’m tired of being here as a guest and having no purpose. I think we all knew Conley handled everything, but I was still scared as to what we’d walk into.”
“Not all the Hunters have been killed, just the ones who took
Kody
and ran the circus,” Curtis replied slowly. And I could feel his apprehension to jump in and be the bearer of bad news. “It’s not safe for you guys to go home and stay there. They know where you live and already have made moves to capture you.”
“Other cat families live on their own,” Ham objected. “The Donovans for instance. And I know Avery and his mates live by a wolf pack, but the rest of the Donovans live in
Sheridan
alone.”
“There’s a wolf pack there, too,” Cass countered. “I agree with Curtis that it’s not safe for us to live out in the middle of nowhere outside of
Boston
. We’re too far away from the
Boston
pack if we need help. And we need to take into account that Curtis and Shem will be in
South Dakota
.”
“We will?” I asked, confusion swarming over me. “Is that where you’d be if you take over Harold’s position?”
“Yes,” Curtis answered from between ground teeth.
“I apologize,” Cass said softly. “Conley and I talked about this once he learned you were mated to my brother. He said it was an inherited position and it might be best for us to consider living with you guys since we’d be safe around vampires.”
“Bullshit!”
Hael
exclaimed. “Look, I like Conley, and everyone here has been cool, but those vampires in
South Dakota
were the ones who took
Kody
. How can we trust any of them? And how could the vamps do any better keeping the Hunters away than we could if we stayed together?”
Before I could even throw in my two cents, I was moved off of Curtis’ lap, and he was gone. It was faster than I could even follow, not having realized that he’d moved except I was now alone in the chair.
“You buy it now?” Curtis growled from the direction of
Hael
.
“Yeah, yeah, I get it,”
Hael
gasped, and I could hear the fear in his voice.
“What the fuck is going on?” I yelled, frantic that my mate and brother were fighting and I couldn’t even see what was happening. “Curtis! Don’t you dare hurt
Hael
!”
“He didn’t,”
Hael
said quickly, and I felt Curtis kneel in front of me.
“I was proving a point, angel.”
“Not by scaring my brothers ever.” I growled and slapped his hands away when he went to touch my thighs. “What did you do, Curtis? All of a sudden, I was sitting in the chair alone. Do you have any idea how freaky that is when I can’t see what the fuck is going on?”
“Shit, I’m so sorry, Shem,” my mate begged as he kept trying to touch me. But every time he did, I smacked his hands. “I didn’t hurt
Hael
. I was trying to show him why vampires were able to protect your family. I can move faster than any of you can even track. He could blink and miss that I was at his neck with my fangs out.”
“You were going to bite
Hael
?” I gasped, hurt more now than angry. “Do you want him instead of me? I thought you were happy with me? Is this because I threw up and ran? I said I was sorry for that!”
“Shem, calm down!” Cass shouted as he moved and put his hands on my shoulders. “Your mate wasn’t putting the moves on
Hael
, okay? Just relax, and we’ll explain what just happened. Everyone and everything is fine, baby bro. You need to just breathe a moment. I’m sorry you were startled, but your mate was smart and showed us something we didn’t know.”
Before I could answer, he shoved my head in between my knees so I could calm down. Cass was the best at handling us when we panicked. Since he had four brothers who were partially or completely blind, he was used to how certain things freaked us out. There was never a time when I felt more helpless in the world than when it sounded like the shit was hitting the fan and I couldn’t do anything but just sit there.
“Shem, I’d never hurt your family,” Curtis whispered in my ear as he rubbed my back. “And I don’t want
Hael
. I only want you, my mate.”
“Okay,” I replied, taking a few more deep breaths before sitting back up. “Then please tell those of us in the room who can’t see what just happened.”
“Curtis showed us how fast he could move,”
Hael
said gently. “Before I even knew what was happening, he was out of his seat, holding me to my chair with his fangs bared against my throat. He didn’t hurt me, Shem. It was smart. He showed us what vamps are capable of, which couldn’t be put into words. I mean, saying he’s really fucking fast doesn’t quiet cover it.”