Trouble Comes in Threes Page 18

  “You’re sure?” Tal asked.

  “Absolutely.”

  Tal laughed as two sets of clothing flew. He and Dolf shifted and soon they were racing all over the house, running the log truss system. Tal loved letting his cat loose. Things were so different in this form. Smells were sharper, a piece of trash was a wonderful toy, and his body moved in ways he missed in his human form. Tal jumped from one ledge to another, Dolf close behind.

  A fuzzy ball caught his attention, and he stalked toward it, moving slowly. Just feet away, butt wiggling, he pounced, batting the ball along the edge of the beam. Dolf meowed at him, and he looked over his shoulder. Dolf was looking down. Tal followed his gaze. Stretched out on the couch was Kirk, a grin on his face as he watched them.

  “Meeeeow!” Tal called to Kirk.

  A laugh floated up to him. That pleased him. After today, Kirk needed a reason to laugh. Tal’s whiskers twitched as he remembered what that wound on Kirk’s leg looked like. Goddess, the pain had to be awful.

  “Meeer.” Dolf snuck behind Tal and gently swatted his behind.

  Tal flicked his long tail in Dolf’s face for revenge.

  More laugher came from below.

  Dolf chased Tal all the way to the floor, then through the living area. They ripped and romped, hissing and yowling at each other, until they were tired. Instead of shifting back, they crawled up on Kirk, got comfortable, and took a catnap. Fortunately, the remote to the TV was close to Kirk.

  AFTER A while, they moved off a sleeping Kirk and shifted back. Hungry, they dressed and headed for the kitchen. Dolf made them sandwiches while Tal fixed their drinks. They sat at the little breakfast nook and ate, talking softly.

  “I find it odd that Kent didn’t show up after he said he would.”

  Tal bit into his sandwich. “Something might have come up, for all we know. You haven’t checked your phone lately. He might have called while we were playing.”

  “You’re right. I’ll check it after we eat.” Dolf attacked his chips. “There’s something else. Heller had duty this afternoon.”

  Tal put his drink down. “Dolf, what are you saying?”

  “I’m saying it would be very easy for him to see Kirk in the woods while he was patrolling the clowder’s perimeter.”

  “And what about the lack of scent?” Tal asked. “How’d he manage that?”

  “He lives right down the road. Wouldn’t take any time to swing by home, spray his body, then shift back and head here. Afterward he could run back home and take a ten-minute shower so his scent comes back. That would help any wound heal.”

  “But you can’t prove any of that.”

  “Heller has dark hair too,” Dolf said.

  “So do 95 percent of the cat shifters here, including Kent, you, and our Alpha. That means nothing. Kirk couldn’t say for sure what color the attacker’s coat was.”

  “But Heller was the one that said the only good human was a—” Dolf grimaced.

  “I was there. I remember. He was also upset, but we don’t know he meant it.”

  “No one else objected like Heller did to our mating a human.”

  “That you know of. And that, Dolf, is the problem here. Know what I’ve found? We shifters are speciesist. Well, at least most of us. Some less than others, true. We don’t trust anyone who isn’t a paranormal, and some paranormals we like better than others. We’re just as afraid of anything different from us as the humans. Being secretive is one thing. Being racist is another. This is what Jews fought against, what African-American and GLBT people have been fighting for years. We’ve let this go too far.”

  “The worst part is how some of us treat those we’ve changed. The humans have shifter blood, yet we treat them as….”

  “Less,” Tal said. “Less than us because they can’t shift.”

  “How, as a species, did we get so off track?”

  “I’m more worried about the more immediate situation. Kirk has never told us he loves us. He’s been ill-treated by shifters, and now attacked. How have we offered him anything better than he had?”

  “He has us.”

  “And look at what we brought him. I’m surprised he hasn’t run back to the life he had before us.”

  “He’s a fighter, Tal. He’s not going to run. No, our mate will fight to his last breath, and we’ll fight with him. It’s time we enlighten our species.”

  Tal hoped Dolf was right. He was falling in love with Kirk.

  They finished their snack, and Dolf checked his cell. “No missed calls. Kent still hasn’t called. I’m tempted to hunt him down and remind him how to treat the head beta’s mates.”

  “Maybe we should check on Kirk instead?”

  “Probably a better idea.” Dolf followed Tal to the living area.

  Kirk was struggling to sit up on the couch, rubbing his eyes. “Hey, guys, I was just about to come looking for you.” Kirk yawned, then stretched. “Didn’t mean to fall asleep.”

  “Healing can take a lot out of you.” Dolf sat on the edge of the couch. “Think you could eat something?”

  Kirk’s stomach growled in response.

  “I’ll take that as a yes.” Dolf stood. “Let me check that leg and your stomach.”

  Kirk smirked. “You’ll use any excuse.”

  Dolf cupped Kirk’s package as he made eye contact with the man on the couch. “I don’t make excuses. If I wanted to fuck you, I’d have your legs on my shoulders and my dick in your hole.”

  “Jesus,” Kirk shuddered. “That’s exactly what I needed… a hard-on.”

  Tal snickered as Kirk tried not to squirm while Dolf checked his wounds.

  “The wound on your leg is closed now.” Dolf lifted Kirk’s T-shirt. “Your stomach looks good too. And….” Dolf let the shirt back down and stared at Kirk’s face. “This one is nothing but a pink line. Let’s get you fed. I bet that will make you feel even better. How does a hamburger sound?”

  “Great. It sounds really great.” Kirk licked his lips. “Mouthwateringly great.”

  Dolf patted Kirk’s knee, then stood. “Give me twenty minutes, and it’ll be ready. I’ll bring it to you. Let’s give that leg a little longer to heal.”

  Kirk chowed down on a thick, juicy hamburger. After he ate, the three of them curled up on the couch and watched a movie. Kirk dozed.

  “He’s asleep again. Maybe he would rest better in bed,” Tal said.

  “Most likely. I’ll carry him up.”

  “Okay.”

  While Dolf carried Kirk upstairs, the doorbell rang. Tal opened the door to see Kent standing there and reason fled.

  “You!” Tal snarled, yanking the shifter inside and shoving him against the wall, his hand wrapped around Kent’s throat.

  Dolf returned back downstairs to raised voices. “Tal! Release him.”

  Tal’s low, rolling growl increased.

  Dolf spoke again, power surging through the room. “Now.”

  Kent whined, his body trembling.

  Tal hissed, eyes narrowed on the other shifter, but he released Kent. Stepping back, he glared at the male, his hands clenched at his side. Anger came off Tal in waves. His cat wanted out in the worst way.

  “Tal, Kirk is asleep upstairs. Do you want to wake him while he’s recovering?”

  Tal immediately backed down, the anger washing away. His fist unclenched and his body relaxed. The growling stopped, and another soft whimper came from Tal. He drew in a long breath and tilted his head, showing his throat. “I’m sorry, Dolf.”

  “I understand, but next time, think before you react.”

  Tal cringed. Even though he deserved a much harsher rebuke, the one Dolf delivered still stung. “Yes, Dolf. I will.”

  Dolf nodded, then turned his attention to Kent. “Are you just now heading in to work? I thought you worked days.”

  Kent rubbed his neck, shot a look at Tal, then edged a little farther away. “I do work days, but on the way to work, I must’ve run over a nail or something. I blew a t
ire and nearly wrecked the truck.”

  “Seriously?” Tal huffed.

  “Tal…,” Dolf warned. “So, you had a flat.”

  “I don’t have a spare. I ended up calling for a tow since I have towing insurance. I wasn’t just stuck on the side of the road, but I did have to wait for a tow truck. And it took its sweet time getting there. You can check with A1 Garage. I’m sure it’s recorded what time I called in and everything.”

  “I will.”

  “They towed me to their garage, and I bought a new tire from there. That took more time.”

  “Why didn’t you call me?” Dolf asked.

  “I did call work. You can check with my boss. I didn’t call you because Tal said to come by before work.” Kent shrugged. “Since I wasn’t going in….”

  “That’s one of the lamest excuses I’ve ever heard,” Tal complained. What he didn’t add was that, even though it was lame, it was probably the truth. There were too many verifiable sources to what happened. He also didn’t smell deception in Kent’s story.

  Dolf folded his arms over his chest. “Indeed. You knew what I’d have to say to you. So, simply put, you put off facing me.”

  Kent’s gaze dropped to the floor. “Yes.” Then Kent looked back up. “I was off base in how I spoke to your mate, and for that, I’m sorry.”

  Tal wanted to slap the guy upside the head. “You were cruel to a mate. Our mate. And there was no reason for you to be. Yes, he was human. But you’re old enough to know how this works. He has our blood in him. Our goddess chose him for us. Do you think she doesn’t know what she’s doing?”

  Kent paled. “I-I…. Holy cow. I didn’t think of it like that. All I saw was a human….” Kent hurried along when Tal opened his mouth again. “Yes, yes, he’s not fully human now. I didn’t stop to think about that. I just…. Oh goddess, I acted without thinking. I’m so sorry. Could I… speak to your mate?”

  “His name is Kirk,” Dolf said. “Kent, you hurt my mate with your actions. But you also just took a huge step toward personal growth. I think you see now. So, yes, I accept your apology. Unfortunately, Kirk isn’t available right now.”

  “Oh.” Kent’s face fell. “I understand.”

  Tal sighed. “It’s not what you think. Kirk is asleep, because….” He glanced at Dolf, who nodded. “Kirk was attacked this afternoon by a shifter. He was hurt rather badly, but he’s doing better now.”

  “We’re trying to find who did this to him.”

  Kent turned so white Tal thought he was going to faint. “You—you must think because I said what I did to him that I…. Oh goddess, I didn’t attack him! I swear. Call the company! Check with them. I was there most of the day. I wouldn’t… please!” Kent swayed. “I didn’t hurt him.”

  Tal stepped closer to Kent and braced him. “Easy, there.” Kent smelled of fear, worry, and disbelief. Tal wanted to scream because Kent did not smell of dishonesty. He wasn’t lying.

  Dolf sniffed, frowning.

  Kent’s knees buckled, dragging a surprised Tal to the floor with him. “Please check my story. I didn’t do this. Please!”

  Dolf ran his hands through his hair. “Calm down, Kent. I believe you. You don’t smell of deceit.”

  Tal patted Kent on the back. “And if you promise to adjust your attitude, we’ll let you talk to Kirk when he’s better.”

  “Thank you. I-I’d… I’d like that. I’d like to say I’m sorry to him, face-to-face.”

  Tal helped Kent up. “That’s fine, if you really mean it.”

  “I do!”

  “Okay, then. Give us a few days. One of us will call, if you’re serious.”

  Dolf walked Kent to his truck.

  Tal stared at the closed door they’d just walked through. “And we just lost a prime suspect.”

  Chapter 21

  Kirk

  IT HAD been a week since the attack. Since then, Remi had taken to hanging around when Tal and Dolf weren’t there. I hadn’t asked, but I was sure this was Dolf’s doing. I was totally okay with that. I was no weeping willow, but I didn’t have claws and fangs either. Now that I’d been on the receiving end of those, I didn’t want to be there again. So, I was cool with Remi being here.

  Good thing he and I got along well.

  I’d also found that sleeping with two other people made it damn difficult to hide things: hard-ons, wet dreams… and fucking nightmares. Five of those seven nights ended with me waking up a shivering, soaked mess. Tal was upset, and Dolf was furious. Me? I was fast getting to the point I was afraid to close my eyes, and that pissed me off. I always dreamed the same thing. It was a repeat of the attack in slow motion. I was in the woods. The feeling of menace was in the air. Something was watching me. That big evergreen shook, leaves crunched underfoot….

  By that point, I was fighting to wake up. I knew I was dreaming and knew what was coming. Living through it once was enough, thank you. I didn’t need to revisit the fear, the pain… all that fucking blood. My blood. No, I just wanted to forget it, but my damn brain seemed to be stuck on replay. On good nights, I woke one of them up mumbling and tossing. Those nights, I didn’t get very far into the dream.

  Other nights, I managed to get all the way up to the moment of the attack. Those nights ended with me drenched in a cold sweat. That was bad enough, but then all three of us had to get up because the sheets needed changing. Tal wanted me to speak to a professional. He knew of a shifter an hour away I could see. I’d said no right off the bat, and he couldn’t understand why I refused. That led to our first argument.

  It wasn’t because I was afraid to talk to a shrink. The argument ended with me yelling I didn’t want to deal with another fucking shifter turning his nose up at me. The sadness that came over Tal and Dolf blanketed the room, and I hated I’d caused that. But I couldn’t help how I felt. Thank goodness they understood and dropped the subject.

  And okay, I had trust issues with some of these damn shifters. Wonder why.

  So… it was five in the morning. Here we sat in bed, wide awake. Again. This was getting so old. Tal had changed the sheets while I took a quick shower to rinse the sweat off me. Tal and Dolf had on their robes when I joined them, so I slipped on mine.

  “We aren’t going back to bed?”

  “I have to get up in an hour anyhow,” Tal said. “I’m meeting the crew at seven. This is the last job before we start on the shop, so…. Let’s go downstairs and fix some coffee.”

  “I need to go in to the office and get caught up on Tal’s invoices.” Dolf tied the belt on his robe. “Anyone want breakfast?”

  “I could go for an omelet.”

  “Kirk?”

  “Absolutely.” I followed them down to the kitchen.

  Dolf assembled the things he needed. “A full belly is a good time to talk.”

  I flopped down in the chair, tempted to hide my head in my hands. “Aw, man. Look, guys, I’m not changing my mind about talking to a—”

  “No. That’s not what I meant.”

  “We do understand why you feel that way too.” Tal fixed the coffee.

  Dolf spoke while he diced the ingredients. “I’ve been thinking about this. You say at a certain point you start fighting to wake up.”

  “It’s… right before the attack starts.”

  “While I don’t blame you, have you stopped to think there might be a reason you keep dreaming this?”

  “You mean outside of my brain being wack?” I asked.

  Tal snorted.

  “It’s not wack, but maybe it is trying to get your attention.” Dolf cracked open the eggs, added milk, then whipped them. “You’re not going to like this, but I think you need to let the dream finish.”

  Tal finished the coffee and handed me a cup. Well, damn. “I knew you were going to say that.”

  Dolf let the omelet cook but glanced at me. “I believe your mind is trying to tell you something. It may be something important.”

  “Then it should send me a fucking text,” I mumble
d into my coffee. Tal’s sympathetic smile didn’t help.

  Dolf finished breakfast. We fixed our plates and carried them to the table.

  “Mmm, so good,” Tal muttered.

  I sipped my coffee as I ate, thinking about what Dolf had said. When they finished, I took the plates to the sink and cleaned them off. Once I finished, I returned to the kitchen table with the coffee pot and refilled their mugs.

  “Has there been any new clues?” I asked.

  “None.” Dolf set his mug down. “Remi even checked for blood after it happened, and… there was too much of yours. He found nothing.”

  I sipped too much hot coffee and burned my tongue. Annoyed, I set my mug down. “So, we have no idea who did it, and no way to find out.”

  “Remi has asked around to see if anyone did any bragging,” Tal said. “Nothing came from that either. So, no, we have nothing.”

  “Okay, then.” I finished my coffee, turning over the lack of facts in my mind. There was only one thing I could do, as much as I didn’t want to. “I’ll try not to fight the dream. It’s just… shit. I really don’t want to relive that again.”

  “I know, and I wish you didn’t need to. But we will be there when you wake up,” Dolf said.

  “I….” Wow, this was hard for me to admit. For so long, I had only myself to depend on. “I’ll need you guys, especially if I have to relive that damn attack.”

  Tal looked at me. “We will always be there for you. Always.”

  “It’s settled, then. Guess we better get dressed and get to work.” Together, we headed upstairs to shower and get ready for the day.

  I dreaded the night.

  I STAYED at home while they went to work. They had to get my shop up and running. Soon. This sitting around with nothing to do was driving me crazy. I’d thought having some time off would be nice, but it wasn’t.

  It wasn’t as if I were alone either. No sooner than Tal and Dolf left, Remi joined me in the kitchen. “Hey, man, how’s it going?”

  “Slow.” Leaning against the counter, I sipped my third cup of coffee. “That’s how it’s going.”