Tails and Tentacles (Miracle: Salvation Isle #5)
1. PROLOGUE
PROLOGUE
Tears that Channing Mercer knew were useless, refused to stop streaming from his eyes as he hung his head in shame when he’d left his parents’ house. Funny how in the span of a few minutes, what he used to consider ‘home’ was no longer true.
Deep down, when he’d fucked up his life, his parents wouldn’t support him. He’d hope for it, but even though he knew they loved him, there were some things they refused to accept. A child outside of a mating had been one of them.
Who was he kidding? They didn’t believe in sex before finding one’s mate. They were very old-fashioned when it came to certain things like sex. Still, Channing had hoped since he was carrying their grandchild, they might at least help him get back on his feet instead of turning their backs on him and insisting he leave their house immediately.
He’d been a fool. He’d jumped at the chance to attend University in England, far from his sleepy little town along the Indian Ocean. He’d been so desperate to see the world that he’d ignored his parents’ warnings about being careful, for there were many people out in the world who thought nothing about taking advantage of others.
He should have listened. But it had been four years, and he’d had a great time. Been involved with several boyfriends. Attended parties. All the things a typical University student did, or at least from what he’d witnessed others doing.
He’d been about to graduate and started interviewing for positions in his chosen field, environmental sciences, when he’d met Tad Rollins, an idealistic graduate student who was interviewing for an internship for the summer with the same company Channing was hoping to get a full-time job. They’d sat in a large room with at least a dozen other candidates for the same positions.
It had been happenstance that they’d been sitting next to each other, but it had been Tad who had the nerve to strike up a conversation. By the time Channing had been called back for his interview, he’d given Tad his number and they’d made tentative plans to meet that evening at a local pub near the University where they both had flats.
Entering the pub, Channing found Tad chatting up another man. No. Flirting with another man. That should have been enough of a warning, but when he’d brought it up, Tad had looked astonished. He’d claimed he hadn’t been, but even if he had, they hadn’t even had their first date, nor had he been certain Channing would even show up.
Tad had told him if he was going to be that possessive that early in their relationship, it would not work. Seeing his point, Channing apologized and swore that wasn’t how he felt. He had just been surprised to see Tad flirting with someone else while waiting for him.
Feeling like a heel, Channing spent the rest of the night apologizing and doing everything in his power to reassure Tad he didn’t expect a commitment. Even though he never slept with anyone on their first date, he’d been so desperate to make up for his faux pas that he’d gone against his rule and took Tad home.
When Tad insisted, as they were both shifters, they not use condoms, Channing warned him he was a seahorse shifter, one of the few male shifters who could get pregnant. But Tad didn’t seem to care and claimed he didn’t have sex with condoms, so if that was something Channing wanted, he would leave. He really should have listened to the warning bells clanging in his head.
If only he hadn’t spent the entire night trying to prove he wasn’t some clingy nightmare, Channing might have been smart enough to run and never return. Somehow, once he started down that path, it continued for another month. One week before his graduation, he took a pregnancy test and found out his worst fear had come true.
Don’t get him wrong, he wanted kids, just not that early in his life. The fact that it was with someone who wasn’t his mate also didn’t feel right. Still, he’d gone to Tad, although it hadn’t been easy as Tad had never once taken Channing to his house, nor said where he lived.
Scrolling through the graduate student directory, he’d finally found Tad’s picture and nausea churned in his stomach, even burning a path up his throat before he’d swallowed it back down. The asshole was married. Married. No. Not just married, but his husband was the same person who had interviewed Channing for the job at the company where they’d met.
When he’d shown up at Tad’s, he’d known it was stupid to have come, but there was no way he was going to take care of this baby without help. The instant Tad opened the door, he pushed Channing back several steps so he could shut the door behind him before hissing out, “What the fuck do you think you’re doing showing up here?”
Still too stunned after finding out he was expecting, and Tad was married, Channing wasn’t able to do more than blurt out the truth. “I’m pregnant.”
“Sounds like your problem, not mine,” Tad had told him as he turned to open the door and headed back inside.
Before the door could shut again, it was flung open from the inside to a furious-looking Michael Rodgers, Tad’s real last name. “Is this the guy you’ve been fucking around with on me?” His voice was like stone. His gaze went to Channing’s abdomen, his nostrils flaring as he must have scented the baby.
There weren’t many shifters who could do that, but some of the bigger cats could, making Michael extremely dangerous. “You got him pregnant?” he asked incredulously. Then he crossed his arms over his chest and glared at Channing. “That job I had offered you is no longer available.” Then he turned to Tad. “Go pack your bags. We’re done.”
Both ignored Channing as they started yelling back and forth loud enough to be heard through the door that had closed behind them.
Shame erupted within him as he realized he’d done the one thing his parents wouldn’t understand. He was alone, pregnant, with no mate, and no job. All he could do was return home and pray his parents would take him in.
When that hadn’t happened, he walked down the street to the one person he was certain would help–his best friend, Braydon. He hoped. He wouldn’t exactly blame Braydon if he didn’t want to have anything to do with him, since within a couple of months after starting at University, Channing hadn’t reached out even once.
He’d been a lousy friend. He wasn’t even positive about where Braydon lived. When he’d left for England, Braydon hadn’t moved out of his parents’ house. Knocking on the door of the home where Braydon had lived when they were kids, he smiled at Braydon’s sister when she answered. “Lailah, it’s so good to see you again.”
Her eyes narrowed a bit as if she were trying to place him. “Channing, is that you?”
Accepting her hug with relief, he asked if Braydon still lived there. Apparently, Lailah and her mate, Oskar, had bought her parents’ house when they chose to travel the world. “But I will warn you, he’s babysitting my three little ones at his apartment so it might be chaotic, but they should go down for a nap in the next hour or so,” she said with a wink.
Hugging her once again for her help, he headed to an area of town that had small apartment homes near the water. As he drew closer and saw his best friend ushering three little ones into one apartment, Channing couldn’t help but grin at the exasperation on Braydon’s face while he held on tight to a little boy who looked ready to cause as much trouble as he and Braydon did when they were little.
He hated to surprise his friend like he was about to, but he was desperate. “Thank goodness you still live here.” Well, their hometown since he was living in a different home.
The shock of seeing Channing after all these years caused Braydon to relax his hold on his nephew, who, covered in mud, raced inside, most likely getting the entire place dirty. “Channing?” Braydon said, clearly stunned. “I didn’t know you were coming for a visit.”
He realized his mistake of showing up when his friend was busy with three small children. “I shouldn’t have come,” Channing took a step backward, but with nowhere to go, he didn’t move any further. “I just…” What? Needed him to take Channing in because he’d screwed up his life?
Relief flooded him when Braydon smiled at him and even took a few steps in his direction, yet still staying close to the door in case one of his nieces or nephew tried to dart outside. “Are you kidding? I’m glad you came to visit. I haven’t seen you since…” A frown formed, as if Braydon was trying to remember. “Was it that summer when you were about to go to the University in England?”
Ashamed of having basically dropped all communication with his friend, Channing nodded. “I met someone there but he…” There was no easy way to say it, so he opened the thin coat he was wearing over his baby bump. It wasn’t too big yet as he was still early in his pregnancy, but without baggy clothing, it was still fairly obvious. “He was married and didn’t wan…” He found it difficult to go on but tried once more. “I have nowhere…”
“It’s okay, Channing.” The words were like balm to his broken heart. “You can stay with me until…”
Loud bangs startled them both. Looking past Braydon’s right shoulder to the street beyond, Channing nearly fainted at the imposing sight that was rolling down the street. Shouts of alarm rose around them as enormous trucks drove toward them. When they stopped, dozens of men dressed in military uniforms streamed from the backs loaded down with guns, which they were pointing at the citizens.
Braydon grabbed his hand and yanked him toward the door. “Hurry,” he said, even as Braydon’s nephew darted around them and out the door.
Glancing from the little boy to the men that had guns pointed at their heads, Channing knew they were fucked. As if to prove his point, one man grabbed Braydon’s nephew. There was no chance either of them would run. Putting their hands up, they did as the men ordered, especially after hearing several guns go off, killing anyone who’d tried to get away.
The entire neighborhood had been rounded up and locked in the back of a tractor trailer. Anyone who’d tried to escape was shot, stopping many from attempting to do the same.
Channing knew he’d somehow been cursed. It was the only reason that made sense why his life had gone from bad to worse to terrifying.