Chapter 14Jules
CHAPTER
FOURTEEN
JULES
I was nervous and in awe of Gavin when he first shifted. Not only because he’s beautiful—feathers a soft brown streaked with black and gray—but because he’s a predator. A hawk. I looked it up when I first learned Gavin and his boys are hawks. Hawks eat pikas. When he nipped my ear, fear flooded my brain. Quickly followed by guilt.
Even if I should have a healthy fear of hawks, I shouldn’t fear Gavin. He’s my mate, and a good man. He’ll never hurt me, not on purpose. I’m safe with him. I know that. I do. But my heart is still pounding against my tiny ribcage, and I’m having trouble breathing as I sniff around him, getting used to his strong scent.
He drags his beak through my fur. It tickles and I chirp as I wiggle under his wing in a poor escape attempt, but one he allows. His feathers are soft as they brush against my back and sides. I’d love to watch him fly one day. I bet his command of the sky is something to behold.
Gavin nips at my ear again when he finds it for a second time. It doesn’t hurt. He hardly uses any pressure at all. I’m startled but not scared, and don’t flinch away this time. He nips at my other ear just as carefully. I chitter to let him know it’s okay, that I’m okay, before I burrow under his wing and get comfortable.
It’s nice to just be with him like this. He continues to... I suppose groom me—plucking the odd bit of fur that’s not attached to any flesh, and combing through a tangle or two on my side that I missed last time I groomed myself. I work in his feathers for no reason. A couple come loose but he doesn’t seem to notice. Most of the morning passes in a haze.
Gavin’s phone rings hours later, shattering the quiet. He lifts his head before wobbling to his feet. He hops and lands on the table, looking down at the screen before he shifts and answers the call. A moment passes. “Take a breath. I can’t understand you.”
The expression on his face is new, one I’ve never seen before. As soon as I realize it’s anger and fear, I shift and go to him. He wraps his arm around my shoulders and tugs me against his side. I can’t hear the other side of the conversation, but from the tension radiating off Gavin I know it’s not good. Has something happened to one of the boys? Or at Strange Brew?
“I’m on my way. Stay in the bathroom.” Gavin hangs up and tosses the phone on the sofa. It bounces and lands on the floor but he doesn’t make a move to pick it up. “I need you to shift and trust me. I have to get to Thane and I don’t want to leave you here. Not so soon after...” I don’t need him to finish his thought. He’s not being possessive or controlling. We just mated; it’s not a good idea to be separated so soon. “The fastest way is flight.”
“Okay.” I trust him—that goes without saying—and if Thane needs help now isn’t the time for questions.
He grabs my hand and we rush out the back door. Gavin leaves a swift kiss on my mouth before he shifts and launches into the air. As much as I want to take a moment to watch him, now isn’t the time. I take a deep breath and shift too. It’s not a good feeling, being shifted and so exposed, knowing at any moment a predator could scoop me up and carry me off.
It’s only a second later when, with the flap of strong wings, wind blows through the fur on my back and that exact thing happens. I’m lifted off the back porch. I squeak and squeeze my eyes shut.
This is a pika’s worst nightmare; I’m having some serious regrets about agreeing to fly. But Gavin isn’t just any predator picking me up and taking me far away from home so he can do as he pleases with me. He’s mine—my predator. I’m safe with him. If I have to remind myself of that every hour on the hour, I will, for as long as it takes to sink in.
I slowly open my eyes. Pine Glen is stretched out below us—trees and buildings dot the land. It’s hard to breathe and not just because I’m so far off the ground. The air is thinner than I’m used to—every breath is ripped from my lungs, but at least the ride is steady and smooth despite how fast Gavin is flying.
His talons aren’t tight around my tiny body either, but he has a secure hold. I wiggle just a little; his grasp tightens enough to let me know I’m not going anywhere unless he releases me on purpose. It’s easier to relax once I know I’m not in any danger of being dropped.
A minute or two later, Gavin dips towards a two-story house and barrel rolls through an open window into a bathroom. He shifts mid-flight, stumbling a couple of steps before catching himself against the wall with a bang, all while holding me safely against his chest.
“Open the fucking door, Thane!” a man shouts from the other side of the door. Finnick. Thane’s husband. “You won’t like what happens next if I have to kick it down!”
I shift, land on my feet and glance around the bathroom. Thane is tucked into a corner, between the sink and the tub, his face bloody and scared as silent tears roll down his cheeks. Before anyone can say anything, Gavin is yanking open the bathroom door.
“Surprise, motherfucker.” Gavin lunges forward, slamming Finnick into the wall across the hallway.
Thane’s husband isn’t much smaller than Gavin, and maybe if he’d had some warning, it’d be more of a fair fight, but he doesn’t have time to defend himself or protect his face from the punch Gavin lands on his nose. He shouts—in pain and maybe fear, but definitely in surprise.
Blood drips down his chin after the second punch and he shoves away from the wall, maybe with plans to defend himself. Gavin shoves him back hard enough Finnick’s head bounces off the plaster and he keeps hitting him—so fast, and so many times I lose count, until Finnick is swaying on his feet, dazed from every hit he’s taken to the face, only upright because of the hold Gavin has on him.
Gavin makes it look easy—like the violence is casual instead of a brutal horror show. I wrap my arms around myself as Gavin fists the front of Finnick’s shirt and pulls him away from the wall only to slam him into it again before boxing him in with his larger body. “You’ve got five minutes to get out of this house and ten to get out of my town. If I ever see you again, you won’t see me coming.”
He didn’t see him coming this time either, to be honest.
Blood drips from Finnick’s chin as he bobs his head.
“Get.” Gavin pushes him away. He stumbles but catches himself and hurries down the hallway. I’ve never seen a predator look so shaken before.
I swallow and turn to Thane. “Are you okay? Where’s Silo?”
“With Callum,” Thane whispers. He’s trembling, still tucked into the corner.
“Come here, sunshine. You’re safe now.” Gavin’s voice cracks as he holds his hands out to Thane; he hesitates before rushing into Gavin’s arms and collapsing against his chest with a broken sob. I shuffle from one foot to the other, not sure what I should do or how I can help. Gavin holds his hand out to me and I take it. He tugs me forward and I press against Thane’s back, wrapping my arms around him too.
I really can’t do much for Thane. Gavin handled his husband quickly and easily, but I can do this—offer him some comfort. I know what it feels like to be the small prey shifter scared for your life. At least he has Gavin. At least we have Gavin.
Thane’s shoulders shake, and he sobs for a while before he finally starts to calm down. When he pulls back, he rubs at his red, swollen eyes. A few stray tears still escape. “You still have some clothes in the dresser in the guest room. I’ll make some tea.”
Gavin grasps his shoulder and stops him from leaving. “I’ll get dressed and make tea. You take a shower.”
“Yeah.” Thane wipes his runny nose on his forearm. “Okay.”
I adjust the water temperature before Gavin grasps my hand and we leave Thane to shower. The guest room is only a couple doors down from the bathroom. Gavin makes a beeline for the dresser and digs inside, pulling out a pair of sweatpants and a shirt. He fingers an oversized shirt and passes it to me.
“You okay, sweetheart?” Gavin asks as I tug the shirt over my head. It falls to mid-thigh and I tug it down a little further. “That wasn’t the first flight I was planning with you.”
“I’m fine. It was scary but I knew I was safe.” I reach for his hand and inspect the damage. His knuckles are raw and bloody. They look better than Finnick’s face did as he fled. “Does Thane have a first aid kit?”
Even if shifters heal fast, their wounds should still be tended to.
“There should be one in the downstairs bathroom.” Gavin cups my jaw and kisses my nose before he wraps an arm around my midsection. He tugs me into his chest and presses his face into my hair. His breath is hot on my temple and I wrap my arms around him. Thane is his best friend and that scene in the hallway was pretty intense.
“Are you okay?”
“I’m okay.” Gavin’s arms tighten around me. I kiss his throat. “It’s not the first time I’ve had to run someone out of town. It won’t be the last. I’m just sorry you had to see me like that. I didn’t scare you, did I?”
I shake my head and bite my bottom lip. “It was kind of hot. Is that wrong?”
Gavin chuckles and nips at my ear. “Does your prey’s hindbrain like knowing your predator alpha mate can protect you?”
I turn and kiss his chin. “Yeah. It does.”
The way he took Finnick down so easily is a turn-on. Sure, it was a little scary too—Gavin was beating someone up—but he was in control the whole time.
“Does my omega need me to take care of him when we get home?” Gavin’s fingers creep under the shirt I’m wearing and he squeezes my thigh.
“Please.” I’m not sure if my body can handle whatever he has in mind but Gavin has been careful with me so far. He won’t do anything I can’t take with a little pushing.
“You don’t have to beg. I’ll take my time and make sure you’re satisfied, mate.”
My cock twitches and my hole relaxes, gushing slick. I pull out of his arms. We need to take care of Thane. Sex should be the last thing on our minds. Newly bonded shifters always have a lot of sex the first couple of months but now isn’t the time. Not here. Not when Thane needs us.
“I’ll get the first aid kit.” If I don’t go now, I might embarrass myself in Thane’s house.
“Walk slow for me on your way out.” Gavin pats my bottom. My ears, face and neck burn but I do as he asked as I leave the room. I can feel his eyes on me until I slip into the hallway.