14. Quin
Three days.
We’ve seen neither hide nor hair of our friends or guards for three excruciatingly long days. The food in our rooms hasn’t been replenished, and if it wasn’t for the unlocked door and Shane sharing their food with us, Simon and I wouldn’t have eaten at all.
There’s no warning when a barely recognizable Nick and Luc finally stumble through the heavy door of the large shared common room, shoved roughly from behind by guards.
Nobody pays any attention to the guards scrambling to lock the exit to prevent us from escaping. Nope. We’re too busy rushing to where our friends have collapsed on the floor.
Nick’s eyes are open and staring blindly into the middle distance, and his mouth is parted slightly, each breath a short and choppy pant. His face is battered and swollen from a beating, and he’s absolutely covered in blood. I can’t tell whose it is, or whether he still has any open wounds that need tending. I gesture for Shane to join me as Simon is over with Luc and try to lift Nick up and into Shane’s arms.
“Take him back to our rooms, get him out of those clothes and into the shower. We need to clean him up and check him over. I don’t want him bleeding out on us.”
Shane nods, firming his hold on Nick, his arm snaking around the middle of the smaller shifter’s back and lifting. However, the moment Shane turns Nick away from where Luc is still huddled, Nick emits a piercing shriek and becomes a whirling dervish, flailing and lashing out until Shane releases him. Nick dives to the floor and curls himself around Luc, snapping his teeth viciously at anyone who approaches the limp shifter. Anyone, that is, except for Simon.
“Guys, back up! They’re mates, and Nick thinks you’re trying to take him away from Luc. Give them space, and if you’re gonna approach, come in low and slow, and whatever you do, DON’T FUCKING TOUCH LUC! Quin and I will get them to our rooms, if the rest of y’all can start running one of the showers and haul all the mattresses into our living area.”
Simon beckons me forward and I approach as he suggests, low and slow. I crouch down and creep forward on my hands and knees, my head tilted to one side to expose my throat in a sign of submission. Nick finally notices me and swings his arm out, but instead of the anticipated blow, he grabs at my shirt and hauls me down beside him. This close I can hear soft trills and chirps coming from his throat, and when I look into his eyes they’re no longer blank. Bo’s silver eyes are peering out at me, and the fear and desperation they contain almost breaks me.
“It’s okay, Bo. We aren’t gonna separate you from your mate. We just want to get you both back to our rooms, clean you up, patch you up, and let you heal. Will you let one of us carry Luc for you?” My voice is soft and conciliatory, and it’s enough for Bo to surrender Luc to my care. I gather my friend into my arms, a silent alarm darting through me at his unresponsiveness. I stand, gently shuffling Luc into a more secure position, and head back toward our rooms. Nick is hot on my heels, Simon right there next to him and protecting our rear.
I get to our door, but Simon’s hand on my arm has me hesitating.
“Let me clear the rooms first. I don’t think Bo will tolerate anyone but us in what he considers his territory while Luc is still vulnerable.”
I nod my agreement, turning around so my back is between Luc and anyone who will pass us in the corridor. I listen intently as Simon enters and quietly thanks those still inside, and brace myself in case Bo lashes out at the exiting shifters. Thankfully, except for a few hisses and clacks of his teeth, Bo doesn’t react to the passing figures.
“Okay, bring them in. Shane’s left one of the showers running, so let’s get these guys cleaned up.”
A few minutes later Nick and Luc are both stripped and resting in the bottom of their shower, steaming streams washing over them both, the water churning a deep crimson as it gurgles down the drain. I can’t make out much of Luc’s body with the way Nick is hovering over him. What I can see, though, is Nick’s back. His wounds are slowly knitting back together, no longer gaping or oozing, but they’re still horrifying. It looks like someone tried to use the skin on his back to shape wings, with cuts from one shoulder running down along his ribs before curving just below his waist, then running back alongside his spine to his neck. The same shape is repeated on the other side so it almost makes a “W.”
Eventually, Nick moves away from Luc, and it’s enough to allow me to see Luc is starting to come back around. I help Nick to stand, relieved to see Bo has retreated. He must believe Luc is over the worst of it, either that or he trusts us to take care of things. I grab a washcloth and soap, and gently clean away the physical remnants of the torture he’s endured. There’s no washing away the memories or the scars they leave behind, though.
“Nick, do you trust me to take care of Luc for you? You can go with Quin, let him look after you, and then once I’ve helped Luc, I’ll bring him out to you. Is that okay?”
Nick nods at Simon and turns to where I’ve moved with a towel in my hands, open and ready for him. Nick steps forward, his naked body scarred and dripping, and the absolute trust for me shining in his eyes floors me. I gently wrap him in the towel, bundling him up like a burrito, then lead him into his room. He shuffles over to his cot and perches on the bare metal edge as I rummage through the clean scrubs on his shelves, putting them to one side. I help him to dry himself and dress, taking care to check him for other wounds, but except for the two on his back, his only other injuries seem to be bruising caused by repeated beatings.
“I’m okay,” Nick’s soft voice rasps at me, “they didn’t break any bones this time. I’m more worried about Luc. The things they did to him—” Nick breaks off with a sob, and then my arms are full of distraught shifter as he unleashes all of the emotion and distress he’s been holding back. I lift Nick and carry him through to where the mattresses, bedding, and bean bags have all been assembled into a huge nest, setting him down in the middle of it all. I can hear Simon’s soft murmurs coming from Luc’s room, and quickly gather food and drinks for everyone. Nick and Luc are going to need it all to assist their healing, and I have the feeling neither Simon nor I will be leaving the others alone in the near future. Not if we can help it.