13. Lynx #2
“About five tomorrow morning. We want to avoid the holiday traffic if we can.”
“Think you can stay a day or two?”
He groans. “Really? You know Jet’s not going to like the idea of staying with a different pack, even one we know and trust.”
“If you tell him why, I think he’ll be fine.” Well, maybe not fine , but he won’t object.
Mal grunts. “If I have to.”
With any luck, the hunters are just passing through, or their business is with the FBs. Goddess knows those arseholes break enough rules to deserve the hunter’s attention. I’ve been tempted to report them more than once.
Not that I ever would.
They might be a bunch of cunts, but they’re still shifters. And no matter how much they deserve it, I’d lose all respect in my world if I ever ratted them out to hunters. And that’s something we can’t afford if we’re going to keep doing what we’re doing.
“Did you manage to find out where they’re staying?” I look between Mal and Flint. Maybe if we know that, we can find out how many of them are here. And keep an eye on them.
“No. Unfortunately.” Flint sighs. “Not in town, though. We followed them for a bit, but when they hit the main road, they’d have spotted us easily, so we backed off.”
Huh. There are two hotels in town, but none on the outskirts.
“Maybe they left town.”
Mal shrugs.
Yeah, I don’t believe that either. But there’s nothing we can do about them right now. “Keep an eye out for them, both in town and in the forest.”
“I’ll spread the word.” Callum taps the table. “How’s it going with Morgan?”
I raise an eyebrow. Is he serious? He saw me carrying him out of here less than an hour ago. I glance round to find three curious sets of eyes watching me. Ahh, maybe this isn’t for his benefit. I don’t want to talk about Morgan, but I’m not the only one with something at stake here.
I glance at Callum, but his expression remains neutral.
Clearly whatever I’ve been doing isn’t working out well for anyone, but between leaving Morgan and coming here, there’s been fuck all time to think about it.
I do have one idea though.
It’s not something I ever thought I’d consider, and I’m pretty fucking sure no one around this table will like it. But I also think it’s the only way to convince Morgan that we’re not monsters and that him keeping our secret is a good thing for everyone involved.
It has to work, because there’s no way I can hurt him. Or let anyone else do it, so plan B isn’t an option. Maybe I’ve been fooling myself that it ever was.
I sit forward, and look around the table, meeting everyone’s gaze in turn. “So, hear me out first,” I start, and Cal groans. Flint laughs and Mal just covers his eyes. It makes me smile, and my wolf settles, because I know in that moment that they’ll have my back no matter what.
It’s about an hour before dusk when I make my way back up to see Morgan. Corey already texted me that he’s awake and itching to get out of bed, so it’s the perfect time to put my plan into action.
After we have a little chat.
I pause in the doorway. Morgan hasn’t noticed me yet, too engrossed in a book that I’m assuming Corey gave him. I glance at the cover — Shifters: Myths, Legends & Facts —and only just manage to smother my snort. Apparently I don’t succeed because Morgan’s gaze snaps to mine.
“Something wrong?” He closes the book and places it face down on the bed next to him.
“Nope.” I nod to the book. “Want me to tell you what’s true and what’s bollocks?”
His eyes narrow. “Maybe another time.”
Fair enough. That’s not what I want to talk to him about anyway. A quick glance around the room confirms that we’re alone, so I take the seat next to him. “How are you feeling?”
He sighs and flops back against the pillows, gaze fixed on the ceiling. “Mortified.”
“Why?”
He faces me, eyebrows shooting up. “Really? I passed out, again. And since I ended up here, I’m assuming you had to carry me.” He closes his eyes, and says, “And I missed it,” so quietly, I’m convinced he’s forgotten that I can hear him. Then he flushes and groans.
Ahh, now he’s remembered.
“I don’t know what’s wrong with me.” He sighs again, the scents coming off him a mix of frustration and defeat, and I clasp my hands together to stop myself from reaching for him. “Nothing like this has never happened to me before.”
“Morgan—”
“Don’t, okay?” He sits up suddenly and messes with the pillows behind him until he’s happy with the way they’re lying.
When he faces me again, his jaw has that familiar stubborn set to it.
“I guess I’m not as great at dealing with all this as I thought I was.
” He huffs out a bitter laugh. “Turns out I’m not brave after all, just fucking scared. ”
His words take me by surprise and piss me off a little. “One doesn’t negate the other.”
“What?”
“You have every right to be scared, to be fucking terrified. But that doesn’t mean you aren’t brave too.”
“I passed out. Twice.”
“You’ve just found out shifters are real and that you’re surrounded by them. Cut yourself some fucking slack.” I’m not sure who’s more surprised by my outburst: me or him. And I deserve every ounce of confusion on his face right now.
A few hours ago, I wanted him to be scared, wanted him to be terrified into keeping our secret for fear of the consequences. Or at least that’s what I should’ve wanted.
But fear is the last thing I want to see when he looks at me.
I also need to be honest with him, even if it means that fear turning into something else.
“There might be a reason for your panic attacks, if that’s what they are.”
He frowns, and I can almost see his mind working, trying to figure out what I’m about to say. “Oh?”
I take a deep breath. “You lost a lot of blood the night we brought you here. Too much.” I can see the moment he starts to realise. The shock, the horror filling his eyes. “You would’ve died if Corey hadn’t given you some of his blood.”
Eyes wide as saucers, he opens his mouth and then closes it. It takes him another few seconds to find the words. “Corey’s a shifter?”
I nod. “He is.”
Blood drains from Morgans face, and it takes me an embarrassing amount of time to realise what’s going through his mind right now.
“You’re not going to turn,” I say quickly. “A blood transfusion isn’t enough to change you into a shifter.”
“How do you know? Have you done this before?” His tone is accusatory, as well it might be, because the answer is no.
I shake my head.
“Then how do you know ?”
“Because you have to be bitten. There has to be intent.” I give in to my instincts and reach for his hand, my heart missing a beat when he clasps it tight instead of shoving me away. “And you would’ve already changed by now.”
He stares at me for a good few seconds, and I pray he can see the truth in my eyes.
“Corey thinks the transfusion might have gifted you with enhanced senses and emotions though. A side effect of mixing shifter and human blood.” I wait a beat for him to absorb this. “That’s why you’re reacting the way you are.”
I hear his whispered, “Fuck,” and tighten my grip.
He still doesn’t let go and I hold my breath, waiting for him to process it all. I need him to be okay with this for what I want to happen next. Because if he can’t accept that shifter blood runs through his veins now, then he’ll never accept what I want to share with him.
What I need to.
“Is it permanent?” he asks finally.
“We don’t know.” I shrug. “It’s not like we go around giving humans our blood.”
There’s a beat of silence and then the smallest huff of laughter from Morgan, but I’ll take it.
“No. I guess not.” He scrubs both hands over his face, and I’d give anything to know what he’s thinking right now.
“Jesus.” He flops back against the pillows again with another huff of laughter.
This time a little less bitter, more incredulous. “How is this my fucking life now?”
Pretty sure that’s a rhetorical question, so I ignore it and give him the other piece of news I decided on the way up here. “I’m giving you your own room.”
His gaze shoots to mine, voice rising slightly. “What for?”
I know what he’s thinking this time. That he won’t be here long enough to warrant his own room, and he’s probably right, but I can’t focus on that without wanting to growl and the last thing I want is to scare him again.
“I thought you’d like your own space while you’re here. Unless you want to stay in this room.”
He glances around, probably taking in the lack of privacy. “No.” He shakes his head. “Even if it’s only for a day or two, it’ll be nice not to wake up to someone staring at me.”
No time like the present.
I cast a glance at the fading sun. I need to hurry this along if we’re going to catch the last of the daylight. “If you’re up for it, we can go there now. Then there’s something I want to show you after.”
He manages a wry smile. “I hope it’s something tame and boring. I’ve had enough excitement for one day.”
I grin at him instead of answering, then stand and tug him up with me. I don’t know if he realises he’s still holding my hand, but he keeps it wrapped in mine all the way to his new room.