Chapter 28 #2
“Huh? Oh. Um, Marcus, I’m going to shift, okay? Dom’s already shifted, but you can see that, of course. I’m just…yeah. Going to do that too.”
This would’ve been more interesting if I’d been fully awake. Linc wasn’t typically the person to go all flustered like that, at least not in my very limited experience.
But here he was, pulling his T-shirt off and sliding his pants down his thighs. I just sat there and watched.
Seeing him go from person to wolf was and maybe always would be strange. If I stuck around for the always, that was. Fuck, I was still thinking about what to do. So much for a nap taking my mind off things.
Linc, all bulk and black fur, jumped on the bed and started smelling me all over, just like Dom had. He stood over me, two big paws on either side of me, and when he was done with the sniffing, he turned his bright blue wolf eyes toward Dom and made a wolf noise I had no chance of deciphering.
Dom made an answering noise and then ran out of the room again. What in the fuck?
“So, uh. I don’t have cancer, do I? I read this thing about how dogs can sniff out people’s cancer.
Can you do that? It makes sense for Ell to be a doctor if that’s the case.
Must be really nice to know what’s up with your patient just by nose.
Uh, by scent. By smell? You know what I mean. Do I have cancer?”
Linc looked at me for another second, then turned right back. That made it so he was on top of me and very naked.
“You’re not sick at all, Marcus. Not even a little. Not sick at all.” His lips did the twitchy thing again, but his eyes were so wide, so joyfully bright. “Do you think maybe you’d want to get up? Let’s go downstairs and… Coffee cake. You wanted coffee cake, right?”
“I never said that, but I’m not going to say no. Especially after you gave me a cancer scare.”
“Yeah, we’re sorry about that. Did you…did you maybe want to put on Dom’s shirt?”
I looked at the fabric in my hand. There was a thought. My own tees were nice and all, but there was something to be said for wide, comfy clothes.
I looked back up at Linc, who still hadn’t moved. “Is something wrong with my T-shirt?”
“What? Oh, no. Absolutely not. You look lovely. Very lovely. I was just thinking it might feel nice.”
I shrugged. “Sure. You’re going to have to move though.”
“Ah, yes. Right. Sorry.” He got off the bed and ran his hands through his hair. “Need help getting up?”
I narrowed my eyes. “You’re not lying about me being sick, are you?”
“No. No, no, no. You’re good.” He did that funny smile thing again. His eyes were still wide though, as if he’d seen a ghost. “I’ll just get dressed. You put on Dom’s shirt in your own time. How does that sound?”
“Weird. Really fucking weird.”
He grabbed his clothes off the ground and started dressing. “That’s on me. I’m just so happy to see you refreshed after your nap.”
“Uh-huh.”
Something was off, but I was still sleepy enough to not really care. I sat upright on the bed and changed into Dom’s T-shirt. It was nice wearing his clothes. It shouldn’t have been. This wasn’t even freshly washed.
Linc kept his eyes on me, and he still looked like something had massively spooked him. I frowned at him as I made my way toward the stairs and went down. A nice fresh cup of tea would make it all better, and the coffee cake couldn’t hurt.
In the living room, Dom looked up when we came down. He was human again, but still naked, his phone in his hand. He shot me the wildest of grins, made a beeline for me, and hugged me tightly.
“Little Red. I didn’t scare you, did I?”
“No, but something is clearly up. Can someone tell me what’s happening?”
Dom pulled back, his fingers ghosting over my face. “Ell’s on his way. We’re waiting for Ell. You don’t have to worry though. It’s nothing bad.”
“You’re telling me not to worry? Sure, that’s not going to make me worry at all.”
“It’s really okay, Marcus,” Linc said. “Let’s have some cake while we wait. It’s not going to be that long.”
Something was really, really up. It said more about me than them that I was afraid they were going to tell me to leave, to go back home.
It said even more about me that I let myself be led to the table without even trying to dig my heels in and make them tell me what in the fuck was up because I was afraid that was what they were going to say.
Dom had made my tea way too weak, but I hadn’t even mentioned it. Ell came into the house about a half hour later wearing scrubs and a hospital badge. He walked right up to the dining table. At least he looked calm, just like he always did. Sans the scrubs, of course.
“Hi. Thanks for texting, Dom,” Ell said.
“Sure thing.” Dom beamed at me and ran his hand over my back. He’d put on his clothes while making my weak-as-fuck tea.
Linc stood. “You need to change and…check him, please.”
I turned to look at Linc. “Check me? Were you lying about the cancer after all?”
Ell started undressing but made big eyes at Linc. “You haven’t told him yet?”
Linc started pacing, back and forth like those hanging metal balls people who want to impress you keep on their desks.
Dom shrugged. “We thought we’d wait for you.” He stroked me again. “Marcus is a bit freaked out, but he trusts us. Don’t you, Little Red?”
“I’m about to throw this weak wannabe oolong into your face.”
Dom pursed his lips. “Well, about the tea…”
Ell cleared his throat. He was already down to his underwear. “Marcus, just give me a moment, okay?”
I nodded. Not that I really had a choice. I watched Ell shift. It looked as if he were bending over, only for his arms and legs to change length and grow fur. Yup, this would never get old.
“Scoot back, Little Red,” Dom said, then actually moved my chair for me.