Chapter Five
––––––––
ETHAN DIDN’T HAVE TO be with Liam to know that he was probably vibrating out of his skin.
He’d been like that at the station, too, when Ethan had found him after the fire a few days ago.
The alarm had gone off a few minutes into his conversation with Liam, and the team had left.
From what Liam had texted Ethan after that, he and Taylor hadn’t had the opportunity to talk yet.
They’d had a few more emergencies to answer, and by the time they’d been done, the shift had been over.
Liam had booked it out of there, texting Ethan the entire time, but he was back at work today.
What if he fires me? Liam texted.
Ethan wanted to help him, but he didn’t know how.
He truly didn’t think that Liam needed to be as worried as he was.
He didn’t believe Taylor would do anything drastic or stupid.
The man would have questions, as would anyone in his position, and he’d ask them without hesitation because that seemed like the kind of person he was, but he wouldn’t use that against Liam.
Liam was just too panicked to realize that.
When he did, he’d know that all of this was ridiculous and that he was freaking himself out for nothing.
Or maybe he’s going to call the authorities, Liam texted. They’re going to capture me and experiment on me. They’re going to open me up while I’m awake.
This was getting to be a little much for Ethan.
He could feel Liam spiraling even from a distance.
He desperately wanted to help, but he wasn’t sure how.
He almost suggested that West and Austin could come out as shifters, too, to take some of the heat off Liam, but he couldn’t ask that of them.
From what he knew from his conversations with Jonathan, the two had been wondering if it was time for them to come out to their team, but they hadn’t yet.
They probably weren’t ready, and that was okay, but it also meant they couldn’t be a buffer for Liam.
Maybe someone else could talk to Taylor?
But who? It had to be someone Taylor knew, so Ethan thought of Caleb.
Austin’s boyfriend was a wolf shifter. Wolves weren’t as intimidating as dragons, so it could work, but once again, Ethan couldn’t ask someone else to out themselves as a shifter just to protect Liam.
He stared at the sketchpad in his hands.
When he’d sat down, it had been to work, but there was nothing on the blank page.
He hadn’t been able to stop obsessing over Liam and his situation, and the texts Liam kept sending weren’t helping.
It didn’t look like Liam wanted answers so much as he was venting.
He needed someone to listen to him, and Ethan liked being that person. He wanted to help more, though.
Maybe he could.
He swallowed. He didn’t usually willingly out himself as a chimera shifter.
He’d done so when it came to West and Austin, and of course Liam, but that was because of the circumstances.
He knew that the three were in his life to stay.
West was dating Jonathan, and Austin was dating Caleb, and Jonathan and Caleb were both very good friends of Ethan.
Besides, they were shifters. Ethan had been worried about how they’d take the fact that he was a chimera shifter, but he hadn’t had to worry about them freaking out over shifters existing. The same went for Liam.
Taylor was human. There was no way to know how he’d react, but at least he wouldn’t have anything bad to say about finding out that Ethan was a chimera shifter. He might not even know what chimera shifters were.
Ethan groaned and put down his pencil. Was he seriously thinking about willingly telling someone that he was a chimera shifter just to take the heat off Liam?
Yes, he was. Telling Liam what he was and having Liam react the way he had had emboldened Ethan.
He’d never liked hiding what he was, but he’d done it out of necessity.
He didn’t know if he could trust people, but he was pretty sure he could trust Taylor.
In a way, Taylor was a member of their little group, too.
Austin and West, and now Liam, made it sound like the team at the station were a family.
Austin and West had been planning on telling their team what they were.
This wasn’t the way any of them had wanted it to happen, but it was the way it had happened, and they had to deal with it.
They also had to work with Taylor, though, which explained why they were so hesitant.
Ethan didn’t have to work with the man. In fact, he didn’t even have to see him ever again if things went wrong.
Ethan???
Ethan smiled at the text on his screen. Liam was getting impatient.
He picked up his phone to text back.
Relax. I’m sure everything will go well, he wrote before getting out of his chair and getting ready to leave. If he was going to do this, he needed to go now. He wasn’t sure when Taylor was planning on talking to Liam today, but he probably wouldn’t wait long. He wanted an explanation.
You can’t know that, Liam wrote back.
No, but I have a good feeling about it.
That wasn’t quite right. Ethan had a lot of feelings about it, but he didn’t know if it would end well or not.
He wasn’t backing out of it, though. Now that he’d made his decision, he was going to see it through.
That way, he’d hopefully simplify things for Austin, West, and Liam.
He was far enough removed from Taylor that if something bad happened, it wouldn’t affect him the way it would them.
He hoped Taylor was as nice a man as everyone thought he was, though.
Ethan was relieved when he didn’t see anyone on his way out of the shop. He could hear the buzz of tattoo guns, but he only paused long enough to leave a note on the front counter so that the others would know he was out.
The drive to the station was nerve-racking. Ethan kept texting Liam to make sure Taylor hadn’t talked to him yet. It was a relief because Ethan didn’t want to psych himself up only for nothing to happen.
I’m outside the station, he texted once he’d parked.
He was a little hesitant, but he didn’t allow himself to doubt his decision.
He got out of the car, his phone vibrating in his hand.
Liam was calling, but Ethan didn’t even have the opportunity to answer before the man himself appeared at the door.
Liam lowered his phone. “What are you doing here?” he asked. “Not that I’m not happy to see you, but there’s no need for you to comfort me. I can do this.”
“I have no doubt that you can,” Ethan said gently. “But that doesn’t mean you have to face all of this on your own. I thought that maybe I could tell Taylor I’m a shifter, too.”
Liam’s eyes widened, and he shook his head. “No. I mean, tell him if you want him to know, but I don’t want you to do that because of me.”
“I don’t mind.”
“I do. I know how important it is to you to control the way people find out what you are. I don’t want you to have to clean up my messes. I can do this on my own.”
“I have no doubt that you can.”
Liam nodded. “But let me do this.”
“You want me to leave?”
Liam only hesitated for a second before shaking his head. “I want you to stay. That way, you can drive the getaway car if I need one.”
Ethan laughed and leaned a little closer. “I’ll drive you wherever you want.”
He was a little flirty, and he enjoyed the way Liam’s cheeks flushed.
Before he could do anything about it, though, someone nearby cleared their throat.
Liam and Ethan turned, only to find Taylor standing there, his arms crossed over his chest, looking from one to the other.
“There will be no need for getaway cars,” he said.
“There is a need for an explanation, though. Liam?”
Liam swallowed loudly. Ethan reached between them to grab Liam’s hand and linked their fingers together. He had no idea what he was doing, but Liam squeezed hard, and he knew that whatever happened, Liam was grateful for his presence here. That made coming worth it, no matter what happened next.
* * * *
LIAM COULDN’T BELIEVE that Ethan had been planning on coming out to Taylor as a chimera shifter.
What was he thinking? Why was he doing it?
Liam knew enough to know that Ethan didn’t usually tell people what he was, yet he was willing to do so to protect Liam.
It confused Liam as much as it made him want to kiss Ethan, but doing so in front of Taylor probably wasn’t a good idea.
It wasn’t even that Taylor was Liam’s boss—it was the entire situation.
Taylor was still silent, watching Liam with a calm expression that made Liam want to squirm.
Liam squeezed Ethan’s hand harder, hoping to find courage there.
If Ethan was brave enough to tell people he was a chimera shifter, then Liam would be brave enough to tell his captain, a man he respected and cared about, even though it had only been a few weeks, that he was a shifter.
“I thought we were going to talk in your office,” Liam said. Anything to waste a little time.
“Which you’ve been avoiding since you got into work,” Taylor pointed out mildly.
Liam swallowed again. There was no way out of it, was there?
Taylor knew something was up, and he wouldn’t let it go until Liam told him what that something was.
He couldn’t, not when he was a captain and needed to trust his team.
Luckily, he didn’t look like he was freaking out or planning anything. He was just waiting for Liam to speak.
Saying the words had never felt so hard. Liam clung to Ethan’s hand like a lifeline, relieved to have him here even though it wasn’t really his place. He didn’t care about anyone’s place right now. He needed the support, and he was glad he had it.
There was only one way to do it. He needed to be as fast as possible so that the only thing he’d have left to do was wait for Taylor’s reaction.