Fading (Shifter Rescue) (4 page)

“They killed him. He died for you, yes, but they were the ones who killed him.” Jag pulled him into the strong arms against the muscled chest. Yes, this felt safe. Here in Jag’s arms. No one could hurt him while Jag watched over him.

“Mmm. You smell good. Is that good, that you smell good to me?” Hill asked.

“Yeah, I think it is.” Jag buried his nose in Hill’s neck. “Mmm. You smell good to me, too.”

He purred, the chopsticks slipping from his fingers. Jag continued to hold him, breathing into his neck. The sensation tickled but also felt so good. So caring. A little arousing. That was probably bad.

Jag let him go and smiled at him. “You should eat.” Jag’s voice was thick.

“You too. You should have the best.”

Jag smiled. “I should, should I?” Smiling, Jag looked at the food, then took the container of crispy beef and started eating.

Hill nodded. The strongest cat took the lion’s share.

Jag nodded at the other containers. “You need to eat, too.”

“Yes, M… Jag.”

“Jag is fine. For now.” Jag grabbed one of his dumplings and ate it, then offered him a piece of the beef.

Hill nodded, his cheeks burning.

Jag fed him the meat, then stroked his cheek. “Hill?”

“What?” He was having naughty feelings about Jag.

“Your cheeks are red. What’s wrong?” Jag’s eyes were warm, full of concern.

“Nothing.” He couldn’t meet Jag’s eyes.

What
? It was more insistent like that.

Oh. “I thought you couldn’t do that.”

“Yeah, I didn’t think I could, either. I guess it’s getting stronger.” Jag looked pleased at having been able to speak to him like that.

“I guess so.”

“Then tell me what’s wrong,” Jag insisted. “Why the red cheeks?”

“I have naughty thoughts.”

Jag grinned and nudged their hips together. “That’s a good sign.”

“Is it?” Oh, good. Good. He liked good signs.

“I think so.” Jag’s gaze was warm, and it felt like a hug.

He nodded and relaxed. Usually Cather told him how to do things right and took the punishments when he didn’t.

“Finish eating, kit. I know you’re still hungry.” Jag gave him another bite of the crispy beef and he snapped it up, that wicked happiness growing.

Jag laughed softly and had a few more bites himself, staying close.

“You have a laugh like a master. It feels good inside me.” Hill offered the words carefully.

“I like that. Thank you.”

Hill blushed and smiled, his cat wanting to nuzzle and rub, scent and lick.

“Finish your food, kit,” Jag insisted. “We can snuggle when you’re done. All three of us.”

“I don’t think Cather wants to snuggle anymore.”

“I don’t think Cather has a choice about it.” Jag smiled, his teeth showing. “We’re going to do it anyway.”

“You promise?”

“I do. You’re a pair, right? I’ll make sure you both recover.”

“We are. We were a trio. That was better.” They’d been happy, him and Cather and Darri.

“Maybe you can be a trio again,” Jag suggested.

“Maybe we can.” That still felt… wrong. Still.

Jag leaned in suddenly and pressed their lips together. Then he drew back and took in a deep breath. “Don’t worry about anything, kit. All you need to do is recover.”

“You’ll help Cather too? You promise?” He needed to hear it again, to know it and feel it inside.

“I swear it to you, Hill. I want you both to be happy and healthy again. He might want to hide, but we won’t let him.”

Hill thought he liked the word “we” on Jag’s lips.

Jag kissed him again, then popped another dumpling into his mouth. “Eat. The food is getting cold.”

He nodded, settling in to feed his hunger now that his worry was sated. He could feel Jag watching him and every now and then Jag would feed him a morsel, choosing it especially for him. Like he was special. It warmed him, deep inside.

There were no leftovers when they were finished eating, and Jag petted him when he began to fret. “It’s okay. I’m going to get him some fresh meat from the fridge. That’ll go down better anyway as he’s not shifting.” Jag gave him a hug, then slipped out of the room with the garbage.

“I love you, Cather,” Hill offered, needing to connect.

Love
.

“Can we be friends with him? I don’t want you to be angry.”

I don’t have any more fury, Hill. You can be friends.

The door opened, Jag coming back in with a plate of meat. Hill had already eaten, but the smell still made his belly rumble.

Jag smiled. “I have fresh meat for you, Cather. I know you’re hungry.”

Cather’s tail flicked, but Hill could feel Cather’s hunger like a living thing. Jag obviously could as well because he chuckled and came to the bed, setting the food down next to it. “It’s time to eat, kit.” The words were firm, sure, brooking no argument, but Cather curled up tighter.

“You can’t eat in bed,” Jag insisted. “So come on down and enjoy a bite or two. Have some water while you’re up.”

When Cather didn’t respond, Jag simply reached out and lifted him -- not hurting Cather, just insisting that his mate leave the bed. Jag laid Cather down gently, head right next to the food. The scent that close had to be too good to ignore, especially as hungry as Hill knew Cather was.

Eat, butthead
.

Cather growled deep in his chest.

Don’t growl at me
, Hill complained. He hadn’t done anything wrong.

“Eat,” Jag insisted. “You need the food, you need the water and you need touch. I’m going to make sure you get all three.” Jag slid his hand along Cather’s spine, digging in and making sure Cather felt it.

Jag smiled across to Hill. “We’ll snuggle some more once Cather has eaten.”

“I like snuggles.” Hill wandered close, fingers aching for Cather’s heavy fur. He petted, wrinkling his nose at the rough coat. “Do you have a brush?”

Jag lit up and nodded. “Let me see what they’ve left us.” He jumped up and headed for the door, leaving him and Cather alone again.

“Please, Cather. Please don’t fade away. I love you.”

Cather looked at him and finally drew himself up and began to eat. Hill thought that Cather was making a show of going slowly, but that he was actually very hungry. Still, eating was eating and he’d take it.

Jag returned a moment later with three different brushes -- a wire one, a horsehair one, and one with plastic teeth. “Which do you prefer?”

Hill took the one with the plastic teeth. “This one should be the nicest. My skin is tender right now; his will be too.”

“I can ask them to get a softer one if this is still too hard. It was what was on hand.” Jag took the comb back from him. “Can I?”

“Of course.” Jag was the apex predator. Of course Jag could.

“I’ll do it as soon as Cather has some water. You can even bring the water dish over. And when I’ve finished with Cather, I’ll do you.”

Hill chuckled softly.
Promises, promises,
he thought, then shied away from it. That wasn’t his to think.

Cather finally finished eating and drank from the water bowl. Then Jag stood and picked him up again, laying him in the middle of the bed and climbing up next to him. “Come cuddle while I brush him.”

His cat-self came to Hill in a rush, flooding him with joy.

Jag chuckled and moved over, giving Hill room to curl up next to the human and the cat he shared the bed with as Jag began to gently brush Cather’s fur. Cather growled as Jag hit a sore spot and Hill immediately moved to lick at it, explore it.

“You’re not meant to lie still all the time. You need to move around,” Jag said, the touches getting even lighter.

Hill could already feel, though, how much softer Cather’s fur was, how much better it felt beneath his tongue and paws. He continued to lick, helping to groom his mate. Cather relaxed, settling into the covers with a sigh. Jag smiled at Hill, clearly pleased with how the grooming was going. Hill cleaned whiskers and paws, soft belly and ears, loving on Cather with all he was. Between the two of them, he and Jag managed to have Cather purring and limp, letting them move him as needed.

Then Jag shifted and they were all together, snuggling and cuddling in a big pile. It was the best Hill had felt in a long time. Ever since Darri had been killed.

For the first time, Hill thought they might survive.

Jag spent the day snuggling with the kitties. It was wonderful. He hadn’t had a chance to do something like this in a long time. Better than that, he wanted to do this -- he wanted to be with these sweet kits. He was falling for them. He wanted them for himself. God. He wasn’t supposed to. But the heart wanted what the heart wanted. And he couldn’t deny them.

It would no doubt take way longer to convince them than himself. Possibly not Hill. That kit was need made flesh. And so sexy. Jag was aroused just thinking about Hill. Cather was going to be a different story. Jag liked to think he had the patience to deal with the beast, though. The part that fascinated him was how Hill called their lost lover “Master.” The thought of hearing that from these boys made him moan. He knew he was a top, but he’d never dreamed he’d have anyone of his own.

And these were two boys. Two challenges. Two bodies.

He yowled softly, stretching and rubbing against their lovely bodies, their fur so much longer and thicker than his own. Hill’s fur was more than recovered, and Cather’s was slowly filling out with each meal. Only three days and already they showed remarkable improvement.

He got up and padded to the water bowl, drinking and licking his muzzle. He was hungry, but he was going to have to shift to go out.

Hill stretched and shifted into his human skin, heading for the bathroom. Jag admired the kit until Hill had disappeared, then after taking a last sniff to assure himself Cather was okay, he shifted, too and headed to the kitchen.

He heard the shower came on, Hill beginning to sing. Happy kit. He wished Cather had half the optimism and hope of Hill. They were very different, though, for all they seemed alike on the surface. Perhaps this would give him a bit of time alone with Cather, though. Some one-on-one time.

He grabbed the meat that had been left for them in the fridge and a big bottle of water and went back to the bedroom.

Cather’s depression seemed endless, like a deep pool that refused to be shaken. Jag returned to the bedroom, being noisy. “I have food and fresh water. Join me, Cather.”

Cather had the most expressive tail ever. It spoke volumes with a single, dismissive flick.

Jag shook his head and laid the food in the middle of the room, the water next to it. Then he went and picked Cather up. It wasn’t quite as easy as it had been the first day, but it wasn’t that much harder either. He laid Cather down near the food, then shifted and yowled at the stubborn kit. Cather growled right back, snarling at him.

He stood up and stared Cather down.
Eat. Eat now.

Or what? You’ll bite me? Fuck. Off.

I am the Alpha. You are going to eat or I am going to get the feeding tube.

You wouldn’t dare!

Jag’s answer was a stare, steady, sure and utterly cold. He wouldn’t lose this kit. Not to pure stubbornness, nor to depression nor despair. He could see Cather trying to stand up to him, but aside from the fact that the kit wasn’t an alpha, he was lying down and that was not a position of strength.

Cather held on longer than he’d expected, then the big, fuzzy head dropped to the floor. Jag licked Cather’s head in approval, then repeated, just once,
Eat
.

Cather ate a few bites, then, when Jag growled, a few more.

Water
. He needed Cather staying hydrated as much as eating. Maybe more. And he wanted the worst of the growliness done by the time Hill finished with his shower. He wanted the grooming and the care started.

He praised Cather once the kit had drunk some water, Cather obviously surprising himself as he kept lapping eagerly. The kit was thirsty. Then Jag nudged him and began to lick the long fur. Cather leaned into the touches, surprising the hell out of Jag. He didn’t think about it too hard -- there was no reason to make Cather tense. He nudged Cather with his muzzle, nuzzling the sweet belly. So soft and warm -- he liked this.

“Oh, how pretty you both are. I wanted a bath. Is there milk?”

Fridge in kitchen
. Jag purred for Hill, then went back to grooming.

Hill came back with a huge glass and a bowl, sucking the drink down while offering them the other. “It’s a treat for you, Cather. Sweet milk.”

Jag nudged Cather, encouraging him. Cather grunted softly but took a lick, and Jag could see the pleasure in the kit’s face. He nudged again, and Cather drank some more, clearly enjoying it. Jag chuffed happily, giving Hill a tongue-lolling grin.

“It was one of our rewards for doing well,” Hill explained.

There will always be milk in the fridge
. Food wasn’t a reward. It was Hill and Cather’s right. There would be plenty of other things that could be a reward. Pleasure. Pain. Long evenings before the fire with grooming. Music. Movies. Books.

Cather’s eyes popped open, his expression interested. Jag hadn’t realized he’d been sharing but given Cather’s reaction, he was glad he had. He purred and nuzzled Cather. There were so many wonderful things they could share.

Hill smiled. “Cather loves to read. He reads to me and it’s magical. It doesn’t happen very often.”

What kind of stories?
Jag could totally make sure there were books on hand, that they got a big TV for the living room and movies stocked.

“All the stories -- scary, funny…” Hill’s cheeks heated. “Sexy.”

Jag chuffed softly.
You like dirty books
.

Hill blushed a deep, sweet rose. That was an adorable look and Jag vowed he would get it there again. Hopefully often. Would Cather blush in his human form as well? Jag would bet there was some sweetness in the sub, if you looked for it.

“I like when Cather reads sexy books.”