Giant

(Welcome to the fourth book of the cross-shifter series. This is the intro chapter to the twins’ story. It can be read as a stand-alone and is bxb.) 

Darkness was always what he saw when he opened his eyes. It hadn’t been such forever, but at least for several months at a time over the last few years. He’d most recently been locked up for killing his new owner and, per the contract, had been returned to his previous one. It was a twisted, sick cycle that had driven him mad years ago. He was a rare animal, and a shifter, as it were. He was worth his weight in gold, according to the auctioneer when he was originally sold. 

He cared little about his situation because it was exactly what it was, and he could do nothing to change it. He sat, day in and out, inside of what he thought was a metal container. It was likely from a semi-truck, used to haul items to and from different places. It only locked from the outside, and there was no way to open it once stuck within.

Every day, the temperature rose and fell with the sun, worsening the smell of his own fecal material that was slowly building up in the corner. The owner’s workers were supposed to clean his container with one of those high-pressure hoses once every three or four days, but they were late this week. 

He could move very little with the strong metal chain fastened around his neck, and if he tried, the rusty spikes dug into his skin.

Huffing, Palace settled down in his corner and squinted his eyes open, only to close them a moment later. The ammonia burned terribly, and he had no doubt that they would eventually be damaged beyond repair if he was left to rot within the container for another year or two between sales and returns.

The only positive thing, so far at least, was that he did receive some form of meat at least once a week. It wasn’t much, but it was enough to keep him going. Licking his lips, he gave a quiet growl. He often heard animals sauntering around the outside of his enclosure, but again, he was useless to do anything but defend the space inside. The metal container was his home, and even if it was terribly hot during the day and often too cold at night, and smelled horrible, he would defend it. Because it was his, and no one would take it from him.  

It was some time later, clearly in the early evening because he could feel the temperature dropping and humidity rolling in with the faint sound of thunder in the background, that he began to hear footsteps approaching his container. At first, his ears perked slightly at the sound of several dog’s paws tracking through the field that he knew surrounded him. There was no shortage of deer, boar, and other forest dwelling creatures that came by at random times during the night, so he had decided that they had to have come out of the woods to feed while it was safe under the cover of night. 

Granted, he wasn’t sure how far away the forest was to his container, but judging from the sound of the animal’s feet over the years crunching on leaf litter, then switching to dry or damp grass and weeds, he couldn’t have been far. 

Tilting his large head as the dogs got closer, then began baying just outside of his container, Palace snorted and forced his aching eyes open. They had likely come to sell him, again, which would mean another strong dose of tranquilizer, evidently twice that of which is used on a horse, from what he’d heard them say while they were getting the dosage ready outside of his container last time. 

Hunkering down, he allowed his mixture of dark brown feathers and fur to lift along his hackles as a deep, rumbling growl vibrated through the worn metal. The dogs outside immediately started quieting down. A few whimpered before falling completely silent, then most began heading back the way they’d come judging from the sound of their retreating paws. 

Palace could just see them in his mind’s eyes, tails tucked running back to their master. He’d bet they got treated far better than he ever would. He wasn’t jealous anymore, though. It had been years since he’d seen anything even close to kindness, so he’d hardened himself to the point of being an aggressive murderer… and nothing else. 

When the faint sound of human footsteps met his ears, he shifted his weight to stand on shaky legs. So they are coming to sell me after all . 

As long as they weren’t sent inside, he didn’t really mind the return of the sound of the baying hounds, but he was curious at their presence. Even when they did come to tranquilize him, they rarely brought more than one or two dogs. The footsteps, also, didn’t sound familiar. Several sets of them were getting closer by the second, but they weren’t the sound of the sneakers his master’s worker’s wore, or his master’s extremely expensive fancy shoes he heard during the man’s rare visits to be sure his health was decent enough for another sale. 

They’re wearing boots of some sort. 

When the group of people stopped around his container, his hair and feathers bristled together as he smelled other animals. 

Shapeshifters. 

Not all of them, but he could smell at least one cat shifter, and one was enough. He hated humans in general, but the shifters that had bought him had always been disgusting perverts that tried to make him do far more than he was ever going to let them. He never shifted for anyone, which made it that much more disgusting when they tried to force him to breed. 

Of course, every attempt ended up with the person dead and him being returned back to his master. A few of them had tried to knock him out before doing anything, but they never figured out the dosage, and he woke up almost immediately to put them out of their misery. 

“Something smells off.” A deep voice responded from the other side of the locked steel panel in front of him. 

Palace roared and lunged, a rough cough echoing after the snarl as he quickly backed up to keep the spikes in his collar from pushing any further into his skin. They had been embedded off and on for months now, so the damage had already technically been done, but he didn’t want to make it any worse if he could keep his temper under control. 

There was a lot of whispered words that Palace couldn’t quite hear outside, along with several dogs barking from surprise, but he wasn’t focused on any of that. His attention remained squarely on the panel as the giant bolt-lock began to quiver, clearly stuck, like it always tended to be after having not be opened for several days. 

“Be careful, Jamie.” Came a voice from behind the panel. 

Crouching, Palace twitched his head back and forth a few times, trying to dislodge the horrible ammonia smell and burning sensation in his nose and eyes so that he could focus. It barely helped, but his vision was beginning to turn red, allowing him to block out most of his surroundings and focus solely on killing what came through that steel panel. 

Unfortunately for the dogs the group of men owned, they were not trained well enough. One, in particular, a hound type, ran right inside. Palace had nothing against the dog personally, but he’d already warned it, and the animal would clearly understand that it was entering somewhere marked as another’s territory. 

It was dead in less than two seconds, its body hanging limply from Palace’s massive jaws. The sound of guns being cocked and aimed brought his eyes to squint at the slight opening in the giant panel door. When he could faintly see a male with dirty blond hair and blue eyes staring with a semi-automatic pointed at him, Palace snorted. He let the dog’s lifeless body slip from his jaws to thunk onto the soiled, dirty floor before his thick paws. 

“What in the world is that…?” A young man, who was also aiming a gun, though shakily, at him asked. 

The first man slowly pulled the door back a few more inches, allowing the faint light of twilight to dust the inside of the container with just enough sun to make the shadows retreat from half of his monstrous form. 

“What?” He mumbled to no one in particular as he just stood there, clearly unable to put together what he was seeing. 

Palace’s left ear flicked, his normal gesture for when he was a little confused. He’d thought that this man was a buyer, yet he hadn’t been sent a picture? That made no sense. 

“The staff at the house said that there was a shifter kept out here that was massive and dangerous, but I’ve never seen such a giant wolf.” 

Palace snarled and turned, his dirty feathers rustling against his fur in the dim space. The man quickly glanced up toward the sky at the sound, but then dropped his attention back to Palace when he clearly hadn’t seen anything. 

“Did  I just hear a bird… in here?” He said, nudging the door open more with his hip, clearly trying to get a better look inside. 

If they were going to knock him out, it was going to happen, so Palace decided not to waste anymore of his energy trying to scare them off. Clearly, it wasn’t working. Instead, he let his weight drop heavily back down to the floor, sending a loud echo throughout the container. When he glanced back up at the shifter and saw that he still hadn’t moved, Palace leaned down and grabbed the dead dog in his jaws. 

A long time ago he might have been too picky to eat such an animal, but food was a precious commodity now, and he wasn’t going to waste the chance to fill his belly. He did keep his ears and eyes focused mostly on the men as he crunched away at flesh and bone alike. Being close to four feet tall and two hundred pounds of muscle, though underweight, Palace was easily able to tear into his meal without issue. 

“Do we have any strong tranquilizers? Probably double the normal dose for something his size, which I’d have to guess to be around one hundred and eighty, if not more.” The shifter said, making Palace huff and flick one of his ears. The guy was good at guessing.

“We don’t have anything that strong. This was just supposed to be a simple seizure of a few captive animals and a possible small shifter or two.” Someone said from out of Palace’s line of sight. 

The man standing in the doorway pursed his lips in thought, making Palace bare his teeth and growl as he pushed himself back up onto his weak legs. There was little left of the dog that was edible so he returned his full attention to the trespassers. 

When the man finally decided to act, it wasn’t exactly what he’d thought he’d do. He took a step back and offered Palace a small smile. “Guess we’ll have to think of something else. Maybe we can get a truck in here to just load up the entire trailer. I’ll go make some calls, and get a hold of my brother. Liam and Duff, stand guard please. He’s secured by a thick chain, so he shouldn’t be able to cause any trouble as long as the door stays sealed and no one tries to bother him.” He said before stepping down from the trailer, then slowly forcing the heavy panel door back into place. When the rusty bolt lock creaked into its slot, Palace huffed and slowly lowered himself back down, figuring that he was going to be left alone for at least a little while longer.

Sharp Spaces

The sound of a large freight truck backing up pulled Palace out of his light sleep. He didn’t bother opening his eyes, but instead tilted his large ears back and forth, then moved his head so that he could find the general direction the sound was coming from. As it grew closer, the beeping began to bounce off the metal walls, assaulting his senses with a racket of noise that brought his mixture of fur and feathers to pinpoints along his back. 

When the truck finally stopped nearby, Palace snorted and swatted at his ringing ear with a giant dirty paw. The sound of voices coming closer a few moments later made him drop his foot back down, the sound of it thumping against the soiled metal floor making another annoying echo in the darkness. 

The voice of the lion from earlier brought Palace’s attention toward the door, his eyes slowly squinting open just enough to see. 

“I don’t want to knock him out for this. we need to do it once we get him to the facility to check his health, and i’m not sure if he can handle it in the first place, let alone twice.” 

Some of the people with him were agreeing, but others were skeptical about him trying to escape during transfer. 

So they are buying me? 

It was odd, though. They never tried to take him awake, not after the first mistake. 

The latch for the door screeched, jerking open inch by inch. Palace stepped forward, putting him at the end of his short, heavy chain. His upper lip rose as a beam of light swiped across his face, making him snarl loud enough to send vibrations through the metal beneath his paws. 

“Sorry about that, bud. Didn’t mean to hit hit you with it, you’re just in a different spot.” The lion shifter, who Palace suddenly remembered was called Jamie by someone earlier, said as he averted the bright flashlight. The name didn’t seem to really fit, but then again, he was named after a sprawling building meant to intimidate lesser people in the kingdom. 

Some palace I am. 

“Is everything hooked up and ready to go?” Jamie asked someone out of his view. 

When someone yelled back “Yes!”, Palace tilted his head, curious as to what they were doing, if they weren’t going to knock him out for this transfer. 

Jamie’s attention returned to him as Palace sat down. The man offered him a smile and took a step inside of the container. 

No. 

Palace immediately jumped up, roaring a warning loud enough to startle the shifter into stumbling right off the edge of the container. He was lucky that he had enough people around who were paying attention to catch him. 

When he returned a moment later, being careful not to step inside, he was surprisingly grinning. “Okay, I deserved that. I should have known that you consider this your territory.” 

The sound of the truck backing up again somewhere close made Palace start to growl. “I know, it’s really loud in here, but this is the safest way I can think to transport you out of this place.” Jamie said. 

When he got no hint of a different response from Palace, Jamie continued. “We’re going to take you to mine and my brother’s animal rehab facility. We got called in for this case after police had been investigating for a little over a year. They finally got a warrant, and well, that’s how we’re in this situation right here.” 

He’d heard some pretty interesting lies over the past several years, but Jamie’s didn’t sound like it would make any sense if he were a buyer. Why tell him he was being taken there? He wouldn’t care one way or the other, so what would be the use of the lie? 

But if he’s telling the truth, it still doesn’t matter. 

Animal rescuer or not, he would kill him. The instincts were already there from birth, just like all carnivores, but over his years of captivity, they were the only thing that helped him. He couldn’t be tortured by someone who was no longer alive. 

“Alright, well… we’re going to take you there with the truck you’re hearing. We’ll try to load up this hauling container as carefully and quickly as possible, but it might rock a bit. Please just stay calm. I promise you, we’re only here to help.” 

I promise you, I will still kill you either way. 

Jamie left shortly after, sealing the container. Only, he didn’t technically leave the area. Palace could still hear him and several of his workers milling about, shouting directions and what not. 

At one point, Palace heard several heavy pieces of metal thunk around the container, as if they were lines being thrown from one side to the other. 

“Got the first three hooked up! Just fasten the last one, then we’ll see if this thing can still be moved safely!” Someone shouted. 

He heard the last metal rope go over the top, then get fastened in the far front corner by the door. Silence took over for a few moments before he heard someone outside yell for everyone to get clear. 

The next thing he knew a loud groan reverberated throughout his territory, making his ears pin back as he stiffened his stance. The front portion of the container lifted several feet in the air abruptly, forcing him to stumble backward into the wall. His weight made the container jar, adding momentum and forcing him forward when whoever was controlling the ropes over-corrected. 

He tried his best to keep himself from sliding forward, but being locked away, practically immobile, had clearly hindered his ability to react quickly. He fumbled to the end of his chain far too fast, making the metal already buried in his throat dig in. He yelped, but it sounded more like a pained roar as his claws scrambled against the worn steel floor. 

Someone started yelling outside to lower the container, but when it just jarred harshly, Palace felt his air get cut off. 

“Lower it, dammit!” Jamie yelled right as Palace swung his right front paw forward, digging three inch talons straight through the dilapidated metal floor. 

The second he realized what he’d done, he did the same thing with his other paw, then pulled himself high enough to gasp in a rasping breath. A moment later, the container dropped back down hard, forcing his body to slam against the floor and his talons to retract back to look like normal claws.  

Everything went quiet for several moments as his mind tried to reboot from the hit his head had taken and the lack of oxygen. The sound of the rusty bolt moving jerkily on the container door finally managed to pull him together enough to lift his head in that direction. 

Jamie’s face appeared as the door was shoved to the side. When he stepped inside, turning on the strong flashlight, likely to check on him, Palace bared his teeth. He tried to growl, but it ended up coming out as a reverse cough, much like what canines usually did when they had been pulling on their leash too hard for too long. 

“Dammit. Get me the tranquilizer gun! This isn’t going to work.” He yelled over his shoulder. 

Palace gave a few more coughs before letting his aching head rest back down on the warm metal floor. He remained still even as he heard Jamie’s men bring him the gun he’d asked for, then come further inside. Each time he tried to growl, his throat just backfired on him, forcing harsh coughs until he was panting for breath. 

“I’m sorry, we really didn’t mean to hurt you. We just wanted to move this whole container instead of having to knock you out, but it definitely didn’t go as planned. This thing is in way worse shape than it looked like, and the person we got to operate the rope system is a moron.” 

Rolling his eyes, Palace thumped his heavy tail against the floor, drawing a sad chuckle from Jamie as he knelt at a safe distance and leveled the gun at his shoulder. “It will knock you out quickly, I promise. Then we’ll get you somewhere safe.” 

The dart sank into his shoulder with the simple pop of the trigger mechanism going off. Jamie watched as the giant wolf’s eyes slowly drew closed. His body took several more minutes to relax from the drug, and even after that, he still waited another five minutes before handing off his gun and hesitantly approaching. 

“How ya doing, bud?” He asked, keeping his eyes locked onto the wolf’s closed ones. 

When his question was met with the soft but raspy breathing of the animal asleep before him, Jamie finally sighed. “Alright guys, let’s get him in the research vehicle. Fold up the crates in the back, he won’t fit in any of them, obviously.” He said as he gestured for a group of people to come in quickly. 

He oversaw the transport, and personally cut through the heavy metal chain fastening him to the container’s far wall. They left the collar alone since it would likely cause an open wound when removed. It would have to wait for when they got back to the facility. 

After they got several tarps settled beneath his massive body, six people took sides, three on each, and lifted. A few of them staggered, catching their footing, having been taken by surprise by how light he actually was compared to his size. 

“He’s probably got parasites and clearly hasn’t been fed much. He’ll gain a lot.” Jamie said as he lead the group from the container. 

They loaded him up in one of the rescue vans after all of the crates had been folded up, then transferred to another vehicle. There was barely any room for Jamie to climb in the back with him, but he managed. 

“Alright, let’s get out of here. Shut the door and then put your foot on the gas. We’re on a severe time limit.” 

Thankfully, Jackson, his driver, knew how to speed. 

“How much did you dose him with?” He asked as they got onto the interstate. It would only take about twenty minutes to get back. 

Jamie kept his fingers pressed against the pulse in the wolf’s neck and focused on his breathing. “Enough to knock out a horse, twice.” He said, making Jackson whistle. 

The high pitched noise brought a twitch to the wolf’s ears, startling Jamie enough to jump back against the side of the van. 

“What? What happened?” Jackson asked as a low rumble vibrated from the wolf’s chest. “The hell? How could it be waking up so soon? It’s only been what, fifteen, twenty minutes?” 

Jamie moved back to his spot quickly and pressed his hand against the wolf’s nose, counting his breaths. “He’s not up yet. Your whistle probably just broke through the drug. Pay attention to the road and get us back, fast.” He ground out as the wolf’s ear twitched again, along with its upper lip. 

“Sorry about this, bud, but I need to make it back in one piece, too.” Jamie said as he dug through a duffel bag and retrieved a thick roll of duct tape. He quickly got to work wrapping the wolf’s mouth with it. They normally used electrical tape for such things, but he wasn’t so sure that it wouldn’t be able to break through it, so he regrettably used the stronger, more adhesive stuff. 

When he was finally content with his work, he used scissors to cut the remaining small amount of tape free, then tossed it back into the back. 

“Ten minutes and we’re there.” Jackson said, drawing Jamie’s eyes up to him before they dropped back to down… only to meet one dilated pupil. 

“Drive faster. We need to make it in five.” Jamie yelled as he dove back into the duffel to retrieve the remainder of any kind of tape he could find. 

He would never pack so lightly again, even if it was just for a simple seizure. 

Reaching forward, Jamie flinched when the wolf snarled, but he forced himself not to hesitate as he grabbed one of its giant paws and began wrapping the electrical tape around it. After a few repetitions he grabbed the other front one and did the same, then secured them together before adding a few layers of duct tape. 

He was just leaning back to relax for the remaining few minutes of the ride when a deep rumble shook the van at the same time the wolf jerked its back legs forward. He didn’t have the time or space to dodge and took the hit with a roared yell. The beast’s claws easily slashed through his shirt, digging deeply into his chest as the force of the kick threw him back against the sliding door, jarring it harshly and rocking the van. 

“Shit, boss! We’re here, get out!” Jackson yelled as he heard Jamie panting behind him, his inner lion making each breath sound like a stifled growl. 

“Drive straight into the containment area.” Jamie rasped out as his arms shakily grasped for anything he could find to press up against his bleeding chest.

Jackson honked the horn repeatedly to get people’s attention. Thankfully, they seemed to realize what he was trying to do and rushed for where he was driving to open the heavy metal hydraulic doors leading into their strongest holding pen.  

The second the van skidded to a halt the door behind Jamie was shoved open from the outside. He tried to get out, but ended up unable to manage his weight through the throbbing pain in his chest. Thankfully, strong arms caught him and easily lifted his weight. 

“I’ve never seen you be so careless, little brother.” 

Squeezing his eyes shut, Jamie bit back a quiet laugh and just let himself be carried into one of their surgical rooms. You’re only five minutes older.  The room wasn’t technically for people, but going to a hospital wasn’t something he or his brother preferred. 

When he was set down on a cold metal table, Jamie slowly turned his head to watch as his brother, Jared, easily made his way around the pristine white room. He must have rushed over here, he’s still wearing his suit. Jamie thought as his brother returned a few moments later with a steel tray of surgical items and the glasses he rarely wore pushed up the bridge of his nose. 

“Grin and bare this, it’s going to hurt like a bitch… in heat.” Jared said as he poured a bottle of disinfectant over Jamie’s chest after tugging aside the remains of his shredded shirt. 

Jamie didn’t hesitate to let out a deafening roar as the liquid burned through his damaged skin. “Why didn’t you drug him more? Clearly he would need a stronger dose than whatever you hit him with.” Jared said calmly as he began scrubbing out each of the three depressions created by the wolf’s claws. 

It took Jamie a minute to push through the pain to process Jared’s question, then figure out a reply that wasn’t just another roar of pain or gibberish. “I dosed him… twice that of what a horse would need.” He ground out, making his brother’s hand pause, holding a bloody piece of gauze over his injury. 

“Double? He should have been out much longer than the short drive. Did you not get him as well as you thought? Did the needle exit his body without you noticing and drip the rest of the dose onto his coat?” 

Jamie jerked his head back and forth once, grinding his teeth together as Jared went back to cleaning his injury. A loud rumble sounded from down the hall, where the entrance to the containment area with the wolf was. 

“Seems like he’s fully awake now.” Jared noted with just a brief glance toward the door. 

He finished cleaning the injury and started stitching it, but thankfully he’d added a bit of numbing medication to relieve the worst part of the pain. 

“I double dosed him because of his size and because I wanted to do his assessment as soon as he got here so that we wouldn’t have to stress him out a second time. Guess I definitely failed at that.” He said with a pained chuckle. 

“Definitely.” His brother repeated as he finished sewing up one gash, then moved to the second one. 

The sound of the door being opened drew both brother’s eyes toward it. One of their part time workers stood there shaking a little, his face a shade or two lighter than what seemed healthy. 

“He’s awake.” He said dumbly, making Jamie and Jared stare at each other for a second before returning their attention back to him. 

“Tell us something we don’t already know?” Jared said, clearly trying to hide a growl. 

The man shrunk back and averted his eyes. “He’s already got the tape off of his mouth and probably will have his front legs free soon.” He mumbled. “And it looks like there is some really bad matting on the left and right side of his back, like solid stretches of tangled fur.”

As if his whole coat isn’t likely matted. Jared isn’t going to keep this guy long. Looks like he’s about to piss himself just by talking to us. 

Granted, they weren’t known for being the nicest bosses. Jamie was more lax than Jared, and had a slightly more boyish look to him, but both of them were mature male lions, which made their temperaments a bit harder to deal with at times. They were both also quite tall and imposing, but they definitely liked that part about themselves. 

“Okay. The area is secure, though?” Jared asked, getting a jerky nod from the man as he rung his hands in front of him. 

Narrowing his eyes, Jared flashed his teeth before returning to sewing up his brother. “Go.” 

The sound of the man’s feet stumbling from the room met their ears, but neither brother was paying attention to him any longer. Jamie had his eyes closed and was trying to relax so that he didn’t tense too much and make his brother’s job take longer. 

“You know, I had a feeling that something bad was going to happen during this seizure. I shouldn’t have let you talk me out of skipping my meeting to be there.” Jared said quietly as he focused on starting the stitching for the third gash. 

Jamie felt a smile tugging at the edges of his lips, but it slipped away after a small yawn took its place. “I would have called you to come help, but you should have seen where he was living. I couldn’t just leave him there.” 

“Or wait.” His brother growled, earning a chuckle that made Jamie wince. 

“Yeah. I’ll be okay, though. Nothing we haven’t done to each other a few hundred times while growing up.” He said. 

Jared sighed as he finished the last stitch, then cut the thread and stood to begin cleaning up.  

“Were there any others like him there?” Jared asked. 

Jamie shook his head, but then realized his brother likely wouldn’t see him and replied. “No. There was a normal looking, but skinny hawk, though. It had a metal band embedded in its ankle much like he has one in his neck. I don’t know if it was to keep them from shifting, if the bird is also a shifter, or if the owner was just that sick, but as soon as we have time, I’d like to at least get the hawk’s leg looked at and that band removed. It was transported back hours ago and should hopefully be destressing right now.” 

Jared grunted as he finished cleaning up, then turned to see his brother pushing himself gingerly up to a sitting position. 

“Go get some rest in the office. I’ll watch the wolf and make a plan for him and the hawk.” Jared said as he helped Jamie from the table, remaining beside him until he was sure that he was able to stand on his own. 

“Alright. Thanks. I’ll just go close my eyes for a bit.” Jamie said as he carefully made his way from the room, leaving his brother to watch the odd wolf for a while.

Realization

(Fanart by @VanishingWinter )

After getting himself a clipboard, pen, and a small bag of cubed raw meat, Jared made his way to the wolf’s current holding enclosure. Setting his things down near the double-wired barrier, he checked that the electricity running through the thin metal rods stretching across the area was off, then took down a pair of disposable rubber gloves from a cabinet and pulled up a chair near the wire. 

His eyes scanned the dim area that made up the holding enclosure as he pulled on the gloves. There were a lot of potted trees and fake hide areas to make sure that whatever animal they used the area for could feel comfortable, but it also made it hard to find them, even if they were a giant wolf. 

“I’ve got some food for you if you’d like to hang out with me for a bit.” Jared said, his eyes and ears focused intently on any movement or sound within the enclosure. 

The first thing that caught his attention a few minutes later was the sound of deep sniffing, likely due to the wolf picking up the scent of the deer meat he’d brought with him. He had intentionally left the bag open, allowing the scent to drift through the air. 

When the beast peaked its head out from around the corner of a large steel crate, the remained of the chain hanging from its collar rattling slightly, Jared couldn’t keep his jaw from dropping slightly. His brother hadn’t been joking. The wolf was easily twice the size of a normal one. 

After a few more moments of hesitation, it began to slowly stalk toward him. Jared made sure that he didn’t tense and just remained relaxed in his uncomfortable metal chair as he watched the animal move. To any normal person, it would seem like it was confident and aggressive, just waiting for the target of its gaze to make a mistake. Granted, it likely wouldn’t hesitate to attack him, even through the barrier once it got close enough, but Jared could tell right away that it wasn’t going to be aggressive simply because that’s what it was naturally. 

He’s just scared. 

One would think that it would be easier to get the beast to listen to him and calm down if he showed it that he meant it no harm, but that was rarely how it actually worked. Scared animals were always more dangerous than simply aggressive ones. You knew what the aggressive animal was going to do. What it’s intent was. With one that was simply scared out of its mind? There were no cues to read. A scared animal could go from quiet staring to snarling and lunging within a second if it were triggered. 

And with you being so big and clearly already so worried, there’s no way you’re going to be safe to be around for a while. 

Of course, he knew that it was a shifter without needing it to confirm such a thing. Wolves didn’t just get so incredibly big. Honestly, neither did shifter ones, but there was something off about this wolf that he couldn’t put his finger on, but it wouldn’t stop nagging at the back of his mind, either. 

Jared snapped himself out of his thoughts as the large animal stopped about five feet away from the barrier. It didn’t sit down, nor glance away for even a second. His hackles are up, eyes are dilated, and his upper lip is twitching. He’s just waiting for something bad to happen. 

“I just want to get a look at you and make sure you’re doing as well as you can be at the moment. We’re going to get that collar removed as soon as it’s safe to sedate you again, then do a once-over to make sure you aren’t hurt anywhere else.” 

Leaning down, he picked up the small bag of deer meat and took out a piece with his gloved hand. Lifting it slightly near the double reinforced chain-link, he made sure that the wolf could see it, then very carefully threw it just a foot or two inside of the enclosure. 

He didn’t really expect the animal to go for it, even though it was clearly hungry judging by it’s quick glances toward the minuscule offering and it’s ragged appearance. It refused to take a single step, though. 

When ten minutes had passed and it still hadn’t moved, Jared pulled out his phone and dialed one of his employees that was working with the police on the case. As soon as the guy picked up, Jared was all business. 

“Hey Yani, I need some information.” He said, getting an immediate affirmative from the young man on the other end of the line. 

“I need you to get a hold of an officer to look into any possible missing wolf shifters. There’s no way someone isn’t missing this huge guy.” He paused for a moment, about to hang up, when he realized one more thing. 

“And also check for a hawk. I think it’s a red tail or red shoulder, but either way. I’m pretty sure it’s a shifter, too, and not the most common bird type among them, so hopefully someone has put out a notice for it, too.” 

When he disconnected the call a minute later after checking up on a few other things, he returned his attention to the wolf, only to see that it had taken a step forward. It’s attention, however, wasn’t on the meat, but remained on him. 

“Hm? Did I say something that caught your attention?” Jared wondered as he thought through everything he’d spoken about on the short phone call. 

“The hawk?” 

That was the only thing he could think of that would peak anyone’s interest, and as expected, the moment the words had left his lips, the wolf’s left ear flicked slightly. Before Jared could say anything else, the wolf stalked forward, padding straight toward him. 

Without really thinking, he stood up, his own instincts forcing him to his feet. He knew that it wouldn’t be able to get through the barriers, or at least not quickly, but he couldn’t just sit down while another predator headed right toward him. 

The wolf slowed after a few seconds, then turned abruptly to pace back toward the hide objects in the enclosure. When it reappeared from behind several potted trees to circle  around the area, Jared sat back down. 

Now you’re pacing. Mentioning that hawk must have stressed you out somehow. 

Leaning back, Jared watched the large animal move around its pen, it’s massive paws somehow carrying its big body so smoothly that it looked like one of those fancy show horses. He wouldn’t doubt that with some good food and medical treatment, it would easily weigh more than one, too. 

“Did my mentioning the hawk worry you? Do you not like it?” He asked, highly doubting that the reason was so simple, but wanting to at least solidify if talking about the bird had been the trigger for the wolf’s pacing. 

It disappeared behind the trees again, only to reappear with what appeared to be a decent sized rock grasped in its massive jaws. 

I didn’t think we had rocks in there… and certainly not ones that big. 

When the wolf jogged closer, Jared fought himself not to take a step back. He watched with narrowed eyes as the giant beast jerked its head to the side, then back the other way, tossing the drool-covered rock hard enough to jar the barrier before it thunked to the floor. 

What are you up to? 

The answer to that exact question, that he had been testing the barrier for some type of electrical response, whether audible or physical, came to his mind the moment the wolf whirled back around and slammed into the fencing, snapping its huge jaws against the metal rings, easily bending them as talon-like claws latched onto the high portion of the enclosure’s fencing, giving the beast leverage as the chain-link between his teeth began to snap. 

Jared immediately stumbled toward the heavy metal exit door, slamming his hand down onto the emergency alarm button beside it. A loud siren began wailing throughout the facility that strictly meant that there was an issue in the special holding enclosure. 

Licking his lips nervously, Jared looked back at the wolf at the same time it spat out a chunk of fencing and tore down another fragment with its massive left paw. 

“Sorry about this, bud. I know you don’t deserve it, but we clearly got in over our heads with you. We’ll be more careful when you wake up.” He said before hitting the emergency button a second time, triggering it to override the defense system and force the metal rods built against the chain link the wolf was tearing into to vibrate with a strong electrical current. 

The beast froze for a moment as the electricity thrummed through his body, then, in what seemed like the simple blink of an eye, his claws retracted and his jaw slacked as his limp frame dropped to the hard floor. 

Not a minute after everything had settled, Jamie ran inside with two other workers behind him, guns in both their hands. They began to aim them at the wolf, but when it was clear that the electric barrier had done its job and knocked it out, they lowered the guns and put the safety back on. 

Jamie turned off the alarm and dismissed them before walking up to his brother and grasping his hands in his own. “It’s okay. Take a deep breath. You had to knock him out.” 

Neither of them liked the other pen. It was just a steel box with four walls and a heavy metal door. It was no place for any animal, but… He looked back at the damage the wolf had done in just a few short seconds and sighed. 

“Yeah, you’re right. He’ll be safe in there for now.” Jared said as he tugged his hands from his brother’s and walked over to the damaged barrier. 

Staring down at the huge wolf, he pulled off his plastic gloves and tossed them aside, then ran a hand through his hair and glanced back at this brother. “Thinking what I am?” He asked. 

The smirk on his brother’s face answered his question before his words even left his mouth. “Always, bro. I’ll gather some people to help move him to the other holding pen, then, if he’s still decently out, we’ll give him a dose of sedative and get his medical exam out of the way.” Jamie said as his smirk turned into a reassuring smile. 

Jared slowly nodded. “I think that would be best. We’ll get him there, get it done, then get the hell out and leave him be for a while.” He said, earning an agreeing nod from his brother as he pressed a small button above the emergency alarm, turning on the intercom to make a call for assistance transporting the wolf. 

“Once we’re done with his exam, I want to be sure that he’s fed double what his body weight should, and add vitamins. He’s got a lot of pounds to put back on.” Jared said as he stood back, letting his workers through to get the wolf ready to be moved. 

They both stepped out of the room to be sure they wouldn’t get in the way at all before continuing their conversation. “I was actually just working with the hawk, so I’ll meet you in the other holding pen in a few minutes?” Jamie said, already retreating down the hall. 

Jared raised an eyebrow, but shrugged. “Sure. Don’t be late. We can’t wait for you.” 

“I won’t! I’ll be done in just a second!” Jamie called back.

Jared nodded, but then yelled back. “And don’t mention the bird around him. It made him attack the barrier, so until we know why, let’s not talk about it around him.” 

Jamie seemed a bit surprised by the request, but didn’t hesitate to agree with it before disappearing through another doorway. Jared shook his head slowly and turned to head toward the other holding pen the wolf would be moved to, but took a small detour in order to clear his head… and get some coffee. With how late it was already getting, and considering the creature he was dealing with, he knew that he’d need a good strong cup of it. Maybe three. 

(I wanted to do the exam in its own chapter so that will be next :3)

Pay Attention

(A bit shortish, not feeling great x.x)

Thankfully, his team was very proficient, even so late into the evening. The giant wolf was settled quickly into the  new holding area, cement and a steel door making for much safer barriers. They’d gotten him hooked up to an anesthesia machine, too, and so far, he was still out cold. 

Granted, it was hard for their vet to figure out his readings since they were all over the place, but Jared was determined to get the medical exam over with since he was already down. For safety purposes, however, they did tape his mouth again, along with tie up his back legs. 

“I feel pretty crappy to do this to him…” Jamie said as he knelt down next to his brother, a surgical mask covering his mouth like everyone else who was near it. They had the anesthesia up fairly strong and they honestly had no history on the wolf, either, so they just wanted to keep safety the number one priority. 

Jared only spared him a short glance before beginning to comb through the large beast’s fur with a lice pick. It was no surprise when the comb got stuck a few times, then came away covered in fleas, but it was disgusting. 

“Give him a couple doses of the topical flea control for now, but space them out a bit.” Jamie said to the techs as his brother, along with their vet, began checking his teeth after they’d drawn some blood and given him all of the immunity shots he likely hadn’t gotten in a long while, if at all. 

Jared held one of the wolf’s lips up as the vet poked around with some tools, scraping away layers of built-up tartar. 

“Not the greatest, but from what you’ve said, Jamie, I’m honestly surprised they aren’t worse.” The vet mumbled as he quickly went around the beast’s jaw, trying his best to get at least some of the junk off of his large teeth. 

While they worked, Jamie moved his attention to the wolf’s feet. The pads looked damaged, likely from him standing in fecal matter for periods of time, but that would heal over time with some medication. He dug through one of the medical bags beside them and pulled out some cream. After a few minutes of massaging it into each pad, he set it aside, then checked its back claws. 

As expected, they were overgrown. “At least this is an easy fix.” He mumbled to himself as he fished a pair of large nail clippers from the bag and began cutting back the wolf’s claws. 

He knew not to go too far too soon, though, because the quick was going to be much closer to the end of the claw than normal. If he cut it, it would definitely bleed and be tender to walk on. He didn’t want to make it any less comfortable than it was already bound to be after being shocked, poked and prodded. 

When he’d finished with the back nails, he moved to the front. They actually looked a lot better than the back ones. Odd. He thought as he picked up one massive paw and tried to maneuver it so that he could easily cut the claw. 

“Here.” Jared said, suddenly appearing beside him. 

His brother leaned over, grabbing the large paw and pressing down between the digits. Jamie had forgotten that trick, which pushes the nails out a bit to make them easier to cut. He lifted the clippers, only to drop them as his mouth gaped open. 

“I really wish I’d been seeing things back there… but it seems like I hadn’t.” Jared said as they both stared in shock at the massive, clearly-retractable, talons. They were several inches long and came to quite impressive points. 

“Damn lucky these didn’t catch you, Jamie.” Jared said as he leaned back to dig in the bag, pulling out a much larger pair of clippers and handing them to his brother. 

“Get them done quickly.” He said as he grabbed one paw and pressed down, making the talons extend. 

Jamie was thankfully fast after years of practice. He nicked a few quicks, but he had plenty of medicine that stopped the bleeding fast. They finished with the claws as a deep growl echoed through the area. 

Everyone jumped back, as was the protocol they had decided upon before starting the exam. Anything but absolute calm needed to be reacted to immediately. 

The vet moved to the monitors, focusing all of his attention on them as Jamie hurried to take a body condition score, feeling along the wolf’s side and shoulder to see how underweight it was. 

“He probably has some worms in him. Once we get rid of those, I bet he’ll pick up weight fast.” He said as he took a small plunger from the bag that was already loaded with dewormer. They had intended to give it to him either way, since it wouldn’t hurt to do it. 

“Mouth, bro.” Jamie said, getting his brother’s attention immediately to switch to helping him give the wolf the dose quickly. 

He wasted not time pushing the device into the back of the animal’s throat, then pushing the plunger after testing the wolf’s swallowing reflex. It was clearly awake enough when he did the tiny trial dose, because it had swallowed immediately. 

“Alright. Let’s do one more sweep real quick. He’s about to wake up.” Jared said as he returned to the spot he’d been looking at before he’d been asked to help with the dewormer dose. 

Jamie was about to start packing up what they’d already used when Jared spoke. “Get me the electric razor.” 

Without a second thought, Jamie grabbed the razor, which was battery powered, and handed it to his brother. They normally used it to cut through bad matting, which the wolf definitely had, but he really didn’t think now was the time. 

Jared grabbed the razor and flicked it on, then immediately went to town on one of the giant mats stretching along the wolf’s side. He seemed to hit a firm blockage leading around the back of the shoulder, though. The clippers also appeared to be having trouble in general, almost like the fur wasn’t even fur. 

“This is really strange.” Jared mumbled as he moved the clippers around, but kept hitting the same block. 

After a few more tries, he turned them off and handed them back to Jamie, then reached forward and ran his fingers over the odd fur. He stopped after a moment, his fingers clearly caught. 

“I think this might be one of the bad parts, let me see those again.” Jared said as he reached back for the clippers Jamie was already handing him. 

Once he had them back, he quickly cut through the mass. Instead of acting like matted fur and just dropping away, it actually made a quiet snapping sound and sprang away. They looked at each other for a moment before Jared reached forward and grasped what they both assumed was more matting. 

“Wait…” Jamie whispered as he reached forward, too, pressing his fingers against furry-looking… feathers. 

“What in the world?” Jared asked as he held the limp wing while it slowly drooped down along the side of the beast, finally free of the rope he now realized had been holding it tied tightly against the wolf’s body. 

“Guys, three minutes, max. His upper lip is starting to twitch and his respiratory rate is increasing.” The vet said in warning. 

Jared nodded as he leaned over the wolf with the razor. The sound of another rope snapping rang out at the same time the beast took in a particularly deep breath, then let it out on a drowsy growl. 

He could tell that Jared wanted to figure out what the hell the wolf was doing with wings, but Jamie knew that the beast would wake up at any second. Without waiting for his brother to act, Jamie grabbed the razor with one hand and switched it off, then took Jared’s wrist and pulled him toward the exit door. 

The rest of the stuff they’d been using had been cleaned up by their techs, and the wolf was removed from the anesthesia machine the moment everyone else was out. The vet go that out a few moments later, allowing Jared to force the heavy door shut before locking the three locks on it. 

They all stood back and turned their attention to the couple of video monitors placed in each corner of the room they were now in that hooked up to the cameras in the holding area. 

“He’s waking up.” One of the techs said. 

No one replied to the obvious statement. Their attention was completely focused on the large wolf as it slowly got to its feet. It didn’t take long for it to realize that something was very different. 

Its giant head swung to the left as the wing laying limply against the floor on that side rustled, the sound of its feathers echoing through the monitors. When it turned to look at its other freed wing, it tried to lift them both at the same time. 

There was barely any response. 

“He can’t use them? Are they vestigial?” The vet mumbled the same question Jamie was wondering. 

“I don’t think that’s it. They wouldn’t have tied them up if they weren’t functional. I think he might not have had use of them for so long that his muscles might have degraded and he can’t lift them well…” Jared said, making Jamie nod in agreement. 

They watched him for another fifteen minutes before yawns began making their way through the room. Jared and Jamie dismissed everyone for the evening. They really wanted to feed the wolf and get it some blankets, but it was clearly stressed, panting heavily, and it wasn’t a good idea to feed it right after being under anesthesia. 

“Sleep over in here, bro?” Jamie asked as he pulled down some blankets from a cupboard and pulled out a cot they kept in the room for those staying overnight for timed observations. 

Jared was already dropping down onto it with a yawn. “Yeah. I’ll be the first one up, in about four hours? I don’t think he has any severe health issues, so we should get some sleep.” 

Jamie nodded as he sat down next to his brother on the cot and yawned. “Okay. I’ll check him after eight, then.” 

They both turned their attention to the monitors for a few more minutes, watching the wolf quietly pace slowly around the small room. 

“He’s going to be pretty damn cool once he’s all healthy again.” Jamie mumbled, earning a chuckle from his brother as Jared mussed up his hair, then flopped over on the bed. 

“Go to sleep, dork.” He mumbled, making Jamie grumble and lie down. 

“Whatever. I know you’re totally in awe of him, too.” Jamie said. 

Jared was quiet for a while before he replied in a sleep voice. “We didn’t get to the hawk today.” 

Time had really gotten away from them. 

“We’ll get it tomorrow. He looks like he’s in much better shape than this guy had been, so I don’t think it will be a problem.” Jamie replied. When he got a simple grunt from his brother, he yawned one more time, then fell asleep to the faint sound of heavy paws echoing on the hard floor.

Impossible Possibility

(Cover fanart by @BellaDeLacy :D)

The next day had everyone quite busy. While the wolf needed the collar removed from its neck soon, they wanted to give him some time to just relax by himself, so, after putting a staff member in the adjacent room to keep an eye on the monitors, Jared and Jamie made their way to the avian holding area. 

The hawk was in the first room, a thin rope dangling from its leg that had been cut to free it from the perch it had been fastened to where they’d rescued him. His head tilted slightly as they walked in, but it did little else then observe while they set up a small surgical table. 

“Loren should be here soon. Hopefully this shifter doesn’t have any issues with anesthesia like the wolf did.” Jared said, getting a chuckle from his brother as he spread a worn towel over the cold metal table. 

“We’re going to have to figure out a way to knock him out long enough to do his collar, though. That thing can’t stay on him much longer.” Jamie added, getting a nod from Jared as he finished checking the anesthesia machine. 

Knocking out a bird was a lot more tricky than a dog or cat. It could be very dangerous if they didn’t get things done quickly. 

Feeling eyes on him, Jared straightened up and looked over his shoulder at the hawk. It was watching him, it’s unusual rust red eyes dashed with a bit of dark green flecks. 

“I’m sure once we get that band off of your leg, you’ll be free to shift again.” He said, giving the bird a smile which got him a simple tilt from the bird’s head in response. 

“Sorry I’m a little late, guys. Late night.” Loren said, drawing smirks from both the brothers. They knew that she’d been with them working on the wolf last night and had stayed extra late for it. 

“We’ll cut you some slack today. Shall we?” Jared said as he walked over to the hawk. 

It didn’t seem stressed by his presence much, if at all. It wasn’t panting or fidgeting, or trying to get away from him at all. “You want that nasty thing off, don’t you?” He said, getting an ear-piercing screech from the bird. 

“Right. I’ll take that as a yes.” He said, rubbing an ear as he turned to the vet, who was loading anesthetic into a syringe. 

When she walked over to the hawk, the bird actually tilted its head back, giving her easy access to wherever she wanted to give it the necessary shot. Loren was quick, and the drug was even quicker as the bird got sleepy in less than a three minutes. 

As soon as it was safe, Jared placed a rolled-up towel between the bird’s sharp talons and then picked up, putting it on the blanket on top of the surgical table. 

Jamie grabbed the bird’s injured leg and held it steady while Loren began cutting away the metal, spike-studded band. After a few careful snips with the small metal clippers she’d brought, the band practically broke apart. She easily tugged it out of the bird’s leg a piece at a time, being careful not to cause anymore damage to it. 

“Almost done.” She whispered, more to herself than to either of them. 

Jamie reached over and grabbed the bandages and handed them to Loren when she lifted her hand for them. “Thankfully, he seems like he wants to cooperate completely, so I’m not too worried that he’d take these bandages off. These are the ones made specifically for shifters that stretch a bit, so if he shifts, he should still be okay for a bit, too.” She said as she examined the wound she’d scrubbed out and added medication to. 

When she seemed pleased, she wrapped a good portion of the bandaging around it, then quickly unhooked the anesthesia machine so that it could start waking up. 

“Just set him down on the floor.” She said to Jared as he scooped the whole blanket off the table, gently carrying it and the bird a few feet away before leaning down and placing them on the floor. 

They got everything cleaned up and out of the room fast. The bird was already twitching slightly by the time they had the door shut and locked. 

“I think he’ll be fine in a few days.” Loren said as she slung her medical bag over her shoulder. “Now then, I’m going home to get some real sleep.” 

“But you’re supposed to be working today.” Jamie said with a hint of humor to his voice. 

Loren glanced over her shoulder at him, already heading out the door. She raised an eyebrow and he smiled, making her flip them off before disappearing. 

“I knew we picked the right vet when we hired her.” Jared said as he shoved his brother, then turned to head toward the locker room. 

“Go watch the wolf for a bit and give Mark a break.” He said. 

Jamie saluted him before darting down the hall toward the quarantine holding area. Finally alone, Jared sighed, covering his mouth as a yawn slipped out. 

He walked into the employee restrooms, which doubled as a large locker room with showers in the back. After grabbing a spare outfit from his locker, Jared slipped into one of the showers. Neither him nor Jamie had bathed since the previous morning, and after dealing with the dirty wolf, he had felt quite in need of a hot shower. 

Tilting his head back into the spray, Jared felt his stress slowly dissolve and wash down the drain. He was a cat, but unlike most domestic cats, and lions, he absolutely loved water. Grudgingly, he made himself scrub his hair and body quickly, knowing that he still had more than enough work to get to. His brother also needed a shower, badly, though he absolutely hated water. That was the one thing that differed dramatically between them. 

After about ten minutes, Jared stepped out of the shower and reluctantly began drying himself off. He paused for a moment when he thought he’d something coming from the other end of the locker room, making him pull back the small curtain that separated one of the blocks of showers from the rest of the room. 

No one’s there? I could have sworn I heard someone almost growling. 

They didn’t have many shifters on staff, and it definitely hadn’t sounded like his brother. He listened closely for another moment before backing into the shower and finishing drying off. Right as he fastened the towel around his waist to walk over to the bench where he’d left his clothing to change into, the sound was back. 

He realized that it was in his head when emotions began pulsing through his mind, forcing him to nearly double over from pain. A startled roar left his lips as he staggered backward, then dropped. His hand reached up to try and catch one of the shower knobs, but he only managed to turn on the hot water before it slipped from his fingers and his backside landed on the tile floor. 

Jamie? Is everything okay? He thought to his brother, using the mind link prides often had between each other. 

When all he got back was another pulse of anger, or possibly hatred, in the form of pain and static noise, he dropped his head into his hands and growled.

Stop this immediately! He snarled, baring his teeth at the wall across from him. 

The pain suddenly subsided, but he could still hear the faint grumbles through the static that accompanied them. Taking his chance, Jared stumbled to his feet and yanked on his pants, ignoring the rest of the outfit to turn off the water, fasten his keys to his belt loop, then run from the locker room. 

When he got to the hall, he somehow knew that he had to go back the way he’d come before. On shaky legs, he made his way toward the avian holding area, becoming more and more cautious as the noise in his mind began to grow again. 

By the time he got close to where they were keeping the hawk, his head was throbbing and the hallway was beginning to spin around him. 

Get out of my head! 

The pain stopped abruptly, making Jared stumble before he regained his balance by grabbing onto the handle to the door leading into the hawk’s room. He panted hard for several moments, then looked through the small glass window. 

Wait. Where is it? 

Without thinking, he yanked the door open and darted inside. He looked over half the room before his gaze fell upon someone standing calmly in the far right corner. He didn’t look familiar, at first, especially since they didn’t allow personnel to wander around in their birthday suits, but the moment Jared raised his eyes to meet his, he knew who it was. 

“You’re that hawk.” He whispered as a cautious smile lifted his lips. 

He hesitantly took a step forward, offering his hand. The guy only cocked his head to the side and narrowed his dark eyes at him, immediately bringing back the storm of pain and anger inside Jared’s head. 

His eyes unfocused with the sudden assault, but as quickly as it had come, it disappeared. Catching himself from falling, he staggered sideways into the wall, coughing a few times as his breath stuck in his throat. 

There was absolute silence, besides his breathing, until he raised his eyes slowly back up to meet the hawk shifter’s. The dirty brown-haired young man, who had to be somewhere in his twenties, stared at him with his now-curious eyes. They watched each other for several seconds before the man tilted his head just-so, the gesture immediately bringing on a torrent of painful emotions strong enough to drop Jared right to the floor. 

He lay there gasping as the his vision swam, the sound of approaching limping footsteps nearly drowned out by the ringing in his ears. When he felt something gently brush against his jaw, his lion struggled forward, trying to break free, but only barely managed a weak roar that would have barely put a cub to shame. 

The pain in his mind shifted slightly, becoming less severe and more streamline as his consciousness began to slip away. He felt something along his waist being fooled with and realized through the haze of his thoughts, that the hawk was taking his keys. 

Jamie… 

Jared forced the thought to his brother, but only silence answered him. 

When the sound of footsteps began to drift away from where he lay, he could no longer hold on. His mind went blank, leaving him on the cold floor as darkness took over.

Unknown

The wolf had grown more antsy as time passed, but Jamie couldn’t understand why. He hadn’t fed him yet, because he wanted his brother to be there, just in case, but every time he sent him a thought message, he got no response. 

It wasn’t exactly odd for him to not reply sometimes, especially when he was busy or resting, but it was starting to make him worry.  

A deep rumble echoed from the holding area, drawing his attention to the monitor so that he could see where the wolf was. His eyebrows rose slightly as he watched the wolf stalk toward the door, then jump up. Jamie turned just in time to see its giant claws latch onto the edge of the small window and haul its body up enough so that it could stand on its back legs and look through. 

He slowly turned the pivoting chair he was sitting in toward the window, but realized almost right away that the wolf wasn’t even looking at him. He’s looking… past me? He turned toward the hallway door, putting his feet down to stop abruptly when he saw someone staring in through the window there. 

Who is that…? 

The brown haired man was ignoring him, too. His focus was completely on the wolf. 

Uh, hey, bro? He thought to Jared, trying a bit harder than he had earlier to reach him. 

He only got back a muffle of what felt like confusion, then pain, before the connection went blank again. 

Okay. Something’s up. 

He got to his feet, the movement making the man looking in at them jerk his head abruptly toward him. Jamie jumped a little, startled by the movement. It reminded him of something that he’d seen quite a bit recently… 

It only took him a minute to put the pieces together. 

“The hawk. You’re the hawk. You jerk your head just like him, but why are you here?” He said aloud. 

He wasn’t about to let it inside to answer his question, though. Something was wrong with his brother and the hawk was out of its containment area. Jamie licked his lips, a nervous habit he’d developed over the years. He had to carry chapstick with him everywhere or his lips got damaged from the over-attention. 

Side-stepping toward the intercom button on the wall by the computer, he watched the hawk watch him. The young man slowly raised an arm to wrap his knuckles against the glass several times, but Jamie just continued on his way toward the button, pressing it the moment his hand made contact with it. A small alarm sounded as he leaned forward.

“Attention. This facility is now on lock down. This is not a drill. I repeat, this is not a drill. All personnel are to secure any enclosures they are currently working in and make their way to a safe room. All exits are to be immediately sealed off from the outside until police arrive.” 

 He released the button as the hawk knocked again, his lips turning down into a frown. Jamie refused to take a single step closer. If he somehow got inside, he could get to the wolf. 

“You aren’t coming in here bud, sorry.” He said, narrowing his eyes on the man as he did the same, glaring at him as his head cocked to the side. 

The stare unnerved him, but he held his ground. When several tense seconds passed, the man’s expression changed to one of slight confusion. He narrowed his eyes again, but stopped after a moment and scowled. 

Is he mad that I’m not letting him in after just glaring at me? 

Jamie was in the middle of rolling his eyes when Jared’s voice suddenly broke into his thoughts. 

Don’t let him near you! He can get inside your head! If he’s glaring at you, get away from him! 

Jamie stumbled backward at the force of his words, nearly choking on his own breath from the shock. 

Are you okay, bro? He asked, feeling a headache thundering in the back of his brother’s thoughts. 

I heard him while I was in the locker room, and like an idiot, walked right into the room he was in. I didn’t know that he could hurt people just by thinking hatred at them. 

Jamie’s brow furrowed. Thinking… hatred? He questioned as he looked back at the hawk. He was digging one hand into his messy hair, clearly getting frustrated. 

He’s at the door to the monitoring room for the wolf’s enclosure, and he’s been glaring at me, but I don’t think that it’s working. Jamie said. 

How close is he? Do you hear anything in your head besides me? He asked, confusion and worry coming through the connection along with his words. 

No. He looks frustrated, but I don’t hear anything but you in my mind. No hatred or pain, or anything like that. 

His eyes jerked up to the hawk, having gotten distracted by the conversation, when the man’s head snapped to the side. Not a second later, Jamie felt the worst pain he’d ever experienced surge through his mind. He gasped and dropped to his knees right before his brother broke the connection between them, taking the horrible feeling with him. 

How the hell is that hawk doing such a thing? 

He stumbled back to his feet but had to take a few seconds to regain his breath. The anguished roars of a lion echoed into the room from the hall, making Jamie feel torn. The police should be there any second since he’d hit the emergency button, but… 

Hesitantly, he walked closer to the window, stopping as soon as his brother’s writhing feline form became visible on the floor. 

Bro, fight it! Get up and get away from him! He thought as hard as he could toward him, but received absolutely no kind of response in return. His brother had completely shut him out. 

His fingers twitched to reach for the handle, but the hawk was splitting his attention between him and his brother. He would react the second he got the chance. 

Jamie felt his heart pounding in his throat as he grabbed the door handle and yanked it open. He refused to let his brother suffer in such a way. If the hawk managed to get the wolf out, then they would deal with it, or the police would. 

The hawk shifter moved immediately, nearly shoving past him before Jamie could allow his lion to take over. His claws snagged the guy’s left shoulder, digging in just enough to grip and force him to spin around. 

His eyes were narrowed in fury as he looked over Jamie’s shoulder at his brother, then returned his gaze to him. 

“Back down, or your brother dies.” The hawk rasped, as if his voice hadn’t been used recently.

Jamie’s eyes jerked wide as a rumble left his panting mouth. His fuzzy ears twitched along with his tail as he glanced over his shoulder at his brother’s lion, struggling to get back on its feet. 

He swung his head back around toward the hawk shifter and gave a low roar. The man answered it with one from his brother as his lion gave out a strangled roar of pain. 

Where the hell are the police? He snarled in his mind as he reluctantly let his body shift back to his human form. His pants were thankfully still mostly in tact, but his shirt was torn apart and his shoes had fallen off. 

“Unlock the door.” 

Licking his lips, Jamie slowly walked forward, keeping his eyes on the hawk even as he past him, forcing himself to turn. He’s bleeding pretty good, but he doesn’t seem phased by the injury I gave him at all. 

Fidgeting with his keys, he took an extra moment to find the right one, but didn’t dare stall too long. He could still hear his brother’s quiet rumbles from the hall, as if his lion was crying. 

The moment the key turned and the lock clicked in the door, Jamie saw several police officers enter the room and lift guns toward the hawk. 

He quickly stepped away from the door, raising his arms, but the hawk shifter lunged for the handle, swinging it open and running inside even as he was told to stop by several officers. 

Jamie was conflicted about what to do with the situation for a split second before his need to protect his brother, and now the people who had come into the room, kicked in. He ran forward and slammed the door shut, turning the lock with shaky fingers as the wolf’s snarling roar vibrated through his fingers from his grip on the door handle. 

His eyes jerked toward the cameras for the enclosure and wasn’t surprised in the least to see the wolf already going after the hawk. It had shifted back to its animal form and was struggling to keep the wolf from landing any fatal blows. It was already bleeding in several more places and its left wing seemed to be slightly bent incorrectly. 

He might not be able to fly away anymore… 

Running over to a storage bin in the far corner, he yanked out a tranquilizer gun, but frowned when he remembered that they never kept the darts with the guns. The vet had them. 

Damn regulations. 

It wasn’t exactly necessary to do it that way, but after a few misuses among now-fired staff, they had to change the way the darts were handled. He could get a hold of a gun, but he didn’t want to accidentally kill either of them. Throwing the gun back into the container, he turned his attention to what everyone else in the room was still watching. The hawk had somehow gotten away from the wolf and landed on one of the slightly lower cameras, but the wolf just needed one good jump to swat the entire device, and bird, away from the wall.

Dammit. 

Hurrying from the room, he saw his brother getting helped up by two paramedics. He looked like he was recovering from whatever the shifter had done to him. 

“You okay, Jared?” He asked, earning a tired nod in response. 

“Are they in there together?” He asked, his voice almost too quiet to hear over the wolf’s constant growls. 

“Yeah. The hawk shifted back and is getting bitten up pretty badly.” 

Jared forced himself to stand up, shrugging off the medics as he leaned against the wall to help support his weight. 

“Run to the kitchen and get him something he can resist. Loren should be on her way since the emergency system was activated. She can dart him once she gets here. I don’t want the wolf shot if we can prevent it, he’s just reacting to something invading his new territory.” 

Nodding, Jamie hurried down the hall, only to return a minute later with a large deer leg balance over his shoulder. They’d had several defrosting in the walk-in fridge, and thankfully one had to been just about ready to dish out. 

Hopefully it’s good enough. 

They hadn’t fed him yet, so he was hopeful as he stepped back into the room and headed for the door, that it would possibly distract him. 

The officers raised their guns when he unlocked it again, then pulled it open just enough to throw in the food, but thankfully the wolf had been too distracted to react until the deer leg thumped to the floor. 

Jamie slammed the door shut and locked it as his head turned to look up at the monitors. 

The wolf looked immediately conflicted as it saw the large portion of meat. His head swung between it and the hawk several times before its hunger won out. It mauled the meal, tearing it apart as if the flesh and bone were made of tissue paper. 

Shaking his head slowly, Jamie turned his attention to the other monitors, the ones that faced the hawk. He could see blood slowly dripping from a few places, but its injuries didn’t seem life-threatening from what he could tell with the limited view the cameras gave him. 

He’s a lucky bastard. 

Everyone waited with baited breath until Loren ran into the room and right over to the dart gun. She had it loaded in moments, and with the wolf so distracted, Jamie just had to open the door enough for her to get a good shot in. Once the wolf dropped, she added another dart, just in case, then Jamie walked in and nodded to the hawk. 

“Come down and come with us. You need stitched up or your injuries could get infected.” He said, meeting the hawk’s furious stare. 

It took a few minutes, but the hawk finally awkwardly spread its red-tinted wings and stumbled from the camera mount it had perched on. Jamie was just stepping forward to catch it before it hurt itself worse by taking a dive to the floor, but his brother surprised him by darting past him just in time to catch it. 

The hawk didn’t look pleased, but it remained still as they all turned to head out after giving a quick police statement and promising to talk with them after everything was situated for safety reasons. Thankfully, the wolf had remained asleep, allowing them to leave quietly without issue. He was sure that this incident wouldn’t be the end of the two’s awkward acquaintance, but he did hope that the next time the two ended up meeting, it would possibly be on better terms… and if the hawk wasn’t in such bad shape at that moment, he would have given it a reason to need a medic for hurting his brother so badly. 

He let a warning growl slip from his lips as he stalked forward past his brother to get the doors they would need to go through to get him to the medical room, that thankfully had some spare clothes in it, too. Jamie saw the hawk’s head tilt toward him at his growl and gave him one final grumble before turning his attention to where they needed to go.

Unknown 2

(this is more part of the last chapter than a full chapter, but valid information)

The hawk was oddly cooperative, once again, as Loren got busy stitching up his wounds. Jamie watched her work, checking the bird’s wing for the bone they figured was broken. 

“Nothing’s feels wrong, but there could still be some damage. Better not use this for a few days, at least.” Loren said, eyeing the bird before looking over her should at him. 

They’d stayed behind in the medical area while Jared had gone back to deal with the police, then cancel the lockdown. Jamie also didn’t want his brother anywhere near the hawk until they figured out how it was able to get inside his head. 

“Why were you so intent on getting to something that tried to kill you? You two couldn’t have possibly been friends, could you?” He asked the hawk, not really expecting an answer. 

It ruffles its feathers and looked away, clearly not interested in giving anything away. 

“Well, we don’t want to hurt you, or that wolf. What you did earlier almost got him killed, you know? If the food hadn’t distracted him, I would have shot him since you had shifted and he still hadn’t.” 

The bird’s head jerked back to face him, then it let out an ear-piercing screech that made both him and Loren wince. 

“Then don’t be so stupid again! That would have been completely your fault!” Jamie growled back, losing his cool for a moment. 

Loren stepped back a few moments later after she finished stitching the final wound. “You’re all set. You can still shift with the stitches in but don’t do it too often or I’ll have to redo them.” She said, then gave Jamie a questioning look. 

“Yeah, I know what you’re thinking. Go check the wolf, and if he’s still groggy, dose him again and get that collar off. I’ll watch this guy until you’re finished, but I don’t want anyone who can be useful there, coming here. You need the help much more.” He said, getting a nod from her. 

“I’ll send someone as soon as we’re done, if we can safely keep him down.” She said before leaving the room. 

Jamie watched her, his shoulders slumping a bit with exhaustion. Yesterday had been hectic, and today wasn’t turning out to be any less crazy. 

Turning back to the hawk, he took a sudden step back when he realized that the guy had shifted back to his human form again. Up close, and without any worry that his brother might be harmed if he lost focus, Jamie allowed his eyes to run over the guy’s full body. 

He was naked, of course, but being in a society with shifters everywhere, the idea of being embarrassed about your body tended to disappear as you got older. His eyes didn’t linger anywhere besides the few injuries the wolf had made. A couple looked like they would take a bit to heal, but when his eyes rose back to the young man’s, he realized just how deep one of the wounds had gone. 

“Were you two… actually friends?” He asked, a bit taken aback by the hurt he saw flit through the man’s gaze before it hardened back to anger. 

He didn’t get an answer at first. The man’s eyes widened and narrowed several times at him, like he’d done so before, but Jamie just crossed his arms and watched him back, not bothering to try and look aggressive or bothered. 

“You can’t hear me.” The shifter finally stated. 

Jamie leaned back against the wall by the door as the young man slid from the exam table he’d been placed on with a small perch on one side. His gaze dropped to the man’s feet, curiosity making him grin as he saw the guy’s toes curl automatically, as if he was still in his avian form. Granted, he knew that the hawk’s talons constricted on their own and the bird had to force them apart instead of make them grasp something, but it was still interesting to see the muscle memory at work. 

They must have had him chained up there for a damn long time for his human self to be doing it, too. 

“Uh, do you want some clothing… or food?” He asked awkwardly, not really sure how he should treat the guy. They were an animal rescue and occasionally got shifters in that had been abused and refused to shift, but nothing like the hawk and wolf’s situation. 

“Oh, what’s your name, by the way?” Jamie asked, wanting to at least have something to call him besides the hawk . 

The guy seemed to think about his answer for a moment, but then just shrugged. “Knight.” 

Jamie’s brow furrowed as he considered the name. Night didn’t seem to fit… “Do you mean like a castle or palace knight? Or the whole darkness and stars thing?” He asked. 

Knight rolled his eyes and grumbled a raspy response. “Palace.” 

“Ah, cool. That fits much better than the darkness thing.” Jamie said as he took a step closer and offered his hand. 

“My name is Jamie. My brother and I run this animal rescue and rehab and were called in to help get you and that wolf out of the situation you were in.” 

Crossing his arms, the guy nodding, seemingly going over the information before coming to a conclusion. He turned away from Jamie and walked over to a small counter that held the last load of spare clothing that had gone through the dryer. 

I really should have remembered to put that stuff away. 

Knight picked up a pair of loose shorts and tugged them on, but ignored the rest as he turned his attention back to Jamie. 

“Your brother. What’s his name? I can’t remember, though I know it’s been said around me before.” He asked as he walked over, stopping a few feet away from him. 

Licking his lips, Jammie reluctantly replied, since someone was bound to repeat the name anyways. “Jared.” 

“And you two are twins… interesting. I can get into one mind, but not the other.” He mused to himself, probably not meaning to say the words out loud. 

“Do you know that wolf, by the way? Or did you just have a death wish?” Jamie asked, feeling a little more comfortable with the guy now that he wasn’t being all creepy and aggressive. 

When he didn’t get a response, he licked his lips, then fished a little tube of chapstick from his pocket and ran it along his lower lip before pursing them and slipping the item back into his pocket. 

“Do you at least know his name?” He asked. 

Knight watched him for several silent seconds before walking toward the door. “You can’t go back there right now. They are trying to remove his embedded collar but the anesthesia doesn’t work well on him. If he senses you there, he might wake up and hurt someone.” Jamie said, stepping in front of him to block his way. 

The guy scowled, trying to get past him, but failed miserably. Jamie might not have the agility of a hawk, but he had the brawn of a lion. He was easily half a head taller than Knight, and probably outweighed him by at least forty pounds. 

“Get out of the way!” Knight finally yelled, losing his patience as he stepped back and glared. 

Jamie remained calm and shook his head. “You can’t bother them right now.” 

The guy seemed to be getting more and more frustrated as he paced around the room, tugging at strands of his wild brown hair. 

Why does he want to see him so badly when he nearly got killed by him not even an hour ago? 

“When can I see him?” He asked, stopping in front of the table in the middle of the room. 

  I want to say not for a while, but I don’t think that he’d take that answer. 

“Why do you want to see someone who nearly killed you?” Jamie replied, honestly not understanding unless the guy had a death wish. 

Knight exhaled in frustration as he dug his fingers into his hair. “He wouldn’t have done that if he hadn’t been tortured for years!” He yelled, making Jamie blink several times, surprised. 

“He was such a sweet kid…” Knight whispered, his voice cracking slightly.

“What did they do to him…?” He asked, though he really didn’t want the details if it was so bad that it had turned him into such an aggressive beast. 

The young man slowly lowered his hands, but Jamie couldn’t lift his eyes from them as several lines of blood began to drip from his palms. 

He hurried forward, but then hesitated. The guy’s talons were somehow out in place of his finger nails, scratching thin lines in his skin. 

“You have no idea what he is? You can’t tell me that you don’t know why they continued to keep selling him off to be used! They documented it all very damn well!” Knight yelled, making Jamie fidget. 

“I know that he’s some kind of mixed animal. He seems to have wings, but is clearly a wolf…” Jamie said quietly, confused. 

When Knight just laughed, he frowned. 

Am I missing something? 

“I won’t tell you. You people will just turn into filthy, money-hungry perverts, too. He’s better off without you knowing. I’ll get him out soon and we’ll live away from everything.”

Jamie wanted to scoff, his lion nearly coming through. 

“You two will live together? Before or after he eats you?” He asked, earning a sneer from Knight. 

“Those fucking people messed him up!” He screamed, stomping right up to get in his face. 

He didn’t doubt that the wolf had been mentally harmed by the treatment he’d received, but what made Knight think that he could change him when the wolf was already mauling him without a second thought? 

“I understand that he was tortured and became the way he is now as a result, but how could you possibly help him?”

 Knight tried to dart for the door, but Jamie easily snagged him around the waist, spinning with his momentum before sharp talons dug into his arm, forcing him to release the guy with an angry roar. 

When Knight regained his balance, he turned back to face him, a look of pure hatred on his reddened face. When he shrieked his next sentence, his hawk’s shrill tone coming through with his words, Jamie felt his whole body grow cold. 

“Dammit all, let me see my brother!”

Pulse

(Racquetball likes to chase the hose. I think the hose won.)

Palace felt horrible. No, worse than horrible. His throat throbbed sharply the entire way around and he felt surprisingly cold. 

“He’s starting to come back around but we should still have a few minutes. Get more heat blankets on him.” A female voice said from somewhere that sounded very far away. “He’s still in shock.” 

Weight was quickly added to his body but if they were heat blankets, they didn’t make a difference to him. He was freezing and his muscles ached from shivering so hard. 

“Everyone clean up and get away from him now, please. He should be fully awake soon. We’ll continue the shock treatment once I can be sure that it’s safe to be close to him again.” The woman’s voice echoed in his mind. He wanted to chase her away from him, but all he could manage was a flick of his ear. 

His mind went dark for an unknown amount of time before a gentle pressure moving between his ears woke him. He let a low growl slip from his panting mouth, but the hands barely paused in their attention. 

“It’s alright, Pal. Your Knight is finally here.” An unfamiliar voice said soothingly. 

He wasn’t soothed, but he couldn’t even lift his head, so there wasn’t much he could do about the man. His ears picked up several other people as he lay there, immobile, making him wonder if he was still locked up in the empty room. 

“Is he still shivering?” Asked the female voice from earlier. 

Silence answered her, but judging from the sigh and sudden sharp pain he felt in his shoulder, the quiet had earned him a shot of something. 

“Keep going. Even if he isn’t responding much, he still got that growl out. Do whatever you can.” She said, making Palace want to growl again, but he couldn’t find the strength. 

He heard several footsteps running around him but his eyes refused to open to even allow him the luxury of seeing who was messing with him. 

“I was hoping that it wouldn’t be too deep or infected, but luck wasn’t on our side at all. We should have gotten to it sooner.” The woman said. 

The hand gently petting his head stilled, its fingers curling softly into his thick, dirty fur. 

“Can’t we give him more antibiotics?” The raspy voice near him asked. He had a feeling that whoever it was that was speaking right then was also the one touching his head. 

“We already dosed him with triple the recommended amount.” The woman said. 

A pair of footsteps came closer then and another hand was added to his coat. It stroked down along the blankets covering his side, then returned to just below his neck to continue the action. His frustration mounted as the second hand refused to go away. After about five minutes of attention, he managed another quiet growl. 

“There we go. Keep at it, boys. Hopefully with some more attention and another bag of fluids, he’ll be doing a bit better.” The woman said, making Palace want to groan. 

He really didn’t want to do anything, but if showing that he was awake would get the people to stop touching him… 

Grunting, he gave his head a dull shake, feeling both hands retreat from his body with the action. 

“Alright, both of you back off for now.” The woman said, making the person next to him get up and hurry away. 

When he didn’t hear a second person do the same, he let out a slightly stronger warning growl. 

“Get away from him. Now.” A dominant male voice ordered. 

There was a moment of tense silence before he heard whoever was close to him slowly get up and start walking away. A faint yet familiar scent met his nose with the person’s movement, but his foggy mind couldn’t quite place it. 

“Alright, we’ll leave the blankets in with him and see how he holds up.” The woman’s voice said as Palace heard her footsteps come closer. 

He felt something being tugged from his skin and figured that it had been one of the fluid IV lines she’d mentioned. Darkness took over again soon after, leaving him to rest until his nose picked up on something that it couldn’t ignore. 

His body felt like it weighed twice as much as before, but he refused to remain on the floor when he could smell something absolutely delicious nearby. It took him what felt like forever to finally push himself up into a sloppy sitting position, and he was already panting hard by the time he managed it. He did notice that even though his head felt heavy, it was missing the familiar weight of the metal collar and few remaining pieces of chain that he’d grown accustomed to wearing.  

Palace lowered his ears and tilted his head to either side. His neck ached from the movement, but he couldn’t not be happy that the painful collar was finally gone. It left a question in his mind, however, as to why they had done it. 

The wolf’s movements on the cameras were being monitored by quite a few people from the other side of the wall. Jared and Jamie were both there, as well as Loren and Knight. 

“Bet he’s glad to have that thing off.” Jared mumbled, more to himself than to anyone present. 

He saw his brother nod beside him, but frowned when Knight began to speak. 

“I bet he’s freaking out wondering why you had taken it off and what restraint device is going to replace it so that someone could try to get at him without him killing them.” 

All three of them glared at Knight, earning an acidic look in response. 

“I’ll kill all of you if you even consider doing anything to him.” He said without an ounce of hesitation, as if he weren’t surrounded by two lions and a vet who was one hell of a shot with a tranquilizer gun. 

Jared stood from his chair and stepped forward, crossing his arms over as his chest as he glared down at the shifter. “You know that we aren’t trying to hurt him, or get  to him. You should also know that it’s not wise to threaten two lions.” 

Knight turned to face him, not even seeming the littlest bit concerned. 

“Back off, or I’ll bring you to your knees before you can even blink.” 

Jared was just opening his mouth to snarl when he felt the pressure he now knew was Knight’s ability, press in on his mind. 

His brother quickly stepped in front of him, his teeth bared as a growl left his throat. “Stop, or I’ll shred you, bird.” He threatened. 

Jared wasn’t sure if the aggression would actually make Knight back off, or just spur him on more, but thankfully the pressure in his mind dissipated, allowing him to give a relieved sigh. 

Dropping back down into his chair, he waited for Knight to slowly sink down into the one he’d been using closest to the wolf’s enclosure before speaking again. “Alright, let’s try to figure some of this out before we tear each other apart either mentally or physically.” He said, gesturing slightly with his hands. 

“The wolf is your brother. I know that your name is Knight, so what is his?” 

Knight fidgeted for a moment before glaring at the floor. “Palace.” 

An unintentional chuckle slipped from Jared’s lips, fueling Knight to take a faint stab at his mind. Jared winced, but held his lion’s anger back with a bit of effort. 

“Sorry, your names just fit together so well.” It was kind of cute. 

Knight bristled, pushing a bit more pain into Jared’s mind before pulling away. 

“I don’t want to hear you think that, damn creep.” Knight hissed, making Jared flinch back. 

“You… heard that?” He asked, surprised, even though he probably shouldn’t have been since Knight could get into his head. 

The guy narrowed his eyes on him, looking like he wanted to rip his head off. In fact… Jared’s eyes lowered to Knight’s hands and he pursed his lips when he saw that the guy’s fingernails had turned into partial talons. 

“Sorry, I didn’t mean anything by it.” He said awkwardly. “So, you two are brothers. I’m assuming that your parents were a wolf and a hawk…?” 

Knight leaned back in his uncomfortable plastic chair and rolled his eyes. “No shit.” 

“That’s quite surprising. Most of the time it’s extremely difficult to reproduce when dealing with such different species of shifters.” Loren added, earning a slightly less hostile glare from Knight before he returned his attention to Jared. 

“I guess daddy had good aim.” Knight said with a tone dripping with so much venom that Jared could feel his hatred in his mind. 

Swallowing down his own emotional reaction to the anger he felt surging through him from Knight, Jared thought about letting Jamie into his mind to try and mitigate some of it… 

He glanced at his brother, who was staring right at him with worried eyes. He’s probably trying to get into my mind. He’d been blocking him out ever since he’d felt Knight come in. 

Reluctantly, he shook his head slightly, then turned his attention back to Knight. If he let Jamie in, then Knight would probably be able to hear him, too, and possibly attack him. It also felt like his mind would be too crowded, even though he was used to having his pride communicating with him regularly together. It just felt like it would be too much. 

“Alright, so, I’m going to assume that you’re the younger brother?” He asked, getting a slight nod from Knight. 

Jared nodded in response, then licked his lips in thought. “You look to be around nineteen or twenty?” He stated, though it was more of a question. 

Knight looked a little confused for a moment before he just shrugged. “Honestly, I forgot, but that sounds right.” 

He forgot? 

The guy’s eyes narrowed on him and he felt a bit of pain pulse behind his eyes. 

Sorry. He quickly thought. The pain disappeared a moment later. 

“Alright, so you’re around nineteen or twenty. We haven’t seen your brother’s human side yet, so could you tell us his approximate age?” 

The guy’s soft greenish red eyes lifted toward the feeding panel they’d used earlier to slide the meal Palace was still slowly enjoying into his enclosure. Knight had suggested the stew, and it was clearly a hit with his brother. 

“He’s somewhere around twenty-four.” He said, a hint of sadness in his voice that was magnified so harshly in his mind that Jared felt his breath catch in his throat for a moment as he tried to push through the emotion that had bled over from Knight’s mind. 

Jamie thankfully took over the questioning, probably noticing the trouble he was having. 

“So, that would lead us to the more serious questions. It’s clear by some of the paperwork that was recovered from the home you were kept in that you two were taken when you were younger and sold to the man who owned that estate.” He said, getting a nod from Knight and taking his attention away from where Palace was, breaking through his sadness enough to give Jared a chance to calm down.

Jamie leaned back in his own chair and crossed one leg over the other before continuing. “The records also showed that Palace had been sold multiple times under the condition that if he killed his new owner, that he was to be returned without any refunds.” 

Knight glared up at the ceiling as a pulse of frustration and hatred shook Jared’s mind painfully. 

“Yes.” Was all Knight said as he returned his attention to Jamie. 

“I can understand that he’s a very interesting cross, but it doesn’t make sense. The prices for him were astronomical.” Jamie said. 

Jared didn’t understand that part, either. He had a gorgeous animal for a shift, but to bring in the amount of money that had been written on the documents they’d read over? It made no sense. 

Knight remained silent, but Jared could still feel his presence in his mind. I wonder… He carefully nudged at the conscious at the edge of his thoughts. When he felt it retaliate in warning, he clenched his jaw and shoved it. 

A plethora of emotions flooded into his head as he found himself invading Knight’s hectic mind. The guy’s eyes had widened to saucers at the intrusion before his expression turned positively livid. 

He was forced from Knight’s mind in an instant, then mentally attacked to the point where he was falling out of his chair as tears fell from his tightly shut eyes. 

A loud roar echoed in the small room, followed by the sound of a chair being knocked to the floor right before a body joined it. Another loud roar and the pain in his mind began to subside. 

Jared’s eyes slowly opened, but it took him several seconds to blink away the black dots dancing before his vision. He knew that the headache behind them would likely not disappear for a while. 

When he saw his brother’s lion looming over Knight on the floor, he tried to speak, but his voice refused to work. 

Jamie! He shouted to his brother, finally allowing him to hear his thoughts. 

The lion let out one more growl before straightening back up and flicking one ear. 

About time you let me in. What the hell is going on? Jamie thought to him. 

Jared slowly managed to push himself up to lean against the wall with Loren’s help. He was panting hard, but he couldn’t blame Knight for the attack. He would have done the same thing… and now he knew why the guy seemed so angry at the world. 

Leave him be. It was my fault he did that. 

Jamie’s large lion glared at him over his shoulder. He’s hurting you! 

Closing his eyes, Jared leaned his head back against the wall and sighed. 

Yeah, he did. I would have hurt me, too. 

His brother tilted his giant head in question before turning and stalking toward him to nuzzle against his face. 

Why? Jamie finally asked. 

Jared let his eyes crack open just enough to see Knight push himself up to sit. Their eyes met and his narrowed with a hatred Jared now knew he deserved. 

I pushed my way into his mind. 

Jamie’s lion sat down beside him, his mouth open as he panted. 

I’m going to assume that you discovered something there that he’d been trying to hide? Maybe the reason why his brother had cost so much? Or why he’d been sold when Knight had just  been tied up for years? 

Jared swallowed the lump in his throat and gave a faint nod. 

His big brother was sold and abused multiple times, and each time, Knight saw the paperwork being signed. Heard the men talk about how great it would be to tame him and get offspring that were wolf griffons. 

There was a long pause between them as his words sunk in. 

He’s… like Spots. 

Jared felt his lips turn down into a frown. 

Yeah. He’s a cross-shifter.

Fun and Games

(Rock doggos)

Four days of constant stress did not make a lion look good… nor act friendly. Jamie, while being the easier-going of the two brothers, was just about to bite someone’s head off if he was cornered by another reporter or had to chase a fifth trespasser off their property. Things had been quiet, at first, but as news got out about the wolf they’d rescued having wings, fanatics and journalists alike began to come in droves, salivating over a chance to snag a photo of the beast . 

He’s not a damned beast. He thought, frustrated as a headache pounded behind his eyes. 

The sound of the door opening to the left of where he sat in the observation room for Palace drew a warning growl from his lips, but his brother just walked over and rustled his hair with a tired smile after walking in. 

“It’s alright, bro. No trouble today.” He said as he walked over to the monitoring station to look through some of what Palace had done earlier that morning. 

“So far.” Jamie said as he pushed himself up to his feet, his body aching a bit from sitting so long. 

Jared chuckled as he turned back to him. “We need to clean today. Got any good ideas that won’t leave at least one of us dead? I’d rather not knock him out for something so simple.” He said. 

He didn’t want to force him to sleep, either, but Jamie couldn’t figure out an alternative. He’d been thinking about it all day, and the only thing he could come up with was how dumb they had been to not put in a shifting area so that Palace could just be moved safely into a small holding area while they cleaned. 

Not that he would fit in anything small. 

Sighing, Jamie put his hands on his hips and looked up at the observation screens to see where Palace was. “Has he been standing near the door this whole time?” He asked, surprised that he’d willingly come close to where he knew they were. 

“Yeah. He’s been getting closer and closer over the last few days. I think he doesn’t like the smell in there as much as we don’t, and we don’t even smell the feces directly since there’s a sealed door between it and us.” Jared said, making Jamie frown. 

“No wonder. He wants his enclosure cleaned, too.” He agreed. 

“Wait!” Jamie nearly yelled, startling his brother enough for him to jump. 

“What?” Jared asked, eyes wide as he darted them up to the screens, worried that Palace had somehow escaped. 

“There’s a window in the back of that room.” Jamie said, pointing on the screen to the small observation window at the far right side of the enclosure. 

Jared didn’t seem impressed. “And? It’s not like we can get through that. It’s only a two feet wide by half a foot tall, give or take.” 

Jamie raised an eyebrow and smirked. “But I know someone who can.” 

It took his brother a few moments of thinking before he pursed his lips. Jamie could sense his displeasure with the conclusion he’d come to, but considering he wasn’t saying no yet, he figured it was worth a shot. 

“Should we get him?” He asked. 

Jared glanced back at the camera screens and frowned. “I guess it’s worth a try…” He said right before Jamie gave a little shout. 

“Alright, I’ll go grab him.” He said as he darted out the door, not wanting to hesitate in case his brother changed his mind. 

Jared clicked his tongue and shook his head as he walked over to the small feeding panel they used to give Palace his meals. It was clear to see just by looking at him that he’d picked up several pounds already. 

Squatting down next to the metal flap, he carefully tugged on the rope that opened it, giving him just enough room to speak without having to worry about a giant paw swiping through the space. 

“Palace. We’d like to clean your enclosure if you wouldn’t mind cooperating with us a bit?” He said. 

When he heard a deep grumble from the other side of the panel, Jared smiled. “Can I get a louder growl if you’re interested in giving my idea a shot? I’d like to give you access to this room, but the exit door will remain locked.” He paused for a moment, wondering if Palace would even agree to that part. 

He got a loud growl after a moment, so decided to continue. 

“You will walk in here once we’re gone and wait for me to close the door electronically, then we’ll have someone come in and clean up. Once they’re done, I’ll unlock and trigger the automatic part of the door to allow you back in. Is that alright?” He asked with a bit of hopefulness to his voice. He really wanted to make sure that Palace was comfortable and wasn’t living in squalor, no matter how aggressive he might be. 

When he got what he thought sounded like an excited barking whine from Palace, he figured that it was the best confirmation he would get. 

“Alright, we’ll get everything set up. All you have to do is what I told you.” He said as he stood up just in time to turn and see Jamie walking through the door with Knight hot on his heels. 

They’d kept the shifter in his previous room, but had added a television and some basic necessities. He hadn’t been happy about having to stay for a while so that the local police could be sure he was under observation and wouldn’t try to put people in danger by trying to release his brother, but since he was allowed to see him regularly and use the bathroom if he didn’t want to shift to do it, he didn’t put up too much of a fuss. 

“Did you pretty much explain his job? I told Palace what we intend to do and I think he’s on board.” Jared said as Jamie nodded. 

“Yeah. Once Palace is secure in here, we’ll unscrew the bolts holding the observation window in place and let him fly in, then pass him the cleaning tools through the opening.” Jamie said, repeating their plan. 

Jared walked over to the control panel and picked up the remote for the electronic door, then followed the other two out. Once he was positive the door was shut and locked appropriately, they made their way around to the janitor’s closet. 

They grabbed a small broom and dustpan, a drill, since they often left some of the smaller tools there, as well as a rake and spray-mop before heading over to the window and setting everything down.

“Alright, let’s see if he’ll listen.” Jared mumbled as he knocked on the window to draw Palace’s attention. 

The wolf looked over immediately and got up from where he was sitting against the door. He took a few steps away, then turned to face it as Jared raised the controller and pressed the button to unlock it. 

Palace’s ears flicked at the sound, making Jared grin as he pressed the release button. After a few seconds, the door slowly began to swing into the observation room. Palace didn’t seem like he thought it was moving fast enough, though, because he headbutted it with a flick of his tail and shoved it open faster so that he could get inside the new area. 

As soon as he was clear of the door, Jared pressed the close button on the remote and watched as the door slowly swung shut. He then made sure that he’d locked it with the controller before stepping back while Jamie drilled the bolts out of the small window. 

By the time they had it free of its frame, Knight was already shifted and waiting patiently on the floor next to his borrowed clothing. He couldn’t fly that well yet after what Palace had done, but he could manage the simple clean up job and if necessary, fly to get out if something went wrong. 

Leaning down, Jared wrapped a small towel around his arm and offered it to Knight so that he could hop up. 

“You all set?” He asked as he lifted him close to the empty space the window had been in. 

Knight hopped onto the ledge and shook his head, ruffling the feathers there before he ducked inside and spread his wings, gliding easily down to the floor. After landing with a few hops, he glanced toward the still-shut door and shifted, then hurried back to the window area to take the cleaning items. 

“Just scoop what you can with the rake, sweep up, then mop it a bit if you have time. We’ll watch the door.” Jamie said as he handed Knight the last item. 

The guy nodded before quickly getting to work. They both knew that he didn’t want to clean, but the moment it had been mentioned to him that it was for his brother, he was immediately on board. 

He’s doing a damn good job. Jared thought to his brother, earning a smile and nod in return as they both kept glancing between the door and Knight. Everything was going smoothly until Jared looked back at the door and saw the handle wiggle ever so slightly. 

Is he biting at it? 

“Knight, get ready to fly.” He said without an ounce of hesitation. 

Even if Palace was only messing with the door handle, he wouldn’t risk the possibility of him getting it open. 

Is he about done? He asked his brother, knowing that he was splitting his attention. 

Yeah. 

“Knight, give us the tools and get out.” He said, relieved that the guy didn’t hesitate to listen and hurried over to start handing him things. 

He was just about to pick up the last item, the rake, when everyone’s attention jerked over to the door as it slowly began to creak open. 

He had to have somehow turned the lock. Did he actually shift?

The door did lock from anywhere, but it could be unlocked from inside the observation room like a thumb-lock if it hadn’t been bolted, too. 

And of course we couldn’t put the bolt locks in, he had to walk in himself. 

“Out. Now!” He barked at Knight, who was already fumbling into his hawk form. 

He hopped up onto the ledge but refused to jump through the opening as Palace slowly sauntered out of the observation room. His large paws were nearly silent on the hard floor but his wings rustled as they were dragged. 

“Knight, don’t make me grab you.” Jared warned as he stared at Palace, but wanted to glare at the hawk shifter. 

Knight waited until Palace was about three-fourths of the way to him before he calmly hopped down into the hallway and shifted. He immediately went back to the opening, but kept some space as Palace slowed to a leisurely walk when he got about ten feet away. 

“I wonder why he didn’t charge.” Jared thought aloud. 

He could sense the same curiosity coming from his brother as the wolf took its final few steps closer. They weren’t worried about him getting out through the opening, because it was quite impossible, even if he shifted to his human form, but he could definitely fit one of his massive paws through it and deal some damage to them if they weren’t paying attention. 

“Am I the only one who’s still in awe at how big he is? Seriously, his back is almost as high as the window!” Jamie said, excitement in his whispered voice before he licked his lips. 

Jared was about to reply when he smelled something that made him frown in confusion. His eyes  glanced away from Palace to catch his brother’s wide-eyed stare. 

He noticed that Knight, who was tugging on the pair of shorts he’d borrowed, didn’t seem affected at first, but then…

“Both of you, back the hell up.” He hissed as he quickly stepped in front of them to try and block their view of his brother stalking close to the opening again, having circled back around to it. 

Jared could feel his lion just beneath the surface, itching to be let out. Stop. Jamie’s voice in his head made him swallow hard. The scent in the air was making him confused and pulling at his instincts, hard. My lion wants him, too, but if we even get close to that opening, we’re dead. Push through it, brother. 

Giving a harsh shake of his head, Jared growled and stepped back. The scent thankfully began to wain as he focused on his breathing, counting each inhale and exhale. His blurry eyes started to focus as he finally managed to get himself under control and push back his lion completely. It left him panting, and his brother was no better. 

They finished walking backward until their backs hit the wall and they slid down it in unison to sit. Knight watched them until he seemed sure that they wouldn’t come closer before turning to face the opening with a hopeful smile on his face. 

“Pal!” He called. 

Jared couldn’t find the strength to stand just yet to see how the wolf had responded, but he evidently hadn’t needed to. Giant paws appeared a few seconds later on the windowsill before a huge, fluffy face nudged its way into the small opening. 

His head didn’t really fit all the way, through, but he didn’t seem too determined to make it, either. When he stopped fidgeting and just huffed, dropping his muzzle to the frame for the window and looked up at Knight with soft, dark green eyes, Jared couldn’t help but smile. 

There’s definitely someone in there. He’s just lost and probably terrified. 

“Hey there, Pal.” Knight said as he reached forward slowly. 

Jared watched the wolf’s nostrils flare as it took in its brother’s scent. There was little recognition in his eyes, but that wasn’t surprising considering how hostile it has been. 

“I can’t see you in there yet, Pal, but I’m sure you’ll come back when you can. I’ve missed you a whole lot, and I’ll be here the second you return to me.” Knight said quietly as he gently pressed his fingertips to Palace’s large, wet nose. 

There was absolute silence for what felt like an hour, but had to have been less than a minute, before Palace roared and snapped his jaws ferociously. Knight was thankfully quick enough to jerk his hand back and avoid any damage, but the aggression Palace was showing made even Jared flinch back against the wall. 

Palace jerked his head and paws away from the opening and disappeared, making Jared stumble to his feet in order to see him heading toward the observation room. 

He quickly lifted the controller he still had grasped tightly in his hand and pressed the button to shut and lock the door, cutting Palace off right before he could slam the door open to stop it from shutting. 

When he was sure that Palace wasn’t going to mess with the door, Jared went straight to Knight while Jamie got busy putting the window back in place. 

“Are you alright?” Jared asked as he lifted Knight’s hand, checking for any possible damage, even though he’d seen Palace miss biting him. 

 Knight scowled and tried to jerk away, but Jared grabbed him tighter and growled loudly in warning. The guy fidgeted, but narrowed his eyes as he tolerated Jared’s inspection before being released a moment later. 

“Take him back to his room for now. I’m going to go order a pheromone collar so that doesn’t happen to us again.” Jared grumbled as he turned on his heels. 

“I don’t trust you two now that you got caught by his scent! I’m going to watch him.” Knight stated with a determination in his voice that would have made Jared proud, if he didn’t have a nasty headache building and a hell of a lot to do that day. 

Jamie stepped up beside him and gave him a side-hug. “I’ll continue watching him, with Knight, until you’re free. Then we can trade and he can go back to his room.” He said, getting a slight nod from Jared in agreement. He could deal with that. 

“Fine. Double check the locks, and I want you to look at the video of the observation room from when he was in there. He managed to get that lock open, and I want to know how.” Jared said before dropping them both off at the door to the room.

“I’ll be back.” He added, then turned and hurried down the hall to get busy on his tasks for the day. The first, and most important one after the little situation they’d just had in the hall? To get a damned pheromone collar as soon as possible so that Palace doesn’t start attracting every male in the facility who gets anywhere near him. 

He wasn’t sure why they’d both suddenly been affected after having worked around him a few times already, but he wasn’t going to worry about that right then. It could be that it wasn’t a constant thing, or perhaps it just got stronger as he got healthier, but either way, he’d need a collar as soon as possible.

Slipping Through

“We didn’t really think about how we were going to get this collar on, did we?” Jamie mused as he held up the soft leather collar with a little bell in the middle that Jared had just driven two hours to get. 

It was clear on his face that he couldn’t fathom how a little herb in the bell actually had such a huge affect on pheromones, but the thing sure worked on Spots, so they weren’t going to hesitate to use it. 

“No, we didn’t.” Jared replied as he noted that Knight wasn’t there, having likely been taken back to his room while he’d been gone. He walked over to the computer for the room and pulled up the video Jamie had paused for him. “Did he really shift?” He asked as he clicked play, already knowing that Jamie had confirmed that Palace had, indeed, transformed into his human form when they had spoken on the phone a little under an hour ago, but seeing it happen on the video made it feel a hell of a lot more real. 

“Almost feels like a horror movie, doesn’t it?” Jamie whispered as he appeared to Jared’s left, his eyes on the screen, fascinated, even though he’d likely watched it a dozen times already. 

Without really thinking, Jared nodded, his attention too focused on the video to figure out how to use words. It was seriously hard to believe what he was seeing. Palace had indeed shifted, but his movements were very awkward and unrealistic. Of course, he couldn’t really blame him for not knowing how to use his human form after likely having been stuck as a wolf for so long, but watching him start hunched over in an awkward sitting position on the floor, then seeing a bony arm reach up toward the door, jerking as if it were weighed down by something invisible… 

“Christ.” He murmured as he made himself blink, his eyes stinging from being forced to stay open. 

It took Palace nearly a minute fumbling with the lock before it turned. Another two minutes were spent on getting his other hand up to the doorknob, then using both of them, and a disturbing twist of his thin body, to make the heavy door slowly begin to creak open. 

“Wish we could see his face.” Jamie said as Palace slowly shifted back into his wolf form and began nudging the door open further before disappearing from that camera’s view. 

Jared leaned back, sighing as he ran his fingers through his previously-styled hair. “It was creepy as hell, but at least he can shift and is comfortable enough to do it now.” 

Jamie nodded slowly before heading toward the exit door. “I’m going to let Sherry know to double his food. He’s definitely gaining weight, but I want to see him fat.” He said, earning a rare chuckle from his brother. 

“Yeah, get out of here. I’ll watch him for a bit.” Jared said as he dropped down into the chair Jamie had recently vacated. 

Grinning, Jamie tossed him the collar and ducked out of the room, then hurried toward the kitchen. They had one full time employee that just made the animal diets and distributed medications that weren’t required to be administered by a vet. 

“Sherry!” He called as he stepped up into the bright room of stainless steel and large containers. 

There was a walk in refrigerator and freezer to his left and rows of garbage cans full of different animal feeds lined up along the back wall. In the middle of the room was a shelving unit that held another fourteen or so smaller containers of food. Sherry appeared from behind that shelving island and grinned. She was around fifty and a little plump, but she refused to let her hair turn grey so she dyed it random colors every other month. This month it was a light brown with a few purple highlights mixed in. 

“Well if it isn’t the energetic brother.” She said, tossing him an apple without even needing to be asked. 

Jamie smirked and caught it, taking a bite, chewing, and swallowing before he walked around the steel table in front of him that had several of the animal’s already-made diets on them, waiting to be picked up by those who handled those specific animals. 

“I need to make a change to the new wolf’s diet, again.” He said. 

Sherry didn’t seem surprised at all and tossed him a marker as he walked over to the diet book that held all of the information for each animal’s feeding requirements. 

Flipping to the back, he snagged the damp papertowel Sherry tossed at him and rubbed off their last diet increase for Palace, then swiped his sleeve over the damp spot before uncapping the marker and writing the doubled amount. 

“Is everything going well?” He asked after capping the marker and flipping the book back to the page it had been on. 

Sherry nodded, but then held up a finger. “That hawk shifter you brought in with the wolf.” 

He frowned, nodding as he replied. “Yeah, Knight. Did something happen with him?” 

The woman finished making the diet she was focusing on, then labeled it and slid it to the others waiting to be picked up before turning to him. 

“He hasn’t been eating much. When you first brought him he would eat at least two or three mice a day. Now, his bowl returns with at least two, if not all three. I offered him human food, too. Fruits, vegetables, and some cooked meats, but he didn’t even touch them.” 

Leaning against the stainless steel table beside him, Jamie licked his lips, then took out his Chap Stick to swipe across them. “What do his keepers say?” He asked. 

Generally, him and Jared took care of him if they had the time, but dealing with Palace and the constant barrage of reporters trying to get in had taken Knight’s care away from their hands most days. 

“They said that he’s been in his hawk form more often than not. You guys gave him the ability to have a keeper take him to the restroom, but he doesn’t even bother shifting to ask.” 

Odd, he’s been his regular self around us. 

“Thanks for the information, I’m going to go pay him a visit.” Jamie said as he finished his apple, tossed it, and headed out. 

He caught one of the keepers they had assigned to him stepping out of the room right after he’d finished cleaning, making Jamie wave at him to keep the door unlocked. 

“How’s he been, Rob?” He asked as he glanced inside the room through the small window in the door. 

Knight stood perched on one of the many different branches they’d brought in and fastened to different fake trees placed around the room. Judging by the wet spots from the mop Rob had used to clean, Knight at least seemed to appreciate their effort to offer his hawk form several places to perch. 

“Hello, sir. He didn’t eat today, and barely ate the last few days. I was going to come let you know after I finished putting this stuff away.” He said, earning a simple nod from Jamie. 

It wasn’t abnormal for an animal to refuse food for a day or two in a row, and since he hadn’t really refused to eat, just hadn’t eaten much, he didn’t mind that they weren’t told yet. 

“Alright, thanks. Make sure to wright it in his records. I’ll lock the door after I speak with him.” 

Rob agreed, then picked up his cleaning supplies and disappeared around the corner down the hall. Jamie ran his Chap Stick over his lips one more time before sliding it back into his pocket and stepping inside Knight’s room. 

The guy jerked his feathered head toward him right away, then leaped from the perch he was on and shifted so that he landed on his bare feet instead of talons. 

“What’s going on, Knight?” Jamie asked, getting straight to the point. 

He knew that the guy didn’t like being stuck in the room, and they tried to let him out as much as possible, but he wasn’t the only thing they had to look after. Hopefully, after the paperwork for the case was processed and reviewed, then Knight was behaviorally tested to be safe around other people, they could just let him go. 

I doubt he’d leave, though. Not without his brother. 

“I need to see my brother.” He said as he headed toward the door, making Jamie run to cut him off. 

“You can see him, but you need to talk to me, first. Why  haven’t you been eating or shifting?” He asked, crossing his arms over his chest as he watched Knight start to pace in front of him. 

He did look a little skinnier, but their attention had been so focused on Palace that he was a bit ashamed that he hadn’t even thought to look Knight over carefully since the day after he’d arrived and gotten checked by their vet. The guy had seemed much more stable than his brother, but clearly there was also something happening with him that they needed to address. 

When he stopped and turned to glare at him, Jamie let his arms drop back down to his sides and shrugged. “You can glare all you like, but that won’t help you get to Palace any faster. Jared just got back from getting him a pheromone collar so that no one will notice his scent, and I’d like to get that on him as soon as possible. So, talk to me and we can both go help him out.” 

Knight seemed taken aback by what he’d said, though Jamie couldn’t figure out why. Does he still not believe that we just want to help them? Sighing, Jamie ran a hand through his hair and shook his head. 

“I know that your brother is in heat, and I won’t lie, my lion very much wants to do something about it.” He said, earning a toxic look from Knight. 

Jamie leaned back against the door and eyed the young man in front of him. 

“Help me get the collar on him so no one who is trying to help him is tempted to do something idiotic. I’d rather live than procreate, and I don’t want any of my workers getting killed because they couldn’t handle his scent.” Jamie said quietly, watching as Knight’s expression slowly shifted between several different emotions. 

When he finally returned his attention to Jamie, there was a hesitant look of hope behind his worried eyes. “You knew?” He asked, his raspy voice making the words a little hard to understand. 

Nodding, Jamie offered him a small, reassuring smile. 

“Our older brother’s husband is a cross-shifter. He’s the sweetest guy we’ve ever met, but he used to drive everyone crazy with his pheromones until our brother got him a collar that blocked the chemicals and scent.”

When Knight didn’t reply, but appeared to be thinking intently, Jamie walked over and grabbed a pair of sweatpants they’d lent him and tossed them over. 

“Come on, Palace needs his brother, and we could use your help.” He said before turning to walk out the door. 

He held the door open for Knight after he’d tugged on the pants, then followed him as he hurried toward where Palace was. 

Can’t blame him for being so protective. I’d be even worse if Jared was ever in trouble. 

When they got into the room, Jamie walked over to the computer, gesturing for Knight to follow as he pulled up the video of his brother from earlier. 

“Look.” He said as he fast-forwarded it to where Palace had shifted. 

Knight’s attention immediately zeroed in on his brother’s fragile human form. Jamie turned his own attention to Knight, watching his worried expression brighten just the slightest. They all knew that Palace didn’t look good in the video, but he’d shifted. That was the big deal. 

When the video had finished, Knight looked up at him with cautious hope. “He shifted… so does this mean that I’m no longer more valid to save over him?” He asked. 

Jamie hadn’t even thought of that, but he found himself nodding as his brother got up and walked over, holding the collar out to Knight. “Any good ideas on how to get this on him without knocking him out?” He asked. 

Knight took the small black leather collar and held it up. His head tilted much like it would if he were in his bird form as he observed the item. 

“I’m not sure… but can I try to talk to him again?” He asked as he headed toward the feeding door and knelt beside it. 

Jamie looked at his brother, both of them shrugging as they followed him and tugged open the small door enough so that Palace would be able to hear Knight, but only swipe at him from an awkward angle if he wanted to try and hurt him. 

“Hey Pal!” Knight called into the room. 

Jamie looked up at the video monitor to see the wolf’s reaction.

“He’s heading over.” He said as he watched Palace get up from where he’d been lying against the far wall and slowly pad his way toward the opening. 

When Palace stopped near them, Jamie knelt beside the others. 

“Hey bro, how are you feeling?” Knight asked. 

The growl he got in response made him chuckle. “Yeah, pretty much the same.” He said as they heard the entry door open, drawing Jamie and Jared’s attention. 

Sherry walked in with a large platter of meats, fruit, and vegetables. All of it was dusted with vitamin powder. Jamie jumped up and took it from her, making her sigh with relief. “That double portion is darn heavy.” She said, earning a chuckle from him before she headed out and he brought the tray over to the opening. 

Setting it on the floor, he wasn’t surprised in the least when Knight grabbed a huge piece of deer meat and carefully offered it to his brother through the risen metal door. Palace snatched it up in the blink of an eye, and it was gone even faster. 

“It looks like they doubled your food, Pal. Ready to get fat?” Knight said as he fully sat down and grabbed a cored apple and tossed that through the opening. 

It, too, was gone in a blur, taken and swallowed after a single bite. He followed it up with two zucchini, another piece of deer, and four carrots. Jamie wasn’t sure when they should broach the subject of the collar so he just let Knight have the time with his brother. They were making progress right then, so the collar could wait a short time.

Palace emptied most of the tray in about twenty minutes, leaving behind just a few more carrots and two pieces of meat. 

Glad we increased his food again. Jamie thought to Jared, who smiled at him from where he’d found a spot leaning against the wall near the feeding opening. 

He watched quietly as Knight picked up one of the remaining carrots and offered it to Palace, but everyone seemed to take in an abrupt breath at the same time when the wolf’s jaws didn’t grab it, but instead, a fragile clawed hand shakily wrapped its fingers around the food. 

Knight was having trouble keeping his own hand still as he released the carrot so that Palace could take it. Only, Palace’s hand only retracted for a moment before reappearing to hesitantly nudge at Knight’s. 

The guy looked absolutely elated, but also terrified. Jamie was holding his breath again and he could feel the tension radiating off of his brother in his mind. 

He could tell that Knight wanted to grasp his brother’s hands and comfort him as much as possible, but thankfully he knew that it was too early for that. Palace wasn’t trying to hold his hand, but instead, was just touching with the caution of a scared animal that was just curious enough to allow a tiny amount of risk. 

Soon enough, Palace retracted his hand. Knight took a minute to calm himself down before feeding his brother the remainder of the food. He’d shifted back to his wolf, but everyone knew that they’d had a huge success, even if it only lasted for a minute or less. 

When the tray was cleaned of food, Jamie got up, lifting it into his arms. “Come on, Knight. Let’s go get you something to eat, then maybe you can come back here for a bit and keep an eye on him?” He offered. 

Knight got up and nodded, a rare smile nudging at the corner of his lips. 

Jared stepped forward and took the tray, making Jammie blink at him in confusion. 

“I’ll take him. Chill here for a bit?” He asked as he headed for the door, gesturing for Knight to follow after him. 

Jamie was a little hesitant to let Knight be alone with his brother, but he’d been pretty good about not messing with his mind anymore, and they seemed to be getting along decently enough. 

“Alright. I’ll be here.” He said as he dropped down into one of the chairs. 

His eyes rose to the video monitors as he heard the door click shut behind Jordan and Knight. Palace was stretched out next to the wall, a few feet away from the steel feeding door. 

He’s not all the way across the enclosure… 

His lips turned up and he leaned back in the chair. They could do this. 

Patience. 

“You’ll get there, bud. You’ll be great. Just a few more good experiences and you’ll be able to hopefully stay with your brother. Things can only look up from here, as long as we’re careful.” 

He knew that Palace couldn’t hear him through the walls, but he’d needed to hear the words for himself. 

“We’ll do this.”

Rigid

Palace had been asleep since he’d been fed nearly eight hours ago. He knew that it was somewhere around early morning now, but the exact time never really mattered. His ears flicked back and forth a few times as he tried to pick up any sound from the other side of the wall. There were a few quiet mumbles, but nothing he could discern. 

He rolled over onto his belly after a few more minutes, then pushed his tubby self up. The food had definitely hit the spot, but he felt more than a bit bloated as he slowly trudged toward the little liftable metal flap they fed him through. 

When he was about a foot away, he let his backside drop to the floor, then leaned a little closer as his tail swished like a broom back and forth behind him. 

The door creaked open a few moments later, drawing a tilt from his massive head as he gingerly lowered his belly back to the floor so that he could see a tiny sliver of the room beyond the door. 

“Hey there, Pal.” Came that seemingly familiar voice again. 

In the back of his mind, he knew who it was, but for some reason, he couldn’t put a face or history to the voice. It was just a voice that said something that made him want to be closer to the door. 

How odd. 

“Are you hungry, buddy?” The voice asked moments before a large carrot appeared, held by a few slim fingers. 

Palace eyed the food, but for once, he was quite full. Not having to worry about a meal, he actually had a different idea running through his mind. Leaning forward, he gently grasped the carrot between his teeth, then let it drop before nuzzling at the door and blowing out a loud huff of air. 

He couldn’t come close to fitting his whole muzzle inside of the small opening, but when he felt something gently tap his nose, he withdrew immediately, sneezing once as his ears jerked up and forward and his eyes narrowed. 

“Boy, I’ve missed that reaction. Mom always liked to boop your nose but you absolutely hated it. You told her that you didn’t like her poking your nose… and especially not in front of your friends that came to hang out. You always thought it was too childish, but I knew that you were just embarrassed caused it usually made you sneeze for some reason.” 

It is very childish to poke someone else’s nose! You have your own… stupid sneezing.

Grumbling, Palace waited a few minutes before nudging his nose back through the small opening and snorting, wanting some sort of response… as long as it wasn’t another poke. 

When he smelled the shifter, he tilted his head a little and opened his mouth just enough to swipe his tongue through the air. It connected with, what felt like, someone’s fingers. 

The surprised yelp and retracting of the hand told him that he’d guessed correctly as he pulled away, his wolf’s lips tugging back into an awkward toothy grin. 

“Cheap shot, Pal. Gimme that foot or I’m gonna pull on your ear.” The voice said, making Palace pin his ears back in utter mortification. He wasn’t sure why the thought of having his ears pulled made him that disgruntled, but he found himself reaching forward with his right paw anyway, slipping it, just barely, through the small opening. 

He felt two hands softly grasp it and had to fight to keep his talons from extending in response. He’s not hurting you and you pushed your paw in there first. He told himself, though it didn’t make him feel any more comfortable as the hands that held his heavy paw began to gently massage it. 

“I missed this big foot and the cocky brat of a wolf connected to it.” The voice said, making Palace snort and extend his talons slightly. 

Well, he’d thought that he’d only done it slightly, but when he heard a pained sound from the other side of the opening and the hands suddenly dropped his paw, making him retract it, he had a feeling that he might have accidentally scratched him. 

I didn’t mean to…

He stood up and took a few steps back, rustling his feathers as his head tilted slightly. Palace wasn’t used to feeling sorry about anything he did. People wanted to use him, so he killed them. That was how he’d lived his life the past several years. If idiots got too close, they got dead. 

It doesn’t seem like this person is an idiot, though. 

Licking his lips, Palace inched closer, pausing about a foot away when he saw a hand slowly appear from the opening. I did cut him. When the fingers attached to the hand flexed slightly inward, Palace slowly stepped closer. 

“It’s okay, Pal. Just a scratch. I know you didn’t mean to do it.” 

How would you know? I haven’t been the most stable wolf hybrid recently. 

“You always had trouble controlling your talons. I know your claws are so much easier on your back feet, since they don’t extend or retract.” The voice said, making Palace growl quietly. He didn’t like that this person knew so many things about him. 

Turning away abruptly, he stalked across the enclosure, his mind working overtime to try and place the voice. He knew who it was, but he didn’t know who it was. He swung his head, then shook out his fur, losing his balance like a dork before rolling onto his back and rubbing his dirty fur all over the floor. 

“You’re a derpwolf, you know that, Pal? That’s why all the kids teased you when you went to that baseball camp. You have an addiction to chasing baseballs, tennis balls, racquetballs, then gathering them all up and rolling all over them.” 

Palace stopped abruptly and sat up, his eyes wide with uneasy. 

Why does he know that? No one should know that. 

Running back over, he shoved his wet nose into the proffered hand and snorted, drawing a laugh from whoever was on the other side of the opening. Palace followed that up with an involuntary sneeze that shook his head and made the hand retract abruptly. 

“Aw man, come on. That’s so gross, Pal.” 

He sounds so whiny, just like Knight used to when I pushed him over and licked his face. 

Palace tilted his head slowly to one side, then just as slowly back the other way. He hadn’t really thought about his past with his brother in a long while. Yes, he loved him and missed him after they’d been captured and separated, but he hadn’t considered that he’d ever see him again. 

There is no chance that this person could be my Knight. 

He didn’t sound anything like his little brother’s whiny teenage voice, yet he somehow… Two hands appeared a few minutes later, clean from anything he might have sneezed on the right one. There was a small band-aid over the injury he’d accidentally caused, too. 

He could feel his animal side getting nervous as he grew more curious. They weren’t separate entities, but instinct was something extremely hard to ignore sometimes… especially if it was all you’d been surviving on for years. 

When the fingers on both hands flexed slowly, Palace narrowed his eyes and stepped back, sitting down a few feet away. 

“You’re a dork, Pal. Pal’s a dork. Always has to be protected by his Knight, even though he’s so much bigger…” The voice taunted playfully. 

Palace wiggled his nose and turned his head to the side, tilting it up slightly as if he were a pouting child. He used to have trouble handling his wolf when he was younger, making it more awkward than useful when he got into spats with the neighborhood kids. Everyone loved to pick on the wolf boy with ugly black wings who could barely walk straight, and definitely couldn’t fly… 

“Pouting puppy Palace.” 

His head slowly turned and lowered until he was looking over his shoulder at the hands loosely clasped in the small opening. Palace’s feather and fur-mixed hackles rose with a ruffling sound as he padded back over and nuzzled his nose into the two hands and inhaled deeply. 

When he felt nails begin to scratch him beneath his chin while another set dove into the thick fur around his neck, he let his heavy body drop with a thud to the floor and leaned his head closer. 

“I know all the good spots.” The voice said. 

Palace decided to test him on it and turned a little, giving him his shoulder. Immediately, the hands began scratching the perfect spot there. He turned again after a minute, then rolled over. When he felt the nails scratch just beneath his ribs, his right leg began to kick and he stretched his neck out on the floor, his large tongue lolling out from the side of his mouth. 

The hands disappeared once he felt like a happy puddle of fur, but when the creaking of door hinges echoed into the room, Palace’s head jerked up, followed by his body. He ran on instinct when he saw someone stumble into the room holding what appeared to be a collar,  and turned toward him. 

His body froze for a split second as he analyzed the wide-eyes face staring back at him. He finally recognized who it was. Who the hawk that had flown into his enclosure days before had been. But it didn’t matter. 

Knight was given the simple warning of bared teeth before Palace snarled and lunged. He closed the eight foot gap between them with one simple leap, but just barely missed dropping Knight to the floor. Someone had reached into the room and grabbed him by the arm, jerking his little brother back into the other area before hurrying to start pulling the heavy door closed. 

Palace knew that he wouldn’t be able to get him, but his instincts still pushed him to react, so he slammed into the door, forcing it into place so hard that it shook on its hinges. When the echos quieted and he was left alone, panting heavily, he slowly backed away from the door and sat down. 

Why did he have a collar? My brother wouldn’t try to put one of those things on me… would he? 

His eyes slowly moved along the wall until they fell upon the sheet of metal that they normally lifted to feed him through. It was closed. No hands were there to goad him forward, and he knew that, for now, that voice was gone, too.

Regression

“He’s been pacing since Knight had spoken with him two days ago.” Jared said as he flipped through a few papers on a clipboard while he headed toward the kitchen with his brother. 

They intended to pick the shifter’s food up, then bring it over and see if they could get some sort of response from him. Just to be sure that they had his attention, they hadn’t fed him the previous day. He’d been so full that he hadn’t touched the carrot that still remained near the feeding panel, so they had decided against offering him better food in the hopes that they can get him to shift for them again. 

Granted, he likely hadn’t cared about them at all. It was probably all Knight. 

Thankfully, the diet was ready when they arrived at the kitchen, and Jared handed the clipboard to his brother in order to carry the heavy tray. Jamie could have easily done it himself, but Jared had always seen him as a younger brother, even though they were twins. Jamie never argued about Jared taking over most of the harder work, but if he wasn’t allowed to help with other people around, he could definitely get upset. 

Stepping into the observation room, he set the tray down near the opening, then turned his attention up to the monitor his brother was already watching. 

“He’s still pacing in the back. Let’s see if we can get him to come over first?” Jamie said as he knelt next to the door and picked up a raw chicken drumstick. 

Jared wasn’t too keen on his brother putting his hand through the opening, but he didn’t want to argue right then. So, instead, he pursed his lips and looked back up at the monitor. 

“Alright. I’ll let you know what he’s doing.” Jared said. 

Jamie licked his lips and opened the metal flap, then carefully slid his hand with the chicken grasped in it inside. 

“Incoming.” Jared said right away, drawing Jamie’s eyes up to the screen. 

Palace was stalking toward them quickly. Jamie noticed that he was holding his wings up slightly as he moved. He must be beginning to feel better. When Palace got closer, Jamie split his attention between the opening and the cameras. 

To their surprise, he sat down, then shifted right away. Jamie expected him to take the food, but his eyes widened when Palace just tossed the piece of chicken aside and grasped his hand tightly. 

Stay calm. He’s not showing aggression yet. Jared thought into his mind, getting a slight nod from Jamie in response. 

Palace relaxed his hold after a minute, likely when he realized that Jamie wasn’t going to pull away. He then began actually examining Jamie’s hand, holding it carefully with both of his as he pressed down on his palm and fingers randomly. 

“Hey… Pal?” Jamie asked hesitantly. 

When he got a growl in response, he bit his lower lip to keep quiet. Palace nudged and sniffed at his hand for another minute before his grip suddenly got much stronger. 

Starting to hurt, bro. Jamie thought to his brother, who quickly knelt down next to the small opening. 

“Palace, release my brother.” He stated, putting a little authority into his voice. 

When his words were met with a second growl, Jamie saw his brother lift his upper lip, just barely holding back his own grumble. 

“Do you want something? You are hurting my brother and I do not think that is appropriate, considering he was just offering you food.” Jared said, his words carefully void of emotion this time. 

Jamie winced when Palace tightened his hold even more, but after another few seconds, he slowly relaxed his grip enough to stop the pain he had been causing. The two brothers waited another few minutes before Palace finally responded in a harsh, raspy voice. 

“Knight.” 

He wants his brother? Jared thought to him at the same time Jamie thought back. He remembers his brother? 

They looked at each other, then back to the opening. 

“I can go get Knight for you. Would you like me to do that, Palace?” Jared asked, already standing as he waited for a response. 

He didn’t have to wait long before a growled “Yes.” met their ears. 

“Alright. I’ll go get him. Please don’t hurt Jamie while you wait. I’ll try to be quick.” He said before hurrying out of the room. 

Knight normally slept in a bit later than most, but Jared could feel his worry nudging at his mind as he got closer to his room. He was definitely awake. The moment he unlocked and opened the door, Knight was pushing past him. 

At least he’s got sweatpants on. Jared thought as he hurried after him. What did you do to him? Knight asked, pushing into his mind for the first time since Jared had made him furious by forcing his way into his. This was also the first time he’d actually spoken, instead of just throwing nasty emotions at him. 

“We didn’t do anything.” Jared replied as he quickly unlocked the door to the observation room, letting Knight run in first before following him. 

Knight dropped to the floor beside Jamie and shoved his hands through the opening without a second thought. “Hey Pal, I’m here. Are you alright? I can feel your stress.” He said in a soothing voice that Jared knew was only for his older brother. 

He watched as Jamie removed his hand from the opening immediately, drawing his eyes up to the observation screen just in time to see Palace grasp his brother’s hands. He sniffed at them a few times, then pressed his forehead against them. Jared could see his spine stand out clearly as he hunched over to complete the gesture, but it definitely looked like he was gaining some weight. His ribs weren’t quite as visible and he seemed to be having an easier time moving. 

“Why?” Palace asked, making Jared listen, but not remove his attention from the cameras. 

Knight replied, his voice slightly confused. “Why what, bud?” 

“Before.” Palace responded after a few quiet seconds. 

The look on Knight’s face as he looked up at him made Jared frown. They thought in silence for a minute before Jared snapped his fingers and pointed at the collar sitting next to the computer’s keyboard. 

“You ran in there with the collar.” 

Knight’s face went pale at his words. Clearly, he realized his mistake. Turning his attention back to the opening, Knight leaned a little closer. “Pal, I didn’t mean to startle you and I should have explained that collar.” He said, his voice nearly pleading. 

Jared’s eyes narrowed when Knight winced. He had no doubt that Palace had likely squeezed his hands harder at the sound of the word collar. He couldn’t blame him, but he didn’t like seeing someone get hurt who was just trying to help. 

“I’m sorry, Pal, it wasn’t meant to hurt you or restrain you in any way. It keeps terrible people away from you.” Knight said, obviously not really sure how to explain what the collar did. 

Shaking his head, Jamie leaned closer to the opening and began adding to Knight’s explanation. 

“It blocks pheromones and scent that would attract others. You’re a cross shifter, and when you’re in heat, as we believe you are now, you start attracting other shifters. Usually, it’s males, and shapeshifters only, but humans can also be affected, as well as females. It just doesn’t happen as often.” 

There was silence from Palace for several long minutes before his clawed hand actually appeared from beneath the small metal door. Everyone just stared at it for a moment, but then Jared realized what he was likely asking. 

He quickly retrieved the collar and handed it to Knight, who had gotten one of his hands back since Palace had released him to push his own through the opening. 

“You want to see the collar, right Pal? It’s actually pretty simple, but feels comfortable. Here.” He said as he gently handed the item over to his brother. 

Palace hesitated for a moment before retracting his hand. At the same time, it seemed that he released Knight completely, because he removed his other hand from the opening and began rubbing at his wrist as his eyes lifted to the monitoring screens. 

 At first, Palace just held the item up, examining it with a simple turn of his wrist. He then brought it closer to his face, allowing him to sniff at the leather and bell, his nose wrinkling a little, likely at the scent of the herb. He then lowered the item in order to grasp it with both of his hands. 

“It’s just a simple leather collar with an herb in the metal bell that should help keep others from bothering you.” Jamie said. 

Jared could feel his brother’s excitement through their bond, but was glad that he was keeping it to himself. Palace was coming a long way in an extremely short amount of time, and they couldn’t afford for that to be ruined by another mistake. 

“Knight.” 

Knight blinked, turning his attention from the screen, back to the opening. Jared could nearly feel the guy’s heartbeat in his mind, his brother’s use of his name surely shocking to hear. 

“Yes, Palace?” He replied, his voice shaking a little. 

Palace’s hand appeared through the feeding opening again and Knight didn’t hesitate a second before grasping it with both of his. 

“I’ve missed you, brother.” Palace said quietly.

There was no denying that Knight was affected by his words. Tears streamed down the aggravating shifter’s face as he nuzzled against his brother’s hand held in his. “I’ve missed you so much, Pal. It tore me apart not being able to help you. To be useless all those years.” 

Palace’s other arm appeared through the opening, drawing Knight closer until his clawed hand could grasp his side. It was an awkward hug, at best, and after a few moments Knight decided to just shift. 

His hawk form easily hopped out of the pants he’d been wearing and right into Palace’s waiting hands. Jared wasn’t too happy with the guy’s idea, but Palace did seem to be pretty stable at the moment. They watched as he awkwardly stroked the feathers along his brother’s back over and over again. 

Are you okay? He asked after several minutes of tense silence, pushing the question into Knight’s mind. 

At first, all he got back was annoyance, likely from intruding again without permission, but then he began to feel other emotions. The simple attention from his brother had Knight feeling unbelievably relieved. The frustration and anger were barely sensible as Jared hesitantly pressed a little further into the young man’s mind. 

Everything was going incredibly well… until one of their workers knocked on the door to be let inside. The reaction from Palace was immediate, and unfortunately, Knight didn’t stand a chance to get away. 

His hawk form was yanked through the panel opening, just barely fitting without injury. Jamie and Jared had both lunged for him, but their reflexes weren’t good enough. The brothers both jerked their eyes up to the screen, but Jared was the first to react when they saw Palace’s wolf mauling Knight. 

Jared quickly unlocked the door leading into Palace’s enclosure and shifted mid-run toward where he had Knight’s struggling hawk pinned against the ground. 

He could sense his brother shifting behind him and wanted to tell him to stop, but he couldn’t focus on anything except for getting to Knight in time. Jared was nearly there when his paws slapped into a small puddle of blood, the sound evidently drawing Palace’s attention. In less than a second, the wolf was on him, bowling him over with barely any visible effort. He took several bites to his shoulders and and left front leg as he tried to fend Palace off, but it was clearly a one-sided battle. 

The next bite he saw coming nearly landed at his throat as his paws missed blocking it. If it weren’t for Jamie’s sudden appearance as he slammed his lion into Palace’s giant wolf, Jared would have likely been down, permanently. 

Jamie’s attack barely made Palace side-step, but it distracted him enough to allow Jared to regain his footing and leap for Knight’s limp body. He’d just gotten the small bird into his jaws when he heard his brother’s pained roar. Jared would have turned around right then and gone to help him, but he could feel Jamie shoving thoughts at his mind to get Knight away first. 

Regrettably, he did so, running the unconscious bird into the observation room before setting him on the floor and darting back into the enclosure. What he saw when he re-entered, though, made a harsh chill freeze through his bones. 

His brother’s lion was on the floor, not moving. He had several large gashes on his body, and as Palace saw him inch his way closer to them, he turned his body to loom over Jamie’s prone form, pressing his heavy paw down upon his throat. The warning growl he gave next stopped Jared in his tracks, but it wasn’t by choice. 

What’s going on? He thought to himself as he tried to move his body, only to feel his lion begin to retreat back toward the observation room entrance. 

Stop! He roared in frustration, trying to fight the instincts that had clearly taken over. His lion had never overtaken him in such a way. Yes, it affected what he did on a daily basis by allowing its instincts to mix together with his human side’s, but it had never been so strong as to be able to make him do something he did not want to. 

I will not leave him there! Jared yelled, only for his words to be translated into a snarl by his lion. 

Palace responded with a roar so deep that Jared could feel the vibrations it caused beneath his paws. Unable to fight it any longer, Jared regrettably retreated, each step he took backward making his heart break a little more. 

The second he was in the observation room he shifted, running over to the wall and slamming his fist down on the emergency intercom. He knew that he should have done that first, but he’d just reacted to the moment and fucked up, big time. 

He sent out a message for help, but his fingers were shaking too badly to manage to dial his cell phone in order to get a hold of their vet, who was off until later that evening. Several people with weapons would be there at any second, but none of them had the tranquilizer gun… 

Frustrated, he threw his phone and stumbled back to the entry to the enclosure, intent on risking his life to try and get his brother out alive, instincts be damned. He already had fur beginning to grow along his shoulders and arms again as he started stepping inside, but his determination and anger paused abruptly when he saw his brother’s lion lying right in front of him. 

With a quick glance, Jared saw Palace pacing frantically along the back wall, baring his blood-stained teeth toward him every few seconds with an accompanying growl. There was also a long bloody drag mark from where Jamie’s lion had been laying beneath Palace’s massive paws, to where he now was.  Move! Hurrying, he dropped to his knees and grabbed his brother, pulling him into the room before shoving the heavy enclosure door shut. He got it locked the moment several members of his keeper team ran inside the observation room, two of them already had their guns out and were ready to shoot. 

“The threat has been taken care of. Just… help…” He mumbled from where he sat next to his unconscious brother on the floor, slurring his last few words before everything went black.

Positive Consequences

My head is killing me. 

“Hey bro, are you with me?” 

Jared? 

Jamie felt a gentle touch against the side of his face, the hand softly rubbing a thumb over his cheek carried the scent of his brother.  

“Jamie?” Jared asked, his voice finally becoming clear as the ringing in Jamie’s ears began to dissipate. 

Turning his head slightly on the pillow, Jamie gave a faint smile and whispered. “That’s… me.” 

When he heard nothing else, but felt another hand press against his other cheek, Jamie forced his tired eyes to open. Jared stared down at him from his right side, a sad smile on his face. 

“Hey there, bro. How ya feeling?” Jared asked, finally removing his hands. 

Taking a few moments, Jamie tested his aching body, then slowly got himself sitting up. “Like crap, but not terrible. I’ll live. What happened, Jared?” 

He could feel the throbbing of what could only be small puncture wounds along his left arm and side, but they wouldn’t keep him from moving. 

“Palace caught Knight. Then we both ran in to try and save him…” 

The look on Jared’s face twisted Jamie’s heart. He was missing a piece of the puzzle. 

“What happened after that? Is Knight okay?” He asked quickly, worried. The shifter might not have been the nicest guy, but he definitely hadn’t deserved to get hurt, and especially not by his brother. 

Jared nodded his head a little. “He’ll be okay. Got stitched up and has a few fractures in his left arm, but nothing too bad.” 

Relief drew a sigh from Jamie’s lips. “Thank god. But if he’s okay, and so are we, why do you look so upset? Did one of our workers get hurt? Did Palace?” He asked, worry starting to seep into his voice when he asked about the shifter. He might have lost control of himself, but it hadn’t been his fault. 

“No… but I, Jamie I.” Jared ground out, cutting himself off as he ran his hands through his hair and tugged at the strands. 

Jammie quickly slid from the stretcher-bed he’d been lying on and reached up, grabbing his brother’s wrists so that he’d stop pulling his hair. 

“It’s okay, Jared. Whatever happened, we’re all okay.” 

You don’t get it. If Palace hadn’t stopped, you wouldn’t have been. Jamie, I, I couldn’t get my lion to move! My paws were frozen in the doorway after you’d rescued me! Jared yelled into his mind, startling Jamie for a moment before he was able to go over what he’d just thought to him. 

“You couldn’t control it? How can that happen?” He asked, shocked that Jared’s own lion would somehow be able to keep him from reacting. 

“I don’t know. I kept trying to move but it would only allow me to back away. I felt like such a worthless piece of crap right then!” Jared growled in frustration, clearly remembering what had happened. 

The anger pulsed through his mind and made Jamie step forward and wrap his arms around his brother. “It’s alright, Jared. We’re all fine and Palace did the right thing in the end and didn’t hurt me further.” He said as he nuzzled against his brother’s hair, trying to calm him down. 

He felt Jared’s growls rumbling through where their chests pressed together, but thankfully he seemed to be calming down. 

“It’s okay. I’m glad you weren’t hurt worse, and I’m okay. I’ve taken more damage just wrestling with you growing up.” Jamie said, speaking the honest truth. They hadn’t always gotten along, and lions had quite sharp claws and teeth.

That at least got a chuckle out of Jared. His growls began to diminish a few moments after that, making Jamie smile. 

“How is Palace? I can’t imagine that he’s completely okay with what happened?” Jamie asked as he finally stepped back so that they could look at each other again. 

Jared shook his head as he gestured for Jamie to follow him toward the door of the infirmary. “He hasn’t eaten since it happened yesterday. He refuses to move from the back corner and won’t shift, even though I told him that you and Knight will pull through the injuries he’d given you.” 

 An uneasy feeling settled in Jamie’s stomach as he hurried as quickly as he could toward Palace’s enclosure. He stopped at the door and turned back to his brother, waiting on bouncing heels for him to unlock it. When they stepped inside the observation room, he realized that it was eerily quiet. Only one screen was on over the computer. It showed Palace’s giant wolf hunched in the far corner, facing away. 

“Palace…” Jamie whispered as his brother set a hand on his shoulder gently. 

“I think we need to change our strategy here. If something like that happens again, we could lose custody of him, and I’m afraid of what might happen to him if that occurs. There are some pretty nasty people out there parading as rehabilitation centers and rescues.” Jared said solemnly. 

Jamie agreed, but he didn’t like the tone his brother’s voice had taken on. Turning to look at him, he tried to hide his frown when he spoke. “What do you suggest?” 

The look on Jared’s face made Jamie want to disagree before he even heard what he’d thought about, but he bit his tongue as his brother began to talk. 

“First off, we need to get that collar on him. It should stretch enough to fit his wolf after being on his human form, but we need to get it on him, first.” 

Jamie licked his lips nervously. “But you said he wouldn’t shift.” He said. 

Jared nodded. 

“He won’t, but there’s a way to make him.” 

Jamie’s blood froze in his veins as his eyes widened. Jared noticed right away and grabbed his shoulders, being careful of his injuries. “You don’t understand. If we can’t get at least his attraction issue taken care of soon, we could end up with real casualties, not just some bite marks and a few fractures. We need to get that collar on him.” 

Shaking his head, Jamie stepped away from his brother and clenched his fists. “How could you even think about using the force-change drug on him? It’s been tested more over the years and is one of the most dangerous drugs out there considering its side effects!” 

He knew that they had a few doses for emergencies, but there was no way he would agree to using it on Palace! 

“You need to calm down, Jamie. We are running out of options here. He won’t shift for me, let alone look at me. Nor will he eat anything. Now tell me, what do you suggest we do?” Jared growled, clearly frustrated, too. 

“I don’t know! But you can’t shoot him with that! Let me talk to him. Maybe I can get him to shift so we can get the collar on him.” Jamie said, nearly pleading. 

Jared glared up at the screen still showing an unmoving Palace, then looked back down at his brother. “And you think that he’ll just let you put it on him because he’s sulking in the corner? You aren’t going in there, and if you try, I’ll bar you from ever coming in here again.” 

Blinking in shock, Jamie was lost for words for a few seconds before he whispered. “He was my mission to bring back…” 

Jared narrowed his eyes and let out a low growl. “And this facility is under my control, remember? You didn’t want that responsibility. If I say that you can’t be in here anymore, you won’t be.”

Swallowing down his own growl, Jamie lifted his upper lip slightly, baring his teeth. His lion refused to be pushed aside in this situation. 

“Don’t start, Jamie. I already called Lauren in. She should be here later today  to administer the dart. If he tears off the collar, then we’ll have to consider transferring him for his own safety.” Jared said. 

Jamie was tired of his brother’s excuses. “You don’t want to deal with him anymore? Fine! I was in charge of his seizure, so back away from the situation if you want to, but I won’t! And if you wanted his attention, why didn’t you just do what obviously triggers him?” Jamie said as he walked over to the metal door sealing Palace into his enclosure and knocked hard on it. 

His eyes went up to the monitoring screen to see his wolf’s head swinging around and his wings rustling. He was about to knock again when Jared grabbed his wrist and yanked him away from the door. 

“What do you think you’re accomplishing?” He roared, his lion coming through and slurring his words slightly. “You think that he will be any more manageable if you trigger his wolf?” 

Jamie felt his own beast clawing at his conscious, but he wasn’t sure why it was so determined to try and work things out. They could easily find Palace another place to go if they took their time and were careful about choosing… though it likely wouldn’t be as safe. It would get the dangerous shifter off of their hands, and Palace’s brother would likely follow him, too. 

We can’t just give up on him. He didn’t kill us, even though he easily could have. 

He remembered being dragged, barely conscious, toward the door. Palace could have killed him then, but had decided to let him live and walked away. 

There is still a person in there. We can’t just let him give up on himself, either. 

“I don’t think we should just stop now. There are other ways to get him to come around, and after years of being abused, we should have gone a lot slower.” Jamie said as he watched Palace slowly get up and start heading toward the feeding panel. 

“Clearly something bad had happened to him after someone had knocked on his enclosure before we rescued him. We can try to reverse what that has trained into his mind.” He said, earning sigh from his brother. 

“So, eventually, he might be okay with someone knocking on his front door and not want to kill them immediately? What will that accomplish? That is one piece of a seriously fucked up puzzle, Jamie. We were absolutely idiotic to think that we could help him in such a short amount of time.” 

Jamie scowled at his brother and walked over to the desk the computer sat on. There was a plate of cut up vegetables and fruits, likely from Jared having tried to get Palace to eat previously. 

Picking up a piece of cut apple, he walked over to the panel and sat down, lifting it just enough to reach in and set the apple slice on the floor. Palace stopped in front of it as soon as Jamie retracted his hand and turned to watch him on the monitoring screen. 

The large wolf sniffed at the tiny bit of food, but showed no other interest as he sat down and flicked its ears. 

“Aren’t you hungry, Palace?” Jamie asked, only getting a grumble in response. 

“He won’t eat. I’ve already tried every type of food we have here.” Jared said as he crossed his arms over his chest and stared down at him. 

Jamie licked his lips, then ran his chapstick over them before sliding the small item back into his pocket. “Have you tried feeding him like a human?” He blurted out randomly. 

Jared gave him a strange look, but Jamie decided to just check his idea. It couldn’t hurt, anyways. Palace had likely spent a lot more time in his human form before he’d been kidnapped and tortured, so maybe it might change things if they stop treating him like an animal.

Getting up, he grabbed the plate with the remaining pieces of food on it and returned to sit in front of the panel. “I got you something else, Palace.” Jamie said as he carefully lifted the panel and slid the plate through. 

His eyes were on the monitor, watching him in case he tried to grab for him, but the shifter only stared as he set the small purple plate on the floor of his enclosure, then withdrew his arm. 

At first, there was no other response, but after several quiet  minutes Palace tilted his head and leaned over slightly, his body shifting to his human form in the process. He then slowly reached for a piece of carrot. He didn’t grip it quite right the first time and it slipped through his fingers, but he managed to grab it the second time and lift it to his lips. 

“He just likes you for some reason.” Jared grumbled, clearly frustrated that he was able to get Palace to eat, though the shift hadn’t even responded to him earlier. 

Jamie ignored his comment and looked back up at the counter, grinning when he noticed a plastic fork sitting beside the keyboard. He moved over to grab it on his knees, then hobbled back to the opening to slip it through, offering it to Palace. 

“This might help for everything but the carrots.” He said, smiling when he watched the camera showing Palace reaching for the small utensil. 

He sat back and observed as Palace calmly ate each item on the plate, chewing slowly and swallowing before going for another morsel. When he was left with just the piece of carrot, he glanced over his shoulder at the camera they had trained on him, and if Jamie hadn’t been completely focused on him, he might have missed the smirk on his face before he turned back to the plate and stabbed the carrot with the fork. 

Jamie expected the plastic to break, but it surprisingly held up enough to spear the vegetable and deliver it to Palace’s mouth. Unable to help himself, Jamie let out a chuckle. 

“You got me. I guess they work for carrots, too. I’m just not good enough at using them to not break them doing that.” 

There was silence for a moment after he’d spoken before the feeding panel was nudged open and Palace’s thin hand dropped the plastic fork to the floor. 

“Thank you.” Jamie said as he picked it up and tossed it into the recycling bin in the corner. 

There was an abrupt thump against the feeding panel, drawing his attention back to it. “What is it, Palace?” He asked. 

“…Recycle that.” 

Of all the things to tell me. 

Jamie watched his brother drop into the computer chair by the desk counter, a hand covering his face as he tried to hold back a snicker. 

“Can I ask you a question, Palace?”

There was another bout of silence from the other side of the panel before he replied gruffly. “Did you recycle it?” 

Unable to hide his growing good mood, Jamie chuckled as he replied. “Yeah. We have a recycling bin in here for paper, plastic, and metal. I can assure you that it found its correct spot.” 

There was a grunt in response, and when Palace didn’t say anything, Jamie figured that he might as well ask what he’d intended to. 

“What do you think about that collar we mentioned to you before?” 

Jamie heard the growl Palace responded with, but after a few seconds it quieted and he shoved his hand through the panel, curling his fingers inward. Taking the hint, Jamie grabbed the collar from where it had been put up on the counter-space of the extended desk and handed it over. 

Both Jamie and Jared waited with baited breath, eyes on the screen, as Palace retracted his hand with the collar. He eyed the item for a few moments before looking toward the panel. 

“This is just leather.” He stated. 

Jamie quickly replied. “Yes. Just leather with a little bell that has a herb inside of it.” 

Palace growled for a moment, though it didn’t sound aggressive. He shifted his weight a bit so that he was leaning against the wall beside the panel and held the collar up. 

“All it does is stop people from wanting me?” He asked, clearly skeptical. 

Jamie smiled. “Yeah. That’s it. All of those nut jobs who were after you before shouldn’t bother you anymore with that on. You put out a very strong attractant, but that little herb somehow cancels it.”

“…Is my brother okay?” He asked suddenly. 

Jared nodded to Jamie, who replied. “Yes. He’ll recover and should be able to see you shortly.” 

They watched him fiddle with the collar between his fingers for a few more moments before he quietly spoke again. “He wants me to wear it?” 

“Yes, and it won’t affect your ability to shift, either.” Jamie replied. 

He’d hoped that Palace would put it on, but when he shifted and picked up the collar in his teeth, then brought it over to the main door and set it down, then walked to the back of the enclosure, Jamie frowned. 

They watched Palace shift back, then nod toward the collar. 

“Prove it will not stop shifting.” He said. 

Jamie stood and walked over to the door right away, but a firm grip on his shoulder kept him from opening it. 

“Not a chance.” Jared said as he forced his brother to turn around. 

Scowling, Jamie shoved him back. “I can make my own decisions, Jared. If you want to be useful, stand nearby so you can pull me out of there if he does anything, but I don’t think he will.” 

Jared looked furious and was even trembling a little as he growled back. “You want me to drag your carcass out of there a second time?” 

“I want you to be open to trying again. All he wants to see is that it won’t stop his ability to shift. He can’t fly with his wings and he isn’t in great condition. You should easily be able to pull me out of there if I slip up before he can get to me.” Jamie said as he turned back around and grabbed the handle. 

Jared’s hand covered his in a tight grip, making Jamie snarl over his shoulder and earn another in return from his brother. 

“No matter how stubborn, you’re more important.” Jared said. 

Jamie pursed his lips and reluctantly shoved his brother away a second time. “Then pay attention and help me.” He replied before checking the monitoring camera again, then yanking the door open and stepping inside. 

Palace’s ears flicked up, then back to press against his head, but he stayed where he was near the back wall. Not wanting to waste his chance, Jamie stripped out of his simple sweatpants and T-shirt, tossing them behind him inside the room, then carefully leaned down and picked up the collar, being sure to keep his eyes on Palace no matter what. 

He then felt along it until he reached the clasp. Undoing it with a few simple motions, he lifted the collar up and fixed it around his neck. Licking his lips, he then focused on his inner beast and allowed his lion to take over his body. It hurt like hell since he was still injured, and his feline staggered a little, but he managed the shift just in time to feel himself being yanked back inside the observation room by his mane. 

Jamie roared as he was moved, but when he focused on the camera following Palace, he realized that his wolf was pacing in the middle of the room. I triggered him by staggering. He knew that had been it, but as his brother slammed the door shut, Jamie was actually quite proud. 

He had stopped himself, again. 

It took Jamie a few minutes to shift back to his human form and when he sat up, he noticed Palace’s hand sticking through the feeding slot opening. His fingers curled inward, drawing a tired smile to Jamie’s lips as he reached behind his neck and undid the collar. 

Instead of being able to get up and give it to him, however, Jared leaned down and grabbed it from him, then walked over and set it in Palace’s hand. It disappeared through the feeding panel right away, but Jamie didn’t get much time to watch Palace try to put it on, because his brother was soon kneeling in front of him with his discarded sweatpants in his hands. 

Not wanting to make him any angrier, Jamie let him help him pull the pants on, then wrapped his arms around his neck as Jared carefully lifted him off the floor. 

“We’re going to have a long talk about this later, but for right now, please just stay silent.” Jared said, clearly frustrated as he carried him from the room. 

Jamie knew right away that they were heading back to the infirmary and that he’d probably agitated a few of his injuries, but he couldn’t help the smile that sneaked onto his lips at what they’d finally managed to accomplish. It was only step one, but it was the most important step of them all.

Break

“Are you sure that he’d like something like that? I thought our goal going to the store today would be to get him some things to make him feel more comfortable. That’s…” 

Knight looked up at Jared with narrowed eyes from where he was kneeling with a package in his hands, effectively making him stop talking. Standing, he gently set the model car box in the cart. It was the hardest skill level they had, and Jared wasn’t even sure if he’d be able to tackle it, himself.

Palace had been getting more and more human-like over the past week that they’d all been nursing their injuries, that thankfully hadn’t been as bad as they initially thought. Only Knight would need to be careful for a few more weeks. Palace had gotten used to eating with cutlery and received his food on plates and bowls instead of the food tray. They had tried clothing once, too, but his wolf had thrown a fit and torn it all off by shifting. 

“Should we try giving him clothing again? His wolf seems to have calmed down some.” Jared said as he glanced over into the clothing section. 

They had brought Jamie, too, but the guy seemed to have disappeared as soon as they’d stepped into the large store. 

“I guess we can… but it seems like your brother is already ahead of us on that idea, though.” Knight noted as he nodded behind Jared, making him turn around to see his brother happily walking toward them with his arms full of clothing. 

We aren’t buying all of that. Don’t you remember what happened the first time we gave him stuff to wear? He only needs one or two things.  He thought to Jamie, making him pause a few feet away. 

I’ll pay for it with my own money. We shouldn’t give up trying just because his wolf is used to not having to wear clothes. He might like a few of these. He had liked the shirt and shorts we’d offered him. 

Jared wanted to keep arguing, especially since his brother just couldn’t stay the heck away from Palace even while his injuries had been healing, but he knew that it would just make him want to try even harder. 

Stubborn cub. He thought, frustrated. 

I’m the same age as you. Jamie shot back, surprising Jared since he had thought he hadn’t shared that little comment. 

“I’m going to get these. They were all on clearance but are much more comfortable than the last stuff we tried. Most of it is  pajama flannel or fleece.” Jamie said as he set the items in the cart with a content smile. 

Jared nudged him aside to take the push bar of the cart and start heading toward the check out line. When they got there, Knight grabbed a small bottle of orange juice out of the mini fridge they always tricked people to impulse buy from while Jamie grabbed his stack of clothing and went to another register to pay. 

They all reconvened outside at Jared’s car, then headed back. Jared had continuously checked what his brother was fiddling with in the rear view mirror, but couldn’t quite figure out the small item in his hands. 

Jamie gave him no time to ask to see it once they got to the rehab center, either, because he grabbed his bag and darted from the car without a word to either of them. 

“Should we start taking bets on how much trouble he’s about to start?” Knight asked as he walked around the side of the car, stopping next to Jared with a bag in his hand so that he could nudge at the ankle monitor on his right leg. 

Jared sighed and lead him inside. “I can already sense Palace’s curiosity. Jamie must have run there.” Knight said as he hastened his pace. 

Jared hurried after him, unlocking the door to Palace’s observation room once they got there. Just as Knight had predicted, Jamie was sitting by the new bullet-proof glass window they had put in recently in order to be able to communicate better with Palace. It let them see most of his body if he chose to sit in front of it and also allowed for slightly better speech communication without having to lift the feeding panel. 

At that moment, Palace was tugging on a pair of fleece pajama pants. They were a bit big, but the drawstring at the waist helped keep them in the right spot. He seemed quite pleased with the simple garment, but when Jamie lifted the panel and offered him that small item he’d been messing with in the car, the look on Palace’s face…

The hell did you get him? He asked through their connection, only to get static in return as Jamie ignored him, his attention completely focused on Palace as he took the item and brought it closer so that he could take a good look at it. 

Wait. He bought… 

Palace quickly removed the small earrings from the cardboard backing and lifted one to his right ear. The little red stud was clearly cheap and probably hadn’t cost more than ten dollars, but the smile that found its way onto Palace’s lips was unexpectedly excited. 

“How did you know that his ears were pierced?” Knight asked as he sat down by the feeding panel and slid the toy car model box through, then followed it with the orange juice he’d gotten near the register. 

Jamie leaned against the glass and looked over at Knight. “It was more a guess than anything, but I remember when Jared got them pierced. He couldn’t stop flicking his ears when he was in his lion form if there were no earrings in the holes. He did it so much that it became a habit.” 

Just remembering that had Jared tugging at his right earlobe. He hadn’t worn earrings in a while, so he wasn’t sure if the holes had begun closing up or not, but his lion did tend to flick its ears often, even up to the current day. 

He was about to comment on that habit when he noticed Knight’s eyes widening as he looked slightly past Jamie. Jared turned his attention in that direction and nearly choked from the shock. 

Jamie glanced between Knight and Jared for a few moments before turning to look at Palace through the glass. He was pressed up against it, his side nearly matching where Jamie’s was. When Jamie moved a little, Palace leaned back, only to nuzzle against the glass, then sigh. 

“I’m sorry,” Jamie whispered as he pressed a hand over the glass. If there was no wall there, he would have gladly run his fingers through Palace’s messy hair. 

They all remained still for a few more moments before Palace turned his attention to the model car. He didn’t seem as excited about it, but he did show a genuine interest in it and carefully removed all of the pieces to build the car from the box before setting it aside. 

While he got busy going through the pages of instructions and sipping at the orange juice Knight had also gotten him, Jared fished out his phone and checked the text message on the screen that had just come in. 

“Uh, we might have a problem, guys.” He said as he stood up, drawing everyone’s attention to him. Even Palace looked toward him, his hands pausing with the tiny model parts he’d started to figure out. 

“River just texted me about a meeting with the local authorities about Palace.” He said, drawing everyone’s eyebrows up in confusion. The authorities already knew they had him and they reported every issue that arose while they kept him, good or bad. 

“What do they want a meeting for?” Jamie asked as he got to his feet, followed by Knight. 

Jared wasn’t sure, but the next text message that came through his phone a few seconds later told him the answer he was needing to know. 

“They want to see that there has been progress made similar to Knight’s or they will consider moving him to another facility.”

Licking his lips, Jamie shook his head slowly and looked over at Palace. His eyes had returned to looking at the toy car parts, but it was obvious that he had heard what they’d said. 

“That’s not fair. He was put through a lot worse than I was. They can’t expect him to be manageable after a few short weeks!” Knight screeched, his hawk slipping the high pitch into his words. 

Jamie growled, tugging at a strand of his hair as he looked down at Palace. “Of course they can. This is an unusual situation as is, and he’s very dangerous, whether doing better or not. I’m honestly surprised no one had tried this tactic yet.” 

Knight scowled, his arms crossing in front of his chest as he regarded the two brothers. “So how do we get out of this? We can’t go in with him yet. He’s not ready.” 

“What time are they wanting to come here?” Jamie asked right as Jared’s phone chimed again. 

As if they were reading their minds, the time for the meeting was written in the short message. “Guess we don’t have a choice. It’s in thirty minutes, possibly earlier. They are already almost here.” 

Groaning, Jamie rubbed a hand over his face. “Okay. So, we need to choose who’s least likely to trigger him for this.” 

Jared’s glare when he looked over at him told Jamie that he was highly unlikely to be chosen. “You know that I’m the best shot, bro.” He said as he straightened, ready to square off with Jared if he needed to. 

Knight was quiet as they eyed each other, low growls warning that neither would back down. His attention split after a few moments between the two lions and his brother, who was still staring at the toy parts between his fingers. 

“Why don’t we just ask him? He’s not as aggressive as he had been last week. Maybe it can work.” Knight offered when neither Jared nor Jamie seemed ready to suggest another solution besides a cat fight. 

Jamie was hesitant as he looked over at Palace, who finally lifted his head to look at the three of them. Jared stepped closer, but was already shaking his head. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.” 

Palace tilted his head in response, then slowly got up. He was nearly the same height as them when he stood straight and didn’t slouch. 

“I don’t think any of it is a good idea.” He said, making Jared fidget. 

“If we don’t do something, then they’ll take you away.” Jamie replied, stepping up to the glass and pressing his fingers against the cold pane. 

Palace took in a deep breath, then blew it out slowly, closing his eyes for a moment before opening them with a surprising amount of determination in them. 

“That should not be your worry any longer. I’ve hurt all of you, and I can’t tell you how many more times I will if I’m allowed to stay here. Perhaps it is better if I am taken somewhere else.” 

Jamie dropped his hand from the glass and looked over his shoulder at Knight. He seemed just as confused about what Palace was talking about. Turning his attention back to Palace, Jamie started talking, but then shut his mouth before thinking for a moment, then trying again. 

“You do realize that most places aren’t going to just leave you alone, Palace. They’ll hurt you or try to take advantage or you.” He said, his voice getting quieter the longer he spoke. He didn’t want to think about Palace getting hurt because they hadn’t done enough for him to keep him safe. 

The content look on Palace’s face was even scarier than when he acted more animal than human. 

“I can take care of myself if they try anything I don’t like.” 

That sounds wrong. With that expression, he doesn’t mean to fight… 

“Hell no you won’t take care of yourself !” Jamie roared, drawing Palace’s lips down into a frown at the same time Knight stepped closer. He looked torn, finally realizing what his brother had meant. 

“Pal, please. You can’t think that way. Things are changing. You’ve been doing so well!” Knight said as he moved nearly right up against the glass, putting his hands on the large window. “I love you, Pal. I want you to be safe and happy. You deserve to have a chance to be happy again.” 

“At what cost, brother.” Palace stated before turning his back on them and walking away to sit in the back of the enclosure. 

Jamie swiped his chapstick across his lips as he watched Palace and heard his brother’s phone ring. Him and Knight listened to the one sided conversation for a minute before Jared hung up. He didn’t need to tell them anything, though. It was obvious that the group was already there and waiting to be greeted in the office. 

“I’ll go get them. Do not go in there with him.” Jared said as he left. 

Frustrated, Knight turned to Jamie with pleading eyes. If he didn’t figure something out quickly, Knight would definitely cause trouble with the people coming. Jamie wouldn’t be able to blame him, either. If it were Jared locked in that room, about to be taken because he had been abused for years, he would be ready to kill anyone who tried to remove him. 

“Hey Knight…” 

The guy looked from his brother over to him as Jamie walked up to the door leading to the hallway and flicked the extra lock. His brother had keys, but it would take a minute for him to find the right one out of the billion on his key ring to take care of the second lock. 

Walking over to the computer, Jamie deactivated the electronic lock on Palace’s enclosure door, then walked over and turned the manual one. He didn’t hesitate as he tugged the heavy door open, then took a step inside. 

“Palace!” 

The shifter growled before slowly looking over his shoulder, eyes widening when he realized that Jamie was in his territory. His body began to turn as fur started sprouting along his neck and shoulders. 

“Palace. What matters more to you right this moment. Getting the hell out of this place and away from everything, or hurting me?” Jamie asked, doing his best to keep calm as Palace began stalking toward him on all fours, half-transformed, his new pants already in shreds behind him.

It’s okay. He won’t hurt you. Believe that he’ll be okay. That he wants a shot at being free more. 

Palace halted a few steps away from him as the handle leading out of the observation room began to rattle. 

Jamie! Open this damn door right now! 

Ignoring his brother’s furious voice in his mind, Jamie focused on meeting Palace’s gaze. 

“I doubt he’s got anyone with a gun yet… I can open that door, but what will you do with that freedom?” Jamie asked a now fully-shifted Palace. 

His wolf snorted and its mixture of feathers and fur rustled along its spine as its hackles rose. To Jamie’s surprise, he felt a nudge at the back of his mind that was abrupt and definitely not his brother. 

“Palace?” 

The light tap turned into a full-blown hammering against his skull until he staggered forward and dropped to his knees as a deafening roar rattled through his head. His ears rang louder than any sound in the rooms and his vision swam so badly that he couldn’t figure out which way was up or down. 

He did see a large blurry paw set down right in front of his nose, having seemingly fallen over completely, but instead of the pain that he expected from Palace attacking him, he just heard another quieter growl in his mind, then felt his body being sloppily lifted. 

Jared finally found the damned key for the door and slammed it open, only to feel Knight suddenly start tearing apart his mind with their connection. He dropped to his knees, but refused to look away as his eyes saw his brother passed out on Palace’s back as his wolf lifted its wings slightly and roared. 

The group behind him, two police officers who had to leave their guns in the office due to protocol, and two researchers from a company that wanted Palace, screamed like little kindergartners. He wouldn’t have been surprised if the two sets of footsteps taking off down the hall were the researchers… or the officers. 

Palace lifted his upper lip as he stepped toward them. At the same time, Knight slipped onto his back, sitting partially on top of Jamie’s prone form. 

“Sorry, Jared.” He said with a small frown before leaning down and grabbing a handful of Palace’s fur with his left hand, then holding Jamie’s body tightly against his chest with the other.

Jared couldn’t find any words that would leave his dry mouth as he watched Palace’s massive wolf stalk toward him. You can’t take him. Please. He pleaded into Knight’s mind. His own still throbbed terribly and he saw spots dotting his vision, but he refused to pass out while Jamie was in trouble. 

Knight looked away, but then tucked his face against his brother’s thick fur beside Jamie’s before Palace roared again and shoved past Jared and into the hall. His head slammed against the doorjamb, tripling the dots in front of his eyes as he slid to the floor. He realized something as they disappeared around the corner at the far end of the hall that made his heart feel like it was being stabbed repeatedly. Knight had been fitted with an ankle monitor that would have been able to track him just about anywhere, and if they kept Jamie with them, he would have been able to find him… but when Palace had charged past him, Knight’s right ankle had been bare. He’d gotten the tracker off.

In Your Head

It was very clear after feeling Palace’s body move beneath his own slumped-over one for a long while that he wasn’t sure where he was going. He paused every couple of minutes and turned this way or that, sniffed the air, then grumbled, before heading off in a new direction than the one he had been traveling in. 

Jamie doubted that he was doing it on purpose to try and throw off anyone following them, though. He could feel Palace’s mind just beyond his own thoughts. He wasn’t sure how he’d managed to push his way inside of his head earlier, but he figured that perhaps the brothers had some sort of ability special to them, because it was extremely rare for those who were not relatives or bonded to have the ability to communicate telepathically. 

He wasn’t sure if Palace was able to focus enough to realize that he was awake, but he could tell that Knight was still unaware. His arm was tucked around his right side, holding him beneath the right side of his own chest so that he wouldn’t fall off of Palace’s back. 

“Pal, let’s find a place to rest soon. I can tell that you’re too stressed to navigate clearly. Let’s get some sleep somewhere safe for a bit.” Knight said, his voice sounding tired. 

Jared couldn’t blame him for wanting to stop for a while. He had been holding him on his brother’s back for at least hour, if not longer since he’d been out cold for part of the ride. 

Unfortunately, it seemed like Palace completely ignored Knight, because instead of slowing down, he rustled his wings and hastened his pace. 

Palace? Jamie tried, curious if he could get through to Palace in his mind. He could definitely feel his wolf there, almost as if it was pacing on the edge of his thoughts, but seemed unsure of how their new connection actually worked. 

That makes two of us, buddy. I’ve only ever been able to talk to my pride and my direct family. 

The thought of Jared, and his inability to contact him made Jamie’s stomach twist with worry. He’d been far enough away from him plenty of times to be unable to get into contact mentally, but this time it hadn’t been by choice. 

I don’t feel well, Palace. Can we please stop for a short while? 

He really didn’t. He had a bad headache, was hungry and very thirsty, but he was also starting to feel the stress that came with the situation he was now in. Jamie wasn’t too worried about Knight, but he could do very little to protect himself against Palace if he  made a mistake and caused a reaction. 

Jamie was about to try and get him to stop again when he felt Palace slow from a decent run to a lazy lope. He let his aching eyes crack open to see the blurry green underbrush around them begin to come into focus as Palace finally came to a stop in a little clearing filled with fallen leaves and struggling weeds. 

He expected Palace to shrug him off his back to the dead leaves beneath his paws, or for Knight to shove him off, at least, but when Palace lowered himself to lay down in a thick bed of leaves, then gently tilted his body after Knight had climbed off until he slid gently into the soft ground-cover, he was incredibly relieved. 

Thank you. This is already much better. He thought to Palace, a little surprised when he felt a sudden presence shove its way into his mind, making him wince. The entity wavered and retreated almost immediately, bringing a smile to Jamie’s face as it began its usual pace just out of his mind’s reach. 

It’s okay. You just startled me. 

The presence disappeared for a few minutes as Palace glanced around the area, panting quietly, then slowly crept back to the edge of his thoughts, as if it were curious. Thank you for stopping, Palace. Jamie thought to him as he slowly began to roll over onto his side. When he was able to push himself up into a sitting position, leaning forward on shaky arms, he realized that there were two sets of eyes on him. 

The hairs on his arms were at pin-points as he lifted his gaze to Palace’s predatory one. His wolf was only a foot or so away, eyes narrowed on him as his upper lip lifted every few seconds. 

I look weak… 

“Palace.” Jamie said as calmly as he could. 

When Palace stood and walked over to him, easily hovering high above his head with his massive size, Jamie licked his lips and slowly reached up to press his fingers into the giant wolf’s fur. Palace growled and tilted his head closer, putting his large teeth right next to Jamie’s face. 

“I’m sorry about what happened to you, but you have the power to change things now. You are not weak, nor are you ignorant.” Jamie said as he gently tugged on the fur on either side of Palace’s face, guiding him down into a hug. 

“You’ve let your wolf take control to protect yourself, but now you need to be the one in control. Your wolf can only help you so much. The world is watching every move you make, and there are so many people out there who want you to make the wrong one so that they can lock you away and exploit you again, Palace.” 

He expected the wolf to get more frustrated and possibly nip at him because of his words, but when its fur receded, leaving Palace right in front of him, Jamie smiled and unwrapped his arms from his shoulders to drop to his sides. 

“Hey there.” Jamie said as Knight walked over, having disappeared when they’d first stopped in the clearing. 

He was naked and holding what looked like a camping canteen used for water, silently telling Jamie that he’d shifted and gone off to steal it from some poor person.

“Here Pal, drink some.” Knight said as he offered the container to his brother. 

Palace took it and had a few sips, but his eyes never left Jamie’s, making him fidget slightly as he watched him drink. When Palace finished what he wanted of the water, he slowly lowered the canteen from his wet lips, then ran his tongue along them before tilting his head slightly. 

The entity in the back of Jamie’s mind hummed at the same time Palace leaned forward and lifted the leather-bound canteen to his lips. Being more thirsty than he’d thought, Jamie didn’t hesitate to sip at the water he was offered and lifted one hand to settled over Palace’s as he tilted the container higher as the water was drained. 

“You think far too highly of me.” Palace said after Jamie had finished what he wanted from the canteen and it was handed back to Knight. 

Jamie pursed his lips and looked down at his lap, then shrugged. 

“Everyone needs someone to believe in them.” 

When neither brother answered his statement, Jamie lifted his head. Knight turned away as soon as their eyes met, then shifted and took off to disappear above the nearby copse of trees. 

Where is he going? He wondered to himself. 

“He’s worried about your brother.” 

Palace’s words shocked Jamie, drawing his attention back to him. “What do you mean, he’s worried?” 

Knight was never one to show much attention to anyone besides his brother. It didn’t make sense that he’d fly off all the way back to town just to check up on Jared. 

“I want to go see him, too.” Jamie said solemnly as he stood up, only to be knocked right back down to the ground by Palace’s growling wolf. 

He shifted back to his human form almost right away, leaving him leaning over Jamie’s body where he stiffly lay in the dead leaves. 

“It doesn’t want you to go.” Palace stated as he stared down at Jamie, the wolf easily shining through his bright eyes. 

Shifting a little so that he could start pushing himself up, Jamie was about to respond when Palace lifted a hand to his shoulder and shoved him back down. 

“Palace, you need to start controlling your wolf.” Jamie said as he watched the color in Palace’s eyes fluctuate. 

“What if I want the same thing?” Palace asked as he leaned closer, making Jamie fidget in his bed of dead leaves and weeds. 

“There are other ways of getting what you want than forcing someone.” 

You, of all people, should understand that. He added through their connection. 

Palace’s eyes widened and he immediately leaned back to sit down, letting Jamie push himself up. He watched Palace tug at the bell on the collar around his neck for a few silent moments before he felt the presence nudge at his mind again. 

“Is that you, Palace? Or your wolf?” Jamie asked, curious to see if the two really were somehow separate inside Palace’s mind. 

“Him.” He replied. “But I can hear you, too.” 

That explained a lot. The reactivity of the wolf and the pacing entity at the back of his mind. It hadn’t made much sense since Palace, himself, never seemed too visibly stressed unless triggered. 

“When did you two split? I’ve never seen a shifter so disconnected from his animal before.” Jamie asked. 

Shrugging, Palace reached down with his hands and grasped one of his feet, tugging at it like a toddler might who just needed something to do. 

“The second time I was returned to the person who had kidnapped us.” He said quietly, eyes on his hands. 

Jamie nodded, then scooted over next to Palace, drawing his attention for only a brief moment before he returned it to his fiddling fingers, now picking at a dead leaf. 

“I can imagine that it was traumatic, what you went through. Did you push your wolf forward to try and protect yourself?” He asked, already knowing that it was highly likely that was the case. 

Palace nodded. 

“He didn’t like it. They hurt him a lot, but I was safe in the back of my mind.” 

Jamie shook his head. “No, you weren’t. You just had to watch him suffer for you, and I bet that it ate you up terribly.” He knew that it would destroy him if he had to put his lion in such a situation, then somehow separate himself from it as it suffered. 

When Palace didn’t respond, Jamie leaned into him gently. He got a quiet growl in response, but just rested his head against Palace’s shoulder and continued. “He doesn’t want to merge back with you, I’d imagine.” 

Palace shook his head, sighing as a gentle breeze rustled their hair and swept a few crisp leaves across the clearing. 

“No. He’s always on edge, waiting for something bad to happen. He blames me, and I can’t argue that I’m not responsible for how he is now, and how we somehow separated to such an extent.” 

Jamie scowled, nudging Palace with his elbow to earn a grumble and glare. 

“Don’t you ever say that you’re responsible for how things turned out. You were put into a situation that would have destroyed you, and yes, you pushed him into it, but you were forced into something that no one would have been able to handle on their own. You did what you could to not break.” Jamie said, getting a quiet chuckle from Palace. 

“Not break. I don’t think you can find a more broken person if you tried, lion.” He said, no humor in his tired voice. 

“My name is Jamie, Palace. Not lion.” He grumbled, getting Palace to raise an eyebrow and lean sideways, putting his face uncomfortably close to his own. 

Jamie swallowed and bit his tongue instead of replying. He could sense the wolf in his mind. It’s excitement was palpable and vibrated through his body. His own lion seemed uneasy but Jamie wasn’t really afraid. He took a calming breath and just relaxed as Palace nudged his nose with his own, then leaned back and shifted. 

Knew you would be coming out soon. 

The wolf snorted and swished its tail as it paced around him several times. It didn’t seem upset, but it also didn’t seem pleased. 

Thinking for a few minutes, Jamie reluctantly grabbed the bottom of his shirt and tugged it up and over his head. When he’d tossed it aside, he could feel Palace’s wolf’s eyes on him. 

Let’s just relax for a bit, hm? I could use some exercise to stretch my legs and it seems like you’ve got enough energy for the both of us right now. He thought to it as he tugged his pants down and shifted. 

He remained low to the ground as the wolf ran over to him, its excitement radiating through his mind as it sniffed and growled. It took several tense minutes before Jamie felt another, different feeling at the edge of his thoughts. He wasn’t sure what it was at first, but as the presence made itself more known, the wolf’s entity slowly began to calm enough for it to take a step away.  

That’s all I can do. He wants to run, but don’t become something worth chasing. Palace’s voice warned him through their bond, drawing a sloppy grin onto Jamie’s lion’s lips. 

Cautiously, Jamie let his lion walk up to the wolf and nudge it’s muzzle submissively. Palace’s wolf reacted immediately by growling and nipping back, but thankfully it didn’t seem to be aggressive behavior, because it jumped away afterward, panting as it swung its head like an over-eager puppy that just wanted to play all day. 

Be careful. Palace warned a final time before the wolf seemed to push him out of his thoughts. 

Careful. That’s my middle name. Jamie thought sarcastically as he began to walk toward the dense forest a few yards beyond where they’d stopped. The wolf ran ahead, then darted back to nip at his heels quite hard, but Jamie refused to move any faster than a slight jog no matter how much Palace’s wolf tried to push him to run. 

I won’t be your prey, but I will be your friend. He thought to it, drawing a funny face from the giant animal that was easily keeping up with his simple gate. He was still worried about making a wrong move and causing an attack, and also about his brother and what Knight intended to do when he found him, but he knew that worrying would only make him more jumpy, and that was definitely not what he needed to be when around Palace. 

One step at a time. He thought to himself as he watched Palace’s large wolf finally give up on forcing him to run faster and dart ahead. He could easily hear it crashing through the underbrush sloppily beyond his line of sight over the next thirty or so minutes. It was almost cute how no matter how slow he moved or how long they traveled, the wolf always returned to check on him, and each time he appeared, he was less and less aggressive and eventually just returned to simply check that he was still following before darting away again. 

Don’t lose hope for him, Palace. You two are not so broken that you can’t be fixed.

Cautious Curiosity

“You really need to get some rest, sir. You are wearing yourself out.” One of the police officers said as he watched Jared pace around in circles. It had been several hours since his brother had been taken away by Palace and Knight, yet he couldn’t manage to calm himself down.  

His lion had broken through his skin several times, making him resort to just wearing a pair of loose shorts so that he wouldn’t destroy anymore clothing, yet he couldn’t get the animal to calm down enough to be able to stand still. 

“Where are they? You said the dogs were expert trackers, and Palace can’t fly. So where are they!” He roared, making the officer flinch. 

“We’re doing our best, and the dogs are still on the trail. They haven’t lost his scent, but it’s not so easy to get through some of the denser parts of the forest around here. It’s a large nature preserve and has a lot of swamp land mixed in, with alligators, too. They have to be careful.” The man said, drawing another, quieter growl from Jared as he finally stopped pacing to grab at his hair and pull. 

He was extremely worried about his brother and wanted to be out in the forest tracking them down with the damn dogs, but his sense of smell was garbage in comparison to the dogs, and even to other lions. His shift had never had a good nose like his brother’s and the rest of his pride’s. 

Balling his fists, he stomped away from the gathering of police cars near the edge of the woods where Palace, Jamie, and Knight had last been seen by the security cameras. He was just stepping into the parking lot on the other side of the facility when he noticed something up ahead, standing on top of his car. 

His entire body froze for a split second before his lion had him screaming from the abrupt shift it forced upon him. In a blur, he was on four paws and running faster than he ever had before. Not even thinking about the damage he might cause to his car, Jared barreled up the back of it, digging his claws in for a better grip. Metal screeched as he tore it apart in his haste to get to the hawk that was scrambling to take flight. 

Don’t you dare leave! He screamed through their bond so loudly that the hawk stumbled abruptly, slipping from the car to glide sloppily down to the black asphalt. It hopped a couple times to get its balance, then hurried to duck beneath a nearby smaller car right as Jared leaped from the top of his own, nearly dropping down right on top of him. 

Knight! Get out here you asshole! He roared as he began trying to claw his way beneath the car, bumping it up with his lion’s muscular shoulders without even thinking about the consequences. He was getting himself stuck, but nothing else mattered in his mind right at that moment besides getting to Knight, because he was who could get him to his brother. 

He was more than halfway beneath the car when Knight stepped out and shifted. Jared saw his chance to grab him, but when his claws just scraped against the asphalt and he didn’t move an inch, he realized his mistake.  

His dilated eyes watched as Knight knelt in front of him and looked under the car he had gotten himself thoroughly stuck beneath. “I’m sorry, but I didn’t come back here so that you could kill me.” Knight stated before reaching forward, only to retract his hand abruptly when Jared’s lion snarled and tried to snap at it. 

The action made him wince and realize that his lion definitely was too big to move beneath the car.

“You’re going to get really hurt if you stay stuck under there much longer. You need to shift. I won’t risk my freedom by calling the cops over here, though I’m sure they’ll be around soon considering how loud you’ve been.” Knight said as he got onto his hands and knees and moved back a bit, then sat on his heels. 

Calm down so that you can shift. Knight thought to him, earning a growl as Jared spat back immediately. Go die, pigeon! 

He couldn’t see Knight’s face, but he could feel the displeasure for the nickname through their bond as his struggles began to die down. His outburst had taken a lot out of his already worn-out body, and struggling beneath the heavy metal pushing into his back hurt more and more as the seconds passed. 

Just calm down, Jared. Jamie is alright, I promise, but you won’t be if you don’t shift back soon and get out from under there. Knight thought to him. 

Jared growled back and his lion desperately wanted to dig its claws into his skin, but the pain was becoming unbearable, so, reluctantly, the cat retreated. It took him a minute before he was able to move his exhausted human form, and another several before enough police officers arrived to help get him out from under the little car. 

When he was finally back on his feet, Jared realized that Knight was nowhere to be seen. He looked around at each face before him, but only police officers and one medic were standing there, staring at him like he was crazy. 

Come to the forest, alone. 

He had to fight to not snap his head toward the tree line and start running. The police officers were all talking among each other about what to do with him, and the medic was taking cautious steps forward, but he didn’t want to deal with any of them. 

“I’m going home. I will be back later.” He said in a quiet growl as he turned and calmly walked off toward the forest. He’d probably have to pay for the damage he’d surely caused on the other car, but he’d deal with that later.

He heard a few people following him for the first twenty feet or so, but as he began to growl in warning, the sound of footsteps died off, leaving him alone as he entered the woods. Knight appeared after a few short minutes of walking and glided down to land upon an old rotten tree stump. He was back in his hawk form, but shifted as he stepped off of his perch. 

Jared felt his lion try to break free, but he was hurting too badly to handle another shift. Finding Knight would be useless if he passed out before they even got to have a sensible conversation. 

“You said he was safe, but where is he?” He asked as he stopped near a tall oak and leaned against it, then slowly sank down to the dead leaves that covered the ground at its base with a tired sigh. 

Knight stopped a few yards away, being sure to keep a safe distance. 

“With my brother.” 

Those words didn’t make Jared feel any better. Palace might have been doing slightly better as they worked with him, but he was still extremely unstable, and what he’d done to his brother earlier had him even more worried. 

“I want to see him. Take me to where they are.” He said as he struggled to get up again, but couldn’t manage to stay standing for more than a few seconds before dropping back down to the leaves and dirt. 

“You’re in no shape to see him. You know as well as I do that Palace will kill you if you appear in front of him looking like that. I can smell the blood from the cuts on your back and you look absolutely exhausted. The only thing you’d accomplish is getting killed in front of your brother.” Knight stated simply. 

Has anyone ever told you that you’re a blunt asshole? Jared thought to him, earning an abrupt snicker from Knight as he shrugged. 

“All the time, until my brother and I were captured.” 

Jared looked down at the leaves dusting his bare legs, biting back any possible response. Even if Knight was an ass, neither he, nor Palace, had deserved what they’d had to go through. 

“You said that he’s safe? How can you prove it?” He asked as he lifted his tired eyes back to Knight’s. 

He expected him to just shrug and tell him that he would have to trust him, but when he started walking toward him without a word, Jared slowly leaned back and lifted his upper lip in warning as his lion growled through his human mouth.  

Knight seemed undeterred, because he didn’t even pause as he got closer, then dropped to his knees only a few feet away. 

Jared was about to allow his hand to shift and swipe at him with his claws when he heard something in the back of his mind. Frowning, he tried to focus on it while still keeping an eye on Knight, but he couldn’t tell what exactly it was. 

“Just relax. The calmer you are, the easier it will be for me to prove that your brother is safe.” Knight said quietly, sounding almost as if he were distracted by something as he inched closer. 

When the presence in his head began to grow, Jared reluctantly leaned back against the tree trunk and released a stressed breath, allowing Knight to inch closer. 

“My brother thinks very loudly and can broadcast his thoughts much further than normal shifters, though I doubt he realizes it, since I am the only one who can hear him… besides your brother, it seems.” 

Jared’s mouth dropped open, but he slowly let it close when Knight shook his head. 

“Not now. I don’t have the answer as to why either of us can hear either of your thoughts. Just listen to what Palace is showing me.” Knight said as he reached forward, wrapping just one of his fingers around one of Jared’s, then closing his eyes.   

It took Jared some time to sift through what Palace was relaying as the bond began to grow with the physical contact. He could tell that he was very far away from them because of the abrupt silences that broke apart his presence, but he was eventually able to understand that Palace was happy doing whatever he was doing. There were two other presences besides Knight and Palace, which confused him, especially because one was flickering between emotions so quickly that Jared felt like he was getting whiplash, but the other one…

“I can feel him in Palace’s mind.” He whispered as a small smile found its way onto his lips. 

His brother was barely there, just barely, but Palace was apparently such an open book to Knight that he was allowing even some of Jamie’s thoughts to him into his link with Knight.  

He doesn’t seem afraid… just a little tired.  Jared thought as the bond disappeared a few seconds later, leaving Knight panting beside him, holding his forehead as he leaned over. He looked like he was going to be sick. 

He had too much going on his head, I bet. Jared thought as he turned and helped Knight move so that he could lean against the tree, then began sifting his fingers through his hair. 

“Thank you. I’m still worried, but at least he doesn’t seem scared, so perhaps he will be okay for now.” Jared whispered, earning a nuzzle against his shoulder as Knight’s head dropped to rest there. 

I’ll take you to see him soon. Just please give them a little more time. Palace has not been so happy in a very, very long time. 

Jared licked his lips and tilted his head to rest against Knight’s.

I didn’t know you knew the word please… Who was causing all of those different emotions? He asked through their bond, not wanting to talk and break the comfortable silence around them. 

I’m going to ignore that first part, and it’s complicated, but just trust them to be left alone for a little while longer.

Having honestly no other choice for the moment, Jared replied with a tired Okay,  before letting his mind finally rest. 

He knew that he needed to recuperate at least a little, or what Knight warned him about would probably come true. He’d only cause trouble if he appeared in front of Palace looking as he currently did, so he made himself relax enough to close his eyes, and eventually, drifted off to sleep. 

(This chapter was pushed to the top of my update list due to a donation to a fundraiser I posted on my profile in Conversations for a good friend’s cancer fund. If you’d like to get another update of this quickly, or even two or three of them in a row this week (or another book of your choice), please consider checking out what I wrote :) Much appreciated.)

The Real Predator

Dear god, he’d never run so far in his entire life. If there was ever such thing as a couch potato lion, he was it. He could feel Palace watching him as he paced just out of site in the underbrush around the small clearing in the swampy area they’d stopped in, but there was no way Jamie could move his body much for at least another five or ten minutes. His muscles were aching terribly and even twitched beneath his skin in several places. 

Why is it so hot and why do I have to have such a thick mane? This is torture. 

His lion panted hard, its pink tongue flicking out of his parted mouth, nearly tapping at the moss beneath his large head. A light drizzle pattered against his coat and hummed around them, bringing the already-unbearable humidity even higher. 

The quiet sound of the rain falling around him nearly made him miss the faint slosh of something slowly crawling out of the water several feet away. Turning his head against the dirt and moss it rested on, Jamie blinked open tired eyes and felt his heart skip a beat at the sight of an alligator swaying toward him with its awkward stomping walk. 

Palace? 

When he got no response besides the faint feeling of curiosity, Jamie forced himself to push his body upward, but his burning muscles were making it hard to stand completely straight. They nearly refused to hold up his weight several times as he shakily turned to face the encroaching reptile. 

It looked to be around nine foot in length, and had clearly not missed many meals with its belly dragging on the damp mud. Normally, he wouldn’t be very worried about an alligator, no matter its size, but he was having trouble moving, and it had clearly seen that. 

They were generally ambush and opportunistic predators, dragging prey into the water to drown it, and usually didn’t risk coming out onto land unless to bask, move to another area for food or saw an easy meal. 

Right. Easy, tired, slightly chubby lion right here. 

Tilting his stubby ears back, Jamie hissed a warning at the alligator, making the animal hesitate for a moment before snapping its jaws loud enough to make him jump. It followed the action with its own hiss.  

Palace? I could really use some help here. He thought to the wolf he still felt nearby. When he got no response, again, he let out a roar and began backing away from the large reptile. 

The alligator remained still for a few moments before deciding to follow him. Jamie roared again and charged it, making the alligator turn abruptly and edge closer to the water, but it seemed to know that it had the upper hand, even on land, because it didn’t retreat and instead opened its jaws wide and hissed loudly. 

Realizing that he would have to get himself out of his current situation, Jamie glanced around without turning his head much and alerting the alligator that it didn’t have his full attention. He noticed a large, seemingly easy to climb tree a few yards to his right and swished his tail in anticipation. 

Lions didn’t normally climb trees, at least in such a rush, which would mean that he’d have a better shot if he shifted, but that did mean he’d have to risk the gator grabbing his human form before he could make it up high enough, but he didn’t have any other options. 

Not sure why you aren’t helping, Pal, but I’ll show you that I can handle this on my own. He thought to Palace before darting to the right as fast as his tired paws could take him. The sound of the alligator running sloppily behind him spurred him on as he got to the tree and shifted mid-jump. Thankfully, his grip held when he grasped the thick branch he’d been reaching for, but it took several seconds to find the strength to start lifting his body upward. 

Come on. You can do this. He told himself as he made his sore muscles work. When he was just about safe, he glanced over his shoulder and nearly slipped from the branch he was climbing onto. The alligator was right there, lunging upward with its giant jaws gaping open, ready to snap down on his left ankle. 

The loud crack of a branch breaking had Jamie thinking that he was pretty much a goner, his own branch snapping, but when Palace suddenly crashed into the alligator and latched onto its neck with his massive jaws, he realized that the loud cracking sound had been him charging out of wherever he had been hiding. 

The heavy reptile was slammed to the ground repeatedly just like a stuffed dog toy. Palace whipped his head back and forth so many times that Jamie was getting dizzy just watching him from his low perch in the tree. 

When he finally stopped, the alligator still in his panting jaws, it was limp and lifeless. 

“I could have done that…” He said in a hushed whisper, drawing a bored glare from Palace as the dead reptile dropped from his jaws to flop onto the damp moss by his paws. 

Jamie noticed several other alligators at the edge of the water, but wisely, none decided to try getting closer to Palace in order to get to the easy meal at his feet. 

Don’t blame you guys. It’s not worth it. I’m sure you’ll get to eat your dead friend later, though. 

If that didn’t sound morbid… 

A sudden yank on his ankle sent Jamie dropping to the damp ground with a yelp. Thankfully, there weren’t any rocks mixed in with the substrate around them but the fall definitely hadn’t felt great. 

“What was that for, Palace?” He asked as he rubbed the back of his head with one hand, trying to push himself up with the other, only for Palace to yank his ankle back every time he got close to sitting up. 

Groaning, Jamie glared up at Palace, but only got eyes narrowed right back at him in return. 

“I am not someone who saves people, lion.” Palace said as he lifted his ankle higher, making Jamie squirm uncomfortably. 

“You didn’t have to save me, Palace. That was a decision you made on your own. And my name is Jamie.” He said. 

Palace glanced away for a brief moment before looking back at him and baring a few of his teeth. 

“Don’t give me that. You didn’t have to help me.” Jamie chastised. 

They both stared at each other in silence for several moments before Palace released his ankle with a shove and started stalking away. He only got a few feet when Knight’s hawk glided down to a branch above his head. 

“Where were you?” Palace asked as he stopped, looking up at his brother. 

When the hawk just turned to look off to its right, Palace’s eyes followed its gaze to see Jared’s lion stepping out of a thick patch of vegetation. 

Jamie was relieved to see Jared, but at the same time, he couldn’t have had worse timing. He expected the reaction Palace gave them a second later, which was to shift and charge at his brother. Moving as fast as he could, Jamie shifted and intercepted him, roaring with all of the energy he had left in him. 

Palace’s eyes were dilated and he was already panting heavily, likely scenting the blood Jamie could smell from his brother. He wasn’t sure what had happened, but it didn’t smell fresh. 

Please calm down. I’m sure he just had your brother bring him here because he was worried. 

Palace’s wolf growled in his mind as his human side replied just as angrily. My brother would not bring him here for such a reason! 

He would also not bring him here for you to kill him, would he? Seems like a waste of time.  Jamie replied back, trying not to yell at him through their connection. 

The look on Palace’s wolf’s face was one of curious confusion as he tried to figure out exactly why his brother would bring Jared to them. 

Please don’t hurt my brother. Go after that alligator you killed, I heard they taste like chicken. He said, trying to slip a little humor into his words, though it really was true. 

It took Palace a few minutes to think over his decision, but thankfully he turned and stalked off toward the alligator, digging into it as soon as it was within reach. While he crunched away at his meal, Jamie turned to his brother. Both of them shifted at the same time, and Jamie didn’t waste a second grabbing his brother’s shoulders and turning him around so that he could see his injuries. 

“What the hell happened to you?” He asked, knowing that the marks couldn’t have been from Knight. 

There was a faint sound of rustling feathers, then a light drop to the ground before Knight’s reply came with a healthy dose of sarcasm. “He decided to try and go under a car instead of around it. As you can see, it was a poor decision.” 

Jared lifted his lip at Knight, but the guy ignored him and turned his attention to his brother, who was devouring the large alligator, much to the dismay of the reptile’s friends. 

“How was he? And why did he kill an alligator?” Knight asked as he leaned against a large tree to watch. 

Jamie chuckled and shrugged. “Crazy. Frustrating. Palace.” He replied, then nodded toward the alligator that was currently being devoured. 

“He ran me until I dropped, and with my luck, it happened to be right here. It saw me, and I was about to get caught when he charged out of the underbrush and killed it.” 

Knight raised an eyebrow at his words. 

“So he… saved you?” He asked, eyeing his brother oddly. 

Nodding, Jamie licked his lips, wishing he had his Chapstick. 

“He said that he is not someone who saves people, but I guess I’m an exception, because all he had to do was let the situation play out and I would have been dead, dragged into the water, but he didn’t.” He said, looking back over to Palace. 

Knight was quiet for a long moment, drawing Jamie’s attention back to him, only to see him kneeling beside his brother, who was dozing on his side. 

“He refused to get medical attention until he saw you with his own eyes. The idiot is going to have a good infection by the time we get back.” He said, making Jamie tilt his head. “We’ll let him rest for a short time, but then he needs to go back.” 

Your brother seems to actually care about mine. 

Jamie hadn’t meant to send that thought, but it definitely got Palace’s attention away from the remnants of the alligator. He turned from the carcass and bounded over to them, only to headbutt his brother away from Jared. He then dropped his backside to the ground and growled once, looking quite unimpressed. 

“Really? You’re going to separate them for no reason?” Jamie scolded as he crossed his arms over his chest. 

Palace huffed and looked away, but when Jamie stepped closer, he grumbled and moved forward, shoving his nose against his chest hard enough to make him stumble back. When he saw how well it worked, Palace half-growled half-barked and smacked his nose against Jamie’s chest again, then again. 

When he got him to back away as far as he seemed to have wanted, Palace got up on his hind legs and shoved Jamie down to the ground with his front paws, easily using his weight, then turned and sat on his middle. 

“I don’t think that’s how you’re supposed to treat someone you like, Palace.” Knight said as he sat down beside a now-sleeping Jared. 

Palace’s wolf seemed to scowl and snort as it stood up, then took a few steps back before lying down across Jamie’s middle. 

“I don’t think that’s much better, bro.” Knight added, only for his brother to roll his eyes and drop his head to his paws, intent on resting. 

Shrugging, Knight relaxed beside Jared, leaving Jamie to glare up at the trees high above their heads, pinned under Palace. 

“This is ridiculous, Palace, and you’re heavy.” Jamie said, feeling the growl he got from Palace in response rumble through his wolf’s belly and into his own body. 

I won’t go near him for now, so can you please get off? You’re hurting me. He thought to Palace. He could sense his wolf pacing in the back of his mind, but thankfully his human side seemed to have more control right then because he lazily got up, then flopped down beside him. 

Thank you. 

Palace grunted. 

Go away. 

Raising his eyebrows, Jamie started getting up, only for Palace to get up abruptly and put a heavy paw on his back, pressing him right back down to the damp ground before settling next to him. 

Stay. 

Sighing, Jamie bit his tongue on a response and scooted as close to Palace as he could get, since the gators likely wouldn’t dare try to bother him. A few minutes later, he let his eyes close, intent on taking a short nap before he headed back with Jared to get him medical attention. He wasn’t really sure what Palace and Knight intended to do, but he doubted that they’d come back willingly. He decided not to dwell on it at that moment, however, and just let himself relax so that he could make the trip back without being a hindrance. 

(This chapter was pushed to the top of my update list due to a donation to a fundraiser I posted on my profile in Conversations for a good friend’s cancer fund. It is the last one in the queue, so if you’d like 

to get another update of this quickly, or even two or three of them in a row this week (or another book of your choice), please consider checking out what I wrote :) Much appreciated, and many thanks to those who have donated.)

Watch Your Words

(This will be the last update for donations, as Theory is very tired and needs a break lol. Thank you to everyone who donated, we made a great dent in the fundraiser :) Also, happy birthday to my little nut job, Racket. She turned 1 yesterday.) 

It felt like only a few minutes had passed when Jamie felt someone nudging at his shoulder. 

Eighty more minutes…

When he felt a wet, hot tongue slobber all over his face, he took in a deep breath to growl at Palace, who had to have been the one to do it since his brother knew better, but the moment he took in that breath, he gagged. 

Dear god, what did you eat? 

Of course, as soon as he thought the question to Palace, he could sense the man snickering in his head. 

Liver, heart, and kidneys, first. Intestines after that…

Jamie squeezed his eyes shut, trying not to wretch. He’d eaten wild animals plenty of times before, but the scent that had come from Palace’s mouth had been absolutely vile. 

Intestines are disgusting, Palace. 

When he got no response, but heard a loud splash, Jamie blinked open his eyes to see Palace dragging another unfortunate alligator out of the water. There were several following him, nipping at the now-dead lizard’s tail, trying to get a morsel of their buddy, but they didn’t dare come too close when Palace brought it over to him. It dropped to the ground with a thud, making Jamie jump and scoot away. 

“Why the heck did you catch another one?” 

Eat the intestine. 

Before Jamie could reply with a very clear hell no , Knight walked over and gave Palace at gentle pat on the head. 

“We need to get going so that Jared can get back and get his injuries treated. Do you want to come, or wait here?” He asked.

Palace sniffed at the alligator and mouthed it a few times, but didn’t really do any extra damage. After a moment he lifted his furry head and twitched an ear. Jamie was wondering if he was talking to his brother through their connection, and got his answer a minute later when Palace stalked off into the underbrush and Knight turned to him. 

“He’s going to come with us, but probably remain in the woods outside of town.” He said. 

That plan made sense. If Palace showed up again, he definitely wouldn’t go unnoticed. His face, and his wolf, were all over the news, so it would be much safer to just stay away for a while. 

“Alright.” Jamie replied before walking over to his brother. 

He was still in his lion form, which he normally defaulted to whenever he was hurting. 

“How you feeling, bro?” Jamie asked as he started walking alongside Jared’s lion. 

Not the greatest, but I’ll be okay. I’m just glad that you’re safe. 

“Well, I’m not happy that you hurt yourself, then insisted on coming out here just to find me.” Jamie replied, getting a grumble from his brother in response. 

They walked in silence for the better portion of the trip with Knight disappearing off and on with Palace to race through the forest, or in Knight’s case, above it. 

“They really look like they’re enjoying themselves…” Jamie said, more to himself than to his brother as he watched the two. 

They’ve been locked up for so long, I’m not surprised that they’re taking some time to just run around together. 

Jamie reached down and sifted his fingers through Jared’s thick mane as his eyes watched Palace’s giant body easily dart between the trees. 

“Hey, do you think that Palace will ever be able to fly?” He asked, curious about the wings he usually kept tucked so tightly against his body that they nearly vanished against his dark fur. 

I’m not sure. We haven’t done any tests or scans on him, but I do know that wolves definitely don’t have hollow bones, and that’s one thing needed to fly. 

Jamie nodded, hopping over a fallen tree before he replied. “He also is quite heavy, even being underweight. Maybe they are just vestigial.” 

Could be. I think Knight mentioned him not being able to use them when he was younger, so they could just be there because of the genetic roulette from combining a hawk and wolf shifter, and have no real use. 

“I wounder if they should be amputated.” 

I bet he’ll amputate a few limbs from you if you tried. Jared replied, getting a chuckle from Jamie as they hurried through a few large depressions of water. 

He could feel eyes on them, likely more alligators, but they didn’t remain in the water long enough to be worth trying to bother. When they trudged out of the last one, Palace was standing a short distance away, panting heavily as he watched them move. 

You know what, I think he really did just need to get away from everything. He’s not nearly as aggressive out here. Jamie thought to his brother before switching his attention to the odd link he shared with Palace and his wolf. 

Having a good time? He asked with a tired smile. 

You have no idea how it feels to be free after such a long time not seeing the sun. 

Jamie wanted to point out that it was night time, and the sun wouldn’t be up for a bit, but he had a feeling that the joke wouldn’t be appreciated. 

I’m glad that you’re both finally free. 

Palace tilted his head and flicked an ear as they approached, but didn’t share anymore thoughts as he began walking alongside them. 

Absentmindedly, Jamie reached to the side and sifted his fingers through Palace’s feathered fur at the same time he did the same to his brother’s mane. The growl he got in response had him retracting his right hand and quickly thinking an apology to Palace. 

They continued on their way for another few minutes before Jamie nearly stumbled into his brother as Palace nudged him from his right side. 

“Hey, what was that for?” He said before shoving him back, since his wolf was easily big enough to take the push. In fact, the shove barely broke its current walking pace. 

When Palace didn’t respond, Jamie huffed and sped up, only to be nudged from behind and go stumbling into another depression filled with a mixture of moss and muddy water. 

“Really, Palace?” Jamie grumbled. 

He noticed Knight land on a low branch a few feet away, then shift as he hopped to the ground. 

“We’ve been discussing this for several hours, Palace. Why not just tell him that you like him, you big idiot?” Knight said as he rolled his eyes. 

Palace was absolutely still for exactly three seconds before he roared and charged at his brother. Knight had no problem shifting and darting up into a tall tree, however, easily avoiding the angry wolf’s wrath. 

“What is he talking about, Palace?” Jamie asked. 

He had a feeling that they had been talking between themselves while they’d been heading back to town, but he had no idea that the topic in question had been himself. 

“He hasn’t shut up about you.” Knight said after shifting and sitting on the large branch he’d landed on, drawing Jamie’s eyebrows up near his hairline. 

Palace snarled and tore off a chunk of the bark on the tree with his talons, but couldn’t even come close to reaching his brother. 

“He’s so annoying. He can barely run. He couldn’t even handle an alligator.” Knight said in a taunting, bored voice. 

Jamie scowled at Palace for a brief moment before returning his attention to his brother. “That doesn’t sound like like , to me.” He said, crossing his arms over his chest at the same time he yawned. 

Knight barked a laugh and shook his head abruptly, almost like a bird ruffling its feathers. 

“Considering he hasn’t told me once that he wants to kill you, I think that it counts as like.” 

Palace huffed and shook out his coat, not meeting either of their eyes as they stared at him. After a moment, he darted off into the underbrush, disappearing from sight. 

“I don’t think he was pleased with you letting me know that bit of information.” Jamie said as he continued walking when his brother started moving again. 

Knight shifted and glided down from the tree before returning to his human form beside Jamie. 

“He’s never really pleased. Entertained, yes. Curious, yes. Angry as all piss, hell yes. But no, not really pleased.” 

Jamie glanced sideways at him. “What about when you two were running around together earlier?” 

The look on Knight’s face told him that he was silently laughing at him. 

“He was trying to catch me to pull some of my feathers for talking about him liking you.” 

Sighing, Jamie shook his head. “You two are a strange pair.” 

Knight tilted his head to one side, then the other before replying. “You two are rehabilitation specialists, contributing members of society, and walking about completely naked with a wolf shifter that looks like it had a genetic run-in with a velociraptor, attitude included, and a hawk shifter that makes you try to dig underneath cars instead of go around them to get to him.” 

“Shut up.” Jamie grumbled at the same time his brother growled. 

The two must have said something over their bond because Knight was soon glaring down at Jared. “I don’t want to hear that crap, I know you like me.” 

What? 

Jared shifted suddenly, returning to his human form, seemingly so that he could use his mouth to scowl at Knight. “I’d like to get my claws on you.” He growled. 

In less than two seconds, Knight was standing in front of him, making Jared reach out and grab his waist to keep from walking right into him. 

“The hell did you do that for?” He asked, shoving Knight backward slightly. 

Knight rolled his eyes and replied with a haughty, “You said that you wanted to get your claws on me… geez, you think you’re doing a guy a favor and he goes and shoves you away. My poor, uncaring heart.” He said, pressing a hand to his chest as he rolled his eyes again. 

Jared was about to reply when they stepped through a small copse of trees and saw the city splayed out before them. Also something that was quite splayed out was Palace, rolling around in the tall grass like a dog that had just found something that smelled absolutely terrible…

“Palace!” Jamie yelled as he ran toward him, already scenting something foul nudging at his nose. 

Palace didn’t stop rolling until Jamie was nearly right next to him. When he did, however, he simply sat up and started panting, excitement clear in his bright eyes. The scent that now covered him had Jamie’s nose wrinkling as he looked down, curious as to what he’d actually rubbed himself all over. 

“Dead squirrel. Of course.” He said, shaking his head. 

Knight and Jared appeared beside him a few moments later, neither of them looking too pleased with the scent that now permeated the air, and Palace’s coat. 

“Go head back with your brother, we’ll be around.” Knight said, drawing Jared’s attention. Jamie watched his brother’s lips drop into a frown as he stepped closer to Knight. 

“You aren’t coming, either?” He asked, making Jamie bite back a grin. 

Knight chuckled and shook his head, then crossed his arms over his chest. “Are you gonna miss me? Need a little peck on the lips before we part, love?” 

The amount of sarcasm in his words was palpable, but the very faint blush that tinted his brother’s cheeks had Jamie’s heart nearly stopping. 

“Awww, you do want one. How cute, little kitty. Well, we’ll be around, so do come visit once you’re done taking care of yourself.” He said before shifting. 

He flapped his wings a few times, hopping on the ground, then gave one particularly hard thrust downward with them to jump just high enough to snag Jared’s lower lip with a particularly painful looking peck. 

“That’s the most literal way I’ve ever seen someone use that phrase.” Jamie mumbled as he watched Palace hurry after his brother, who was now fleeing upward from an angry lion.

I’ll just meet you at the hospital whenever you’re done chasing your new boyfriend. 

The angry static he got back through their bond had Jamie laughing right before he shifted and began running, having no doubt that his brother was now intent on teaching him a lesson, since his other target had likely flown out of reach already.

Unintentionally On Purpose

I can’t believe you said that. Jared thought to his brother, who was sitting in the waiting room beyond the door he was glaring at, as he felt a needle begin to thread through his back. He’d done a lot more damage than he’d thought, and the disinfectant hadn’t been any kind of pleasant, either. 

I can’t believe you got so mad about it. What’s wrong with liking him? 

Jared couldn’t even count the number of things wrong with liking Knight. The guy was infuriating, to say the least. He could never bite his tongue and had the attention span of a bird… that wasn’t a hawk. 

A chicken. Always pecking at things he doesn’t need to. 

He winced as the needle slipped into his skin at a particularly sore spot. 

Besides, you and Palace are more a couple than me and Knight. He tossed back, feeling a simmer of frustration begin to well up in his brother’s mind. 

What is going on with you two, anyways? He asked, honestly curious. 

When silence met his ears, Jared sighed, forcing himself to remain still as the doctor finished stitching up his back. It was another twenty minutes before he was discharged, and feeling more than a bit loopy because of the strong pain medication. 

“Let’s get you home so you can rest. Do you want me to stay over, or?” Jamie asked as he helped Jared walk, one of his brother’s arms slung over his shoulder. 

“I think I’ll be able to manage if you can get me inside. This medicine will probably knock me out soon.” 

Jamie nodded, helping Jared into the car before shutting his door and walking around to the driver’s side. The trip back was quiet in a verbal sense, especially so because Jared fell asleep after barely five minutes. 

Normally, he didn’t snore much, if at all, but the medication must have been incredible, because Jamie was wincing every few seconds with the volume his brother was putting out. 

Thankfully, once they pulled up outside of Jared’s two-story home, Jamie was able to wake his brother enough to get him on his feet, with some effort. Knowing that he wouldn’t be able to drag him all the way up to his room, he headed toward the couch and deposited him there. 

“You sure you’re good?” Jamie asked as he ran into the kitchen and grabbed a glass of water to leave on the small side table next to the sofa. 

When he returned and set it down, he noticed that his brother was already back to snoring as loud as possible. 

“I’ll take that as a yes. I’ll check up on you in a bit. Get some rest, bro.” 

He left and locked the door behind him using the key Jared had given him when he’d bought the house. They had access to each others’ and often spent time just hanging out on their rare days off. 

It was close to midnight when there was a scratch at the door a few feet away from where Jared was fast asleep. The lock on the sliding glass door clicked open after a few minutes, but it wasn’t opened just yet. 

Faint whispers roused Jared’s lion, but it could do little more than listen as the door was slowly pushed open. Jared had done too much damage to his back to shift again and risk destroying the stitches, making his lion try to get his attention through his sleep-clouded thoughts. 

“We just need to get him and go. You saw him at the hospital, he’s badly injured. He’ll have to help us find the wolf he was with when they were leaving the forest earlier or risk much worse.” A rough voice said as the owner stepped inside, his large boots making loud thumping noises in the silence of the house. 

The sound of a second pair of boots added to the first as both men hurried toward Jared, easily picking up his weight by sharing it between themselves. Getting him out the door was easy enough, leaving the two men to hurry through the dark toward the hole they’d made in the privacy fence Jared had gotten built only two months prior. 

They got about halfway to it before they both stopped abruptly and stared at each other, then back toward the fence, seemingly not believe their eyes. 

“That… can’t be real… it wasn’t that big.” One of them stuttered as his grip slipped on Jared, dropping his legs to the ground. 

The other man didn’t hesitate to do the same. Thankfully, the grass was plenty thick to keep Jared from being hurt by the drop, though Palace didn’t think that the fall had been necessary. They should have just set him down gently…

“Shit.” One of the men said as he fumbled for the gun at his belt and lifted it to point toward the enormous wolf staring in through the space where the two men had removed several plants of fencing. 

“Don’t shoot it! If he dies, so does our paychecks!” The other man whispered harshly, though his hand was also twitching to grab his gun. 

A loud screech startled both men, making the one pointing his gun at Palace accidentally fire before swinging around toward the sound. His weapon wasn’t even lifted toward Knight before he darted downward and slashed his talons straight across the man’s face. 

While his buddy was screaming on his knees, hands holding his profusely bleeding face, the other man turned back toward the wolf, worried that it had been shot. In its stead, however, there was the shadow or a man stalking toward them. 

“I would suggest running, but you know what, you’re dead either way. So, just pee yourself now and get it over with.” Knight said from somewhere to the man’s right where he was perched on the roof of the house. 

The man started backing up, but quickly realized that Knight was right. There would be no running. 

“I can tell you who sent us to kidnap your friend! I-I can tell you who wants you!” He shouted at Palace, who didn’t slow down in the least at his words. 

A quiet chuckle left Knight’s lips as he watched the scene. 

“He doesn’t give a damn. You see, everyone is after him. It’s you tonight, and likely will be someone else tomorrow. Do you know what my brother does to people who are interested in him that way ?” Knight asked, a hint of amusement in his voice as he watched his brother stop at the first man who was still kneeling on the ground and shaking, holding his torn face. 

Palace watched him silently for a few seconds before his body blurred, leaving his giant wolf standing in his place. It leaned down, snorting right next to the whimpering man just loud enough to gain his attention. 

The moment their eyes met, the man opened his mouth to scream, but the sound was abruptly cut off by the sound of his skull crunching under Palace’s jaws. 

“Oh, there ya go. I knew you’d pee yourself before you died and I can definitely smell it from here. We had a bet, Pal. You’re hunting our next meal.” Knight said with a grin, earning a growl from his brother as his wolf let the dead man’s head drop from his mouth. 

“Don’t give me that attitude. It took me two hours to find you enough fish, then I had to eat rats because so much fishing had scared all the fish away for a while.” Knight said, scowling down at his brother as he watched him start for the second man. 

He nearly had him, because the guy was literally paralyzed with fear, when they both heard Jared’s voice. 

“Palace, stop!” 

Everyone’s attention turned to him where he leaned heavily against the glass door, barely able to keep himself on his feet. 

It seemed like time froze in that moment, but Palace didn’t waste many seconds before deciding to ignore Jared’s words. He gave a quiet, deep growl and leaped easily onto the terrified remaining human. With a quick snap of his jaws, the man lay limp in the grass, dead. 

Jared could only stare at the corpse until Knight suddenly dropped down right in front of him, startling him enough to make him stumble backward. He nearly fell, possibly hurting himself further, but Knight managed to snag him in a tight hug before he could. 

“You’re an idiot.” Knight said simply as he slowly lowered Jared to sit on the floor. 

He backed up a few steps when Jared’s lion growled through his human mouth, but it was obvious that neither Knight, nor his brother, who had just stepped inside after shifting back to his human form, were intimidated. 

“You are hunting, brother.” Palace said as he stalked toward the hallway leading to the downstairs bathroom. 

“No way! We had a deal!” Knight shouted after him, though he didn’t move away from Jared. 

There was quiet for a moment before Palace replied from down the hall. 

“I saved your human. If you don’t want to hunt, I can just kill him, too.” 

Knight was just opening his mouth to reply when the sound of a key turning in the front door silenced him. Jamie barely had time to step through the door before he was grabbed and slammed against the wall by Palace. 

Dots danced in front of his eyes for a few moments before Jamie was able to blink them away enough to see a bloody Palace staring down at him. 

“What… what happened?” He asked as he reached up without thinking and pressed a hand to the side of Palace’s face. “Are you okay? Are you hurt?” 

“Better keep that human, brother. I doubt you’ll find another who worries more about you after being slammed against the wall by your’s truly. Unless they’re into that kinky shit.” Knight said with a hint of amusement in his voice. 

Jamie glanced around Palace’s shoulder to see his brother sitting on the floor, staring at him in the darkness with Knight standing a few steps behind him. 

“What the heck happened?” He asked as he returned his attention to Palace. 

“I was just flying around the neighborhood when I heard two idiot humans saying that they were going to kidnap your brother to get to Palace. Personally, I think that they couldn’t have had a more stupid plan. They should have gone after you, not Jared.” Knight said. 

Jamie frowned, looking over his brother as best he could from where he was still pinned against the wall. He didn’t look like he had gotten hurt any worse…

“Thank you, both, for helping him.” He said a second before he was yanked forward. 

Palace easily pulled him down the hall toward the bathroom as he growled out a frustrated. “I didn’t do it on purpose.” 

His words brought a smile to Jamie’s face, but he quickly hid it when he was shoved inside the small room. Palace stepped in as he turned around to face him, locking them both inside. 

“What are you doing, Pal?” Jamie asked as he hesitantly stepped back until the heels of his tennis shoes pressed against the porcelain of the bathtub. 

He fidgeted when Palace just stared at him in the darkness for several tense moments, but thankfully, he decided to turn away and flicked on one of the low glowing lights. 

His arm!

Without thinking, Jamie hurried forward, taking Palace’s wounded arm in his hands. He felt him immediately try to jerk it away, and the deep growl he added to the action made Jamie nervous, but he wasn’t going to back down. 

Lifting his eyes to Palace’s wild ones, Jamie slowly shook his head as he spoke. “It’s just a graze, but it still got you pretty good. I’ll clean it up for you, okay?” 

When he only got a growl in response, Jamie grinned and turned to dig in one of the drawers to the side of the sink. After a few moments, he had everything he needed to tend to the gash on Palace’s arm. 

“Alright. This might burn a bit, but it should only last for a few seconds.” He said as he dabbed some disinfectant on a few cotton balls and bunched them together, then began to carefully rub them along the injury. 

Jamie wasn’t surprised when Palace didn’t even flinch as he worked. He could feel his eyes on him but didn’t look up as he continued. The stitching took a bit, since he hadn’t done it in a good while, but when he finally wiped away the remainder of the blood and examined his work, he was pretty happy with it. 

“All done. You’ll be as good as new soon.” He said as he looked up, then paused. 

Why is he so close? 

The silence stretched between, but Jamie, for once, didn’t sense any kind of hostility from Palace to lower his eyes. 

“…I would have helped you, intentionally.” 

Huh? 

Jamie thought back on what Palace had said earlier, grinning a little when he realized what he’d meant. 

He said that he hadn’t helped my brother on purpose. 

“Why did you help my brother?” He asked, wanting to have his thought about that situation confirmed. 

Palace grumbled and turned, unlocking the door. Jamie hurried after him as he stalked over to the stairs and headed up them. They ended up stopping right inside one of the guest rooms before Palace turned around to face him. 

“My brother would have gotten hurt trying to save him.” 

The idea that Palace was actually starting to care for Knight again made Jamie feel unbelievably reassured. There was definitely a good person somewhere in him. 

Jamie was about to reply when he felt the now-familiar sensation of Palace’s wolf pacing at the edge of his mind. 

Ah, I owe you a thanks, too. I’m sorry you got hurt, but I really appreciate that you helped my brother. He thought toward the wolf. Its pacing stopped abruptly, but he couldn’t decipher exactly what it was doing after that, because Palace had taken a hold of his hand and was pulling him toward the large bed in the middle of the room. 

When he was easily tossed onto it, Jamie hurried to back away, but Palace didn’t even seem interested. He simply climbed onto the covers and stretched out. 

“What are you doing?” He asked warily as he continued scooting toward the other edge of the bed. 

Palace didn’t answer for a few moments as he slowly rolled over to watch him. When Jamie was just about to slip off the edge, Palace lunged toward him, grabbing his wrist and yanking him hard against his chest. 

“Palace?” Jamie asked, his tone clearly a little startled as he squirmed a bit in the too-tight hug. 

Are you okay, Jamie? Came his brother’s worried question through their bond. 

Palace’s arms slowly relaxed enough to allow him a bit of breathing room, but he definitely couldn’t get out of them. 

I think so. He just startled me. He won’t let me get off the guest bed, but he isn’t trying anything. 

There was no response for a few minutes, and as Jamie tried to relax, he could hear someone coming up the stairs. 

Two people. 

Considering that Palace wasn’t growling and didn’t seem concerned in the least, he had a feeling that it was his brother and Knight. Another minute or two passed before he got a sleepy reply. 

Knight won’t let me move from my bed now that I’m up here, either, but I can’t say that I’m interested in arguing with him. If you’re okay, let’s just try to get some sleep for now. Knight said they will get rid of the bodies tomorrow. 

Jamie wasn’t really sure if he could if he could sleep, but he sent a reassuring thought to his brother before feeling him drift off. Not twenty minutes later, he felt his own eyes grow heavy. The last thing he remembered before his thoughts went blank was the familiar pressure of Palace’s wolf pacing purposefully on the edge of his tired mind, as if it were standing guard over something important.

Grooming

Jared awoke to an empty bed and a terrible ache in his back. He’d passed out almost immediately after talking to his brother the previous night through their bond. 

Jamie? 

He could sense that his brother was awake, but sometimes he just wasn’t paying enough attention to realize that someone was trying to talk to him through the bond. 

They took care of the two bodies. Came his brother’s response after a minute of silence. 

That was a relief. He was in no shape to carry two dead people, and Jamie wasn’t the most cautious person. He’d probably have ended up getting caught one way or another. 

I’m making breakfast if you’d like to come down. Jamie thought to him, making Jared’s stomach growl loudly. He definitely wanted food, but getting downstairs? Is it worth the effort, bro? My back is killing me. He replied, getting a quiet chuckle in response. 

Bacon, eggs, sausage and pancakes. 

Hell. He needed to get his ass up. It took a good while, and he more or less slid out of bed over actually sitting up, but he somehow managed to get on his feet when his brother sent him another thought. 

I’m going to eat all of this if you don’t hurry, I’m starving. 

Growling partially from pain and partially from not wanting his breakfast to disappear before he could get it, Jared stumbled out of his bedroom and down the hall. He didn’t bother changing, since he still had on a pair of loose shorts and after walking through the forest naked with both Knight and Palace, he didn’t think that it would matter if they showed up again. 

The stairs were more tricky than they’d ever been before, though. Each step he took made him feel off balance and forced him to clutch the railing tight enough to make his knuckles turn white. 

When his bare feet finally made it to the first floor, Jared was about ready to just drop down on the stairs and take a nap. King of the jungle, my ass. King of the nursing home, maybe. He growled at himself as he did his best to straighten up, then head for the dinner table. 

To his relief, when it came into view it was piled high with all of the foods Jamie had told him he’d made. His brother was sitting behind a fully loaded plate, but there was definitely plenty left over for him. 

“Morning, bro. Ready to stuff your face, then take the world’s longest nap?” Jamie asked as he watched him drop into a seat with a wince. 

Jared nodded for only a brief second before he began stuffing his face. He might have been the more logical, chill one of them most times, but he was hurting pretty badly and didn’t give a damn if his brother saw him acting like a starving child. Jamie knew how he really was anyways, so shoving food into his mouth with his hands was nothing new to him. 

“Are they coming back?” He asked after finishing two plates of eggs and bacon, the food having calmed his stomach enough to allow him to eat normally. 

Jamie swallowed his bite of sausage and shrugged. 

“I mean, I’m sure they are at some point, but right after getting rid of the bodies? I doubt it. They were talking about hunting yesterday, and honestly, I don’t think I could afford to feed Palace right now, so it’s probably best that they go find something to eat before coming back here.” He said, getting a nod from Jared as he took a large bite of pancake. 

Why are you such a better cook than me? He asked through their bond, since his mouth was full again. 

“Because I follow recipes and don’t just throw everything into a bowl, then onto a frying pan that isn’t even heated up yet?” He said, drawing a frown from Jared. 

It shouldn’t be that hard to cook. You mix the stuff up that’s in the same recipe, then heat it up. 

Shaking his head, Jamie pointed his fork at Jared. 

“The only thing I can think of that would work with that method is oatmeal, and that still wouldn’t be that great.” He said as they both turned their attention toward the back door, having heard it open. 

Palace stepped inside, naked, as usual. 

“Hey, where the heck were you that you’re now covered head to toe in mud?” 

At least, I hope that’s mud… and that it’s at least somewhat dry and doesn’t get everywhere. 

Instead of answering, Palace walked calmly over to Jamie and lifted his arm. “Come, the bandage did not last.” 

Glancing across the table at him, Jamie shrugged. Better tend to your boyfriend, bro. The glare he got in return for that comment was venomous, but they both quickly reverted their attention when Knight came flying in, stumbling to a halt in one of their plates of eggs. 

Before either lion could even comment, Knight was gobbling down the food, bite after bite. 

Nice to see you again, too. Jared noted, earning a loud screech in response before Knight continued filling his stomach. 

Leave me alone. It took me forever to catch enough fish to fill my brother up. He ate 10 giant ones! They were nearly as big as I was! I had to shift after I dove and caught them, just so I could bring them to shore for him. 

It seemed like Palace hadn’t had the patience to wait on the bank for too long, because he was covered in enough mud to supply a beauty salon for a month, at least. 

Surrendering to his persistence, Jamie got up from the table and let Palace pull him down the hall. Jared watched until they were out of sight, then turned his attention back to the chicken stealing his breakfast. 

He’d made a pretty impressive dent in the spread in just moments. Not wanting to lose out on the calories he needed, Jared continued his own meal. The silence was actually pleasant, so he decided to just enjoy it, especially because he knew that it wouldn’t last with Knight around. 

“Darnit, Palace, can you just sit still for a few minutes? I could get all this muck off of you if you just let me.” Jamie grumbled quietly, not wanting to bother his brother or Knight with his frustration. 

He’d drawn a warm bath for Palace, but the guy was trying to wash off the thick mud in the sink, which was definitely going to clog it, as well as make an absolute mess. He knew that he’d already have to scrub the bathroom as he saw dirty water run from the arm Palace removed from beneath the spigot as he turned and bared his teeth. 

“Don’t give me that. You are getting mud everywhere. Please just get in the bathtub.” Jamie said, pointing to the warm water. 

Palace remained by the sink for nearly a full minute before turning off the water and slowly walking closer to the bathtub. “I can just lick myself clean.” He mumbled as his eyes narrowed on the clean water. 

Jamie squeezed his own shut for a moment before sighing. “Yes, you could, but I need to get your arm cleaned up as soon as possible or you could get an infection, and believe me, you don’t want one. Jared is miserable with his back right now.” 

The look on Palace’s face told him that he really didn’t want to, but to Jamie’s surprise, he shifted, then awkwardly climbed into the water. A good majority of it splashed over the edge since his wolf was so large, but Jamie couldn’t find it in himself to be mad. Seeing a giant black wolf sitting a little too snugly in a now-dirty bathtub was quite humorous. 

Biting back a smile, Jamie calmly took out the shampoo and leaned over Palace. His wolf growled, but he just emptied half of the bottle along his back, shoulders and chest, then began to carefully scrub his fingers through his insanely thick coat. 

When lumps of black fur began coming off on his arms, Jamie realized just how much work his current task was going to be. 

“Can I brush you, Palace?” He asked as he sat back on his heels to take a quick break. He’d lathered him up pretty good, and the water was already dark brown. 

While the wolf did growl, he could also sense it nudging at his mind curiously. 

“I promise that it won’t hurt, but it looks like your coat is shedding out. You’ll probably feel much better if it’s brushed.” 

The growl didn’t stop, but Jamie decided to give it a shot anyways and crawled over to the cabinet beneath the sink to get out a small dog brush they normally used to take out tangles from their lion’s manes. That, and they really liked being brushed while shifted. 

“If you don’t like it, I’ll stop. I promise.” He said as he knelt back beside the tub and leaned over. 

Palace pinned his soaked ears back, but didn’t snap at him as he began moving the brush through his matted coat. 

At first, he was worried that he might get bitten when he reached a few good mats, but surprisingly, Palace just kept an eye on where he was moving the brush and only grunted a few times when he was pulling at a particularly hard knot. 

“Wow, no wonder you looked so big and ferocious, you had at least three coats on you! Now you look like a little puppy!” Jamie said as he leaned back to take another break. 

He wasn’t done, by far, but Palace did look a hundred times better already. 

“You are a pretty damn handsome wolf, if I do say so myself.” Jamie said as he reached back over and worked on Palace’s left back leg, since he’d stood up for him a few minutes ago. 

The water had turned pitch black by then and had a good inch or two of fur floating on the surface, but Jamie was determined to just get it all done right then. 

Jared is going to kill me if I try to drain this tub and all that fur goes down. 

Yes, I will. His brother replied, making Jamie chuckle right before Palace’s cold, wet muzzle nudged his face a bit too hard, knocking him off balance and to the tile floor. 

“Hey, what was that for?” He asked as he sat up, rubbing the dirty water from his cheek. 

Pay attention to me. Palace thought to him as his wolf sat down again and glanced away at the wall of the shower. 

Jamie narrowed his eyes and got up onto his knees. “You want me to pay attention to you, but then you go and act all haughty and don’t even look at me?” He teased. 

Palace slowly turned his head back to look at Jamie, then huffed and tilted it as he did the same with his body…

Oh shit, don’t shake! 

The action was already starting before he could even open his mouth to yell at him, so Jamie just lunged forward and wrapped his arms around Palace’s soggy neck. 

The shirt he had on soaked up the water Palace’s thick coat had retained, instantly drenching his front as he hung on tightly. 

Knight just ate himself into a coma so I’m going to get him to bed so he can rest for a while. Are you good in there? Jared asked through their bond. 

Jamie was just about to answer when Palace jerked his head back and to the side, making Jamie fall into the tub with a yelp. 

Aw man, I’m going to have fur all over me now. He grumbled. At least his head hadn’t gone under, but that was about it for his upper body. 

Not really something I wanted to know, but you sound fine. Have fun. Jared thought to him before he disappeared from his mind. 

“Did you really have to do that, Pal?” Jamie asked as he pushed himself up after swinging his legs over into the bath, too. 

There was barely any extra room, but he didn’t dare try to get out and risk getting fur everywhere. 

“I told you to pay attention to me.” Palace said, shifting abruptly so that he was kneeling between Jamie’s legs. 

With nowhere to go, Jamie leaned back against the porcelain, hunching his shoulders and averting his eyes. 

“I’m sorry. He was just checking on me.” He mumbled quietly. 

Palace was silent for a moment before reaching behind himself and unplugging the drain. 

I’m so dead later. 

When most of the water, and hair, managed to drain out, he grabbed the dial for the showerhead and turned it on. 

It was cold at first, and sent a few shivers down Jamie’s spine, but after a few seconds it turned deliciously hot. Distracted by the warmth, Jamie hadn’t noticed Palace coming closer until he was nearly hovering over him on his hands and knees. 

“You are going to be very uncomfortable with all of those hairs on you from my coat, lion.” Palace said. 

He was right. Jamie was already feeling pretty itchy, and, of course, the bits of fur had easily gotten beneath his clothing. 

“Take off your clothes, little lion.” Palace said as he leaned in close enough to nuzzle his nose against Jamie’s cheek. 

Is he asking what I think he might be…? 

Swallowing down his nerves, Jamie slowly pulled his soaked shirt up and over his head. Palace growled in response as the shirt sank beneath the low level of remaining murky water. He leaned back after a moment and licked his lips, but Jamie knew that he had to keep things from going too far. 

“That’s all I’m taking off right now.” He said in a voice as stern as he could manage. 

When Palace just smirked, Jamie pursed his lips, but didn’t avert his eyes. They stared at each other for a good while before Palace finally leaned over and nudged his cheek again with his nose. 

Jamie smiled slightly, but the expression disappeared when Palace’s lips slowly moved along his cheek. His breath seemed to catch in his throat as his parted lips were gently covered by Palace’s.

A Little Something

(Okay, this is just me having a little fun. Mini chapter)

“What are you doing?” 

Looking up from the book he’d been reading, Jared raised an eyebrow at the guy stretched out like a cat in his previously-made bed. 

“Watching you sleep like the creeper I am.” He stated with a bored expression before returning to the page he’d been on. 

He could feel Knight’s glare on him but decided to play dumb. Besides, it wasn’t his job to entertain the chicken. His brother had gone out with Palace to get stuff to unclog the downstairs bathroom drain, under penalty of death, so that just left him to sit and read while a bloated Knight snored away beneath his blankets. 

“You know, you don’t look half as annoying when you’re asleep.” He said, glancing up at Knight again for a brief second before returning his attention back to his book. 

Knight scoffed and rolled over, hugging one of Jared’s thick pillows against his chest as he rested his chin on it, facing him. “You purr in your sleep.” 

Jared glared up at Knight. “Lions cannot purr.” He stated with a quiet hiss. 

The look he got in return made him bristle, but he forced his animal side back. 

“You know that some cat shifters can, even if their wild counterparts can’t. Though it’s considered childish and most pretend that they can’t… and you totally did purr when I rubbed your belly last night.” 

Son of a… He couldn’t deny it. Rubbing his belly was the only way to get him to purr, but it really wasn’t a purr. He refused to believe it. It was more of a grumble of appreciation. 

“Wait. Why were you rubbing my belly when I was asleep?” He asked, suddenly more than a little bit uncomfortable. The chicken was way too touchy. 

Knight chuckled and stretched again, sighing as his muscles pulled, then relaxed. 

“The same reason you’re sitting in that chair reading a book and watching me sleep at the same time.” He replied, finally making Jared close his book and toss it onto the nightstand beside him. 

“Those are two completely different situations.” He growled, earning a… ruffle from Knight’s messy hair. 

“What was that? Did you just flex your hair as if it were feathers?” He asked, slightly impressed but also still frustrated. 

Knight smirked and rolled onto his back, tilting his head so that he could still look at Jared. 

“Yes, daddy. It’s something most bird shifters can do.” He taunted, making Jared clench his teeth. 

He knew that the guy was just trying to get a rise out of him, per usual, but for some reason, he was getting under his skin much easier this time. 

“Your brother will be back soon with mine, then we’ll try to figure out what we’re going to do with this situation.” He ground out, doing his best to keep his growling out of his words. 

Knight sat up at that comment, scratching at his hair as he yawned. “What about it, kitty? We aren’t going back to your little rehab center, and we aren’t letting anyone else catch us. So, what is there to discuss?” 

This guy… can he be serious for even a second? As if not going back would solve this situation. 

Annoyed by his other comment, too, Jared let his lion’s frustration finally come out as he lunged forward, shoving Knight down into the heavy blankets. 

“Not letting anyone catch you, huh? Looks like you already failed at that.” He said with a cocky smirk as he leaned down slightly. 

Knight blinked a little, clearly surprised, but then his lips twisted upward, making Jared hesitate. 

“You really don’t have the best hearing, Mr. Kitty. I said anyone else .” He paused for a moment, seemingly thinking, then licked his lips before adding. “And by the way…” 

Reaching up abruptly, Knight swung his arm around to Jared’s back, slapping it hard before he could even react. The pain that radiated up his spine dropped him like a brick, sending black dots dancing in front of his vision. 

When he felt a weight on each of his shoulders, he fidgeted, his lion just beneath the surface. Knight shifted his weight on him a little, then a soft breath of air brushed against his left ear. 

“I believe the phrase for this situation is pinned ya .” He cooed. 

Damn asshole! He cursed in his mind, well aware that Knight could likely hear it. 

“I’ve been called worse.” Knight noted right before Jared swung around, throwing him off his back. 

He tried to catch him off guard, but right after he lunged, Knight shifted and slipped right out from beneath him, leaving Jared to fall onto his clothing and the blankets with a hiss. His eyes darted around the room to try and locate Knight, but the moment he tried to get up, a heavy weight dropped down onto his back, bringing the black dots back in full force as he groaned and dropped down again. 

“I believe the quote continues as… Hah, pinned ya again? Did I get that right, Mr. Kitty?” Knight asked before nuzzling his nose against the crook of Jared’s neck, humming with obvious delight. 

Furious, Jared let his lion take over. Or, at least, tried to. When he began shifting, Knight slapped his back hard enough to send waves of pain throughout his body, canceling the shift. 

I hate you so much right now! Jared roared in his mind, unable to even speak as he tried to control his ragged breathing. 

“That’s okay, you’ll come to love me. Just don’t buy me flowers or anything, that shit is worthless. Bring me something like a pet mouse or anything similar. Just don’t name it, cause I’m gonna eat it. Rats work, too.” Knight said as he crossed his arms over Jared’s shoulders and leaned his chin on them. 

“Although, I’ve always wanted to try a ferret. They’re just too expensive. I was actually saving up for one, but then I got captured…” 

His words trailed off toward the end of his sentence, leaving them in an awkward silence that slowly calmed Jared’s anger down to a light simmer. He was going to try and attack Knight again, but he could feel the unease in the man’s mind about accidentally mentioning his previous trauma. Something like that wasn’t simple to get over, if ever possible. 

“Have I mentioned that you’re an asshole yet today?” Jared mumbled as he closed his eyes, not bothering to try and throw Knight off his back for the moment. His weight hurt, but thankfully he wasn’t too heavy. 

He was just trying to lighten the mood, and it seemed like Knight caught on, because he chuckled and unfolded his arms, resting them on the bed on either side of Jared’s head before letting his own settle in the crook of his neck, bringing their cheeks to nearly brush against each other. 

“Yeah, I think I’ve heard it a few times, but I don’t mind hearing it again.” 

Grinning slightly, Jared nudged Knight’s cheek with his own before sighing and closing his eyes. “You’re an asshole, you strange chicken.” 

Knight shifted a little and chuckled, then replied in a quiet voice. “I’m lying on you completely naked, Mr. Kitty.” 

I’ll get you for that later, as well as the hits to my back. Jared thought to him, not wanting to fight anymore… for the moment. 

Knight exhaled, then yawned.

The sound of the door opening downstairs had one of Jared’s eyes blinking open a few seconds later, but he decided to just close it again and wait a few more minutes before getting up. Besides, his brother and his pet dog should unclog the drain. It was their fault, anyways. 

Okay. Knight replied to his previous comment, then added before slipping off his back to drop down to the blanket, then snuggle against his side.  As long as I get to top.

And Perhaps Something Else

(Second part of the last chapter) 

“I can venture to the supermarket safely on my own, Pal.” Jamie said as he put a few packages of ground beef into their cart. 

Palace eyed the meat with hesitant interest. 

“Don’t worry, you don’t have to eat it.” He said as he looked from the food to Palace. 

He’d managed to get him into a pair of loose basketball shorts and an even looser T-shirt, but it was clear by the way Palace was fidgeting that he disliked the clothing immensely. The fabric also didn’t do anything to hide his feral side, because he was glaring at everyone and sniffing the air quite a bit. 

It’s like dressing up a wolf in sheep’s clothing. Literally. 

“Just relax. Even if someone recognizes you, they can’t do anything in here since you’re not being aggressive and you haven’t really committed any kind of dangerous crime.” Jamie whispered as he continued to push the cart, heading toward the fruit and vegetable area. 

Palace eyed each item that Jamie picked up but he couldn’t quite read his expression for most of them. He’d hoped that Palace would express some sort of interest in some type of food, especially the meat available, but he’d been less than cooperative. 

So much for trying to cook him something. 

He couldn’t really blame him, though. The guy was clearly a capable hunter, and why buy day-old meat when he could just go kill whatever he wanted, whenever he wanted?

I’ll just get stuff for me and if he likes it, he can have some too. He thought as he tossed some spinach into the cart, followed by bell peppers, mushrooms, carrots and onions. 

They’d come home to an energetic Knight and a not so energetic Jared. And, after fixing the drain, they’d been sent right back out to get groceries. Granted, Palace hadn’t needed to come, but he was insistent on it. 

He’s looking around again. I swear he never relaxes. 

Shaking his head slightly, Jamie added a small bag of apples to their cart before glancing back up at Palace to be sure that he was paying attention. He didn’t want to lose sight of him by mistake. 

He’s focused on something else, again. 

Following Palace’s line of sight, Jamie opened his mouth to tell him that it was nothing to worry about, when he realized that it was, indeed, something to worry about. Or really, someone. 

Who pulls out a gun in the middle of a grocery store? 

“I suggest you come with me, quietly, Palace. We wouldn’t want anyone to get hurt, now would we?” The man said as he redirected where his gun was pointing, drawing Jamie’s attention over to a little boy sitting in a shopping cart. 

His mother was several feet away, having clearly not heard or seen what was going on yet, her attention too focused on picking out lettuce. 

Jamie was just opening his mouth to snarl at the man when Palace nudged him back behind himself. 

“Do as you wish.” Palace stated before shoving Jamie toward an end shelf display and then ducking behind it himself. 

The sound of the gun going off not a second later had Jamie’s heart sinking, but when he heard the bullet whiz past them less than a foot away, he refocused and bolted after Palace toward the back storage area. 

“They already have people out front. I saw them watching us earlier.” Palace said as he shoved through the large grey swinging doors and immediately headed toward the back of the giant storage area. 

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Jamie asked as he did his best to keep up. 

Palace snorted and ducked to the side, behind giant stacks of stored goods. 

“You would have looked right at them without even thinking.” 

Jamie paused beside him at that, but Palace didn’t give him a chance to hesitate and grabbed his wrist, yanking him out of sight right as they heard the swinging doors open again. 

“I know they went in here and the back door is still closed. Find them. Kill the man with him if he doesn’t surrender right away.” Someone shouted. 

Shit. 

Looking around, Jamie tried to figure out a way to get to the exit door, but when he felt something cold and wet nudge his elbow, he jumped, spinning around with his heart in his throat, only to see Palace’s giant wolf panting quietly before him. 

You’re going to just attack them? You’ll get hurt! He thought to him as he hunched back against the stacks of food, listening to the approaching footsteps. His heart was hammering in his chest as Palace nudged his nose into the palm of his left hand and blew out a silent breath. 

Get on my back, lion. 

Jamie wanted to argue, but he knew that they didn’t have any time. Without wasting another second thinking about it, he quickly but carefully pulled himself up onto Palace’s back, then wrapped his arms around his neck. 

Hold on. 

 Tucking his face against his fur, Jamie did just that as he felt Palace’s muscles bunch beneath his body. 

He lunged the moment they heard footsteps come around the corner and Jamie didn’t need to look to know that whoever it had been was now dead. The abrupt crunching of bones told him that. 

Tighter. Palace warned before bolting toward the back door. It was locked and had an alarm rigged up to it, but Palace didn’t hesitate a second as he neared it. With a roar loud enough to make Jamie wince, Palace reared up abruptly and slashed his talons straight through the heavy metal doors. A second swipe a moment later had one dropping loudly to the ground as the other hung in two pieces from broken hinges. 

“Shoot it! Who cares if it gets hurt, just don’t kill it!” Someone yelled at the same time Jamie felt a bullet whiz through his hair, barely missing his scalp. 

Palace snarled but didn’t face their attackers. Instead, he ran from the building, his legs pumping hard as his heavy paws dug sharp claws into the asphalt of the back parking lot. 

Looking up hesitantly, Jamie realized that they were still in deep trouble. They had at least a ten second run before they hit any kind of cover and he could hear bullets just barely missing them from nearly all sides. 

Tighter, lion! 

Clenching his teeth, Jamie tightened his arms around Palace’s neck seconds before Palace jumped. His heavy body landed ungracefully on top of an SUV, his injured arm likely hindering his limited agility, leaving a decent dent as he used his momentum to leap up onto an eighteen-wheeler. 

What on Earth are you doing? Jamie yelled into Palace’s head at the same time his giant wolf’s wings unfurled and he leaped off of the top of the truck. 

Jamie jerked his head back down into Palace’s thick fur and held on tighter, waiting for the hard jar from hitting the ground from so high up. Except… it never came. Instead, he felt a strong gust of wind and the faint feeling of being lifted. Then the upward motion of Palace’s wings added to their speed before another downward thrust brought them just high enough to clear the trees that had previously been in their way. 

Are you actually…

How? When? He asked, dumbfounded that Palace could actually fly. His brother had said that he’d never been able to do it before, and after the neglect he’d suffered, his wings had barely had enough muscle to be held up correctly, let alone carry such a large amount of weight through the air. 

Unless he had been bluffing, to a point. 

He wanted answers immediately, his curiosity going crazy, but he realized that he would have to be patient and just bite his tongue when he felt Palace’s wolf smugly nudge at his conscious. 

You’re a brat, you know that, wolf? He told it. 

Palace chuckled into his mind in response, but when he said nothing and got no further reply from his wolf, Jamie settled in and switched his focus to safely staying on Palace’s back. He could figure things out later. For the moment, he was just glad that they were both safe and, hopefully, no one at the grocery store had gotten hurt who hadn’t deserved to.

Bare Your Teeth

(Say hello to my new dog… cause I don’t already have enough pets. Pulled her on her euthanasia day. Heartworm positive and very sick, but she’s already doing better after a few days of meds. Her name is Erma, after my late grandmother) 

Literal flying might have been a bit of an exaggeration for what Palace was able to accomplish on such short notice. They had, indeed, gotten above the ground in a wing-flapping manner, but had they stayed that way for very long? Definitely not. 

Jamie, especially, had found himself landing hard when Palace ungracefully snagged a branch with his front talons, halting their forward motion too abruptly for Jamie to be able to hold on. The drop from the large tree was thankfully cushioned by some sharp thorn bushes, followed by a finishing tumble onto a small area of overgrown, damp weeds. 

I told you to hold on, lion. Came Palace’s grumble in his mind as he looked up just in time to see the giant wolf glide nonchalantly to the forest floor a few feet away from him. 

Instead of replying right away, Jamie just groaned and flopped back on the tall grass, closing his eyes to try and stem the headache he felt right behind them. He could hear Palace approach after a few moments of listening to his panting. There was then was a bout sniffing, followed by a nudge against his head and a lick there. 

“The hell are you doing?” He complained, wincing slightly as an injury there made itself known with a flare of pain. 

Ah, right. I think I was grazed by a bullet right there. 

“I’m fine, Pal. It missed me, mostly.” He said, lifting one arm to run his fingers through Palace’s thick, dirty coat. 

When Palace didn’t stop bothering the painful spot, Jamie nudged him away, only to get a snarl in response and a snap of Palace’s jaws. 

“Don’t give me that. I know that you’re just worried, weather you’re good at showing it or not.” He said as he reached over and gently closed Palace’s jaw before tugging it slightly, getting him to move forward so that he could press a kiss on the fuzzy spot between his eyes. 

“You’re a good wolf, and I guess your other half isn’t bad when he doesn’t want to be, either.” He noted, earning a snort from the giant animal. 

“Thank you for the save, by the way.” Jamie said as he scratched behind one of Palace’s ears. “So, what do you say we head back for now and maybe just order delivery?” He said, laughing a little as he used Palace’s huge body to help get himself to his feet. 

He was still a bit shaken up, but at least he didn’t have any serious injuries. “I’m feeling Chinese for dinner.” He said as he started walking, brushing off dirt and a few thorny twigs from his clothing. 

Jamie continued walking for a few moments before realizing that Palace had stopped several yards back. Turning, he raised an eyebrow at the wolf, but it seemed distracted by something, because he didn’t get any kind of response with the eye contact. 

“What is it, Pal?” He asked as he looked around, trying to hear what was obviously distracting Palace. When he couldn’t he walked over and gently touched Palace’s coat. 

He was about to shift to see if he could pick up the sound better as a lion when he saw Palace jerk his head abruptly, slamming his skull into Jamie’s chest faster than he could even consider dodging. The hit blurred his vision instantly as he staggered, barely staying upright, and the second slam, this time against his head, knocked him out like a light. 

Wake up, bro. 

His head hurt like hell. 

No. He sent back through their connection. Jamie blacked out again, for how long, he wasn’t sure. When he finally came around again, he could smell barbecue being cooked somewhere, along with a few other foods that made his stomach growl loudly. 

I knew this would eventually get you back. What happened? Where’s Palace? 

He was missing? 

Blinking open his eyes, Jamie frowned at the darkness that greeted him. 

“You probably have a concussion. Something hit you seriously hard.” Jared said as he walked into the room, his footsteps easily audible, even through the throbbing pulse in Jamie’s ears. 

He stayed still for a few minutes and just focused on calming down and blinking away the darkness. When he could see somewhat better he sighed and moved his head side to side on the pillow it rested on. 

“I don’t know. He changed all of a sudden. We had just gotten away from the supermarket, where we were being shot at. I thought that we’d just head back here since we’d gotten away, but he suddenly paused, then ignored me when I tried to get his attention.” 

Jared sat down on the edge of the bed and pressed a cool cloth to Jamie’s forehead, making him close his eyes. 

“I walked back over to him to try and get him to tell me what was wrong, and that’s when he swung his head and hit me right in my ribs, hard. I stumbled back, having been too shocked to dodge. He then headbutted me, knocking me out as his head hit my forehead.” Jamie whispered just loud enough to be heard. 

Jared was deep in thought for a few moments, giving Jamie a chance to process what had really happened. He’d never expected Palace to just attack him like that again. He’d thought that they had managed to get past his sudden bursts of aggression, but apparently not. 

“I think there might be a reason for what he did, bro. He might have saved your life by knocking you on your ass.” Jared finally said, making Jamie push himself up with a wince as his head throbbed harder. 

Knight walked in at that moment, his face blurry as he approached. 

“My brother was trying to get a clear connection with me right before he lost his focus. He seemed panicked and worried about you.” He said, sounding upset. 

Can’t blame you. Your brother could have gotten hurt because of me. 

“You two were attacked, that much I could figure out. He got you away, but how far away?” He asked, making Jamie’s eyes widen suddenly in realization. 

They hadn’t flown for very long, at all. 

“Oh god.” He rasped as he tried to get up, only for Jared to push him back down. 

Knight turned toward the door, looking back over his shoulder for a moment at the threshold. “Don’t do anything stupid. My brother got himself caught to save your ass. You better not take that lightly.” 

He was gone a second later, leaving Jamie with a heavy weight in the pit of his stomach. 

“He’s going to go see if he can pinpoint where his brother was taken. We’ve already reported it to the police, but you can guess how useful they’ll be.” Jared said as he reached back over and rested his palm against Jamie’s left cheek. 

“Don’t take it too hard, bro. He made the decision, and there was nothing you could do about it.” He said, not really making Jamie feel any better. 

Jared got up after pinching Jamie’s cheek, inciting a frustrated growl from his lion. 

“I’ll bring up some food for you. You’re going to be useless to him if you don’t have your strength back, so eat.” He said before disappearing to head downstairs. 

Dammit, Pal. Why didn’t you just tell me we needed to run? He thought as he lifted his arm to settle over his eyes to keep the tears from running down his cheeks. 

He didn’t want to think about what was possibly happening to the poor guy. He’d already been through hell and back, he didn’t deserve to be mistreated again. 

As soon as his brother was back with the food he wiped his eyes and sat back up, stuffing his face with the delicious-smelling barbecue. He couldn’t taste any of it from the stress that was causing his hands to shake, but he refused to be useless. 

“Knight says that he feels like he’s getting closer to him and not further, so hopefully within the next hour we’ll at least know where he’s been taken.” Jared said, making Jamie’s heart fidget with uneasy happiness. 

“Just make sure that he doesn’t get hurt while looking, they had a lot of guns.” He said quietly before taking another bite from the rib he held. 

Jared paused for a minute, seemingly distracted, before he smiled and nodded. “I just told him. Don’t worry, bro.” He said as he reached over and pet his head like he was a puppy and not a ferocious lion. 

“We’ll get your wolf back.” 

Jamie blinked at that, pausing mid-bite of his rib. 

“He’s not mine…” He mumbled, only to get a quiet snort from his brother. 

“Yeah, right. The only thing that guy hasn’t done to show that you belong to him is pee on you, and I’m sure that that’s coming at some point.” He said before laughing outright, making Jamie growl as he tore into the remaining meat on the rib. 

He wanted to argue, but knew that it would be useless. Once his brother made up his mind on something, it was nearly impossible to change. 

“At least he’s a wolf… you have a chicken pining after you.” He said as he grabbed another rib and began eating quickly. 

The look on his brother’s face made it hard for him to not snicker. He probably would have gotten hit if he wasn’t already injured. 

“He’s not after me!” Jared growled, earning a raised eyebrow from Jamie. 

There was an awkward silence after that little outburst, followed by a strong blush on his brother’s cheeks. 

“Guess he thinks otherwise, hm?” Jamie said with a smirk. 

Jared clenched his jaw and threw a fork at him before turning and stomping out the room, slamming the door shut to the sound of Jamie’s light laughter. He was still terribly worried about Palace, but Knight and Jared were both right that he would be useless if he didn’t take care of himself and be patient. Their best bet was Knight at that moment, so he’d just do as told until Jared’s future lover returned with some, hopefully good, information.

Of a Feather

When Knight returned two hours later with his right arm and left leg dripping blood, Jared felt like his lion was going to break free and just start tearing up the house. 

“Aww, look at you being all angry kitten and such because I got a few scratches.” Knight joked as he stepped inside from the back patio door, wincing at the action before quickly hiding his frown. 

I’m going to angry kitten your face you cocky chicken. He thought, not bothering to withhold the words from going to Knight as he stomped forward and easily lifted the bastard into his arms. 

“Let go of me! I can walk by my damn self!” He screeched, his hawk side slipping through as he tried to squirm out of his grasp. 

Jared ignored him until they were in the bathroom and he was able to nudge the door shut with his foot. The second he set Knight down, the guy swung at him with a tight fist. 

A little predictable there, chicken. 

Jared ducked the blow easily, then blocked the next two before pulling the frustrating guy against his chest. It looked like a hug, but he was really just tired of dodging and wanted to get him to calm down some. 

“Can I get a status report on your brother before you try, and fail, to knock me out for being the slightest bit worried about your bullet wounds?” He asked, raising both of his eyebrows at the still-struggling shifter in his arms. 

He knew that Knight’s attitude wasn’t completely his fault. The stress from Palace’s situation was likely a decent part of the cause, and he had no doubt that the brothers shared a strong bond, so he might even be feeling whatever Palace was at that moment on top of his own stress.

“I know you’re worried, but you need to calm down so we can figure out what we’re going to do about this situation.” 

Knight shook his head rapidly and shoved Jared hard, sending him stumbling back against the door. He brought his arms up to block any oncoming attack, but to his surprise, Knight took a step back and grabbed fistfuls of his messy hair. 

“He doesn’t want us to come!” He rasped, his words breaking from the stress in his voice. 

Jared wanted to think that Palace’s words made no sense, but if he thought about it from his point of view, and if things were that bad… He stepped forward when he noticed strands of hair gathering in Knight’s hands that were no longer attached to his head. 

“Hey, we’ll figure this out. We won’t leave your brother where he is.” He said reassuringly as he reached forward, gently working one of Knight’s hands free. A good amount of his soft hair drifted to the floor at their feet. 

He pursed his lips and grasped the hand he’d taken, which was digging its nails into his palm, then lifted his free one to remove the other before Knight could do more damage to himself. 

“Knight, I need you to calm down.” He said at the same time he thought soothing messages to him. 

His hair was beginning to stand on end, bringing Jared to release one of his hands to lift his own. He gently ran his fingers through the stiffening strands, coaxing them back down. Once he felt Knight’s other hand relax, he released it and moved his hand to the small of his back, rubbing there in soothing circles. 

“That’s it. Deep breaths. We’ll fix this situation, but we need to have clear heads.” He said quietly, finally feeling Knight’s mind allow him in. It was hectic and confusing, but Jared closed his eyes and settled his forehead against Knight’s and just focused on projecting his own calmness to him. 

It took them a few minutes before Knight gently nudged Jared back and took a deep breath. His hair was mostly back down and his eyes didn’t look nearly as wild. 

“Has my chicken come back to me?” Jared asked with a hopeful grin on his lips. 

When Knight just scowled at him, he leaned forward, intending to kiss him, but instead received a stinging bite to his bottom lip before he was shoved away as Knight turned to the sink and began washing his injured arm. 

Definitely back to normal. Jared thought as he licked the blood from his lip, then leaned over Knight’s shoulder and reached around him to grasp his injured arm. He fought and growled, but Jared just ignored him as he grabbed a clean washcloth and added some soap. 

“You can bite me again after I’m done, but let me help you for now.” He warned, his lion pacing in his mind, eager to make sure that its frustrating chicken was going to be alright. 

Not yours. He reminded it, earning an angry roar in response that had him wincing slightly as he washed the graze on Knight’s right arm. When he was finished, he got a new cloth soapy and slowly knelt down, grabbing Knight’s leg before he could pull it away.

Ignoring the man’s futile struggles, Jared shifted a little so that he could see the damage better. “This one actually hit.” He mumbled to himself as he began to carefully rub the clean cloth around the hole. 

Knight didn’t even flinch, but he couldn’t fool him. Jared could feel his pain through their bond and did his best to be careful, but he needed to clean the wound and, hopefully, get the bullet out before it caused any more damage. 

“You’re a tough little pheasant,” he said as he reached up with his free hand after setting the cloth aside and fished out a pair of large tweezers.

I thought I was a chicken. Knight thought to him as he finally seemed to give up trying to get away and just leaned forward against the sink counter to stay steady. 

“You didn’t seem to like being called that, so I thought maybe pheasant would be better? People seem to enjoy shooting at them, so…” Jared said as he began carefully poking around the hole in Knight’s leg, trying to find the bullet. 

He felt him tense with each touch, but did his best to not be deterred. It had to come out, and he knew that Knight would refuse to go to a hospital to get it done. 

“Chickens are much more aggressive… I prefer a chicken, if I had to pick between the two.” He grumbled, drawing one of Jared’s eyebrows up as he replied. “Aggressive?” 

Knight snorted a gruff laugh. “Don’t you know the term henpecked?”  

Jared shook his head, his focus on the little piece of metal he felt the tweezers tapping against. 

“I found it. Just cuss me out really loudly for a few seconds and I should have it out.” He said, not waiting for Knight to tense anymore as he dug the tweezers into the damaged muscle. 

Jared found out just how colorful Knight’s vocabulary was in the forty seconds that followed before he managed to get a good enough grip on the bullet and pull it out. He tossed it into the trashcan and threw the tweezers in the sink, then grabbed a third cloth. Before cleaning the injury, though, he guided Knight to the closed toilet seat and had him sit. He only hadn’t done that before because he was worried that he would have kicked him right in the face. 

“I would have.” Knight replied, clearly having intercepted the direction his thoughts were going. 

Would. He thought with a grin, earning a huff from Knight as he finished cleaning up the small wound. The stitches he completed a few minutes later from a kit they also kept in the bathroom due to the spats he sometimes got into with his brother weren’t the cleanest, but they’d do decently enough. 

Jared sat back on his heels after throwing out the dirty gauze from the kit he’d used to wipe the wound one last time. “Not too bad, if I do say so myself.” He stated as he looked up at Knight’s pale face with a cautious smile. 

The guy wasn’t smiling, but he didn’t look angry any longer. 

“You okay, Knight?” He asked as he reached up, carefully pulling him down into his arms. 

“You’re a tough chicken.” He said as he rubbed his back soothingly, only to feel teeth sink a little into his right arm, just beneath where the sleeve of his T-shirt ended. 

It wasn’t much of a bite after his previous ones, and when he felt moisture drop onto his skin a few moments later, followed by the sound of sniffling, he knew that things would work out. 

Is everything okay, bro? Jamie asked through their bond. 

Jared leaned his head down against Knight’s and sighed. 

Yeah. Knight came back injured. I got the bullet out of his leg but he’s more torn up about Palace having told him not to come help him. 

Jamie took a minute to process that information before he replied. 

I can sense him a little bit. 

That was news to Jared. He’d thought that they were too far away from Palace for Jamie’s connection to work. 

He’s stressed and definitely not happy, but he’s not desperate, yet. I think he might have a plan of his own and that’s why he told Knight to stay back for right now. 

Jared didn’t like the idea of Palace trying to take on whatever he’d gotten into by himself. 

Are you sure? He asked as Knight released him from his bite and lifted his arms, wrapping him in a tight hug as he buried his face in the crook of his neck. 

I don’t want to be, but yes. I think we should just wait. He’s not defenseless, and he’s not afraid anymore…

Jared still wasn’t a fan, because there was a big different between not being stupid and not being afraid. He had faith in Palace, when the shifter had a clear head, though. 

I hope you’re right. I’m going to try and keep Knight still for as long as possible so that his injuries can start healing, but if you sense any changes from Palace, come get us right away. Jared thought to him as he carefully lifted Knight and headed for the couch, covering him in one of the throw blankets there as he reluctantly laid down. 

They would wait for now, but the second they were needed, they wouldn’t hesitate to go. If Knight wasn’t healed up enough at that time… 

I’ll need to find some rope.

What’s to Come

“Should we take the collar off? The guy said that it could cause problems.” An unknown voice said in a hushed tone. 

There was no breeze and the hard floor against the side of his wolf’s head told him that he was lying on some type of hard flooring in an enclosed area. He could feel rough rope holding his paws together, though it wasn’t as tight as it needed to be. 

Those must have been his men. Of course he was able to post bail and find me again. 

Palace knew that he’d been sold again at that moment, but it didn’t bother him as badly as it had before. His wolf, however, was eager for bloodshed and paced quickly around his mind, just waiting for a stressful trigger to allow it full control. 

Not this time. We need to get out of here, not just kill people. He told it. His wolf scoffed, but when he sighed and let an image of Jamie, unconscious on the forest floor before they’d left to confront the people encroaching on them too quickly, flash in his mind, its aggression wavered. 

Help me help us get back to him. We need to be calm.

His wolf didn’t like the word calm , but the picture of Jamie kept cycling behind Palace’s eyes before it changed to other images the wolf had stored in its memory. The young man’s smile, specifically, kept coming up in several different thoughts. 

If you want to see him again, let’s do this together. He told it as he finally allowed his eyes to slowly open and survey their current situation. 

“It’s finally awake.” The voice from before said as the man’s image began to come together. 

I hate when they shine lights on me. 

It made it hard to see clearly, which was probably the point. 

“The boss said to just check him over and wait till he gets back. That means we leave the collar on and not mess with him.” Another voice, belonging to someone who wasn’t in his line of sight, said. 

Damn, there’s a smart one here? 

“I’m curious if it’s really true. He paid more than I make in three years for him. I’ve heard of cross shifters, but what are the chances? There are no records that he was a proven breeder, so I don’t get why he bought him.” 

The person in front of him stepped closer, revealing the rest of his blurry form. He was an older man, likely somewhere in his late fifties. When he knelt down in front of him, Palace lifted his upper lip and growled. Normally such a display would have someone backing away, but the man just chuckled and reached forward, petting his thick coat as if he were a dog. 

“Don’t bother grumbling. You can’t even lift a paw you’ve been pumped with so much sedative your former master gave us for you.” The man said as he continued to run his fingers through his fur. 

Palace focused hard to keep his wolf from tearing him apart. Even with his paws tied he could kill him due to his proximity, but that would give himself away and that could end badly if the other person he couldn’t see happened to be armed. Thankfully, he had been smart and just sat down when the group had caught him in the forest, so he didn’t have any bullet wounds, but he did still feel a little groggy. 

His wolf snorted in his mind, making Palace growl quietly. He could still easily kill the two if he could see the second person, then get out of wherever he was being held. 

“I think he’s mad at us, but he doesn’t know how good he’s going to have it if he starts pumping out babies. Our boss would be ecstatic and spoil the hell out of you. You’d have your own room.” The man started listing, though Palace couldn’t help but think differently. 

I didn’t mind sharing Jamie’s room. 

“You’ll have whatever you want to eat.” 

I like to hunt. I can take Jamie with me sometime since Knight always complains. 

“Doesn’t that sound better than what you had before? You clearly need to gain more weight and I’d bet that you got parasites living in that shitty place.” The second guy said as he finally stepped into Palace’s line of sight. 

No visible weapon. He noted right away as he focused on calming his excited wolf. It just wanted to get back home, but they had to be careful. 

Doing his best to appear drugged more than he was, having gained an immunity long ago, Palace sloppily tried to get his tied feet beneath him while panting a little, but didn’t even come closer before he thumped back down to the concrete floor. 

“That guy gave us some good stuff.” The younger man said as he reached forward, attempting to pet Palace a little closer to his face. 

He’d wanted to wait a little longer in order to possibly hear some information or even chance one of them leaving, but his wolf refused to ignore the opportunity that was presenting itself. 

Faster than either man could react, Palace whipped his head to the side and snagged both of their arms in between his vice-like jaws. The pain of their bones breaking dropped them both to their knees as they screamed, but he wasn’t done. His wolf slipped into control just long enough to make him to hop to his feet and then shake his head harshly back and forth. 

The arms in his mouth snapped repeatedly, pulling out of their sockets before he jerked his head left and slammed both men into the wall with little effort. One fell unconscious right away, but the other was left cussing and wheezing from pain, crumpled on the floor. 

Not wasting time, Palace tore into the ropes, easily removing them in seconds. The moment he was up on his four paws, he surveyed his surroundings, immediately realizing how stupid people could be. They had him in a large enclosure that had electric wire encompassing the area as high as a normal wolf would have been able to jump. 

Thankfully, he wasn’t drugged nearly enough, and after crouching carefully and swishing his tail back and forth twice, Palace easily made the jump over the electric wire and land with only a slight stumble on the carpeted floor beyond the railing. 

The strong scent of cigarettes wafted into his nose from the old carpet beneath his paws, making it wrinkle in distaste as he began stalking along the large viewing area. It took a while to find an exit that he could force open, so it was no surprise when he found himself staring at three men on the other side, all with guns leveled at his head. 

“Back it up, or you’re going to need some serious stitches, if you survive.” One of the too-bulky men said. 

The guy looked like he would be intimidating to most humans, but Palace’s wolf found him quite hilarious. Without hesitating, he lunged forward, feeling a bullet slip into his previously-injured front leg right before his jaws tore out the man’s throat. His body hadn’t even hit the ground when Palace took down the second man, his razor sharp talons slicing him apart with little effort. 

By the time he had finished with the first two, he could smell the undeniable stench of urine coming from the third man. Palace turned to see him shaking on the ground a few feet away, his pupils dilated enough to block out any white color. 

His wolf was urging him to kill the man, too, but he managed to reign it in with a few quick images of the lion it wanted to get back to. He hurried through the dimly lit hall after swatting the gun away from the human, flexing his wings a few times before slamming, headfirst, into the double exit doors. 

The hit jarred him slightly, but as one of the doors swung open and the other flew right off its hinges, Palace gave his head a hard shake and lifted his eyes to scan the area. He knew before he’d even looked that he was outside because of the soft breeze that was now rustling his thick fur and the scent of rain on the wind. 

He’d expected to find more resistance… what he hadn’t expected was to see two large lions sitting back by a familiar car that now had a few bullet holes in it, and several bodies scattered around them. 

Bullets. 

Unable to stop himself, Palace let his wolf’s frantic thoughts bring him running up to the two. They were identical when shifted, but he went straight to Jamie without any hesitation and immediately began sniffing and licking at a few bloody spots. 

I’m fine. We just wanted to take care of things out here for you. 

Jamie could clearly sense the rage Palace suddenly had for him due to his words, because his lion immediately dropped to the parking lot pavement and rolled over onto its side. Jared stepped away a few feet, but lifted his lip in a warning that Palace completely disregarded. 

I can take care of myself! Palace roared back inside Jamie head at the same time his wolf snarled loudly, making the lion before him flinch. 

Of course you can. Jamie replied before slowly rolling over onto his belly. 

But I don’t want you to have to always do that. I can help you, too. He said, only to fidget when Palace loomed closer, his large teeth bared and hackles raised to pinpoints. 

Instead of shrinking back, Jamie’s lion licked its lips, then withdrew, leaving its human form kneeling before him. Confused by the sudden change, Palace hesitated in his reaction, only to feel Jamie’s gentle hands reach up and softly hold either side of his large jaw. He then leaned up, pressing a light kiss to the tip of his nose before leaning back enough to speak. 

“I’m sorry we came without telling you, but I needed to do something. I understand that you’re mad, but this isn’t the time or place. Let’s go home, please, Pal?” 

He wanted to continue growling at him. To dominate him until he would never dare think about doing such a stupid thing again, but Palace was dumbfounded when, of all things, his wolf gave a quiet, worried whine and leaned forward, bumping Jamie’s chin with his muzzle before walking toward the front of the car. He knew that he wouldn’t fit, and he was far too excited to be able to shift. 

You’ll run nearby? Jamie asked as he got up and headed for the car, grabbing some clothing to change into that they regularly left in the back just to appear decent in public if they had to shift previously. 

When Palace nodded, Jamie gave him a smile that made his wolf hold in his head like a whipped pup. He wanted to berate it for its response, but he couldn’t find it in himself as he watched the two brothers finally get situated in the car and start driving. 

He followed them for a short while, since the driveway from the facility he’d just exited was surrounded by mainly forest, but when they got back toward city roads, he ducked into the sparse wooded areas that littered the residential areas and carefully made his way toward home. 

Palace took the time alone to think, and knew that he’d have to find, and likely kill, the man who continuously came after him. It would be tricky, since he did actually want to stay around the problematic lion, but there had to be a way to do it and not get in trouble with the law… or at least not get caught. 

We’ll go with the not get caught plan. He told his wolf, who gave an eager grumble in his mind that was evidently loud enough to draw Jamie’s attention. 

Are you okay, Pal? 

Instead of sharing his plan, Palace snorted and replied with as much frustration as he could muster through their bond. 

You better be ready when I get home. 

The stretch of awkward silence that followed his statement had him snorting again and flicking his tail twice in humor. He’d be home soon, and he really did hope that Jamie was ready to deal with him, because he couldn’t remember the last time he’d been so angry…

Why Not

“There’s a storm coming, bro. You might want to hide.” Jared said, making Jamie fidget as he started tugging his bloody shirt over his head. 

He’d gotten grazed a few times, but the stab wound on his shoulder was definitely the most painful injury he’d managed to get. It thankfully wasn’t too deep, but just the idea of Palace grabbing him there, on purpose or by accident, made his stomach churn uneasily. 

Maybe I should go hide somewhere. He thought at the same time he heard the sliding door to the backyard slam open, likely hitting the opposite wall hard enough to jerk it off its tracks. 

Palace needed less than a second to zero in on where Jamie stood near the entrance to the kitchen, his shirt clutched in his slightly shaking hands as he began to quickly back up into the room. Before he knew it his waist was pressed against the edge of the counter and Palace was in his face, teeth bared and eyes already dilated. His wolf was just barely restrained. 

“Palace, I’m okay. It’s nothing that won’t heal after a few days of rest.” He stuttered, keeping his eyes down so that he didn’t infuriate the wolf even further. 

I told Knight to tell you all not to come! Did he not give that message to you? He growled in his mind, making Jamie purse his lips nervously. 

“He did.” He whispered, eliciting an audible growl from Palace, who was now gripping the counter tightly on either side of him. 

Instead of cowering more, Jamie let his own animal rise enough to let a growl slip from his own lips. He knew that Palace could easily kill him, lion or not, but he also knew that beneath all of the bravado and aggressive was a decent person. And a decent wolf. 

The response he gave made Palace pause, the blacks of his eyes receding slightly as he tried to figure out the turn in the situation. Jamie could feel his wolf pacing frantically at the edge of his mind and reached out to it. He wasn’t surprised when it lashed out, but he refused to let it continue circling, because it was only spurring Palace on. 

Calm down. I’m sorry I didn’t listen, but I needed to make sure that you would be alright. He told it, earning another grumble from it as it continued to march around his thoughts. 

Please try to relax a little, Palace is hurt, too, and I won’t be able to help either of us if you push him too much. It didn’t seem like it wanted to listen, but when Jamie reached up and took Palace’s face in his hands, the wolf halted abruptly. 

“Please, just calm down a little.” He said before leaning in and pressing a soft kiss to Palace’s lips, then leaning back after a few seconds. 

The look on Palace’s face actually drew a small smile to Jamie’s. The poor guy looked like he couldn’t process what had happened after being so angry. Not wanting to waste the opportunity, Jamie began to carefully slip out from where Palace was practically pinning him against the kitchen counter, but when he nudged at his right arm, hoping that he’d just let him go, Palace strengthened his grip until Jamie was left scowling up at him. 

His frustration was wiped away in a heartbeat, however, when Palace leaned over and covered his down-turned lips with his own rough ones. Jamie was just considering opening his mouth to Palace’s persistently prodding tongue when there was suddenly a much larger tongue slobbering across his face. 

“Hello to you, too.” He said as he reached up and swiped his arm across his face, only succeeding in smearing the saliva more.

“Thanks for that.” He told Palace’s wolf as he watched the overly-excited monstrosity hop around ecstatically, flapping its wings to get a little higher off the ground, while at the same time off-balancing himself without really thinking. 

Shaking his head, Jamie carefully caught the wolf’s shoulders on one of its awkward jumps and held him gently after he stumbled back to all fours. “You’re going to make your injury worse, bud. I’m glad to see you, too, but we need to get your arm treated, as well as mine.” He said, drawing the wolf’s attention down to its reinjured arm. 

It didn’t seem too concerned, but thankfully it followed him out of the kitchen when he moved anyway, and toward the bathroom. 

“Uh, wait a minute. You aren’t going to fit in here.” He said, more to himself than to the wolf panting hot breath against his lower back. 

“Outside then.” He said as he walked into the bathroom and grabbed a few towels, some soap, and the first aid kit, then headed toward the door leading to the backyard that Jared was currently trying to fix. 

Palace romped ahead of him, running around in the enclosed space for a few moments before dropping to his back and rolling around. 

“Yeah, sure. Get all dirty right before I’m going to clean you. I swear, wherever they kept you was filthy.” Jamie said, getting a snort from Palace as he replied in his mind. 

They just wanted to make me look filthy to sell me better. Guilt always helps. 

“I suppose that makes sense. Well, are you satisfied with your dirty self now? May I scrub you clean, then tend to your injury?” Jamie asked as he quickly washed his own wound using the hose fastened against the side of the house, then stitched it up with a decent bit of effort.

By the time he’d added a bandage to keep the area extra clean, Palace was nudging at his face with a dirty nose. 

“Ready then?” He said as he began to lift the hose toward Palace’s fur.

The wolf panted quietly as Jamie began soaking his body with the cool water. When it was finally completely soaked, he turned and grabbed the shampoo, lathering a good amount in his hands, then turned back around. 

Oh. 

Where his wolf had been just seconds before, now there was a very dirty, very naked, Palace. 

“I… I suppose you can do it… yourself now.” He whispered awkwardly, his voice catching a few times. 

He began retracting his soapy hands, but when Palace’s gripped his wrists tightly, Jamie’s eyes widened. 

“Finish what you started, little lion.” Palace rasped, his eyes narrowing before he slowly released Jamie’s wrists. 

Swallowing down his building nerves, Jamie hesitantly reached forward and began rubbing his hands along Palace’s arms. He had no doubt that a blush was coloring his face after mere seconds, but he refused to focus on it and instead put  his effort into making every speck of dirt on Palace disappear, being especially careful to clean his injured arm. 

He intentionally skirted around private areas, but thoroughly cleaned every other inch until Palace’s strong hands gently grasped his own, then slowly guided them down between his legs where his length was standing at perfect attention. 

“Finish.” He mumbled as he leaned forward, groaning quietly when Jamie’s fingers finally grasped him and began awkwardly cleaning the area. 

The gruff grunts and panting that rose in volume from Palace made Jamie’s face burn even hotter. It didn’t help that he could feel his excitement through their bond, making his own breathing harsh as he worked. 

He got nearly to the point where they both couldn’t handle it any longer before sliding his hands along Palace’s waist toward his backside, the last thing he had yet to clean. 

Jamie’s fingers were just about to their target when Palace snarled loudly and lunged forward, pinning Jamie down in the thick grass. Before he could even gasp from surprise, Palace’s mouth was on his, hungrily taking what he wanted as he worked his body against Jamie’s. 

He wasn’t shocked that Palace was extremely rough with his mouth and his hips when he got excited. Thankfully, his own pants were still on, but Jamie could definitely feel Palace’s effort through them and squirmed quite a few times as their breathing grew ragged together. He knew that he shouldn’t be doing what he was doing, but it didn’t feel so wrong at that moment.

He actually started enjoying the attention as things got more heated, perhaps a bit too much. He felt Palace nearly at his peak through their bond, and without really thinking, slid one of his hands down along their wet bodies to tug at his sweatpants. He expected Palace to be all for the gift, but just before he could get them down far enough to allow him entrance, Palace snagged his hand in a painfully tight grip and forced it into the grass right above Jamie’s head. 

No! 

The sheer force of the thought, and that Palace had actually chosen not to accept what he’d offered, baffled Jamie, but when Palace’s free hand suddenly slid beneath the waistband of his sweatpants and jerked on his stiff length aggressively, every other thought besides what his body wanted disappeared from his mind completely. 

They both released together, moaning into each other’s mouths before Palace finally relaxed down onto his body, their breath mingling as they panted hard. 

“Well… fuck. That sure wasn’t something my specialized raptor eyes needed to see in such detail.” Knight said in a distraught, sarcastic voice as he turned from where he stood by the door and headed back inside. 

A few seconds later, he yelled from somewhere in the house. 

“Hey Jared, where the hell did you go hide? Let’s do it, too!”

Back and Forth

(The new rescue dog is enjoying beating up my aussie. I am cheering her on, my aussie’s a bish. Snowman is refereeing and ignoring all fouls. He understands.) 

The loud screeching had Jared’s fuzzy ears flicking repeatedly as his large lion stomped down the stairs, Knight’s struggling hawk flapping away awkwardly between his white teeth. When he stopped on the first floor, tail swishing slowly from side to side, his attention rose to his brother and Palace. 

They stood just inside the living room by the back door. The smell on them made his nose wrinkle, but of course, he’d known what they were doing. Unfortunately, their bond was that strong. 

Another screech made his jaws tighten on the thrashing hawk in his mouth as he winced from the sound. 

“That is your own fault. Know what battles you can win, brother.” Palace stated simply as he walked past them to head up the stairs. Jamie’s face was bright red as he followed after Palace, not saying a word as they both disappeared. 

Let me go you bastard, I’m injured! Knight yelled for the millionth time into his mind, making Jared’s lion roll its eyes. 

You still haven’t apologized, and clearly you heal way too quickly. Jared said as he lied down on the carpet by the television that was on, but muted. It showed the old Tom and Jerry cartoon, and of course, the mouse was winning whatever spat they had managed to get themselves into. 

That’s how it should be! Knight growled in his mind, flapping his right wing fruitlessly. 

Jared flared his nostrils and sighed, settling his large head on his paws to relax and watch the show. He had, indeed, been hiding in the closet when Knight had run upstairs to try and find him. He’d also gotten a good amount of images of things the perverted chicken wanted to do to him ahead of time, so when he swung the closet door open and leaped at him? 

Ow! Dammit! Stop chewing on me! 

He didn’t taste that great, anyways, but it was a habit for his lion when it had something in its mouth. He rarely ate as a cat. 

You don’t taste good. He stated before finally standing up and spitting Knight out. His hawk fumbled to the floor, his feathers soaked in saliva as he staggered about for a few moments, then regained his balance. 

He tried to leap up and snap at his lion’s nose, but Jared just jerked his head back and swatted at the annoying turd-brown chicken with a heavy paw, sending it somersaulting into the sofa to land upside down. 

Knight shifted in that position, then slumped over to the side with a grunt. 

“That’s not how you treat your beloved.” He mumbled as he rolled onto his belly, glaring up at him. 

You were going to defile me against my will if I hadn’t shifted. I believe the treatment I gave you was perfectly warranted. He stated simply as he got up and sauntered toward the bathroom. He desperately needed to brush his teeth. 

He shifted mid-step into the restroom, but the second he felt fingertips brush against his back he spun around and let his lion return with a roar that had Knight stumbling backward, hands in the air in defense. 

“Okay, okay. I got it. No touchy the angry kitty.” Knight grumbled, scowling until Jared turned back around and returned to his human form. 

His back still ached as he moved, but he pushed aside the pain and grabbed his toothbrush from beside the sink. 

“You’re really going to brush your teeth after tasting my awesome self? You didn’t even get the good part…” Knight whined, making Jared pretend to gag before putting a healthy bit of toothpaste on the end of the brush and shoving it into his mouth. 

He finished a few minutes later, content with the slight ache in his mouth from how hard he’d scrubbed. Instead of getting a chance to clean the brush off after he’d rinsed his mouth, Knight snatched it from his fingers and shoved it between his own teeth. 

Jared made a face, his frustration growing slightly at the fact that he’d need to get a new toothbrush. 

As Knight brushed away, glaring at the mirror, Jared decided to just rinse off in the shower… or at least wash all of the drool from his face. 

He set the spray to scald his skin and stepped in, relaxing almost immediately as his body warmed up fast. Closing his eyes, he rubbed the hot water over his face several times, then took a step back and shook his head, sending water droplets from his hair raining down around him. 

After wiping at his eyes a few times, he allowed them to open… and wasn’t surprised to see a small hawk staring up at him by his feet. 

“Get out of the shower, Knight. I’m not in the mood to deal with you right now.” He said, his lion’s growl making his words reverberate as he spoke. 

Instead of complying, Knight turned his head and began sifting his sharp beak through his matted feathers. It would work, eventually… but long after the hot water ran cold and he got a good cramp in his neck. 

Jared did his best to ignore the idiot and washed his body and face, then rinsed, but as he was about to step out of the shower, he glanced down again. 

Knight was so focused on his task that he didn’t even seem to notice him any longer. It also looked like he wasn’t getting very far, even standing beneath the water. 

Stupid chicken. 

Even though he thought that, Jared tugged the curtain closed again and slowly got himself situated on the floor of the shower, his back a few inches from the porcelain. 

“Come here.” He said without an ounce of enthusiasm as he spread his legs and grabbed the bottle of soap on the corner ledge behind his left shoulder. 

When he returned his attention to Knight, he was stubbornly glaring at him as the water rained down on his soggy feathered body. 

“Stop being hard to deal with. I drooled on you enough to fill a bucket, now come here so that I can scrub it out of your feathers, or shift and do it yourself.” Jared chastised. 

They held each others’ gazes for several moments before Knight’s hawk hobbled awkwardly forward, using its soaked wings to try and balance. 

“You are absolutely pathetic right now.” He mused as he reached forward and picked the bird up, depositing it closer so that he could cross his legs enough to lean forward and begin scrubbing soap into its feathers. 

He wasn’t exactly gentle, but Knight didn’t seem to mind after an initial peck or two. While he wouldn’t say it out loud, he had definitely drooled a bit excessively while carrying the problematic pigeon. 

Not exactly my fault, though. I saved myself from not being able to sit down for a few days. 

Staring down at the soapy bird, Jared moved his right hand beneath the water to rinse the suds off, then moved his clean thumb just beneath Knight’s left eye, removing the soap that had forced him to close it. 

Before he had even gotten the chance to move his hand completely, Knight’s hawk was gone, replaced by a very naked man that was staring up at him with wide, bright eyes. 

“Don’t look at me like that.” He mumbled as he reached back up, mussing up his soapy hair before nudging him back beneath the spray of warm water, forcing him to close his eyes or get soap in them. 

He expected Knight to curse at him as he hastily scrubbed the suds out of his hair, but he just grumbled a little until there was no more soap, then scooted forward and wiped the water from his eyes. 

The scowl he got as soon as Knight was able to glare up at him was almost cute… In a hostile sort of way. 

“Turn around.” Knight said as he repositioned himself, getting a little more comfortable in the small tub. They fit, but Knight’s back was still getting hit with water, even with the showerhead pushed down as far as it could go. It also helped that he wasn’t nearly as big as Jared. 

Raising an eyebrow, Jared slowly shook his head, a knowing smirk on his lips. 

“No thanks. I prefer not to participate in any idea you might have for me right now. Perhaps later, my little chicken.” He said as he leaned back slightly, but not enough to press his damaged back against the cold porcelain. 

Knight’s damp hair rustled, but couldn’t raise with the added weight of the water pressing it down. 

“I won’t invade your butthole… yet. Just let me see your back, you stubborn pussy.” 

Jared’s lion growled through his mouth, but when Knight just returned it with a sarcastic “rawr,”  of his own, flicking one of his hands like a cat paw in the air, Jared sighed. 

“If I feel a single finger touch beneath my waist…” He warned as he carefully got himself turned around in the tight space. 

The moment he was settled he felt Knight’s fingers gently press against the scarring skin of his back. 

“You really aren’t very smart, doing this to yourself.” He said as he traced a line that lead up toward his left shoulder-blade. 

Instead of speaking, Jared just let out another deep growl. 

“Yeah, yeah. It’s all my fault that you decided to destroy your back by scrambling under a car.” 

Glaring over his shoulder, Jared was about to tell Knight to go to hell, but when he started opening his mouth, a pair of lips sealed it. 

It wasn’t but a few seconds before Knight leaned his head back slightly and grinned. “Just a little peck for the king of the nursing home.” 

The hell did he hear me think that earlier? 

“You think very loudly, my little kitten.” Knight taunted as he nipped at his ear, then tugged a bit too hard, making him wince. “Don’t worry, I’ll be your wheelchair. You can ride on me.” 

Scoffing, Jared stood up abruptly, making Knight nearly fall onto his back as he turned to stare down at the frustrating guy. 

“My head’s up  here.” He muttered blandly before Knight’s eyes lifted from his privates, his lips curved into a mischievous smirk. 

“I like your lower one, too.” 

Jared stepped out of the shower right away, leaving Knight to turn it off as he wiped the water from his body quickly, then wrapped the towel around his waist. 

“Why don’t you clean that mouth of yours again while you’re in there?” He said as he headed out of the bathroom and up toward his bedroom, intent on changing and resting a bit more. 

He was nearly to the top of the stairs when he heard Knight hurrying up them, hopping a few times due to his injured left leg. Jared slowed slightly as he reached the second floor, expecting the idiot to snatch his towel, at least. So, when he felt a weight settle on top of his head, and talons scratch against his scalp, he blew out a frustrated breath. 

“I am not a perch. Get off, chicken. Clearly, you can walk by yourself.” He grumbled as he stepped into his room, standing straighter to try and knock Knight off on the door frame. 

Of course, he ducked just low enough to stay up, and dig one of his talons in hard enough to make Jared grunt and shake his head abruptly to shake him off. 

Knight fumbled down to the floor, hopping a few times and flapping his wings to regain his balance. 

“Behave yourself for five damn minutes.” Jared said with a sigh as he pulled off his towel and tugged on a pair of boxers, then sat down on his bed with a yawn. 

When he opened his eyes back up, Knight was kneeling before him, licking his lips like he was going to be eating something delicious soon. 

“No.” He stated before pulling a blanket over himself as he moved onto his stomach. 

He could feel Knight’s frustration in his mind, but after a few tense moments it seemed to calm down a good bit. Another ten or fifteen minutes later, right before he slipped off into a light sleep, Jared felt something warm press up against his side. He considered shoving Knight away, but even as he felt the young man’s head settle on his pillow, depressing it slightly, he couldn’t find it in himself. 

I’m behaving. Finish resting, stupid cat. 

Jared din’t trust him, but also didn’t argue. Knight was, surprisingly, behaving, so he’d leave him be… until he decided to try something. He’d bet it wouldn’t take longer than two hours before he had a good reason to throw him out of his room. 

A two hour nap it is, then.

A New Type of Cross

(This wasn’t exactly how I planned things, but it never really goes the way I want anyway lol Palace refused to have a different story) 

The smell of cooking food wafting into his room had Jamie’s eyes blinking open slowly. What he saw when the sleep cleared from his vision made his heart thump a little harder in his chest. 

Palace’s mane of shaggy black hair lay spread out against his pillow as he lay on his side. His hands rested one over the other pressed up against Jamie’s chest.

You sleep just like a little kid when you’re tired. He thought as he reached up, gently sifting a few of his fingers through Palace’s messy hair. 

Each breath the man took ended with a little growl. It was absolutely adorable. 

I bet you were the sweetest kid, even with your big fluffy other self. 

Jamie snapped out of his thoughts when Palace stretched his arms above his head, lifting his chest slightly on a huge yawn. When he settled again, his arms immediately went around him, pulling him against his chest tightly so that he could nuzzle and sniff around in his messy bedhead. 

Grumbling, Jamie squirmed, but couldn’t even come close to breaking out of Palace’s hold. 

“What are you doing you sleepy dog?” He asked as he tilted his head up to try and remove Palace’s nose from his hair. The action only succeeded in turning the man’s attention to his mouth, which was promptly taken over by a forceful kiss. 

He winced when Palace began using his teeth, making Jamie nudge at his chest a little to try and stop him before there was blood. His mind was clearly linked with his, and he could easily tell that it wasn’t all Palace causing the aggression. His wolf was definitely having a say in it, too. 

I don’t mind showing you affection, but I don’t want to get hurt doing it. Please be careful with your teeth. He thought to both of them, hoping that his simple request would be accepted. 

They didn’t seem to hear him right away, but after a few moments, and only a couple more nibbles, Palace relented. Instead of biting, he rolled over on top of him, resting his arms on either side of Jamie’s head as he deepened the kiss to the point of nearly making him choke. 

Having fun suffocating, bro? 

Sending back a none-too pleasant word to his brother’s mind, Jamie tried to nudge Palace off of him, but the guy was insistent. It didn’t help that Palace was moving against him every few seconds, making both of them uncomfortably hard. He wouldn’t really mind trying to have sex with Palace, but he could sense in his mind that the guy wouldn’t even consider it. 

Why are you holding back so much when being intimate? 

Of course, he knew why , but he wanted to know the whole story. He knew that Palace had been abused over the years he’d been captive, and didn’t want to think about how many people might have tried, and how many had possibly succeeded, in forcing him to do things, but he was finally free and clearly wanting such a thing. His body was practically going through the motions already, just like it had when they were outside earlier, but he refused to even consider going all the way. 

Jamie was normally shy when meeting a new potential boyfriend for several reasons. The main one was the fact that his brother hated the idea of a male around him in a dominant role. Jared wasn’t gay, and it took him a very long time to come to terms with the fact that his twin brother was. 

When the first boyfriend came along when they were in their last year of high school, Jared had nearly castrated the guy for trying to top. The memory seemed to have leaked over to Palace’s thoughts, because he stopped suddenly, a puzzled look on his face as he leaned back and tilted his head to the side, narrowing his eyes on Jamie. 

“I didn’t mean to send you that thought. It was just something running through my mind.” Jamie said, pursing his lips as Palace lifted his upper one slightly. 

“I swear it didn’t mean anything.” He tried, tilting his head back to try and stem some of the aggression with the submissive gesture. It really didn’t bother him to be beneath Palace physically, or to show him that he wouldn’t challenge him… at least in most cases. 

He wouldn’t allow the situation to become abusive, and neither would his brother. It was going to be hard enough for Jared to accept the idea of him and Palace together, with Jamie being the obviously-more submissive of the two. His brother joked about it a lot, sure, but that was just his way of trying to show support. He was even okay being around other guys naked, since they were shifters and it had just been a thing as they grew up and got used to managing their lions. 

Having Knight chasing him around constantly has been a useful distraction, but at the same time, I’m shocked that he hasn’t caused any serious bodily harm to the guy. 

His brother had never looked at another guy in such a way, yet he’d let Knight inch his way closer and closer. Of course, the guy hadn’t realized how close he’d been to really getting hurt earlier. Jamie had felt the frustration dripping off of his brother and his lion. He’d known that Knight could have gotten crushed with little effort and had quickly stepped in while trying to keep his thoughts from Palace. 

To his surprise, it wasn’t nearly as hard as it usually was to calm his brother down, though. It helped that Knight’s shift was a small bird that could never, in a million years, overpower his lion. His human form was also smaller, lighter, and in general, also not able to stand up to Jared’s unless he got in a few good hits. 

Thankfully, his brother had relented and from what he’d gathered through his unguarded thoughts, released Knight. The rest of their interaction was a bit fuzzy to him, because Palace had stolen back his attention once they’d reached his room, and held it quite well until he decided to rest for a short time. 

“It’s complicated.” 

Blinking back to his current situation, Jamie frowned up at Palace as the larger man leaned further back, sitting on his lower belly. He was clearly not worried about anything Jamie could do, because his backside was nearly pressed up against his aching length, yet he seemed perfectly content that nothing would happen. 

“What’s complicated?” Jamie asked, unsure of where their conversation had left off. His mind was a bit unfocused considering where Palace was sitting… and the fact that they were both completely naked. 

Seemingly still unfazed, Palace sighed calmly and reached forward, pressing his palms gently against Jamie’s bare chest. 

“I’m not a normal cross-shifter.” He said, his words suddenly so quiet that Jamie had to focus on each one to be able to piece together the full sentence. 

Jamie felt Palace’s wolf begin to pace frantically at the edge of his mind, making him hesitant to push his question further. He could feel several emotions running through Palace’s mind, each one more negative than the next. 

“You don’t have to tell me, Pal.” Jamie said as he reached up and brushed the beginnings of a tear away from beneath Palace’s left eye. 

His wolf seemed to calm slightly with his words, but the only thing Palace did was lift his own hand to grasp Jamie’s tightly. 

“You want me to do things to you. You think that everything will be fine if I do it to you, and you never try to do it to me.” He said as he stared down at Jamie’s hand, still held within his own. 

His words brought a blush to Jamie’s face, but he couldn’t argue. It sounded fine to him to allow Palace to top all the time, even though his lion wasn’t too overjoyed about it. 

When Palace lifted his eyes to his a few moments later, Jamie swallowed the nerves that had built up in his throat. 

“Have you not wondered why, after all of my years in captivity, being passed around for breeding, that there has not been a single word spoken about an  offspring?” He asked, slowly tilting his head as he examined Jamie’s surprised face. 

When he slowly nodded, Palace took in a deep breath, then exhaled it as a growl. Jamie could tell that it wasn’t really aggression, but just a build up of frustration, likely stemming from what he was finally talking about. He had a feeling that he was the first person to hear the story, so Jamie knew to be quiet and patient. 

“I’m not a normal cross-shifter, little lion. My body functions differently… dangerously.” Palace said. 

He couldn’t argue that fact. Palace was definitely dangerous, but he had a feeling that he hadn’t meant it in such an obvious way. 

Leaning down slightly, Palace grinned, but it wasn’t humorous at all. “I knew that I was a cross-shifter a few years after I hit puberty. Our dad wasn’t too bad off so I got the pheromone collar pretty quickly. We didn’t know about dad being a cross-shifter until after I figured out that I was one, because the man who had fathered us left very early in our lives.” He said, narrowing his eyes as he seemed to dig through his thoughts, recalling memories. 

“I thought that things would be fine. I’d researched what I was and kept a low profile. No one really bothered me. I thought that I could just live my life normally.” 

When he didn’t continue, Jamie turned his focus to the wolf darting around at the edge of his mind. He tried to calm it, but it paid him not attention at all. 

“There was one thing I hadn’t planned out, though. One thing the minuscule amount of information about cross-shifters that was available at the time didn’t tell me.” He said, drawing Jamie out of his thoughts right away. 

“What was it?” He asked, trying to engage in the one-sided conversation. 

Palace’s grin died on his lips as he scooted his lower half off of Jamie and rested his upper half partially along his chest. His head dropped to Jamie’s shoulder, immediately drawing Jamie’s free hand up to gently play with his dark hair. 

“I got a boyfriend who agreed to only bottom. He was perfect. Even being human, my wolf was fond of him. He was sweet, understanding, and just a nice person to be around.” He said quietly, making Jamie’s heart ache a little. 

“What happened?” He asked, his voice barely a whisper. 

Palace remained silent for several minutes, leaving Jamie to try and calm his panting wolf again. The animal was beginning to make odd crying, cackling noises as it ran about, clearly distressed to the point of hysterics. 

Closing his eyes, Palace finally replied. “There are two kinds of cross-shifters. At least, I know that I’m not what the internet considers a cross-shifter.” He said before continuing. “We decided to have unprotected sex. We were stupid and while we had both gotten tested, just in case, we were too absorbed in ourselves to be careful. Nothing was supposed to happen.” 

Jamie slid his hand from Palace’s tightening grip and turned onto his side, tugging him into a strong hug. 

“I killed him, little lion.” 

His words drew Jamie’s heart to a stop for several tense seconds before he was able to grasp enough air to keep from passing out. He felt faint and dizzy as he tried to wrap his mind around how that could have happened. His wolf shouldn’t have been too bad back then. He hadn’t gotten kidnapped yet. He also said that he’d gotten checked, so an STD was highly unlikely. 

“You are right. It  was none of those things.” Palace said, before switching to thought. 

He died less than a week after we had been together. He had been in a great deal of pain, getting worse by the day.

Jamie frowned, unsure how it could have been Palace’s fault. 

The autopsy had showed why. His insides had been changing. There had been almost no x-rays of cross-shifter reproductive systems yet, and they are still extremely limited… I believe that instead of being able to give birth myself, my body started forcing his to change. 

Jamie’s heart hammered in his head, blocking out all sound as Palace quieted in his mind. He couldn’t even contemplate how such a thing could have been possible. Having sex with his boyfriend had triggered something so dramatic that it had ended up killing him? 

Wait a minute. 

“You’re a cross-shifter… that can possibly make other cross-shifters?” Jamie rasped, everything finally connecting in his mind. 

“You were kidnapped because someone had found that out.” He stated, getting a slight nod from Palace in response. 

“Knight had tried to help me, but instead he got captured, too, and was forced to stay tethered as a pet to the bastard who continuously sold me.” Palace said bitterly, drawing an angry growl from Jamie’s lion at the idea of either of them being used. 

He realized, then, that the man who had captured them had decided to use him like a normal cross-shifter. 

“That’s why there are no children. They did terrible things to you, but didn’t know that it was the other way around. The person who took you didn’t tell the people he sold you to.” Jamie said, his voice darkening with anger. “And they had no idea what the consequences would have been, either.” 

Palace nodded, then added. “He’d tried to get me to breed just about anyone, or anything, but I had refused and if he had tried to get my sperm at some point, which I don’t doubt he did while having me drugged, it never worked as far as I know. He even tried to threaten me with Knight, but I was so far gone by then that I’d almost killed him myself. I think my wolf was thinking that it was doing him a favor. Getting at least one of us out of that hell. When he realized that I wouldn’t breed for him, no matter what, he pretended that I was the other kind of cross-shifter and sold me repeatedly as such.” 

Jamie squeezed Palace a little tighter, then released him to sit up with a careful smile. 

“Thank you for talking to me, and I’m sorry that you had to go through such things… I smell a lot of food cooking. Do you want to go eat everything before they get any?” He asked, trying to change the subject to allow them both a chance to calm down. His smile grew a little wider as Palace slowly smirked, pushing himself up, too. 

“Is that even a question?” He asked as he stood up and tugged on a pair of boxers. 

Jamie hurried to do the same, but his hands paused as he pulled up his shorts when Palace reached over and grabbed his chin, pulling his mouth against his for a bruising kiss. 

The gesture left Jamie rooted in place as Palace darted from the room with a deep chuckle. Only after he heard the man’s feet thumping down the stairs did Jamie realize that there would likely be no food left for himself, either, if he didn’t hurry and catch up. 

“You better save me some!” He yelled after him as he ran out of their room.

Far From It

That hurts… 

Jared’s grip on Knight’s hand tightened further, making the shifter lying behind him who had been previously trying to grope between his legs, let out a muffled cry. 

Dammit pussy, it hurts! 

A low growl echoed within the bedroom, the vibration from the sound reverberating beneath the heavy blanket they were both under. 

Keep your hands to yourself, bird. He hissed into Knight’s mind. 

But sharing is caring. Knight replied as his hand was finally released and he quickly retracted it, his body rolling over to put his back to Jared’s with a huff. 

“You have no right to be upset. You shouldn’t even be in my bed. You should be sleeping outside in the backyard in a tree.” Jared stated. 

Mean. 

Grinding his teeth together, Jared fought to keep from doing anything he’d regret. His lion had been very close to just coming out and teaching the cocky chicken a lesson, once and for all, but he was just barely holding it back. 

It’s not like you have to do anything. I’ll just touch you inappropriat- Before Jared could stop himself, his rolled over onto Knight, easily pinning the smaller guy with his weight. Their faces were inches apart and his teeth were beginning to elongate as his lion roared through his human mouth. 

Down boy, relax. 

“Can you ever be serious, even for five seconds?” Jared snarled, earning a corny growl in return from Knight. 

“What if I don’t want to be?” He asked with a raised eyebrow, his head tilting slightly to the side on the pillow like a bird’s. 

Sighing, Jared pursed his lips and tried to calm himself down. He’d specifically gotten out of bed earlier and made some food, which had mostly been eaten by a ravenous Palace and his frustrating brother, so that he could tolerate a few more hours of Knight’s overly-clingy self. 

“You know what? I think I’m done.” He said before dropping back down onto his side and closing his eyes. 

The peace only lasted a couple seconds. 

A finger poked at his cheek, but Jared refused to open his eyes. He just wanted some damn rest. If Knight needed to entertain himself, so be it. He could jerk off for all he cared as long as he left him alone. 

“Aww, come on. Don’t be a sourpussy.” He whined. 

Jared fought to keep from lifting his upper lip to show some teeth in annoyance. When he didn’t respond, Knight made a quiet frustrated sound and reached over to tug at Jared’s bangs a little harder than was pleasant. 

“Come on. Yell at me. Get mad. I can handle you.” He said as he lightly shoved Jared’s shoulder. 

Instead of responding aggressively, Jared carefully rolled onto his back, wincing slightly from the ache his injuries caused. 

“No thanks. I’m tired of you.” He said calmly with a half-lidded stare. 

Knight frowned, looking at him in silence for several seconds before his expression changed to one of utter shock. 

“Tired, of me? Not possible. I am amazing!” 

Jared felt his eyes ache from rolling them so wide. 

“You are a frustrating bird brain that has no qualms about hurting someone as long as it gets you attention, even if it’s negative.” Jared said honestly. 

Knight scowled in response, but didn’t deny his words, which was actually surprising. 

“Nothing to say?” He asked, raising an eyebrow as he carefully pushed himself up into a sitting position. 

When Knight slowly leaned forward to press his forehead against his shoulder, Jared did lift his upper lip in warning. Of course, Knight was paying him no mind, like usual. 

Several awkward minutes passed before he gently nudged the guy away, only for Knight to lift his eyes and catch his gaze with an expression that left him confused. It was something along the lines of loneliness, mixed with some sort of anger. Yet not pure aggression. 

“You sure we can’t settle this little issue with myself inserting something into yo-” Jared shoved his hand over Knight’s mouth as he sighed. 

He felt something wet against his palm and cringed, moving his hand to wipe it across Knight’s face, before retracting it altogether. 

“What is wrong with you? Do you need a hug? Do I need to listen to your deep dark secrets about secretly wanting a sugar daddy who is into BDSM or something?” He grumbled, wiping his hand on his blanket repeatedly. 

He was about to continue berating the guy when Knight suddenly leaned forward and wrapped his arms around Jared’s middle. With his fingers so close to his back, Jared tensed, but to his surprise, Knight didn’t try to dig his nails into his damaged skin. Instead, he carefully clasped them together and nuzzled his face against his chest with a quiet sigh. 

“Maybe…” He whispered so softly that Jared had to focus on hearing the word. 

Not buying it. I’m not buying it. 

He stared down at the guy in silence for several minutes before he felt his brother nudging at the edge of his mind. 

Palace says to hug him. 

Why should I? I don’t want anything to do with him. He’s an asshole. Jared replied. He wanted to cross his arms like a child, but Knight was in the way. 

He says that his brother has never expressed the feelings he can sense through their bond right now. He’s always been a very mean person to anyone but him. It only got worse after they were captured. Just give the guy a hug or something, bro. You don’t have to sleep with him. 

Jared bit his tongue on a smart ass reply. Palace should hug his brother if it was that big a deal. 

“You’re strange as hell acting like this. Go back to being an ass.” He said awkwardly as he tried to push Knight away, only for the guy to tighten his hold just enough to put pressure on his damaged back. 

When he retracted his hand, Knight let up on the pressure and snuggled in a little more. 

“Come on, you can’t be serious right now.” He said, finally getting Knight to look up at him. 

The guy had a small frown on his lips, but his eyes seemed almost normal. There was no glare or anger in their depths. None of the hate that he was used to seeing. 

“What’s gotten into you all of a sudden?” He asked as he reached up to tug at a piece of Knight’s hair a bit too hard. 

Still no aggressive response…

“Maybe I just don’t want to be mad at the world for a few minutes.” 

Um…

“Maybe I’ve found someone who can handle my problems and might not kill me for them.” 

Jared chuckled dryly. 

“Might not?” 

Knight pursed his lips and batted his eyelashes, making Jared nearly gag. 

“Don’t do that, you monster.” 

Palace says that Knight is getting happier by the second. Whatever you’re doing, keep it up. 

What in the hell was he even doing? 

All I’m doing is berating him. 

His brother was quiet for a moment before replying. 

That’s an interesting kink you guys have going, but whatever makes you two happy. 

It didn’t make him happy! 

Frustrated, Jared shoved Knight right off the bed, then got up and pulled on a pair of pajama pants over his boxers before storming out of the room. Of course, he heard bare feet scrambling after him almost immediately, but didn’t bother looking behind himself as he descended the stairs and headed for the kitchen. He’d already made food earlier, but Palace and Jamie had made short work of it, so he decided to cook the rest of the bacon and eggs they had left, and  hopefully he’d be able to eat them this time, too. 

“Let me do it.” Knight said as he shoved Jared right out from in front of the fridge the moment he’d opened it to retrieve the ingredients for his meal. 

Let you do it? 

“Not a chance, chicken. You’ll burn down my house.” He growled, trying to grab the package of bacon and carton eggs from Knight. 

The guy hid them behind his back and put himself in a corner, a smirk on his face that told Jared to be careful. 

“I’m a great cook, kitty.” 

He found that very hard to believe. The look he was getting from Knight, though, made him slowly back off after a tense moment. 

“Fine. You can cook? Prove it.” He said, hoping that he hadn’t just doomed his meal to being burnt to a crisp. 

Knight just ignored him from then on as he hurried to get everything set up. Jared watched him closely from a stool near the counter, needing to make sure that he didn’t grab anything random that shouldn’t be found in such a dish, just to mess with him. 

As he watched, he took in Knight’s general appearance and behavior. Of course, he didn’t dwell much on the fact that he was naked. He’d seen it all before. He did take notice of the old scars around his ankles, though, and the way that he held his left arm was slightly off, as if it had been broken a few too many times in the past. 

I wonder if Palace had done some of the damage. 

He felt Knight nudge at his mind, but before he could focus on him the feeling dissipated. 

Don’t want to talk about it, then. 

Not being one to pry, especially when he really didn’t care, Jared relaxed back into his chair just in time to hear the doorbell chime. He rarely had company, and never anyone that just dropped by unannounced. 

As he began sliding from the stool, he noticed Knight looking toward the small hall that lead to the door and shook his head. 

“Stay there and get down.” 

The guy opened his mouth to argue, but Jared let his lion slip through and the resulting growl managed to keep Knight from trying anything. 

“I’m just going to answer the door.” He said calmly before turning and walking away. 

Be careful. We’re watching from the top of the stairs. We saw someone running away a few seconds after the bell rang.  His brother thought to him.

Not wanting to waste time, since he had to check the door one way or the other, Jared walked over and looked through the peephole. 

No one… and no visible packages? 

Their current predicament made it too coincidental for some neighborhood kid prank. Just open the door. He told himself as he grabbed the handle and turned the locks with his free hand. 

He stepped behind it as he swung the door open, just sneaking a peek when no gunshots rang out. 

No one’s there. 

Taking a hesitant step outside, he looked around for just a few moments before stepping backward. And that’s when he noticed what the person had left. 

Reaching up, Jared took the small, torn, yellow slip of paper that had been taped to the front door. He stepped back inside and locked the door before reading it out loud, since he heard three sets of footsteps coming from a few feet away. 

“A little pup wants to meet his father. Find me.” 

The handwriting was hardly legible, as if the person writing it had just learned a few months prior. 

“The person who ran away… was it a little kid?” He asked, looking up at Palace and Jamie. 

Both of them frowned and looked at each other, then back at him, shaking their heads. 

“It was definitely at least a teenager. Possibly someone in their early twenties.” Jamie said. 

Jared was silent for a few moments as he considered that information, then lifted the paper to his nose and breathed in the scent there. 

“Two people have touched this recently. I only smell one of the scents around here, though. The other seems familiar, but I can’t place it.” He said out loud, though he was speaking mainly to himself. 

“A messenger, then.” Palace stated as he took the paper from him and lifted it to his nose. 

His expression slowly changed as he opened the door and began stepping outside. Jamie started to follow, but Palace must have commented through their thoughts because he stopped abruptly, a worried frown on his face. 

Palace shifted a few seconds later and began loping away in the direction the courier must have gone. 

“Do you know what he’s doing?” Jared asked Jamie, glancing at Knight for a possible answer, too.

They both shook their heads while Knight walked forward and picked up the little piece of paper Palace had dropped on his way out. “Whatever it is, he definitely won’t let it rest. One of the scents on this paper seems like a mixture of someone else’s and his own, and neither of us know why.”

It Bites, Too

(Sorry this took forever. Have not been feeling great and still don’t. Hoping for some changes this week.) 

Not fast enough. 

The young man who had delivered the letter was a shifter, and a quick one at that, but Palace wasn’t deterred. Even after running into the thick woods, he refused to slow and barreled through the underbrush with no qualms about destroying bushes or knocking over small trees. 

Whatever animal he was following was clearly more careful, or at least couldn’t afford to run into everything with their size, because there was no path but a scent trail to follow. His nostrils flared before he jerked hard to the right, leaving a giant divot in the damp earth as his ears perked up. 

He was getting closer. 

With an excited roar, he snapped his teeth together and sped up, tucking his wings tighter against his body. It only took a few more minutes before he finally began closing the last few yards of distance between him and his prey.  

A deer… delicious. 

It’s patch of white fur stood tall on its rump, making Palace swipe his tongue over his lips as he pushed himself to move faster. The deer tried to dodge by zigzagging between the thicker trees, but Palace knew that it had to go a certain way. It wasn’t very good at pretending. 

He allowed it to tire itself out and just kept moving in a straight line. As planned, the deer realigned with his path, but was clearly worse for wear. There was a clearing up ahead that he could just barely see through some thickets which would give him the perfect chance to finally catch his dinner. 

He had no qualms about eating a shifter if they refused to change back. He wanted information from him, but if he couldn’t get it… he’d at least get something to eat. He could track the other scent well enough already, he didn’t technically need the young buck alive. 

The moment he broke through the underbrush he let a growl rumble from his chest and dug  his claws into the damp ground, putting all of his strength into his next few strides. 

Mine! 

He was just lunging for the animal, his front paws mere inches from its flank, when something hard slammed into his right side. His body went flying, the damp grass barely cushioning his heavy body. 

What was that? 

He wasn’t used to being moved easily and the abrupt hit had definitely surprised him enough to take some of the air from his lungs. 

His vision swam for a few moments as he pushed himself to his feet, then shook out his coat with an annoyed snort. When he looked up, he caught a flash of the deer a second before it disappeared across the clearing back into the forest. 

What the hell had hit me? 

His eyes roamed the area for any movement, but even the wind seemed to have stopped completely, scared away by their sudden appearance. 

He was about to relent and return to his previous hunt when a strong scent caught his attention. 

The other scent on the letter… 

His wolf began sniffing the air repeatedly, catching a scent on the faint breeze struggling through the cool air. He lifted his nose higher and higher until his eyes caught movement up in a large oak tree near the edge of the clearing. 

A wolf… with black wings. 

He was moving before he completed the thought, his heavy paws quickly carrying him near the base of the tree. It would be easy to scale it with his strong claws, even though he couldn’t fly well enough to get up that way, but instead of doing so right away, he circled its base several times, rustling his wings as he moved. 

A faint pressure nudged at his thoughts, but there was no real connection to allow for communication. His wolf wasn’t happy about it either way, though.

“You really are my father. You look just like me.” 

The quiet, childlike voice that touched his ears made them pin them back against his head. It was too similar to what he had sounded like when he was little. 

Best to kill it now. 

There would be nothing but terrible things in store for the child. He wouldn’t have his offspring go through what he already had. Death would be a much more pleasant experience. 

Without hesitation, he began lunging up the tree, using the long talons on his front paws to hoist his heavy body upward far faster than should be possible. The child had changed back to its smaller griphon-type form and was now standing crouched on a thick branch far above him, rustling its dark feathers and leaning down slightly as if it were curious to see what Palace was doing. 

Come here. 

Instead of doing as he wished, the creature spread its wings and with an easy thrust downward, ascended far higher into the large tree. 

Palace managed to get another ten feet or so before his claws slipped through the damp bark, sliding his heavy weight downward until he was only a few feet off the ground. 

“What is wrong, father? You made me… but you seem like you want me dead.” The boy said with only a hint of curiosity, having shifted again, clearly feeling safe from his high vantage point. 

When he realized that he wasn’t going to be able to catch him by climbing, Palace let himself slide back down to the ground. 

If only I had a gun. 

He actually felt a little confused at the thought as he began to pace around the trunk again. The boy was surely under the control of the man who had kidnapped him. Perhaps he was chipped with a tracker, too, or had been coerced to set up their current meeting. Either way, Palace would kill him. It was the least he could do after being the cause of his life. 

“So this is where you ran off to, boy.” 

That voice. 

Palace felt his upper lip peel away from his teeth as he turned to face the man who had destroyed his life. 

“I wouldn’t if I were you.” He warned, only making Palace step forward and snarl. 

I’m not surprised you’re still not locked up. 

“Don’t give me that. You know I can kill you and your little lion friends whenever I want. I’d take your brother back as a pet, though. He was quite pretty to look at chained to his perch by my desk all of those years.” The man said, making Palace’s blood boil. 

“Leave him alone.” 

Before Palace could look back up, his son had shifted again and was gliding to a landing a few yards ahead of him, putting himself between them. It was a bad decision.

Palace was on top of the smaller shifter before it could even place all four of its feet on the grass. He could hear the man who had kidnapped him yell for people to hold their fire, which spurred him on to deal as much damage as he could, as fast as possible. Unfortunately, his offspring was quite the fighter for something much smaller than himself and far younger. 

He was also hard to keep a hold of. The two of them danced around the clearing, never getting far enough apart to allow for the man to give the go-ahead to shoot. Palace wasn’t even sure which one of them the bullets would be intended for, but he didn’t care to find out. 

His teeth finally managed to get a good hold on his son’s left wing, the force of the bite easily slicing right through the delicate appendage. The smaller wolf didn’t let the injury go unrewarded, however, and quickly snapped its own jaws closed on the side of Palace’s neck. 

He could taste blood. The flavor was driving his wolf crazy, yet when he got the chance to snag the smaller wolf’s throat, he hesitated. It wasn’t because of their relationship. He felt nothing for the creature he was trying to murder. What did stop him, however, was the worry he felt surge through his mind from his lion. 

Why are you worried about me? You know I will be fine. He thought to Jamie. Of course, the bullets might prove him wrong, but he still was unsure who was going to be shot at.  

You’re hurting someone. He replied, making Palace’s wolf snort as it watched the smaller wolf slip free of his claws and dart toward the chubby man standing beside several guards at the edge of the woods. 

His silent question was answered when all of the men who had appeared while they were fightinglifted their weapons abruptly and took aim at the smaller copy of himself. 

They want him dead? Why? 

The young wolf was surprisingly good at dodging and only seemed to get grazed by two bullets before he had taken down the few guards. One had definitely relieved himself before the final blow, too. The scent made Palace’s nose wrinkle. 

What’s going on? Jamie asked as Palace felt him getting closer, his thoughts becoming more clear. 

He’s killing the man that took my brother and I hostage years ago. 

His thought held no emotion except for slight intrigue at the smaller wolf’s actions. He hadn’t expected him to try and kill the man. If anything, he’d thought that this had all been one poorly laid trap to get him back within that disgusting man’s claws, yet as he sat there slowly swishing his thick tail in the tall grass, his unwanted offspring was, indeed, tearing the man into pieces. 

It was quite an enjoyable display of aggression. He might want the lad dead, but he did approve highly of his current actions. 

Not a minute later Jamie’s lion was panting by his side, its pink tongue drawing Palace’s attention. Ignoring the small wolf that was currently gnawing on a part of the dead man he’d been attacking, Palace leaned over and tried to nip at Jamie’s tongue. The action earned a growl from his lion, but the sound only made him want to do it more. 

I don’t think now is the time to joke around, Pal. Jamie warned him before shifting back to his human form and walking forward. 

Palace tilted his head and flicked an ear, then followed. His long strides easily caught up with his cautious man’s before he slowed to match his pace. 

Is it not? He asked as he watched his son’s head finally lift from the pile of corpses he had created. 

The person who was after him and his brother was finally dead. Although he had wanted to be the one to end the man’s life, he considered it good enough that his offspring had done the deed. 

Jamie stopped when they were only a few feet from the wolf, their attention focused as the animal turned back into a human child. Palace knew that he wasn’t too old, but he’d appeared older than he actually was when he was younger, too. He got the giant wolf, and grew quite quickly as a human, too. 

He couldn’t give an exact age that the boy appeared as, but he could pass for a very young teen if he tried. Whether he had the knowledge to do that, however, was unknown to him. Nor did he really care. 

Before he could even begin walking forward again, Jamie stepped into his path and crossed his arms over his chest, raising an eyebrow that had Palace’s wolf growling… but sitting down.

“That’s right. You aren’t going to kill him.” He said with a triumphant smile that left a bad taste in Palace’s mouth. Taking orders wasn’t his thing, but he couldn’t bring himself to shove past Jamie, either. 

“Do not worry, dad. I will go away. You won’t have to see me again and mother died when I was born.” The boy said, his voice drawing Palace to look around Jamie and lift his upper lip. 

“Why don’t you come back with us? He’s really not that bad once he calms down.” Jamie said, trying to coax the boy closer. 

It clearly wasn’t working. The child just gave a pained smile and replied. “I understand, dad. Maybe we will see each other again some day, and I don’t blame you.” 

Before Jamie could react, the boy shifted back into his wolf form and made his way to the edge of the clearing, his injured wing dragging on the ground. Palace felt his eyes widen slightly as he saw the deer he had been chasing beforehand appear from a thicket nearby. 

They interacted a little, mainly with the smaller wolf nuzzling the deer’s face, who appeared worried, before the two gave him one final glance, then turned and disappeared into the forest. 

Palace was ready to chase. His muscles were tense and his nose was already flaring, picking up their scents with ease… but when he felt Jamie’s fingers gently sift through the thick fur around his neck, all of that aggression seemed to drain away. 

“Let’s go home before my brother eats your brother, Pal. I think we still have some work to do, too. Even if that man is dead, things won’t change unless we take a stand. How about it, feel like being someone little cross-shifters can look up to?” Jamie said, clearly trying to hide a grin. 

Fuck no. Palace replied as he turned away and began stalking back through the forest, leaving Jamie’s laughter behind him. 

(Yes, there will be another book soon. This one is coming to an end. Give you one guess who the main character will be in the next one, after some time skipping, of course.)

Acceptance

Things, thankfully, weren’t too bloody when they finally got back to the house. There were a few drops leading into the kitchen, but when they saw Jared leaning over Knight, who was sitting on the kitchen counter, thankfully clothed, they stopped by the door. 

What is he doing? 

Upon closer inspection, Jamie realized that Jared was trying to shove something in Knight’s face. 

“Um, what are you two doing?” He asked cautiously right before Palace walked right over to them to actually see what was going on. 

“Why is your nose bleeding, brother?” He asked, not really seeming to care as much as he was just wondering. 

Knight scowled and glared down at his lap, not answering. Jared didn’t seem to mind fill in the blank for them, though, because he turned enough to address them both as he grinned. 

“He tried to give me a blowjob while I was distracted and startled me.” He said, his smile growing wider before he turned back to Knight and grabbed his jaw, lifting it to allow himself to shove a wad of tissues up Knight’s left nostril. 

You’re enjoying this a bit too much, bro. He thought to Jared as he felt the satisfaction his brother was getting from torturing the hawk shifter flow into his mind. 

Jared stepped back as he put his hands on his hips, clearly proud of the job he’d done. Jamie almost felt bad for Knight. The guy was trying to yank some of the tissues out of his likely-aching nose, but they just kept tearing apart. 

Shaking his head, he began stepping forward to actually help him when Palace moved into his way and gently lifted his brother’s chin before reaching forward. He very carefully began tugging little pieces of tissue out of Knight’s nose, being far more gentle than he’d expected. 

“Do not bother, brother. You brought this upon yourself, as you do all of your complaints.” Palace said, making Jamie grin slightly. He couldn’t argue. Knight didn’t no how to stop, and Jared was only so tolerant. 

“Probably best to start looking elsewhere for a mate, Knight.” He added, bringing a frown to the man’s pursed lips. 

“My hawk wants him, though.” He said quietly as his brother finished removing the last of the shreds of tissue paper. 

“You’re too much, Knight.” He said. 

Sniffling a little, Knight hunched his shoulders and looked at the ground. “But that’s who I am.” He said quietly. 

Jamie sighed and leaned to the side against the counter. “Well, maybe you’re not what my brother wants.” He said. He didn’t like how harsh that had sounded, but it had to be said. When his brother started getting physically aggressive, it was time to back off or get hurt. 

When Palace turned to him, an unreadable look in his eyes, Jamie fidgeted, but held his ground and kept their eyes locked. 

“Perhaps it is time to leave the lions be, brother.” He stated, though Jamie felt his whole body chill with worry at his words. 

Palace? He thought to him, only to receive a small smile in return as Palace stepped close enough to press his right hand against Jamie’s face. 

“You were right, Jamie. That man is dead, and I am very pleased about that… but things also still need to keep changing.” He paused for a moment, his dark eyes softening slightly as he stared into his. “We cannot stay here any longer. There are things we must do, and things you must do. Our current situation is not one that will work for either of us.” 

Jamie didn’t even try to hold himself back from stepping forward and wrapping Palace in a tight hug. He got one in return, but it felt like a goodbye hug instead of one that silently told him that Palace would stay. 

We will be back, my lion. 

Jamie didn’t want to hear promises that might not be kept. He wanted Palace to stay and them to keep working through the issues they had, but the tone of his voice and the determination behind his thoughts told Jamie that the man’s mind had been made up for a while. 

“You have to promise to come back.” He said, nearly choking on his own words as he blinked back tears that ignored his will and began to slide down his cheeks anyways. 

None of that. We will be back. Palace said as he leaned down, pressing their lips together softly. 

The lack of a promise there twisted Jamie’s stomach as he tried to kiss Palace back with shaking lips. It ended too quickly with Palace stepping back with a sad smile. 

“Knight.” Palace said, his tone brooking no argument. 

His brother, for once, didn’t even open his mouth. Jamie silently wondered if they were discussing it while he had been speaking aloud. 

Knight’s form wavered for a moment, then shifted and hopped up onto his brother’s bare shoulder. He looked over his shoulder at Jared once, then turned his attention to the back sliding glass door as Palace began walking toward it. 

Jamie ran forward and grabbed Palace’s hand, stopping him, but only long enough for the man to lean over one more time and steal a fleeting kiss. 

“Be patient, my little lion.” He whispered before continuing to the door and stepping outside. 

Right before he shifted and jumped over the part of their fence that was still standing, disappearing from view, Palace gave both brothers a smirk and addressed Jamie one more time. 

“And I mean that. If I sense anyone else sniffing around you, I’ll kill them.” 

Then he was gone, and Jamie immediately felt like a part of himself had just run away. 

Jared stepped up beside him after a few moments, exhaling a deep breath as he settled a hand on his shoulder. 

“He’ll be back.” He said, not mentioning Knight before he gave Jamie’s shoulder a strong squeeze and turned back to the kitchen to clean up the bloody tissues. 

Just don’t make me wait too long, Pal. Please… He thought to the fading presence in his mind right before Palace went completely out of their bond’s range. 

Please be safe. 

-End . To be continued. 

(The next book will be starting in a bit that will continue this story, but after a long time skip. Thanks for reading and sorry for the abrupt feels at the end XD )

Claws Book 5

Claws is the next book in this series and has a starting chapter up. There is a very big time skip, so just remember that :3