Resilience (19 page)

Aidan puffed up even bigger, and his partner, Zane, laid a hand on his back and whispered rapidly in his ear. Aidan shook his head sharply and Zane bit his bottom lip, as if forcing himself to quit trying to talk some sense into his man.

“You know why…” Aidan cut his eyes towards Todd, and Todd felt the look like a threat. He automatically reached for the reassurance of the gun at his hip only to remember belatedly he wasn’t on duty and therefore wasn’t carrying. Still, he narrowed his eyes at Aidan and gave what he hoped was his very best intimidating look.

And Aidan did the most bizarre thing, at least in Todd’s opinion. The big blond snarled, his upper lip curling as he bared his teeth. The sound he made when he did it wasn’t human.

It couldn’t be, Todd thought, and he maybe should have paid more attention to parts of the Bible that mentioned demons or whatever, because he was suddenly utterly sure there was something dark or supernatural or maybe both in existence. In Aidan, and—Todd couldn’t, wouldn’t look away from Aidan’s challenging glare, but still—maybe Zane as well. Thoughts of demonic possession and The Exorcist were foremost in Todd’s mind. Aidan’s eyes had a creepy glow to them that might have all just been Todd’s imagination, but he wasn’t making up the tension in the room, the growling he heard now coming from Mika or someone else, the almost oppressive power he didn’t know how to describe.

His world was flipping, or at least his perception of it was.

“What the fuck?” he heard Adam ask. Todd locked an arm around Adam, holding him behind him. Instincts he’d not been aware of before were pushing at him to protect Adam, to keep him back, out of direct range of threat. “Todd, what’s going on? Why is Aidan doing his best rabid dog imitation? He’d have to actually turn into a dog to be any better at it, and if he did that then I’d neuter him for being a dangerous asshole.”

Todd was thinking he’d just shoot Aidan in the foot or something when Gabe surged

forwards and smacked Aidan upside the head. “Cut it out! This is my house, mine and Mika’s! We aren’t in some pack land!”

“Gabriel!” Aidan yelped, looking for all the world like a chastised child. A really big, muscled chastised child. Aidan had a hand clapped over the spot where Gabe had thumped him. He turned to Zane. “He hit me!”

Zane, his silver eyes tilting up at the edges, nodded. “He did. I expected him to do it sooner since you dodged the plate and the bowl. I love you dearly, but you had it coming.”

Aidan harrumphed and crossed his arms over his chest. “You know why things have to

remain as they are.”

Gabe elbowed past Mika and poked Aidan in the ribs. “No, they don’t. What kind of

archaic thinking is that? Todd has been my best friend for years, and I trust only one person as much as I do him. And I would be willing to bet Adam would say the same about his friendship with Jameson.”

Aidan uncrossed his arms and ran a hand through his short blond hair. “Be that as it may, there’s just things we all keep secret, aren’t there?”

Zane cocked a hip and gave his partner a contemplative look. “There are?”

Aidan blanched and Gabe laughed. “Well, hell. I should just let you ramble and get

yourself in deep shit with Zane. If I didn’t like you, and like Zane even more, I would do just that.”

Todd was growing weary of the drama, especially since he didn’t understand it. He was pretty sure Adam felt the same, and was sure of it when Adam pushed and pulled until he was in front of Todd.

Adam’s spine was straight, his shoulders back, and Todd could see the tension curling his muscles, driving them to bulge in a display that went right to Todd’s dick. Adam pointed at Gabe. “You. Out of everyone here, you are supposed to be our friend. Todd’s friend, at the very least. Mika tolerates us, but you love Todd. And Todd loves me. And yes, I loved Jameson, maybe I still do. He was the best, the only, friend I had for a very long time. So, if you know something, you think about how you’d feel if Todd vanished on you.

Just…vanished. Would you think it’s funny? Some farce with fit-throwing and growling and whatever the fuck it was Aidan was doing? And what the hell was that? Huh? What is going on?”

Adam’s voice reached a level of shrill Todd had only previously heard Gabe hit.

As for Gabe, he looked poleaxed, silent in his shocked state, and that was scary in itself.

A quick check of the others showed expressions of anger, fear, regret, understanding, reluctance—so many emotions, all shared by Mika, Aidan and Zane.

Yet no one spoke. Adam drew in a breath, tensing again, and Todd knew another

outburst was coming.

Except Gabe slumped against the table, propping his ass on the top, uncaring, it

seemed, that he sat on a plate still scattered with food. “I’m telling, and that’s final,” Gabe muttered. “Adam has a right to know if the guy you told me about is his friend Jameson.”

“Marcus is going to be pissed,” Aidan grumbled, but he shrugged after he’d said it.

“He can get over it,” Mika snapped. “If he had come tonight like we asked, he could

have thrown in his two cents, but he didn’t.”

“He couldn’t,” Aidan snapped back. “He has a situation on his hands involving

something very much like what is happening here. Our existence relies on trusting those who aren’t like us—”

Todd was freaked, he couldn’t help it. “What the f-fuck are you talking about?” He was going to carry his gun from now on. And maybe a water gun filled with holy water if it turned out there really were demons walking the earth.

Aidan just shook his head and moved over to his chair. He sat and in an instant Zane was in his lap, petting him, murmuring soothing words. At least, Todd assumed they were soothing. Aidan didn’t look any different from any other man enjoying the attention of his lover.

What was going on with them wasn’t his business. Adam was. Todd eased his arm

around Adam’s waist and tucked his thumb in Adam’s front pocket. “Do you know what

happened to Jameson, or where he is?” he asked, both hopeful and terrified of the answer.

Gabe held out his hand and Mika took it. He pulled Gabe up and gave a half-smile at

the mess on Gabe’s backside. “We don’t know anything for sure about Jameson, but Marcus, Aidan’s twin, he’s…” Mika huffed and glared up at the ceiling. “It’s complicated.”

Everyone was fucking insane, that was all there was to it. Everyone but him and Todd.

Adam was about ready to throttle Gabe, and as for Aidan… He didn’t know what to make of the big creepy guy. That growling snarling shit hadn’t been right. Adam had felt the intimidation all the way to his toes, just like he’d felt power rolling off of Aidan. He’d wanted to quiver and drop to his knees and bow his head and any other number of shows of submission. Not in a sexual way at all, but simply in response to the very alpha-ness Aidan gave off.

Gabe was slapping at the food on his ass, then he cursed and started unbuckling his

belt. “Let’s meet in the living room. Give me two minutes.”

Two minutes felt like a damned lifetime. Adam fidgeted beside Todd, who was paler

than normal. Adam felt like a total shit. How hard must this be on Todd, to see this bizarre behaviour from his best friend? Yeah, yeah, Adam was his partner, his soul mate, all those wonderful things, but Gabe had been the one to befriend Todd years ago, and stand by him ever since. Adam didn’t begrudge Gabe the best buds status at all. He understood it. He’d have still been calling Jameson his best buddy had the man not disappeared.

“That’s much better.” Gabe trotted into the living room with Mika sauntering behind

him. Mika’s eyes were zeroed in on Gabe’s ass, almost indecently displayed by the tight, thin sweats. Gabe plinked down on the coffee table right in front of Adam and Todd rather than taking the recliner or the love seat like Adam was expecting. He peered at Adam for a second before focusing his bright green gaze on Todd.

“So, Todd,” Gabe began, his voice so soft and hesitant Adam wouldn’t have recognised it as belonging to Gabe had he not been watching. “The thing is…” Gabe waited as Mika settled behind him, framing Gabe’s legs with his and all but covering Gabe’s back with his bigger body. Gabe sighed and leant back. He swallowed noisily and let his head drop back to rest on Mika’s shoulder.

“The thing is, if what I’m fixing to tell y’all gets out to anyone else, it could start a war, or a slaughter, something bad.”

Adam wanted to accuse Gabe of being melodramatic as he tended to be at times, but for some reason he didn’t. Fear gripped his gut and pinched his tongue.

“There’s some weird shit in this world,” Gabe started, patting Mika’s hand. “Not us, honey, but irrational fears and judgement, and you know how people are when they fear something. All they want to do is destroy it. Hate it.”

“Gabe,” Todd said as he propped his elbows on his knees. “You’re killing us. Is

Jameson alive? And what are you going on about?”

Gabe blinked a couple of times before answering. “We don’t know about Jameson.

Marcus knew of someone who had a mate—er, partner, named Jameson. He’s checking into whether they were ever found after a…a coup, I guess? Or a coup attempt? See, Marcus is the leader of a very secretive, powerful sect—”

“He’s a cult leader?” Adam asked, confused and scared and even more confused. “Are

you saying Jameson joined a cult?”

“No.” Gabe sat up and rubbed his temples. “Man, I suck at this explaining shit. Let me try it like this—”

“Or let me,” Mika interrupted. Gabe craned his head to glare at Mika, who just dropped a kiss on his parted lips. “I am trusting you, Todd, to make sure nothing bad ever happens to Gabe for his insistence in trusting you.”

Adam got the message loud and clear. Gabe was doing this for Todd, and maybe Mika

didn’t like it, but he supported Gabe. And, yeah, in a small way, Gabe was doing it to help him, too, but it really was about the friendship between Gabe and Todd. Adam just wished he knew what the fuck it had to do with Jameson. If someone didn’t explain it soon, he was going to start banging heads together.

“About a year ago, Gabe experienced a change.” Mika nuzzled Gabe’s neck for a

moment. “He became like me, and Aidan, and Zane, and Marcus—”

“So pretty much like everyone but me and Adam?” Todd asked, hurt thickening his

voice in a way Adam had heard it do before. “I’ve noticed something is different about you, Gabe. I can’t place it, but if you’re trying to say you’ve o-o-out g-g-g-grown t-t-this f-f-friendship—”

Gabe lurched forwards and knelt against Todd’s legs. “No! No, that isn’t it at all! I wanted to tell you, but, on the one hand, there was no reason. Except there was, and that was that you are my friend, right? We used to share everything, then I found some secrets and…”

Gabe glanced back at Mika. “And I found Mika. You know how you want to protect those you love?” Todd gave a nod. “Well, I would do anything to keep Mika safe.”

Adam wasn’t as touched as he should have been, probably. He was tired, emotionally

exhausted, and he never had cared for beating around the bush. “Your point, Gabe?” It was rude, but God knew Adam wasn’t the only one who’d been rude tonight, and certainly not the most offensive of the bunch.

Gabe pinned Adam with his brilliant stare. “You have to swear not to tell anyone, ever.”

Adam wondered if he should make up some super-secret handshake. “I won’t, unless

whatever you tell me puts Todd in danger. Then all bets are off.”

Gabe considered that for a moment than nodded. “Okay. So, Jameson. Let me just tell

you what Marcus heard when he started asking around. Apparently, someone in charge of a large…group, of people like the ones I’m fixing to tell you about—”

“Gabe, you’re talking in circles already!” Todd said, his exasperation heavy. “Can you please give us the condensed version?”

Gabe sat back on his heels and narrowed his eyes at Todd. “Yeah, sure. If Jameson is the same guy Marcus heard about, he and his ma—partner were attacked and they disappeared for years. People thought they were dead, but there’s been rumours of sightings and there’s reason to believe those sightings are true.”

Adam couldn’t speak, couldn’t get past the nausea rising in his throat and the despair kicking at him. “So you don’t know if he’s alive?”

Gabe touched Adam’s knee. “Marcus thinks he is. He thinks Jameson and his ma—man

are hiding, understandable considering their own people turned on them and tried to kill them.”

Adam’s heart ached as he thought of his beautiful friend, his sweet soul and his desire to be accepted, to be loved. “I don’t understand. You’re still not making any sense.”

“I will.” Gabe stood up and plucked at the tie string of his sweats. “Here’s where you’ll both probably really freak out. I hope… Todd, I hope you don’t hate me. You either, Adam, but I could get over it if you did whereas if I lost Todd, I’d be missing a part of myself.” Gabe reached for and clasped Mika’s hand. Then he dropped a bomb that sent Adam’s temper into orbit.

“We’re shape-shifters.”

Adam screamed and shot up off the couch, tackling Gabe. How dare the asshole fuck

with him, mock him like this!

“Adam!” He heard Todd, felt the swipe of his hands as Todd tried to stop him, but

Adam had succeeded in clearing a path to Gabe.

Except something nightmarish happened as Adam lunged, as his body covered Gabe’s.

Gabe began to contort, his body jerking, bending, spasming. Thick tufts of hair sprouted out over his skin as they hit the floor. Adam gasped and tried to scramble back but fear paralysed him and all he could do was watch in horror as Gabe turned into something else.

Then Adam found himself face to muzzle with a tri-coloured wolf. His vision buzzed

and his hearing dimmed, or maybe it was the other way around. He thought Todd yelped or screeched. Adam couldn’t parse it out, though, because his mind shut down and pulled him into the safety of unconsciousness as a wolf licked his cheek.