Howl Down the Moon, page 22
In that instant, he’d understood exactly why Luka loved this so much. He’d felt as loose and melty as honey when they’d laid him back on the bed, Slade flopping down beside him, pulling Luka down on top of him, and kissing him hungrily. When Slade moaned and gripped Luka tighter, Rand knew why Luka hadn’t kept going until he finished. Slade’s nails dug into Luka’s back, and with the way they were moving, wild and on the edge of losing control, Rand knew it wouldn’t be long. Luka’s head was thrown back, and Slade was gasping, occasionally growling out swears and a request for Luka to fuck him harder. Rand watched as orgasm overtook them, his mates gripping each other, panting. There were pinpricks of blood on Luka’s sides where Slade’s claws had dug in.
They healed the moment Slade relaxed his grip and rolled him into the space between them—Slade with an arm over Luka, who had one arm thrown over his eyes. In the waning light, Rand watched Slade lick the sweat and blood from Luka’s skin, grinning over their smaller mate’s body.
“We need to make this a nightly ritual,” Rand murmured, sliding an arm over Luka as well.
“You won’t hear any complaints out of me,” Luka replied, the occasional shiver still vibrating through him, reverberating against Rand’s skin.
“Or me,” Slade groaned.
“Then, it’s official,” Rand said, already thinking about what he wanted to try the following night and wondering if Slade would be open to them ordering some of the interesting toys they’d seen in the videos.
Rand was caught off guard when the alert dinged, warning him he had an incoming call. His pants were already a bit tight and his body more than ready for the evening’s activities. He clicked to accept it, hoping his face wouldn’t appear too flushed when Doc Washington appeared on the screen.
“Thank you for getting back to me, Doc,” Rand said, shocked at how nervous he felt talking to the mentor he’d always felt comfortable conversing about anything with.
“How could I not when you explained the condition you’d encountered? In all my decades attending to the pack, I’ve only seen it once. Was it front and back paws, or just the front ones?”
“Just the front. Not only are they shorter than the back, but they’re also turned inward, like the pup didn’t have enough space to grow in utero.”
“Something an ultrasound would have been able to detect with enough time left that we might have been able to deliver him early to prevent further damage from being done.”
“To be honest, Doc, at least two, if not three, of the pups should have been removed to give all of them better chances of being born healthy,” Rand replied.
“How many did she give birth to?”
“Seven. She carried in wolf form because shifting back to human was understandably uncomfortable for her past the first trimester.”
“And when were they born?”
“Four months ago,” Rand explained. “They asked me to come out as soon as they learned I was here. I’ve spent the last two days researching, and what I found, or should I say, didn’t find, clued me in that I was over my head.”
“Happens to all of us at some point,” Doc said. “But you reached out, and that’s what matters the most. I’ve pulled what journals and information I do have on treating the condition. Slade’s dad will bring it out along with the supplies you requested, but with the storm rolling in, he won’t make it out there until it’s over.”
“Thank you.”
“So, have you given consideration to organizing and running a clinic out there?”
“I’ve decided to do it. Our pack members out here deserve to have the same access to medical care as those in town,” Rand said. “I’m just surprised you and the council are actually okay with me doing it.”
Doc Washington regarded him quietly for long enough that Rand had to hang on to the edge of the desk to keep from squirming. “Let me ask you this. What was the lesson the council was hoping to teach Slade?”
“Forgiveness,” Rand said softly, relaxing some when Doc’s face broke into one of the kind smiles he’d dearly missed seeing from the other man.
“Then what kind of elders would we be if we did not lead by the example we hope to teach?”
“Not very good ones.”
“Exactly,” Doc replied. “And while I was personally disappointed over what took place, it was because of how much regard I had for you and Luka. So, tell me, how are things? Are you happy?”
“Very much so,” Rand replied, relaxing completely and unable to keep the smile off his face. “Luka is a total sweetheart: warm, loving, but fiercely protective, too, and Slade is intense, wild, everything I’ve never been. Being with them is starting to show me all the things I’ve missed out on over the years.”
“Now that is what I’d hoped to hear,” Doc replied. “You guys keep taking the time to get to know one another, keep talking, keep learning how to work together but enjoy your free time together too. Remember to look out for one another; there might be times when you have to protect them from themselves and vice-versa, so never brush things off if something’s nagging at you to address it.”
“I’ve been talking to them about contacting you for the counseling they keep turning down.”
“And how is that working out for you?”
“After I explained to Luka why I couldn’t be the one to help him, he told me it was okay to set up a time with you, and Slade is keeping up with his online group sessions, though having it out with Dimitri seems to have helped dial down his anger some.”
“Yes, I’d heard about that. It was a good thing, actually, and long overdue. I’m glad you were there to keep things from getting bloody so he’d actually have a chance to listen to what Dimitri has wanted to tell him for years.”
“It was horrible listening to how a single bad decision destroyed so many lives,” Rand admitted.
“Some lessons are harder to learn than others,” Doc agreed. “I’ve hoped, as the years went by, that Dimitri would come to realize that he didn’t need to stay with Kasey in an unhappy and toxic relationship, but like Luka was, he’s been hell-bent on punishing himself.”
“That was the same impression I got.”
“I’m sure you have a lot of work to do, and I know I have two mates I plan to spend the afternoon stretched out in front of the fireplace with,” Doc said. “But I will set up a series of sessions for Luka and email you the dates and times. Look over the notes and journals when they arrive, compare them to the ones you’ve taken, come up with the treatment plan you’re most comfortable with, and get back in touch with me so we can go over it together. In the meantime, I’ve sent out messages to the physicians of the other packs to see if anyone has had success with another method. I’m sure if we all put our heads together, we can figure out a way to help the pup live the fullest life possible. As for the two undersized siblings, you’ll find a vitamin and protein supplement among the supplies. If you see positive results and an increase in their size and overall health, we’ll get more out to you. Is the mother producing enough milk to nurse them all?”
“It was a struggle, and she’d been losing weight before Slade and the others began organizing regular hunting parties and stocking up those who desperately needed to have the extra protein. Now that she’s eating better, her milk supply has increased, though I did suggest to her that weaning the four larger pups would only benefit the smaller ones.”
“That would have been my advice too. How stocked is the general store there, in terms of cereals, formulas, and supplements for the elders?”
“I actually don’t have an answer to that,” Rand admitted. “But I will find out and let you know if there are things that are needed.”
“Good. The important thing to remember is that the wolves out there on the borderlands have their reasons for choosing that way of life over one in town. Your job, in caring for them, is to ensure they will have the best quality of life possible while being able to remain in the place they love.”
“I’m falling in love with it too,” Rand admitted. “Watching the sunset from the hot tub, seeing it rise over the mountains and the snow. It’s like being in our own little world. When we’re together, I can get lost in them and never once feel like I’m wasting my time because I’m not working.”
“I’d suspected that was why you spent so much time at the clinic. It was becoming unhealthy, and the only one who couldn’t see it was you. Even if what happened with Luka had never happened, we’d have been looking to bring in another physician sooner rather than later, so you wouldn’t burn yourself out. It isn’t healthy having nothing else in your life but paper and some dusty books, though I suspect that you’re a compulsive duster.”
Snickering, Rand couldn’t exactly protest, considering Doc was right. “I’m a bit of an obsessive organizer too, but Slade and Luka don’t try and stop me, and they don’t get annoyed with me either. We’ve worked out a system, where after I have something set up exactly the way I envisioned it, I show them where everything is and explain why I did it that way and what the organizational system is, and they have been amazing about putting things back the exact same way.”
Doc nodded. “Those are the types of things mates do for one another. Rather than try to change you, they work to accept you the way you are and find ways you can all be comfortable in the home you share.”
“I was worried at first,” Rand admitted. “I was afraid they’d think I was being too fussy, that it would be aggravating to them for me to go around rearranging things, but that was never the case. Luka saw me rearranging the medical supplies, then pulling them out and doing it again a different way, and his only reaction was to note the way I got lost in a task when I got started, which it turns out is the same way he gets lost in his carvings. Slade never tries to drag us away from anything, but he will bring food to us and sit with us to make sure we eat if we’re so engrossed in something we forget to take a break.”
Doc nodded. “It’s that kind of understanding that you only find with people who care for you and will love you unconditionally. True mates will complement each other’s strengths and weaknesses, which forges a strong bond, as long as you allow it to.”
“Believe me when I say that I want that.”
“Then you’ll have it,” Doc said. “Talk to you soon, Rand.”
“Thanks, Doc, I’ll talk to you as soon as I have an answer for you on the store supplies.”
“Perfect.”
Doc disconnected, leaving Rand to set up everything he’d need for working up a treatment plan. While he waited for the journals to arrive, he did some reaching out on his own to some of his professors at the university he’d attended—a medical college with a specific focus on shifter physiology. It was possible that one of them had encountered the condition in another species of shifters and maybe had come up with a successful treatment. Being as detailed as he could, he shared all the information he had on the case, aside from the names and pack, in the hopes of adding to the knowledge and information Doc had already come across.
By the time he was done, he noticed it was midafternoon, and he’d missed lunch. What he found in the kitchen brought a smile to his face, especially after what he’d told Doc about the way they looked out for him. There was a note on the counter where there was no chance of him missing it, telling him that there was a slice of pie, a bowl of fruit, and a sandwich waiting for him on the top shelf. Slices of carved turkey and goat cheese, topped with tomatoes, lettuce, and thick strips of bacon and been placed between two slices of the bread Slade had baked a few days before. He carried it to the table and sat down to take his time and enjoy both the food and the view, the sky having grown considerably darker than it had been earlier in the day.
Closing his eyes, he focused on his connection with Luka, still a little stronger than the one he had with Slade, to ask if they had noticed the sky and were on their way back.
We are. We didn’t spot any signs of game, so we did some ice fishing and got a bunch of trout. We also came across some grizzly tracks and followed them. It’s a good thing we did because it was prowling less than a quarter mile from one of the other cabins. We warned them, and they passed it along to their other neighbors, but it took us a bit out of the way. If you could please set up the table with some filet knives and brown wrapping paper, that would help us get them in the freezer faster. Could you put some water on for tea too? We’re both a little cold now with the wind whipping past on the snowmobile.
I will, and the table will be ready when you get home. How far out are you?
Twenty minutes at most. I’m curled up behind Slade, so he’s taking the brunt of the wind, which is getting colder. I can take care of the fish on my own if you can figure out a way to get him to come in and warm up, even if you have to disassemble something so he can fix it.
Anything in particular that won’t cause any damage?
The answer didn’t come right away, so Rand hurried to finish his lunch and was just heading out to get the processing table set up when Luka replied. Loosen enough screws on the bed that part of it collapses. Tell him you laid down to take a nap, and it just fell apart.
Won’t he think something’s up if the screws are just lying on the floor?
You can leave a few of them partially screwed in, so it looks like we just shook it apart with all the rolling around we’ve done on it.
Okay.
Luka fell silent again, leaving Rand to lay out everything for the fish quickly so he could take apart the bed. He was giggling as he did it, reminded of everything Slade said about Luka being a little shit. One side of the bed collapsed as the whine of the snowmobile reached his ears, and he quickly rocked the bed a few times, leaving it a bit cockeyed and listing.
He reached the garage as the door rumbled open, bitter cold accompanying them in. Luka had been right to be concerned. Even bundled into their thick snowsuits, with scarfs covering all but their eyes, Slade moved stiffly, and Rand hurried to his side to lend him some support as he slid off the machine.
“I’m good. I just need a minute and we can get them gutted and scaled,” Slade declared as Luka unstrapped the cooler of fish from the back and carried it to the table.
“If it’s okay with Luka, I sort of need you inside,” Rand said, trying to mimic Luka’s puppy-dog eyes, unsure if he was succeeding or failing when Slade didn’t react at all to them. “The bed kind of fell apart.”
“How can a bed kinda fall apart? It either did or it didn’t,” Slade grumbled, slowly unwrapping the scarf from around his face. The skin around his eyes was a little windburned, but that was fading.
“Well, half of it did,” Rand replied, already steering Slade toward the interior door, Luka winking at him as they went by.
“Do I even want to ask how half the bed fell apart?” Slade asked as he unzipped the snowsuit and struggled with it until Rand helped pull it off him.
“Well, unfortunately, it wasn’t anything as exciting as trying to tie myself to the headboard so the two of you could find me when you came home,” Rand said.
“Damn, now that could have been fun.”
“I tried to take a nap, but, apparently, the bed had other ideas.”
“Yeah, it looks like it did,” Slade responded, retrieving the toolbox Rand had almost forgotten to put back. His hands were shaky, though, as he fumbled with the latch, so Rand captured them between his and rubbed them to warm them up.
“Think you can fix it, or will we be spending the night on the couch tonight?” Rand asked.
“Oh, I’ll get it fixed. There isn’t enough room on the couch to hold one another as we fall asleep.”
The sentiment filled Rand with warm, fuzzy feelings. He loved the way they’d taken to falling asleep with their arms across Luka, fingers grazing each other’s sides, and their affectionate little wolf always seemed to find it easy to fall asleep that way. Not that he was going to be able to call Luka little for much longer, with the way he was filling out, though Rand suspected he’d always think of him that way.
When Slade determined his fingers were warm enough for him to try again, he took the screwdriver and lay down beside the wreckage to peer beneath the bed and immediately started laughing.
“What’s so funny?”
“From the looks of this, I’d say we shook the screws right out of the bed,” Slade said as he went to work putting them back in. “Of course, they had some help in that, didn’t they?”
“I…” Rand stammered.
“Luka put you up to this, didn’t he?”
“It was cold, and he was using you as a wind shield, so…”
Laughing, Slade just shook his head. “You conspired to get me to come in and warm up.”
“How’d you know the bed didn’t just fall apart on its own?”
Rolling, Slade waved two screwdrivers at him. The one he’d taken from the toolbox and the one Rand had accidentally left beneath the bed.
“Busted,” Rand admitted sheepishly.
“Uh-huh. Now I get to decide if I should throw you both over my knee and spank you until you’re squirming, or spank you and make Luka watch until he owns up to his part in it.”
“Do I get a vote?”
“Nope,” Slade replied, a twinkle in his eye before he rolled back over and got to work on the bed. “But you can pass those screws.”
Laughing, Rand did as he said, eager to find out if Slade was kidding, or if he really was going to spank them the way he kept threatening to do.
Chapter Twenty-Two
“GUESS WHAT THE storm blew in?” Slade’s dad asked as they got settled at the table, supplies unloaded and left in Rand’s care.
“Another one of those damned drones the humans are so fond of flying?” Slade asked, inhaling the steam from his tea.
“Not this time. Zane and his band came limping into town in a busted-up RV that had apparently been the victim of a few incidents along the way.”
Snorting, Slade shook his head. “Now that doesn’t surprise me. What did they do to it this time? Hit the runaway truck ramp sign or catch fire because someone got too drunk to pay attention while they were cooking?”
