“Just drunk.”
“Mm-hmm.” Jared turned away towards the still-open front door. “Nathan, get in here and help me get him upstairs.”
Seb shivered again as a gust of wind ruffled his shirt; he frowned. No wonder he was cold, the front door was bloody open.
Nathan appeared next to him moments later, and the next thing Seb knew, he was gently lifted off the floor.
“I can walk,” he muttered.
Both Jared and Nathan ignored him.
“Everything clear out there?” Jared asked.
Nathan grunted in affirmation. He adjusted his hold on Seb as they manoeuvred into Seb’s bedroom. “Their scent is all over the place. I doubt very much this was the first time they’ve been here.”
Seb groaned, aware enough to know what was coming as they lowered him onto his bed.
“Yeah, you fucking should groan,” Jared grumbled as he carefully unlaced Seb’s shoes. His tone was a sharp contrast to the gentleness of his actions.
As Jared eased Seb’s left shoe off, pain rocketed through his ankle and he hissed.
“Fuck, sorry. We’ll discuss this when you’re sober.”
Talking of which…
Seb opened one eye, wincing at the harsh overhead light in his bedroom until Jared huffed and turned it off, opting for the muted glow of the bedside lamp instead. “How come you’re not wasted?” he asked Jared. “We drank the same.”
Jared shrugged. “I guess what little bit of shifter DNA I have dilutes the effects quickly.” He unceremoniously undid Seb’s belt buckle, followed by the button on his jeans. “Or maybe it was hearing a shifter outside my best friend’s door and then him dropping the phone with a pained cry.”
He tugged on Seb’s zip with a little more force, and Seb slapped his hand over Jared’s. “I didn’t drop the phone.”
It made sense in his head, but judging from the look Jared gave him, perhaps it wasn’t the correct response. “And stop undressing me with your boy in the room.”
As expected, Nathan glared at him. He hated when Seb called him that, so naturally Seb tried to slip it into conversation as much as he could get away with.
“Behave,” Jared chastised, but he motioned for Nathan to leave them alone. When he took Seb’s jeans off, he was as careful as he could be, but it still hurt. “Anywhere else hurt? Or is it just your head and ankle?”
Seb pointed to his right hand. “Wrist’s a bit sore.”
He settled back into the pillows and closed his eyes. Hopefully, Jared wouldn’t try and take off his shirt, because he was far too comfy to move.
“Seb?” A gentle shake on his shoulder. “Hey, Sebastian?” Soft fingers tilted his chin up. “Can you open your eyes for me?”
With great effort, Seb opened one eye and struggled to focus on the man in front of him. Curly black hair and blue eyes were all he could make out with his vision still a little blurry. Blinking rapidly to clear it, he smiled as recognition dawned.
Doctor Tim Walters. The Regent’s Park pack doctor.
“There you are.” Tim smiled back at him and let go of Seb’s chin to inspect the bump on his head.
“Ow.”
“You’ve got quite a lump there, but I don’t think it’s serious. At worst a very mild concussion.”
The throbbing in Seb’s temple begged to differ. He had to swallow a couple of times to get moisture into his mouth. Wow, that was unpleasant. The nasty taste along with his furry tongue made him grimace.
Thankfully, Tim handed him a glass of water. “Here.”
Cold and refreshing, so he emptied the glass in four swallows.So much better.“Thanks.”
