“Was that really necessary?” Nathan ground out, his voice rougher than usual.
Seb didn’t miss the way he’d moved closer to Jared.
Tim shrugged, unrepentant. “I think so.” He stood tall, shoulders back and chin tilted up. Jared had apparently done a good job ruffling his feathers, or, more appropriately, hisfur. “I might be the pack doctor, and that position requires me to heal people rather than hurt or intimidate, but I am still a member of this pack, first and foremost. And as such I would protect any member of it with my life. For you to suggest otherwise is incredibly insulting, to say the least.”
Never one to know when to be quiet, Jared blurted, “But Seb’s not pack.”
Seb flinched. That comment stung, but he wasn’t exactly sure why, because Jared was right—he wasn’t pack.
Nathan huffed, and Tim’s lips twitched as if fighting a smile. “You told our alpha that Sebastian was like family to you. Or am I mistaken?”
Jared flushed and looked down at the floor. Seb grinned as warmth replaced the hurt of moments before. “Yeah,” Jared said, so softly that Seb struggled to hear him.
“So as Nathan’s mate, anyone you class as family is automatically under the Regent’s Park pack’s protection.” Tim spoke slowly as though explaining to a child.
Seb’s grin widened. Jared liked to think he knew everything about shifters now, but he obviously hadn’t known that.
“Why didn’t you tell me?” Jared glared at Nathan and hit him on the arm. “For fuck’s sake.”
Nathan glared back at him, not so much as flinching. “I thought it was obvious.”
“Well, not to me.”
Jared sighed and rubbed at his eyes. It made Seb feel tired suddenly, and he couldn’t suppress the yawn that followed. Finally, Jared’s shoulders sagged and he sat on the edge of the bed, carefully avoiding Seb’s injured foot.
“I’m sorry, Tim. I didn’t mean to imply that you weren’t capable, and I know I overreacted, but I also have first-hand experience of what shifters can do to a human.” He rubbed at his shoulder, and Seb immediately felt guilty for forgetting. Of course, Jared would react that way. “The thought that one or more shifters from another pack are harassing Seb scares the shit out of me.”
Tim’s whole posture changed and he relaxed against the wall with a short nod. “I understand. But you can trust me to keep him safe.”
Seb lay there feeling like a damsel in distress. A flare of irritation spiked in his chest. “And I repeat,I am right here, guys. I might not have any freaky shifter DNA in my blood, but you can’t discuss me as though my opinion counts for fuck all. For once, this is all about me.”
The sparkle in Tim’s eyes as he met Seb’s gaze shouldn’t have been so appealing. Seb looked away quickly, concentrating on the bandage covering his wrist as Tim spoke.
“So, Seb… are you okay for me to take you to hospital, or do you want Jared and Nathan to come too?”
Without looking up, Seb said, “There’s no point in everyone going.” He did glance up then and give Jared the best smile he could manage. “Go home. I’ll call you later.”
“You’d better,” Jared grumbled. “And don’t think this discussion’s finished by any means. I want to know everything—”
Seb held up his hand to interrupt. “Yeah, yeah, I get it. But not now, okay?”
“Right. Glad we got that sorted.” Tim rubbed his hands together. Seb got the feeling he wanted to shoo Nathan and Jared out of the flat, but he didn’t do that. Instead he pointed at Seb’s bare legs. “Let’s get some clothes on you, and then we can go.”
Chapter Two
“Here, let me help.” Tim wrapped his arm around Seb’s waist and hoisted him to his feet, startling a laugh out of him.
“I always forget just how strong you lot are.”
Tim smiled and angled him towards the bedroom door. With Seb flush against his side like that, it was impossible not to breathe in his scent. Though heavily laced with the alcohol he’d drunk earlier, faint traces of Seb’s underlying scent filtered through and Tim inhaled deeply. He knew better than to do it, of course. Jared had made it clear on many occasions that Seb wasn’t interested in shifters—for reasons Tim wasn’t privy to—but Tim couldn’t help himself. Seb smelled good.
Jared and Nathan had finally left about five minutes before; otherwise Nathan would no doubt be giving him a warning glare right about now. Seb might not recognise that Tim was effectively scenting him, but Nathan would have. Probably Jared too. He turned his head away from Seb’s neck and temptation, then guided him out of the bedroom.
They stopped at the top of the stairs. Seb leaned into him, his good arm slung a little awkwardly around Tim’s shoulder and his ankle held off the ground. The staircase wasn’t wide enough to easily accommodate two grown men walking side by side.
Tim sighed. “I could carry you down.” He fully expected Seb to scoff and tell him where he could stick that suggestion, but it was met with silence. “Sebastian?”
“It looks such a bloody long way down, and my ankle is fucking killing….” The resigned huff that accompanied that statement sent warm air ghosting across the side of Tim’s neck; he fought back a shiver.
