Tim didn’t bother to acknowledge him other than to nod his thanks. As the door shut softly behind David, Tim pulled the chair close to Seb’s bedside and sat down, taking his hand again.
“I said”—Seb’s voice was a lot clearer this time—“I want you to bite me.”
“No.” Tim shook his head. “How much fucking morphine did they give you?” He moved to get up, intent on checking Seb’s chart, but Seb’s hand on his wrist stopped him.
“I’m serious.” Seb sounded steady enough, but it was obvious that keeping his eyes open was a struggle. “I want to help find my sister.” He pulled his hand free from Tim’s grasp and waved it down the length of his body. “I can’t fucking do it like this.”
“You don’t have to. Seb, we have people looking for her. They’ll find her.”
Seb tried to sit up again, and again Tim stopped him, but not before Seb winced in pain.
“Fuck.” He screwed his eyes shut, placing his palm against his ribs.
Tim could smell the pain rolling off him, and he couldn’t stop the small sound escaping.
Seb slid his hand back into Tim’s. “I felt so useless when Jared got hurt. There was nothing I could do to help him, and there was nothing I could do to help Kelly today.”
“None of that was your fault.”
“I know that. But it doesn’t change the fact that when it comes to protecting the people I love, I’m going to fail, every single time.”
“Sebast—”
“No!” Seb gripped Tim’s fingers, urging him to listen to him.
And God, part of Tim wanted to agree, say it was an excellent idea and he’d do it right now if Seb wanted. But… “You don’t want this.” He gestured to himself. “You saw what I turn into, didn’t you?”
“Yes.”
“You told me you never wanted to be a shifter, never wanted to be tied to one for life because of a bond you had no control over.” He looked Seb in the eyes, his heart beating so fast he’d be light-headed if he were human. “Has any of that changed?”
The sudden silence in the room was almost too much for him to bear.
But thankfully, Seb broke it. “Yes.”
Tim tried not to hold on too tightly, his fingers now curled around Seb’s. “Which bits?”
“I’m tired of not being enough, of never being enough. I’m three inches taller than you, for fuck’s sake, yet you make me feel small. You could probably pick me up with one hand.”
“Seb—”
“I want to be able to protect myself. I want to feel safe when I go home, or when I walk down the street to the fucking shop.” He took a shuddering breath and closed his eyes. “And at this minute, that’s the last thing I feel.”
“I can protect you—”
“I don’t want you to protect me!”
Tim felt the words like a physical blow. He sat back in his chair as though struck, and words flew out of his mouth, unfiltered. “Well, ifIbit you that’s exactly what would happen, whether you want it to or not. We’d be bonded,for life, or have you forgotten that part?”
Seb’s quiet, resigned “No” did nothing to appease Tim’s hurt.
“You would be my mate—to love and protect. And I’d be yours. And you’d want it. You’d be happy.”
He almost added “you’d love me,” but he couldn’t force the words past the lump in his throat. This was a conversation he never thought he’d get to have with Seb, and though he’d imagined it once or twice, it hadn’t gone like this.
“I haven’t forgotten.” Seb let go of his hand. He tried to shrug one shoulder, gasping at the obvious pain.
Tim was about to ask him if he was okay—Seb’s welfare took priority over everything else—but Seb’s next words floored him.
