I make him climb the stairs in front of me because I’m not entirely stupid. Most of the pack are already milling around outside the house. Everyone else is naked. I strip off my shirt and start undoing my fly when I catch Fitz’s expression. He is wide eyed, looking every which way as if he doesn’t know where to look. He already seems flustered enough by everyone else being naked. His nudity hang up really has to stop. In the meantime I can keep my jeans on to make him feel more comfortable.
“When Callum gets here we will shift,” I explain.
I don’t know how other packs do it, but we wait for our Alpha to take the lead.
Fitz’s eyes grow even bigger. “You are all going to shift?” Then he seems very distracted by my naked chest.
I frown at his question, but just then, the moon breaks free of the clouds and her silver light illuminates Fitz. His hair practically sparkles and his pale skin glows. He looks ethereal and beautiful. His emerald eyes as vivid as the jewels they represent.
My arms catch him before I realize what is happening. He is jerking and spasming in my arms. The eyes I were just admiring are rolled back until only white is showing. Froth begins to form in the corner of his mouth.
“Henry!” I bellow for the healer.
I’m running and I don’t know where I’m going until I arrive at my room. Laying Fitz down on the bed I yell for Henry again, but he is already right outside my door.
He rushes straight over to Fitz and starts examining him, while I wait with bated breath.
“What’s wrong!” I snap.
“His body is trying to shift but can’t.”
The horror of it steals my breath. I can’t fathom not being able to shift, there can’t be any worse fate for a shifter. My mind spins. Is this what the collar prevented? Did it keep his body from destroying itself trying to reach its other form? The collar I had removed against his will?
“Do something!” I snarl, as if it is the healer’s fault.
Henry flashes me an angry look. “I can’t”
I pace the room frantically. Uselessly. Impotently.
I can’t believe for one moment that the vile collar was good for him. Instead, it must have damaged him. Impeded his nature for so long that now his wolf is trapped within him. It was still stupid of me to get Callum to remove it. It had been a hasty action. Without thought of the consequences. And now Fitz is suffering. Fitz is in danger.
My hands are pulling at my hair and strange whining noises are coming out of my throat. Henry is examining Fitz some more and I silently will him to find a cure. The healer looks over his shoulder at me.
“Distract his body with the moon’s other pull.”
My mouth drops open. I can’t have heard that correctly. The moon calls her children to shift or fuck when she is full. Henry can’t mean for me to touch Fitz like that when he is all but unconscious.
The healer purses his lips. “Fine, I’ll get Callum to do it.”
He brushes past me and my arm grabs his. “No,” I hear myself growl. The thought of Callum or anyone else laying a finger on Fitz is quite simply the most abhorrent image I have ever had. It cannot happen. It will not happen. Over my dead body.
“Get on with it then,” says Henry as he yanks his arm free and stomps out of the room.
On the bed Fitz is still writhing, though not as harshly as he was outside. Hurriedly, I close the curtains. It seems the less moonlight the better.
I climb onto the bed and wrap my arms around him. If I can stop his thrashing, he might feel better. So I smoosh his face against my chest and hold on to him. It’s working. His jerky, uncoordinated flailing is calming down.
He rubs his face against my chest. His arms reach up and entwine around my neck. His whole body presses close to me.
“Jake,” he murmurs just before he starts licking my chest.
“Oh,” is the only thought in my head for quite some time.
Chapter eleven
Fitzcontinuestorasphis warm wet tongue over my chest. He is warm and wriggling in my arms. The aroma of his arousal, all entwined with his delicious omega smell, along with his own unique scent, fills my lungs and makes my head spin. Together with the pull of the moon, it’s a heady combination.
For him to have reacted so swiftly to me means only one thing. He wants me. Fitz desires me. The moon cannot enhance what is not there. Despite everything I’ve done to him, Fitz craves my touch.
