The guy was closer now, and Taggart couldn’t concentrate on giving Arlo an answer when the man smelled even worse up close. “No, I don’t. You’ll need to go outside.” He worked to keep the tremor out of his voice. He didn’t look at the bathroom door to his left, unable to remember if he’d shut the door the last time he’d been in there and possibly making a liar of him. But Taggart’s senses were now fully on alert. He might be big, butTaggart was not a fighter, never had been. All he could do was shift and run. In his meerkat form, he was fast.
Debating for a second longer when the guy's eyes narrowed on him, Taggart didn’t have time to shift as Arlo charged down the hall so fast, he was more a blur.
“Who the fuck told you it was alright to walk in the house without an invite?” he demanded before he’d even come to a full stop, stepping in front of Taggart. He reached a hand back, and Taggart took it and gave it a squeeze.I’m alright, Daddy. But there’s something off with this guy, and he smells funky.
His heart was beating twice as fast as normal as the guy made an ugly snorting sound.
“Can’t a person even take a fucking leak on the job? What kind of setup is this?”
Taggart couldn’t see the guy's face past Arlo’s broad back, so he wasn’t sure what he was referring to. It could have been the work or Taggart’s computers. No one got to come in here because he didn’t like to answer questions about what he did. Was the guy spying?
“There’s a portable toilet block set up outside,” Arlo answered in a tone that chilled Taggart’s bare skin. “You’d know that if you were working this job. Who the fuck are you and what are you doing in my mate's home?”
Taggart found his hand released, and then all hell broke loose.
Soren
Seeing Arlington crash through the house in a blur of speed was scary, but feeling his mate’s fear in his head was downright terrifying. Every fight or flight instinct Soren had screamed, ‘fly high and look for a place to hide’. Only he couldn’t, because the last time he’d done that he’d emerged to discover that he’d lost everything. Instead, he shifted and flew down the hall, one wing got clipped when a whirling mass of fists and fury caughthim when he failed to dodge properly, so hell-bent on getting to Taggart.
He had no clue what he was going to do when he did and the tip of his wing throbbed with every flap, but he kept flapping until he saw Taggart and landed right on his mates’ shoulder, chirping up a storm while forgetting that Taggart wouldn’t be able to understand him.
When Taggart’s trembling hand reached up to touch him, he all but fell off his mate’s shoulders and into his hands, his tiny body quivering as they listened to the sound of Arlington and the other person wrestling around.
Fear.
All he felt was fear.
His fear, Taggart’s fear, they ramped up into a raging ball of sheer and utter panic and dread as he pressed his little beak to Taggart’s chest when Arlo bellowed so loud it shook the room.
He couldn’t do this, couldn’t be here.
But he couldn’t leave his mate either.
Wouldn’t.
So scared.
This is my safe space!
This isn’t supposed to happen in my safe space.
Taggart’s voice in his head sounded as panicked as he felt, and Soren twittered once again, then took a breath and focused.
Daddy, Daddy will make it all okay.Soren aimed at Taggart with his first moment of focus since he’d flown past the fight taking place in the hall.He has to, right?
He could hear the sounds moving further away, but there were still crashes and shattering, like things being broken.
Not another home.
Was it him?
Had this person followed him here?
Oh Goddess.
No. No. No.
He’d been so careful to get lost. He’d watched and checked the cars in each parking lot to make sure he’d never seen them before.
