Oh shit.
He didn’t so much kneel as collapse onto the floor beside them, unsure of which to touch first but desperate to see the damage that had been done.
Taggart, Taggart darlin’, it’s Daddy, I’m right here, can you look at me?He pleaded and only let out a relieved breath when Taggart twitched, and his head bobbed before their eyes met.
S-Soren!
Arlo’s eyes darted from his meerkat to his oxpecker mate’s ruffled feathers and dribble of blood near the edge of his beak. Arlo’s heart clenched despite feeling the connection, though weakened, it was there, which meant Soren was still breathing. As long as he kept doing so, everything else could be fixed, he assured himself.
I-I don’t even know if I should touch him.Arlo’s panicked thought got a sad-eyed expression.He’s so tiny, so fragile in this form.
He tried to protect me.Taggart’s teary voice filtering past his panic, his heart became gripped with terror at the thought of potentially losing them both.
Because he’s a brave bird and you were very brave, protecting him back here while we dealt with that, whatever the fuck he is.Arlo gave reassurance knowing they both needed it.
Why was he here? What did he want?
I don’t know, darlin’, but we are damned sure going to find out and make sure that nothing like this ever happens again.
As carefully as he could, Arlo brushed a fingertip along Soren’s body, trying to smooth one of the ruffled feathers back into place. He didn’t even twitch. The one tiny eye Arlo could see was closed. Hatred and fury boiled through him at the very thought of the stinking wretch in the center of the room as he vowed then and there to be the one to end him the moment his alpha gave the word.
Chapter Thirteen
Taggart
The house was full of rhinos, their scent similar to Arlo’s. They were watchful as Bash dragged the smelly man into the living area, where he dropped him unceremoniously on broken furniture. He couldn’t think about the damage to his space when his feet crunched over metal and plastic as he scampered after Arlo. Despite how tight his lungs felt when he moved, all Taggart could focus on was the tiny bird in Arlo’s hands as he carried himever so carefully into the kitchen. It fared a little better than the main room. But everything was a mess.
Whatever Soren had been cooking did not smell great, now it had gotten burned. The arid smell of smoke had Taggart decide to shift if only to turn off the stove. Naked, he blushed as he switched off the stove and turned to watch Arlo lay Soren on the table, feeling several gazes on him.
There was blood on his skin, and under his fingernails, and his mouth tasted like burned copper. He sniffed and wiped his hand over his mouth, attempting not to gag.
“Darlin’, I need a syringe to give Soren some water, and I need a fleece blanket to keep him warm. Can you find these for me?”
Taggart recalled he had a syringe when he needed to take medicine because he didn’t enjoy taking pills. “I got a syringe in the bathroom, Daddy.” He lopped out of the room, uncaring his dick wacked off his thigh. Taggart rushed into the bathroom, rifling through the cupboard above the sink, making things fall into the sink and clatter loudly. He ignored it and dashed into the bedroom to find his special blankie. He took but a second to grab a pair of shorts and slip them on, feeling just too vulnerable after everything to stay naked with the nasty soiling his home.
Dashing back into the kitchen, he didn’t yelp as a piece of metal dug into the sole of his foot, but it was close as he gave what he’d found to Arlo.
The room was silent as everyone watched as Arlo tucked the over-large blankie around Soren and then dripped water into his beak. “Come on, baby, Daddy needs you to open your eyes,” he encouraged softly.
At first there was nothing, then there was a whirring noise, slight but there. Moments passed as Taggart held his breath, which helped with the burning shards in his lungs, waiting.
He cried out when Soren opened one eye and moved his beak into Arlo’s large hand.
“That’s my brave boy. Daddy needs you to shift so I can see the damage. Come on,” he coaxed, as Soren gave a pitiful tweet.
“I need a cuddle,” Taggart rasped, his throat feeling painful as tears leaked down his cheeks. “Please.”
More moments passed as Soren moved within the blankie. Then there was Soren, one arm was purple with bruising. A torn and bleeding lower lip went with one puffy and swollen eye, yet his lips quivered into a smile. “I d-didn’t f-fly away, D-Daddy.”
Scooped up off the table, with Taggart’s blankie tucked around his waist, Soren buried his head into Arlo’s shoulder and reached out a trembling hand to Taggart. He took it and pressed it to his fast-beating heart, needing the contact. When it wasn’t enough, he wrapped himself around Soren and Arlo as best he could, allowing the tears to flow freely, the shock finally setting in. He shook as Arlo wrapped an arm around him and hugged them both tightly.
The door burst open behind them, making Taggart cling tighter as he felt Soren freeze. “Are you okay?” Cosmo demanded, his blond head bobbing in front of them as he jumped up and down to get a good look at them.
“What did we say about charging in?” Harley stated in a stern voice.
“I was worried, Daddy.” Cosmo didn’t sound happy.
“It’s okay,” Arlo murmured, “Cosmo, can you stop jumping, it’s making me dizzy.”
