Biology or love, Matthias is mine.He’s always been mine, whether he claimed me or not.And I won’t let him die.
Matthias
I take a shower, leaving the water cold, hoping to shock myself into feeling better.Or at least different.Anything but this.The pain of knowing I hurt my mate kills me.
When I get out and put some clothes on, I find the twins haven’t left.Teddy’s built a fire in my fireplace, and Darius is frying a slab of salmon on the stove.
The scent of freshly cooked fish re-wakens my bear, though, and I trip, half shifting to bear form and falling to my knees before gaining control again.
“Matthias, what the fuck?”Darius demands twisting from the stove.“You’ve nearly lost it, man.”
“Give him some food,” Teddy directs, holding a plate out.
Darius slides half the salmon steak onto a plate, and Teddy puts it on the table, helping me sit.
My hands transform to claws as I snatch up the food, my fangs lengthening to chew.The fish tastes amazing.I must have forgotten to eat anything these past few days.I scarf down my plate, and hunch my back to lower my head and lick it clean.
When I look up, Teddy and Darius are exchanging glances.
“What?”It comes out more of a grunt.
“I’ve never seen you like this,” Teddy says.
“You look bad, man.”
I growl and keep licking my plate clean.Then I drop it and wipe a hand across my mouth.It feels weird being in man form.But it’s nice having opposable thumbs.My belly is full, even though my upper chest cavity feels empty.I try to grunt, “Thank you” but it comes out as a bear growl.
Still, Darius gets the meaning.“Anytime.You’d do the same for us.”
“Hell, you have.”Teddy leans back in his chair, propping it on two back legs.“I never thought I’d see you acting like…”
“Like us,” Darius says.I know they’re in sync when they stop fighting and start finishing each other’s sentences.
But it’s annoying.I want them to fight.I want to fight them, use up this useless energy crawling beneath my skin.
Maisy Maisy Maisy?—
“Matthias!”
My ears ring like Teddy’s been calling my name for some time.
“You need to get it together,” he says.“You’re going feral.”
Darius says, “You’re better than this.”
I shrug.What does it matter?I lost Maisy.
“Mom’s worried about you.”Darius plays the guilt card.“She told us about the shifter cancer.”
I pause at that.They know?
“You shouldn’t have taken all of that on yourself, Matthias,” Darius says.
“Yeah,” Teddy agrees.“But she still needs you.What if she comes out of remission?”
“If you don’t care about us, or Mom, think of Maisy.You don’t want her to see you like this.”
“She’s not going to.See me.”
