Remington smirked. “Maybe some clothes would help, though.”
Nishiki blushed and used his golden hair as a curtain to cover himself.
Sage laughed. “Aw, c’mon, it’s part of shifter culture. None of us care about nudity.”
Remington rolled his eyes before fetching Nishiki some spare clothes we kept on hand. He quickly changed into them. They were a bit loose for his lithe frame but suited him handsomely.
“I’d like to keep the clothes on, please,” Nishiki mumbled.
When we were finally ready, our rag-tag group headed down towards the town. Remington carried the wide-eyed Starry carefully in his jaws so Sage could save his energy. Our baby kitten was awed by the world, too excited by all the new sights and smells to fuss. I purred in my throat as I watched her.
“Aw, whose purring?” Sage teased, bumping his shoulder against me.
“Me.” I bumped him back and purred louder.
He licked my cheek and I licked him back with my rougher cat tongue. If Remington wasn’t carrying Starry in his jaws, I’m sure he would’ve groaned in exasperation at our PDA.
“Fascinating that you two are different species, yet you can still be mates,” Nishiki remarked. His breathing was quickened, since he had to keep pace with the rest of us on four legs, but I was surprised to see he managed quite well. He was a fit young alpha, no matter what form he took. “There’s obviously a lot I have to learn.”
“You’ll get the hang of it,” Sage promised.
It was evening by the time we reached town, giving us the stealth advantage. As usual, we rounded back around Remington’s manor, which loomed at the very edge of the town.
“I want to check inside, just in case he’s still here,” Remington said out of the corners of his mouth. He sounded so silly speaking from around kitten scruff that Sage giggled. “What?”
“Nothing.”
Remington took the lead, so he handed Starry to me. She hung adorably in my jaws and didn’t make a peep, almost as if she enjoyed being carried around. After listening for any sign of life, Remington slipped into the side door. Or at least, itusedto be a door. It had been shattered to splinters. Remington gave me a look.
“Sorry,” I mumbled. “It was the heat of the moment.”
Now it was Sage’s turn to giggle at my funny-sounding voice instead.
Remington sighed and stepped inside, careful not to get a splinter in his paws. Sage bounded in beside him and took a moment to scent the air.
“I can still smell Nero,” Sage announced. “I don’t think it’s recent, but I definitely recognize it.”
“But that was months ago,” Nishiki said, surprised. “You can still sense it?”
Sage nodded and gestured to the floor. “His sweat is still here, dried in the floorboards. It had a distinct fear-scent. I didn’t notice it at the time since I was busy struggling with my heat.”
I winced. I probably hadn’t noticed it because I was distracted by it as well. Sage’s heat scent smothered everything else and turned my brain to mush.
“That’s kind of gross, but indeed helpful,” Nishiki remarked.
Sage pawed at the floor, as if trying to unearth more notes. “Hm… There’s nothing recent. I’m guessing he left after he woke up from you knocked him out, Xander.”
Nishiki shot me a glance and I winced again.
“I’m sorry,” I said.
He sighed, thankfully sounding more amused than angry. “It’s all right. It wouldn’t be the first time he’s gotten into trouble.”
“Thereisa scent trail that leads outside,” Sage said. “Two, actually. One that goes into town and the other going out of it. The first must be when Xander carried Nero outside.”
“I smell them, too. I’ll go follow the one leading outside,” Remington suggested. “You guys check the one in town.”
We agreed and split up. As we approached the town, I stuck close to Sage. I didn’t expect much trouble, and certainly nothing we couldn’t easily deal with, but my instinct to protect him flared up. Maybe it was being reminded of the night we met. I rested my tail over his back as we walked to let him know I was there for him.
