“We’ll have someone take them back to the pack,” Mathlin said, wrapping up the brownie squares and labeling them with the batch number. “It’s great that this is helping you.”
Titan’s smile sent warmth blooming through his chest.
“I’m thankful that you know all this about herbs and healing, you know,” the alpha said thoughtfully. “I don’t like the circumstances that made you learn them, but... you’ve been helping a lot.”
Mathlin had been healing Titan’s arm—the one with the broken bones. It was coming along well, and if Mathlin kept it up, Titan might even regain the use of his left arm by the end of next week.
“I’ve been thinking, though,” Titan said. “Your... master. Your captor. How likely is it that he’ll come looking for you?”
Mathlin’s stomach twisted. “I try not to think about it,” he mumbled, shuffling his feet. “It’s been years. He’s probably found someone else to enslave, right?”
Titan narrowed his eyes. “I’ll talk to Uriel about setting up some protections for you. Does he have a name?”
“Valberdon,” Mathlin mumbled. “Like someone decided to mash some names together.”
The fact that Titan thought it necessary to protect against Valberdon... That was enough to make his stomach squirm. Mathlin remembered the beatings the wizard had given him, the snide looks and cruel words—when Mathlin wasn’t fast enough, when he didn’t do things correctly enough.
It had been years. Surely Valberdon had forgotten about him.
“Oh, sweetheart. I’m sorry.” Titan stepped closer, crowding Mathlin against the counter. He wrapped his bandaged arm around Mathlin and pulled Mathlin flush against his chest.
“You shouldn’t be using that arm,” Mathlin mumbled, even as he rubbed his face against Titan’s pecs.
“I don’t see you protesting too hard,” Titan said dryly, petting Mathlin’s back. “Besides, I want you to feel safe. I’m sorry for bringing it up.”
Mathlin drew a shaky breath. “Is it okay if I hide for a while?”
Jannie was napping in her playpen; Twin Buns’ baked goods were all out of the ovens and in the display cases. No one needed Mathlin right now.
“Of course,” Titan murmured. “How can I help?”
Mathlin shook his head. He reached inward, to the part of him that was lazy afternoons spent in puddles of sunlight. The shift stole over his body. Black fur sprouted across his skin; his limbs shrank, and his sense of smell grew sharper.
He fumbled blindly against the clothes trapping him, yowling when he couldn’t find his way out.
The shirt lifted away. When Mathlin looked up, he found Titan crouched over him, huge and friendly-looking.
Titan inhaled slowly, his gaze raking over Mathlin from head to tail. “You’re gorgeous, sweetheart. Can I pet you?”
“Yeah,” Mathlin said, purring when one large hand scritched behind his ears and stroked down his back. It feltamazing.“You’re still not supposed to use that arm.”
Titan huffed. He swept Mathlin onto his generous lap and kept up the petting; his hand was so big that it spanned both sides of Mathlin’s body, reaching everything all at once.
“This is so good,” Mathlin said with a shiver. “It’s like a full body massage.”
“Hmm,” Titan rumbled. “We could try that sometime, when my arms are healed.”
Mathlin settled in and purred. It was a long while before he got tired of the petting, but when he did, he scampered up Titan’s chest and perched on his shoulder, sinking his claws through Titan’s shirt to help keep his balance. “Oops. I might be ruining your shirt.”
Titan laughed quietly and stood. He wastall.From his shoulder, Mathlin could seeeverything,more than what he could with his own human height.
“Walk around the bakery,” Mathlin said excitedly. “This is amazing. It’s like I’m a giant!”
Titan obliged, taking him through every single room. His alpha brothers had come in earlier this week and removed the pink satin curtains covering the walls, providing so much hilarious commentary that Mathlin had rolled around the floor with laughter.
“I’m glad Twin Buns no longer looks like the inside of an ass,” Mathlin said. “That was really bad.”
“You say that, but I’m sure Hamilton will find every chance to put those curtains back up.”
