“Gross, Mal.” She chuckled, swiping away the slobber with her sleeve. “Beserious, you bad dog.”
Sitting back on his haunches, Malachi wheezed out a laughing bark. Closing his eyes, he shifted back to man form. When he opened them again, he was kneeling before her, naked. “Shit,” he muttered, grabbing a pillow to cover his nether region. “Forgot about the clothes part. Uh, sorry.” Even though it had been calculated, and he wasn’t the least embarrassed, he put on a good show of blushing. Scrambling to cover himself further with a throw pulled from the sofa, he groaned in what he knew was a convincing manner. Although his motions seemed panicked and quick, he’d actually dawdled some, giving her a slight nudge of his incubus power to enhance her desire for him before he finally got the blanket in place.
Chuck swallowed hard, the sound as loud as an explosion in the silence surrounding them like a heavy cocoon. Neither moved.
Finally, Malachi gave her a sheepish grin. “I’ll just, uh, change back now. If you’re sure you’re comfortable that I can change at will now. I don’t want to worry you, Chuck.”
“Yep, changing is good. Fur or clothes, you pick,” she blurted, her aura turning bright orange with her embarrassment, but he didn’t miss the dark red streaks of lust swirling amongst it.
“Which makes you happier, Chuck?” he asked softly, lifting one hand as if he would touch her, then bit his lip as if he’d thought better of it and lowered it. “I think my human form makes you uncomfortable. Maybe it’s better if I stay fluffy.” His tone was gentle, conveying no judgment for her answer. He smiled slightly, just a small quirk of his lips, but it was the sadness in his eyes that he couldn’t hide that had her moving closer.
Gently, she ran her fingers over his cheek. “Malachi, I’m sorry. I’m a shit friend.” She shook her head and huffed out a rueful laugh when he started to speak. “No, I am. I shouldn’t be making you doubt something like that. Of course I want you to be in your human form as much as you want to. I appreciate that you’re willing to play K-9 for a little while until we figurethis out. Please don’t ever think you need to be something or someone else for me. I… care about you a lot, and I just want you to be happy. So, I mean it, Mal, you pick.”
Slowly, he leaned against her palm. “Thanks for that. For what it’s worth, I think that makes you a great friend, Kelly.”
Her eyes widened slightly as he used her actual name instead of the masculine nickname her squad gave her.
Rising to his feet, adjusting the blanket around his waist, he held out a hand to help her stand as well. She reached her shaking hand to grip his, then grunted in surprise when he pulled her up so fast she stumbled into him.
“Sorry.” He grimaced. “I forget my strength in this form. It’s a whole mindset change.” Glancing down into her shocked face, he studied her parted lips. “Kelly?” He smirked slightly, lifting one corner of his lips, his dimple flashing.
“Yeah?”
“If you’ll let go of the blanket, I’ll go get dressed again. Unless you want to keep it in here, in which case I guess I can walk back naked.” He grinned this time, a devilish gleam in his eyes and an exaggerated wiggle of his eyebrows.
Snorting, she smacked him on the chest and laughed. “You’re awful! Bad dog!” she chastised teasingly. Leaning back, she let go of the blanket and waved him away. “Go, get dressed. I’m going to get ready for bed. This day has worn me out, and we’ve got an early shift tomorrow.”
Saluting her mockingly, he spun on his heel and marched to his room again, chuckling the whole way.
Hours after they’d all gone to their rooms, Malachi lay in his bed staring at the dark ceiling. Beside him, Reena snored with her raspy little wheeze. She’d dragged her doggie bed into his room with determination, growling at the stubborn material when it caught on the door frame.
Laughing, he’d picked it up and set it at the foot of his bed, shrugging sheepishly at Chuck’s wry smile as she watched.
Arms crossed under her breasts; she’d looked a little lonely. She studied the two of them sitting together, then glanced across the hall at her now quieter room. With a sigh and a small shake of her head, she called a soft good night before she hurried to her door, closing it gently behind her. It was quick, but Malachi had seen a flash of sadness cross her features. The slight pinch to her eyes, the downward turn of her lips, spoke volumes even though it was gone as quickly as it appeared.
Groaning, Malachi scrubbed his hands over his face. He couldn’t sleep. It was as elusive as a virgin in Hell. Turning on his side, he stared through his open door at Chuck’s. He frowned, recalling yet again the war of emotions surging through her as she went to bed. What her face didn’t show, her aura revealed clearly. A heavy sigh escaped his lips. He didn’t want to push her too hard, but he hated leaving her this conflicted. Now, he felt like a first-class asshole, something he’d never experienced before. He wanted to help her—just one more first.
Sitting up and staring harder at her door, he came to a decision. He gently gathered Reena’s bed in his arms to avoid waking her. Muffling his footsteps, he crept to Chuck’s door and eased it open, wincing at the slight squeak of the hinges. He glared at them for their audacity andsilently vowed to end the rust’s existence by drowning it in oil first thing tomorrow.
Moving nearer to the bed, he noted with relief that she was still asleep. It sent a pang through his chest when he reached the edge and saw how the sheet was twisted around her legs. She was frowning, and he could tell she was not sleeping peacefully. With painstaking slowness, he eased Reena’s bed to the floor and straightened, watching Chuck roll to her back with a groan and grimace.
Cursing himself for wanting to kiss away that frown, he began slipping off his clothes before he shimmered into dog form. With a light leap, he landed on the bed like a cloud and gently crept to her side. He froze when a flailing hand smacked into his fur, and she jolted. Then she sighed and murmured, “Malachi,” with a curve of her lips before peacefully dropping back into deeper sleep.
Watching to see if she would stir again, he quietly lay next to her and nuzzled her shoulder. A soft arm crept over his back as she turned and snuggled against him. A definite smile now lifted her mouth, and the crease between her eyebrows smoothed out. With a contented deep breath, he closed his eyes and let sleep overtake him. He knew his dreams would be better this night because Chuck was here to keep him safe.
It's Not Theft, It's Borrowing
“Malachi!” came a deafening screech that jolted him awake, heart thundering, instincts on high alert, ready to tear apart whoever had dared to threaten Chuck. Sitting bolt upright, he glared around the room, prepared to sink his fangs into the intruder. Seeing no one, he paused in confusion and ran a hand through his thick, wavy hair. As his fingers tangled, his entire body froze, and sick dread churned his stomach. Hand. Hair. It should have been paw. Fur.
Glancing down at the sheet pooled around his waist, Malachi slowly turned his head towards Chuck. He was pretty sure he knew now why she’d shrieked. “Um…” He curved his lips slightly, flashing his dimple, hoping it would help. “Good morning?”
A wheezy laugh from Reena was the only sound that followed his greeting.
Clearing his throat, he scooted away from Chuck slightly. “This isnotwhat it looks like,” he pleaded, holding his hands up defensively.
Chuck stared at him with wide eyes before her lips curled up into a wicked grin. “Really? Malachi? Really? Because I’m pretty sure it looks likeI went to bed alone and just woke up to you in bed with me. Naked. So, if not that, then what?”
Raking both hands through his hair, then rubbing them over his chin, he chuckled low. “Okay, fair, it is what it looks like. But not why!”
