Sam’s head snapped up, eyes widening. “We’re not… we’re not mated.”
Lucifer shrugged, seeming not to care despite his eyes flicking to Alice. Sam wanted to snap back that he would never mate, but he couldn’t seem to get the words past his tongue. Not when all his energy needed to be on finding Axel.
Fuck!
“How long have I been out?” The marks on his arm looked days old, yet the memory of his father’s claws was fresh. “When can I shift?”
“Two days,” Lucy said when Alice hesitated. “You can’t shift until the metal’s out your system according to the man in the white coat.”
Alice shot Lucifer a glare.
“What?” he said with a frown. “Look at him? He’s going to do something stupid and honestly, I’m here for it.”
“Two days? They’ve been gone for two fucking days?” Sam was steady when he moved, brushing past Alice to find the bathroom.
“Sam, you’re supposed to rest.” Alice followed, but he ignored her as he turned on the shower and stepped inside.
He didn’t give a shit about his nudity, and neither did Alice as he swallowed his pained growl. The water cascaded over him, but he couldn’t tell whether it was hot or cold as his entire body rejected the sensation.
“Jax said he’s working on finding them, we just have to wait.”
“Yeah, because we can trust Jax,” Lucifer said, and Sam looked up from between the wet strands of his hair to find him standing beside Alice. “Hurry up and heal, and we’ll go get him.”
“I swear Luce, if you carry on, I’m going to fucking bind you to a circle and leave you there.” She pointed towards his chest, his height dwarfing hers and yet Sam would put money on her every single time.
“Don’t tease me with a good time,Little War,” Lucifer grinned, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “Jax is taking too long, we need to get them before it’s too late.”
Before it’s too late.Sam ignored the pain as he wiped down his entire body, the water as his feet like oil.
“Do you even know where they are,Xahenort?” Alice said, using his summoning name, the one no one was supposed to know. “Or are you just reacting because your plan with Axel failed?”
Anger burned through Lucifer, his horns piercing through his hair as he snarled. “It didn’t fail. The goal was to rescue Sam, as you can see Sam is currently very much fucking rescued.”
“Yes, because Axel and Titus being taken was exactly what was supposed to happen!”
“It wasn’t my fault I was attacked by three fucking hellhounds! Do you know how hard it is to get unhallowed blood out of leather? Besides, I didn’t know Ti was going to shoot up the place. He wasn’t even supposed to be there!”
“Enough,” Sam grunted, barely heard above the water.
“If you want someone to blame, blame him,” Lucy continued, crossing his arms like a petulant child.
“This is exactly why you’re supposed to tell someone else about your stupid fucking plan!” Alice said, sparks dancing between her fingers. “You and Axel are both morons.”
Ignoring them arguing Sam began to shift, the familiar ache a comfort as he concentrated on the change.
“This is the thanks I get for saving –”
Alice’s shout hurt his enhanced hearing. “Sam! Really?”
Sam rolled his shoulders, feeling every bone click into their new position. His fur was the correct colour as he stretched, claws extending out before retracting into his paws. Tail swishing, he turned to check the rest of his body, relaxing for the first time since he’d woken. He looked exactly as he should.
Alice reached into the shower to turn off the water. “What a surprise, you’re pushing yourself.”
A knock, Sam’s ear twitching as Riley called through. “He up?”
Alice frowned, tiredness lining her face. “In here.”
Riley appeared seconds later, looking between Sam and Lucy before landing on Alice, dark brow raised. “We’re heading out in an hour.”
