I paused, gathering my thoughts before moving on to the more personal aspects of club dynamics.
"Most important thing you need to understand about our club is that we've got several mated pairs." I watched his face carefully as I continued. "That's rare in some shifter communities, but we've been lucky. Bug is mated to Bear—found each other about a year ago. Bug was living on the streets before that, had a rough past. Bear's protective as hell of him now."
Liam's eyes widened slightly, perhaps recognizing similarities between Bug's story and his own.
"Then there's Doc—Henry, the guy who stitched me up tonight. He's mated to Gunner. Interesting pair, those two. Henry was a regular human doctor until he discovered his twin brother was actually a shifter, and so was he. Long story." I waved my hand dismissively. "They're solid together, though. Balance each other out."
I shifted again, trying to ease the ache in my temples before continuing.
"Butch is mated to Treat, and they've got Doby—little bear cub, just a toddler. Sweet kid, though he can throw one hell of a tantrum when he doesn't get his juice." I smiled at the thought. "Treat was in a bad way when Butch found him. He'd been running for a long time, protecting Doby. Now they're family."
Liam was watching me intently, absorbing every word. There was something almost hungry in his expression—not for food, but for understanding. For connection, maybe, though he might not recognize that himself yet.
"And then there's Gearhead and Percy. Another rescue situation. Percy's a fox shifter. He was hiding from his old skulk—fox clan—when Gearhead found him. Or more accurately, stalked him for months before making contact." I chuckled. "Not the approach I'd recommend, but it worked out for them."
I leaned forward, ignoring the way it made my vision swim slightly. "That just leaves you," I said softly. "And you're mine."
The words hung in the air between us, heavy with meaning that Liam couldn't possibly understand yet.
"I've waited a long time to find my mate," I continued, my voice rougher than I intended. "Most shifters pair up in their twenties or thirties. I'm forty-two. Started to think maybe there wasn't someone out there for me."
Liam's expression was unreadable, but he hadn't bolted yet. I took that as a good sign.
"And then you show up, this skinny kid stealing food from our dumpster. Turns out you've been right under my nose for months." I shook my head in wonder. "The universe has a sense of humor, I'll give it that."
Liam shifted on the bed, pulling his knees up to his chest in a defensive posture. Protective of himself. Unsure.
"I know this is a lot," I acknowledged. "And I know you don't understand what being mates means yet. That's okay. We've got time. I'm not going to rush you or force anything."
His shoulders relaxed marginally at that.
"For tonight, all you need to know is that you're safe here. No one in this club will hurt you. You can stay in this room—I'll take one upstairs. The door locks from the inside." I pointed to the heavy deadbolt. "Food's in the kitchen whenever you want it. Bathroom's through there." I gestured to the small en suite. "Has a shower. Probably feel good to get cleaned up."
Liam glanced toward the bathroom door with poorly concealed longing. I wondered how long it had been since he'd had a proper shower with hot water.
"There's clean clothes in the dresser," I added. "They'll be too big, but they're better than what you've got now. We can get you your own stuff tomorrow."
I stood up slowly, careful not to make any sudden movements that might startle him. My head protested the change in position, but I managed to stay steady.
"I'll leave you to get settled," I said, moving toward the door. "If you need anything during the night, I'll be upstairs, third door on the left. Or you can just bang on the ceiling—I'll hear you."
I paused at the doorway, looking back at him. He seemed so small sitting there on the edge of my bed, his golden eyes watching me with a mixture of wariness and something else—hope, maybe. Or at least curiosity.
"We're going to figure this out, Liam," I promised softly. "You're not alone anymore. Whether you decide to stay as my mate or just as a member of this club, you've got family now. And we take care of our own."
As I closed the door behind me, I couldn't help the smile that spread across my face despite the pain in my head. My mate. After all these years of watching the others find their perfect matches, I'd finally found mine.
Now I just had to hope he'd decide to stay.
Chapter Six
~ Rooster ~
I closed the door behind me and leaned against the wall, my head throbbing with each beat of my heart. Finding my mate after all these years should have been the happiest moment of my life, but instead, I felt like I was walking on eggshells.
The kid was skittish as a wild hare, traumatized by years of surviving alone. I needed to be patient, to move slowly, to give him time. But a selfish part of me wanted to claim him now, to make sure he couldn't disappear from my life as suddenly as he'd appeared in it.
I pushed away from the wall and made my way to the kitchen. Henry had left painkillers with strict instructions to take them every four hours. My bear growled at the idea of medication, but the persistent hammering in my skull convinced me to be sensible.
