Once he was feeling better, he went back into his bedroom and started getting dressed for the day’s event. He heard the kitchen door close and knew it was Donald. They hadn’t restarted their morning runs, but Donald still stopped by to see him before going off to work. However, that morning was a bit different since it was the Fourth of July celebration. They were heading to the town square together. He would rather be going with Scott, but that wasn’t going to happen.
“Hey,” he said to Donald when he walked into the kitchen.
“Gods, why do you look like shit?”
“Good morning to you, too,” Quintus snapped. “And you’re not looking so hot yourself.”
Donald had on jeans and dark blue T-shirt that had “Vale Extravaganza” written on the front. But his friend also looked as if he wasn’t getting any sleep. Quintus couldn’t tell if it was because he was busy planning the event or if something was bothering him. “We’re testy this morning.”
“Sorry, I just…”
“Miss your mate,” Donald finished for him.
“Yeah, I do. But I didn’t have the right to talk to you like that.”
“You know. You could go and talk to him.”
“I could, but what am I supposed to say? I still have no fucking clue what we’re fighting about. I basically told him he needs to get over his dead lover, because he’s never coming back.”
“You didn’t say that.” Donald walked over to him and pulled him into a hug.
“Not in so many words, but it was implied.” Quintus buried his face in Donald’s chest and froze, stepping back from him.
“What’s wrong with your scent? You smell different?”
“Gods, please don’t tell me I stink?”
“No, you smell fine. But it’s not your normal scent.” Donald rested his hands on his hips and looked away from him. Stepping closer to his friend, Quintus turned Donald’s gaze back to meet his. “What’s wrong?”
“I think I’m becoming human again,” his voice broke when he spoke. “I can’t shift into my wolf, and I can’t feel him.”
“What?” Quintus was so confused. He’d never heard of a turned shifter reverting to being a human, again. “Are you sure? I mean it could be stress.”
“I don’t know what the fuck is going on. I’m so used to feeling him inside of me and now...I feel like there’s a large hole in my soul, as if someone ripped him out of me. And my skin feels rough and foreign to me.”
“How long has this been going on?”
“A couple of weeks now. I don’t know what to do, or who to talk to. I also thought it was the stress of planning the event. But the past few days have been less stressful. I tried shifting this morning, but nothing. I feel so lost without my wolf.”
“Oh gods, I’m so sorry.” Quintus pulled his friend into a hug and held him while he cried. There wasn’t anything he could do or say to help Donald, but he knew they’d figure it out.
* * *
Scott tappedhis feet to Chance’s drum beats. They were playing one of the town’s favoriteshe’d written a few years ago.
The audience sang and danced along with him, since they knew all the words. They had two more sets to play before the fireworks show. It was an eventful day in Vale Valley, and Scott had to admit Donald Martin had done a great job of putting it all together.
The crowd had gone wild when his bearer had showed up with Rosemary. There was a booth set up for him where he’d been autographing his headshots and taking pictures with them.
Throughout the day, he’d seen Quintus. Each time, he’d told himself to go and talk with his mate, but he hadn’t because he was too ashamed of his behavior a few days earlier. Scott knew his parents were not happy with him for leaving things with his mate unsettled for so long.
Scott knew he had to find a way to apologize to his mate. He missed having his kitty curled up in his arms. There were many times during the night when he’d wake up and reach for his phone to beg Quintus to come back to him, but he hadn’t known what to say.
“I’m sorry” didn’t seem like it wasn’t enough. He’d let Loki taunt and goad him, revealing a side he rarely showed. He’d always prided himself on being a logical thinker and anger was used as a last recourse. But sensibility had gone out the window. He was also bothered that during their time together, Quintus had thought he’d been comparing him to Alec.
Was that why he’d agreed to become my submissive? To show he could be a better sub than Alec? No. Quintus has no idea Alec wasn’t my submissive. Besides, Quintus wouldn’t think like that.
Scott was pulled out of his thoughts in time to bring the microphone to his mouth, hitting the last note on the song he was singing and smiling when the crowd cheered. He looked over the audience, hoping to get a glimpse of Quintus.
