“Yes. I hate to tell you this, but I think they know not only about Cameron not being able to have kids, but also that he’s a demiboy. It sort of sounded like they were hinting that because of how he ‘chooses’ to live his life, you aren’t even willing to consider having children because you’re so disappointed in?—”
Emory snarled and lurched forward, breaking out of Ronan’s hold as his claws extended and his tail sprouted in his jeans. He felt his hair thickening and his teeth getting even longer as his lion clawed his way to the surface.
“Emory, stop!” Ronan whisper-shouted, grabbing him around the waist again.
Emory’s shoulders hunched forward, and he bent over the back of the couch, claws sinking into the fabric as his lion fought to take over.
“For fuck’s sake, Em, what if Cameron comes out and sees you? You want his first encounter with your lion to be you in an alpha rage?”
Emory closed his eyes and snarled.
“I know, buddy…I know. Families can be shit. Cameron knows that first-hand, but you two have each other now. You’re each other's family, and Cameron told me how well it went with your mother. You just need to get through tomorrow, or even say fuck it and leave in the morning, but youhaveto get through tonight, okay?” Ronan soothed, running his hand up and down Emory’s spine. It was a comforting gesture he’d done hundreds of times, and Emory slowly relaxed into it.
“There you go, big kitty. Now let's take our claws out of the nice furniture.”
Emory huffed, and his lion did, too, but he slowly retracted his claws. He let his hands hang limply by his side as his hair and teeth returned to normal.
“Feel better?” Ronan asked.
Emory couldn’t speak. Not yet. He was afraid that only a scream would come out. Instead, his lion had them lurching forward, wrapping Ronan up in a tight hug.
“I’ve got you, Em,” Ronan murmured. “We’ll get through this together, okay? I can stay the night. I’m sure I still have clothes in the guest quarters.”
“You can stay here. You can wear some of mine,” Emory growled, and Ronan nodded against his chest.
They stayed like that for a while, and Ronan shared a few more of his observations with Emory.
“It’s like a schoolyard. I don’t understand what her problem is with Cameron,” Emory growled.
“She’s always had a weird obsession with you. Sort of like she wanted you to like her or approve of her or something. I used to wonder if it was because she wanted an in with your company.”
“I think my grandfather offered her a position, and she said no.”
Ronan shrugged, and the overhead light accentuated the dark circles under his eyes. “I don’t know what to tell you. She definitely seems to think someone of Cameron’s ‘stature’ shouldn't end up with someone like you.”
Emory growled, but it was softer now. He felt about as tired as Ronan looked. Gods knew how tired Cameron must be. His lion paced back and forth, growling and snarling, unable to process the swirl of rage, disappointment, and pain Emory was experiencing.
Emory could feel Ronan’s agitated energy wrapping around him. He could imagine Ronan’s rabbit thumping the ground, like he did when they were bratty kids, refusing to come in from the yard when their parents called.
“Maybe we should go for a run?” Emory suggested, and his lion roared in agreement.
“That’s probably a good idea.”
“Alright. Let me tell Cameron,” Emory tried to say, but Ronan shook his head.
“I got it, big guy. I think you might give yourself away since your tail is still out and about.” Ronan affectionately patted the bulge under the back of Emory’s shirt, and he harrumphed.
Emory could hear the familiar up-and-down cadence of their voices through the door. He wanted to curl up like a kitten in a puddle of sunshine and bask in it. He took a step towards the room, but Ronan emerged holding two pairs of sweats, t-shirts, and sweatshirts. They changed, and Emory managed to get his tail under control by the time they emerged into the yard. It was still sleeting, and he wasn’t really wearing the right shoes for it, but the second his feet touched the grass, he broke into a jog.
They started by running around the perimeter of the estate, and Emory tried to keep his pace under control. He could hearRonan’s labored breathing next to him, though, and he knew he was putting some of his alpha strength into his legs. Ronan began to lag behind by the third lap, and Emory’s lion pawed at the ground.
“I’m going to shift,” Emory said, ripping his sweatshirt and shirt over his head.
“Okay,” Ronan panted, yanking his off as well. A few moments later, Emory leaped into the air with his two feet and landed on four paws.
Ronan landed next to him in his Flemish Giant rabbit form. Shifter species that were smaller than humans were often a little bigger than normal animals in their shifted form. Likewise, shifters whose beasts were bigger than humans were typically smaller than their wild brethren. Ronan was around the size of a medium-sized dog, while Emory was on the smaller side for a lion but still sizable due to his alpha gender.
They took off at a run, and although Emory was bigger and stronger, Ronan was lithe and quite fast. They kept pace with each other as they ran lap after lap, like they had when they were children. Back then, Emory had so few worries. He and his lion could let their minds bleed together, honing in on the smells and sounds of the yard, forgetting everything that plagued them in their human form.
