It took a moment for Laddin’s words to penetrate the memory of what he’d been, of what he’d felt.
Werewolf.
But eventually his mind cleared enough to replay Laddin’s words. “You knew about all this?” he asked. “About being a….”
“Werewolf? Hell no. But Grandma’s got second sight. She gives people readings at psychic fairs and stuff. It’s mostly good intuition, but she’s got a real gift too. She told me that I was born with this”—he held up his deformed hand—“because my whole life would change when I was twenty-eight.”
Josh frowned, not knowing what to say to that. How did a congenital defect lead to werewolf-ism? Fortunately, Laddin wasn’t one to let conversational silences hang there. He was filling up the space with his chatter as soon as he poured the eggs into the skillet.
“She said it was a life change. A transition thing. Like death, and maybe death, but she didn’t know. Said it would happen in my twenty-eighth year.” He pointed to his normal thumb and forefinger as he counted. “That’s ten and twenty.” Then he spread both hands, showing all eight normal fingers. “And that’s eight. So twenty-eight.”
“Your grandmother told you you’d die when you were twenty-eight?” God, what a horrible thing for anyone to say.
“Not die. Transition, or there’d be some big change during the year. I’d thought it would be realizing I was gay, but that happened when I was eighteen. Then maybe when I switched jobs or something. I never, ever expected to become a werewolf.” He nabbed a plate and scraped scrambled eggs onto it. “Honestly, I was beginning to doubt, but I should have known better. Grandmama is always right, at least with me. I turn twenty-nine in seven weeks.” His expression fell. “I text them every night to tell them that I’m okay. Mama’s probably planning my funeral, but Captain M wouldn’t give me back my phone. Have you got yours yet?”
Josh shook his head. Worse, he knew that none of his family would even think to miss him until the holidays. His lab would notice he wasn’t around come Monday, but…. “What day is it? I mean, it was Friday when—”
“Things went loco?”
“Yeah. How long were we….” He couldn’t say the word, but it slipped out anyway. “Werewolves?”
“Don’t know. For all I know, it could be Saturday. Or Sunday. Or next year.”
“It’s Monday,” Nero said as he pushed opened the door from the lower floor. He stepped out, and Josh felt the zing of attraction tighten his insides. Then anger surged. He shouldn’t be attracted to his captor. He shouldn’t be looking at how the guy’s strong hands dwarfed the doorknob or feeling that mesmerizing voice settle into his groin and thrum there. Josh got a low vibration of pleasure whenever Nero moved his mouth, and that was justwrong. But there was nothing Josh could do to stop it. Meanwhile, Nero kept talking while Josh felt every beautiful sound. “We found it’s easiest to keep new recruits unconscious for a while. It lets their bodies rest before they shift back to human.”
“Monday!” Laddin squeaked. “But Mama will be frantic—”
“Captain M already texted your mother and grandmother. They know you’re alive and well and will contact them as soon as it’s prudent.”
Laddin shook his head. “That won’t be enough. Not until she hears my voice and—”
“Pinches your cheek. Yeah, we know. We’ll set up a time and place for your family reunion”—he glanced at Josh—“for everyone’s reunions, but only when it’s safe. New recruits are emotional creatures, and no one triggers a meltdown like family.”
“But Mama—”
“Will have to learn patience. It’s the way it is. I’m sorry, Laddin. No exceptions.”
Laddin pressed his lips together in a show of annoyance. Josh had just met him, but he guessed that Laddin rarely went silent. But was he now pouting or plotting revenge?
Nero turned his attention to Josh. “How are you feeling? Can you handle food yet?”
Zing.Nothing like the focused interest of a hot guy. Josh hated that he warmed to the attention, but damn it, how could he not? Nero was looking at him like he cared. Worse, like he wasworried, and even Josh’s mother hadn’t treated him like that in years. Casual disinterest was more her style, but she always remembered to pray for him before she went to sleep at night. Like that made up for how she turned her head whenever his father went on the attack. Compared to the other things going on right now, this issue felt almost comforting. He smiled as he shoved a forkful of eggs in his mouth and found it not-too-revolting. “Guess so.”
Nero grunted. “Don’t go too fast.”
Yeah, he’d learned that lesson last night.
“And stay hydrated with electrolytes. There are lots of choices in the refrigerator.”
Josh was about to say a sarcastic “Yes, Mother,” but he cut off the words unspoken. That was too familiar and too creepy, given what they’d done last night and what Nero had revealed. He didn’t know if Nero was his abductor, partner, or lover. The first, yes, the second, maybe, the third—definitely not, though there certainly were lusty feelings coming from his body. Which left Josh in an uncomfortable place. And uncomfortable places always made him angry. So he turned to the best distraction he knew and made sure irritation burned through his tone.
“Where’s my phone?”
“Put away. And no, you can’t have it.”
“You can’t keep us prisoners like this!”
Nero exhaled in a long slow release. Obviously the guy was trying to keep himself calm—and doing a better job of it than Josh—which pissed Josh off even more. “You’ll stay like this—without your phones—until you prove you can handle shifting. It’s for everybody’s safety, including yours.”
