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need anything, don t hesitate to call. Relief rushed through him. It was stupid since Talan hadn t been able to help but just the thought of having someone to lean on relieved some of his stress. Thanks, Talan. He looked over at the wolf shifter. Thanks to you, too, Adrian. I really appreciate your help. A PRIDELESS MAN Amber Kell 61 Adrian nodded I m glad to, though we haven t been much help so far. He got a sympathetic smile from the handsome wolf before the pair left with promises to call if they learned anything. Lou sat on the couch. To his amusement James jumped up beside him and laid his giant maned head on his lap. At least you know where you belong. Though I d like it better if you were in human form. Don t you want to be human? We could have such fun. The lion tilted his head, rolling his eyes up at Lou as if he were listening. Oh, you want to know what kind of fun? The lion gave a low growl of agreement. Well, humans can be together in all kinds of exciting ways. We can have conversations. The lion yawned. We could have sex. He got a purr but no sign of shifting. Well, I m not having sex unless you re human. I m not into interspecies copulation, that s just ten kinds of wrong. The doorbell rang, distracting him from the strange look in the lion s eyes. Looking through the peephole, he spotted James father. He quickly unlocked the door and let the other man inside. How are you doing, Andrew? I m doing fine. It s James I m worried about. Still hasn t shifted yet? Not yet. I wonder if it s because he feels stronger as a lion? He always suffered as a human. It might be too tempting to stay a strong cat then a weak human. But if he shifted now he d be a strong human, Lou argued. You and I know that but the cat may have a different idea. Maybe. Did you hear anything about Melinda or the escaped coyote? Andrew shook his head. I reported my car as stolen so we could hear from the police if she showed up in the area. I went to your office and talked to Dennis about his sister since he was there with KC trying to find information. I checked the records and a coyote was never one of my test subjects so I don t know what Melinda might have done to her while she was there. Your assistant said he d help find James mother when we were ready but I want to check with James before I do any looking. I ve made so many mistakes with him already, I A PRIDELESS MAN Amber Kell 62 didn t want to open up any wounds if he wasn t ready. I don t know if I can ever be the father he deserves. Lou thought over everything the man had done to give his son the best life possible, and despite going about it in an unorthodox way, he knew Andrew Everett did everything he could to keep his son safe from his shifter genes. I think James understands you were only trying to keep him safe. You might have some errors in judgement but none in your love for your son. Andrew looked sadly at his son. Hopefully he ll shift back to human so I can tell him soon. Lou gave the oblivious lion a sad smile. I hope so too. Andrew walked carefully towards the lion. Does he bite? I suppose he could but he hasn t so far. He s been very tame. A low growling came from James as his father approached. I think he knows I kept him hidden for so long. The lion probably hates me. As much as he wanted to hate Andrew Everett for all of his son s suffering, Lou found himself feeling sorry for the man. His human half knows you tried to do your best. His lion half might have a different opinion. I think his lion half wants to eat me. The feral look in James eyes said he might be right. Do you think injecting him with the antidote will help him shift back? Andrew shook his head. It only worked to prevent shifting. Once shifted it won t have any effect. Your bodies are extremely complex and he would purge himself of the medication before it had any affect. There were tears in the older man s eyes when he said, He s beautiful. I kept this from him. This part of himself, because I thought I knew better than nature. What have I done? You saved him. No one knows if he would ve been able to withstand the transition when he was younger. From what you described it sounds like complete shifting would ve killed him. The first full shift is the most violent one and if he was already shifting in parts, there was something wrong. I think in his case he was so used to dealing with pain he had built in coping mechanisms that our kind usually have to be taught. In some ways you made him a stronger shifter. A PRIDELESS MAN Amber Kell 63 And a weaker human, Andrew said, passing a hand over his eyes. I understand if he doesn t want anything to do with me. Lou watched as the white lion made his way over to the older man. He sidled close enough to intervene if the lion lunged for Andrew. What did you come for? He didn t want to be rude but the other man wasn t really helping anything. In fact, he was probably seconds from having his throat ripped out. Andrew gave him a sheepish smile. I wanted to see James form again. I only got a brief look at the compound. His mother was a regular lion. I guess there is a genetic anomaly in the family. That s why she left him. Her lion sensed there was something wrong and she couldn t overcome her instincts. Once she left I never heard from her again. There was a sad look in the other man s eyes, telling Lou that James wasn t the only one hurt by his mother s defection. Have you spoken with the other shifters? Andrew nodded. I had no idea Melinda kept them after I took their blood. They were supposed to only come for basic tests and then be released. I m having an investigator go through her records to find out where the shifters are she sold. The others are looking for their alpha and I promised to help them. Do you know if there s a place in town to rent for a while? I d like to get to know my son again. Even if he never turns back to a human? It is my own prejudice against shifters that caused all these problems. My personal issues led to the persecution of a race of creatures my own son is a member of. I feel a [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ] |
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