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He didn’t kill her. She heard the voice the same as Rada, and she saw the shadow of the demon. It egged Rada on, encouraging him to show what kind of beast he was. The fact that she was alive did not placate Moxie. She did not believe he wasn’t a beast, never had. She did learn something new; not every beast was a killer. Rada had self-control, better control than she had most days. To be tempted by death, by the sight of blood coursing out of a body that was still alive, then slowing to a trickle as death took over. It could be a strange aphrodisiac. Disgusting but true.
She reached over and ran her fingers through his fur, trying to keep them from trembling. She knew he was awake; he hadn’t moved a muscle, more proof that he was cognizant.
“I know you're awake.”
He moved back before changing forms. They laid there inches apart, watching the other.
“I could have killed you.”
She kept staring at him as his words churned through her mind. Yeah, that was the thought that started the day. How was she expected to explain her reasoning to him?
“I...” She stopped. Try for an elaborate lie or the simple truth. Most people didn’t believe the truth. The truth it was.
“I live with the threat of death every day.” She closed her eyes, not wanting the images that assaulted her to be seen in the light of day. “I’m not sure what life would be like if there wasn’t anyone trying to kill me. You didn’t even try. As far as death threats go, yours was the lamest.” Her hand went to her mouth when she realized what she said.
Rada’s body was shaking, convulsing. He was having a seizure. A loud braying sound came from him.
“What can I do?” She was shaking him as the braying sound got louder, and his body shook more.
Her door was thrown open as two males, and a woman stepped inside. They stopped to stare at Rada instead of helping.
“I swear I didn’t do anything to him.” The two male’s mouths were open wide in astonishment.
“That’s what it sounds like when he laughs. Did you know?” The one male asked the other.
“You should talk.” She presumed he was Lael since the female was plastered to his side said.
“What’s your name?” the other male, Asa, asked.
“Moxie.”
“Thank you.” All three of them turned to leave when the cutest cat walked into the room.
“Moxie, this is Puck. Puck, Moxie.” Rose introduced the cat.
“Aren’t you the sweetest thing? I want a cat.” All three men screamed no at the same time.
Puck jumped into Rose’s outstretched arms. “Sorry, this cat is taken. You’ll need a different pet. When you get a chance, find me. We’ll compare war stories.”
They left, leaving Moxie to stare at the closed door.
“You scared me.” She rained punches down his chest, knowing he didn’t feel them.
“I have looked at men and other beings and watched them wet themselves from a look, and you call me a lame threat. It was... funny.”
Her lips tilted up, knowing that she could make him laugh lifted her spirits. He gave her a hand to help her stand when he was up.
“I need to go talk to my brothers and inform them what happened. I also need to track Silas down. He has been absent lately.”
“Can I come with you?”
He stood for a minute, indecisive. It made her nervous. What could he be thinking? Then he gave a nod of his head.
“Come.”
_____
Leif opened his eyes to see Silas slumped over in a chair beside his bed. It had been two months, sixty days since Silas rescued him. He was still amazed every day he opened his eyes that he was alive. Silas was amazing. He fed and took care of him. Silas made sure that he could get in and out of the tub without falling in the beginning. He put him to bed and made him sleep. He soothed him when the nightmares became inconsolable.
Leif was positive that a male better than Silas didn’t walk the earth. That’s why he found it funny when the other refugees shied away from him. He told them all that Silas was a good man with a better heart, but they’d been hurt, so they couldn’t see how good he was.
“You can stop sleeping in the chair; I’m better.” He had been trying to convince Silas of this for the last three weeks. He was a stubborn man.
“You almost died.” He shrugged like that was answer enough.
“Yeah, but you said Puck helped to heal me.” Puck was the cutest cat around. The other refugees didn’t think he was a cat, silly people.
“Thank you, Silas, but I really am better.” He stood to show him. He had filled out. He never weighed that much to begin with, but he was much bigger than when Silas found him. He needed to eat more, but now he was able to keep food down. He was wearing and fitting into a pair of pajama bottoms Silas bought him.
“I feel like I’m dominating your time. You’re a busy man, and I hate knowing I’m keeping you from your duties.”
“I keep telling you I only have one duty, and that’s to you. Everything else is secondary.”
Leif watched as Silas crossed the room; he couldn’t stop watching. The man walked like a predator, lithe and lethal. He searched Silas’ black eyes, looking for something. When he placed his forehead against him, Leif sighed in contentment.
There was something about Silas that made his heart beat fast. He tried not to think about it, especially considering his past. Who wants a washed-up whore? He was last week’s leftovers, nothing but a handy meal to a demon because men no longer thought he was appealing enough to tie up and gang bang.
Leif stepped back, breaking the tie between him and Silas. Silas did him a solid saving him, but there was nothing there. The man would be a fool to invest any more time into Leif.
“I need a shower.” It came out whispered because he was afraid he’d break into tears if he said it louder. It didn’t surprise him to find the perfect person when he was too dirty, too jaded on life to have anything to offer.
His feet moved fast, almost at a run as he disappeared into the bathroom. His father threw him out of the house when he was a teen. He lived on the streets turning tricks to stay close to his sister. He knew she needed him. The day his father sold her, he tried to stop the sale and ended being sold too. They owned him by simply threatening to kill his sister. That didn’t stop them from doing everything else to her, but if she was alive, then she had a chance.
They beat him one-day, making sure he didn’t wake up. He still didn’t know how he lived through it. After that, his life was changed. He was taken from the ‘house’ they lived in and never saw Rose again. He didn’t know if she was alive or dead until Silas rescued him. Now he was supposed to be building up his strength before he got to see her. He believed Silas, but he needed to see his sister.
He stepped under the shower and let the tears flow. He learned a long time ago that adage about men not crying was BS. Everyone cried if given the right incentive.
When he left the bathroom, Silas was gone. He gave a sigh of relief even as he fought off panic. What if Silas left him? Was he tired of dealing with him? Why would he want to deal with him in the first place? Did he have something that Silas wanted?
Why wasn’t he nicer to the only person who wanted to be his friend? He sank to the floor as despair and anxiety crept towards him like old friends. He should have known better.
“Stop; I could feel you slipping away.” Silas sat beside him, pulling Leif into his arms. “I’m not leaving. You don’t understand, and I want you to get stronger before I tell you. Just believe me, there’s nothing you can do to get rid of me.”
“Wait to you hear my life story,” Leif told him with a bitter laugh.
“We’ll exchange stories one day, Angel and I won’t run. I won’t let you run either.”
Leif nodded his head. Silas was pressing him to his chest, and he didn’t have the strength to pull away. The man smelled good and felt even better.
“Are you human?”
“Not for a very long time.”
Leif nodded. In his life, he was used to meeting the non-humans who were evil. It was nice to know there was a good one out there.
“You continue to surprise me. I tell you that I’m not human, and you take it with a head nod. I tell you Puck is not a cat, and you look at me like I’m crazy.”
“Puck is the cutest cat around.”
“It’s obviously hereditary. You and your sister got it from the same place.”
Leif laughed. It was loud and freeing, as if he were savoring the fact that he was no longer a captive.
Silas smiled and held him closer. Now they were getting somewhere.
_____
Rada ended up giving Moxie a tour. Asa his older brother had disappeared, so he put off having a talk with him. They ended in the kitchen, where Rose was sitting at the table talking to another female.
“Hi.” She didn’t have a lot of female friends. Wait, she didn’t have any female friends. It was cutthroat where she came from, and it didn’t matter that she was a trained assassin any female could be tapped to be the master's lap dog, and others wanted it way more than she did.
“Moxie, meet Ellie. Ellie, this is Moxie. She’s new here. Ellie has been here for what sounds like forever. Have a seat.” She turned to look at Rada before looking at Lael, who was hanging out in the corner.
“No one can attack me in the house.” Lael looked at her before collecting his brother and leaving them alone in the kitchen.
“He’s kind of protective,” Rose explained to Moxie.
“Kind of?” Ellie bent over in laughter. “They are protective of each other. No one better touch my hell beast unless they want to die.” Ellie did a pretty good impersonation of Rose.
Rose arched an eyebrow. “Please tell me you didn’t go there.”
Ellie cleared her throat. “Malik is not a hell beast.”
“What did Silas call him an African warrior? Hm, shall we talk? Wasn’t it just last week someone told a demon I’ll kick your ass if you think about touching my man, or was I dreaming that?”
Ellie stuck her tongue out, and the two of them laughed like hyenas, but Moxie didn’t let her guard down. There was power coming from them. It had been muted when Rose was around the brothers, but with them gone, she could feel it.
Rose and Ellie turned to look at her. She saw death in their eyes if she stepped one foot out of place or tried to hurt anyone here. She was terrified. In some strange way, it also put her at ease. These people weren’t playing or putting on a show for her. If she wanted freedom, she had come to the right place. You either fought and won or died, but freedom such as it was was guaranteed.