Page 17 of Enforcer’s Little Warrior (Little Paws Haven #3)

Romy

He wanted to fuss, only one look at Bash’s pale and wan expression, and he kept his thoughts to himself. His mate staggered into their home, weaker than a newborn kitten. Three of the enforcers had escorted them home when they’d deemed those who’d attacked, for now, were not a threat. Bash had put up some resistance, but not as much as was usual, and that made Romy worry all the more.

His mate had lost a lot of blood, and it hadn’t helped when one of the nurses had to dig out the arrowhead that got stuck after shifting twice in Bash’s hide. Then there was the gaping wound on his flank, shifting had healed some of it, but Romy could see that there would be a scar. All that had happened to him, nothing terrified him more than thoughts of his mate dying.

So he didn’t fuss and followed close to Bash as he dragged his bare feet over the floor looking ready to trip at any moment.

His hands itched at his sides, and he cursed in his head when Bash crashed into the wall, dropping plaster to the floor. Romy gave in and shoved his shoulder into Bash’s side. “Lean on me.” Seeing Bash was about to refuse, he tagged on, “Please Daddy, I wanna be near you.”

Bash’s brows tugged together, but he did as Romy requested. He gritted his teeth at the sudden weight and staggered right alongside Bash into the kitchen. Settled in a chair, breathing hard, Romy went and retrieved a large carton of fresh orange juice. Pouring them both a big glass, he laid one on the table next to Bash. “Drink Daddy.”

His lips trembled as much as Bash’s hand as he did it without argument. Romy drank his own, then refilled the two glasses. He didn’t make small talk with his thoughts being scattered and chaotic. He occupied himself with heating food Bash had put in tubs in the freezer.

Bash watched him silently from heavy-lidded, exhausted eyes. His waxy completion not improving. He nuked the food rather than heating it in the oven like he’d wished. Bash needed food now. The plate overflowing with meat and pasta, he put it in front of Bash. “Daddy, I want to see a clean plate,” he joke-sobbed.

“I’m sorry,” he mumbled tiredly.

Romy stopped on his way to take the seat where he’d put his food. “What for? You saved me.” The moment the words came out of his mouth, everything came crashing down on him. He wobbled his way back to Bash and shimmed past the table, naked and dirty, and climbed on Bash’s lap. The tears came in ugly sobs as he clung to the solid form of his mate.

“They took you f-from m-me.” Bash’s reply came out choked and Romy ran his wet nose down his throat.

“But you got me back. You came when no one did last time.” And that made a world of difference to Romy.

Bash shuddered and clung to him harder, rocking him on his lap. “I’ll always come for you, never fear.”

Romy hiccuped and sniffed. “Let’s hope you don’t have to.” Even though he said it, he knew whoever took him would come again. The crash lands were now guarded with more enforcers than Romy had even considered they had. Someone had gone around the town and directed security cameras to all the vulnerable spots. The alpha of the crash was currently meeting with the top enforcers to decide the next move. Bash had wanted to be a part of it, but Romy had used his own wounds to get Bash home.

They both needed to eat a ton of food, shift once more, and sleep to heal fully, but they both needed this more right now. He looked at Bash’s claiming bite and he nuzzled it before biting true, wanting to feel his mate’s life force.

The guttural groan rumbled through Bash, and he tilted his head, giving Romy more room. “That’s it, Little Bumper, renew our connection.”

When his teeth released, he licked the patch of skin. Seeing it knit together, he made a satisfied sound in the back of his throat. “Eat now Daddy.”

With a little maneuvering, he stayed on Bash’s lap to eat, paying attention as Bash slogged his way through until he’d cleared the plate. Happier, Romy made a second, then third plate of food, by which point Bash had regained a little of his color.

“Bath time,” he murmured, his own full belly and the events making him sluggish, but there was no way he was getting into their wallow stinking like he did.

In the bathroom, they both eyed the bath. “Shower,” Bash muttered. “We’ll shower this time.”

He didn’t argue when he caught sight of Bash’s rear. The skin was puckered and raw, parts still bleeding. Naked, they stepped straight into the stall when the water was warm. He picked up his body wash and tried hard not to think about how Bash had to brace against the wall to keep upright.

Everything was going to be fine.

It was.

He’d shift, then be better.

He kept up the litany and made sure none of it seeped through their link as he helped Bash, continuing to use the need to be close so he’d agree. Dried and outside twenty minutes later, he nudged Bash towards the wallow. “We need to shift.” Bash looked around at the quiet neighborhood, looking about to disagree. “No Daddy, the crash will keep us safe. We both shift together.” It wasn’t in his nature to be bossy like this, but right now, he had to be. Daddy could tell me off when fully healed.

Is that right? A tired grin appeared, and it was the best thing Romy had seen.

He grinned back. Yes, now come on Daddy, I wanna lie next to you in the wallow and snooze.

Anything for my Little Bumper.

Romy counted on it.

Bash

Waking in the wallow, Bash felt a hundred times better than when they’d first sunk into the cool depths. Even now, he had no desire to move. Not with his snoozing boy pressed up against his side. When Romy had been taken, he’d felt like someone had ripped his heart out and stomped on it. Their hometown should have been safe for Little Bumper to live life with no need of an armed guard every moment of every day. It wasn’t fair to him to not have that sort of safety and feeling of security here, of all places. He was desperate for a solution. It didn’t sit well with him, not knowing who or what the threat was or how it connected to everything that had taken place with the council and the experiments they’d been conducting. For as much as he wished for an end to things, he’d known it wouldn’t be as easy as exposing them. What he’d never imagined was how far-reaching their deception and unscrupulous behavior were truly proving to be.

It wasn’t just Romy who was in danger, but it was Romy who had his heart, it was Romy he nuzzled now and gently chuffed over, his rhino wanting the time to spoil their mate. Hell, his rhino longed for the opportunity to mate properly, then hand feed his mate strawberries and melon pieces as they lay wrapped up with one another. A part of him felt like he should be actively ensuring that the threat became neutralized, but a dark, nagging voice had been creeping into his thoughts ever since the night the owl had attacked them in their wallow. One that said he did not deserve a mate if he could not protect him properly. That it wasn’t enough to have retrieved him and brought him home and made certain he was healthy and cared for. As they lay there, it was that voice that whispered that Bash wasn’t enough.

Not strong enough.

Not attentive enough.

Unworthy.

That feeling was beginning to creep into his soul, every weakness picked at until it bled, then picked apart again even after it had scabbed over.

Chuffing softly, he inspected his sleeping mate to ensure that every wound had healed, pleased to see that no trace of the damage remained. Romy huffed in his sleep and rolled just enough to snuggle closer, so adorably endearing just like earlier, when his little bossy self had taken charge, again, and half guided, half directed Bash through the process of eating, and shifting so he could heal properly.

A hundred times better still didn’t mean a hundred percent. He could feel the weariness still weighing him down, the exhaustion having crept into the very marrow of his bones, beginning to take root right alongside that feeling of not being enough.

You’re thinking really loud, Daddy.

The flicker of Romy’s thoughts in his head elicited a chuffing huff as he nuzzled him a little more, excited that he could now hear his mate in their animal form.

Sorry Little Bumper, I’ll try to think quieter.

Feels more like brooding than thinking, Daddy. What’s wrong?

Daddy should have done a better job of protecting you, so they couldn’t take you from me. I’m sorry. They scared you, and that was my fault. I took for granted the security we had in place, letting myself think it was enough when I should have known it wouldn’t be.

Romy rubbed his head against Bash’s shoulder. There was no way you could know that would happen.

But I shouldn’t have let myself think it wouldn’t. I should have been on guard every moment of every day and right there when you got out of work to ensure that you got where you wanted to go with no issues, and that’s not what happened. I failed you.

The council failed all of us. Romy said it with such certainty that it suddenly clicked for Bash that he didn’t hold Bash responsible for anything that had taken place.

Nuzzling his mate, Bash nipped lightly along the back of his neck and felt him shiver. You’ll get no arguments from me about that.

Good. Otherwise, I might have to get mad at you, Daddy, and I don’t want to do that.

Something tells me you can be quite the force of nature when someone pisses you off.

Do you want to find out?

Chuffing, Bash used his head to rock the water, so it flowed gently over Romy’s back. Not particularly.