Page 19 of Enforcer’s Little Warrior (Little Paws Haven #3)
Romy
Laying snuggled against Bash’s side, he breathed in deep their combined scents in the darkness, listening to the storm rage outside. They’d gotten out of the bath a couple of hours ago and although Romy had dosed initially, his brain wouldn’t quit.
There was so much going on in there, he wasn’t sure he knew where to start processing what had happened to him and what would happen next.
His mate had gotten injured because of him. It was a hard thing to live with, and Romy needed time to adapt to that reality when the scarring was there. A reminder that they weren’t invincible to such things. Taking the irrevocable step in their mating was precious.
Bash, gods, he’d been amazing, loving, caring and so gentle even now Romy’s eyes ached with the sweetness of it. He could feel Bash inside his heart, in his soul, they were a prized part of him. Was it selfish to have allowed this to happen when the threat to him put Bash at risk? Possibly, but he’d learned life wasn’t always fair. Now he needed to figure out if those who’d taken him the first time were those who hunted him now. He wasn’t sure how he could achieve that. But he suspected that Cosmo, Nomad and Harley would. It wasn’t that he didn’t trust Bash, he did, or else he wouldn’t have chosen to mate with him. No, the thing was, he didn’t want to put Bash in harm's way once more.
Did that make him a bad friend when he considered putting Cosmo and his mates in harm’s way?
He sighed quietly at the obvious answer. He could argue they were trained for such things. Only Bash was an enforcer who’d also trained in undercover ops. Another sigh and the large arm holding him close tightened, but Bash never stirred beyond that.
Romy breathed slow and steady working on keeping Bash asleep, he needed the rest after the amount of times he’d shifted and the injuries he’d sustained.
His fingers traced gently over the bicep of the arm holding him as Romy stared up at the ceiling, at the small sliver of moonlight that slid through the blinds which weren’t fully closed.
Had he recognized the scent of his kidnapper? Or was his past merging with his present due to fright? If it was someone from his past, why were they interested in him now?
Was it to do with the children Bash had rescued? Were they looking to get back at the crash for what they had done? Rhinos such as Romy and the boys were rare, and a prized commodity. Was it just that they’d lost that?
Romy’s innards didn’t think it was fully that. Why he felt that way, he couldn’t be sure, but he’d always listened to his gut. Something about the whole situation niggled somewhat. Could it have something to do with what had happened to him a long time ago? Did he have some information that made him a danger to those two council members still on the run? All a possibility.
Frustration grew inside him as he forced himself to think back to a time he usually avoided thinking about. His brain was so used to keeping him safe from those bad times, he struggled to recall anything that made any sense to him, other than the pain. Endless pain from tests, needles poking him, men in white jackets subjecting his body to heinous experiments.
His breathing became choppy as he struggled to regain some perspective. To tell himself it was over, that it wasn’t happening in the here and now. Chugging oxygen into his lungs didn’t help and in his panic, Romy bolted upright, dragging Bash with him.
“What is it?” Bash’s voice was instantly alert and deadly in the darkness. He pulled Romy to him, keeping him safe.
“C-can’t… b-breath,” he gasped, white spots forming in front of his eyes even in the darkness.
The room suddenly filled with light and Romy’s eyes watered as they adjusted while feeling lightheaded. His head dropped in shame, hating that his own silly head had brought him to his knees after being so brave earlier.
Useless. I’m useless.
You are not. “Breath Little Bumper, Daddy’s got you.”
The assertive tone helped along with the hand stroking up his naked back as Romy shuddered and dragged in precious air into his lungs. As did the reinforced words of Bash as he continued to tell him, my strong boy. So brave for Daddy when he needed you. You are the bestest boy Daddy could want.
On and on Bash filled his mind with everything he believed, and it got past the panic eating at Romy until he was sobbing. Sobbing out all the fear of his past he’d held in. It mixed with his fear of losing Bash into one ugly mess. His thoughts mushed, pummeled by the past and the present as they merged. He was helpless, unable to do anything other than cling to Bash and ride the storm.
“Daddy’s here. That’s it, let it all out, my brave Little Bumper. Daddy’s got you.”
Bash
Romy waking to a panic attack wasn’t surprising after everything they’d been through, and while Bash would love to rush creating a space for Romy where trouble was the last thing his boy would ever think about, he knew that wasn’t a solution to the problem. What weighed on Romy’s mind could only be shoved aside so often, and with so many unknowns, it wasn’t wise to keep prolonging the conversation Bash knew he needed to have with his mate. Once they were past it all, there would be plenty of time to create a rhino utopia for his mate to wallow in, no matter the season.
He envisioned what he had already started to build projecting it to Romy. An indoor wallow, as well as a hot tub and an indoor pool for both swimming laps and floating in while staring up through glass skylights to stare at the stars. At night, with the lights low, they could float on a two-person raft and enjoy the calm lapping of the pool water along the edges of their float while they cuddled or held hands, lost in the feel of each other and the infinite universe sprawled overhead. Those twinkling celestial bodies reminded him of the fireflies he’d chuffed at in his youth as he had chased them, unable to entice them into landing on his nose. He’d had the benefit of a childhood filled with love and magic, something he didn’t know if his mate had ever experienced.
Those were things he longed to see that Romy had as his mate and Daddy. Everything he’d ever desired, Bash wanted him to have.
Maneuvering them into a seated position with Romy in his arms and on his lap, Bash bundled the blankets around them and cuddled Romy close, stroking his hair as he stared down into Little Bumper’s eyes.
“I know life hasn’t been kind to you,” Bash began, letting his heart and his gut guide him as they ventured into potentially hurtful territory. “In a perfect world I would have found you years ago, and you’d have had years of feeling safe, loved, cherished and protected by not just me, but a crash that doesn’t believe in abandoning a single member to the experiments and atrocities the council has submitted so many of our kind to. As an enforcer, the mission that Cosmo and I embarked on together was the most important one I was ever assigned. We were not willing to rest until our young were returned to us. Now, we are committed to seeing that none are ever stolen or mistreated again.”
“Does this mean you have to leave me to go help?” Romy asked in a small and tired voice.
“No, Little Bumper,” Bash replied as he hugged him tighter. “It means that you and I need to work together to unravel the secrets that are still tangled up in your head.”
“I-I…” Romy stammered, unable to utter another word.
“You talk in your sleep,” Bash informed him as he caressed Romy’s cheek, occasionally smoothing his hair back.
It helped him stay settled and grounded while continuing to strengthen their bond.
“I’m sorry, Daddy.”
“It’s nothing to be sorry about, Little Bumper, I’m glad for it,” Bash insisted.
“G-glad?”
“Yes,” Bash said before pressing a kiss to his nose. “Because there’s no hiding things when you’re asleep.”
“I’m not…” Romy stammered, trying to protest until Bash gazed down at him and raised an eyebrow.
“Are you trying to lie to your Daddy?”
Romy’s voice was low and contrite when he answered. “No, Daddy.”
“Exactly. Because you are a good boy and you know good boys don’t tell fibs, even if they think the fib will protect somebody.”
Romy flushed, but he didn’t look away.
“Do you know what the most special thing about a mate is?”
Romy nibbled his lower lip for several seconds before finally attempting an answer. “That they were made for each other?”
Nodding, Bash combed his fingers through Romy’s hair. “That’s a big part of it,” Bash said. “But it also means that there is nothing they can’t accomplish when they work together. The strongest force, outside of the love of a parent for their child, is the love of a mate for the one they’ve pledged themselves to. You’ve proved that several times since we found one another, with the way you fought for me, fought for us to have a chance at forever together. I don’t want you to stop ever doing that.”
“But what happens if you get hurt again because of me?” Romy asked, half question and half wail that ended in a low, choked sob.
“Get something straight, Little Bumper. I didn’t get hurt because of you, I got hurt because there are shifters out there determined to wreak as much havoc as they can while they’re still above ground and breathing. That isn’t something you can control. All you can do is trust Daddy with everything you remember, even if you think it’s insignificant, then together you and Daddy will decide who the best person would be to share that information with, so we can keep you and everyone else safe, okay? Please? Can you do that for Daddy?”