Page 7

Chapter 7

Daff

We lay on our backs, our fingers tangled through the gap in the bars, and a book in the opposite hand.

There’d only been a couple to choose from, and mine was boring as bat shit.

An autobiography on some guy I’d never heard of, which read more like a fluff piece for his ego than anything actually noteworthy.

Swapping it had crossed my mind a few times, but I was content where I was and didn’t want to disturb Prowl.

He dropped his book to his chest, his head turning in my direction.

“Those books you mentioned.”

I cocked an eyebrow at him.

“Which ones?”

His fingers drummed on his paperback.

“There was only one kind.”

“I mentioned Aliens, shifters, monsters in general…” I trailed off, feeling cheeky for playing dumb.

He wriggled, adjusting himself on his blanket.

I’d made him get it when I’d got my pillow.

He’d huffed over my demand, but he’d done it.

“The sex ones.”

“Polite society calls it smut. It sounds less pornographic.”

“It’s word porn.”

I rolled to my side, fully facing him.

“First up; if you tell any female that she’s reading porn, she’ll get mad at you. Second, it is, and it isn’t. There are different levels of spice; by that I mean how descriptive the actual scenes get. Smut can vary from a sweet, one-off scene focused more on emotions than descriptions, to a sexual act every few pages, with extremely explicit, detailed sex.”

“Word porn,” he repeated, looking at me like I was the one not getting it.

“The biggest difference between the porn you watch and the smut women read is that most of the books are romance. There’s an interesting, intentional storyline, and the couple always gets their happily ever after. It’s not just meet, fuck, the end.

“There’s love, drama, slow burns, emotional angst, character growth, and all the yummy relationship goodness you can think of.

Actual porn is just something to watch while you get your rocks off.

Most of that shit is completely unrealistic.

”

Because falling in love with and banging an Alien is completely realistic.

Pot, meet kettle.

In my defence, the hybrids shouldn’t theoretically exist, and Doc Paula had pretty much said their lower anatomy wasn’t normal so…

Prowl was facing me now, drinking in my words like he’d just sprinted a marathon.

“Rocks off?”

I glanced down at his pants, which looked like they’d shrunk a size, and seriously wished I knew more about what he was packing down there.

“Visual stimulation to orgasm too.”

“So, not a good learning resource?”

I didn’t even try to stop my snort.

“No.”

“Are these smut books better?”

“To learn from?”

He nodded.

“The best way to learn is with someone you trust. But as a secondary option… I guess? It would definitely give you a better insight into intimacy then watching porn. Just don’t read anything considered dark romance. While it’s fun to read, it’s not what the average Joe’s healthy relationship looks like.”

His jaw moved, muscles ticking along his bearded cheek as he studied me.

“Okay.”

I let out a shaky breath, not sure what I’d been expecting him to say, and feeling…

disappointed?

Did I want him to ask me to teach him?

I forced myself to stay focused on his face instead of dropping another quick look at how tight his pants were sitting.

“When was the last time you brushed your hair?”

It looked as wild as he did.

It was long enough to fall past his shoulders with a wave that sent it in multiple directions.

Small sections had begun to matt, and if he left it much longer, he’d need scissors to get them all out.

“I don’t remember.”

“Do you have a comb or brush?”

He shrugged.

“If I did, they removed it.”

I couldn’t help my glare.

“I know they’ve been doing their best to keep you safe, but that’s ridiculous. How are you supposed to take care of yourself? Some of your knots look like they’ll be a bitch to get out.”

A purr rumbled from him.

“I know what you’re doing, mister, and it won’t change how I feel about this. I have a brush you can borrow. I’ll even do it for you, if you can wash it and work some conditioner through it.”

I squinted at his shower.

“I can share some of mine if you don’t have any.”

His lips quirked.

“Soap usually does the job.”

“If you want me to work those knots out for you, you’ll be using conditioner.”

His smile faded, deflating my heart.

“You’d do that for me?”

“Yeah, big guy, I’ll do it for you. Might get a bit awkward doing it around your bars, but we’ll manage.”

He eyed the ones separating us.

“This wall has been my safety net. I’ve hated being trapped behind it, but I thought I’d lost the chance of ever leaving it.”

“You don’t think so anymore?”

“I’ve never wanted out so badly in my life.”

“Do you think it’s possible?”

His fingers tightened around mine.

“You make everything feel possible.”

Until I left.

What would happen to him then?

Would he end up back where he was two days ago, slowly killing himself?

Or would he be able to use me as his new safety net, until he grew strong enough to manage on his own?

Either way, two years from now, he’d be without me.

And me without him.

The thought pulled something dark and aching to the surface of my heart, but I shoved it down to the same place I kept my memories of Mum leaving us, my dreams to study, the fear of spending the rest of my life alone and barely scraping to get by.

The buzzer sounded, giving us a few seconds’ warning that the door was about to open.

But instead of Kara and her food trolley entering with the guard, it was another lion hybrid.

The same one from yesterday?

It felt like half a lifetime had already passed since entering Prowl’s space.

I squeezed Prowl’s hand and slipped free, his own hesitating a moment before releasing me.

Then we were standing, the two hybrids taking full stock of each other as I stepped to the side, giving them both some room.

“This is my brother, King.”

“Nice to meet you, King.”

King dragged his eyes from Prowl to look me over the same way he’d done his brother.

He was slightly bigger than Prowl.

His muscles thicker, shoulders wider, his face more feline, with a flatter nose, larger cheekbones, and thin, brown lips.

An air of sadness clung to him.

Which was understandable, considering the life they’d lived before now, and the state Prowl had been in for so long.

“I was just telling Prowl I’d lend him my brush and conditioner if he let me have a go at detangling his hair.” I turned to Prowl.

“What’s your thoughts on facial hair?”

His lips quirked.

“No thoughts.”

I swung back to King, noting his hair-free jawline, and trying to picture Prowls the same way.

“Maybe we just tidy it up.”

I hated the thought of Prowl changing.

He suited his edge of wildness.

“Thank you for saving my brother.”

My fingers tapped against my thighs, struggling with his thanks.

“I haven’t done anything except be here.”

His assessing gaze went back to Prowl.

“I haven’t seen you this well in a long time.” His head tilted to the side.

“Mentally. You could do with more food and rest.”

“Daff’s given me more than I could have ever dreamed of.”

“I really haven’t done much.”

The closest thing to a glare crossed Prowl’s face, sending a shiver down my spine.

Fear? Lust? Or a bit of both?

“You’ve shared your scent with me. Talked to me. Remained where I could always see you. You calmed my sleep with your touch and stayed with me while I slept.”

I swallowed against the thick lump forming in my throat.

King’s head whipped in my direction.

“You touched him?”

“Nothing else was working, so…” I finished with a one-shouldered shrug.

“It wasn’t a big deal.”

King stepped towards me but immediately stopped at Prowl’s growl.

He held out his hand, palm first. “Easy, brother. I won’t move any closer to her. You have my word.”

The sound eased off, but the new tension in his shoulders didn’t.

Satisfied with Prowl’s response, King turned his attention back to me.

“We were told never to expect…”

“Female contact?”

He nodded.

“I know. And I’m furious they said that.”

Prowl gripped his bars, leaning towards his brother.

“There are books called smut. They focus on romantic relationships and detailed sex between monsters and human Women. And Women enjoy reading them.”

King’s eyes went wide at the information.

“They like that?”

“They Love it,” I said, making sure I caught Prowl’s eyes.

“And I thought I made it clear you aren’t a monster.”

He actually rolled his eyes at me!

“Daff thinks they’re a better method for learning about sexual encounters than porn.”

“What I actually said, was it’s best to learn with someone you trust. But if it’s between reading smut and the videos you find online, then yes. Read the smut. Just stay away from dark romance until you have some experience under your belt.”

“Experience?”

“Yes, experience. There are women out there who’d bang you both in a heartbeat. There’s bound to be some who end up here. I told them this when they checked on us this morning.”

King nodded.

“I’ll visit the library and see if they have any. If not, they’ll have to order it in.”

“There’s a chance that’s already been done.” I shrugged at the look Prowl gave me.

“By the women I arrived with.”

King blinked rapidly before clearing his throat.

“Bring me one,” Prowl said.

It was more of a demand, but King didn’t seem to mind.

“And me, if there’s enough.”

God knows I’d need a half-decent book to read, with no TV and the boring few we had here.

Prowl’s body stiffened like an electric bolt had run through him, and it was all I could do to hide my smirk.

“I’ll make sure of it,” King said, before motioning towards my bed.

“I’ll keep Prowl company while you rest.”

I felt my nose wrinkle.

“I’m good, thanks.”

A shadow of a frown crossed his features.

“You’re not tired?”

“No,” I answered, looking between them.

Was I missing something obvious?

“Why would I be?”

“Because you spent your night calming my brother with your touch.”

“Ye-e-es. But I just slept on the floor beside him.”

His mouth fell open, flashing sharper than usual incisors.

“You slept beside him? While touching him?”

Ooof.

His genuine shock felt like a solid punch to the gut.

“There was still a solid wall between most of us, but yeah, I did.”

“Why?”

Prowl sucked in a breath.

“Because he needed me to.”

King closed his eyes.

They were on Prowl when he opened them.

“It appears it’s not just you she’s giving hope to.”

He fell into a crouch, and with a searching look in my direction, Prowl followed.

I pointed to the shower behind me.

“Do you think you could handle me having a shower while King’s with you?”

Prowl’s eyes lingered a moment, no doubt replaying last night’s one in his mind.

“You’ve got this, big guy. I’ll step right out if you need me.”

Though he wouldn’t be getting the naked rinse-off version if King was still here.

Him, I could handle watching me…

anyone else was a hard no.

Which was ridiculous.

Rationally speaking, I barely knew the guy.

But my gut worked on a whole different level—one that said Prowl was mine to care for.

That I could trust him, that he was, in a strange way, mine.

Which was a totally crazy thing to think.

Prowl dipped his chin, which I took as a yes.

“Great. I’ll leave you two to catch up.”

Neither one of them spoke as I gathered my stuff and pulled the privacy curtain across.

Then the water was running, and I had no chance of hearing them.