Page 25

Chapter Twenty-Five

F or the first time in what he now knew was days, Skippy awoke rather than came to. Waking was a much slower process. His grandmother used to say slow and steady wins the race. She meant for him to slow down and enjoy the process. And the process helped her with her gardens. He never thought he'd be applying that same principle to waking up.

He took stock of how he felt. His head still pounded, but maybe a little less. It was difficult to tell because the pain was still severe. But Yael still clung to him in his sleep.

Eryn sat in the chair next to the bed. He played on his phone. Daruss sat next to him. He was the one who noticed Skippy was awake.

"Hey. How are you feeling?" Daruss had a crease down his forehead. The worry still clung to him, and he looked about as tired as Yael had before Skippy finally convinced him to sleep.

"Like I'm not as hard headed as I've always been told." Skippy tightened his hold on Yael. It wasn't that he thought he was exaggerating Skippy's condition so much as his worry might have clouded his judgement. The way Daruss looked at him made Skippy realize he really had been close to death.

Daruss nodded to Yael. "He's barely eaten in three days."

Skippy appreciated Daruss looking out for Yael, but he knew Yael well enough now to know that no one and nothing would get him to leave Skippy. Not even his empty stomach.

Eryn never took his gaze off his phone. "He gets like that. This one time, I got some sort of shifter flu. He ate whatever I ate. Even that crappy noodle soup he made and even slept in my bed with me with his hand on my chest just to make sure I was still breathing."

It was exactly what he'd done with Skippy, too. So maybe Yael was a little worrier, but in Skippy's case it might have been warranted.

"I started calling him Mama Bear after that." Eryn shrugged. "I'll grab him something to eat when he wakes up and sit on him until he eats it."

The corner of Daruss' mouth went up when he glanced at Eryn. "If he's a mama bear, so are you, kid."

Eryn smiled. "It's a compliment. I mean, it's not like I came out of him. But he loves me like I'm his kid. I'm like the luckiest person in the entire world." Eryn growled. "Why can't I find Casper on social media? He's a fucking ghost."

"He's not on social media anymore." Daruss' jaw ticked with irritation. "Have you even shifted yet?"

"No." Eryn sighed and put down his phone. "He told me to leave him alone."

"That's because he's been through enough. He doesn’t want a mate. Probably not ever. And he's definitely not looking for a hookup. Especially not with a boy." Daruss would make sure Casper and Eryn stayed away from each other. At least until after Eryn shifted for the first time and became of legal age. And he'd also make sure Casper wanted his attention. Skippy just had to keep Daruss from threatening Eryn. If he did, they would get a firsthand knowledge of Yael's mama bear mode. And then Daruss would take offense. He might try to hurt Yael and then Skippy would have to kill one of his best friends.

All of it would be very unnecessary since Eryn wasn't the type to not take no for an answer. He also wasn't very rebellious, so he'd listen to Yael and do what he said regarding Casper.

"I'm not that young. I'll be eighteen in a couple of months." Eryn puffed out his chest as though he were a riled-up chicken. "I'll graduate high school in June."

"And we'll throw a damn party for you at the club, if you want. But you'll leave Casper alone. Got it." Daruss glanced in Eryn's direction.

Eryn deflated. "Got it. For now."

"That's fair." Daruss met Skippy's gaze. "I have information about Andre Joseph. Are you up for hearing it?"

Skippy tried not to stiffen. He didn't want to wake Yael, who had slept through their entire conversation up to that point, but would probably wake up if Skippy showed even the smallest sign of being stressed.

Skippy mostly succeeded. "I'm up for it."

Eryn was the one who spoke next. "Don't tell Yael anything. Not until after you get a little better. It'll stress him out too much."

Skippy nodded. "I won't."

"He killed an old lady three nights ago. He broke into her house and killed her while she slept. It's all over the news. National news. That's how I got my information. He said they didn't find the woman until yesterday, which tracks with when the news story broke. So, Mercury thinks Joseph stayed for a couple of days. Probably regrouped."

"Which means he's on the move right now."

"Yeah. The murder happened an hour’s drive from here. Joseph took nothing beyond a few bucks from the woman's purse. Not even her car."

"But he left her dead? That makes no sense."

Eryn shook his head. "For Andre, it does."

"Explain," Daruss said.

"Andre killed her because he got off on it." Eryn met Daruss' gaze. "You don't have any idea who you're dealing with, do you?"

"Before a few days ago, I'd never heard of Andre Joseph."

"He kills because he likes it. He doesn’t need more of a reason to take a life." Eryn gestured to Yael and then himself. "Our father was the same way. Except he was also a mean drunk, but he could control himself to some degree. He liked beating people. I don't remember either of them or our mother, but Yael said our mother never stopped our dad from beating them."

Skippy tightened his hold on Yael. Knowing a little more about what Yael had gone through when he was younger made Skippy realize just how strong he was. "He won't hurt you or Yael."

Eryn shivered. "He'll try. He might even be in Wingspan. But we're here in Dr. Galloway's house. There's no way he knows we're here. It's probably saving our lives right now."

Eryn was right. Skippy wasn't the only one who thought so. Daruss did as well, if his raised eyebrows were any sign.

"All we have to do is find him," Daruss said.

"Before he kills someone else."

The timing of Skippy getting injured couldn't have worked out any better. If getting hurt prevented Yael and Eryn from having to face down Andre Joseph, then he was glad it happened. He'd do it again, if need be.