Page 38 of The Shapeshifter’s Secretary (Charmed Away Temp Agency #3)

CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT

They came into Doctor Chapman’s office at a dead run. Zephyr had never been there before, thunderbirds only saw healers inside their own convocation, so he wasn’t sure what to expect. The waiting room was mostly empty except for two men he recognized from the club. He couldn’t place their names, but he didn’t really care. He wanted to see Tony.

“How is he?” Taron asked the smaller blonde man, who stood when they came in.

The blonde shook his head. “I’m not sure. They’ve been in there a while. They haven’t updated us.”

Looking around, Zephyr spotted the receptionist and made a beeline for her. She looked wary at his approach, probably because he was being too aggressive in his worry. He needed to stay calm, or they wouldn’t let him anywhere near Tony. He stopped in front of her desk, taking a deep breath.

“We’re here for Tony Decker. Can we see him?”

She shook her head slowly. “No, he’s with the doctor now. Are you family or…”

“He’s our boyfriend,” Taron answered, stepping up beside him. “Had we known the appointment had changed, we would’ve been here sooner, but he failed to inform us. Something we’ll discuss with him when he’s feeling better,” he growled.

Zephyr rolled his eyes. They were not going to berate Tony about his choice. He wanted to know why, but he didn’t get to pick and choose when Tony invited him in. If he wanted them there, he would’ve called.

“Right, well, like I said, he’s with the doctor and–”

The door to the back opened abruptly, startling everyone in the room. An old druid with giant horns scanned the room. When they landed on Taron, he beckoned him with a wave. Zephyr followed, his heart in his throat. Was it Tony? Was he okay?

“Doctor Chapman. How is he?”

The druid’s face twitched against a scowl. “It is… slow going. His mind is turbulent, and it’s hard for him to accept the treatment. We believe the pain is causing flashbacks, and it’s making it hard to progress. I thought maybe if his mate was nearby–”

Mate. That word felt like a weight on his chest, and it set off a whole host of alarms. That was why he was so obsessed with the human. Why he was distracted from his goal of getting Taron back when he first arrived. Tony was his mate. But… Just his mate, or…?

He shot a wary glance at Taron, worried for a moment the shapeshifter might panic again. They still needed to talk. Did he feel the same way about Tony? Did he feel the same way about Zephyr?

Taron’s face didn’t waver, and he gestured at Zephyr. “He’s not just mine. We both need to be there.”

Zephyr didn’t have any time to read into the comment. The druid didn’t care to argue. He gestured them to the back and through the doors, leading the way into a big room at the end of the hall. It was situated sort of like a human surgery suite but with a lot more magic involved. The room was crowded with other druids, all dressed in white and working in their respective areas. There were two by Tony’s head, trying to keep him asleep, but his brow was furrowed, and he jerked now and then like he was fighting something in his sleep.

“He’s done that before,” he murmured to Taron. “When he has nightmares. The doctor is right. He’s dreaming of it.”

Taron’s expression was pained, and he nodded once before turning to the doctor. “Where do you want us?”

“We can work around you. Go where you feel is best.”

Zephyr didn’t hesitate, going to Tony’s side and taking his hand. Taron took up the other side, rubbing Tony’s shoulder lightly.

“Shh… a thaisce. You’re okay. We’re here,” he murmured near Tony’s ear.

The poor man whimpered, and his grip tightened on Zephyr’s hand. He still didn’t relax, though. Zephyr looked over his shoulder at the doctor.

“Will my magic interfere with yours? It settles him.”

“There’s only one way to find out,” the druid said with a sigh. “Do it. I don’t want to have to repeat this procedure if I don’t have to. It’s gone on longer than I wanted already.”

That didn’t make him feel any better. He turned back to his mate, putting his free hand lightly on his chest. He glanced at Taron and tipped his head, encouraging him to join. Tony wasn’t just his. They needed to help him together.

His magic swelled in a desperate need to help his mate, but he kept it as low as he could so he didn’t interfere with any of the other spells working to help Tony. Taron’s magic was passive, it was harder for him to share it, but he joined in as much as he was able, sending it through Zephyr’s hand into the whimpering man they both loved.

Tony took a deep breath, shocking them both, and when he let it go, his body relaxed. For a few minutes, nobody moved, worried the effect was only temporary, but when he stayed quiet, the druid stepped cautiously closer.

“Alright, people. Let’s begin again.” He looked between Zephyr and Taron. “Like I said before, we’ll work around you. As long as you keep him calm, we’ll get through this as quickly as is safe.”

They both nodded and turned their focus back to Tony. They wouldn’t move from that spot until they knew Tony was okay.

* * *

Tony’d had flashbacks since the first time he woke up in the military hospital after his injury. He hated them, but he couldn’t avoid them. And the more he healed, the more details he got from what happened, filling in the blank bits until he remembered every single second of it. Then he relived it every time he went to sleep.

The flashback went in slow motion as he watched the explosion and felt the way the shrapnel and force ripped through his body, sending him flying. His body hit the ground and usually, this was where the pain reached its peak during the dream, but right as he landed, a wave of electricity and warmth passed over him. That was strange. There was no electricity in the IED. His brows pinched together, and he blinked at the bright blue sky overhead. He kept waiting for the pain, but instead of growing, it felt like someone had turned it down a few notches. That didn’t happen either.

The fog of panic and pain slowly dissipated, and his mind cleared. He wasn’t there anymore. That had already happened. It was done. He was okay.

The pain increased for a second, but the warmth and electricity were quick to follow, soothing any pain that cropped up. It didn’t fit the memories he had, so those faded away until he was just lying on the ground, staring up at the sky, trying to understand. He didn’t hurt anymore. Was that a bad thing? Did he die? He didn't want to die. He thought of Zephyr and Taron, and his heart ached. He didn’t want to go. He wanted to be with them.

“A thaisce. Don’t cry. We’re here.”

Taron. Tony’s heart leapt.

“Nokah. You’re not alone,” Zephyr crooned. He followed up with something in that language his family spoke, but Tony didn’t have a clue what he was saying. It was soothing, though, as was Taron’s whispered encouragement. He wasn’t all alone, then. They were with him. Wherever this was, he wasn’t alone like he had been before his team came to rescue him. He didn’t like being alone.

Now that he was listening, their voices weren’t the only ones he could hear. Little whispers telling him to stay asleep and be calm, that they were there to help him. A part of him wanted to push them away, but another wave of love and support came from his men, and he settled again.

Where am I? he asked no one in particular.

The spiritual plane, a voice replied.

He frowned. Shima?

Her chuckle brushed along his mind. He always liked the smart ones.

Why are you here? he asked.

Because my grandson was afraid for his mate. His fear called out to me and drew me to you. Ah, lohkhee, you have suffered a great deal. Let them help you.

What’s that word mean?

Another chuckle. At least she thought he was funny.

I will teach you our language after your bonding ceremony. I’ve never bonded three souls before. It will be interesting.

He wanted to know what she meant by that, but her voice faded before he could ask. Then the voices in the background followed until only Zephyr and Taron’s magic remained. He wanted to get closer to them, but he couldn’t move. He could only stare up at the sky and wait for them to come to him.

He must’ve fallen asleep at some point because when he woke up, he wasn’t in the desert or some grassy field. The ceiling above him was the plain gray tiles of a hospital room. He was in a different bed than the one he’d been on when he started the treatment, this one more like what he’d experienced in the military hospital. The lights were dimmed, which was nice. His head hurt. Thinking about it, his whole body hurt, but not as bad as before. It was like a throbbing ache instead of the sharp pain of being pulled apart. He shifted a little, uncomfortable, but he couldn’t move much. It only took a quick glance to figure out why.

Taron and Zephyr’s hands were laced together on his chest, both of them sleeping on his arms. His chest ached to see them like that, knowing it was only for right now, but he pushed that aside. Right now, he really wanted to move to get more comfortable. He didn’t know how to do that without accidentally waking them up.

The door to the room opened quietly, and Avery tiptoed in, followed closely by Mr. Hawksley. Why the company owner was in his room was beyond him, but he didn’t say anything about it. He just watched curiously as Avery crept closer, flashing him a bright smile when he noticed Tony was awake.

“You’re up,” he whispered. “How are you feeling?”

He didn’t want to speak for fear of waking up his boyfriends, so he just grimaced. Avery nodded and frowned. “I bet. I heard the update from Doctor Chapman. It didn’t sound pleasant. Let me call a nurse in. They should be able to help.”

While he snuck away again, Mr. Hawksley came closer, eyeing the men lying almost on top of him. “Are they hurting you?”

He shook his head slowly. Not really. They were heavy but comforting.

Avery came back with a young woman with a calm smile and a gentle touch. She put her hand on his forehead, and he felt the brush of her magic over his mind, but she didn’t stick around long. She drew back and smiled again.

“I’m going to get you something to help with the pain. Are you hungry?”

Now that he thought about it, yeah, he really was. When he shot her a questioning look, she chuckled softly. “Healing takes a lot out of the body. Especially for humans. You’ve been through a lot. Your body needs food and rest. I’ll grab you something.” Her eyes drifted to the two lying on top of him, and her lips twitched against another laugh. “Maybe your friends can help you until your mates wake up.”

His brow furrowed tightly, but she was gone before he could ask. That wasn’t the first time someone said he had mates. But humans didn’t have mates. Right?

He looked down at the two men holding him and choked back a whimper. He didn’t dare hope that it was true. That’d be cruel. They couldn’t stand each other. Tying them to him so they were forced to interact with each other wasn’t the kind of relationship he wanted. He didn’t want to make them unhappy.

“Hey…” Avery put his hand lightly on Tony’s shoulder, tipping his head with a concerned frown. “What’s wrong?”

He shook his head, but he couldn’t hold back the tears even if he wanted to. He couldn’t hide them either, with his boyfriends lying on him like that. His face crumpled, and he dropped his chin, trying really hard not to start sobbing like a baby.

Zephyr’s grip on his hand tightened, and he sat up abruptly. “What is it? What’s wrong?”

“I’m not sure,” Avery replied. “He’s in some pain, the nurse just went to get him something to help with that, but I’m not sure this is related to that. He didn’t wake up crying. It just started a minute ago.”

A warm hand cupped his cheek, stroking lightly. “Nokah. What’s wrong?”

He shook his head, careful not to dislodge Zephyr’s touch. He needed it right then.

“T. T, wake up,” Zephyr demanded. Through his tears, he saw Zephyr nudge Taron, who grumbled in his sleep and waved him away. The innocent refusal to wake up soothed some of the heartache, and Tony let out a wet chuckle.

Zephyr smirked at him and shook his head. “You’d think because he’s always bouncing with energy, he’d be easy to wake up, but he’s always been this way. He’s never in a hurry to get up.”

He gave up on trying to wake Taron, pushing to his feet so he could rest his forehead against Tony’s. Tony leaned into it until his body protested, and he had to settle back again with a grimace.

Zephyr leaned closer, whispering something in his ear he didn’t understand. He liked the sound of it, though. Not quite like the human Indigenous American languages he learned about in school, but close. He leaned his cheek against Zephyr’s, closing his eyes so he could just listen.