Page 6 of Tempest

“Can you tell me your name or what happened to you?”

He didn’t say anything, and his body went lax against Cash’s a moment later. Sighing, he carefully slipped out of his truck and moved around to the other side to grab the bird. He was walkingup onto the porch when the front door opened, and Pops stared at him, his bushy gray eyebrows raised in question.

“Now, who’s this?”

“I don’t know.” He looked down at the eagle, his grip tightening a fraction as a protective instinct flared inside him, but he stomped it out. “He flew through the warding along the western edge of the territory. When I found him…”

Cash hesitated. Should he tell anyone the little bird had asked for help? Would that make a difference once he was awake and able to move?

Probably not.

He wasn’t a part of their pack. He wasn’t their responsibility.

And yet…

His panther growled at the very idea of sending the eagle on his way without helping him.

“He just said he needed help, and then he passed out.”

“Well, bring him in, bring him in.” Pops stepped back and pointed with his cane toward the living room. “Lay him on the couch.”

Cash maneuvered himself and the unconscious man through the door and past his grandfather, but then he headed toward the kitchen instead. “The couch is too low for you to examine him, Pops.”

He huffed behind him but didn’t argue, limping as quickly as he could toward their small rectangle kitchen table and clearing the few things sitting on it. Cash laid the man down, surprised at how little of the bird’s legs hung over the edge.

He really was a tiny thing, and it just made Cash want to protect him even more. He lingered, not wanting to stop touching that smooth skin or leave him undefended. Goddess, what was this man doing to him?

“Go and grab my bag, son.”

He did, hurrying into his grandfather’s bedroom and grabbing his medical bag. Pops had just started examining the eagle when there was a knock at the door. It opened before he could do more than turn to look, Liam coming through first but Fern right behind him. Their alpha towered over her at six foot five to her five foot. Her sweet, freckled face was set in a serious expression as she zeroed in on Pops and the bird and hurried forward, pulling her long, wavy hair up into a messy bun as she moved.

“What are we looking at, Terry?”

“I’m not sure,” Pops said, frowning. “He’s definitely not well, but I’m not sure what’s wrong. There’s no visible wound or injury.”

“Wolfsbane poisoning?” she said, dropping the small duffel she called a purse on a chair and pulling it open. “I’ve got some antidote in here.”

“Maybe. It’s usually introduced through a wound though,” Pops said, studying the soles of the eagle’s feet for some reason. “I suppose it could have been slipped into something he ingested.”

Cash’s heartbeat thumped heavily in his ears as his eyes found Liam’s all on their own, looking for reassurance from his alpha. Liam beckoned him over, and Cash didn’t hesitate, only stopping once he was right in front of the lion. They were about the same height, but the power radiating from Liam made him feel small and safe, easing a little of the tension inside him.

“I know what you’re going to say,” Cash said quietly, averting his gaze and tipping his head to the side to expose his throat out of respect. When Liam didn’t respond, he chanced a quick glance and saw the side of Liam’s mouth was tipped up in a small smile.

He clasped the side of Cash’s neck, using his big palm to scent him and calm him further. “No, you don’t. You did theright thing. He might not be our responsibility, but that doesn’t mean that he doesn’t deserve our help.”

Cash nodded slowly, relieved that his alpha wasn’t actually upset with him.

“He didn’t say anything to you?”

Cash shook his head. “He just… He asked me to help him and then passed out.”

Liam nodded, eyes on the table behind Cash. His palm moved against the side of Cash’s neck, gently sliding up and down to leave his scent behind. The gesture was common among close shifters, especially family, but it felt different coming from an alpha. Even more so from one Cash respected and trusted.

“We’ll do what we can,” Liam decided, giving his neck a squeeze and dropping his hand to his side. He shifted his attention to Cash. “If need be, we can help him get to another pack if he’s running from something.”

Cash’s panther snarled at the idea, but he kept himself contained. His panther needed to fucking chill. “Yes, Alpha.”

The two of them stood there for a while, watching Pops and Fern work without seeming to make much progress. After nearly an hour, Fern sighed and came over to them. Pieces of her strawberry blonde hair had escaped her bun, but she just swiped at them irritably.

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