Page 9 of Primal Bonds 1

After the bath, Adam would then treat my wounds and provide me food. And then what after that? Was I allowed to stay for the night or was I to immediately leave? Then where would I go? Back to the street and sleeping in the cold, dark alley, waking up every few minutes to check if I’d be attacked by those street gangs ruling this part of the neighborhood?

The thought made me feel sick to my stomach. I had thought running away from the institute would gain me freedom and a new life, one that I’d be able to live like normal people do.

I was wrong. I was never considered normal people in the first place. I was a beastkin, the lowest of the low, and no matter how much I deluded myself into thinking this outside world would be kind to me and give me a chance, that was never going to happen. Beastkin would always be beastkin, sticking out like a sore thumb in the crowd with our beastly ears and little fangs. Funny how if we were to hide those, we’d look just like any normal man, and in the crowd, no one would be the wiser.

“Adam.” I said the name softly, liking the way the two syllables rolled off my tongue.

He was nice. So fucking nice that it made me want to cry. Why was he so nice to me? Why did he help me?

Since Kuro, Aka, and I had run away from the institute a year ago, not one person had been nice to us. We had to go around the streets, begging for alms and prostituting ourselves to survive.

Thinking back, that part of our lives hadn’t changed, contrary to our prior hope. Maybe our lives were meant to be like this, and no matter how much we screamedand cried at how unfair it was, it was never going to change.

That thought pissed me off. No matter what, though, I wasn’t going to give up. My dream of living a peaceful life in a nice cottage on a remote farm with Kuro and Aka deep in the mountain still burned deep in my heart. We’d be self-sufficient. We’d be happy with no one to bother us.

There was a loud rap on the door, which made me jolt, alert, my ears sticking up and my body tense, my eyes zeroed in on the door. I was ready to bolt.

“Shiro?” It was Adam’s voice, the timbre deep. It was very pleasant to the ear and made me relax.

“Yes?” I replied.

“You okay in there?”

Was he worried about me? I felt my heart flutter and my cheeks flushing hot.

“Yeah,” I said, realizing I hadn’t even started on cleaning myself. I had been deep in thoughts, and naturally, enjoying the hot bath.

The door opened, and Adam poked his head in. He took one look at me and said, “Enjoying yourself in there?”

I grinned at him.

Fuck, I was smiling,again. I had never smiled at strangers. I had only reserved that radiant look for Mom, Kuro, and Aka, to tell them non-verbally that I was fine or that I appreciated them or to cheer them up. But strangers? Never.

So why was I smiling at this man? He was a stranger,after all. But he calmed me down, his voice and his presence.

Adam came into the room and then shut the door behind him. I watched him, tense suddenly, as he approached me.

He sat on the side of the tub and then reached out for the bottle of shampoo. He squeezed some solution into his palm and then turned to me. “May I?”

He wanted to wash my hair for me? I was dumbfounded.

I hesitantly nodded, and he proceeded with the washing, rubbing the solution—which smelled nice—onto my thick hair until my head was full of bubbles.

His hands felt gentle, and I relaxed, loving the feeling of him massaging my head. When he was done, he leaned in, his muscular body over me. He smelled nice and felt warm. Something pleasant stirred deep within me.

Adam turned on the shower and rinsed my hair off, scrubbing the strands at the same time. When that was done, he applied the conditioner.

“Do you want me to wash your body for you?” he asked. “You probably find it hard to move.”

I shook my head and stammered, “No, it’s okay. I can wash myself.” I looked up at him. “Thanks for washing my hair for me.”

His face impassive, he nodded. “Suit yourself,” he said, then got up and headed out the door again.

I relaxed and sighed, my cheeks still burning hot. I reached for the body sponge, applied some body wash, and then started cleaning myself.

4

Adam

---