Page 47 of Shifter's Homecoming

But he knew, the knowledge falling into his head as his planet, his earth, the Ula, grew large in front of him. They were coming in hot, hurtling in like they had into the other world, and he could sense his family far below, Troy especially, working hard to save him.

“Thedragenbaby?!”

Thedragengel,yes.

“Ok,” Trent said, after only a moment’s hesitation. “I trust you. Let’s do this.”

But he was already slamming in to his own body, headfirst, merging with his own wolf, becoming his own wolf, heat searing his body like fire, like lava, like magma, like heat and pain and agony and—

—time stopped for him for just a moment, as the heat coalesced into life and death and birth and coming home again and again and again. Kendra looked at him. He looked at Kendra. Every person in the packed room was still, staring at them, like time had stopped, while wolf and baby, baby and wolf had their own business—

The baby reached a pudgy hand to his belly, and touched him once, softly, a pat really, and in that instant, he shifted from wolf to man, then from man to wolf, then wolf to man again.

Time returned to normal.

Conri snatched up the baby.

Trent got up and ran for his clothes.

33 - Awake

Reed covered her mouth with her hands. She could not stop staring.

There he was. Troy’s brother,Trent. As a man. A tall, thickly-muscled, naked man with long, long dark hair and a wild, long beard. He was up and moving. He was as tall as Troy, but wider through the shoulders. He looked like an authentic mountain man.

His stomach wason fire.

A ring of flame seemed to circle almost magically around his belly button one time, then snuffed itself out, leaving a wavy black mark that did not look like a burn, but did look like it would be there forever.

Trent did not even seem to notice it. His first stop was the couch near the bed. He touched Smokey one time, a jab almost, and the cat got up, stretched, then took off out the window, startling Heather, who was looking in, anxiously waiting for her baby to be given back to her. Trent did not watch Smokey go. He was already on the move, headed for the dresser in the corner. This was a community dresser, always stocked with uniforms of varying sizes.

Conri took the baby to the open window and passed her out to her mother. The room cooled considerably right away. Conri turned and stared at Trent like everyone else was doing. Someone turned off all the medical alarms. Silence fell in the room, heavy and thick like the heat.

Everyone stared at naked Trent. No one spoke. Ella and Trevor were closest to him, and they both were gaping, their mouths wide open. Troy was on the other side of the bed, near the medical equipment. He also looked completely stunned.

“Trent, you’re shifted,” he said weakly.

Trent yanked pants and a shirt from a drawer and pulled them on quickly. He found some boots, stepped into them, then bent and tied the laces hurriedly. He went to the end table, examined the pendants there, picked up one and put it in his pocket.

“Trent,” Troy said again. “You’re shifted … and walking.”

Trent didn’t respond. Instead he went to Ella and pulled her into a huge hug, then kissed her on the cheek. She looked like she wanted to speak, but couldn’t think of anything to say. She smiled at him, though, a warm and genuine smile, and two tears spilled down onto her cheeks. He went to Trevor next and shook his hand.

Trevor pulled him into a hug. “You look good, wolf,” he said to Trent.

Trent smiled then, a bit, but only a bit. “You too, brother, you too.” His voice was deep and smooth.

Troy’s mouth dropped open again. “Trent, you can talk.”

Trent shook Conri’s hand, then hugged another female, one whose name Reed had forgotten, then he looked around the room and held up his hand. “More hugs after I make sure my mate is safe. Thank you everyone for getting me home.”

“Your mate,” Ella breathed.

Trent nodded to her, then turned to Troy.

A huge grin spread over Trent’s wildly bearded face as he looked at his brother.

“Trent, you’re shifted,” Troy said one more time, still looking like he didn’t believe it, like he couldn’t believe it.

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