Page 46 of Little Bunny

But he was more than a capable, strong leader. Matias was a man with a heavy burden on his shoulders, and whatever happened while he was gone had deeply affected him. He was worn the fuck out. Elijah knew that feeling all too well, had been there many, many times. And in those moments, you just wanted that one person who settled you.

“Has Percy contacted you?” Matias hadn’t let him go or lifted his head. His voice was soft, calm, as if the hug had anchored him.

“No. I think he was gone even before Diablo showed up.” He explained his reasoning then added, “Tito called the guy you sent to watch Macey, but he said he hasn’t seen Percy. Tito did everything right, Matias. He refused to take me with him to search for Percy but refused to leave me here alone. He was stuck in a tough spot, and I didn’t make it any easier by trying to sneak out.”

The arms around him tightened a fraction before Matias pulled back. The way he gazed at Elijah stole his breath. “Let me take care of this. Then we talk.”

He nodded, relieved Tito wasn’t going to die. One crisis averted. One more to solve. Elijah couldn’t understand why Percy would put himself at risk knowing the dangers. He should’ve at least answered his phone with some illogical reason for leaving.

The fact Percy had cut off his phone worried the hell out of Elijah. That wasn’t like his best friend to cut off all communication. Where in the hell was he, and what was going on?

* * * *

Percy lay curled on the wooden bench inside the small shed. Sweat dripped from every pore, soaking through his clothes and matting his hair to his scalp.

Once again, he’d been too damn naïve, trusting instead of cautious. Even if it hadn’t been his fault this time, he still should’ve known better. He still should’ve followed Matias’s order to stay inside.

He should’ve stuck by Elijah’s side.

He should’ve… Percy forced his eyes open, afraid to fall asleep because he might not wake up. It was sweltering outside, worse inside the shed. Right now, he would kill for some ice-cold water. Kill for anything that would relieve his parched throat. It was so dry it burned.

His fists were bloody and scraped from pounding on the door for what felt like hours. He’d tried desperately to find a way out, but he hadn’t.

And now he just might die in the grungy shed. God, he was so stupid! A kind word, a friendly smile, and he’d been lured out of the tavern like a complete idiot.

He didn’t know the guy’s name, but had seen him around the tavern, recognized him as one of Matias’s men.

That’s why Percy had blindly trusted him.

And now he might pay the ultimate price. He felt like crying but was too dehydrated for any tears to fall. Elijah, his best friend. The only person who had ever been there for him. Who loved Percy, in spite of the complete mess he was.

And his mom. Percy wouldn’t be there to protect her. That hurt like hell. All he could do was pray Santiago would still keep her safe.

What Percy wanted in that very moment was to see Santiago one last time. The man who had made him feel safe, had come to his rescue, had been there through some very dark times.

His eyes started to slide closed, his energy depleted. His only thought was Santiago’s handsome face, his gorgeous smile, and soothing voice. Percy clung to these thoughts as he felt himself drifting off to sleep.

Chapter Twelve

Elijah placed a hand on his arm. The male had no idea how much his touch affected Mathias. The embrace alone had helped ground him from the brutality of today. It hadn’t been something Matias had wanted to do but necessary in his world.

If he’d allowed those hyenas to walk away, they would have seen him as weak and would’ve grown even bolder.

A shifter’s life wasn’t easy, their rules different from the human world. Betrayals were met with executions. Enemies were put to ground before they could rise up and hurt the people you cared about most.

Truces were fragile, easily broken. Matias had to walk a fine line between justice and peace and didn’t always get it right, but he carried the weight of leadership with a deep sense of responsibility.

And sometimes, all he wanted was that one person who could settle the storm constantly brewing inside of him. Someone who was there for him, no matter what length he had to go to in order to protect his men and territory.

Someone who saw him, who accepted the monster and the man.

Elijah had given him the comfort he’d needed, no questions asked. Had stepped into Matias’s arms in the kitchen with zero hesitation, anchoring him. Had given himself over, trusting Matias not to hurt him, and allowed Matias to claim him. To bind their souls as one.

“I don’t need you to handle this, Matias. I need to be a part of it. Percy would do no less for me. Please.” He gazed up at Matias, those pleading blue eyes a gut punch.

He was pleading but not begging. He wasn’t weak. He wasn’t asking to be protected. He was asking to fight for someone he loved.

He was also asking for the exact same thing Santiago had asked for. Help. If Matias had dropped everything to be there for him, how could he deny Elijah doing the same for Percy?

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