Page 11 of The Rabbit's Foot
He wanted this with a ferocity. He was free of the lab, and he could chart his own life now.
But wasn’t that desire what had gotten him into trouble in the first place? His refusal to listen to anyone had brought him to the lab, where he’d lost six years of his life. No, deep down, Alp knew what he wanted. To go home. To sleep with his siblings, who by now had their own families. Alp wanted to cuddle up with them, to tell them stories, and to listen as they spoke to him about all manner of silly and inconsequential things. He wanted the life that Hyde had stripped away from him.
The thing was, he still wanted his protector there with him for all that.
The vet opened the pen door and ran a hand over Alp’s flank. “Hey there, sweetie. I have to look at you and see how things are going. I’d rather not put you back under, so if you promise not to hurt me while I examine you, I think we can both be happier.”
Alp didn’t want to sleep again. He wanted to go back with Mal to the cave, or to the motel room the vet mentioned. He wanted to stay with Mal until he was better, because Mal was the only one he trusted. So he lay limply as the vet checked his leg.
“It’s awful, but it looks a lot better than what it did. I cleaned away the necrotic tissue and trimmed the bone on the residual limb back so it wasn’t as jagged.” She nuzzled Alp, and he appreciated the comfort. “I wish I could do more. I’d give anything for bunny-sized prosthetics.”
She didn’t need to worry about that. Alp had—mostly—come to terms with the loss years ago. He’d seen the arm after they’d cut it off, and he knew what it looked like. True, he still had dreams, but he also knew that he couldn’t dwell on it. The hand was gone, and nothing could change that. At least he had the satisfaction of screwing up Hyde’s work. Then he realized that there were still people in the lab. Shifters, like him, who Hyde had experimented on, killed, all in the name of some perverted science.
And many of those who had been left the night Alp bolted had been children who were ripped from their parents and then experimented on while their folks were left to die.
He jerked, and the vet gasped.
“I think I should put him back,” she said.
“How about if you let me hold him?” Mal asked. “Maybe I can keep him calm.”
This time she looked dubious, but handed Alp over. “If he gets too rambunctious, put him back in his pen.”
“He’ll be fine,” Mal assured her, stroking that big hand from head to tail. “Won’t you?”
Alp snuggled in again, happy to have Mal’s scent filling his lungs. True, it wasn’t as pungent as the wolf, but it was still Mal.
“Huh.” The vet shook her head. “You’ve got a talent with animals, it seems.”
Mal continued his ministrations, and Alp felt himself relax further. “Well, some of my best friends are animals.”
If only the vet understood how true those words were, but honestly? At the moment, Alp couldn’t care. The twinges of pain that had always accompanied him lessened when Mal touched him. The fear that he’d be captured and taken back? Nearly gone. Alp wasn’t sure why, but he knew that Mal was the cause. He knew, without a shadow of a doubt, his parents were going to fall in love with the big wolf.
As long as they didn’t run screaming when they saw him.
Chapter 5
The room was pretty austere even as motels went. It was definitely no-frills. A small bathroom with a sink, toilet, and shower done up in the hideous avocado gold that had been popular in the 70s. The bed was a queen, but the comforter smelled new. There was a small television, a tiny sofa, a clock that stood on the nightstand, and an empty wet bar that Mal had filled with bottles of water for the rabbit.
When he mentioned taking the bunny with him, the vet—Lydia—hedged. She said that he’d need constant care, but Mal assured her if she told him what to do, he could handle it. So she set about teaching him the proper care of the wound, the feeding of the rabbit so he’d get enough nutrients—which required another trip to the store—and a promise that ifanythingseemed off, he’d call her immediately.
As soon as they walked into the room, Mal carried the rabbit to the bed and nestled him on one of the pillows, fluffing the covers around him to make a nest. He swore he heard the rabbit sigh.
“This has to be better than the cave, right? Or being out on your own?”
Bright eyes flicked up to him, and the little butt wiggled deeper into the makeshift warren, the rabbit going so far as to grab the edge of the blanket and dragging it over himself. He seemed content, but Mal was still worried. He had so many questions. Who were the men who chased one small rabbit? Why? Sure, they’d obviously known he was a shifter, but was it a hate crime? Were they curious if shifter rabbit tasted the same as a regular bunny? Mal didn’t think that was the reason. They’d smelled too much of chemicals, and their blood had been so disgusting.
“I wish we could talk,” he said. “I need answers, and you’re the only one who has them.”
The eyes that had been so happy a few moments ago closed, and Mal felt like an ass. The trauma the rabbit had been through obviously was horrifying, and instead of letting him rest and gather his strength, Mal was bringing it up again.
“I’m sorry,” he said quietly. “I didn’t mean to do that. It’s just… I said I’d be responsible for you, and it’s rough not knowing what I’m protecting you from, ya know?”
A small nod came before Mal felt the swirling energy that precipitated a shift. The rabbit was trying again, but as had happened before, Mal knew he wasn’t going to be able to do it. He needed rest, food, and to get back strength before he tried to shift to his human form.
“Hey, stop,” Mal insisted, and the rabbit went limp. “It’ll come in time. What you need to do now is sleep. How about a banana chip?”
The ears perked up, and the rabbit turned a hungry gaze in Mal’s direction.
