"No. I won't be back."
Pain like he'd never experienced ripped through Drake's chest, and he gasped. Ailean's out of hand rejection shouldn't have hurt so much, since they'd only known each 69
other a couple days, but for some reason it did.
"Ailean," Grady growled. "Don't make any rash decisions."
"I said get him out of here," he all but roared.
Drake cringed away. "I'm sorry," he whispered. "I didn't know."
"Doesn't matter," Ailean snapped. "You humans are all the same. Always looking out for number one. All you thought about was your career. You probably didn't even think about how your findings would affect others." He turned his back on Drake, dismissing them both as he stabbed Lyle with the needle and finished drawing blood.
Ignoring him, Ailean headed toward the door. "I'll call you when I figure out how to heal Lyle." For a second, he thought Ailean might be talking to him, but then Grady sighed.
"Okay."
Drake's shoulders slumped as Grady's big hands landed on them.
"Come on, Drake. Let's go."
He allowed the detective to steer him out of the hospital.
Once in the man's truck, Grady turned to him. "Give Ailean time. He'll come around."
Staring morosely out the window, Drake shook his head.
"No, he won't. He's right. I didn't think about how my actions would affect others. What good could come of a serum that gives humans reptilian traits? I mean really?" Drake rubbed his temples, amazed at how naïve he could be.
Biting his lip, he muttered, "Besides, he got what he wanted." He huffed out an irritated sigh, his hands clenching into fists. "I always warn my brother not to put out on a first date, but did I follow my own advice?" he snapped at himself. "Of course not. I am such a fool." To his surprise, Grady chuckled. "Yes, that's good advice 70
under normal circumstances, but in this case, Ailean has just had some tough experiences with humans. He really will come around."
The man sounded so certain, but why would he … Drake frowned and looked at Grady, watching him steer the truck for a few seconds before whispering, "What?"
"I said he'll come around."
"No," Drake stated. "You said he's had some tough experiences with humans. And back in the room, Ailean said, you humans are all the same. What are you guys talking about?"
Grady glanced at him and frowned, but Drake wouldn't back down. He wanted to know what was going on.
Suddenly, Grady whipped the truck to the side of the road and screeched to a halt. "Fucking hell!" he yelled. "He mated with you and didn't explain things to you?" Drake straightened. "Mated? What do you mean? What things?" His confusion began to cut through the strange heartache plaguing him.
Growling under his breath, Grady slammed the truck into gear and got them moving again. He yanked his phone out and hit a button. "Declan," he grunted into the phone.
"We've got a problem. Ailean mated Drake but he didn't explain … anything."
He heard the frustration in the voice on the other end of the phone, but couldn't make out the words. Grady grunted an acknowledgement then said, "We're about fifteen minutes out," before snapping the phone shut.
They drove in silence for several minutes, Drake sneaking glances at Grady. He could tell from the man's tightly clenched jaw and narrowed eyes that the man was upset. He just couldn't figure out why. Why would Ailean dumping me make Grady so angry? It isn't like it impacts him, right?
When it didn't look like the detective was going to 71
explain, Drake frowned, "Okay, what's going on?" Grady shook his head. "I'm sorry Ailean put you in this situation," he replied. "I never thought the doctor was that selfish."
Drake frowned, indignation stirring. "I'm sure he's not selfish. He has a lot going on, what with Lyle showing up and then … " His words failed him, and he fought back a sniffle. "I just met him," he whispered. "Why do I miss him so much?"
Sighing, Grady reached over and squeezed his shoulder.
"Just hang on for a few more minutes. Once we get to Declan's, we'll explain everything." He nodded, his focus returning to the passing trees outside the window. A niggling of concern ate at him. His entire life was in upheaval and now the detective made it sound like there was even more to deal with.
Part of him wished he could go back in time and never take that contract. Then he'd never have gone to that meeting the other night, never have been hijacked by Lyle, and he'd never have met Ailean. But then Drake never would have experienced the most amazing sensations while in the man's arms, either. Or the broken heart he had now, and his heart was breaking, because somehow, in the course of twenty-four hours, he'd fallen in love with the doctor.
And didn't that just suck?
When he walked into the house, he heard Declan's Irish lilt growling from another room. "What do ye mean yer not coming over after yer shift at the hospital ends tomorrow?
He's yer mate, damn it! Ye can't just … " Drake's steps faltered, the man's words telling him exactly who the Irishman spoke to, and he wrapped his arms around his belly. A wash of bile rose up his throat and he struggled to breathe. Why did he have to walk in right at 72
this moment? Wasn't hearing it from the man himself enough? Now he had to overhear others talking about their whirlwind affair, too?
"Come on," Grady muttered gruffly and led the way into the room where Drake could still hear Declan arguing with Ailean.
He followed slowly and discovered a growling Declan holding Lark, who was trying to soothe the big man. His brother sat stiffly on one end of a leather couch. His head cocked to the side and his shoulders tense as he listened to the angry men around him. Drake hurried over to him and settled next to him, rubbing his brother's arm to reassure Dagus of his presence.
He blushed when Dagus leaned toward him and sniffed, realizing his brother, whose senses were heightened, could probably smell that he'd had sex. Dagus grinned and bumped shoulders. "It's about damn time," he whispered.
"I guess," he muttered back.
"You didn't like it?" His brother cocked his head, obviously trying to gauge the tone of his responses. "Did he hurt you?"
"I don't understand why everyone is making more of it than it is," he hissed back. "It was just a short fling. Ailean got what he wanted, and I finally figured out the allure of sex."
"The bite on yer neck says otherwise, Drake." Surprise shot through him, and he lifted a hand to the still tender mark not quite covered by his shirt. "It's okay. I … I liked it," he managed to admit, his gaze drifting from a solemn Declan to the floor.
"Damn that shifter," Declan growled. "I canna believe he did this to ye without explaining what it meant." He knew the question was written all over his face, especially since Grady had said something similar in the truck. "Look, this 73
may be a little hard to accept, but Ailean biting ye is not to be taken lightly."
"At the hospital, you told me how different the DNA was than anything else you'd ever seen, right?" Grady said, drawing his attention. He stared in shock as the big man began to slowly remove his shirt, his face so serious that Drake didn't know how to respond except to nod dumbly.
"Those men who hired you found out about something we've successfully kept secret since the early third century." He grimaced, his shoulders lifting in a shrug. "Well, at least until now."
"What secret?" he asked. He wasn't certain if he should feel dread or expectation. Gripping Dagus's hand tightly, he leaned forward. "What's going on?"
"There were human and reptilian components together because it was DNA from a shape-shifter, Drake," Grady said solemnly. "Ailean is a shifter. So am I, and so is Declan."
His eyes widened and his body tensed for several long seconds, before he shook his head, his blood chilling. "I know Ailean is your friend, but you don't need to compound the humiliation of him dumping me by making fun of my work, too." He rose, pulling Dagus up after him.
"We'll pack our things and go, thanks." He started to turn away, when he heard Declan say,
"We're not playing with ye, Drake. We figured ye'd need proof, being a scientist and all. Allow us to prove it." That peaked his curiosity, and he paused. "Okay. Prove it," he challenged. Did these men really believe they could shape shift?