Seconds later, the leopard shifter mewled sadly. It rushed forward and rubbed against Declan's leg, trying to get as close as possible. Declan grimaced. "Oh, Lark is so not goin' to like this," he muttered. Shaking his head, he indicated the rest of the doors. "Let's check out the rest of these and get the hell out of here."
After shifting back to human form and wrapping a nonetoo-clean sheet around his waist, Carson followed the others down the hall. They checked out the remaining rooms, finding one after another empty, but the stench and unclean conditions made Carson shudder. He prayed they didn't find any more shifters here and he thought his wish may be granted until Jared unlocked the door to the last room. Inside they found a bunny cowering in the corner. In some spots, the white fur was matted, in others it was gone. The right side of its haunch had been shaved and three incisions cut into its flesh, now sewn together with purple thread. It tried desperately to get away, but couldn't put weight on its right hind leg.
Jared leaped at the animal, catching it carefully around its chest. He pulled it close as he rolled to his feet. The look on his face showed absolute horror as he stared around the soiled room, dirty newspaper strewn across one corner of the place, obviously used as the animal's bathroom. Carson's shifter nose made it nearly impossible to approach his mate as Jared walked out of the room.
His hazel eyes glittered as he stepped close and whispered, "Is this a shifter, too?"
Carson leaned close and sniffed. Underneath the scent of feces, chemicals and terror was the unmistakable smell of a rabbit shifter. He swallowed, took one last look around the room, taking in the inhumane treatment forced upon the creature and nodded. "Yes. He's a shifter."
Jared snarled, making the animal in his arms squeal in panic while thrusting out his back leg in an attempt to get away. His mate wrapped the animal up in a loose embrace while crooning softly. "Easy now, little bunny shifter. No one else will hurt you! You have my word on that. You're safe now. You'll never be hurt again."
He watched in surprise as the rabbit stopped fighting Jared and his mate tucked the little shifter close to his chest before stalking back to the elevator and punching the button. He could read agitation in every line of his mate's body, but didn't know what to do to ease it.
Waiting for the elevator to open, Declan pulled his radio out and spoke into it, asking for a report. Carson heard Lyle's static-filled voice tell them that he and Grady found two more shifters on the third floor and freed them after being forced to take out four guards. They were already on the main floor heading out of the building. Nick and Cliff had swept the first underground floor and found nothing but empty labs.
As they stepped into the elevator, Jared whispered, "I find it odd that the place is so empty." Suddenly, he stabbed at the button for level one, making them lurch to a stop one level underground. "Take him," he ordered, thrusting the bunny toward Carson. He reached out automatically, surprised when the animal struggled and thrashed, trying to get away from him. Jared stepped close and drew the shifter's attention. "This is my mate Carson, little bunny. He'll guard you with his life."
Completely floored, his brain froze in shock. Jared knew! Jared knows he's my mate! How can he know this? Before he could even get close to voicing that question, Jared pressed the button for ground level and darted out of the elevator.
He roared in anguish, slamming one fist on the closed doors. The struggling bunny caught his attention and Carson pulled it close, forcing his voice to come out soft. "Easy, rabbit. You'll be just fine. I've got your back."
Carson desperately wanted to stay on the elevator and go back down a level, but he wouldn't make his mate out a liar. Instead, he tucked the rabbit close and followed his alpha and Pascal, who carefully guided Dagus out of the building. Carson noted that Lyle joined them once they were out of the building and he prayed his mate hurried along.
Ten minutes later, he waited near to where he'd hidden while waiting for the cameras to be shut off. Most of the others waited nearby, knowing his concern stemmed from waiting for his mate's safe return. Declan had ordered a number of wolves to take the shifters they'd found to Rainy and Lark for treatment, but Carson had been unable to relinquish the rabbit. He knew it irrational, but his mate had entrusted the small shifter's care to him and he refused to do any less.
He absently threaded his fingers through the bunny's fur, trying to keep himself as calm as the animal in his arms.
When the building exploded, Carson lost it, screaming Jared's name as he launched toward the burning structure. It took the combined strength of Lyle, Grady and Declan to restrain Carson. As flames licked from the windows, his muscles gave out and they let him sink to the ground. Tears streamed down his face as he curled around the bunny Jared had entrusted him with. If it was the last thing he did, Carson would keep the other shifter safe.
Chapter Seven
Jared pulled Carson close, trapping his mate in his arms and the rabbit Carson still clung to between their bodies. "Easy, Injun. Be still. I'm here." Never in his wildest imaginations did he think he'd be comforting another man because he howled in agony over thinking he'd lost him. He didn't think even his friend of twelve years, Raul, would feel that way. It was a novel idea for Jared that someone cared for him so much.
His scent must have finally hit Carson, for the man's wild eyes finally lost some of their glazed look and Jared found himself pinned to the ground under two hundred pounds of very sexy male. Answering Carson's desperate kisses with his own, Jared let the man's desire wash over him, making his cock fill and his balls pull tight. When he thought he'd explode just from kissing the man, he pulled back, panting for breath.
Carson growled in frustration, but Jared turned his head, saying, "Hey man, I like you, too, but I'm not into exhibitionism." Jared's eyes met the oddly pale pink orbs of the rabbit's, forgotten in Carson's exuberant greeting. It sat a foot away from their shoulders, a gleam of interest lighting its eyes as it took them in. "You doing okay?" he asked the creature, for lack of a better thing to say.
The rabbit stood up on its back legs, looked around once, then settled back onto all fours and wiggled its tail. Jared smirked, thinking that was as good an answer as any. Perhaps not okay, but the shifter was at least content to sit surrounded by a group of other shifters.
The deep breath from Carson's chest caught his attention and he returned his focus to his mate. Well, fan-fucking-tastic. I really do think of Carson as my mate. What the hell am I going to do now?
Although he felt anything but calm, Jared forced a smile. He ran a hand through the long, straight hair he found himself fascinated with and forced Carson to meet his gaze. "Why were you so upset?" he whispered.
"I thought I'd lost you." His simple admission, so honest and so straightforward, shocked Jared to the bone. His astonishment must have shown in his expression because Carson's face darkened a bit and Jared realized the man was blushing. He leaned up and kissed his lips gently. Not knowing what else to say, he whispered, "You need to let me up, babe. We have a rabbit to help."
He glanced meaningfully at the rabbit shifter still watching them avidly. Jared wondered what the little animal looked like in human form. Was it so fascinated with them because it was actually a woman or what?
A sigh from the bigger man had him refocusing on Carson. The wolf shifter nodded and rolled off Jared, clutching tightly to his sheet and surprisingly, Jared missed the man's weight on him. Jared rolled to his knees and stared at the bunny. "Are you staying like that?"
The animal hunched in on itself and Jared nodded. "Right." He picked up the shifter and rose to his feet. He glanced around, surprised to see that they were now alone. "Uh … your friends?"
"Privacy," Carson muttered before leading the way through the woods. They walked in silence for several minutes, then Carson turned and glared. "How'd you know?"