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Those eyes closed again, Sam looking a little green
around the edges.
"I know. You need some more of the good meds,
babe?"
"Yeah. I. I don't know what to do."
"You will." Gus had never had a long convalescence,
but he'd been busted up once in a mine collapse, and he
knew it took patience. It was hard.
"I hope so. They were trashing my place, last time I
saw."
"It's a bit of a loss, puss. Helena and Gray pulled
everything out that they could."
Sam nodded, curling into himself, getting smaller,
tighter.
Just Like Cats & Dogs - 150
Gus sighed. "We'll just have to get a new place, huh?
You and me." He was never letting Sam out of his sight
again.
"Yeah? That's not crowding you too much?"
"I may never let you go to the store alone again." He
tried a grin.
It must not have worked, because Sam touched his
face with shaking hands. "I fought them. I swear to
you."
"I know, babe. I know you did. You don't give up."
He took a deep breath, his chest tight.
"I wanted to. By the end, I prayed she'd kill me. She
promised she would, if she couldn't get me out. She's
just a kid, you know?"
Yeah, a deadly, hard as nails kid. What a fucked up
mess. Gus bent and kissed Sam's forehead. "You're
never going back."
"No. I can't. They said I was a traitor."
Gus snorted. "Bullshit. Who raised you? Who loved
you? You were true to your family."
"I was true to my mate."
"You were." That was like a punch to the gut, and he
kissed Sam again, lingering.
Sam curled around him, a restless purr vibrating
against him.
"I got you." He didn't know what else to do but pet
that too-skinny body. It seemed to give them both
comfort.
Slowly, almost painfully, Sam shifted, relaxing into
him, going fuzzy. Oh, fuck. Thank God. That meant
Sam would really start to heal now. He curled around his
Puss, growling softly as his fingers worked through the
heavy pelt.
They would rest together, get Sam well. Then they'd
find a place to call theirs. Just theirs.
Just Like Cats & Dogs - 151
That heavy tail landed on him, holding him close.
Gus grinned. Who the hell was he kidding? Home was
where Sam was.
Period.
Just Like Cats & Dogs - 152
Chapter Twenty-Six
He woke up to silence, dark, and for a long minute he
stayed perfectly still before he panicked, tail lashing,
claws digging into the mattress.
Out.
Out.
OUT.
Something, someone caught him before he fell,
which he was about to do, sharp teeth closing on his
neck, grabbing his ruff.
He yowled, his body trying to draw up, relax, the
motion instinctive.
The one who held him shook him a little, then pushed
him back down on the bed he'd been on, which was soft.
The scent was so familiar, the big body warm... Then
Gray barked, and Sam recognized his adopted brother.
He mewled softly, pushing closer. Brother. Brother, I
was so scared.
Gray barked a little more, talking to him, just letting
him know it was okay now. Sam was safe.
Safe. He nuzzled into Gray's throat, purring hard.
Gray licked his whiskers, missing a little the third time
and getting his eyeball. Ew.
He rolled off the bed, his back legs not working right,
awkward and heavy and odd. He turned to bite at them.
Gray barked again, biting his ear. Sam swiped at Gray,
aggravated. They needed chewing.
"Are you going to wake up the girls, too, or just me?"
Gus came in, wrapped in a crazy flannel robe, hair
sticking up all over. He had a cup of coffee in one hand,
so Sam thought maybe Gus had been awake and had
asked Gray to sit with him.
He yowled and hissed, explaining clearly that he'd
been asleep and now he wasn't. Now he needed his legs
Just Like Cats & Dogs - 153
fixed. Gray barked along in chorus, and Gus rolled his
eyes.
"God help me. I thought it was you and Pete who
were always trouble. Gray always seemed so quiet." Gus
gave Gray a quelling look, which wouldn't help at all,
since Gray couldn't see.
He chuffed, leaning into Gray as his brother mouthed
him lazily.
"Better? You want something to eat, babe?"
Sam pulled himself over to his mate, landed heavily
on the man's legs, and bit Gus' thigh. Why hadn't he
spent more time as a cat?
Gus snorted. "I'll take that as a yes." Gus set the
coffee on the rustic, wooden dresser and hauled him up,
carrying him with an ease that belied the man's human
body. Sam leaned, nose against Gus' throat, inhaling a
scent that was... home.
They didn't go back to the bed. They went out to the
main room of the little cabin, where a soft couch was
outfitted with quilts. Gus placed him on the couch
before going to find him food. Sam curled up, nose to
tail for a second before he started chewing on his legs
again. Something tugged at his ear again, Gray hopping
up next to him on the couch.
He swatted one flank, purred, oddly happy. His
family, or at least part of them, were there, and Gus was
making something that smelled amazing, making his
whiskers twitch. Every time he chewed his back, Gray
stopped him, so he grabbed one leg, started gnawing.
When he got a mouthful of Gray's jowl, though, he
stopped. Oh, yuck. Slimy. Gray laughed at him, and he
started grooming, cleaning Gray's face. They were well
into an obsessive lick-fest when Helena came in, very
human, wearing jeans and a sweater, looking tired but
comfy.
Just Like Cats & Dogs - 154
"You two and the licking."
Sam tried to lash his tail, which sort of worked, but it
was Gray who pounced her, big body taking her down.
Oh, Helena was going to scream.
She did, grabbing Gray's ears and yanking. Gray
howled, Helena growled, and Gus came over to swat
Gray with a spatula. God, this was hilarious. Sam
watched, his claws pressing in and out on his front paws.
Oh, he wanted to play.
"Don't you laugh at me, Sammy." Helena's growl
snapped out, and that just made him more tickled.
Sammy yawned, his teeth aching a little. Hungry. He
yowled, batting at the air.
Gus came out with bowls of food. "Everybody lose
the fur. Time to eat."
Right. Lose the fur.
He concentrated.
Nothing.
"Sam?" Helena came over to stroke his ears. "Can
you try?"
He looked at her, at Gus, yowled. He was. He was
trying.
Skin. Legs. Human. Human. Dancing. He liked
dancing, just like he liked food. He liked being human
with Gus. Hmm.
"Sammy?" Gray nosed him as Helena fretted,
howled.
"You leave him alone, huh?" Gus came over to stroke
his ears.
"He's fuzzy. He's never fuzzy when the moon's not
full."
"He's healing." Gus grinned, tugging the tip of his
ear, making it twitch. "And he's never fuzzy when the
moon isn't full, just like you said. I would bet his body
isn't used to switching at will. He'll learn."
Just Like Cats & Dogs - 155
The ease in Gus' voice relaxed him. If his mate wasn't
worried, he didn't need to be. He rubbed lazily on Gus'
legs, letting his purrs out.
"See? Comfy kitty." Gus scratched him a few more
moments before heading off to cook some more.
He cuddled back on the sofa, Gray sitting with him.
Helena finally stopped fussing and joined them, curling
up down at his feet. It was good, to be with family
again, to be warm and happy.
To be safe. He yowled softly, curious about Marina.
"She's sleeping," Gus answered absently. "Don't
worry."
Silence filled the room until Gus looked up from his
frying pan. "What?"
Helena stared. "You can understand him?"
Sam snorted, bared his teeth. Of course Gus could.
Gus blinked. "Why shouldn't I? He's my mate."
"He's feline."
"Uh-huh." Gus was frowning now, taking the food
off the heat. "We're still mates."
Sam yowled softly. It smelled so good. So good.
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