5. Danger Befalls Galent

5

DANGER BEFALLS GALENT

"We stay in here and don't leave," Pinks said.

Was he crazy? "What the hell," Galent said, angry heat growing in his chest. "I'm not the kind of person who sits and waits like prey."

He'd been trying to track down that thing, before he'd gotten distracted by Zarrie's magnetic pull. Now that the thing was within reach, Galent wanted to get rid of it once and for all, so the curse would disappear and he would stop being a danger to himself.

Pinks bared his teeth. "Yeah, well, I don't want you leading danger back here, where Zarrie is. If you're going to hunt that person down, don't come back. I can't risk my baby."

"For all you know, that thing already knows where we are. It can probably sense its magic in my chest. That's where the curse is." Galent rubbed his hand over his heart, his skin crawling at the foreign energy lodged in there.

Pinks shuddered. "I'm not going with you. We don't know what else there is in the forest."

"You can hear them, can't you?"

Pinks hesitated. "I'm not going out there."

"Well, I am." Galent strode to the back door, flinging it open.

The forest was eerily quiet. Galent set off at a brisk jog and strained his ears. The wrong-sounding laughter had stopped.

If he could smell... But no, he didn't have a wolf's sense of smell. All he had was his hearing, and his eyesight that meant nothing in a dense forest.

He crunched through the undergrowth, half-prepared to leap through the canopy into the sky.

Just in case he needed his wings... Galent reached back to tear open his shirt. Except he remembered turning into stone, and his friends' warnings not to fly.

He could shatter his wings, if he fell. There was no way to put back a wing that had been ripped off his body.

With a frustrated snarl, Galent lengthened his strides, his head snapping up when the laughter rang out again. A shadow loomed up ahead.

Heat kindled in his stomach. He could breathe fire, set the entire forest ablaze.

Halfway through a leap, he turned his head, catching sight of a hidden line in the ground.

That he'd just crossed.

Fuck.

The line glowed bright green. A large net shot out at him, tangling with his arms and legs.

Galent tried to rip it off. But its weighted edges and stringiness made it near impossible, and it covered his entire body in a sticky, liquid mess.

In his distraction, his leg snagged on a tree root. Galent lurched forward and thumped his head against a tree. "Fuck!"

He heard heartbeats now. Four different ones, closing in rapidly. With a snarl, Galent released a plume of his hottest blue flames, hitting one of them so his clothes caught on fire. But the other three yanked on his net from a distance, forcing him to fall and hit the ground hard.

Galent finally tore off the net, only to have someone fling a whistling spear that he barely dodged.

The wrong-sounding laughter rang out, so loud that Galent's hair stood on end.

Three minions plus the thing. He couldn't hit them all with a single plume of fire; they were too far apart. And they were closing in, weapons at the ready.

Maybe Pinks had been right. Maybe Galent needed a plan, instead of running into the forest with just his raw strength.

And maybe it was too late for regrets.

He braced himself for an attack, searching out the shadowy figure hidden behind the trees.

A howl rang through the forest. Then other howls echoed behind it, much softer, further away.

Galent glanced up. Pinks?

A lone gray wolf darted between the trees, holding a white, rectangular bag in his mouth. One of Galent's attackers aimed a gun at the wolf; Galent stopped breathing.

He lunged forward and tackled the man to the ground just as the gun went off. There wasn't time to check if the wolf was hurt; Galent snapped the man's neck and went for the next assailant, plunging his clawed fingers through the man's throat.

The third attacker aimed a dagger at the wolf. The wolf darted away and leaped around to Galent's other side, waiting as Galent breathed fire on the threat.

Only then did Galent recognize what the wolf carried in his mouth—a bag of flour.

Before he could ask why, the wolf ripped into the paper package with his teeth. He flung it at Galent and shifted into a naked pink-haired man. Pinks pointed at the shadowy figure. "Throw it!"

Galent drew his hand back and flung the bag as hard as he could. Flour poured out through the rips in the packaging, heading straight for the thing.

He didn't wait for Pinks' next instruction. He grabbed Pinks around the waist and hurled a fireball through the flour cloud, sprinting away as it exploded behind them.

He didn't stop running until they were back in the safehouse, the door shut and locked behind them. Both of them panted.

"Why're you panting?" Galent asked. "You didn't even run."

Pinks folded his arms and glowered. "Because that was a high pressure situation! You could've thanked me first, you jerk."

Galent blew out a breath. "Thanks."

Pinks sniffed disdainfully. "After what I risked, you owe me. You already owed me because your massage wasn't two hours like you promised."

Galent raised an eyebrow. "I made you come. Twice."

"Still wasn't two hours!"

"Fine," Galent said, his mouth twitching. Then he sobered. "I didn't mean for you to follow me into the forest."

Pinks rolled his eyes. "I heard them. You were outnumbered, and they got you."

"You were right. I shouldn't have gone out there without a plan."

Pinks puffed out his chest, but it only made his pink, perky nipples stand out. They drew Galent's attention like tiny stop signs, pointing him down to Pinks' ribs that showed against his skin, the jut of his hipbones, the V of his hips, and the dark blond curls around his cock.

Pinks cleared his throat loudly, covering his crotch with his hands. "My eyes are up here."

Galent dragged his gaze back up, catching the way Pinks shivered, a slow flush spreading down his chest.

He was beautiful, really. Burnt-orange eyes that were large and doe-like, freckles on his cheeks, full lips that pouted and begged to be tasted. His hair was short, mostly pink, but his roots were starting to show.

Galent wanted to work him loose; he wanted Pinks pliant and begging for him, ready to take every inch. Pinks' cum had tasted so damn good, like it belonged in Galent's mouth all the time.

"I don't suppose you have a plan." Pinks narrowed his eyes. "Since we don't know if the explosion killed that shadow person."

Galent rubbed his chest—still sticky with whatever the rope net had left on him. The feeling of wrongness was still there. "It's still alive."

"Fuck." Pinks glanced out the window, then cocked his head like he was listening.

Galent listened, too. There were people around, but he couldn't tell if they were harmless neighbors, or something more sinister.

Pinks shook his head. "No one in the forest."

"How do you know that? There are several people in the neighborhood."

Pinks' smile was wry. "You'll pick things up pretty fast, if you're anxious and suspicious of everyone around you. I've had a few weeks to learn my neighbors' movements."

"That's remarkable." When Pinks only shrugged, Galent asked, "How did you get the other howls?"

Pinks scratched his chin sheepishly. "I howled for other wolves to reply."

Galent blinked. "Different howls meant different things?"

"You don't know that?" Pinks asked, surprised. "Aren't you like, really old?"

"No," Galent said. Not enough to build a vast hoard. Suddenly, that seemed like a great concern. What if his hoard wasn't big enough for P—for a mate?

Pinks eyed him. "How old are you?"

"Two hundred and thirty eight."

" That's ‘not old'?" Pinks cried. "I'm twenty-two!"

"The others are a few hundred years old, at least. I think Ace and Raptor's parents are over a thousand years old."

"Huh." Pinks looked Galent up and down. "Anyway, the other wolves are not my pack, but some of them replied when I howled."

"I'm glad they did," Galent said truthfully. "I didn't realize you knew about the flour."

"I saw it last week on the science channel. Some people were doing experiments with flour explosions. I remember worrying about the flour in the kitchen."

"As dragonets, I was warned away from the flour in our kitchen," Galent said with a pang. "My parents would whoop my ass if I even dared to breathe fire near the flour. They're no longer around."

"Mine, too."

They stared at each other; Galent thought he felt things ease a little between them.

"Anyhow, that was some quick thinking," Galent said, peeling off his questionably-stained shirt for washing. "I was barely in trouble, and you were already there."

Pinks turned pink enough to match his name, his gaze flicking down Galent's bare chest and away. "I figured I should keep you around to guard the safehouse. Like a guard dog."

"Will you let me see you again sometime? As a wolf. You're beautiful."

Pinks' mouth fell open, and his ears turned red. "Me?"

"Do you see me talking to anyone else?" Galent smirked.

"The wall?"

Galent snorted and closed the distance between them, cupping the back of Pinks' head. He tipped Pinks' face up to meet his gaze. "You are really something else, Pinks... What's your last name?"

"Whiteclaw," Pinks said, a shadow darting through his eyes.

"Pinks Whiteclaw." There was a story there, but Galent would not ask for it today. He wasn't ready to talk about his own family, either. "I should be washing off this gunk. It smells like glue."

"Don't turn into a rock in the bathroom," Pinks grumbled without heat.

"I will certainly be rock-hard." Galent raked his gaze down Pinks' utterly lickable chest.

Pinks rolled his eyes, but his blush went to his hairline.

Galent kept his ears open as he slipped into the only bathroom in the safehouse. He found a large bath towel and hung it up, before shedding his clothes. Just in case, though, he left the bathroom door unlocked.

Elsewhere in the house, Pinks talked to Zarrie, scooping her up and making her giggle. Galent stepped into the shower and turned the spray as hot as it could go.

Like it had for the past week, the change took him by surprise.

One moment, Galent was reaching up to scrub his hair. The next moment, he couldn't move, and everything faded to gray.

When he blinked again, the shower was off. The bathroom door was wide open, and the TV was on in the living room.

Galent heaved a sigh. How much time had he lost?

He turned the shower back on, waited for the water to run hot again, and finished his shower. It was only when he'd dried off, that he realized he had no clean clothes in this place.

Galent wrapped the towel around his waist, picking up his phone. Someone had taken it out of his pants and put it on the bathroom counter.

Footsteps thudded. Pinks skidded past the bathroom doorway and grabbed the wall to haul himself back.

"I answered your phone," he blurted. "It kept ringing."

Galent paused in unlocking his phone. "Do I want to know who you spoke with?"

Pinks' face went through a few different emotions. "I spoke with... Handsome."

Galent sighed. "Did he mention that he's my butler, and that he lives to make my life miserable?"

"Not at first," Pinks said hesitantly, his expression pinched.

"Who did you think you were..." Galent paused. "Did you think he was my boyfriend?"

"Why else would you call him Handsome on your phone?" Pinks cried. "After you gave me that massage, I thought you—When I saw his name on your phone..."

Galent winced. "Yeah. He's never told me his birth name. I only know him as Handsome. It's... It's always odd when I speak to him, especially in front of other people. Sorry. I should've warned you."

And now Handsome was going to humiliate Galent when Galent called him.

Pinks shrugged, glancing at Galent's chest, then looking away. "I had to step in here. It sounded like you'd stopped moving, and the shower just kept running. And your phone kept ringing."

"How long was I in here for?"

"Four hours."

"Four hours? " Galent grimaced, aghast. He hadn't frozen for this long before. "Fuck. Thanks for turning off the water. Someone would've reamed me out for it if you hadn't."

Pinks blushed and made an awkward gesture. "I'm going back to Zarrie."

He scurried off, and Galent hit the Call button for Handsome.

Hang on a sec, Galent thought. Did Pinks come in to pee when I was in the shower?

"Hello, Mr. Gelato, Boss, Sir," Handsome said cheerfully, his voice tinny. Galent could already picture his butler with his phone tucked against his narrow shoulder, his hands fiddling with the large red buttons of his tailcoat. Handsome liked to wear his belly round and his hips wide, with a top hat and a monocle that was really just a piece of plain glass.

"For the last time, my name is—"

"Galliwiggle, yes." Handsome snickered. "Gelato the Great Gallomping Galliwiggle."

"Fuck off. Pinks can hear you, you know."

In the living room, Pinks made a sound.

" Oh? " Handsome sounded gleeful. "Is he your mate? Have you put your babies inside him?"

Pinks began spluttering like he'd swallowed some water the wrong way. Galent had to stick his head out of the bathroom to make sure he was okay.

"Don't you dare chase him off," Galent growled.

"I should tell him your embarrassing stories—"

" No, " Galent roared.

"—like the time you thought panties were meant to be worn back-to-front, two pairs on your head. And you wore that to school. And also the time you brought home chickens in your book bag—"

"Why the hell did I hire you? And where are the documents I need to fire you?"

"Now, now. Don't be hasty, Mr. Gelato—"

"You fucking know my name!"

"There's an ice cream brand named after you, you know. It's called Galenti. Clearly, your parents picked the right name. Now all your potential mates will think you're sweet and gooey like ice cream. Your cream will be so popular, there'll be a queue down the street waiting to be splattered."

Galent snarled. "I'm ending the call. Bring me clothes. I'll text you the address."

"But Boss Gelato—"

Galent mashed his thumb against the End Call button, feeling particularly vindictive.

"Chickens in your school bag?" Pinks asked in the next room.

"I don't want to talk about it," Galent growled. "On second thought, I should just go out and buy my own clothes. There's no way he'll track me here and give me grief."

"You can't leave the safehouse by yourself," Pinks said.

"We're also running out of milk and eggs. There's a department store not too far away, isn't there? They have a grocery section."

"But..." Pinks sucked in a slow breath.

"How long have you been stuck in this house, Pinks?"

"Weeks, it feels like." Pinks was slouching when Galent stepped out of the bathroom in his towel. "I've been going insane."

"Want to come with me?"

Pinks bit his lip, indecision warring on his face. The thought of staying in this house, with nothing but the TV for entertainment, made Galent want to crawl out of his skin.

"We can walk there with Zarrie. Wrap her up in some oversized clothes. You can buy whatever food you want, instead of putting in an order and having them grab the wrong thing."

Pinks gnawed harder on his lip. "We really shouldn't leave the house." He glanced at the curtained window, then at Zarrie, who was smacking his face with both her hands. "I can't risk someone discovering her."

"What is she?"

Pinks shut his mouth tight.

"Look, we're supposed to watch out for each other," Galent said. "How am I supposed to keep her safe when I don't know what to prepare for?"

Pinks fidgeted. "You're not supposed to touch her."

"I promised I wouldn't." Galent left Pinks to contemplate their situation, heading into his bedroom to see if he could scrounge up some clothes.

The clothes in the dresser were too small. He managed to squeeze into a tight pair of boxers, carefully hefting his balls to make sure they weren't being pinched. Then he crammed his legs into a pair of too-short pants, their seams creaking with the strain.

None of the T-shirts fitted him. He opted for a short-sleeved shirt, sucking in his gut so he could fasten the lower buttons.

The buttons held when he released his breath. Pleased, Galent headed out of his bedroom, doing up the buttons over his pecs.

The moment he rolled his shoulders, the shirt strained against his chest. Multiple buttons popped off and hit the far wall. And now his shirt was gaping wide open at the top.

Galent frowned and cupped his pecs. "Never thought there'd be a day when my chest was too big."

Pinks made a strangled sound. Then he cupped his own chest and flushed. "Maybe the kidnappers will be too distracted by your pecs and they won't see Zarrie."

"In that case, I may as well strip."

"Then they'll all look at us!" Pinks squawked when Galent pretended to undo his pants. He was so easily shocked.

Galent grinned and released his fly. "C'mon. Are you coming with me, or not?"

"You're going to turn into a rock," Pinks said.

"I won't."

Famous last words.