8. Shiro

8

Shiro

C hase did a thorough check on me, and despite his scruffy appearance, which made him look like he hadn’t had a proper sleep for days, he was very alert, gentle, and kind when he examined me. Embarrassingly enough, he even checked my ass, too, and I had to control the urge to run away. Fuck, I knew he wasn’t going to hurt me, but the fear was just too raw. Of course, I knew the reason why he’d check me there. Beastkin boys like me living in the streets got raped by gangs and random men all too often.

As I pulled my new jeans on again, he said, “We need to get you back to my clinic to get some blood tests and an X-ray done.”

I widened my eyes. “I need to get those done, too? But I can’t pay you and stuff.”

Chase chuckled, taking off his surgical gloves. “It’s fine. I’ll just bill Adam.”

I furiously shook my head. “No. Please don’t do that. ”

“Don’t do what?” It was Adam’s voice and I turned to the door to see him standing there looking over at me, and I felt my face flushing hot. To Chase, he said, “You done checking Shiro?”

Chase nodded. “For now, but I need him back at the clinic to get some blood tests and an X-ray done later. I want to make sure his bones are fine and there’s nothing sinister going on.”

Adam nodded. “Good idea.” He turned on his heel. “Come on, let’s have dinner first.”

Chase picked up his physician bag and then followed Adam.

I hastily put on my hoodie and got off the bed. I said loudly as I walked out the door, “I don’t think an X-ray and blood tests are necessary. I’m totally fine apart from the bruises and stuff.”

Adam turned to look at me and said firmly, “Listen to what the doctor says, Shiro.” Then he entered the living room.

Chase turned to me and gave me a wink. He said softly, “He cares.”

He cares. Adam cares. The words made my heart flutter with a sense of hope and joy.

Chase went into the bathroom to wash his hands while I headed into the living room.

The moment I entered, I saw Adam putting plates filled with fettuccine and slices of steak on the tabletop. Oh, fuck, the picture made my knees weak, and once again, emotions stirred inside my chest.

I walked toward the table, wondering which seat I should take. I noticed one of the spots had a glass of what appeared to be orange juice so I assumed that seat was meant for me. I took it as Adam poured wine into two glasses. Chase came into the room then. The moment he spotted the wine, he eagerly grabbed one glass and took a sip.

“Mmm… Cabernet Sauvignon, always hits the spot,” he said, a smile on his lips.

Adam sat down on the chair next to mine and then dug right into his meal. I dug in, too, putting a slice of steak into my mouth. Instantly, emotions stirred again at the fact that I got to eat something this wonderful and delicious. I controlled myself from bursting out crying like I had done this morning since I didn’t want to embarrass myself in front of Adam and Chase. The fettuccini was so good; the creaminess was beyond words. I loved it so much.

“Beastkin do have big appetite, don’t they?” Chase said, looking at me.

I nodded. “I guess so.”

“Want seconds?” Adam asked.

Seconds? Yes, please. But I shook my head.

“It was delicious, thank you.”

Adam sighed and reached over. He took my plate as he said, “You need to learn to speak your mind, Shiro.” Then he was up and heading over to the kitchen.

“Adam is right; you should speak your mind, Shiro.” He tilted his head to one side. “Is that a foxkin thing? Or is it because you’re conditioned into that type of behavior?”

I said, “I guess I was… conditioned…”

“Then it’ll take time to break out of it,” Chase said. “ Work on it, and if I were you, I’d eat until Adam is broke.”

I knew he was encouraging me and was joking, so I smiled at him.

Crash!

I gasped and turned, hearing Adam say, “Shit!” as he bent down. When he was up, I saw pieces of a broken plate in his hands.

“You dropped the plate? How clumsy are you, Adam?” Chase asked, chuckling in amusement.

“Shut up, Chase,” Adam grumbled as he put the pieces of china in the trash bin. After washing his hands, he got another plate out from the cabinet and then put the fettuccini and slices of steak onto it. Back at the table, he placed it in front of me and said, as he ruffled my hair, “Eat up.”

“Thanks, Adam,” I said.

I was just popping a forkful of fettuccini into my mouth when Chase said, “Hey, Shiro. Can you smile for me again?”

I blinked. Huh?

“Idiot! Stop joking around,” Adam said.

“Ugh! You’re no fun,” Chase said.

We finished dinner and cleaned up, then a bit later, we headed out the door. Our destination, Chase’s clinic.

I pulled on my hoodie to hide my fox ears before we got into the elevator. Chase must have noticed my discomfort being out in public because he dug his hand into his physician bag as if searching for something.

“Aha!” he said and then pulled out a surgical mask. “Put this on, Shiro. ”

Damn grateful, I eagerly took the mask, pulled back my hoodie, and quickly put the mask on over the lower half of my face. Done, I pulled on the hoodie again, feeling more comfortable now that any evidence of me as a beastkin was hidden.

When we arrived on the first-floor foyer, I noticed a few men in black suits watching us. I tensed and automatically moved close to Adam.

Adam clicked his tongue in annoyance and said, “Those idiots.”

Those idiots? Who?

Chase said, “They’re never going to leave you alone, Adam. Just give it up already.”

I looked from Chase to Adam, wondering what Chase was talking about.

Outside, Adam said, “You’re coming with me, Shiro.” He wrapped his arm around me, drawing me to him, which surprised me. Face flushing hot, I nodded.

“Okay,” I said.

Chase was heading over to his car parked on the other side of the parking lot as he said, “Don’t go doing any detour, Adam. I want Shiro at the clinic ASAP.”

“Got it,” Adam said loudly as he unlocked the very fancy-looking car before us.

Wow! It was sleek black, and the interior was all leather, I noticed once I was inside. After putting on my seat belt, Adam started the engine and then maneuvered the car out of the parking space.

I hadn’t been in a car like this one before, and it felt nice. When I had been in cars before, it was to be delivered to clients and then returned to the institute. And every time, I had been too tense and paranoid to even enjoy the ride.

The lights along the streets and on buildings, with signs of the establishments flashing, were beautiful. At the back alley, it was always dark, and sometimes, I’d wondered if monsters were lurking about, watching and waiting.

I felt Adam’s hand on my head and turned to him, giving him a smile. He caressed my face for a bit and then moved his hand back to the steering wheel.

I had come to realize now that Adam liked to ruffle my hair and caress my face. Was that… normal? Was he treating me like I was his pet or something? I had fox ears, after all, so…

When we arrived at Chase’s clinic, I got out and eyed the area. This was where Chase’s clinic was located? Not in a fancy place with flashy signs, but rather, a very normal street at the back of the neighborhood. There wasn’t even a sign that says clinic or health center or anything like that. There was just a simple red cross sign at the front above the door, and that was it. How strange. Then how would anyone know this was a clinic?

Chase, who had arrived a few seconds before us, came over to me and said, “Come on.”

I followed him, and we were at the door when I turned, having just realized Adam wasn’t with us. I saw the man standing back there, leaning against his car.

“You’re not coming?” I asked.

“I have a few things to do,” he said. “I’ll pick you up later.”

I nodded hesitantly. “Okay. ”

I had no idea why, but the fact that Adam wasn’t close by freaked me out. It wasn’t like we had known each other our whole lives and we were intimate or anything, but…

But what was it? Why did I suddenly feel lost and alone? I mean, we had only known each other for like a day and a bit, for heaven’s sake. Why was I suddenly feeling clingy toward Adam?

“Take good care of him, Chase,” Adam said. “You won’t be getting any donation if you don’t.”

Chase chuckled. “Threatening me with that now, are we?” To me, he said, “Come on, Shiro, let’s leave Adam to deal with his personal business.”

“Mm-hmm,” I responded, taking one last look at Adam, who was watching me.

The moment we entered the foyer, I widened my eyes in awe.

Oh, wow! The inside was completely different from the outside. It was very modern with marble floor and painted walls, unlike the dubious facade of the outside. This place looked like a proper clinic.

To the other side, I noticed a reception desk and seats along the waiting bay. Obviously, no one was there since it was nighttime and the clinic was closed.

I followed Chase up the stairs and then along the hallway to the back of the building and soon we came into a room where there were lots of small and large machines. They had a lab here?

“Hello? Frances, you dead or alive?” Chase called out.

A pair of rabbit ears popped up, followed by a voice saying, “How outrageous! Of course, I’m alive. ”

I followed Chase to a corner of the room and saw a plump rabbitkin woman in a white lab coat sitting in front of the computer with papers scattered across the desk. The moment she saw me, she widened her eyes.

A beastkin? Working? And in a lab, too? Was that… possible?

“Oh, hello there,” she said, nudging a pair of large spectacles up the bridge of her nose.

“Hi,” I replied.

“Frances, this is Shiro. He’s Adam’s boy. We’re doing a general checkup on him,” Chase said. “So blood tests, please.”

“Adam’s boy?” she said. “Oh, wow! That’s… unexpected.”

“Yep,” Chase said. “Very unexpected. Can you take care of him while I get the X-ray machine ready?”

Frances did a salute. “A-okay, boss,” she said.

Chase turned on his heel and then left the room.

Alone with Frances, she said, “Wow, you’re very beautiful. I’m not surprised you’re Adam’s boy, not that he ever had one before.”

I wasn’t quite sure what they meant by saying I was Adam’s boy, but had a vague feeling it was probably because Adam was taking care of me or something like that.

Frances stood then, and despite that I wasn’t tall by any means, Frances was even shorter than me, with her head coming up to just about my shoulder. The tips of her rabbit ears, though, did reach my head.

“Now then,” she said. “Shall we start drawing your blood?” She turned and was about to walk off when she stopped short and asked, “Are you, by any chance, scared of needles?”

I shook my head. “I got injections all the time when I was in the institute.”

“Did you, now?” she asked, her brows raised. “You mind if I ask how often that was?”

“About once a month,” I said. “They said it was to give us supplements or something like that.”

“I see,” Frances said. “When was the last time you had the injection?”

I wasn’t sure why she wanted to know or if it was to keep a health record. I suppose I should answer her honestly.

I said, “About a year ago. I can’t remember the exact date though.”

“Approximate is good enough,” Frances said. “Thanks for telling me. Keeping a good health record is very important, especially for us beastkin. Right then, let’s get some blood tests done.”

By the time Frances took about six tubes, with different color tops, of my blood, Chase returned. He whistled when he saw the tubes.

Frances snorted. “You did say a general checkup, so I’m testing everything under the sun that’s general for a beastkin.”

Chase chuckled. “I’m surprised you didn’t faint, Shiro, with that much blood taken off you.”

“I don’t think I faint that easily,” I said. Except for when I was being fucked and beaten relentlessly by those clients and the street gangs. “And the tubes are small, so there isn’t that much blood in them. ”

“I was joking,” Chase said, chuckling. “Now then, let’s get that X-ray done, and then we’ll let Janet take care of your injuries properly. Adam did a lousy job at it.”

I couldn’t help but smile at that comment. But I thought Adam did a great job at patching me up.