A thought occurred to him. "You curse a lot," he grumbled. "Don't roll your eyes at me, Dom--Dominic."
"Your observation skills are outstanding, and don't call me that. Who are you, my mother?" Dom turned him to face the kitchen cabinet. He took hold of the back of Seb's neck, his thumb stroking his skin. "Hey, look at me," Dom said softly.
Seb did. Or tried to.
"This is for your own good, okay? Just remember, I love you."
"I love you too." Dom was a good guy. He was always looking out for Seb.
One minute Seb was smiling at Dom, the next he was drowning in icy water. He scrambled for purchase on the counter, but the water made his hands slip. The ice chilled his body, and his face was frozen, or so it felt. He slapped at the back of his head where Dom's hand was as he held Seb's head underwater. Seconds later, Seb gasped and sputtered, drawing in a lungful of air before he was plunged back down into the water. It took Seb three dunks before he was pushing Dom away. Seb reeled back, away from Dom and the sink, shivering from the cold.
"Fuck. Asshole! What the... what the fuck are you doing? Are you trying to kill me?"
"No," Dom spat out, tossing him a towel. "You were doing a pretty good job of that yourself, dumbass."
"What?"
Dom motioned to the island counter littered with empty beer bottles.
Shit. Okay. "That was stupid," Seb admitted, drying himself, then his hair.
"No shit." Dom's expression softened as he studied Seb. "Why don't you tell me what happened?"
Seb shook his head, his lips pressed together to keep it all in. He didn't want to think about it, but all he could do was fucking think about it. For hours he'd tried calling Hudson, leaving voice mails, texting him, pleading, and then it all sank in. Numb was good, but he wasn't numb anymore. Every scar he had was torn open, a gaping wound of putrid flesh spreading sickness through him. His body shook, and the back of his shoulder burned. It wasn't just his pain he was feeling; it was Hudson's. It was excruciating, like his insides were trying to tear him apart. His inner Felid woke with a roar, threatening to come to the surface. It paced furiously, hissing and clawing. Seb groaned and forced himself to walk. He ran for the door, Dom chasing after him.
"Where the hell are you going?"
Seb threw open the front door and listened. It was faint, barely there, and if it hadn't been so late at night, he wouldn't have heard it. The mournful howl shook him down to his soul, and there was nothing he could do about it. Inside him, his Felid half answered his mate's call with a roar of its own, one so fierce and raw that it tore through Seb's mouth, an unhuman cry echoing through the empty street. Throat raw, Seb slumped against the door, tears blurring his vision.
"Come on, buddy. Let's get you inside." Dom gently tugged at Seb's arm, and Seb followed.
"Seven years," Seb whispered, dropping down onto the couch beside Dom. "Seven. Fucking. Years. He kissed me. He kissed me. We.... He... he let me feel him, touch him.... It was so damn good, just like it used to be. He felt so good, and for a second, I believed....
"He kissed me, Dom. He let me hold him, let me.... Fuck. It was beautiful. He was beautiful, vulnerable, giving himself to me. He held my hand at the supermarket. He was happy, and he laughed and smiled, and the walls were crumbling."
"What happened?"
"We ran into Mrs. Palmer at the supermarket. She was so.... It didn't go well."
"Fuck." Dom raked a hand through his hair, his own eyes glassy when he met Seb's gaze.
The heartache in Dom's eyes was too much for Seb, and a sob racked his body. "It's over. This time, it's really over."
Dom pulled him into his arms, and Seb buried his face against his best friend's shoulder, soaking in all the comfort he could get. He didn't think it was possible, but damn if it didn't hurt even more than the first time. His inner Felid slinked off to lick its wounds and mourn the loss in peace. There would be no such peace for Seb.
Chapter 7
NINA BLINKED at him. "Say that again?"
"I have a date," Hudson replied, smiling widely as he packed up his messenger bag. He was leaving an hour early to get ready--mostly so he had time to calm his nerves.
"Really?" Nina clapped her hands gleefully. "When?"
"Tonight. Trent's picking me up at seven."
Nina stilled. "Wait, Trent?" She planted her hands on her slim hips and narrowed her eyes at him. "Trent, the guy you were dancing with to make Seb jealous?"
Hudson rolled his eyes. "Trent, the very nice fellow who wants to take me to dinner and doesn't care that I'm marked." He tapped his security clearance into his desktop interface to place it into overnight mode.