Destiny burst out laughing. “He knows that, Catalina. He did the exact same thing to Ellie and to Journey, Lucas’s mate. Shane is just as overprotective as the rest of this macho crew.” With a toss of her many braids, she added, “Of course, truly confident people have faith in their teammates’ judgment and don’t haze their mates.”
“You’re going to eat those words some day, Destiny,” said Rafa.
Destiny gave a disbelieving snort. “Pffft! Not likely!”
Shane gave Nick a warning stare. “And you. Don’t even think of it.”
Nick shrugged. “I saw her fight. I got nothing to say.” Then he rounded on Shane, a spark of anger in his green eyes. “To her. I’ve got lots to say to you. What do you think a pack— I mean a team— is for, if it’s not to protect each other?”
As Nick began to stalk toward Shane’s bed, Hal grabbed his shoulder and yanked him back. “I said later, and I meant later. Have it out with him once he’s back on his feet.”
“You still look fucked up,” Nick muttered to Shane, but said no more.
Catalina, who had also moved to protect her mate, relaxed. Hal was looking out for him too. So was everyone. Even Nick, in his own way.
Ellie came up to pat Catalina’s shoulder. “Sorry you missed my signal. I was trying to warn you about the hazing. Oh, well. You survived. So did I. At least I got the one man here who doesn’t do that.”
Hal caught Catalina’s gaze from across the room. He might as well have had one of Catalina’s own neon signs over his head, reading, DON’T TELL ELLIE I HAZED YOU TOO.
Catalina said nothing, but did her best to project, I WON’T BUT I MIGHT BLACKMAIL YOU WITH IT SOME DAY.
Hal hastily averted his eyes. “All right, everyone. Shane needs to rest. Let’s give him some space.”
Hal ushered everyone out, leaving Catalina and Shane alone. Once the door closed, Shane leaned back, no longer trying to hide his exhaustion.
“You want to lie down?” Catalina asked.
Shane nodded.
Catalina hit the button, lowering the bed till he was once again flat on his back. “Are you in pain?”
“Not really. I’m tired, mostly. And...” His face tightened, as if he was battling with himself. “They did some pretty bad things to me in the lab at Apex.” He made a small gesture with one hand, indicating the tangle of wires and tubes. “I know I need this. But it scares my panther. When I first woke up, I was really out of it. I remember feeling trapped, but I’m not sure... ”
Catalina hastily reassured him. “You didn’t lash out at me, Shane. You tried to pull your oxygen tube out, that’s all. No matter how panicked your panther gets, he won’t try to hurt me. Ask him.”
Shane’s gaze drifted out of focus for a moment, and then he nodded. “Yeah. He says you’re right. He says he might hurt me by accident, but never you.” Looking mildly embarrassed, he added, “And he says he feels bad and he wants you to pet him.”
Catalina stifled a giggle, more at Shane’s expression than at the request, and stroked his hair. “What about you? How do you feel?”
“I feel bad, too,” he admitted. “But it’s better when you’re touching me. Come a little closer...” He glanced at the wires. “If you can.”
“This is where super-agility comes in handy.” All the same, it took quite a lot of wriggling before she could get close enough to hold him.
She nestled in beside him, feeling cold wires and smooth bandages and warm skin. Her mate was alive and safe in her arms. He’d nearly died for her. Not only that, but he’d done something that she suspected was far more difficult for him: he’d trusted her enough to let her see his vulnerability. He laid his head down on her shoulder, turned to breathe in the scent of her hair, and fell into a deep and peaceful sleep.
***
Shane had told Catalina about shifter healing, but it still amazed her to see how much better he was by the very next day. She stayed with him all day, but by evening he pointed out that he wasn’t dying, his panther wasn’t going to go berserk, he had plenty of company, and there was no need for her to stick to him like glue.
“Go have a girls’ night out with Ellie,” he suggested. “I know you can’t wait to catch up.”
That turned into an all the girls night out— including Journey, Lucas’s mate, a curvy woman with bright red hair and a golden dragon pendent nestled into the hollow of her throat. Journey had rushed in just as Catalina was about to leave, apologizing for her late arrival and saying that she’d just flown in from the Sea of Stars.
Shane had no visible reaction to that bizarre statement, but then again, that was Shane. He was hard to faze.
“Don’t slack off your practice just because I’m not around,” he warned her.
“I’m not,” she assured him. “I get up every morning and do an hour of kata on the beach.”