Rise & Fall (THIRDS 4)

Sloane clawed at Ash, catching him on the side of his jaw and drawing a thin line of blood. Ash roared, but he didn’t swipe back at Sloane. Instead he ducked his head and moved out of the way every time Sloane pawed at him. Ash let out a series of low growls and mewls, but he didn’t roar or bare his fangs at Sloane. He also didn’t back away from Dex, who was feeling like a tiny kitten among huge lethal Felids. Was his partner finally backing off? The rest happened so fast, Dex almost got whiplash. Sloane lunged at Ash, managing to knock him off Dex and over the first step. With a series of roars and growls, Ash went rolling down the stairs.

“Ash!” Dex managed to get himself to his feet and checked the stairs, relieved when he saw Ash push himself to his paws at the bottom of the stairs, shaking his massive head and mane. Thank God he was okay. Dex wished he could say the same thing about himself. A low growl behind him had him turning slowly. He backed away from the stairs with Sloane following.

“Sloane, stop,” Dex stated firmly.

Sloane ignored him, corralling Dex and backing him up toward the wall like he was Sloane’s prey, which considering the circumstances and Sloane’s possible cognitive absence, was likely true.

“Stop it right now!”

Sloane hissed, and Dex freaked out. In one of his momentary brain farts, he smacked Sloane across his muzzle. Oh. My. God. What the fuck had he done?

Sloane sneezed and shook his head. His ears flattened and a low feral growl rumbled from deep inside his chest. Dex stood motionless, holding his breath as he watched Sloane. A roar shook the hallway, and Sloane clawed at Dex’s pajama bottoms, tearing through them and jerking him off his feet. Ash roared from the stairs as he approached, but Sloane was already looming over Dex, fangs inches away from his neck.

“Stop.” Dex’s voice came out shakier than he’d intended. A part of him knew Sloane wouldn’t hurt him, but the other was feeling the sting left behind by Sloane’s claws. Dex forced himself to look into Sloane’s glowing amber eyes. With a shaky hand, he reached out and put it to Sloane’s soft fur. “I know you’re in there somewhere. It’s me. It’s Dex. You remember me, right? The crazy guy who eats Cheesy Doodles and makes you heart-shaped pancakes? Who quotes Indiana Jones movies with you, drives you up the wall with his big-hair-band music and thinks you’re the most amazing guy he’s ever met? Remember him?”

Something flashed through those pools of amber before Sloane nudged his head against Dex’s, and he let out a low mewling, almost wailing. It broke Dex’s heart. It sounded almost pained. Dex wrapped his arms around Sloane’s thick neck and held him, patting him gently as he murmured words of comfort. Sloane dropped down onto the floor beside him, one paw over Dex’s chest as he nuzzled him and bumped his head against Dex’s. A big sandpapery tongue proceeded to lick Dex on the side of his head, making him chuckle. At least until Sloane licked his ear.

“Dude! Again with the ear!” He shoved Sloane playfully away, then rolled over to scratch Sloane’s belly, laughing when Sloane wiggled on the carpet and pawed at him—without the claws this time, purring like a big housecat. Sloane rolled over and pushed his wet kitty nose against Dex’s, his eyes shut in contentment. They bumped their heads together, unmoving for a few breaths. Dex wondered if Sloane was as relieved as he was. It had been one hell of a close call, but he was too glad to have his partner back to turn Sloane away. He got up and saw Ash sitting serenely by the stairs watching them.

“Thanks, Simba.”

Ash let out a chuff and padded into the bedroom with Sloane limping behind him. Dex followed the two inside, smiling at the two friends as they playfully bumped heads and pawed at each other. Sloane nuzzled his head under Ash’s chin, both purring like chainsaws.

“You two are so adorable,” Dex said, as he walked over to the bathroom to get his Therian first-aid kit. He left the two Felids to make up and tended to his arm. The scratches weren’t deep, but they were definitely going to leave a mark. Was it weird he kind of liked the idea of being marked by Sloane? There were a lot of Therian chasers out there who loved getting clawed, sporting Therian scars proudly. But Dex didn’t see it as a kink. More like… he was bonded to Sloane’s Felid side now as much as he was bonded to his Human side.

Once he’d finished disinfecting the scratches and applying a bandage, he walked out and sat down on the bed, feeling his legs shaky now that the whole ordeal was over. Two huge Felids sat in his bedroom watching him. Sloane padded over and leapt up beside him. He put his head on Dex’s lap and mewled.

“It’s okay, buddy.” Dex scratched Sloane behind the ear. Checking his partner’s injured side, he was relieved to see there was no blood. Actually, he couldn’t see any sutures. Had the shift healed Sloane’s wound? It hadn’t healed his leg, though it seemed a little stronger than before. But as far as the surgical incision, Dex couldn’t find any trace of it. Of course, inside it might be another matter, but on the outside, there was only a long thin line of a scar.

“Okay, guys. I think it’s time to shift back.” Ash made to leave when Dex got to his feet. “Whoa there, mister. Where do you think you’re going?”

Ash turned his big furry head toward Dex an

d hissed.

“Hell no. You’re not going home in your state. You need postshift trauma care, and I’m going to give it to you.” He jutted a finger at the bathroom. “Get your Aslan ass in there. There’s towels and a couple of robes behind the door.”

Releasing a huff, Ash headed for the bathroom. Dex followed to make sure he was all right. Before he closed the door, he knelt down in front of Ash.

“Hey, thank you.”

Ash wrinkled his muzzle before looking away, as if he was thinking. Then he turned his head and snuggled Dex’s face, giving his chin a lick.

“Ew, gross,” Dex laughed. “Don’t worry, big guy. It’ll be our secret. No one would believe me anyway.” Dex petted Ash before getting up and closing the door behind him. With hands on his hips, he shook his head at his partner who was rolling around on the sheets. “Seriously dude? ’Cause your scent isn’t already all up in here?”

Sloane purred, and Dex rolled his eyes. He walked over to the bed whose sheets were now a rumpled mess, and playfully tugged at his partner’s ear. “You. Shift. Now.”

With a moan, Sloane stopped frolicking, and Dex headed downstairs. Between the screams in his bathroom and the ones in his bedroom, his neighbors either thought someone was getting killed, or he was having one really fucked-up orgy. While Sloane and Ash shifted back to their Human forms, Dex quickly gathered supplies from his pantry and fridge. In a reusable shopping bag, he chucked bottles of Gatorade and some protein bars. He grabbed a couple of huge steaks from the fridge and cooked them up rare the way Sloane and Ash liked them. While those were cooking, he gathered up Ash’s discarded clothes from the living room and stuck them in a second grocery bag.

The steaks were done in no time. With a bag of supplies hanging off each arm and a tray containing a plate with two steaks weighing about as much as Cael did, Dex headed up to the bedroom. Sloane and Ash were sitting on the edge of the bed in robes looking like they had a bad hangover.

“All right, guys. Time for munchies.” He made his way over to Sloane first and helped him drink down his bottle of Gatorade before he helped Ash do the same. As soon as they were done, the protein bars came next, followed by the steaks. Dex sat on the floor with his legs crossed watching the broody and surly agents acting like a couple of big kids who’d gotten ouchies. They were grumpy and moaning, telling each other off as they ate. Dex found the whole thing incredibly amusing. Sloane would definitely need a good rest after this, and Ash looked like maybe he could do with a few Z’s himself.

As soon as the two were done eating and Dex had cleared the plates away, he came in with the Therian first-aid kit and took out a couple of disinfecting pads. He tried to put one to Ash’s jaw where Sloane had nicked him with one of his claws, but Ash swatted Dex’s hand away.

“Fuck off, Daley. You’re not my nursemaid.”

“No, he’s my nursemaid,” Sloane grumbled, giving Ash a weak push before taking hold of Dex’s wrist and pulling him over to stand in between his legs. He wrapped his arms around Dex’s waist and held him close. “Get your own.”