Chapter Five

With Joe sleeping peacefully on the couch and Ra and Seth long gone, Doc pottered around the house, doing what he could. He found the room Joe was renovating and swept up the dust and debris fallen on the carpet. In Joe’s bedroom, the sweat soaked sheets held traces of blood – testament to the pain his mate had been in. Finding clean linens in the hall cupboard, Doc stripped off the bed and remade it, putting the soiled sheets in the washer to soak. Dirty towels made another load, and when everything was as tidy as he could make it, Doc was back in the living room again.

It felt wrong to just stare at his sleeping mate, but Doc couldn’t help himself. Cleaned up, his wound healing properly this time and smelling deliciously of the mown grass and oak Doc craved, Joe was everything he’d ever wanted. I could have stopped this, he thought miserably, even while his logical mind argued with him. And in a way, his logic was right. Even if he had claimed the young man, Joe still would have been on duty the night Quincy attacked.

But there would have been differences too. Doc could picture it in his mind’s eye. He would have been the rock Joe could cling to as he coped with the killing. Joe’s wound would never have gotten so bad. Joe himself…well, he wouldn’t have been hiding out in his remote little cabin. Doc would’ve seen to that. He’d never had let Joe think for a moment the whole town hated him.

I can’t let you go this time, he thought as he reached out, curling his fingers in Joe’s now clean hair. Seth’s magic was a wonderful thing. He’d been unnecessarily cruel to Joe, at the time believing it was in the young man’s best interests. But now, he could see how little Joe believed in himself, and Doc was partly to blame for that. He didn’t imagine things would all be rainbows and sunshine when Joe woke up, but in time they would be. Doc pulled his hand from Joe’s hair and steeled himself as Joe’s eyelids fluttered.

“You’re still here.” Joe yawned and stretched. “What time is it?”

“Around three thirty in the morning,” Doc said quietly.

“Three…? You need to sleep.” Joe sat up and the cover Doc had wrapped him in fell to his lap. “Why didn’t you take my bed? You’ve got work in the morning.”

“I’m fine. I didn’t want to be asleep if you needed me for something. But thank you for caring about me.”

“I’ve always cared,” Joe looked down at his lap. “A man doesn’t stop caring just because they’ve been rejected.”

“Believe it or not,” Doc leaned forward resting his elbows on his knees, “A man doesn’t stop caring even if he’s the one stupid enough to be doing the rejecting. I might not show it, but I’ve always kept an eye out for you.”

“Will you ever tell me why, or is that sort of question still off limits?”

Joe still wouldn’t look at him and while Doc knew he was shy, Joe would need to be able to stand up for himself if they ever had a chance at long term.

“Joe, look at me please.” Doc waited until Joe raised his head. It was going to take him a long time to get over the guilt he felt when he saw the pain and uncertainty in Joe’s eyes. “Joe, I am a very unusual kind of shifter – a rare breed and unfortunately, not one of the glamorous ones.” He sighed. “I’m also about three hundred years older than you. It’s the age aspect that is one of my concerns. Our life threads join when we claim each other – I didn’t want to shorten your lifespan before you’ve had a chance to truly live.”

Doc had to give Joe credit. He didn’t just open his mouth and let crap fall out. He seriously thought about what Doc had said. “This life thread concept – who’s to say your life thread won’t match with mine? Assuming at this point in time, mine is longer than yours.”

Frowning, Doc pondered the question. It was a valid one and yet, one Doc hadn’t considered before. He’d always assumed he was the stronger shifter, and therefore he believed Joe’s life would be cut short if they mated.

“I know you have a lot of strength, in shifter terms,” Joe continued hesitantly, “but for a prey animal I’m big and strong in my own right. I imagine, with what you’ve said about your shifter side, there’d be no comparison between species as such, but surely the Fates, with all their wisdom wouldn’t bring you a young mate so late in your life, to cut our time together shorter than it was meant to be.”

“I honestly hadn’t thought about it that way.” Doc tensed. His next revelation was tricky, but he wouldn’t take Joe on as a mate unless he was fully informed of all the facts. “You should also know, I’ve already had a family. My bond mate died a hundred and forty-two years ago next month. I have great grandchildren older than you.”

“I’m sorry for your loss.” The words were automatic, but Doc could see Joe meant them. “That…er…that does kinda put the age thing into perspective. You having great grandchildren I mean. I’ve never noticed them in town. Do they ever visit you, or play a big part in your life?”

“I go to visit them once a year, during the summer months, usually for a week. I haven’t wanted to leave town the last two years, so made the excuse I was working, but I do keep in contact with some of them, yes.”

“You’ve lived in Arrowtown a long time. For as long as I can remember, anyway,” Joe said quietly, and Doc really wasn’t sure what his mate was thinking. “Didn’t any of them want to live closer to you?”

“My kids all took after their mother. She was a finch shifter. There was an incident with the grandchildren, back when my wife died and while no one was hurt, I felt it best to move away and keep our contact to a minimum. I still send birthday cards with money in them once a year, but I’ve never been really close to the younger ones.”

“That’s so sad.” Doc thought that was all Joe had to say, but then he asked, “Do you believe your shifted form would hurt me?”

“It’s crossed my mind,” Doc said honestly. “But when I took the time to see Ra with his mate, and Darwin with his, I started to see things differently. You have to remember, for most of the years I’ve been alive, shifters mated within their own species and that was it. It was unheard of for anyone to take a mate outside their own kind unless their mate was human and that was often frowned on until paranormals came out. My wife was booted out of her flock for bonding with me. Our children were never accepted by them either. We had to move away and at the time, shifter towns didn’t exist.”

“That must have been so hard, especially on your wife. I take it, your kind don’t live in herds, flocks, or packs?”

“No. We’re the kind who will eat each other if food is scarce and the opportunity presents itself. I only considered bonding with Serenity, that was my wife, because I knew she could fly and stay away from my teeth if we shifted together. Your buffalo would be considered prey to my animal.”

“At the risk of sounding idealistic, I do believe the true mate bond transcends those concerns,” Joe said seriously. “My shifted form is bigger than the majority of other animals and before I knew who my mate was, I worried I’d be the intimidating one in either form. It’s why I don’t like to shift in front of others.”

For a moment Doc didn’t understand what Joe meant. He was a big solid young man, but so were many wolf shifters, bear shifters and others. And then it dawned on him and he mentally slapped himself for the added cruelty of his “well-hung” slur. Unsure of what to say, which was a first for him, he fell back on the same argument his mate had used with him. “I have always heard that fated mates are perfect for each other in every way. I can assure you, we’ll have no problems in that side of our mating.”

Joe’s face flushed bright red. “I’m afraid any of my experience in that area is theory based only. I’m sorry if that’s going to be a problem.”

Problem? Hell no. Doc was ready to dance a jig around Joe’s living room at the thought of his untouched mate. But, Joe was twenty-five and a handsome man. The reasons for his inexperience were sobering. Shuffling forward in his chair, Doc reached out and took Joe’s hands where they were resting on his lap. “Is mating me what you want? I’m grumpy, set in my ways. I rarely socialize and am pretty much on call all the time, seeing as I’m the only doctor for miles around. My shifted form is big and ugly. If we claim each other, we’d have to spend most of our time living above my offices. Again, because of the on-call reason. I’m not the catch you claim the gossips think I am.”

“I’m not a catch either.” Joe shrugged. “I have few friends and don’t see the point in drinking or making a fool of myself like so many people my age do. My work is really important to me and even when I’m not in uniform, I do my best to conduct myself in a way that won’t bring dispute to the sheriff’s department. You know all about my family. My parents left town before I could even remember them, leaving me with my Uncle Robert. There’re many people in town who still associate me with the wrongs my family did in this town and that’s without the added stress associated with me killing my uncle. His family, my cousins and other uncles aren’t going to take that laying down. They’ll want revenge.”

“What I see when I look at you, is a sexily handsome young man, who despite having shit thrown at him all his life, has risen above it and who works hard to keep this town safe. That’s what I see in my prospective mate.”

If Joe’s cheeks got any redder, they’d combust. “What I see in my prospective mate is an intelligent man who doesn’t hesitate to ask for help when it’s needed. Who’s worked all the hours he can to ensure the town is healthy and well, despite his grumbling about it. And someone who totally rocks the sexy silver fox look.”

“Would you still think that if you knew I had this?” Doc took Joe’s hand and placed it under his shirt. The gray leathery skin of his shifted form was evident in a wide band that ran like a cummerbund right the way around his torso. This was the final test. If Joe didn’t go screaming into the night with this, he’d be wearing a claiming scar by first light.

Doc wanted to groan as the heat of Joe’s hand gently explored his belly. None of his hookups ever got to see him without a shirt or touch his shifted skin. “Does it go all the way around?” Joe asked, his hand creeping around Doc’s side.

“Yes. It’s part of my nature as a shifter. My animal is a reptile and our natural counterparts have a few quirks. This is one of the shifter quirks.”

“Quirks?” Joe smiled, and Doc realized it was the first time he’d seen that look on his mate’s face. It was a seriously good look on him. “Are you…? Nah, it’s okay, you’ll think I’m being silly.”

“No, go on, tell me what breed of shifter you think I am.” Doc was mentally celebrating the fact his mate hadn’t removed his hand. He’s not put off by this.

Joe shrugged. “I read a lot and for some reason, I’ve always found reptiles fascinating. Some of them can be traced back to the time of the dinosaurs, and they are just so different to mammals in so many ways from their habitat to the way they breed.”

Fate works in mysterious ways. Doc waited to hear what Joe guessed. He didn’t expect him to get it right first time, but his mate had hidden, intelligent depths a lot of people probably ignored. For Doc it was an aphrodisiac as was evidenced by the lump in his pants.

“There was always one type, that fascinated me more than others. I think it’s because scientists just couldn’t seem to make up their mind about them and they’re rare, and terrifying, but I always fancied I saw intelligence in the eyes of ones I’d see in video. The first time I saw you walk from Hooper’s store to your office, I was reminded of them then – the sultry way you walk – strength and sensuality all in one. You’ll laugh, and I don’t mean any disrespect to your animal if I’m so chronically wrong it’s not funny. But I think you could be a Komodo Dragon.”

For a moment, all Doc could do was stare. Not only did his mate guess correctly, but he thought it was sexy – well, when Doc was on two legs at least. Then he burst out laughing, raising Joe’s free hand, the one not under his shirt, to his lips and kissing along the knuckles. “You are a true delight and not only that, but you’re the only person in my very long life who’s actually guessed correctly. Oh Joe, I’m so sorry I didn’t see it before. We’re truly made for each other.”

“Not so dumb after all?” The twitch of Joe’s lips let Doc know he was teasing.

“I’ve never been so happy to be wrong in my entire life.” Doc laughed, and it was as if a giant weight fell from his shoulders. But then reality struck, and he had to be serious one more time. “You do know why I can’t tell anybody, don’t you?”

“That whole venomous aspect could put some people off from seeing a doctor, I guess.”

Doc nodded. “It was bad enough when public perception thought we simply had dirty mouths full of killing bacteria. But when they discovered the venom sacs in the Dragon’s mouths, they were feared as much as snakes and scorpions.”

“Your secret’s safe with me. I promise.” Joe looked so earnest and Doc knew his faith in the man was justified.

“Come on,” he said, standing and helping Joe to his feet. “You’re in no fit state to claim right now, but will you let me hold you in bed? I do need to get a couple of hours before I’m expected at work and yet I find myself reluctant to be apart from you.”

“Just don’t let go.” Joe still looked as though he thought Doc would disappear and his words backed up that expression. “I’ve waited so long for you to even talk to me in a civil tone, let alone discuss our mating as if it was an accepted fact. I’m still scared I’m hallucinating and you’re going to disappear when I wake up.”

“If I get a call, I’ll wake you and let you know that I have to go and why.” Joe would understand the demands of being on call. It was just another way they were perfect for each other.