Fading (Shifter Rescue) Read Online Free PDF Page A

crispy beef and he snapped it up, that wicked happiness growing.
    Jag laughed softly and had a few more bites himself, staying close.
    “You have a laugh like a master. It feels good inside me.” Hill offered the words carefully.
    “I like that. Thank you.”
    Hill blushed and smiled, his cat wanting to nuzzle and rub, scent and lick.
    “Finish your food, kit,” Jag insisted. “We can snuggle when you’re done. All three of us.”
    “I don’t think Cather wants to snuggle anymore.”
    “I don’t think Cather has a choice about it.” Jag smiled, his teeth showing. “We’re going to do it anyway.”
    “You promise?”
    “I do. You’re a pair, right? I’ll make sure you both recover.”
    “We are. We were a trio. That was better.” They’d been happy, him and Cather and Darri.
    “Maybe you can be a trio again,” Jag suggested.
    “Maybe we can.” That still felt… wrong. Still.
    Jag leaned in suddenly and pressed their lips together. Then he drew back and took in a deep breath. “Don’t worry about anything, kit. All you need to do is recover.”
    “You’ll help Cather too? You promise?” He needed to hear it again, to know it and feel it inside.
    “I swear it to you, Hill. I want you both to be happy and healthy again. He might want to hide, but we won’t let him.”
    Hill thought he liked the word “we” on Jag’s lips.
    Jag kissed him again, then popped another dumpling into his mouth. “Eat. The food is getting cold.”
    He nodded, settling in to feed his hunger now that his worry was sated. He could feel Jag watching him and every now and then Jag would feed him a morsel, choosing it especially for him. Like he was special. It warmed him, deep inside.
    There were no leftovers when they were finished eating, and Jag petted him when he began to fret. “It’s okay. I’m going to get him some fresh meat from the fridge. That’ll go down better anyway as he’s not shifting.” Jag gave him a hug, then slipped out of the room with the garbage.
    “I love you, Cather,” Hill offered, needing to connect.
    Love .
    “Can we be friends with him? I don’t want you to be angry.”
    I don’t have any more fury, Hill. You can be friends.
    The door opened, Jag coming back in with a plate of meat. Hill had already eaten, but the smell still made his belly rumble.
    Jag smiled. “I have fresh meat for you, Cather. I know you’re hungry.”
    Cather’s tail flicked, but Hill could feel Cather’s hunger like a living thing. Jag obviously could as well because he chuckled and came to the bed, setting the food down next to it. “It’s time to eat, kit.” The words were firm, sure, brooking no argument, but Cather curled up tighter.
    “You can’t eat in bed,” Jag insisted. “So come on down and enjoy a bite or two. Have some water while you’re up.”
    When Cather didn’t respond, Jag simply reached out and lifted him -- not hurting Cather, just insisting that his mate leave the bed. Jag laid Cather down gently, head right next to the food. The scent that close had to be too good to ignore, especially as hungry as Hill knew Cather was.
    Eat, butthead .
    Cather growled deep in his chest.
    Don’t growl at me , Hill complained. He hadn’t done anything wrong.
    “Eat,” Jag insisted. “You need the food, you need the water and you need touch. I’m going to make sure you get all three.” Jag slid his hand along Cather’s spine, digging in and making sure Cather felt it.
    Jag smiled across to Hill. “We’ll snuggle some more once Cather has eaten.”
    “I like snuggles.” Hill wandered close, fingers aching for Cather’s heavy fur. He petted, wrinkling his nose at the rough coat. “Do you have a brush?”
    Jag lit up and nodded. “Let me see what they’ve left us.” He jumped up and headed for the door, leaving him and Cather alone again.
    “Please, Cather. Please don’t fade away. I love you.”
    Cather looked at him and finally drew himself up and began to eat. Hill thought