Page 9 of F Is for Honey Bee

Kijani wished he’d gotten Jonah’s phone number. At the time, he’d been more concerned with comforting his mate. Now all Kijani wanted was to hear his sweet voice. He’d also made a promise to return, and he didn’t want to break it.

Go home and heal first. Jonah doesn’t need to see you like this. Yet, the irrational thought had dug its claws in.

“Take me to Jonah’s house,” Kijani said when Slater slid into the driver’s seat.

“Are you sure about that?” Slater stared at him through the rearview mirror while starting the car. “Is he aware that you’re a wolf shifter?”

Kijani grimaced when the car began to move, rocking over the imperfections in the road, making his wound flare like it was on fire.

“You’re also naked with a chunk of metal sticking out of your stomach. Aren’t you concerned that’ll wig him out?” Slater headed in the opposite direction of the traffic.

“Just take me there,” Kijani said through clenched teeth.

“Pain makes people do stupid shit,” Slater grunted.

It definitely did. After nearly being blown up and then getting a piece of metal in the gut, Kijani needed his mate. He was shaken, panicked, and could have died, which would have left Jonah to deal with this world on his own.

That was his driving thought, the one that pushed him to get to his mate.

When they pulled into Jonah’s driveway, Kijani staggered from the backseat, but had just enough wherewithal to yank the blanket around his waist. He swayed as he climbed the porch stairs, his body trembling like he’d been plunged into freezing water, yet he was sweating profusely.

“Come on, man. Don’t do this.” Slater followed him. “The guy has been through enough today.”

“I promised my honey bee that I would come back, and I intend to keep that promise.” He shook his head and struggled to stay upright when a wave of dizziness struck him. Then he stumbled against the doorbell, keeping the blanket clutched to him only with significant effort.

“You’re not thinking straight,” Slater snarled behind him. “You’re gonna terrify the shit out of your mate. Is that what you want?”

That wasn’t what he wanted. The fear in Jonah’s soft teal eyes was something Kijani never wanted to see again. He’d backed up, ready to leave, when the door swung open. Kijani’s already delirious mind was sent into a frenzy at the sight of two versions of Jonah standing before him then three.

“Oh my god!” All three versions of Jonah looked at him with shock, and then there were only two again. Kijani stumbled through the door then teetered sideways.

“Shit,” Slater grunted loudly as he pounded up the stairs.

Jonah gasped and jumped out of the way as Kijani spun, fell to the floor, and hit his head on impact.

“Mother fuck!” Slater’s voice sounded distant as Kijani’s wolf took over and burst free.

Chapter Three

Jonah slammed the door shut before his neighbors could see a massive wolf on his living room floor. “You have to get that metal out of him.”

“We’re going to discuss why you’re not losing your mind after I take care of Kijani.” Deputy Kingsman curled his hand around the metal object and yanked it out.

At the sight of blood pouring from the hole it had left behind, Jonah slapped a hand over his mouth as he gagged.

He ran to his bathroom and grabbed a clean towel, hurrying back to hand it over. “You need to put pressure on the wound, Deputy Kingsman.”

“Call me Slater.” He grabbed the towel from Jonah and pressed it against the wound.

The sight of blood dripping onto his floor was going to make Jonah pass out. He couldn’t handle blood, and he didn’t like needles, either. Both had always made him squeamish. When he was younger and needed a shot, his mom would have to hold him down.

That was one reason Jonah took excellent care of his teeth. He didn’t want the dentist jamming anything sharp into his mouth. It was bad enough hearing the whirling and buzzing of tools while he was in the waiting room.

“What happened to Kijani?” And why had he shown up at Jonah’s house when he was wounded and naked? Jonah wanted to help, but he just couldn’t understand why Kijani had come there.

He moved to the other side of the wolf, the side lacking blood on the floor, and lowered to his knees. The animal was magnificent. His fur held streaks of brown and black, and Jonah was unable to stop himself from running his fingers through the soft-looking coat.

He knew shifters existed, but he’d never seen one in its animal form or in the process of transforming.

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