Page 55 of Pointy Ears and Purple Glitter
“Whatever it takes,” Tynan agreed.
Malik dialed Grok’s number, his mind already mapping out strategies. Garrison and Mrs. Cooper had declared war on them, and everyone like them. It was time to fight back.
/~/~/~/~/
Sleep wouldn’t come for Malik. His mind raced with strategies and contingencies, mapping out their alliance with Grok and how to use Hayley’s evidence effectively. His rhino remained restless beneath his skin, sensing the coming confrontation.
“You’re still awake.” Tynan’s voice, soft in the darkness, startled him.
“Thought you were asleep,” Malik replied, turning to face his mate.
“I was.” Tynan shifted closer, his warmth a comfort against Malik’s side. “But I can feel you thinking. Your tension woke me.”
“Sorry.”
“Don’t be.” Tynan propped himself up on one elbow, studying Malik’s face in the dim light. “Have you ever had to do something like this before?”
“Like what?”
“Protect your territory. Fight for your place here.”
The question caught Malik off guard. He considered it for a moment, memories surfacing from decades past. “Yes. Though not quite like this.”
Tynan waited, patient and attentive.
“When I first bought this place,” Malik began, his voice low and measured, “this neighborhood was already rough. Most buildings were abandoned or close to it. That’s why I could afford it.”
He shifted slightly, one arm folding behind his head. “I’d been drifting for a while, working in different garages across the country. Never staying too long in one place.”
“Why not?” Tynan asked.
“Shifters get noticed eventually,” Malik explained. “People start to wonder why you’re stronger than you should be, why animals react strangely around you, how I never seem to age. So I’d move on before questions got serious.”
Tynan nodded in understanding. “But you stayed here.”
“I was tired of running,” Malik admitted. “Wanted somewhere that could be mine. Somewhere I could build something permanent.”
He remembered those early days clearly - the broken windows he’d replaced himself, the rusted equipment he’d salvaged and restored, the countless hours spent making the abandoned garage functional again.
“The first week after I opened, three different gangs came by demanding protection money. I told them all the same thing - I wasn’t paying anyone to leave me alone.”
“I’m guessing they didn’t take that well,” Tynan said with a small smile.
“Not at first,” Malik confirmed. “One group decided to make an example of me. Six guys came in after hours and caught me cleaning up. They had bats, chains, and a couple of knives.”
“What happened?”
Malik’s lips curved into a grim smile. “I happened. I didn’t shift – I didn’t need to. I just showed them exactly how much damage a rhino shifter can do in human form.”
“I imagine that was quite effective,” Tynan murmured.
“Word spread,” Malik continued. “No one bothered me directly after that. But there were tests. Break-in attempts. A fire was set at the back door one night.”
“How did you handle it?”
“Methodically,” Malik said, remembering the calm, cold anger that had guided him through those days. “I tracked down the leader of the largest crew – a guy called Maddox. This was before Grok took over. I had a conversation with him.”
“A conversation?” Tynan’s tone was skeptical.
