# 12.
Mylo had a little
trouble looking Consort Brayden in the eye, he still felt so guilty over
braining the poor guy. It wasn’t helping that Javier was currently in panther
form and growling loudly every time Mylo even looked to be heading in Consort
Brayden's direction. It certainly wasn’t helping hoe everyone laughed at his
predicament. It wasn’t as if he meant to hurt the consort. He was just reacting
to the situation they had been in. This was a sparring match. Couldn’t they see
it hadn’t been like he was trying to kill Consort Brayden or anything? He was
grateful when Brayden finally spoke.
“Javier,” Brayden
reached down and rubbed his hand across Javier’s pelt, and ended by gently
tugging on his tail. “You need to turn back now, I’m safe. I swear to you that
it’s okay to become you again—the human
you.”
Javier yowled softly
as if he was trying to explain that he didn’t know how to turn back. Mylo
wondered if the prince even knew how he had transformed in the first place. For
some strange reason Mylo thought that in this form Javier could see.
**~*~**
“Javier,” Talon
crouched in front of the panther and grasped his head gently in his hands.
Staring into the panthers eyes he spoke. “Are you having trouble returning to
your form?”
Javier yowled
again, finally someone understood his predicament. Javier rubbed against the
fierce warrior’s face and shoulder. He liked the way he was able to leave his
scent over the man. Javier liked letting everyone else know the warrior was his.
Even if said warrior didn’t know that fact yet. His panther knew without a
doubt Talon belonged to them. The panther side of him was ready to claim the
warrior as their own. But Javier wasn’t sure whether Talon was ready for that
to happen. Talon’s hands felt wonderful in his fur, and Javier couldn’t stop
the purr that fell from him as he listened to what the warrior had to say.
“Javier, my prince.
You need to remember what you looked like. Picture in your mind what you once
were—picture your human form.”
“Umm, Talon, if he’s
been blind since he was a child how is he going to remember what he looked
like?” Mylo asked which elicited a growl from the Javier. He didn’t like the
way Mylo was questioning his warrior. Mylo mustn’t have understood the growl as
he continued “I’m just saying is all... I think you need to explain to him what
he looked like.”
Ok that made sense
to Javier. He could barely even remembered what he looked like as a child let
alone what he looked like as a man.
Talon seemed to
think for a moment before turning his attention back to the Javier’s panther. “Javier,
in your mind picture beautiful long black hair falling to just below your
shoulders. Picture pale blue eyes that have the ability to hold all who see
them in a trance. Picture lips that are full and soft.” His panther pulled his
head away from Talon’s hands and stared at his brother then looked back at
Talon. “If you can see in this form then the answer is yes, little one. You
resemble your brother greatly, though your features are softer... more...” the words
seemed to escape Talon as he tried to explain how he saw Javier.
Closing his eyes
Javier concentrated on who he imagined he was. The air around Javier felt like
it shimmered. Then instead of a panther a very naked Javier was crouching in
the arena. Talon appeared socked as Javier threw himself into the man’s arms,
and pressed his face into Talon’s neck. He needed the closeness—the sense of
safety Talon represented.
“Thank you,” Javier
whispered as he felt cloth come around and cover his nakedness. Lifting his
head he gazed around the arena and marvelled that once what was always total
darkness was all in shades of grey. The same colourless vision he had while he
had been in his animal form.
“Javier,” Brayden asked
softly, “are you okay?”
“I’m fine,” Javier
pressed himself even further into Talon’s body. He held on tight for a moment
before pulling away and staring up at the beautiful man before him. Javier
reached up and traced the scare running down Talon’s face with gentle fingers. “You
are so beautiful.”
Talon flinched at
the contact. “You can see me?”
Javier nodded, “I
see you, there’s no colour but I see you.”
Talon gasped. “Your
eyes. They’ve changed.” Talon stared into Javier’s eyes, “Your pupils now
resembled those of a feline, yet they were still the same beautiful shade of
pale blue that they’ve always been. How is this even possible?”
“I don’t know.” Javier
turned and looked at each person there in turn, and took in what the others saw
every day. He was happy to give up colour if it meant that he could regain this
partial sight. Losing his sight was something that he had always regretted. Now
his sight was back he was going to cherish the gift that he’d just been given.
**~*~**
Brayden stared in
amazement along with the rest of them at the transformation of Javier’s eyes. It
wasn’t everyday someone got to witness a miracle, and in the last few months he
had witnessed three. One: the return of his heart—Quinlan, Two: the return of
the ancient ones in the form of his brother—Javier. Three: this miracle of
Javier’s sight returning. These three things made him truly grateful he lived
to witness it all. Everything happening made him wonder what else he was going
to witness in the future. He sensed Quinlan was more than a little tense, and
reached out to touch him. Hoping his touch could bring his husband peace.
He leant further
into the contact when Quinlan wrapped his arms around him. He was grateful he
was loved by such a wonderful man. He was also happy knowing he didn’t have to
go through all of this all alone. Brayden hated being frightened of what they were
going to encounter. The moment he woke to see his brother’s shifted form
something deep inside him prowled to get out. Something deep down in the core
of him wanted to be free. In that moment in time he could sense something
trapped inside of him was tired of being locked away. Brayden was shit scared
he was going to lose himself to the panther he now knew without a doubt lay within
him. What would he do if his panther got free and hurt Quinlan? Or worse hurt
the boys? Right now he wasn’t sure if he was ready to find out just what was
going to happen. Yet he also knew without a doubt the choice would soon be
taken from him, because his panther was crawling ever closer to the surface.
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