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"Lain… he has some friends in town. His best friend is Ori, who is good friends with Alex. Alex owns the bookstore where all this happened."

Something sparked in the back of my mind, a flicker of familiarity that disappeared the moment I tried to look closer at it.

Quinn hesitated again, biting his lower lip in a way that completely distracted me from that strange glint of recognition.

He is beautiful.

The beast purred his agreement, both of us completely entranced. It was nothing our human did on purpose. He didn't seem to realize the effect he had on us. Just him existing as himself was enough, because no matter what he seemed to think, there was no one else like him. I may not remember much, but I knew deep in my gut that no one could be better than Quinn.

"I think they know more about this than they're letting on," he continued, forcing us to focus. I frowned, confused, and he sighed. "The way the others were talking when I was there makes me think they know why those soldiers are here."

"Soldiers?" Alarm skittered down my spine, and the beast growled in the back of our mind. I couldn't say why, but I just knew that the strangers being soldiers meant bad news.

"Maybe. That's what they said, but I'm not sure. They have that vibe, but something about them just seemed off."

"What else could they be?"

"Religious extremists? Some psycho cultists?" Quinn shrugged helplessly. "I'm probably the worst person to ask about that. It turns out I don't know nearly as much as I thought."

Our instinct to protect, to drive away anything that could be a threat to Quinn, flared to life, and the beast rose to the forefront.

"We will make them go away," he growled before I could push him back and regain control. Quinn's eyes widened, and he stared at us for a moment, then quickly shook his head.

"Ori said they would deal with it." That faint spark of recognition again, but it was forgotten when Quinn kept talking. "Anyway, Lain suggested that maybe… maybe we should tell someone and see if they can help."

"Tell someone?" I repeated. Quinn knew. Lain knew. Who else did we need to tell?

He nodded. "Lain thinks the others know more, too, and suggested maybe we talk to them. I won't do anything you don't want to, though," he added quickly. "It's not my secret to tell, and Lain swore he wouldn't tell a soul unless you said it was okay."

Until a few hours ago, I would have been content to continue just as I had been for the last two weeks. I could heal with Quinn and then stay here, keeping him safe from the world. His best friend knew, so our human wouldn't have to lie to him. We would stay and protect Quinn, even if he never realized he was ours. Just being near him was enough.

Now, everything had changed, including me. This human form was big and well-muscled, but still dangerously weak compared to the beast's form. I couldn't protect Quinn like this, and I didn't know how to change back. These strangers were a clear and present danger who had already proved themselves willing to hurt an innocent to get what they were after. Who knew what they would be capable of if I continued to elude them, as I planned to do?

On the other hand, what did we truly know about these other people?

We must protect our Quinn.

That was our one constant, the center of everything for us.

"You trust them?" I asked. Immediately, Quinn's anxiety spiked, his scent souring.

"I… I think so?" He let go of my hand, withdrawing into himself. "I trust Lain, and he swears Ori is good people. I've known Alex Copeland for years, kind of, and he seems like a good guy. There were some rumors late last year that he was involved in some weird stuff, so maybe he would understand? It's your secret, though. If you don't want me to tell anyone, I won't, and that's fine. We could⁠—"

"Quinn."

He pressed his lips together, stemming the flow of anxious rambling. His face flushed, and he took two deep breaths, holding the last one before slowly letting it out.

"Sorry," he whispered. "I just don't want to do the wrong thing here. I don't want you to get hurt."

Our breath caught at the admission, and the beast purred, puffing up with pride.

He cares about us. Our Quinn wants us safe.

There was nothing I wouldn't do for this man. Nothing we wouldn't do to keep him safe. If that meant telling people about us, then so be it. His well-being would always be more important than ours.

"We won't get hurt. We will keep you safe," I promised. The longer I spoke, the more my mind seemed to remember how to do it properly.

He cocked his head. "You don't mean you and me when you say 'we', do you?"