One Plus Two Equals... - 50

"Holy hell," Duane whispered as understanding hit him hard. He would have touched the animal if his hands weren't still shackled behind him. "How…? Damn, no wonder they wanted you but how did they know? Why didn't I know?"

The cat shook its head from side to side.

"Can you, do you know how to shift back?" Duane remembered the first time he'd shifted and the underlying fear that he wouldn't be able to return to himself.

The cat yowled softly, again shaking its head.

"Think it, Juls." Desperation gave an edge to Duane's voice and he tempered it. "Think of yourself in your human body. Do you understand what I'm saying?"

Time seemed to stretch out indefinitely before the cat's body began to transform. Then Julyan was there, shaking uncontrollably. "Why did that happen?" he asked in a panic-stricken whisper.

"Because you wanted to save me," Duane told him as he struggled to sit up.

Despite his obvious terror at what had happened to him, Julyan realized Duane needed his help. He looked around at the destruction he'd caused, uncaring for the moment as he asked, "Who had the keys?"

Duane nodded sharply at the body of the dead leader and Julyan searched the pockets of his jeans. When he found them he unlocked the shackles, to Duane's great relief. He eased his arms forward, wincing in pain. Gently Julyan rubbed his shoulders before wrapping him in a loose embrace.

"Auden's going to be pissed that he missed this," Julyan muttered. Then he began to laugh hysterically, a laugh that soon changed to sobs.

"Pissed doesn't begin to cover it."

Julyan found himself in Auden's arms and buried his head in his chest.

"Careful there." Auden eased him away from the worst of the still healing wounds Duane had received.

"S-s-sorry," Julyan took a deep breath to try to quell his weeping.

"Hey, I'll live. We'll live." Auden kissed the top of his head. He stood carefully with Julyan cradled in his arms. "Let's get you out of this mess."

"Please…" As Auden laid him gently on his bed, Julyan shook his head. "I have to… I need to know…how."

"How come you're suddenly a shifter?" When Julyan nodded, Auden settled down beside him, stroking his cheek. "I think this is a question Duane can answer better than I, if it's all right with you."

Julyan clung to Auden for a moment before nodding again. Duane reappeared, smiling slightly. "So now I'm the expert, huh? Well, I'll try to answer. As I said, I think you were terrified by what they were doing and wanted to help me but couldn't, or at least not in your human form. However, somewhere deep inside you another form exists just as Auden does in me, and me in him."

"How come I never knew? Why didn't you know? Those men did."

"So it would seem. I have to wonder if they knew what you shift to or just that you could shift."