"Tarren?"

"Hey, you sound panicked. What wrong, Erin?"

He was quiet for a moment, trying to quell the panic in his voice. "I just almost made elemouses!" 

"Wouldn't it be elemeese? Or is that just me thinking mouses sounds stupid?" Tarren supplied helpfully.

"Come on man, I'm being serious!" Erin groaned.

"Okay, why? It's not like you did it without him saying okay, right?"

Erin paused again, running back through what had actually happened for the hundredth time. "I don't know. He just started getting really hot and he smelled like a fucking piece of chocolate cake."

Tarren chuckled as he replied "I didn't think elephants liked ca—" "Dammit, Tarren!"

"Alright, alright. You didn't complete the deed, did you?"

"No. That's what the almost was for," Erin grumbled.

"Okay, well, then what's wrong?"

"I couldn't freaking control myself!" Erin growled.

"Oh, that. He's in heat."

"Heat?"

Now that I think about it, Arron had acted like that when I'd found him running away from Rylan's house... naked.

"Yeah, heat. He just needs to have some pervy time with someone and then he'll be fine again."

Tarren must have been able to sense the glare Erin was narrowing at his phone because he continued. "Cool your trunk."

"Is that what you did with Tiegan?"

There was a slight cough on the other end of the line before Tarren answered awkwardly.

"Uh... kind of? He basically was so far into his heat that he just jumped my bones."

Erin nodded, glad that their situation hadn't been that aggressive. "I remember when Arron did that and... yeah, so it will only be fixed if he sleeps with someone?"

"I'm still new to this stuff, but from what I've read, if they try to deal with it themselves it could take awhile, but most times it'll work. Some cross-shifters literally have to do it. Actually, I know a cross-shifter who might be able to help you out. His boyfriend's an idiot, so ignore him, but Tayn's pretty cool."

"Oh? Alright. What's his number?"

Erin put his phone on speaker and quickly typed in what he was told.

"Okay, I'm going to give him a call, thanks Tarren."

"No prob, see you later, elephant."

"Bye, cocky lion."

Erin hung up and quickly pressed call for Tayn's number. He picked up after a minute, but before he said anything Erin could hear a bunch of cackles, then a loud growl, then quiet in the background.

"Hello? Who is this?"

"Hi, my name's Erin. I'm Tarren's friend?"

"Ah, what's up?"

"Um, can we talk by chance? Off the phone?"

There was a long pause before he grumbled into the receiver; "I've got kids and a boyfriend."

There was a loud growl in the background and Tayn sighed.

"Husband... kind of. Anyways, not interested."

"Uh, good? Neither am I. I have a cross-shifter that I am really interested in who I want some help with."

"Eh? Another shifter is in the area?"

"Yeah, uh, he's a mouse..."

"...and you are?"

"That's not important right now."

"Okay, you can come over if you want. I'll just text you my address."

"Okay, thanks."

"No problem. See you when you get here."

They both hung up and Erin took a deep breath before heading out to his car. He had driven home from Grayson's about an hour ago, but just couldn't get him out of his head. If he was taking out his frustrations with someone else...

Don't think about it. He's not.

Giving his head a good shake, Erin peeled out of the small driveway and headed for Tayn's place.

A loud roar made Tarren jump as he was trying to examine a hyper dog who needed some dental work. The vet, who was standing next to him, grinned.

"I'll be back in a few moments, please excuse me."

Walking into the surgery suite, Tarren flipped on one of the lights so that he wouldn't step on Tiegan's tail, again.

"Hey, what's wrong?"

The question wasn't exactly necessary, though, since Tiegan had a kitten in front of him and was licking at it frantically while growling in distress.

"Hey, Tiegan, let me take him."

He glanced up at him but didn't stop licking the still cub. It, surprisingly, wasn't the smaller one, which was still feeding. After a moment Tarren gently managed to get the kitten into his hands and took it straight to the ventilator, pressing the little oxygen mask over its face.

"Hey doc!"

The vet ran in a minute later, clipboard from his patient still in-hand.

"What wrong?"

"He's not breathing, I need help," Tarren said in a rush.

The vet walked over, inciting a growl from Tiegan that he just ignored. Tarren wasn't sure why he was being so calm about it until the man pointed to the kitten's nose.

"Tarren, let him go. He's got a terrible infection, look at all the discharge coming from his nose. It's not something that can be safely treated in such a young kitten."

Tarren blinked and swallowed hard. He'd seen the discharge, but...

"Isn't there something we can do? Antibiotics? Why didn't we catch it sooner?"

"No. We gave Tiegan some extra vitamins to filter to the kittens but they are much too small and weak to be able to handle antibiotics, it would be fatal to give a direct dose. Prevention also can't be administered until they are at least a few weeks old."

Tarren felt his lion roar in his mind as his eyes narrowed at the vet.

"Give it to him anyways!"

He knew that his mane and whiskers were beginning to sprout, but he couldn't do a damned thing about it.

"I'm sorry, Tarren, I won't do that. It won't help."

His vision turned red as his lion took over and darted out of the room, then the building. He didn't feel like the king of beasts anymore, or even a king at all. All he felt was pain as he continued to run blindly. Rain drizzled overhead before quickly turning into a raging storm, yet he didn't slow until he was unable to catch his breath. The moment his body stopped moving he dropped into a large puddle of mud.

Give us back our cubs. This isn't fair to us.

Feelings flashed through his mind that he quickly realized were Tiegan's.

What kind of lion am I? I just ran away from my mate while he's suffering far worse than me.

Tarren forced himself to get up, then slowly trudge his way back to the veterinary clinic. Tiegan was there, his tiger's bright golden eyes watching him with sadness... but beneath it Tarren could see strength. Something that he had just run out of.

Then you can borrow some of mine, love.

Clenching his teeth, Tarren forced himself to shift and sit up on the now-muddy floor as Tiegan pushed his head against his bare chest. Leaning on someone else for support was something a male lion was laughed at for, but right then, he needed his tiger. Tarren's arms wrapped around Tiegan's neck, pulling him in for a tight hug. He buried his face in the thick orange and black fur, taking deep breaths of the only scent that could bring him back to his senses.

It will be okay. We're here for each other. 

Tarren nodded against Tiegan's fur. He would. He would do his best to be there for Tiegan and their remaining offspring. Whether the outcome was good or bad in the end. 

And that's all that matters, Tiegan thought.