Breaking New Ground [Spirit of Sage 2] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour ManLove)

by Jools Louise

  “That’s right. Just the signature, and I’ll file all the papers directly, before the town hall closes, get everything started.”

  Lash stood facing his brother, who stood an inch shorter, and looked pretentiously overdressed next to his older sibling. Lash’s badass warrior’s tail hung in a neat plait down his back, his tattoos glaring fiercely from each side of his shaved scalp. “Lance, I’ve had my attorney here, Zack, draw up papers directing him to sign all my grandparents’ estate over to you and my parents.” His amber eyes were carefully blank, his body stiff and his face unyielding as he spoke.

  He lifted a finger when his brother tried to interrupt, stopping the man in his tracks. “I never wanted their money, never wanted what I didn’t earn. It’s caused more pain than you could ever imagine. Since you and my parents are so enamored of the money, willing to kill me to get to it, I’ll make it easy for you all. Once you sign this document, everything goes to you. I don’t care. I have what I need right here.” He handed a sheaf of papers to his brother, thrust them into the man’s hand, then sat down again. “Sign them, now, then leave.” Lash’s voice was cold as ice, his eyes with the same icy chill.

  Lance glanced around the table uncertainly, looking as though the wind had been taken from his arrogant sails.

  “My client is of the understanding that if he signs over his estate to you and your parents, then their interest in him will be null and void,” Zack advised, his voice hard and cold, all the cheeriness gone. “In addition to giving up his substantial estate, my client has advised me to draw up a second paper, which emasculates him from his family, divorcing himself from you all, further removing any and all reasons for contacting him again.” Zack leaned down into the smaller shifter’s face, his blue eyes glittering maliciously. “Should you do so, I can assure you all that it will be a very foolish thing to do. This quaint little backwater town has no room for fuckwitted morons and murderers. I would strongly advise you to sign the papers, right now, and leave town immediately.”

  Lance made a blustering protest, looking at the papers in his hand and reading rapidly. “I must have time to study these,” he complained, then flinched back when Zack displayed an impressive set of canines, snarling viciously.

  “Are you trying to tell me you think me dishonest?” Zack asked, all lethal predator, his golden hair glinting under the lights, blue eyes aggressive.

  “N-no,” Lance stuttered and grabbed the pen that was proffered, signing each of the papers as indicated, then handing them to Zack, whose predatorial visage melted away instantly.

  “Charm, sir, I have some papers for you and your charming sister, too,” Zack said, taking a similar sheaf of documents from the second file and handing them to the shrill-voiced female who looked now like she’d swallowed a wasp.

  Snarling, the woman snatched the papers, then signed on the dotted line. Rage and Slug’s siblings did the same when Zack passed them similar papers, and within the space of ten minutes, business was concluded.

  Slug got to his feet as the last document was signed and Zack hurried out to file the documents at the town hall, needing an official signature from the magistrate to finalize things, confirming the transfer of the deeds and assets, plus the dissolution of family ties. Slug was a little taller than his four lovers, his hair completely bald but for a small curl of dark brown hair that protruded from his scalp at the back, and plaited into a short braid, painted electric blue, a black ribbon containing it. His eyes were a deep brown, almost black in color, hard as glass as he stared at the younger siblings who had yet to leave.

  “You’re not welcome here,” he snarled at them, his arms folded against his chest, wearing a black T-shirt that displayed his thin but ropy arms, a full sleeve of intricate and colorful tattoos meandering down his right arm. The other arm bore five names, written in an italic script, linked together in a circle. Lash, Charm, Rage, Slug…and Ethan, as well as his own. The last one looked to be as faded as the others, indicating it had been done some time ago.

  “We’ll leave when we’re ready to leave,” drawled Charm’s sister with a sneer.

  As once, everyone in the café got to their feet and faced the four unwelcome visitors.

  Sheriff Pace came from upstairs, bringing Sammy, Bart, and Zion with him.

  “Are they the ones who made the transaction?” Pace asked the three men, still showing the lingering effects of starvation, thin, but not as gaunt as they had been.

  “Yes, sheriff,” Sammy replied, glaring at the snooty wolverine siblings. “I overheard them, with their parents, discussing a financial reward in return for handing over these four young men to the cult. Doctor Pearson was there, as well as Pastor Leonard and Sean Feenan, and advised them that they probably wouldn’t survive, and described in detail what they intended for their family members.” Sammy sounded disgusted. “They were well aware of what would happen and accepted it with smiles on their faces, already planning how to spend their brothers’ money.”

  He looked each individual up and down insultingly, which earned him snarls from each of them.

  A slight smile curved the corners of Slug’s mouth, his dark eyes looking at Sammy with respect.

  “My darling sister here is under the impression that money and status are everything,” Slug told him, grimacing. “None of these losers have earned a single cent of what they’re wearing right now. They’d steal from a pregnant female if it increased their standing. They’d take the food from the mouths of the mothers’ babies should they think the mother was in some way impeding their profits. They’re lazy, incompetent, and just this side of stupid,” the intense wolverine said, seeing Sammy nod agreeably.

  “I’d say they crossed right over into stupid and carried right on until they reached utter moron,” Sammy replied, grinning at the shifter, then raising a fist, which Slug bumped with a smirk.

  “You’re not welcome here, wolverines,” Slug reiterated, the smirk wiped away, replaced by a fierce glare. “There’s nothing for you in Sage. The only thing you love has been signed over to you, so get the hell out of town.”

  There was a tense pause, heavy with the anticipation of violence. Slug was almost daring the others to attack him, staring at them without flinching. With haughty sniffs, staring at the unfriendly faces of those in the café, the wolverines left.

  “Time to give them a rousing send-off,” John smiled watching them go. Everyone exited the café, but he didn’t bother to shut the door behind them, since everyone was following the disgruntled wolverines back to the guest house.

  Jay grinned at his brother as he saw several large suitcases on the porch, looking as though they’d been thrown from a great height. Above, an open window indicated his assumption was correct. He laughed aloud when he heard Alfie’s angry voice, screaming at someone inside, then another expensive case was flung through the window to the street below.

  “Now get the fuck out of town, or I’ll let my leopard rip your ugly faces off and dance on your fucking entrails,” the young shifter yelled. “Go now, or you’ll be following your fucking luggage out the fucking window,” he screamed angrily.

  Sniggers erupted from the watching town, as more and more residents showed up to watch the fireworks. David and Chaz came running from the street where the garage was located, Lex and Leo from the clinic. The front door opened with a bang, crashing against the wall, and eight angry wolverine elders exited the inn.

  “Mama, Papa,” Lance said loudly as he and his group strode up, glancing warily behind them as the town watched and laughed at the action. “We’ve signed documents to say our brothers no longer retain the rights to their property or trust fund, left to them by our grandparents,” he said, even now sounding arrogant as hell.

  Zack came running up, out of breath, and handed a leather file to each of the siblings, asking them to check them while he waited. Each of the wolverines accepted that the documents were genuine and took the copies handed to them, which were placed into envelopes.


  “Just this side of stupid,” Slug repeated in a low voice, standing beside Jay who grinned at the sardonic quip.

  “I don’t think they read up on their shifter lore one-oh-one,” Jay whispered back, and got a wry look.

  “Neither did we,” the young man said, with a grimace. “Without your help, we’d have nothing,” he added.

  “You’ve suffered as much as any of us,” Ethan said, standing on Slug’s other side, and slid a gentle finger over his name on Slug’s arm, their eyes meeting intensely. “When did you get this done? It looks old.”

  “We all have them,” Lash said softly, his amber eyes meeting Ethan’s. “When Aiden released us the first time, right after we’d met you, we knew we’d come back for you. We tattooed each other,” he said.

  “You did this ink?” Jay asked, impressed by their skill.

  “We don’t have any training,” Slug admitted, sounding endearingly shy. “We just like to draw.”

  “The town doesn’t have a tattoo parlor,” John said from behind, looking at the tattoos admiringly. “Perhaps you’d consider opening one. I reckon you’d have a few customers. That ink is amazing.” He smiled. Then his attention was diverted by Mason, who had one of the elders by the scruff of the neck and was escorting him to the large vehicle the families had arrived in.

  “Sir, I warned you before about putting a finger on my mate,” Mason snarled. Jay had never seen the jaguar closer to losing control and stalked forward to assist.

  “You didn’t hurt our mate, did you?” Jay asked, displaying his lethal fangs. “I don’t believe even you and your fuckwitted friends would be that stupid.”

  “I merely grasped him by the arm and advised him to leave our room,” the snooty twit said, not sounding entirely remorseful.

  “Aah,” Jay said slowly, sighing and shaking his head. “Perhaps you didn’t read the sign in the foyer when you entered our establishment? The one that said that any physical aggression toward anyone in town would be met by equal aggression by the perpetrators?”

  “I saw the sign,” the man said with a sneer. “I told you, I merely grasped his arm, I didn’t hurt the stupid man.”

  Alfie came out, flushed with anger, and showed dark bruises on both his forearms, and the other one on his cheekbone. “The fucking moron attacked me in the kitchen,” he snarled furiously. “He told me he didn’t believe in homosexuals cohabiting and thought to teach me a lesson.”

  Jay immediately shifted, his snow leopard leaping at the man in Mason’s hard grasp, and sliced deep furrows into the man’s chest, then slashed at his cheek and finally clamped his jaws around the man’s thick neck, shutting off his air.

  “My mate is not impressed that you just lied,” Mason drawled, his anger raging, but his tone was quiet—dangerously so. “You just received your final warning. You will never attack another person in this town, and you will never be welcome here again.” He aimed the angry darts at each of the intruders, who were staring in horror at the bloody mess of Lash’s father.

  “Leave now,” John ordered, stalking forward, towering over the wolverine families. “If we see any of you anywhere near Sage, you will be dealt with in a more permanent manner. Do I make myself clear?” he asked loudly, the question as piercing and hard as a bullet.

  Instantly the group of wolverines scurried to their vehicle, grabbing Lash’s father and throwing him inside along with their luggage, then peeled out of their parking slot, tires squealing, and left town to the northeast.

  Pace got on his phone and spoke briefly, then clicked it off. “They’re being followed to make sure they leave and don’t curve around and try to come back later,” he said. “There’s a posse of Arapahoe waiting for them around the corner, guns and vehicles at the ready.” He looked at the large group of townsfolk. “Be on the alert, though. I don’t think this will be the last we see of them,” he warned, then looked at Mick, when the big guy began clapping.

  “I think this calls for drinks on the house, doesn’t it?” he asked the big shifter, who was co-owner of the local bar and restaurant.

  Instead of arguing, Mick glanced at his watch and grinned. “I’d say you were right. If anyone wants a beer, follow me,” he said, and headed off up the street.

  A cheer went up, with a large group trailing Mick, leaving the four wolverines, Ethan, Douglas, John, Scotty, and the bunch of people who had waited upstairs in the café. Jane and Cassidy, as well as Mason and Alfie and Jay in shifter form stayed as well.

  Lash went to Jay, kneeling in front of the snow leopard, then hugged the big cat around the neck. “Thank you for what you’ve done,” he said, sounding a little choked up. Getting up, he looked at everyone. “Thank you all. We were terrified of them and didn’t want them to come here. It was only a matter of time, though. They would have heard about Sage anyway, and even without us here, would have caused trouble for you. They’re all bigots in the worst way.”

  Ethan stepped forward, smiling slightly. “You just gave up all your money,” he said, looking dazed.

  “If we hadn’t they would just keep coming back, again and again, until they got it, one way or another,” Charm said, moving to stand near Ethan. He stroked a gentle finger against Ethan’s cheek, his pale eyes intense. “This way, they have no leverage, no reason to come back.”

  “I think Pace is right, though,” Alfie said, glaring in the direction of the other wolverines. “They look like the sort who will want revenge,” he added.

  “They can try,” John said, grinning. “Our friends in federal government have been looking into their affairs, courtesy of Thomas and Pace. Apparently, they’ve tried to defraud not just you, but a few others as well. People with powerful connections. The feds want them on embezzlement and racketeering charges and intend to arrest them as soon as they reach the town limits, escorted by our Native American friends.”

  “They’re going to jail?” Rage asked, eyes wide with surprise.

  “Correction, they’ll be arrested and interviewed. After that, given the evidence already piling up, along with those documents you got them to sign, I would imagine they’ll be heading to jail after that.”

  “Who did they try to defraud?” Lash asked curiously, tilting his head as he stared at John.

  “Our new president, Maurice Sheldon, who was sworn in and elected to his post just six months ago.” John grinned even wider at everyone’s shocked gasps. “You see how useful it is to make friends?” he asked, sending the wolverines a droll look, which they returned with eye rolls and one-fingered salutes.

  Mason looked at his guesthouse and smiled. “I guess we’ll have a few rooms to clear,” he said, looking down at Jay who purred and rubbed his big head against Mason’s thigh, then nuzzled Alfie’s crotch and purred some more. “Did you really say you did those tats yourselves?” he asked the wolverines, stroking Jay’s soft, thick fur gently.

  “Yeah, we’ve got skills,” Slug grinned, fist bumping his brethren.

  “If you need funds to get you started, John, Jay, and I will get you set up, if you wanted to open a tattoo parlor,” Mason suggested. “Come on by and we’ll discuss terms one morning.” He looked at his mates, then grinned wickedly. “Not too early though, if you decide to come by tomorrow. I have plans for a lie-in with these two gorgeous specimens.” Winking, he waved and headed back into the big house, Alfie following.

  Jay paused for a moment, gave a low yowl and a chuffing growl, then padded after his mates, his thick grey tail, swaying back and forth. He had plans as well, involving lying down, and fucking for hours. His cat purred, agreeing totally.

  Chapter Five:

  New Ink

  Alfie fisted his cock, stroking slowly, feeling the pre-cum oozing from his slit, moistening his fingers. He’d never watched porn before, but right now he had his own private show, complete with smell and taste. Moans of pleasure reached his ears as he watched his two mates writhe on the bed. Tanned flesh over rippling muscles undulated in glorious harmony. Mouths kissed hungri
ly, hands caressed and stroked and explored, skimming over one another in endless motion.

  He gave a low groan when Mason rose up, draping himself over Jay’s back, then plunged inside Jay’s ass, snarling his pleasure as he sank deep, his head thrown back in ecstasy. “Fuck, Jay, your ass is so tight and warm,” Mason groaned, then began rocking his hips.

  Jay clutched at the sheets, already a rumpled mess from their hours of copulation, in various positions. Alfie panted as he continued to pleasure himself, then decided he didn’t want to do it solo, and crawled up the bed, gripping Jay’s dark head in his fist and turning it to the side. On hands and knees, Jay was at the perfect level for sucking Alfie off, and Alfie purred when Jay obliged, slurping Alfie’s cock in, letting Alfie fuck his mouth while Mason pistoned back and forth behind.

  Alfie moved to the front, gripped Jay’s hair in both fists to hold him in place, then began fucking his lover’s mouth with fast strokes. Each shunt of his hips pushed Jay back against Mason’s surging dick, and when Mason fucked forward, Alfie was deep-throated. He threw his head back, feeling Jay’s fingers gripping his ass, sliding into his loosened hole and finger fucking him.

  “Oh, shit,” Alfie cried and came with a grunt, hips jerking, his body convulsing. Jay’s mouth sucked him, his tongue lapping every drop of cum from Alfie’s cock, delving into the slit and teasing out more.

  Mason came next, grunting as he spurted into Jay’s ass, then collapsed on their mate.

  “Hey, what about me?” Jay complained, pointing at his loaded cock. Laughing, Alfie and Mason shoved the man onto his back, then dove for the man’s fat dick, attacking it with gusto. Balls and cock were sucked and nipped and swallowed greedily, until Jay roared out his release, spraying cum over all of them.

  “Baby, we wouldn’t dream of leaving you just hanging,” Mason said, cuddling against both of them a little while later as their breathing returned to normal.

  “Glad to hear it,” Jay replied, eyes closed, a sated smile on his lips.