by Jools Louise
His gaze rose from the drawing, and he made a decision suddenly. He wanted what his father had, what his new friends had. He stared at the balcony again, and saw Slug staring at him a sultry smile on his lips, those dark, dark eyes promising him the moon and stars. He just had to reach out and take what he wanted.
He nodded to Slug, peeled the drawing off the pad, then carefully folded it and placed in the back pocket of his skinny black jeans. Slug smiled, looking pleased, then disappeared from view. Ethan saw the guy come down the stairs, and stood waiting beside Ethan, a warm hand on the lower curve of Ethan’s waist, just above his butt.
John handed over the tray of pie, placing it on the countertop, and sent Slug a long, level look that had the wolverine shuffling his feet uncomfortably.
“Don’t screw this up, stud,” the big Brit said seriously. Then he turned away and started busying himself with creating a new batch of sweet pastry for pies.
Ethan smiled to himself, knowing he had a whole town full of friends now who would back him up in a heartbeat if Slug and his chums did anything to make him sad.
“I like your smile,” Slug murmured, his dark gaze fixed on Ethan’s mouth. Ethan licked his lips, watching as Slug’s mouth parted, his eyes watching the movement of Ethan’s tongue along the crease of his lips.
Slug let loose a low groan, then moved closer, and took Ethan’s mouth in a kiss that had Ethan’s cock surging to instant life, his body flushing all over and his toes curling inside his shoes. The kiss deepened, a roaring flooding Ethan’s ears, almost drowning out the cheers that erupted from everyone in the café.
Ethan opened wider, allowing Slug to dive in, his tongue licking delicately at Ethan’s mouth, then swirling seductively around inside, exploring every nook and cranny, then playing tag with his tongue. Ethan gripped strong shoulders, feeling the resilient muscles rippling under the man’s skin, feeling the definition.
Slug’s arm tightened, and he nipped at Ethan’s lower lip teasingly, then rested his forehead against Ethan’s, panting heavily. “First kiss,” he said hoarsely, rubbing noses, then slanted his head, taking Ethan again, both hands sweeping down and cupping Ethan’s ass, kneading the globes that were just starting to fill out as Ethan regained bulk and strength.
Ethan was practically crawling up the man, gripping Slug’s upper arms tightly, his fingers digging into taut flesh. The kiss went on and on, until Ethan heard a droll voice with a British accent interrupting the passionate embrace.
“Much as I love a good romance, my customers possibly don’t all need to see a sex show with their coffee and doughnuts, boys,” John drawled, sounding amused. “Take it somewhere else, please, before you spontaneously combust and burn down my pride and joy.”
Slug released Ethan slowly, sending John a grin, then moving away, his hands sliding up Ethan’s back to a less erotic zone. “I’ll get the drinks,” he said, turning away to retrieve the large tray sitting on the counter.
Ethan’s brain had officially shut down and all he could do was stand there, all hot and bothered, tasting Slug’s spicy flavor on his tongue, wanting more of the man’s addictive taste.
“Pie?” John asked, waving a hand, bringing Ethan back to earth.
He flushed, shook his head to clear it, then reached for the tray John handed him. “Sorry,” he muttered, taking it upstairs.
“Don’t sweat it,” John retorted with a grin. “That kiss was a long time coming.”
Ethan’s flush deepened, but he had a smile on his lips, agreeing wholeheartedly with John’s assessment. He wondered if all four wolverines kissed like that. Slug had a mouth made for sin.
Chapter Eight:
Family Feud
Jay, Alfie, and Mason wandered along the street, taking in all the new construction in their town. Sage was coming on in leaps and bounds, as more and more people, attracted by the offer of a fresh start and no prejudice, submitted new planning applications.
“I can’t keep up with all the new stores opening,” Alfie said excitedly, seeing the toy store nearly completed, a Mexican restaurant beside it, and what looked like a shoe store and fashion boutique sitting side by side.
“Sage is getting a well-deserved face-lift,” Jay replied, his arm around Alfie’s waist, enjoying the warm sunshine, his belly full from a delicious lunch at the old diner. “Cody said a couple of developers have bought land on the outskirts, and want to convert the old school that was destroyed into more apartments. The new school will be just outside of town, and we’re providing free transport for those living at the ranch.”
“I’m glad the government wants to rebuild the school,” Mason said, his arm draped over Jay’s shoulders, walking beside the big shifter. “This place needs somewhere shifter kids can learn all about their heritage, and take pride in being a part of the American constitution finally.”
“It’s taken almost two years to get those laws passed,” Alfie said, looking pensive. “Now we’ve managed to secure our place, and fight our corner, we have the same rights as anybody else in America.”
“About time, too,” Jay answered grimly. “How they could suddenly claim, after living as American citizens, that we suddenly had no protection under the law, is beyond me. We’ve been around for far longer than the constitution.”
“I’m fairly pleased that they gave special consideration to Sage to make it a haven for shifters. I can’t wait until we get the funding through for a new department at the college down the road. Shifter history 101 will be a blast,” Mason said with a chuckle, kissing the top of Alfie’s head. Leaning in, he reached for Jay, their lips meeting hungrily in a brief, scorching kiss before parting with twin groans of arousal.
“Damn, stud,” Jay said in a low growl. “Your kisses should carry a warning attached.”
Alfie giggled, dragging Mason’s lips to his, moaning as the kiss deepened in a hurry. Pulling away after a few seconds, he was wrapped in searing heat, with Jay’s hard cock digging into his backside through two thicknesses of denim. Mason’s hands cupped Alfie’s face, his thumbs caressing Alfie’s cheeks as he pulled back finally, their lips swollen as they tried to regain their breath.
“You’re right, Jay,” Alfie said huskily. “Mason’s definitely dangerous to my libido.” He giggled as he was squashed between his lovers as they both wrapped him in their arms, squeezing hard.
“Get a room!” a voice called from further down the street, breaking up the party.
Alfie grinned as he saw David Feenan standing in his garage forecourt, shaking a teasing finger at them. He extracted himself from his lovers’ embrace, then sauntered down the street toward the tall blond.
“How’s it going?” Alfie asked, hugging his friend as soon as he could. “This place is looking great.” He looked around admiringly, then his eyes lit on a line of cars with price stickers in their front windows. “You’re selling cars, now?” he asked in surprise. He’d thought David was just fixing cars.
“I fix ’em, Chaz sells ’em,” David said with a laugh, dragging Alfie with him onto the forecourt. “We were arguing constantly, because I wanted him to do something he wasn’t ready to do,” David continued, looking over when Chaz came out to join them.
Alfie stared at his friends, knowing David wasn’t just talking about cars or mechanics. His friends had been boyfriends for a few years, but the last few months had seen them growing apart, bickering constantly, with both looking miserable when they thought nobody was looking.
“Honey, if you need to talk…” Alfie said quietly.
David looked down at his feet, scuffing his beaten-up work boots on the concrete. “I don’t know if we’re going to stay together,” he said softly, barely audible. Alfie gave a shocked gasp and hugged his friend again, feeling the young man shudder and rest his tousled blond head on Alfie’s shoulder.
“David, you just have to work things out,” Alfie said. “Everyone goes through stuff, and with all that happened to you and Chaz as kids, it’s not surprising you’re on
a learning curve now that you’re not living at the ranch.” Alfie stroked the back of David’s head soothingly, kissing his forehead gently. He looked over at where Chaz stood, shuffling his feet and looking uncomfortable. He directed his next words at the other man as well. “You’ve always had Joe and the crew on hand, acting as a kind of buffer. Now you live in town, are independent and own your own businesses. You’re learning how to be adults. You’re mates, but that doesn’t mean smooth sailing all the time. Every relationship has its wobbles. If you love each other, you’ll work things out.”
“I do love him,” Chaz said seriously, looking longingly at his boyfriend. David lifted his head, gazing yearningly back.
“I love you, too,” he replied, pulling away from Alfie and holding his arms out wide. Chaz stepped inside, and the pair hugged tightly. Alfie felt his eyes mist with emotion. His two friends had been through so much. Spreading their wings, they were bound to stumble a few times before they took flight and soared.
“Get a room!” Jay drawled, receiving a one-fingered salute from David, who continued to hug Chaz, stroking the slightly smaller shifter’s back lightly.
Alfie giggled at the banter, leaving his friends to bond as he went to look over the selection of used vehicles, recognizing one he’d seen at the ranch. It was Joe’s red truck, gleaming in the sun.
“He bought a new monster truck, same color,” David said, kissing Chaz gently before extricating himself from his boyfriend, the pair wandering over, hands linked. “It was what got Chaz thinking about expanding our business and selling cars as well as mending broken ones.” He grinned at Chaz, who smiled back.
“Joe bought his crimson orgasm last week, and brought this one in,” Chaz drawled, rolling his eyes. “He’s more possessive of his trucks than he is of his ranch, that’s for sure. He lets anybody live at the ranch, but you offer to drive his truck? It’d be easier asking for the British royal family’s crown jewels.”
Alfie laughed, knowing Joe well. The man had bought a red truck when he’d first returned home, and had been like a mother hen guarding a chick. Woe betide anyone getting too close to it.”
“I remember you learning to drive,” Alfie giggled, seeing his friends blush in embarrassment. “I’d be a little cautious about letting you drive anything I owned as well. You two were maniacs behind the wheel.”
“Maniacs?” Mason said, chuckling. “Hoodlums, that’s what you were. Terrorizing the neighborhood in that red behemoth. I’ve never seen Joe move so fast to exit a vehicle in my life as when he offered you driving lessons.”
“I think he actually kissed the ground once his legs stopped wobbling.” Alfie laughed, ignoring his friends’ disgruntled looks.
“Have you had any sales, yet?” Jay asked, eyeing the lot. There was a sweet little Camaro there, a convertible in sexy black. He wandered closer.
Chaz winked at Alfie, then followed Jay, switching into professional sales mode.
“This little beauty was traded in for Cody’s old truck. He decided to update his, and I did the deal within two days of Cody bringing his in,” Chaz explained. “This has a six-liter V8 engine under the hood, pulling over four hundred horsepower. It’s only two years old, but the owner needed something bigger since they bought Aiden’s old ranch a few miles away. They needed a work horse, not a thoroughbred.”
Jay looked at the performance car, loving the sleek lines. “Any chance of a test drive?” he asked hopefully.
Chaz grinned, slapping Jay on the shoulder, then loping into the garage, returning quickly with a set of keys.
“Knock yourself out,” he said, slinging the keys at Jay. “If you crash it, you buy it.” His warning came with a wink.
“You don’t want to ride shotgun?” Jay asked with a touch of sarcasm. “You can see how an old pro does things…you might learn something.”
“Sweetie, I wouldn’t want to cramp your style,” Chaz retorted, flipping the snow leopard shifter off with a smirk.
Jay grinned back, then unlocked the Camaro and slid into the bucket seat, which hugged his ass lovingly. This was sweet. Firing up the engine, he grinned even wider at the throaty growl emanating from under the hood. He beckoned to Alfie to get into the passenger side. The man practically leaped forward, looking excited as hell.
“See you later, alligator,” he drawled, easing out of the lot with a wave to Mason who bowed mockingly, shaking his head in amusement, Alfie practically bouncing in his seat.
“This is so cool,” Alfie said, poking at buttons left and right, and opening cup holders. “Are you going to buy it?”
Jay drove slowly through town, heading northeast, then opened up the throttle and let the car fly along the highway. Alfie squealed as they flew along, the car hugging the curves and driving smoothly. It handled beautifully.
“I’m going to buy it,” Jay answered after a few minutes’ driving in silence, simply enjoying the freedom of the open road.
Alfie let out a squeal of excitement, planting a big kiss on Jay’s cheek. “This is so cool,” he repeated his earlier comment, sitting back and grinning over at Jay, who returned the look with a wink.
“We’d better get back, or Chaz’ll be sending the troops after us,” Jay said, turning around in a rest stop further along the road, then pulling back onto the road and heading back to town. They’d traveled over twenty miles without realizing.
They drove up behind a nondescript beige sedan, slowing down as they reached the town limits. Alfie frowned, thinking he recognized the occupant of the car ahead.
“That looks like someone we just kicked out of town,” he said. “I’m sure it looks like our wolverine’s family…or one of them, at least.”
Jay studied the car, frowning. “It looks like Lash’s brother, I think his name was Lance, wasn’t it? What’s the bastard doing back here? Didn’t he get the message that he wasn’t welcome here?”
“Let’s follow them, see what he’s doing here,” Alfie said, glaring at the car in front. “If he’s here to cause trouble I’ll rip his fucking throat out,” he snarled viciously. Jay sent him an amused look.
“You’re sexy when you go all primal,” he drawled with a grin.
Alfie stuck his tongue out, but smiled. “Hold that thought,” he retorted, licking his lips seductively, then grinning at his lover when Jay groaned lustily.
“Let’s deal with these losers, then you can go primal on my ass,” Jay invited, waggling his brows teasingly.
Alfie reached over, cupping Jay’s thickening cock and squeezing firmly. “I think I’d like it if your dick went primal on me…I want your cum all over me,” he whispered, purring.
“Baby, you do pick some interesting times to say shit like that,” Jay said, groaning and shifting his hips restlessly under his mate’s touch. “If you don’t quit molesting my cock, I’ll drive off the side of the road.”
Alfie laughed at his mate, but lifted his wandering hand and placed it on his knee. “Party pooper,” he replied pertly.
“Self-preservation,” Jay shot back, smirking. “I have all sorts of fantasies I’d like to fulfill, involving this car, your ass and my cock…you wouldn’t want me to be disappointed, would you?”
Alfie whimpered, his eyes darkening with lust. “Let’s kick these losers out of town again, then you can fulfill any fantasy you want,” he promised, winking at his mate.
Their attention was diverted from sexy thoughts as the sedan in front slowed, then turned into a space outside John’s café. Pulling in themselves, just in front of the bed-and-breakfast, Jay and Alfie exchanged looks as they watched Lance, Lash’s brother, exit the sedan, then walk boldly into the café.
“The bastard didn’t just do what I saw him do, did he?” Alfie asked, snarling. “That moron just doesn’t know when to quit.”
“I reckon he did,” Jay said, then got out of the Camaro, Alfie following. They headed quickly into the café, seeing John and Ethan arguing with Lance fiercely. Jay glanced up at the tattoo parlor, seeing Las
h peering over the balcony rail, looking nervous. He tuned into the argument raging between his brother and Lash’s brother.
“You don’t get it,” John said curtly, with no hint of his usually easygoing demeanor as he spoke. “Your family assaulted a good friend of mine, and nearly murdered a member of your own family, right here in Sage. If you think for one fucking second that I’ll just let you come waltzing back in here, and upset everyone again, you’re out of your tiny fucking mind.”
“I’m here to mend fences,” Lance said arrogantly, seemingly unaware of just how many people he’d be taking on if he started any funny business. “My brother and I grew up together, we used to be close.”
Lash came downstairs, his eyes blazing with anger. “We were never close,” he said bitterly. “I was your punching bag and scapegoat. I was the one you lied to our parents about, the one you outed to them knowing they would disown me, and tell everyone in our clan to shun. You’ve no business here. We’re no longer family.”
Ethan snarled, looking furiously at Lance. “After what you’ve done, after what you took from us, how do you have the gall to come back here?”
“Aah, the little slut that my darling brother gave up his family for,” Lance drawled sarcastically, a sneer on his lips, contorting an otherwise handsome face. “Our family has been around for generations. I dare because I understand the importance of loyalty.”
“You understand nothing of loyalty, except to your bank balance,” Lash cut in, snarling. “My inheritance was more important than your own kin. The only reason you’re here now is because you think you can bleed more out of me.” Lash stepped closer until he was standing nose to nose with his brother. “Newsflash? You’re not welcome here. And I’m not your family—you gave up that right when you sold me to those bastard cultists. My family are right here…and you aren’t part of it. Now get the hell out of Sage.”
Lance’s eyes seemed to glow with rage, his hand reaching for his front pocket, retrieving a hunting knife. His move was quick as a flash, and a second later he lashed out, sinking the eight-inch blade into Lash’s chest, snarling bitterly.
