by Jools Louise
“I thought maybe you might,” Ryder responded, smirking.
“Would you two quit with the flirting for just a second,” Douglas complained, scowling.
“Sweet cheeks, when you quit pouting, we’ll quit making goo-goo eyes at each other,” Cracker replied, arching one eyebrow, challengingly.
“I’m not pouting,” the younger shifter retorted, pouting.
“Yes, you are,” Ryder interjected sardonically. “I told you about what I did, and you started yelling at me. Then, when I didn’t follow you, you start sulking. Blame John for that. He told me he’d talk to you or he’d kick my ass.”
“I yelled at you,” Douglas said, slowly, as though he was talking to a dullard. “I thought you were being stupid for saying that you’re a monster. You aren’t. You did a monstrous thing, and I won’t take that away from you, because what kind of a fucking moron throws hand grenades into a building without first checking that there are innocents inside?”
“My commander, Edward Houston, did the recce,” Ryder protested loudly. “He gave us the all clear, and we obeyed orders. That’s how it goes when you’re a soldier. You trust the ones you’re with, especially your team leader, because they’re supposed to lead you right. It was only later, recently in fact, when I watched him being interrogated him about his links with the cult, that he admitted his culpability in that mission. He knew who was in that building, but had decided he didn’t care. He’d already gotten on board with those bastards, believing that the kids they were harming were freaks and deserved everything that was done to them. All the kids in that facility had come out as gay to their parents, and been inducted into the pastor’s evil conversion therapy school. The parents of those children believed their sons and daughters were at a fucking church, being prayed to about their ‘sins.’”
“Then, if Houston was behind that mission, or at least the execution of it, how the fuck does that make you the monster?” Douglas yelled angrily, stalking forward and punching Ryder right in the gut, unerringly accurate. The blow had the breath departing Ryder’s lungs abruptly, with a whoosh of surprise.
“I should never have continued working with Houston,” Ryder said grimly. “I lied before when I said I believed him. Because I didn’t, not totally. I knew that he must have known who was in that shack. I knew because he was so fucking thorough when he prepped any mission. He checked and double-checked every little detail and planned things to the nth degree. There was no way in hell he couldn’t have known about those kids. But I went along, because I was in denial, not able to believe that he had gone bad.”
“He’s had a hold on you for a long time,” Cracker said quietly, calming their tempers a little with his soothing tone. “What’s the deal with Houston? He was more than just a team leader, wasn’t he?”
Ryder gave a low cry of anguish. “He was my uncle,” he said in a low, bitter tone. “He was there for me when my parents never were. My folks were filthy rich, and I was given everything I could possibly want, from birth. Money, a nice house, and all the toys I could ever want. The one thing they never gave me was a proper family. I was mom’s duty, the offspring to carry on their family name—nothing more. Once she’d given birth to me she took off, and the pair of them maintained the perfect, wholesome image to their friends. She showed up for birthdays and Christmas, so she could be pictured with her darling little boy, then she’d head back off to the Seychelles or Whistler or wherever she fancied traveling to next with her rich friends.” He felt a trickle of fluid run down his chin, wincing at his split lip.
“Here, love, let me help with that,” Cracker said and pulled Ryder into his arms, licking at the wound lightly, erotically. Ryder groaned and met Cracker’s lips, needing his lover’s kisses more than anything.
“Guys, please,” Douglas complained. “I want to hear the end of the story.”
Ryder laughed suddenly, and dragged the man into their embrace, kissing him just as fervently. The three of them spent several seconds indulging in a sloppy three-way, then eased off, before it got out of hand. The chemistry between them was usually explosive, needing only the lightest touch to set off a chain reaction, and today was certainly no different.
“Houston was more of a father than my real dad ever was. I never really saw either of my parents, because they spent as much time as possible away from home. I lived in this big, empty mausoleum, with my nanny. I wasn’t even allowed a dog or cat for company…too much mess, I was told.” He grimaced at that one.
“Freddy says you’re a shifter,” Douglas said suddenly, tilting his head thoughtfully. “But I’ve never once seen you shift. Is Freddy wrong?”
Ryder tensed up at that one. Freddy had once made a teasing remark, when they’d first rescued the kid from the facility in Idaho. He’d remarked that Ryder had brought his pussy along, and Ryder had ignored the sally but had been startled at the allegation. Ryder had never shifted, because he’d never felt another presence inside him. He’d thought he must be human, even after discovering the shifter world years ago.
“I don’t think I am,” he said slowly. “Freddy must be wrong.”
“I don’t think so,” John said as he entered the wet room. Ryder rolled his eyes at the intrusion. He’d give the guy kudos for not interrupting sooner. He’d been expecting the Brit a lot sooner. He eyed that hard glint in the man’s eyes warily. The guy still looked as though he was aching to kick his ass.
“John,” Douglas sighed, moving to step protectively in front of Ryder.
Ryder smiled at his mate, shaking his head. “Douglas, I think I can take him, if he decides to bite.”
“John isn’t going to get the chance to bite,” Cracker said, moving to stand beside their younger mate, folding his arms against his chest. “He’d have to get through both of us.”
John snorted, then laughed, relaxing slightly. “Sweetie, I wouldn’t want any part of my mouth anywhere near that big bruiser,” he responded with his signature smirk. “Who knows what I might catch?”
“I doubt you’d catch anything with your skinny legs,” Cracker shot back with a taunting grin. “I watched you a few days ago, trying to play football, and from what I could see you couldn’t catch a one-legged panther.”
John sneered, curling his lip at the jibe. “How about we get our teams together, for a friendly game of football, rugby, wrestling, basketball, or soccer and we’ll see what your little beastie can do, shall we? Name your pleasure. Unless you’re into synchronized swimming…I have to draw the line somewhere,” he added with a mocking, haughty lilt to his voice.
“Guys, I still haven’t heard the end of Ryder’s story,” Douglas interrupted, glaring at John. “Could you leave this whole clash of the titans drama until you get outside, please?”
“What I was trying to say, before I was so rudely misunderstood,” John said dryly, smiling at Douglas with genuine amusement when Douglas flipped him off for the sally. “Freddy is never wrong when it comes to determining whether someone has shifter blood or not. Jace is pretty good at it, too, as are all the little ones from the labs.”
Ryder’s eyes widened in surprise. Then he frowned. “I would know if I was a shifter, though, wouldn’t I?”
“Not necessarily,” John replied. “Joe McKellar didn’t know until he came home to Two Spirit ranch, and he was in his thirties, like you are. His father knew about the shifter world but because Joe left home to join the military, and he and his dad never talked much after Joe’s mother died, he never knew. It was only when he met Aaron and David Feenan that it started some kind of reaction inside him. He first shifted when David’s uncle invaded the house, and Joe shifted to protect the boy. We all have different triggers, but usually it starts with us in mating mode or a loved one in danger.”
“My parents never talked about anything like that,” Ryder said harshly. “I’m still sure that I would have reacted sooner, though, if I was in danger or something. Look at what I do for a living, and what’s happened since I’ve been here
. I’ve been mated to Douglas and Cracker for weeks, now, and nothing’s happened.”
John sent Douglas a quick look and placed a gentle hand on his arm, delivering a silent message. Ryder frowned when Douglas shrugged casually and stepped to one side. An instant later John shifted, snarling fiercely, in full snow leopard mode, and sprang at Douglas who screamed loudly in terror.
Ryder’s anger erupted at John’s action, and without even thinking about it he felt a change come over him, painful and swift. A few seconds later he was lashing at John’s leopard with a lethal set of claws and snarling furiously, before roaring loudly, the sound bellowing around the changing room and out into the hall. John evaded the strike easily, backing off quickly and staring Ryder down, the tip of his long tail swishing like a pendulum.
“I guess you’ve never had to protect your mate from a direct attack before,” Douglas drawled, smiling at Ryder wickedly.
Ryder realized he’d been played when John purred loudly, sounding like a cement mixer, and butted his head affectionately against Douglas’s thigh, giving Ryder a kitty-sized smirk, his large fangs bared tauntingly.
“Now, there’s something you don’t see every day,” Cracker said with a laugh, and stroked his hand along Ryder’s back…his furry back. “A black jaguar, huh?” Without warning, a long, rumbling purr escaped Ryder’s throat and he leaned in to the touch, arching his back at the fingers that raked through his thick coat. Glancing behind him, he curiously viewed the long tail sprouting from his rump. Swishing it from side to side, he chuffed in awe, and then looked down at the four furry paws that had replaced his two feet. His fur was thick and soft, and he panted softly, hot inside the warm covering.
“You’re beautiful,” Douglas said, stroking the soft fur between his ears. He hugged him, kissing his nose gently before exploring every inch of his face with gentle fingers. Ryder swiped his tongue across his mate’s face, repeating the process when Douglas laughed, sputtering in protest. “No wonder you’re such a bad-ass. I thought for sure, with your height, you’d be a bear or something, not a jaguar.”
Ryder arched a brow at his mate disdainfully, flicked his tail, and then sank onto his belly, exhausted from shifting for the first time. He rested his head on his front paws and purred blissfully as his mates cooed over him, stroking and scratching him lovingly.
“Wow, is that Ryder?” Alfie exclaimed, entering the wet room suddenly, with his mates following closely behind. Mason and Jay stared, as well.
“Yep,” Cracker replied, grinning up at them from where he kneeled on the floor, petting his mate. “The guy had never shifted, never even knew he was a shifter. John had to help him along.”
Jay rolled his eyes at that one. “Who did he threaten to kill?” he asked.
Cracker pointed at Douglas.
“Yeah, that’ll do it,” Alfie giggled.
“Isn’t he cute?” Douglas said, laughing at Ryder’s disgruntled snort.
“You never shifted before?” Mason asked curiously.
Ryder shook his head and sighed grumpily, eyes still closed.
“His parents were douches and his uncle was Edward Houston,” Douglas explained. Alfie’s eyes widened comically.
“Wow! No wonder your cat never came out to play. Houston was a fucking maniac, wasn’t he?” Then he covered his mouth with his hand, and looked horrified. “At least he was when he was he was here,” he clarified lamely, flushing in embarrassment.
“Darling, quit while you’re ahead,” Jay chided, hugging Alfie.
“So, anyway,” Alfie said brightly, changing the subject quickly. “We’re looking for a couple of teams to try out for the shifter football leagues. My mates are split between the Two Spirit Crew and the Sage Spoilers…does anyone fancy a game? We have plenty of gear at the main stadium to change into.”
Ryder lifted his head at that, staring at John steadily, his lips curling back into a feral grin. Rising carefully, he snarled softly into the snow leopard’s face and sauntered out of the wet room, heading for the football and athletics stadium. He heard a gentle chuffing behind him, and knew that John was laughing. Soon after, the shifter caught up, padding along beside him. They nudged each other as they walked, teasing and challenging at the same time. It was about time they got into it. Now it was showdown time.
Chapter Six
Cracker ran forward, slamming into Joe who leapt for the oval ball, sending the big lion shifter to the ground with a crunch. The ball flew off and was soon caught in Ryder’s firm grip. The big man took off, hell for leather, with three of the opposing team in hot pursuit. A certain laconic Brit tackled him from the side, running like fire, and the four went sprawling in a pile of muscle and brawn, with Ryder disappearing under the mess of limbs. This was shifter football, a variation on American football, and the first half was played in human form, following the usual rules of play. The second half had them in their animal guises, the rough and tumble game getting even more aggressive as claws and fangs entered the fray. This was the first half, still, so everyone was wearing their teams’ colors.
“Come on,” Douglas screamed from the sidelines. “Kick their asses, Ryder,” he encouraged viciously, and heard his friends laughing at his eagerness for violent conduct.
“Dude, you’re suddenly a lot more frightening than I remember,” Ethan said dryly, sitting beside his brother, a huge tub of popcorn in one hand and a strawberry Slurpee in the other. “Remind me never to play football with you.”
Douglas laughed and dipped into the tub, shoving popcorn into his mouth greedily.
“He does sound pretty fierce, doesn’t he?” Max said with a giggle, flicking his blond hair over his shoulder, his gold-green eyes twinkling merrily.
“I thought Douglas was such a timid little thing,” Harley, his brother, added, grinning.
Douglas snorted and finished his mouthful, chewing hungrily. “I don’t remember ever claiming that particular trait,” he said, laughing with his friends.
The football game had become something of a full-on battle between the two teams. The Two Spirit crew, consisted of Joe, Rafe, Mick, Zack, Sky, Bryce, and Marvin who were Sky’s brothers. Cody, Murphy, and John had joined the ranks, with Aiden making up the last team member. Sherman headed the Sage Spoilers team, and Misty, Cracker, Fester, and Jester were joined by the four wolverine shifters Rage, Lash, Slug, and Charm, as well as Jay and Mason, who had defected since he hadn’t wanted to play against his mate. Since there were so many out at the ranch, the town had shut down for the day, with all the businesses closing as the residents headed out for an afternoon of entertainment, courtesy of the impromptu football clash.
“Looks like they mean business,” Archie said, chewing on a piece of string cheese. He was mated to Rafe and Lucas, who sat beside him, the pair sharing the odd smooch as they watched the game unfold.
Just then a claxon sounded, signaling halftime. Jostling and shoving each other, and sharing taunting insults, the teams dispersed to their benches for some much-needed thirst quenching.
“Ooh, don’t they look so fine in their outfits,” Alfie drooled, elbows on his knees and his head resting in his hands as he eyed up his mates lasciviously.
“Describe them for me?” Douglas asked, wanting to imagine his lovers wearing football gear, all sweaty and oozing testosterone.
Ethan chuckled and obliged, painting a detailed word picture for Douglas.
“They do look good, don’t they?” he sighed, smiling beatifically.
“Misty just smiled at me,” Max said excitedly. “Should I wave?”
“Shake your booty at him,” Lucas replied drolly, sounding amused. “That’s bound to get their attention.
Douglas grinned suddenly, a wicked thought entering his brain. “Why don’t we all shake our booties?” he said, laughing as they agreed.
As one they stood up turned their asses to face the players, and then did a little wiggle before sitting back down. A roar went up from the crowded stadium, which was half full o
f spectators, who’d arrived from town and the large camp site at the ranch. There was accommodation in a new hotel that had recently opened, not far away, so the place was buzzing.
“We’re on the kiss cam,” Ethan said, laughing hysterically. “I didn’t realize they’d got the big screen working.”
“We may make it to the six o’clock news,” Douglas chuckled, taking another handful of popcorn.
“If there weren’t so many kids around, I’d have dropped my pants,” Archie piped up, giggling, as well. “Then we’d go viral.”
“Dude, please,” Lucas said, sounding pained.
The group laughed loudly and began thinking up new and exciting ways to go viral, each suggestion being more ridiculous than the last. The claxon sounded again, however, and interrupted them before they could embarrass themselves. Douglas listened to the loud applause from the crowd and sat forward, listening intently, and heard the rush of footsteps as the players ran back onto the field. More wild applause, and then a whistle, and the game was on. Ethan kept up a running commentary, infusing his words with excitement so that Douglas felt as though he could actually see the game. As Douglas sat there, he felt the darkness descend on him again from out of nowhere, and his thoughts went back to the acid attack that had changed his life forever, the flashback running on a loop in his mind.
“I’m just heading to the bathroom,” he told his brother, keeping his voice cheerful and peppy. Inside, he was far from that, his stomach churning and his mind a whirlwind of emotion.
“I’ll go with you,” Ethan said quickly and rose, as well.
“No, no, you watch the game,” Douglas replied, waving him off. “I won’t be a moment.”
Then he fled, his feet moving as though on a predetermined course, down through the bleachers and out through the turnstiles. He shifted quickly, and using the sun as a compass, he headed away from the complex.
* * * *
