Sherman's Pride [Spirit of Sage 6] (Siren Publishing Classic ManLove)

by Jools Louise

  “I’m not gonna last long, beautiful,” Sherman growled, closing his eyes as he felt that familiar tingle racing up his spine, his balls clenching before he released hot spurts of his seed deep inside his mate. Chaz gave a low cry and grabbed his cock, jacking himself off furiously. Sherman lifted him higher, still spurting, and took Chaz’s dick into his mouth, sucking hard until Chaz came with a shout of joy, convulsing in Sherman’s strong embrace before sliding down Sherman’s wet body, spent.

  “I can’t get enough of you,” Chaz whispered, peppering kisses all over Sherman’s face. “Don’t leave me,” he added, desperately. “Please don’t ever leave me.”

  Sherman smiled at his mate’s enthusiastic caresses, stroking Chaz’s back. His smile faded when the younger man began to sob suddenly, collapsing against Sherman as though all the strength had gone from his legs. He held Chaz close, stroking his damp hair and back, soothing him with gentle kisses and the tenderness of his touch.

  “Now why would I want to leave you when I just found you?” Sherman asked huskily, feeling a lump in his throat at Chaz’s wrenching cries. His mate sounded distraught, as though a wound had been lanced and all the poison he was carrying was being released.

  “Everybody leaves,” Chaz hiccupped brokenly, burying his face against the curve of Sherman’s thick neck. “They die, or they’re taken away.”

  Sherman grabbed the liquid soap and began to cleanse his mate, lathering the slick fluid all over the man, leaving no inch of him untouched. Still holding onto Chaz with one hand, he somehow managed to clean them both and then let the cooling water sluice the suds away. He stepped from the stall, grabbing a thick fluffy towel which he wrapped around Chaz, cocooning him in its softness. Cradling his mate, Sherman carried him back into the bedroom and sat down, propping himself against the headboard and simply holding Chaz tightly.

  “Baby, what brought this on?” Sherman asked a long while, when Chaz’s tears subsided to the occasional shuddering sniffle. “This has been building for a while, huh?”

  Chaz nodded wearily, absently winding one of Sherman’s dreadlocks around his finger. Sherman smiled and let his lover play.

  “What happened to you?” Sherman felt as though Chaz needed to talk, and purge his soul. All the pain he’d just released hurt Sherman, as well.

  “My parents died when I was really small,” Chaz said, his voice hoarse from crying. “I remember seeing them lying on the floor of our house, with two hypodermics nearby. They must have OD’d on whatever drug they were using. I never knew they were addicts. Cal was away at camp, and it was so hot, the bodies began to stink, and flies were everywhere. Nobody came for days, and then suddenly I was taken from the house when loads of cops showed up, and an ambulance. The social workers got me and my brother into a foster home, but I was never really told what was happening, we just seemed to be scooped up into the system and had to get on with life.”

  “How old were you?” Sherman asked, thinking back to his own childhood, which had followed a similar vein. Druggie parents and a system that tried its best to help, but was often overwhelmed by the sheer numbers of those it was trying to help.

  “I think I must have been about three years old, maybe four,” Chaz said, sighing tremulously. “We stayed in the foster home for a while, and I did okay. It wasn’t too bad.” He frowned, shuddering as though his memories were painful. Sherman waited patiently, knowing the worst was to come.

  “How did the cult get you?” Sherman prodded gently, and Chaz tensed a little.

  “One day a new social worker showed up at the home, and she wasn’t so nice. She smelled of booze and cigarettes—I didn’t like her.” Chaz wrinkled his nose in distaste. Sherman kissed it, smiling a little at his mate. “She didn’t like me, either, when I rebelled against her. She hit me, and I shifted in fear. It was my first time, and I freaked out and bit her when she went for me again. She didn’t scream or anything, but took me out of the home, bundled me into her car. Cal was left behind, and the next I knew I was at some petting zoo, being handed around and drugged and then mauled by people passing through. It was a living nightmare. I was beaten if I shifted to human form, so I stayed in my cat form. Then David showed up.” Chaz smiled at this, and Sherman saw the love and affection there. He gave a low rumbling growl in reaction, reflexively. He couldn’t help himself.

  Chaz looked up, and his smile widened as he stroked Sherman’s jaw tenderly. “No, baby, we were only really ever friends. We survived the cult together. David’s uncle was part of the zoo thing. When we became too much trouble, and too big to handle, Sean Feenan took us to his ranch, to await further instructions. I’m fairly sure we were going to be killed. The cult had a trophy hunting ranch upstate from here. They used shifters for target practice.” Sherman let out another growl, this one decidedly lethal. Chaz kissed his jaw, and Sherman relaxed again.

  “They were shut down years ago. The point is, David was taken, too. He defied his uncle, and we were separated. I was abused for a long time after that. They used Tasers and blow torches and whatever else they could find to cause pain. My shifter healing took care of the scars, but internal wounds take a lot longer…and mine never really went away. David escaped, and found Joe McKellar and the Two Spirit ranch. The rest, as they say, is history. David’s a hero, and I’ve loved him for so long—he was my first boyfriend.” Chaz sighed again, and nuzzled into Sherman’s chest hair. “I thought we were going to be lovers, my feelings were so confused. We were always so close, always together after we were rescued. We kind of assumed, as everybody did, that we’d end up staying together.”

  “And now?” Sherman asked carefully, bracing himself. He felt as though he needed to be prepared, as though Chaz was about to drop some kind of a bombshell.

  Chaz stared at Sherman, his big blue eyes wet with tears, his lashes sparkling with droplets. “Now I know that David and I were soul mates of a different kind—the friendship kind. You’re my one and only when it comes to mating. I knew, the second I saw you, that I’d been hit by lightning, in the best kind of way.”

  Sherman stared back, mesmerized by the love and sincerity in Chaz’s gaze. He felt his heart clench, and cupped his mate’s jaw, tilting his face to meet Chaz’s moist lips. They kissed, the sweetness of it taking Sherman’s breath. He felt a little silly for being jealous of David, but knew that Chaz had survived because of his friend. He knew that Chaz had been a virgin, and felt as though he’d been gifted with something precious. Knowing that Chaz had been through the trauma of repeated threats of serious sexual assault made him love the man even more. Chaz had trusted him to be gentle, had given himself so willingly that Sherman could only make sure that he repaid the trust by being a man that Chaz could be proud of. He would let Chaz lead the way, allow Chaz to spread his wings, rather than make demands of his lover.

  “Lightning struck me, too,” Sherman admitted, resting his forehead against Chaz’s. “I feel as though I’ve been searching for that special someone, and thought I’d never find him. I’m no saint,” he added, with a rueful snort. Chaz laughed softly. “I’ve been with men and women, to relieve the ache and the loneliness.” He kissed Chaz again, devouring his mouth, then released him again slowly, cuddling him close. “Now that I’ve found you, I don’t ever want to be parted. I know that sounds silly, since we’re pretty much strangers, but I felt that connection right away.”

  Chaz smiled, closing his eyes, his breathing evening out as he snuggled against Sherman. “Me, too,” he replied after a while. “I’m sorry I freaked out.”

  Sherman stroked his back gently, shaking his head. “Don’t apologize,” he said. “We all cry sometimes. You’ve been through the ringer.”

  Chaz nodded, yawning. “The thing with David had me all confused, too. Then we had a long talk, and we came to understand what we have together. But you’re my one and only. I want him to be happy, though, and find someone who he can love as much as I love you.” He blushed, freezing as he realized what he had admitted
, and then shrugged, kissing Sherman’s chest.

  Sherman smiled when Chaz yawned again, and tugged the covers up over them. He closed his eyes, too, and decided that breakfast could wait. He could snuggle awhile longer.

  Chapter Three

  Chaz rolled against a large, warm lump and grunted in surprise as he came to a stop. He sniffed and then smiled, remembering where he was and who the lump was. Sherman.

  The lump spoke. “Time for round two?” he growled, and Chaz grinned, his ass aching in the most delicious way.

  “I don’t think my butt can take you again for a little while,” he retorted ruefully, and then squealed when Sherman grabbed him and lifted him on top. He found them locking lips, and melted into his lover, moaning as their dicks rubbed together, creating a delicious friction.

  “We can still dirty dance under the sheets,” the big shifter growled, nipping at Chaz’s lip. “I just love dancing.”

  Chaz’s cock throbbed urgently, and he ground against his sexy stud, gripping Sherman’s dreads as he ate at his mouth, giving no quarter. Sherman grabbed his ass, squeezing firmly, massaging Chaz’s glutes until Chaz was ready to explode. Dipping a thick finger inside Chaz’s aching hole, Sherman gave a low, feral growl again and then turned Chaz’s face to the side, sliding his fangs into Chaz’s damp neck as they both came hard, painting their abs with warm cum, panting heavily.

  “Damn,” Sherman purred as he disengaged his fangs, lapping lazily at the wound. Chaz shuddered, his mind shot to hell, his body trembling from the sudden orgasm.

  A loud voice shouted from the other side of the door, and both men cursed luridly at the interruption. “Chaz, you have a visitor, buddy,” Kevin, his housemate, yelled. He sounded amused. “Your brother is here…so put that python away, now, no sense in giving us all hives.”

  Chaz grunted, biting back a laugh at his friend’s teasing. Kevin and his twin, Kieran, shared the large penthouse apartment with their mate Aston, and for weeks he’d heard the trio having sexy time once they’d found each other. Now they had Douglas and his two mates, Cracker and Ryder, too. It was sex central here right now.

  “Yes, dear,” he drawled loudly, hearing Kevin’s chuckle.

  “We can always play with the python later,” Sherman grinned, his eyes glinting wickedly as he slid his finger in and out of Chaz’s hole gently. Chaz moaned and kissed his lover again, tenderly.

  “I’ll hold you to that,” he murmured, hugging his mate tightly. “I’m glad we’re mates, Sherman,” he added, kissing the big lug’s chest, rubbing his nose in the man’s wiry chest hair.

  “Me, too, baby,” Sherman said sincerely, cupping Chaz’s neck. They lay for a few moments longer before reluctantly sliding from the warm sheet to clean up.

  Minutes later they were digging into scrambled eggs and bacon for brunch, with Chaz’s brother, Cal, sipping coffee as they ate. Douglas and his mates sat closely together on the couch, talking quietly. Chaz kept a close eye on them, but relaxed when he saw the mutual affection between the trio. Douglas had been through a terrible incident that had taken his first mate from him in a most brutal manner, right in front of him. Then Douglas had been kidnapped by a bunch of thugs and had acid thrown into his face, ending up blind as a result. Ryder had, soon afterward, bowled into town, prepared to sweep Douglas off his feet, before Douglas was ready, and the pair had been separated for months when Ryder had been sent off to find some sensitivity. Now it looked as though they had found mutual ground, and a third for their mating partnership. Chaz couldn’t be happier for his friend.

  “I can feel you watching me,” Douglas suddenly drawled, shooting a look at him. Chaz flushed, then laughed at being caught. Douglas had an amazing sixth sense that compensated for his lack of physical vision.

  “Sorry, bud,” Chaz replied, sipping his coffee. “I’m just glad you guys made up, is all. You look…happy.”

  Douglas’s mouth curved wryly, and he shrugged, looking pleased by the observation. “Thanks,” he said, laughing when Cracker lifted him onto his lap, and began nuzzling into him like a big puppy. “I’m just glad this guy is house-trained,” he said drolly, and laughed aloud when Cracker bit his earlobe in retaliation. “He just has a habit of chewing on stuff.”

  Cracker laughed, as well, and kissed Douglas lightly on the cheek. “Only the good stuff,” he retorted, which had Douglas blushing furiously.

  Ryder rolled his eyes, looking a little uncomfortable as he eyed his mates. “He’s a force to be reckoned with, for sure,” he said, and it didn’t sound entirely complimentary.

  “Yeah, a category five fucking tornado,” Sherman said, grinning. “Blows in, flattens everything in sight, and then whips everyone into a frenzy before he settles down and takes things easy again.”

  Cracker flipped his friend off, but grinned back. “I got me two mates, Tank,” the blond retorted, his long hair loose, his pale blue eyes filled with laughter. He had a rough kind of charm about him, weather-worn and a little weary, but hanging in there all the same. His sense of humor, and the obvious affection he had for his friends, made him a likable rogue.

  Chaz thought the two big shifters looked like the perfect match for Douglas, who needed two guys who would be there for him, to be his cornerstones. Douglas needed someone he could lean on, depend on, and would give him the strength he deserved.

  “I’m all Sherman needs,” Chaz said, waggling his brows at Cracker. “I’m all the python he can handle.”

  The room erupted into laughter at the claim. Kevin, Kieran, and Aston entered the living room, and began piling on the teasing against Chaz, the banter going back and forth for several minutes. Chaz finished his brunch and grabbed his empty plate, placing it and Sherman’s in the dishwasher, then fixing another pot of coffee.

  Cal came over to stand beside him, and for a moment they both listened with amusement to the trash talking between their friends. “I missed this,” Cal said quietly, wistfully. Chaz heard something in his tone, and stared at his brother, concerned.

  “You’ve been away for a while,” he said slowly, squeezing Cal’s shoulder gently.

  “I had to…I needed to…” Cal said, ducking his head, not meeting Chaz’s gaze. He looked uncomfortable and nervous for some reason.

  Chaz frowned. “Do you want to go somewhere to talk?” he asked earnestly, sensing something was wrong.

  Cal closed his eyes. “I went to find our parents,” he said, barely audible over the noise in the room.

  Chaz’s frown deepened. “Our parents are dead,” he said.

  Cal looked up, skewering Chaz with a look that had Chaz tensing up for some reason. Cal was hiding something…and it didn’t look promising. “Our real parents,” Cal added huskily.

  Chaz was confused. Real parents? “What does that mean?” he asked, frowning.

  “It means that the people we thought were our parents…weren’t. The cult did far more than we first imagined. I have proof. And I found out some stuff that you need to know.” Cal stared into his coffee again, looking nervous.

  “Tell me,” Chaz whispered, and had the feeling that nothing would be the same once Cal told him. His brother had been his rock for most of his life. When Chaz had been taken as a child, there had been many years when he had been scared, especially after David had been sent away from the zoo. Cal had come after him, helping him to escape, when Feenan had kidnapped Chaz as a teenager, an act of revenge for daring to leave…and insurance in case he talked. Cal had gotten himself hired as a guard, to help to protect Chaz. When they’d been rescued, after Joe McKellar and his crew had torn down Feenan’s operation, Cal had stayed initially, but then seemed to drift away, restless and uneasy staying in the same place for too long. Chaz had never understood that nomad spirit of his brother’s. It was the opposite of Chaz’s own deep yearning for a home and family.

  “Our dad was our legal guardian, not our biological father. He died when the cult and Feenan came after us. I found out that he worked for the cult at one time, a
s a scientist, and was so appalled by what they were doing that he got us out.” Cal spoke softly, and Chaz glanced around, seeing that they had their friends’ full attention. Banter was forgotten under the weight of what Cal was disclosing. “He and his wife took us in, and cared for us, pretending we were theirs. The cult got to them. That’s how we ended up in foster care…then you shifted and were taken again, leaving me behind.”

  Chaz remembered the needles, and knew they hadn’t died by accident. “Who are our parents?” Chaz asked carefully.

  Cal flinched, looking pale now, but he met Chaz’s gaze bravely. “Sean Feenan is your father,” he said starkly, looking grim. “He and the cult impregnated a female shifter who is long dead. The shifter was held at one of his smaller labs, and used for some pretty gruesome experiments. You’re the result.”

  “And you?” Chaz asked, staring through eyes filled with dawning horror. Cal was his brother. He’d always been his brother.

  “Apparently, Sean is my dad, too, but our moms are different,” Cal said, and Chaz gave a sigh of relief. “My mom was another of their experiments who died in childbirth,” Cal added, looking angry and sick at the same time.

  “That’s terrible!” Kieran said, sounding utterly shocked.

  “You’re kidding!” Kevin yelped.

  “I wish I was,” Cal said bitterly. “There are very specific notes, left on one of the hard drives from the labs. It’s taking our team a long time to trawl through everything. Apparently Sean was quite free with his DNA, donated it to a bunch of different mothers.” He stared at Chaz, who was struggling to process what he’d been told. “God knows how many half brothers or sisters we might have.”

  Chaz blinked, and felt strong arms wrap around him, holding him close. He inhaled Sherman’s familiar scent, and held on tightly. “This is…not real,” he whispered, feeling nausea rise up in his stomach. With a strangled cry he wrenched out of Sherman’s embrace, racing for the bathroom, and threw up his breakfast. He knew what Sean had been. The man had been a monster, abusing and exploiting young shifter kids for profit. Then another thought occurred to him. David Feenan. It meant they were cousins. They shared DNA. Chaz wretched again. They had almost become lovers, and had certainly indulged in some heavy petting, had been boyfriends for a long time before they’d parted.