Joe and Hari returned, setting drinks on the table. The heat in Jake’s face moved down, across his chest and sank to his balls. He fidgeted, only stilling when Hari sat beside him. Their legs touched as Hari moved his chair closer, and the agitation inside him settled to a low burn. Every breath he took seemed to smell like Hari—musky and full of fresh green scents with a faint spice.
Joe and Sly started asking Hari questions, leaving Jake to sip his whiskey in quiet contemplation. He stared at the tan skin revealed in the V of the shirt Hari wore. His shirt. The reminder brought a surge of satisfaction in him. The urge to lick had Jake leaning closer, so focused on his goal he didn’t realize the conversation had halted.
Jake blinked slowly, trying to break the weird connection. When he opened his eyes again, Hari smiled, slow and seductive. The heat in his cheeks intensified. They were in the bloody pub. It felt way too personal, exposing himself to his friends and neighbors this way, yet he couldn’t seem to control his actions. Something deep inside compelled him to respond to Hari.
“You’re toast,” Sly taunted softly.
“Don’t tease my mate,” Hari said, his husky voice sending needy ripples all the way to Jake’s balls. Jake shivered, lost in Hari’s compelling brown gaze.
Joe lifted his bottle of beer in a salute. “He’ll make a good mate.”
“Of course I’m a good mate,” Jake snapped. “I’ve put up with the pair of you since we were kids.” He turned back to watch Hari even though he worried about making a fool of himself.
“You haven’t told him,” Sly said.
Both twins had lost their edge of teasing, their faces completely serious again. Jake couldn’t remember the last time that had happened, and it worried him, made him nervous.
Agitation pierced him without warning. “What are you talking about?” He wasn’t in the mood to be the butt of their jokes.
Hari took his hand, holding it firmly when Jake would have pulled away. Hari’s touch soothed him even as he met the incredulous looks of some of the locals who had known him since he was a baby. No doubt, he’d get a call from his enraged father when he heard, demanding that Jake explain himself. He might have problems with the rationalization because he had no idea what he was doing, so he could hardly justify his actions.
“Ignore them,” Joe said, aiming a scowl at the nearest table. “They don’t understand.”
Hell, he didn’t comprehend the driving need he had to touch Hari, so how could anyone else?
“Take him home,” Sly said.
Joe nodded. “Talk to him.”
Hari frowned at both twins. “It’s too soon.”
“I’m right here,” Jake said, starting to get pissed. He picked up his whiskey and downed it, relishing the burn as it slid down his throat.
“He deserves to know what he’s getting into,” Sly persisted.
“Jake can take it,” Joe added.
Jake knew he could take it, but it would be better if they stopped talking about him as if he weren’t present. He grabbed Joe’s whiskey and drank that while the three men continued to argue.
When he reached for Sly’s whiskey, Sly grasped his forearm.
“No more,” he ordered.
Joe smirked, his green eyes alight with devilment. “Yeah, you won’t be able to get it up.”
“Hands off my mate,” Hari snarled.
Fury whipped through Jake, the frustrations of his day exploding into anger. Joe’s slur against his manhood did the rest. He stood abruptly, toppling his chair as he let rip with a punch. His fist clipped Joe’s jaw. Hari snarled, leaping to his feet when Sly grabbed Jake’s fist to prevent another punch.
The action, the release of his turmoil into punches felt great. Jake let loose with another one, and suddenly the four of them were trading punches, he and Hari against Joe and Sly.
Joe let out a whoop and smacked Jake’s jaw. A warning growl rumbled from Hari seconds before he struck Sly. The table went flying, no opposition to Sly’s weight. Bottles and glasses smashed. Glass crunched underfoot. The barmaid shrieked orders to stop. They ignored her.
Jake charged Joe. They fell in a tangle of limbs. He aimed a fist at Joe’s face. Joe struck back, a hard punch to his stomach. The air bled from Jake’s lungs. He tottered and fell, his flailing arm catching a neighboring table. A curse sounded. More glasses smashed. Jake gasped hoarsely, sucking frantically for air. The three men and one woman at the table shouted. One cursed again, and another grabbed Jake and threw a punch. Then it was all on. Jake roared and punched back. Joe stopped one of the other men from adding his fists. A brawl developed from there with grunts, the crash of breaking glass and tumbling furniture filling the air.
Jake couldn’t have said how long it went on. Perversely, he enjoyed the outlet for his frustrations, satisfaction filling him with every punch he landed.
Things started to get ugly when someone tossed a bottle. Charlie and Laura, the local cops, arrived. Their presence and sharp commands started to restore order.
“Fuck, Saber’s here,” Jake said. “Someone tattled.”
Joe and Sly stopped fighting. Hari blocked a blow from a dark-haired guy who tried to take advantage of their distraction before stopping too.
“I think we’re in trouble,” Jake offered, watching Saber storm across the pub. The locals made way for him, parting like the proverbial Red Sea.
“You got that right,” Sly said, warily eyeing his big brother.
Chapter Nine
Saber stomped over to them, his face tight with anger. “Joe. Sly. Jake. Outside now.” His nostrils flared as he took in Hari. “You with them?”
Hari nodded, his manner wary yet respectful.
“Outside now,” Saber barked.
Jake grabbed Hari by the hand and dragged him after Sly and Joe. He liked and respected the older man who had treated him like another Mitchell from the moment the twins had taken him home from school for a visit. It was Saber who had given them the sex talk when they were teens and who had lectured them about correct behavior. When he thought back, Saber had been more of a parent to him than his own. His father and mother only saw each other. Jake’s arrival had been a shock to them after being childless for so long.
“What the hell were you thinking?” Saber demanded when they halted outside the front of the pub.
Jake swallowed. Saber and Emily were going through a bad patch after the loss of their baby, and the last thing Saber needed was for the cops to haul him out in the middle of the night.
“I’m sorry,” Jake said. “It was my fault. I started the whole thing.”
“You weren’t the only one throwing punches,” Saber snapped, scowling at them all in turn.
“I’ll pay for the damages,” Jake said, cringing inwardly. He didn’t have enough money to pay the next mortgage installment, let alone for repairs to the pub.
“We’ll all pay for the damages,” Sly said.
Laura Campbell, one of the cops, stormed over to them. Her eyes narrowed as she scanned their faces. “Witnesses say the four of you started this brawl.”
“We’re sorry,” Joe said.
“You dragged me from a nice, warm bed.” Laura scowled. “Jonno wasn’t happy and neither am I.”
Sly’s face lit up in a grin. “Did we interrupt your sex life?”
Laura’s eyes narrowed farther to catlike slits. “At least my husband has the sense not to start pub brawls. Unlike his best friends.”
Joe’s grin echoed his brother’s. “Must be your calming influence.”
“Lock them up, Laura,” Saber said. “A night in the cells will do them good. I’ll come and pick them up in the morning. Tell Betty to send the bill for the damages to me.”
“Saber—” Joe started.
“I’ll be sleeping in,” Saber said to Laura. “Don’t expect me too early.”
She gave a clipped nod. “You know the way, boys. Start walking.”
“Laura,” Sly said in a wheedling tone.
&nbs
p; “Move it or else you’ll be facing charges as well.” Laura’s no-nonsense tone told them exactly how pissed she was with their hijinks.
Half an hour later they found themselves locked in the same holding cell.
Hari watched Laura turn the key.
“I know none of you are a danger to yourselves so you can keep your phones. Ring me only if there’s an emergency. I intend to sleep in too.” Without a backward glance, she strode from sight.
“Laura has a thing for jail cells,” Sly said. “She locked up Jonno when they first met because she thought he was a jewel thief.”
“We could have slept in a comfy bed if you hadn’t decided to thump me,” Joe said with an eye roll in Jake’s direction.
“Leave Jake alone,” Hari growled, his feline agitated and plain cranky. There was nothing he’d have liked better—Jake in a soft bed. Irritation pulsed through him, aching like a sore tooth. Not even touching Jake comforted him. His gums ached fiercely and his canines pushed through. He looked up to find Joe and Sly regarding him closely. They knew how on edge he felt.
“Shift. Show him now,” Joe said softly after glancing at Jake.
Jake glowered at them all. “I’m getting tired of the way you guys talk about me.”
Hari tensed, the shift to tiger progressing despite his efforts to halt the change. “He’s not ready.”
“He can’t run when he’s locked up,” Sly said. “It’s the perfect time.”
Hari’s skin tingled. He wanted Jake so much, the desire bone deep and even more compelling than his need for Ambar. He questioned his sanity. Perhaps it was something to do with the fact Jake was a human or that they hadn’t explored their relationship to its full extent. Yet.
“What the fuck are you talking about?” Jake demanded. “Tell me before I punch you all again.”
Still uncertain, Hari scanned Sly’s and Joe’s faces. They both nodded encouragement, and since the change had already started, he whipped off his clothes.
“Whoa!” Jake backed up until the bars of the cell halted his retreat. He stared wild-eyed at the three of them. “I am not doing anything kinky with those two watching.”
“So you admit you have the hots for him,” Sly teased.
Joe just smirked, and Hari noticed neither of Jake’s friends were perturbed about his choice of partner. With their silent approval, he backed up and let the change take him, praying that if Jake freaked Joe and Sly would look after him.
Hari embraced the pain-pleasure of the shift, the layers of arousal adding another dimension. For a fleeting moment he thought about running free across the paddocks with Ambar and he wished Jake could share the sheer pleasure of a run with them. It would never happen.
Apprehensive, he checked Jake’s reaction. The other man hadn’t moved. His face was pale and his mouth gaped open in shock or astonishment. Hari wasn’t sure which. Jake never made a sound, and Hari had never wanted him more.
Fully shifted, Hari sat on his haunches and waited.
“Fuck,” Jake whispered finally. “That’s freaky.” Hari saw the moment Jake registered Joe and Sly’s lack of surprise. “You knew. How did you know?”
Hari grunted, a low sound of command.
Without another word, Sly and Joe whipped off their clothes and shifted, leaving Jake the only human in a cell full of feline shifters.
“You…all of you…” Jake trailed off, and sank onto one of the two narrow cots in the cell.
Hari edged closer to Jake, trying his best to look reassuring. It was a bit difficult with his large frame. As a tiger, he was a bit bigger than the two Mitchell brothers in their black leopard forms.
“Why didn’t I know?”
Hari didn’t like the way Jake was staring at Joe and Sly. He sidled close enough to touch Jake and rubbed his head against Jake’s leg. The physical contact soothed him and he let out a purr. Jake froze, and for one horrid moment, Hari thought he’d reject him. A few taut seconds passed where none of them seemed to breathe then Jake cautiously rubbed his hand over the top of Hari’s head. He’d never had anyone pet him in tiger form before, apart from Ambar, and the fingers running through his fur sent a ripple of need skipping across his skin. His purr this time was low and sensual, and he crowded even closer, seeking more caresses.
Jake stroked him, almost without volition while he frowned at the twins. Hari grinned inwardly. Maybe this had been a good idea after all. The only thing that could make it better would be if he and Jake were alone, preferably with Ambar present. Ambar. Heck, she’d be worried. He’d promised to ring her when he’d found Jake. Things had happened so quick, it had slipped his mind.
He backed away from Jake and shifted, bending to grab his cell. He punched in the number Ambar had given him earlier and waited for her to pick up. When he noticed Jake’s expression, he moved closer, hoping to reassure him.
“Ambar, it’s Hari. Yeah, I found Jake.” He paused while she fired questions at him. “No, that’s what I’m ringing to tell you. We won’t be home tonight.” Home. Even thinking the word felt so right. “No, we are not having hot monkey sex.”
“Not in front of us,” Joe said wryly.
Hari watched the twins dress rapidly and noted they were careful not to approach Jake again. They sensed how possessive Hari was about their friend and didn’t want any further trouble. Wise men. He was starting to like them and Middlemarch more all the time.
“Hell no,” Sly added his contribution, although his mouth bore a toothy smirk,
Hari told Ambar where they were and chuckled. “Ambar wants to know if she should break us out of jail.”
“I’d like to say yes, but Saber is furious with us,” Joe said, exchanging a glance with his brother. “He told them he’d pay for the damages, which means he has something totally devious in mind for a punishment.”
“Sure, see you tomorrow morning. No!” He broke off to glower. “You will not do any touching, not without Jake and me there to see. If we have to suffer so do you.” Hari hung up and checked Jake for his reaction. He went so long without saying a word Hari started to worry. “Are you okay?”
“Why didn’t you tell me?” Jake glanced at them all before returning his attention to Hari.
“I—”
“I think he’s talking to us,” Sly said dryly.
“Saber told us not to tell anyone,” Joe said simply. “From the moment we were old enough to talk, our uncle who reared us emphasized the need for secrecy. When Uncle Herbert died and Saber took charge, the rules were the same.”
Sly paced as much as a cell containing four adult men allowed him. “And to impress on us the need for secrecy, he took us to the zoo. We couldn’t communicate with the animals, but it was easy to see that some of them didn’t want to be there.”
“Saber told us if we talked out of place we would end up in a worse place than the zoo, that there were plenty of so-called scientists out there who would have no conscience about keeping us contained and conducting experiments.” Joe glowered as he said the words.
Hari remained silent, pleased Jake was listening and didn’t avoid his touch. Running into the twins might not be so bad, even if his jaw ached like a bitch.
“What about the stories in the newspapers? The sightings of the mystery black cats?” Jake asked.
Sly chortled, and Joe thumped him on the shoulder.
“Saber was really angry that time,” Joe said. “It was Leo’s fault. We came across these tourists and we had a bet to see who could make them scream first.”
“Felix and Leo are our older brothers,” Sly explained to Hari, taking over the explanations. “They’re younger than Saber and older than us. We all shifted and took turns running past.”
Jake shook his head, a grin playing on his lips. “Who made them scream?”
“Felix,” Sly said in disgust.
“It backfired when they blabbed to reporters and stories started appearing in the newspapers,” Joe said.
Sly snorted. “Yeah, that’s
when Saber and the other members of the council decided they needed to marry us off.”
Hari listened, fascinated by the closeness of the brothers. An only child, he’d never gelled with his closest cousins. They were too different, which was another reason he’d had no problems relocating to New Zealand. “What happened next?”
“Saber married first,” Jake said.
“Yeah.” Joe did a high-five with his brother. “Saber got caught in his own trap. Meeting Emily was the best thing that happened to all of us. She turned us into a real family.”
Sly nodded, a frown forming. “I wish we could do something for her and Saber now.”
“Why?” Hari asked.
Sly lost his joking edge, his eyes losing their teasing glint. “Emily was attacked by a madman who was after Kiran, Rohan’s mate. She lost her baby and it’s taking her a long time to get over it.”
“I’ve never seen Saber so worried,” Joe agreed.
“Hell, we’ve fucked up again,” Sly said with a groan.
“You think? I’d rather have Saber angry at us than the iceman he’s been lately,” Joe said. “Maybe he needs to concentrate on something else, which is why I’m not going to complain about whatever punishment he thinks up for us.”
“True.” Sly nodded. “I never thought I’d say this, but I kinda wish Emily would get back to her matchmaking. I miss her evil smiles and twinkling eyes.”
Both twins fell silent.
“Are there others like you living in Middlemarch?” Jake asked.
“Quite a few. Jonno Campbell. Gavin Finley. Duncan and Lana are shifters. Saul and Lucas. Leticia.” Joe counted them out on his fingers.
“Rohan, Ambar and Kiran,” Hari added.
“Ambar? All this time…fuck,” Jake said. “I must be dense as a brick not to notice.”
Hari reached for his hand, registering the calluses on his fingers and palm, the differences in their skin color. He and Ambar were golden brown, neither of them very dark, while Jake was pale in places the sun didn’t see. Hari thought about licking that pale skin, running his tongue across the tan lines and sinking in his teeth. A soft growl rumbled through him.
Tiger by the Tail Page 13
