Saving Jax

by L. M. Brown

  Ty was close, and with one powerful suck Cal brought him to the brink. His lover's strong hands kept him on his feet as he spilled more cream into Cal's mouth than he had ever believed he possessed.

  Below, Cal held his own cock in a firm grip, no doubt saving his cream for Ty to drink.

  When Cal had finished Ty stumbled back and joined Jax on the bed. Cal climbed onto him and straddled his chest. Without words, Cal fed Ty his cock. This time when Ty looked up at Cal, there was no distaste on his face. The shield had been dropped and everything he felt was right there for Ty to see. The desire Cal had kept hidden all this time encouraged Ty to suck him harder, to take what he now knew Cal gave him willingly. He drank down Cal's cream until he reached the point where he knew he was just delaying the inevitable. After all, he would have much rather stayed in bed with his lovers than go speak to Jax's uncle.

  "You were hungry this morning," Cal commented as they each dressed in the short kilts that provided easy access for snacking during the day.

  Ty shrugged rather than tell Cal he had sometimes stopped feeding before he had completely eased the hunger pangs, because he didn't want to force Cal to continue to feed him when he didn't want to. That was in the past, and they were starting a new chapter in their lives.

  Jax toyed with the hem of his kilt. "What are you planning on telling my uncle?"

  "That I've claimed you, as well as Cal, and that the three of us would like to spend some time alone together to settle into our relationship. My mother has been quite taken with some of the humans who have settled on Furyne and I recall her delight at hearing of their marriages and honeymoons. If I suggest a honeymoon for us, I think she might agree."

  "What's a honeymoon?" Jax asked.

  Ty frowned. "I'm not sure exactly. But it seems to be some sort of break from duties couples make after they commit to each other with a formal ceremony."

  "Do you want a ceremony?" Cal asked. "I know Orin and your parents will require an official contract, but that doesn't sound like the same thing."

  "I don't mind," Ty said. "I've committed myself to both of you, just as you two have to me. No ceremony or contract is going to change that. What I thought, though, is that the honeymoon is a time for us to be alone together. We could make it long enough that we only return after Jax has given birth. We'll return with the youngsters and claim them as mine."

  Jax rested his hand on his stomach. "That might work, but what if their markings resemble their true parent?"

  Ty placed his hand over Jax's. "Then we say their markings must be a throwback to a previous generation in your family. My own family markings are too well known to say it comes from my side."

  "Lyndon won't believe that," Jax said.

  "I don't care what he believes," Ty replied. "If I say your babies are fathered by me, no one will dare to question my word. To do so would be a great insult to my whole family."

  "What were your last litter's markings like?" Cal asked. "Were they pure white like you, or black and white patches like Lyndon?"

  "Jaron and Nypper inherited Lyndon's markings, the third, Kelly, was pure white like me."

  "And your uncle still didn't believe you when you told him Lyndon had fathered them?"

  Jax shook his head. "Lyndon's markings are very common where we come from. My uncle had no reason to distrust his word."

  "No reason except Lyndon's a deceitful liar," Cal muttered.

  "We'll soon be rid of him," Ty said. "I have no intention of inheriting him along with Jax. Our honeymoon will be the three of us and no one else."

  "Where are we going to go?" Jax asked. "Lyndon might be persistent enough to follow us if he suspects anything. He'll be furious that you've claimed me."

  "He can be as angry as he wants," Ty replied. "I think we should go to the mountain retreat. It's not used much since the production of the plant milk in that area stopped five cycles ago. Other than the occasional overseer stopping by to check on the crops, the place is pretty deserted. It'll be at least another cycle before the vegetation there is ready for harvesting. I can suggest that we take an extended honeymoon there and stay until the farmers move in. By that time the babes will be old enough to travel and we can either return here or go somewhere else."

  "Or we could stay there," Cal pointed out. "If we like it there, why not?"

  Ty smiled. "Maybe, but we'll have to leave at some point if we're going to locate Jax's other children."

  Jax's eyes watered and Ty leaned in to kiss the tears away before they fell.

  "Did you think I'd forgotten them?" he asked. "You're family now, and this is what family does for each other."

  Jax hugged Ty and buried his face in his neck. Ty felt the damp drop of tears on his shoulder, but knew they were shed from joy.

  "We'll find them," Cal said. "We promise."

  Ty smiled. "That's if we even have to look for them. I intend to ask Orin about them before we leave."

  Jax lifted his head. "He won't tell you where they are."

  "I intend to ask him anyway. It may be that we can collect them on the way to the mountains. Then we can stay there together until the next litter is born."

  Jax's face was filled with doubt, but Ty was firm and pointed out that there was no harm in asking.

  The decision made, Ty lead the way to his parents' chambers.

  *****

  Jax could hear his uncle before they even reached the door. His booming voice echoed down the hall.

  "I demand to know where my nephew is!"

  Ty held Jax's right hand and Cal grabbed his left. Together, the three of them entered the room. "Jax is right here."

  Jax's uncle and Ty's parents turned to face them, their nostrils flared wide as the trio approached.

  Ty raised Jax's hand and kissed the palm. "As you can tell, I've claimed Jax and he has claimed me." He bowed to Jax's uncle. "We were coming to see you next, to discuss the contract."

  His announcement took some of the wind out of the man's sails, but not all. Orin sneered at Cal. "Unless my nose betrays me, you aren't the only one to have claimed my nephew. That commoner has also marked him."

  Ty kept a firm lid on his temper. "Yes, Cal has also claimed Jax. We have all claimed each other."

  Ty's mother stepped forward, fury on her striped face. "You were told in no uncertain terms that you were expected to take a dual-gendered feline for your mate."

  "And I have," Ty said with a smile at Jax. "Our bloodline is secured with Jax. You never said I could only take one mate."

  "You are well aware that noble felines only take one mate."

  "Until now," Ty replied. "I have taken two, and since the three of us are in agreement to the arrangement, I don't see that it should bother anyone else."

  "It bothers me," Orin shouted. "How dare you expect an innocent youngster like my nephew to share the bed of some servant."

  "I gave myself to Cal willingly," Jax interrupted.

  Orin stepped right up to them and glared down at Jax. "I should never have brought you here. I should have known you'd disgrace yourself again. Spreading your legs for any feline that asks, just like you've always done."

  "Excuse me?" Ty's mother interrupted. "Are you saying Jax wasn't a virgin when you presented him at the festival?"

  Ty had hoped to avoid that particular subject in front of his mother.

  Orin blustered a little, but it was Jax who answered.

  "No, ma'am. I was not a virgin and haven't been since I came of age." Jax held his head high and Ty squeezed his hand in encouragement. "I gave birth to a litter several cycles ago."

  Ty mother stared at him as though she couldn't believe her ears. She rounded on Orin with an icy glare. "You dared to bring a feline already claimed to this festival?"

  "He's not claimed," Orin stammered. "Just a depraved little slut."

  His words did nothing to defuse the situation. Ty wrapped his arm around Jax's shoulders. "You will not speak about my mate in that manner. You will address him
with the respect he deserves."

  "He deserves a good whipping."

  Ty could feel Jax shaking and he wondered whether he had already suffered such a punishment at the hands of his uncle. "You will not lay a single hand on my mate."

  Ty's mother seemed to have recovered somewhat and stepped in. "Ty, perhaps you'd like to reconsider things. Now you know of his past, you can change your mind. Contracts haven't been signed. You can choose from one of the others. No one would blame you in the circumstances."

  Ty wasn't even remotely surprised at his mother's suggestion. "I was well aware of Jax's past before I claimed him. Now, would you go fetch the standard contract so we can work out the final details and make things official."

  "Don't be foolish."

  "The contract, Mother," Ty said. "Come Jax, let's sit down near the fireplace. You too, Cal."

  Orin followed them but he didn't take a seat. Instead, he towered over them, glaring at each of them in turn. Jax glared right back at him. "You're the one who told me to spread my legs for him." Jax hissed at his uncle, warning him of his anger. "That's what you wanted, wasn't it?"

  "I wanted you to make a respectable match, not this depravity."

  "This isn't depraved," Jax replied, keeping his voice low enough that it wouldn't reach Ty's parents. "Depraved was your precious Lyndon fucking me whenever he wanted, refusing to claim me, and the pair of you stealing my babies from me. Where are they?"

  "You'll never see them again. I won't subject innocents to your sordid relationship."

  Ty coughed. "I suggest you think again. I wish for Jax's children to be returned to his care."

  "You're as vile as he is," Orin snarled. "All three of you. You're welcome to each other. But make no mistake, Jax, you'll never see your spawn again."

  Ty rose so he stood a half head taller than Jax's uncle. "Get out. The contract will be delivered to you when it has been prepared."

  Something in his tone or his stance must have had the desired effect. Orin stormed from the room, slamming the door behind him.

  Ty sat back down and patted his lap. Jax hurried over to curl up against him. "We'll get them back, regardless of your uncle."

  Cal perched on the arm. "Would it be worth working on Lyndon to see if he lets slip where they are?"

  Jax shook his head. "I've been trying that ever since they were taken. Lyndon's first loyalty is to himself, his second to my uncle. He'll never reveal where they are."

  "Then we make our own enquiries," Ty said. "A litter of felines can't just vanish. Someone, somewhere, has them, and we will get them back."

  Chapter Six

  Jax stuck close by Ty and Cal for the next couple of hours. Most of the time had been spent preparing the contract of their union. Jax had taken little notice of the details, and he got the impression Cal was equally uninterested. Most felines didn't bother with such formalities. It was only the nobles who insisted on upholding the old traditions, even going so far as the write the contracts out on paper and sign them with imported feathered quills. Ty took a little more notice of the terms of the contract, making suggestions here and there and discussing the various points with his parents. When it was finally done, Ty's mother took it to Orin to see if he was in agreement or whether he wanted any amendments made.

  While they waited, Ty broached the subject of a honeymoon, and to Jax's surprise, his father had agreed. He anticipated that his mother would also like the idea. The three of them would honeymoon in the mountains and they arranged to leave that very afternoon. Time being short, Jax left his two mates and returned to his rooms alone to pack his belongings.

  His relief at finding no sign of his uncle was short-lived as Lyndon appeared before he'd even opened his trunk.

  "You stupid fucking slut," Lyndon snarled as he stalked across the room and shoved Jax onto the bed. "You just had to open your legs for him, didn't you? And not just him, that servant of his too. Did it make you feel good to give them what is mine?"

  Jax struggled to free himself from Lyndon's grasp, but the larger feline had always been able to overpower him.

  "You're mine, Jax." He groped under Jax's kilt. "This is mine. Your body belongs to me and no one else."

  "You had no problem sharing me once before," Jax snapped. "You encouraged it."

  "That was payment for gambling debts," Lyndon replied. "You had no right to let that pair fuck you. You're my property."

  "I think you'll find that's no longer the case."

  Jax stared over Lyndon's shoulder and saw Cal standing at the edge of the bed. Relief flooded through him. Then terror. How much had he heard?

  "This is nothing to do with you," Lyndon snapped. "Get out."

  "No." Cal took a step closer. "Jax is not your property. He's my mate and I will not stand by while another feline dares to claim what is rightfully mine. I suggest you leave."

  Lyndon got up from the bed and raised his hand, unsheathing his claws. "You are nothing but a servant with ideas above his station."

  "As are you," Cal replied, seemingly not bothered about the threat. "Jax, are you all right?"

  Jax nodded and got off the bed as well. "I thought you and Ty were packing your belongings."

  "I had second thoughts about leaving you alone. I have few possessions of my own. I can fetch them in a few minutes once I've helped you with yours."

  Lyndon glanced at the trunk. "We're going somewhere?"

  Cal shot him a cold look that would have rivalled that of any other feline Jax had met. "You're leaving this room, as I told you to. The rest of us are going away."

  "What do you mean?" Lyndon asked. "I go where Jax goes. I'm his primary food source."

  "Not anymore," Cal replied. "I'm sure that Ty and I can keep him adequately fed without your assistance."

  "But it's always been the intention that I would continue to serve Jax if he were ever to be claimed by another feline. Jax, tell him."

  Jax shook his head. "What would I know of my uncle and your intentions?"

  "You know fucking well that your uncle would never part us."

  "Orin has no say in this matter," Cal said. "Now, are you going to leave, or am I going to throw you out?"

  "You wouldn't dare."

  "Try me."

  Lyndon turned to Jax, grabbed his wrist and leaned in close to murmur in his ear. "I come with you, or you'll never see them again."

  Either Cal had the sharpest hearing of anyone Jax had ever known, or he was a good guesser. "Orin has already told him he won't see his babies again. I'll tell you the same thing Ty told him. We're going to reunite Jax with his children, and neither you nor anyone else is going to stand in our way."

  "You know about his litter?" Lyndon stared at Cal.

  "Yes, of course," Cal replied. "Jax told us about them. In fact he told us everything."

  A flicker of worry crossed Lyndon's face, but soon vanished. "And I suppose he told you they were mine?"

  "He did."

  "It's a lie," Lyndon snapped. "This little slut was fucked by plenty of others as well as me. He spread his legs for anyone who paid him the slightest attention. It's only thanks to his uncle's care and diligence that he hasn't birthed half a dozen litters."

  Cal sighed and shook his head. "You're getting very tiresome. Now get out so we can finish packing."

  Lyndon finally got the message. "I can see you don't believe me. But why don't you ask him how many felines he entertained on the night he came of age?"

  Cal ignored his comment, slammed the door closed behind him and returned to Jax. "Come on, let's get you packed and ready to go."

  Jax couldn't move. He had frozen with Lyndon's parting words.

  "What's the matter?" Cal asked. "Are you all right?"

  Jax gave a small sob and shook his head. A moment later, Cal swept him into his arms. "What is it? Is it about what Lyndon said? I don't care what lies he wants to spew, it means nothing to me and won't mean anything to Ty either."

  "It's not a lie," Jax whispe
red.

  Cal frowned and sat on the soft rug, with Jax in his arms. "You don't have to tell me anything you don't want to," he said. "The past is in the past. It will make no difference to me or Ty."

  Jax sobbed again and couldn't meet Cal's eyes. "In my colony, the day one comes of age is a cause for celebration. My uncle threw me a party, though he didn't stay for long himself. Lyndon, on the other hand, stayed near me all evening. He'd already made it clear that he intended to take my virginity that night. He'd gone into great detail about how he'd fuck my mouth, my arse, and my vagina. Never in the hearing of anyone who mattered, of course. I thought myself in love with him and I encouraged his attentions."

  "You were young and he took advantage of you."

  Jax knew now that that was true.

  "What happened at the celebration?"

  Jax leaned back into Cal's arms, unable to look at his lover while he spoke. "At the end of the evening there was just myself, Lyndon and three of his friends left. I don't remember their names, as I only had eyes for Lyndon. I ached for him all evening and he knew it. When Lyndon said he wanted to see me being fucked by one of his friends I only hesitated as long as it took him to assure me that he would be my first. He made it sound like a good idea and I was stupid enough to go along with it."

  Jax hesitated, waiting for Cal to say something judgemental, but when he stayed silent, Jax gathered his courage together to finish his confession. "Lyndon fucked me in the vagina first, then his friend fucked me in the arse. I was still coming down from my climax when I realised another of his friends wanted to do the same. I let him. I let all of them. They fucked me hard, one after the other for the whole night. They took it in turns and I did nothing to discourage them. I begged them for more. I liked what they did to me. I was sore, and the next morning I could barely rise from my bed, but I didn't regret a moment of it. I was every bit the slut my uncle and Lyndon say I am."

  "Everyone does something foolish once or twice in their life," Cal said. "You were in love with someone and you did as he asked of you."