The Manx Cat Guardians Boxed Set

by J P Sayle

  His hands tightened at the “not now” look Aaden threw at him.

  He followed Aaden’s gaze, which had quickly filled with concern when he looked back at his brother.

  Nick’s small chest heaved as if he was struggling to draw in a breath. Brody propelled forward before he could register his intention.

  He lifted Nick, and wrapping his arms tightly around him, he carried him to the bed and sat with Nick in his lap. He gently cupped his head. His fingers stroked Nick’s fine silky blond hair, hoping to calm him. The bed-warmed body seemed to melt into him, leaving him with a sense of rightness that had Brody’s breath fighting to escape his lungs.

  The harsh command from Aaden broke the spell and pulled Brody from the sensations bombarding him.

  “Brody. Let Nick go.”

  He arched a brow at Aaden and growled, “No. Not until I get some answers from Squirt. Go down and eat the breakfast I’ve made. We’ll be down in a few minutes.”

  Brody hated the plea in his voice as he waved Aaden away. He got a moment of satisfaction when Aaden stepped back, only to hesitate.

  He felt Nick’s head touch his chest as Aaden dithered.

  “It’s okay, Aaden, go. I’ll be fine. I won’t let out any secrets.”

  Nick’s declaration had Brody tense, not sure what he meant. Brody turned sharply, giving Aaden a “what the fuck” glare.

  Aaden held up his hands. His answer did little to slow Brody’s heart rate, which was still going faster than a horse in a steeplechase.

  “Listen, we’ll all go down for breakfast. Brody, you know there is something different about me. Well, if you stop glowering and looking as if you want to rip my head off, I’ll explain. Just leave Nick to get dressed, and he’ll follow us downstairs.”

  Brody wanted to argue, but Nick’s warm hand stilled him. He looked down into his pleading pale eyes. He took in the dark circles and the grim lines around Nick’s mouth as he spoke.

  “I’ll be down in five minutes. Let me sort myself out. Then we’ll all explain what you’ve got mixed up with.”

  The resignation in Nick’s voice had Brody finally release him and let him get up. He got up silently, sending Nick a warning look, letting him know that there was going to be no escape this time. That no locked door would stop him. Even if he had to kick that motherfucker in, he would. The silent agreement he could see in Nick’s eyes had him follow Aaden downstairs.

  His stomach knotted when he suddenly wasn’t sure he was ready for the shitstorm his instincts told him were about to hit and hit hard.

  He sighed when Aaden ignored him as they entered the kitchen, and dragged his iPhone out of his joggers, dialling. The mask of concern on Aaden’s face as he waited for whoever he was calling to answer made Brody back off. He decided to give Aaden a few minutes when he heard worry in his voice asking about Max. Brody assumed it was Brad on the other end of the phone.

  Brody shut out the conversation, needing a minute to calm his arse down. He walked to the counter as the anger unfurled in his belly like a dragon’s fire. The heat was phenomenal, pulsing and burning under his skin. It was almost as if a dragon had taken up residence inside of him. A dragon that had been asleep, waiting to be woken, only now that it had, it wanted to burn everything down in its path. Brody felt the sweat gather at the back of his neck and under his arms, soaking his T-shirt. His legs wobbled as he quickly headed towards the wooden seat in the corner, unsure he was going to make it.

  His large frame shuddered as his legs crumbled under the onslaught of sensations that started in his chest and spread. He dropped heavily onto the bench as jumbled words that made no sense filled his head. Memories of the summer he and Aaden had shared that first kiss filled his mind. His eyes swam with unusual patterns before they rolled into the back of his head.

  A blackness consumed him as strange words chanted inside his head repeatedly. “Saklauss varDHa sja/Ifvili, hata hold hugr, elska. Heyra, halda.”

  Nick

  Nick blinked twice, letting his eyes adjust to the dim light in the bedroom. His sleep-fogged mind tried to tell him something. He lifted his head when the door handle rattled. Realising that was what must have woken him, Nick jumped out of bed.

  The “oh, shit” moment he had when his leg hit the ground was quickly followed by a small whoop. He couldn’t resist jumping on the fully healed leg before walking unaided to the door, opening it.

  Nick offered a reassuring smile at the look of worry on Aaden’s face when he asked him, “What up, bro.” Only seconds later he was dangling from Aaden’s bulging arms and placed unceremoniously back on the warm, messy bed he’d just vacated.

  “Fuck, Nick. What are you trying to do?”

  He smirked when Aaden retreated, giving him some space.

  Nick jumped up, grinning like a loon.

  “Christina fixed it. See, it’s as good as new.”

  He watched Aaden’s eyes widen, a bemused smile spread across his mouth. Nick’s sole focus was on Aaden as he bounced on his uninjured leg. So lost in his joy he missed Brody hurrying into the room.

  He caught Aaden’s scowl a second before he looked towards the open doorway. Dread filled Nick’s chest as he turned in the same direction as Aaden. He’d known already who stood there. He sucked his lower lip between his small even white teeth, biting. He felt the air disappear from his lungs at the stunned expression Brody wore. Brody’s mouth opened and shut as he stared at Nick’s bare leg, a fully healed leg.

  Oh, fuck!

  Greg charged into the bedroom behind Brody, glowering at Aaden. Nick thought he must have been shouting for Max. Not that Max could fix this bloody mess. Nick tried to pull in a breath, but to no avail. His chest seemed to have shrunk to the size of a pinhead if the tiny amount of air that now filled it was anything to go by.

  He noticed absently that everyone seemed to halt at once.

  The tense staredown between Brody and Aaden hardly registered. The next thing he knew, he was sitting on Brody’s solid thighs, unsure how it happened.

  He sat listening to the conversation while he tormented his lip. He eventually joined in, which only seemed to piss Brody off.

  Nick heaved a grateful sigh when Aaden finally got everyone to agree to give him five minutes. Though the look Brody had sent him had been clear: “come down and talk or suffer the consequences,” which filled him with trepidation.

  He knew he wouldn’t have long before Brody came back, so Nick yanked open his large leather holdall and searched for something clean to wear. He dressed in his scruffy jeans, pleased to no longer have to wear the loose-fitting trousers Aaden had bought him. He went to the bathroom, relieved himself before brushing his teeth and splashing cold water on his face. The dark circles under his eyes had him sigh as he dried off his face. He grumped, knowing there was nothing he could do to hide them.

  He gave himself a pep talk, trying to boost his ego before tramping downstairs to face the music.

  He heard Aaden chuckle as he walked into the kitchen. As he was distracted for a moment, it took an instant to register Brody slumping on the bench by the patio door. The soft sunlight caught Brody’s face, drawing Nick’s attention to his colourless cheeks right as his eyes rolled into his head. A second before he lost consciousness.

  Nick shouted, skirting the makeshift table. He cursed it for blocking him from getting to Brody quicker.

  “Brody! Brody! What the fuck, man. Open your eyes for me.” His loud squeal seemed to filter past Brody’s unconsciousness as his eyelids fluttered. He heard Aaden’s loud oath before he felt a warm hand move him to the side.

  Aaden pushed Nick back, sitting down on the bench next to Brody. Nick watched like a hawk as Aaden lifted his eyelids to check Brody’s pupils.

  “He’s coming to. Give him some space, Nick. Fuck, you’re practically sitting on his lap.”

  Nick ignored Aaden’s comment and carried on crowding Brody as his grey-green eyes opened and latched on to him. Unsure what to make of the expre
ssion which seemed to cloud Brody’s eyes, Nick found his hand caressing Brody’s unshaven cheek, needing the contact.

  “Wh…at … the… hell… happened to me?”

  Nick tried to fathom what Brody was doing when he dislodged his hand, knocking it off his face. The sharp stab of unwanted hurt stung before he realised Brody was pointing to the sink. He shook off the pain. Doing as Brody bid, he went to the sink to grab some water. Not overthinking why the hurt lingered when he noticed Brody hadn’t pushed off Aaden’s hand, which was still sitting on his muscled thigh.

  He grabbed a glass off the side, letting the tap run for a minute to make sure the water was icy cold before filling it.

  Brody’s rasped thank you as he took the glass and drank deeply had Nick offer a small pinched smile. His lips firmed when he couldn’t avoid looking down to where Aaden’s hand was still touching Brody.

  He waited impatiently for Brody to explain, his foot tapping. He valiantly kept his hands tucked in his jean pockets to stop them from yanking Aaden’s hand away from Brody’s thigh. His lips clamped together when the urge to tell Aaden to shift so he could sit down next to Brody wouldn’t let go.

  He shifted uncomfortably from foot to foot, watching the two men closely. He saw the moment Brody became fully aware when his mouth twisted up and his gaze landed on Nick, pinning him in place. The questions from earlier seemed to leap from his eyes. Nick wanted to sigh out loud. He barely held it in when Aaden gently rubbed at Brody’s neck before taking the empty glass out of his hand and stood.

  “You need any more water, Bro? Can you remember what happened? Fuck, man, you flaked good style.” Aaden chuckled as he plonked the glass down on the messy side when Brody shook his head. Aaden didn’t look at Nick, knowing he wouldn’t be able to keep the smirk off his face. He could all but feel Nick’s tension rolling off him. Aaden didn’t know if it was because of earlier or that he’d been touching Brody. The fire spitting from Nick’s cerulean eyes said it was the latter, but he wasn’t sure. He pushed the worrying thought away when Brody answered him.

  “I’m not sure. One minute I was listening to you talking to Brad, and then there was this weird chanting in my head. Then bam, fucking nothing until I heard Squirt squealing in my ear.”

  Nick glared at Brody. “I wasn’t squealing, you dick. I was shouting.”

  He ignored the brow lift from Aaden and Brody and continued, “I’m not the one who fainted away like a big girl’s blouse, am I?” Nick couldn’t help the little chuckle that escaped when Brody gave him the V.

  “Okay, children, when you’ve quite finished.” Aaden’s smug grin and playful tone broke the tension. “You said weird chanting. Can you remember what the words said?”

  Aaden’s question had Nick fire a quick look at Brody, holding his breath.

  “Yeah, give me a sec.”

  Nick watched Brody’s lids close and his face gain a look of concentration. He gave Aaden a look of concern as he mouthed the word “spell” just as Brody lifted his eyelids. He caught Aaden’s crinkled forehead before he turned to Brody, giving him his full attention.

  “Okay, I think it went like this, though I may have the pronunciations not quite right.” Brody’s laughter filled the kitchen. “Though how the fuck I’m supposed to know this shit, God knows.”

  Nick watched him compose himself as he recited what he’d heard.

  “Saklauss varDHa sja/Ifvili, hata hold hugr, elska. Heyra, halda. I think that’s it in full.”

  The snigger escaped against his will when Brody flushed under their scrutiny. The anxiety that had lessened struck full force when the familiarity of the language Brody spoke sank in.

  He swore silently. It was Norse, and he’d bet all the money in his bank account it was some sort of spell. After his encounters with Christina over the years, he’d done a little research. Finding a Norse dictionary online, it had helped him decipher some of the meanings she’d used to bamboozle his arse.

  He chewed his thumbnail, trying to remember if it was still on his computer at home. He’d updated his computer several times over the years, but he’d kept a file so he could transfer his personal stuff each time.

  He sighed when he couldn’t recall the last time he’d laid eyes on it. He clicked his fingers when he realised Joe would be able to help. He was a genius with computer stuff. Surely he’d be able to access the computer in his home and do a search? Warming to the idea, it took a moment to register that Aaden was speaking.

  “What were you thinking about before you heard the words?”

  Nick’s brow’s rose when he saw the dark hue that covered Brody’s neck and face. What is this about? Was he thinking about me, or was it Aaden?

  He cursed under his breath when Greg bustled into the kitchen, distracting Aaden from getting any answers from Brody.

  “Someone mentioned breakfast, so come on. I’m starved. And as it’s going to be hours before we go to Brad’s, I need food, like right now.” Greg continued to chatter, seemingly oblivious to the tension in the room as he pulled open the small door of the grill, sniffing the air. “Oh, yummy. Brody, you’re a star for doing this. Isn’t he a total star, Nick?”

  Greg’s question caught Nick off guard. Not sure how to respond he nodded his head, turning away from the glint of devilment in Brody’s grey-green eyes.

  Nick huffed. His fringe blew up, then landed in his eyes. Blinking his eyes, he swiped at his hair as he followed after Greg. He grabbed the plastic plates, taking them to Greg so he could fill them. All the while he tried not to grumble at his misfortune.

  Why isn’t Aaden getting Brody to answer the question?

  Nick stomped back to the table, ignoring the dust plumes he was creating as he placed the plates down on the makeshift table. He caught a familiar look pass between Aaden and Brody. Not sure what was going on, Nick seethed, his eyes firing bullets at Brody when he stood up, steadying himself before walking slowly to the table.

  Nick sucked in his cheeks. The hurt stabbing his heart hit dead centre when memories of those looks filtered from the past, reminding him of how excluded they’d made him feel as a kid.

  He tucked his hands under his arms when they wanted to tremble. He swallowed the bile that rose burning his throat. He took a step back towards the door. The need to escape pushed at him. He took another step, only to find Brody’s gaze latched on to his face.

  “Where do you think you’re going? I haven’t forgotten the unanswered questions, Squirt.”

  The emphasis on the word “squirt” put Nick’s back up, so much so he stepped into Brody’s large body, knocking his chest up against his abdomen.

  “I’d mind who you’re calling Squirt in that tone if you don’t want to find yourself on your arse looking like a dick.”

  Nick felt everyone still at his threat.

  He didn’t care, though his pulse ramming against his ribs begged to differ. Ignoring how rattled it made him feel, he ensured he didn’t take his eyes off Brody. He let him see he meant every word he spoke. The slight look of surprise was replaced with a smug humour, and Nick itched to remove it. Before he could overthink it, he turned, using his forward momentum to kick his leg out in a sweeping motion. It caught Brody around the calf, causing him to lose his balance. As he wobbled, Nick pushed his shoulder into Brody’s ribs. Twisting, he used his upper body strength and forced Brody to topple to the ground with a resounding thud.

  He didn’t hide his satisfaction as he stepped back, dusting his hands before parking his arse on one of the rickety stools that sat around the makeshift table.

  The laughter that erupted out of Aaden and Greg had him grinning down at Brody, who was still sitting in a heap on the dirty floor, looking unamused.

  “Come on get up.” Aaden chuckled, offering his hand to Brody, not feeling in the least bit sorry for him. In fact he was feeling rather proud of his baby brother, and a whole lot grateful it wasn’t him sitting on the dirty floor with a bruised ego.

  Nick heard the low grow
l Brody released as he stood, using Aaden’s large hand to help him up. He watched in amusement when he made a big show of dusting off his behind. When he sat next to him, Nick froze. He waited to see what Brody would do next.

  His breath hissed past his clenched teeth when Brody lent into him, whispering in his ear, “The next time you tackle me, I’d prefer you to be wearing what you had on last night and me naked, without an audience.”

  Nick shivered as the hot breath ghosted over his neck as Brody pulled back. His face felt like it was melting under the intent in Brody’s eyes. He wanted to shout “I’m melting, I’m melting away,” but he concentrated on the food in front of him instead.

  He grabbed the cutlery, digging into the food with a gusto he didn’t feel. He ignored his shaking hands when his mind imagined grappling with a very naked Brody.

  Sweet baby Jesus!

  Nick shovelled food into his mouth. Chewing, he forced himself to give the food all his attention. He prayed no one asked him any questions when his mind was in such a turmoil. He wasn’t sure he would be able to pull a rational thought together to save his life. He moaned silently when Brody seemed to pluck the thought right from his head and started firing questions at him about Christina and his leg.

  Nick finished chewing and swallowed the now tasteless food. He lifted the glass of orange juice he spied next to his plate, glugging it back. He hoped against hope it would wet his now parched mouth.

  “I’m not sure where to start.” Nick paused, looking for direction from Aaden. The slight head nod eased the tight feeling in his chest, and he started talking. “I’m gonna start by saying that what you mentioned about the chanting in your head before you passed out. I think it’s a spell, and it might be connected somehow to all the shit that’s happened around here. Though I’m not sure how yet.” Nick licked his lips. Holding up his hand, he implored Brody with his eyes to wait.