Two Spirit Tournament [Spirit of Sage 8] (Siren Publishing Menage Amour ManLove)

by Jools Louise

  Idiot number one looked a little surprised at David’s reaction, obviously considering David to be an easy target. David smiled a feral smile, revealing his fangs. Just because he hadn’t risen to their bait before now didn’t mean he couldn’t whip all their lazy-ass butts if he wanted to. He had a bunch of uncles, John and Rafe and Zack included, who had taught him how to take care of himself.

  “Guys, why don’t you head back to the ranch and get your lunch?” David suggested to the children. “Carrot here will lead the way. He’s pretty good at finding his way home. I can take care of this little problem.”

  Murray gave a low growl, but David ignored the protest, patting the horse’s rump sharply and sending him trotting off the way they’d just come. It would be quicker. He watched as the horse disappeared around a curve in the trail, then turned his attention to his eight assailants. His smile reappeared, and he saw the fear in their eyes.

  “I’ll give you one chance to change your minds, morons,” he said, pleasant and polite. “Then, if you haven’t taken a fucking hike, I’ll help to escort you from the property. We don’t welcome bigoted assholes here.”

  The first idiot came at him, fist raised, and David went on the defensive, whirling like a dervish and sending the man flying with a well-placed series of punches. The others moved in and got in some hits of their own, but David was in the zone now and pretty pissed off that a group of people who were supposedly educated had so little common sense or intelligence. Fucking half-wits.

  “I thought I may have to step in, son, but you’ve been practicing,” Joe suddenly drawled when David finished off his last combatant. He whirled again before he realized who was standing there, and looked in surprise at the sight of the entire Two Spirit crew eyeing him with mixed admiration and amusement.

  “I taught him all he knows,” John drawled, eyeing the fallen students with interest. “Murray was most impressed by the Kung Fu stuff.”

  “Are these the ones who made you quit your course?” Cody asked in his gravelly voice, glaring as the eight morons began to surface, groaning and moaning as they sat up.

  David nodded. Then he shrugged. “The college didn’t stop them, just gave them a lame-ass reprimand, and they kept on goading me. I didn’t want to be expelled for brawling, so I quit. I prefer it here at the ranch school anyway. The college is a little less tolerant than I like. And I hate fraternities.” He spat this last bit at the idiots who were coming around, since all were members of the college’s elitist club. David had declined their invitation to join in the raucous, senseless initiation ceremony.

  “Sweetie, I don’t blame you,” Zack said, grinning. “If these fuck-wits are anything to go by, you had a lucky escape.”

  David glanced down suddenly as a familiar figure sat beside him, clad now in a pair of denim dungarees, a blue T-shirt, and tennis shoes. The boy stared back, looking impressed. “David, you were awesome,” little Moe said, nodding to underscore his compliment. “You didn’t even need to shift.”

  “That’s because when someone teaches me stuff, I listen and learn,” David replied, seeing the remark hit home.

  “He means we need to stay in class, not run around getting into trouble,” Blue said sagely when Aiden cantered over with him in his arms, on the Appaloosa stallion that David had just sent off with the children.

  David eyed the boy with amazement. “Hallelujah!” he praised, raising his hands to the sky in thanks for the kids finally getting what he’d been trying to tell them for ages.

  “We’ll take care of these guys,” Rafe said in his quiet, husky voice, his dark eyes showering the beaten students with menace. “Take Carrot back to the start, and you can start the course again. Alfie’s orders,” he added, smiling and patting David on the back, then ruffling his hair teasingly.

  Shoving back, David rolled his eyes. He watched Aiden dismount gracefully, then grab one of the attackers by the scruff of the neck before hauling him off through the woods. “Er, I should make sure that Aiden doesn’t do anything regrettable,” Murphy drawled hastily. He hoisted another student over his broad shoulder and took off after his mate. Aiden had a violent streak in him that had been known to explode under the right circumstances. Killing a bunch of human douchebags might not be the best advert for the Two Spirit Tournament.

  David mounted the stallion, waved good-bye to his friends, and headed back to the start line. The horse was a big, powerful animal and seemed eager to race again despite the false start. There was cheering from the stands as David appeared, and Carrot danced impatiently as they got into position. The starter pistol fired, and David leapt into a loping canter, concentrating hard as they headed once more along the course.

  He took the jumps easily, pacing himself and the horse, not wanting to overdo things in the early stages. The rain was heavier now, the track becoming sodden as the heavens threw a tantrum.

  “Come on, Carrot, this is the water jump. Watch your footing,” David coaxed, holding on as Carrot leapt over the first and second hurdles and took the gate with inches to spare, splashing into the water on the other side and soaking both of them. David laughed gleefully, feeling the muscles bunch under him as Carrot took off again like a rocket. There was a tricky bit next, which had Carrot leaping over the corner of a thick-set log pile, then through a leafy donut hole dripping with wisteria, and down a steep slope and over a water trough. They didn’t stop for a drink.

  “Come on, David, you’re beating Archie,” came a shout from the sidelines. He glanced over and spied Kevin and Kieran bouncing up and down, cheering him on despite the driving rain. Waving, he shot past them, then clung on with his knees as Carrot went airborne again, over a cross-bar gate, and down three large steps. The horse skidded a little at the bottom, leaped the fence that loomed, and then throttled up again to get to the top of the next slope. He could feel Carrot tiring and asked him for one more surge, cresting the hill and spying the finish line, close to the main stadium. He heard a roar of noise, felt the tremble of the earth beneath Carrot’s hooves, clumps of mud and grass spraying out behind them as they sliced easily through the driving rain that lashed down.

  The crowd, ignoring the weather, had turned out in force, and as the last hurdle came into sight, David began to breathe a little more easily. Then he felt a punch, a hard jab to his shoulder that took his breath. A second hit thudded into his leg, hitting bone, and he screamed in pain, the sound accompanied by a report from a high-powered rifle, cracking above the sound of the wind and rain. He tracked the sound and saw a man disappearing into the trees. He wheeled Carrot around, ignoring his wounds, and raced after him. He heard a distant shout and glanced over to where a huge African lion shifter was loping fast toward him. He had no time to stop and continued after his assailant. His nostrils quivered, and he inhaled the stench of the human who ran, a combination of fear, gunpowder, and burgers of all things. The man had eaten his fill before trying to kill his target. Fucking bastard.

  He caught sight of the guy and leapt from Carrot’s back. After shifting in midair, he landed on four paws, stumbling as his injured leg buckled under him. He gathered himself again and moved forward, limping badly. Snarling as his shoulder and leg throbbed like a bitch, he stalked the shooter with single-minded purpose, keeping low to the ground as he snuck through the undergrowth. The trail led to the parking lot, and he lost sight of his quarry between the vehicles, sniffing to keep track of the man’s odor. A few moments later he saw the guy beside a dark-brown pickup truck, dirty and dingy and ancient as the hills. He scented old blood, animal blood, and wondered what other poor creatures the bastard had murdered for sport. Running forward swiftly, he put aside the agony of his injuries, then leapt onto the hood, grinning fiercely as the guy screamed like a little girl and swatted at him as though he were fending off a big fly.

  Snarling, David swatted back, his dewclaw hooking into the man’s wrist as he bared his fangs menacingly. He sensed movement, and a second later the lion who had followed him roared fur
iously as he stalked closer. The shooter screamed again, trying to backpedal, and lost a chunk of flesh as David dug his claws in. Blood spurted rapidly, his artery severed. David watched the guy trying to stem the flow and snarled again, his furious scream joining the other lion’s, making the attacker fall backward in a desperate bid to escape. From the rear, a snow leopard appeared, growling with lethal intent. The man began to whimper, and a stain appeared on his filthy trousers as he pissed himself.

  “Don’t eat me, don’t eat me,” he babbled, clutching his wrist. “I’m bleeding to death. You gotta help me.”

  “Do we really need to help him?” Skull asked as he joined the fray, staring down at the man with hard, emotionless eyes. David felt a little sick now, his stomach roiling as his adrenaline ebbed and the blood loss took its toll. He struggled to breathe and slumped, his eyes rolling back in his head as he began to fade out. The last thing he heard was the roar of a lion, loud and long, and a scream of utter terror.

  Chapter Eleven

  Skull roused suddenly, blinking in the dim light, forgetting his location for a split second as he tried to gather his senses.

  “Hmmm. Hey, Skull, what time is it?”

  The wolverine shifter gave a sigh of relief and lifted his head. He stared at David intently, roving his gaze over the man’s face, memorizing it with loving eyes.

  “Hey, sweetie,” Skull replied softly, and leaned in to kiss his lover gently. He scooped up a lock of hair from the man’s forehead and swiped it aside, then kissed him again. “It’s a little after six in the morning, baby. How do you feel?”

  “Like a herd of buffalo just jumped me,” David groused sleepily.

  Skull chuckled at that, nuzzling his lover’s cheek. “You nearly gave me a heart attack,” he said, feeling the shadow of pain in his heart from seeing David collapse, blood covering his haunch and shoulder.

  “I need to piss,” David said. Skull laughed again, sensing the urgency.

  “Here, use this,” he said, providing a receptacle so David didn’t have to leave the bed.

  “Really?” David asked, scowling grumpily as he eyed the thing.

  “Insert dick, aim, and fire,” Skull drawled unsympathetically. “I’m under orders to stop you leaving this bed until the doc gives you the all clear. You nearly died.” He felt the twinge in his heart again and rubbed his chest in remembered agony.

  “I did?” David sounded surprised.

  “The slug in your shoulder nicked an artery as it traveled. You nearly bled to death before Lex could get it fixed. Without the doctor there and Ryder’s aerial support, you wouldn’t be here. The bullet that hit your leg shattered your knee and tibia. You’re lucky it was only a point twenty-two bullet, or it would have gone into Carrot, as well, and probably killed him. Instead it sloshed around inside you and caused a bit of damage.”

  “Tremendous,” David said sourly, still frowning at the piss pot. With a sigh, he waggled the thing at Skull. “I may need some assistance.”

  Skull lifted the sheet, positioned the pot, and grinned at his mate’s relieved expression as he dumped about ninety-six hours of pee. David had been out for days.

  “Better, grouchy?” Skull teased, and got a slight smile in return.

  “I’m sorry,” David said sincerely. “I’m just a little sore, and irritated that I didn’t complete the cross country—again. What is with all these idiots that want to shoot us or blow us to smithereens?”

  Skull got up, yawning, and took the piss pot into the bathroom, where he emptied the contents down the toilet and rinsed the receptacle. While he was in there, he relieved himself, as well. Then he returned to his mate, who looked adorably tousled as he lay there, his leg in bandages, his chest in a similar condition.

  “I’ll go and tell your dad you’re awake,” Skull said, and kissed his lover tenderly again. “The man’s been going nuts, wanting to kill the son of a bitch who did this to you.”

  “He didn’t?” David asked, surprised at his dad’s restraint. Given that John had been there, as well, he was shocked that his attacker was not in tiny pieces already.

  Skull shot him a look that had an air of irritation about it. “Ryder showed up and talked us down,” he said. “He has some information about the guy who shot you that makes interesting reading. Flashpoint is recruiting again, coercing folks to do stuff by blackmailing them or choosing people who are desperate enough to do anything. The guy who hurt you? He lost his job a while back because he stole some money to feed and clothe his family. His wife died of cancer, and he went bankrupt trying to feed his four little kids after the medical bills ate into his savings. He took fifty bucks to buy his little daughter shoes and a new backpack for school, and his boss, human, fired him. Flashpoint offered him a thousand dollars to shoot at one of the competitors at the tournament. You were it.”

  “He has four little ones?” David asked, ignoring the rest for the moment.

  “Yeah, his youngest is the same age as Moe. Real cutie. She has the most beautiful red hair and brown eyes. Her sisters are five, nine, and eleven. Their mother died a year ago. The guy, Marty, has been trying to make ends meet for months.”

  “What happened to his daughters? I hurt him.” David sounded distraught.

  “He shot you, David,” Skull retorted sharply, his turquoise eyes hard as diamonds. “He didn’t care if you lived or died. He may have a family to feed, but that does not excuse what he did. We almost lost you.” Skull’s voice broke as he finished the sentence.

  “I know that,” David said, sighing. “There are just so many people out there who are struggling so hard, and douches like Flashpoint use them to do bad things to us.”

  “His girls are at the ranch,” Joe said as he entered David’s private room, looking as though he hadn’t slept in days. “He was fixed up at the clinic, under guard, and is awaiting trial.” His brown eyes softened as he looked at David, stalking forward to give his son a kiss and tousle his hair. “Skull’s right, David. He has no excuse for what he’s done. He had other options that didn’t include attempted murder to help feed his kids.”

  “Is the tournament over?” David asked plaintively.

  “Not yet,” Joe replied with a tired smile. “Two more days, and then it’s the closing ceremony.”

  David looked upset. “I’ll miss it, won’t I?”

  “Not exactly,” Skull said mysteriously. He flipped on the television and switched to a local news channel. The headline was all about the Two Spirit Tournament and the shooting. The announcement was followed by a call for people to help donate to the upkeep of the four young girls who now had no adult caregivers since their father was heading to jail. The broadcaster announced that the man’s daughters were being graciously looked after by Joe McKellar and his husband, Aaron, at the ranch. “The news guys are going to film the rest of the event, including the closing ceremony. You can stream it live from here.”

  David sighed heavily. “It won’t be the same,” he said, then gave himself a little shake. “I need to stop whining, don’t I?”

  Joe chuckled. “I’d say you’re entitled,” he said, leaning down and hugging David carefully. “I nearly lost you, baby. That was too close a call.” Skull saw Joe shudder and heard the pain in his voice, the evidence of residual fear.

  David held on to his father, closing his eyes as he absorbed the man’s love. Skull swallowed hard, feeling a little jealous of his mate as he witnessed the mutual affection between the two. His own parents had been sperm and egg donors and that had been it, before giving him up to a foster care system that was flawed and unsuitable for a young shifter kid.

  Joe eased back, his eyes sparkling with unshed tears, and sniffed a little. “Alfie sent you a little gift,” he said, then cleared his throat. “Just a second.” He disappeared out of the room for a moment, then came back in clutching a bright-pink box with a sparkly silver bow, dotted with glitter and sparkly stars. “He loves his bling,” he said dryly, handing over the box.

 
Skull eyed the burst of color warily, as though it might explode at any second. “Yeah, Alfie’s a pistol, ain’t he?” His Bronx accent was very pronounced.

  Joe grinned at that. “Don’t knock it,” he said. “Alfie is the most loyal person I know. He’ll take on the devil himself if he thinks the guy’s being mean to someone he loves.”

  David chuckled at that, and then winced in pain. “He’s fierce,” he said, grinning still.

  “At this time of the morning, I’m closer to comatose than fierce,” said the man of the moment as Alfie walked in, wearing navy-blue sweatpants and a simple white T-shirt. No adornments, no makeup, and no sparkles, except for the flip-flops on his dainty feet.

  David smiled at his friend, who gave both Skull and Joe a big hug each, then perched on the side of David’s bed, curling his legs under him. “Open it up, sweetie,” Alfie said, and yawned behind his hand. “These early calls are hell on my beauty regime.”

  Skull watched with interest as David opened the box, tugging the bow off carefully under Alfie’s watchful eye. Skull had the impression that if Alfie hadn’t been there, his lover would have simply torn into the box like a kid on Christmas morning. The box was oblong and about twelve inches in diameter, and Skull was curious to see what it contained. His eyes widened when he saw a set of plans, architect’s blueprints, and a small patch of dirt.

  “You got planning approval for the new schools,” David said, excitement in his voice. Skull smiled, enjoying his lover’s passion for teaching. They had been trying to get permission for the new schools for years, since Sage had been obliterated.

  “Yeah, we’re keeping it local,” Joe said, pointing to the address of the intended site, on the outskirts of Sage, between the town and the ranch. “We bought the land years ago, but it’s taken a while to get funding. With all the donations after the town was razed to the ground, and the money we’ve been receiving to help host the tournament, a portion is going toward building the schools. An elementary school and a high school. There’s an additional site, as well,” he said.