by Jools Louise
Drew spoke drowsily. “Cally, when Rodrick spoke to you, after we left the hospital, you looked ashamed.”
Callahan nodded, twirling his fingers in Vince’s chest hair, he and Drew lying on either side of Vince, legs tangled intimately. “He made me feel…dirty,” he admitted. “Reminded me of what I did and brought back painful memories.”
“You survived,” Vince stated, kissing Callahan tenderly. “You’re a survivor. We’ve all done things that we’re not proud of. That’s life, honey. I certainly don’t think any less of you.”
“Or me,” Drew echoed, propping himself up on Vince’s broad chest. “You’re sweet and kind, and have the best ass in ten states…probably.”
Callahan actually giggled at that one, wrinkling his nose at Drew’s teasing. “Only ten?” he retorted.
“I haven’t tried Vince on for size, yet,” Drew taunted. “But give me a moment, and I’ll let you know.”
“How about you show me in the shower,” Vince responded, grinning. “I’m in need of more than just a tongue bath.”
Drew sniffed at him, and grimaced comically. “Yeah, you do stink a bit.”
Vince bellowed out a laugh, then grabbed Drew, hauling him right off the bed, over his shoulder, and into the en suite. “Really? You look as though you need a deep clean, too, dude.”
Drew squealed as he was shoved into the stall and doused with cold water. Callahan came in, laughing at the pair of them, and shoved Vince under the spray, as well.
“Game on, sweetcheeks,” Vince warned, hauling Callahan in, too. They wrestled for a bit, turning up the heat when the chilly water got too much to bear. Kissing and cuddling, fondling and caressing, they were soon lost in one another again. Vince fell to his knees, sampling first one, then both cocks, sucking skillfully until his mates were moaning helplessly, fucking his face with alternate strokes. He multitasked, finding slick holes with his fingers, hitting their sweet spots with unerring accuracy.
“Fuck, Vince. Warn a guy,” Drew gasped, back arched, and his face contorted in ecstasy.
Vince chuckled, then deep throated the mouthy shifter until Drew came, lashing the back of Vince’s throat with warm cream. “Consider yourself warned,” he teased, taking Callahan into his mouth next, and sucking him into searing climax, as well.
“Hmmm, time to show Cally how good it can get,” Vince said, lifting Callahan into his arms and returning to the bedroom. “How about we lick him dry?”
Drew, following closely after turning off the water, fell onto the bed and set to work. “Great idea,” he said, kissing Callahan tenderly. “Never feel dirty,” he said softly. “You’re our mate. This is what loving’s all about. Being intimate. What you did wasn’t love. This totally is. Okay, darling?” Callahan looked tearful, appreciative of their understanding.
Vince and Drew wrapped Callahan in their arms, holding the slightly smaller shifter between them, sharing kisses, then set about convincing Callahan just how much he was loved.
* * * *
John felt utterly weary as he returned from the debacle of his father’s final stand. When would the killing end?
He’d spent a lifetime fighting one battle after the next. To find that the one who’d sired him had done so in such disturbing circumstances left his soul bruised. And it worried him.
Losing Jayne had brought his predator closer to the surface. His fight with Vince had been a way of releasing stress, against someone with the capability of taking a few hard punches. But what if he lashed out at the wrong person? His children? His mate? He knew he was close to the edge, frightened of the rage that bubbled just below the surface. And he was terrified that he had more of his father in him than he needed. Would he turn out like that? A soulless monster devoid of any compassion? What if his father had been a loving, caring individual, changed by events in his past? Then John snorted, and shook himself mentally. Jethro Armitage hadn’t the capacity to love anything. What was he thinking, imagining the man in any other light but the fires of hell?
He’d spent some time at home, needing his family, needing to know they were safe, and being around them had soothed his soul somewhat, grounding him. After the fiasco with The Commander, though, he still wasn’t convinced all was okay. The man’s reach had been vast…and there would still be dregs, as in Russia, after Dimitri Petrovsky’s death. Lunar, Keane, and Reece were still out there, tracking down the splinter groups. There was always a splinter group. Led by people who’d had no power under the old guard, and now had the opportunity for their own glory days.
John was at the hospital to check on his newest family members. A bittersweet feeling. He’d lost a sister, and had found another, plus a brother. Jay was waiting for him, standing in the lobby. They hugged tightly. “’You okay, bro?” Jay whispered, sounding as tired as John felt.
“So much fighting,” John murmured, closing his eyes. “I’m exhausted. How about you?” He looked up, hearing the sound of the sliding doors swishing behind him, and saw Dorothy, Irina, and Kathleen enter the building.
“Gentlemen,” Dorothy began, looking nervous for some reason. “We’ve put you all in great peril. Because we wanted to prevent our enemies getting their hands on the money. Just a lot of stupid money.”
John stared at them, sensing there was a message there. Except his brain wasn’t functioning, so they’d have to explain themselves. “And?” he asked, a little curtly since Dorothy wasn’t wrong. This was about money. The root of all ill-fated endeavors. They’d been lucky this time. They’d managed to protect their town. At any time that luck could change, and they’d lose more loved ones. It was a matter of when, not if.
Kathleen sighed heavily. “So we need to let the world know that the money is no longer available. And prove it.”
Jay frowned, lifting his head from John’s shoulder, his eyes hurting. “What does that mean?” he asked. Into the hospital walked his mates, Mason and Alfie, who wrapped him in a loving embrace, offering support unconditionally.
“We’ve all been discussing it,” Alfie said. “The only way to throw our enemies off the scent it to get rid of it if you know what I mean. Drew’s website has been really effective, and we have a fair idea of who the players are. Now it’s time to eliminate the reason for them attacking us.”
John arched a brow. “All?”
“The money should go to those in need,” Irina suggested. “I know you think I’m not to be trusted. Ryder certainly does,” she said wryly. “But when it comes to the shifter community, I am one hundred percent behind them. I would never do anything to jeopardize their safety. Christ. I’ve crossed continents to ensure that, and buried a pot of treasure to prevent more damage being done to our kind.”
“We had the idea to set up a charitable trust,” Kathleen interjected quietly. “This would be a global fund, the money going to all those who need help to escape persecution, set up businesses…anything they need.”
“And we feel that we need a backup location, like Sage,” Dorothy added. “Somewhere nobody knows about. Yet. Right now we have people in power, here and abroad, who are sympathetic to our people. Governments change.”
“And we could end up with a regime just like Dimitri dreamed of,” Irina cut in. “Then where would be we? Sage could be decimated by our own country–legally if laws were passed by those who want us exterminated. It could happen. Look at history. Ethnic cleansing is not so distant, is it?”
“Where?” Jay asked, looking thoughtful.
John felt a twinge in his gut. He’d been joking when he’d told The Commander that he was donating twenty million to a new organization. That organization didn’t exist. But it could. And a gamut of emotions ran through him. Hope. Regret. Dawning realization. The women were right. Their circumstances could change, virtually overnight, if the likes of Flashpoint got into power. Dimitri had very nearly succeeded. Fuck—he had succeeded since the current president in Russia was ambivalent toward shifters, by all accounts. He’d already proven as much by allowing
events to unfold as they had.
“Canada,” Dorothy replied softly, looking around. “We’ve been searching, and have a few locations. Perhaps we set up several, just in case.”
“Who else have you told?” John asked.
“Don’t worry, we haven’t gossiped about this,” Alfie said dryly. “We can keep our mouths shut, you know. This is too important to do otherwise. Albert actually gave us the idea. He mentioned a friend in Wales who escaped the castle but had a few different hiding places to evade Fielding. It would be a good idea to set up something similar. Sage is growing, and it’s difficult to spot strangers with bad intentions.”
“Sage would still be the epicenter,” Kathleen explained. “But we’d have a plan, an escape route if we need it. I feel vulnerable here if I’m honest. Especially now. We’ve seen the brutality at the heart of our enemies. And they won’t stop.”
“One head is removed, and others take its place,” Irina agreed. “What do you think?”
John looked at them and read the worry. It mirrored his own. The war was not even close to ending.
“We should have a meeting,” he said after a long pause. “Not the usual place, though.”
“You think this has merit?” Jay asked, a little surprised. “I thought you’d fight tooth and nail for Sage.”
John shook his head. “The people are what I fight for,” he said. “All of you. Sage is a symbol, and I love it here. But that symbol has grown into something more. A focus for the hatred against our kind. And our children and families are at risk. We’ve seen what happened to Humdrum. And Jayne. They were used to try to break us. We can live elsewhere. Aaron’s tribe has friends in all kinds of places. They’d help us. He says the spirits of his people would aid us in time of need. Sage should stay, but perhaps it’s time to start making other arrangements.”
The women nodded.
“I’ll speak to Drew and Cullen,” John said, keeping his voice low. “They can rig something to alert people to the meeting’s location. Need-to-know basis only. I’ll message Ryder and Joe, too.”
“I’m so sorry this happened,” Dorothy said tearfully. “We just wanted to stop those monsters from hurting others…but we’ve made things worse.”
“No,” Jay said firmly. “This began long ago. This is not your fault. Blame it on our enemies’ desire to hurt us. It’s their doing. Jayne fought hard to recover from what was done to her and never forgot. She suffered night terrors a lot. And I don’t want her children to live with that same fear. That isn’t right. We have to protect our young ones. They’re the future.”
They hugged each other. “Now, scram, ladies,” John said, smiling slightly. “We’re here to see Juliana and Jeremy.”
“Yeah, good luck,” Alfie drawled. “I heard that Leo practically had to tie her down to stop her interfering when he was stitching Jeremy’s wounds. A couple were pretty deep. She’s a female version of you, John. Should be fun, trying to argue with your own warped logic.” He grinned when John flipped him off, then sashayed off with the women. Probably to gossip some more, John thought wryly.
He exchanged an amused glance with Jay and Mason, who’d remained silent throughout the exchange. “Come on, gents. Let’s see what’s what.”
They took a deep breath, high-fived, then carried on down the long corridor.
Chapter Eleven
Drew sat opposite Cullen in one of the operations rooms. Warrior HQ had a few secret meeting rooms such as this, similar to Britain’s COBR system. COBR stood for Cabinet Office Briefing Rooms, used for discussing all sorts of issues, including terrorist threats. And the assaults against shifters could certainly be considered terrorism. Having areas which were totally secure from eavesdroppers was essential, and they’d become a vital part of their fight against their enemies. Drew had helped set this room up with Cullen.
“Would you like to open the meeting, Drew?” Ryder said, nodding to all those gathered for approval. Nobody objected.
Drew stood up, moved to the front of the room, and positioned himself beside a wall filled with display screens. “Evening,” he greeted laconically, sketching a bow, smirking at the muted laughter. He looked around at those gathered. Not everyone in Sage had been invited. This was need-to-know only…and the majority of residents would probably never realize the meetings existed, but the key residents were vital assets. Ryder and his mates, Douglas and Cracker. Sherman and Chaz. John and Jay. Kaden. Alfie. Archie. Plus a few more, selected carefully. Vince was spending quality time with Callahan. It had to be that way. If too many attended, flags would be raised to the wrong kind of residents.
“Are we all sitting comfortably?” Drew asked, grinning at the groans.
“Get on with it,” Sherman complained. “Geez. Talk about seizing the moment.”
Flipping his brother off, Drew became serious.
“This is the full network of Flashpoint’s affiliates so far. With the connections they garnered, they’ve gone global.” A map appeared across all the screens, with over a hundred red dots flashing in different locations. There were gasps as the group read the implications. “There are more being added to this daily. I’ve been plotting each connection once I trace its origin.”
“Does it include Fortress and Stronghold?” Douglas asked, his sightless eyes fixed on the screens. It was uncanny how Douglas seemed to be actually reading the data.
“Yeah. Our friends in the Middle East, Sheikh Farid, Connor, and Tabor have been helping out in that region. All kinds of tribal factions are at work there. Some think shifters are sacred, others consider us vermin…where have we heard that before.” Drew smiled at the wry laughter from his last comment. He nodded to Cullen to take over, high-fiving his friend as they swapped places.
“We began a census, under the radar, a couple of years ago,” Cullen said, glancing at Ryder, who appeared startled by the admission. “And don’t start with all that ‘you should have told me’ crap, Ryder. This began as a curiosity thing…but it’s become a crucial aspect of our security concerns.” He tapped South America. “The cartels in Colombia, the logging companies in Brazil, and the political unrest in Venezuela have meant added danger for our friends there. Wherever there’s organized crime or strife, we know there are people feeding off the misery created. And shifters are not exempt. In fact, our research has shown us that shifters are exploited more than anyone. We’ve tried to reach out, but so far have only just begun making inroads there. People are too afraid to speak out.”
“Russia still has issues, as well,” Drew interjected. “We all know what’s happening since we’ve accepted refugees from there. Over three hundred of them. We think our first new refuge should be for them. Slowly, over a year or so, so as to not arouse suspicion. Kathleen, Dorothy, and Irina have been helping to find new locations. One, in particular, is striking friendly vibes with us.”
Cullen tapped the screen again. British Columbia. There was an archipelago of islands there, just off the west coast, which would be suitable for habitation. He pointed to a second area. On the mainland. And a third. All located in Canada, north of most habitations. Remote wilderness ideal for shifters.
“These may be suitable, but we’ll need to check them all out. Aaron is doing more research. His father is being extremely helpful. Their tribe knows of many areas we could try, through friendships within the Native Canadian tribes,” Cullen told them.
“So we’re certain this is the best idea?” Chaz asked, sounding sad. “We’ve spent so much time fighting for this place, it seems a shame that we’re even contemplating such big changes.”
“Not changes to us, not entirely,” Drew corrected. “Nobody will be forced to relocate. Sage is my home as much as it is yours. We just need to explore options for the future.”
“Sage is still the epicenter, but as such, it also makes our community even more vulnerable since we’ve gravitated here, en masse. We’re all in one place, giving Flashpoint a perfect target, practically gift wrapped for them. If our en
emies wanted to make a big statement, they only need to look here. They’ve been in our schools. Our sports center. Our hospital. They can get to us anywhere. Let’s make it more difficult for them. Let’s make sure that at least some of us survive.” John spoke passionately, gaining everyone’s attention since he spoke the truth. Their safe little world was not quite as safe anymore.
“I know.” Chaz sighed glumly. “I hate that this is still going on. David’s on board. He said he’s been worried, too. That the vibe here is changing, the larger the town becomes. I am, too, honestly.”
“Baby, this is for the future. Long term,” Sherman told his mate, kissing him gently. “We can’t defend Sage forever, not with so many newcomers moving here. There are already rumblings about shifters taking up jobs meant for humans, in neighboring communities where the economic slump has badly affected some towns. Probably Flashpoint propaganda, but it could take hold and spread. That kind of nastiness escalates.”
“It does escalate, but shifters haven’t been standing still,” Cullen interjected. “For each of those hate groups, there’s a reciprocal resistance. Some countries have government-led initiatives. Others rely on volunteers, as we do.”
“Here’s our global network of allies,” Drew said and hit his screen. Instantly, blue dots emerged on the electronic map. For every red blob, there was at least one blue one in most cases. Except for South America. There was a glaring omission of allies in that region. The Middle East, too, was sketchy.
“We need a presence in those countries with no protection,” Jay said.
“There could be one already, we just haven’t found it yet. Their strength is in keeping a low profile,” Drew told him. “Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Nepal have sparse intel, but we’re working on it. The problem is, if we announce this network to the world, we’ll have the same problem we had with The Shifter Net. Too many spies like Daniel and Jethro Armitage.” He winced, glancing at John and Jay. “Sorry.”