by Jools Louise
“Okay, okay, I’ll stop teasing! Blame it on John, he’s the one who keeps talking about Mick and Jamie’s solution to basement phobia.” Douglas had trouble getting the words out since he was giggling so hard and trying to escape Slug’s strong grip.
“What’s John been saying?” Mick asked, looking balefully at the stairs since John hadn’t appeared yet. “The idiot’s been winding me up every day since he found out.”
Slug laughed, finally releasing Douglas, who shoved the wolverine, still giggling. “The idiot known as John wouldn’t have found out if you and Jamie hadn’t been so vocal about it,” Douglas said and ducked to avoid Mick’s hand, but he failed and ended up being noogied by Mick, as well.
“The idiot known as John takes exception to that remark, Douglas Horton!” John yelled from above. “Now come up here and grab some more trays,” he added. Mick laughed, releasing Douglas, who poked his tongue out and ran upstairs to help John.
“What’s going on up there?” Ethan asked, eyeing the ceiling as though it could give answers.
“No idea,” Slug replied, shrugging. “I’m sure we’ll find out in a minute. Where John’s concerned, anything could happen.”
“Guys, we’ve got something going on up here,” Douglas suddenly yelled from the top of the stairs. “Last one here gets to do the dishes.”
Ethan glanced at his mates and then headed at a run past everyone, followed by all four of his wolverines. Laughing, he clattered up the wooden stairs, leaping off the top one and into the café. Piling behind him, the rest of the group came to an abrupt stop as they viewed the surprising tableau.
John glanced their way and gestured them over, smiling at the dumbfounded expressions on everyone’s face. Ethan began to walk forward slowly, his eyes wide as he stared. All the tables in the café had been placed around the sides and the chairs were set out in rows with a central aisle splitting them into two sides. A pulpit had arrived from somewhere, and Joe McKellar and his husband Aaron stood at the front, smiling. Ethan’s gaze went to the five identical rings that his brother, Douglas was holding.
“We figured you needed to seal the deal,” Douglas laughed. “You’ve been courting for so long, we all thought we’d be too old enjoy a wedding if we left it up to you lot.”
Ethan felt a smile beginning to form, starting in his heart and then spreading outward until it reached his mouth. “Is this what’s known as a shotgun wedding?” he asked, feeling excited.
“No, this is what’s known as a shifter wedding, John Hastings style,” John retorted, grabbing Ethan and tugging him along to where Douglas stood. Cody walked up behind them and stood beside his sons on one side of the aisle as people from the basement came up and sat down. More and more people from the various businesses or who lived in town entered the café and soon it was filled to capacity. The crowd spilled over outside, watching through the large windows.
Mason and Jay stood on the wolverines’ side with Alfie, who also had a ring, identical to the five held by Douglas. Ethan recognized the bands as ones he and his mates had chosen the year before, after they’d been on a camping weekend, with half the town as chaperones. They had spent the time bonding and had realized they wanted more…hence the trip to a larger town to choose and size wedding bands.
“What are you waiting for?” John asked. “Let’s get you all hitched and then we can celebrate.”
Joe gestured for quiet, waiting until everyone had settled down before he spoke. “Since this is a shifter-style ceremony, Aaron is going to conduct the nuptials,” he said, smiling at his husband. “I’m so glad you finally got it together,” he added, shaking each of the wolverines’ hands before stepping back to let the wedding continue.
Ethan couldn’t take his eyes off his mates, who were looking excited and just a little bit shell-shocked.
“Do you want to go through with this?” he whispered, knowing they were completely blindsided by things.
“Just try and stop us,” Rage growled and then grinned beatifically. “I just hope Cody gets us a really nice wedding present,” he added, glancing to where Cody was standing, just to the right of Douglas.
“I’ll give you a present in a second,” the big jaguar shifter retorted, curling his lip.
“Cody!” Aaron chided sharply, and amazingly Cody flushed and subsided, pursing his lips to keep quiet. Rage opened his mouth to make a comment, only to meet Aaron’s gimlet stare and arched brow, flushed, as well, pouting.
“Behave, or you’ll be sleeping on the couch tonight,” Ethan told him with a grin, keeping his voice quiet. He needn’t have bothered, since most people in the café were shifters and were more than capable of hearing…and judging by the laughter that ensued, everyone had heard his remark.
Ethan exchanged an embarrassed grin with his mates and ducked his chin, struggling not to laugh. His wolverines were incorrigible and they were corrupting him.
Aaron cleared his throat, rolling his eyes, and began the ceremony. As a newly fledged shaman of his people, Aaron had some mysterious power that occasionally surfaced…one look from those beautiful green eyes of his and people didn’t argue with him. Ethan thought it must be cool.
Then Aaron began to speak, uttering words that washed over Ethan like a gentle wave. “We, shifters and humans alike, unite this evening to recognize the bond between our friends, Ethan Horton and his four mates, Slug, Lash, Rage, and Charm of the wolverine clans. Our wolverine friends have requested that I don’t read their surnames, since they are emancipated from their family. After today, they will share their surname with Ethan.” There was a murmuring from the crowd and Ethan shot a glance at his father, biting back a chuckle at the shocked and then resigned look on Cody’s face. His dad was about to have kittens. Four chuckles from his mates did nothing to improve Cody’s demeanor.
Aaron cleared his throat for a second time, but grinned at Cody before continuing. “We’ve all had our trials and our challenges, and this town has seen our friends before us suffer as much as any shifter should ever have to suffer. Buried alive beneath this town of Sage and rescued at the eleventh hour, they’ve undertaken a journey to get to this point that’s required courage, soul-searching, and forgiveness.” Aaron looked at each of the mates in turn, his eyes brimming with pride and love. “Finding love and sanctity together after going through so much, you deserve to find happiness now. So it gives me great pleasure to unite you all, as lovers and mates, for as long as you all shall live, through all the adventures and bumps on the road. You’ll survive them together, as one, as mates.”
Ethan felt a lump in his throat and had to swallow a couple of times as Aaron reached for the ring that Douglas held on a velvet cushion. Aaron held the ring on his palm and urged all four wolverines forward so they each had a part in placing it on Ethan’s finger. Slug held Ethan’s wrist, Lash the ring, Rage placed the ring on Ethan’s finger, and Charm kissed the ring once it was in position.
Then Ethan took each of the rings left on the pillow, each a thick band of rose gold with a detailed etching, the same design that was tattooed onto each wolverine’s skin. Ethan’s ring had the same. The lump in Ethan’s throat grew, and he felt his eyes well up but managed to fit each of the bands onto his mates’ fingers, kissing each as he carried out the task. Suddenly he was surrounded by his mates, right in the middle of a group hug as they kissed him passionately in turn.
Aaron waited as applause rose in the café, everyone clapping hard, smiling widely. When the noise died down again, Aaron spoke once again.
“Congratulations, you’re now recognized as being bonded mates in the eyes of our shifter lore. You may seal the bond with a kiss.” This last was said dryly since the mates had preempted this last stage.
Slug grinned at Aaron and repeated the kiss, as did the other three, leaving Ethan breathless and panting hard. Just then a shrill cry rent the air, and turning in surprise, Ethan saw Rash running forward, his arm raised and claws extended, aiming right for Ethan’s head. The wolverine l
ooked as though he was going berserk, his eyes wild and unfocused as he leaped into attack.
Bodies began moving, trying to stop Rash, who powered through the gathering like a linebacker, snarling angrily. Rash was acting insane, as though something had snapped in his brain. He’d been completely calm one minute and was now going crazy. Douglas stepped forward, arms outstretched, trying to stop Rash from reaching Ethan, but Rash continued, elbowing Douglas aside as Ellis Hawkwing raced after the out of control shifter.
“Rash! Stop! Don’t do this!” Ellis cried, only to scream in pain when Rash whirled around and ripped at Ellis’s throat with his claws, hitting the jugular. Blood immediately jetted out in a scarlet fountain.
Douglas screamed in anguish, crawling toward Ellis who dropped to his knees, clutching his throat, desperately trying to stem the flow, his eyes shocked with betrayal as he stared up at Rash. The young wolverine was soon dragged away, struggling, held by several willing people, before he could do any more harm.
Ethan fell to the ground, crawling through the slippery blood that now coated the floor in a grotesque pool. He ripped at his vein and dripped his own blood into the gaping wound in Ellis’s throat before biting the man’s wrist, trying to stem the tide. A second later Ellis slumped sideways, his life force flowing from him too quickly for the virus to act to save him. Crying, Douglas clutched at the man, tears streaking his face, sobbing brokenly.
“Why?” he repeated, over and over. “Why would he do this? We helped him.”
Rage, his expression stark, stared at Ellis and Douglas. “He’s your mate?” he asked Douglas. The young shifter nodded, holding Ellis close, still sobbing.
“He’s gone, Douglas,” Ethan said gently, tears streaking his face. “I’m so sorry, Douglas.”
Douglas let out an unearthly scream, shaking Ellis’s still body, trying to wake him. But Ellis was dead, the attack so brutal that the shifter virus had not had a chance to work before his body gave up the fight for life.
Ethan grabbed his brother, holding onto him, offering what comfort he could, even as Cody came forward, his fist clenched around Rash’s throat. Cody’s eyes were deadly, his expression feral. Rash looked terrified, the wildness gone from his eyes as he looked down at Ellis’s body, the blood, and Douglas’s devastated face.
“I didn’t mean to…” Rash began to say, his eyes showing his shock at the results of his attack. “My family told me…”
“What did they tell you?” Rage asked grimly, bitterly. “That wolverines can’t be gay? That our clan is superior to everyone else? Did they tell you that you have to blindly follow whatever they tell you, even when they beat you half to death?”
“Mom called,” Rash whispered, staring at his hand, not seeming to notice the iron band of Cody’s fingers around his neck. “She said I had to stop this. She said I had to stop you.” He slumped in Cody’s grip, all the fire and anger draining from him. “I just killed someone. I just killed my mate.”
Douglas’s head came up, a coldness in his eyes as he stared at Rash. “No. You murdered my mate,” he said bitterly. “You killed an innocent human, a man I was going to marry. We helped your brother and your brother’s mates, helped them heal from what your family did to them. You’re just like they are. You can’t even think for yourself, you have to have your mommy tell you what to do.” Douglas bared his fangs at Rash viciously. “Get out now before I gut you like a fish and send your entrails home so your family can see what we do to murderers in this town.”
Ethan had never heard Douglas sound like that before, so cold and hard. He believed that his brother would do just that, kill Rash. Staring at Rash, Ethan saw a confused, messed up young man who’d been fed a belly-full of crazy wolverine doctrines his whole life, brainwashing him, threatening him if he did anything other than what they told him to do. Whatever the man’s mother had told him, it had sent him over the edge and he had snapped, attacking without thought, and killing somebody who obviously had meant something to him. Ethan felt desperately sorry for the man, even though he had done such a terrible thing. Ethan had seen the wild, unfocused look in Rash’s eyes, and knew that Rash’s mother had a disturbing hold over the young man, almost as though she had some kind of hypnotic ability. Rash was as much a victim as any of the others in this town.
“Douglas, he’s ill,” Ethan murmured to his brother, stroking Douglas’s back soothingly. “He’s been manipulated and lied to for years, kind of like my mates.” He kissed Douglas’s temple gently, feeling the sobs still shuddering through his little brother. “We’ll get through this, baby. We won’t let them win. They’ll get what’s coming to them, one way or another. Now come on, Sheriff Pace is here, let him take care of this. Let’s go get you home.”
Ethan helped his brother to his feet, keeping the younger man’s face turned away from the gory mess of blood on the floor. He felt sick that during such a happy event, this was the tragic ending. Ethan hated what the cult and the wolverine clans were doing to people, even now. They had abused their power and abused their positions as parents to hurt and brainwash their own children. Ethan remembered what that was like, having a parent who put their own ambitions and vengeance over their children’s lives. Lash’s own brother had been groomed to behave in an abominable way.
“We were going to get married,” Douglas whispered, his voice hoarse from crying. “Ellis and I were going to be wed.”
Ethan held his brother as the sobs began again, staring over his head at his mates, who looked desperately sad, as well. Rage had his gaze on Rash, a mixture of anger and disgust and pity in his eyes. “This isn’t your fault,” Ethan told him.
“No,” Rage replied tautly. “It isn’t. But this won’t stop, even after today. They won’t stop coming. My mother is worse than any of the males in our clan. She’ll be here for more blood, and she’ll bring an army next time.”
“Then when she arrives, we’ll be here to stop her,” Cody promised grimly, his hand on Rage’s shoulder, showing solidarity as he moved the group away from the crime scene.
Pace moved in with a couple of deputies, urging the people crowding into the space outside.
“Come on,” John said, following Ethan and his mates outside, Cody staying inside with Rash and the sheriff. “We had another surprise for you, courtesy of your dad and Thomas, but I think maybe you should just head over to the bed and breakfast for now. Stay together as a family until the legal stuff is finished.
John was joined by Zack, who looked sickened by the whole incident, and the pair escorted Ethan and his brother, their mates, and Mason, Jay, and Alfie, back to the bed and breakfast a little way down the street. Ethan was grateful for their presence. He had no doubt that Rage had been correct about the wolverine clans wanting more revenge. He thought it was just an excuse to make trouble, an excuse for violence.
Douglas was trembling now, as though shock was setting in, and Ethan scooped him up, carrying him in his arms to the living quarters of the bed and breakfast.
“Let’s get you into some fresh clothes,” Ethan said, stripping Douglas efficiently and removing the blood-stained garments, urging Douglas into the big bathroom. “Here, you have a hot shower now, and then I’ll get you some pajamas to wear until I can get you some spare jeans or something.” Ethan took care of his brother as though Douglas was a small child. Right now, Douglas didn’t seem to be able to function. He was simply following the instructions, not speaking, his eyes dull and his face blank.
“Here, honey,” Zack said gently, handing over some pajamas when Douglas was showered and dried off. Ethan had to physically dress his brother, growing more worried by the second since Douglas seemed to have shut down. He exchanged a concerned glance with Zack, who shook his head, cautioning Ethan against saying anything. “Alfie made you some hot chocolate, so let’s head into the kitchen.”
Douglas allowed himself to be guided down the hall, where he sat silently at the big oak table in the center. Ethan sat beside his brother, an arm around hi
s shoulders, keeping the connection to let Douglas know he was there. Douglas had been invaluable when Ethan had been rescued from the tunnel. He’d helped Ethan through some really tough times, when Ethan had awoken screaming in fear from night terrors that had haunted him for months after his release.
Now Douglas was in shock, his brain not able to process what had just happened. He wasn’t really registering anything that was happening right now, but was turned inward, probably rolling the last few minutes around and around on a constant loop.
Ethan placed the mug of hot chocolate into Douglas’s hands, which were trembling violently, and cupped the mug himself, guiding it to the stunned shifter’s mouth. Douglas sipped automatically, making no sound, which bothered Ethan more than anything else. Douglas was a chatterbox, never quiet, always teasing or bantering with one person or another. Now his gaze was fixed, staring at the wood grain on the table, his whole body shaking but no sound coming from him.
“Ellis was my first,” Douglas suddenly said, his voice barely above a whisper. “He was the first one to make love to me and treat like I was a person rather than a mouth and a hole to fuck in.” Ethan’s heart broke at the pain in Douglas’s voice, a reminder that his little brother had suffered as much as Ethan had. The cult had used Douglas to service men as a reward. Several other youngsters had gone through the same.
“Baby, I’m sorry,” Ethan said hoarsely, putting the cup on the table and lifting Douglas into his lap, holding him as though he was a child. Stroking Douglas’s back, Ethan said, “It’ll get better, though. You’ll get through this.”
“I’m going to stop them,” Douglas said, his tone cold as ice. His resolve was absolute. “I’m going to find out why they’re doing this, and what they hope to achieve, and then I’m going to stop them.” Ethan felt a chill trickle down his spine, hearing something in those words that made him look helplessly at John.
The big snow leopard shifter had remained silent throughout, sitting with his brother Jay, opposite. Leaning forward, John’s face showed the lethal side to his nature that he kept in check most of the time. Right then, it was definitely close to the surface.