by Jools Louise
“That man said a bad word, Daddy,” a familiar voice said timidly. John looked down, startled to see Murray, Blue, Primrose, and Honey standing there, eyes wide.
“Murray, sweetheart, I need you to go back into the waffle house with Uncle David,” John said quietly, urgently, knowing that the situation was explosive to say the least. He didn’t want the little ones to see anything violent, and he figured that was what was about to kick off.
“But he swore, Uncle John,” Blue piped up, sucking his thumb. “He needs to go in a time-out.”
The biker leader sent Blue an angry look, snarling at the little boy, who squealed and ran behind John, clutching his legs tightly. Murray shifted and snarled right back at the biker, his tiny tail switching from side to side as he faced off against the much bigger man.
The biker growled fiercely and displayed his fangs threateningly. Sherman gave a loud, deafening roar of rage when the children began to cry, looking terrified. Shifting, Sherman leapt at the newcomer, claws at the ready as his step-brother shifted, as well. Within seconds the pair were ripping into each other with brutal force, their roars and snarls echoing down through the town as they tumbled over one another. The children cried louder, all except Murray who kept his defensive stance, his little growls making John smile. Scooping up the kids, he ran with them to the waffle house and told David to take them all to the apartments above the café where they would be safer.
David corralled the kids with the help of the teenagers, Kevin, and Kieran, who shut their shop up to give assistance, then the large group fled swiftly to the café. John returned to help Pace and the others try to contain the situation if it got out of hand. So far, only the step-brothers were brawling, with the other bikers keeping a safe distance.
“This is their fight, sheriff,” one of the bikers said, holding up his hands in a show of peace. “Kaden came to make peace with his brother, and they need to get this out of their system.”
Just then Cracker, Misty, Fester, and Jester came barreling down the street, in their lion forms, causing the town’s enforcers to shift, as well, heading the four off before they started an all-out war.
John shoved Cracker aside with his shoulder when the big bruiser tried to get to the fighters. Cracker took some convincing, and Pace had to join the fray, in jaguar mode, snarling angrily at the big lion. Fester and Jester came to a skidding halt, their manes quivering in fury, staring hard at Kaden, obviously wanting to add their weight to the brawl. Jay and Mason stood their ground, not budging as Mick and Murphy, in tiger form, kept the bikers in line.
“Cracker, quit fighting,” Chaz pleaded, staying in human form. “I know your sister was killed, but please don’t do this. Why don’t we hear Kaden’s side of the story? His words sounded sincere…maybe he’s a victim in this, too. He was a child when it all happened, wasn’t he?”
Cracker gave a loud snarl, but the words appeared to hit home, and he subsided at last, sitting on his haunches, panting heavily. His icy blue eyes were stunning against his blond mane, and were fixed on the batting brothers.
“Cracker?” Douglas and Ryder came racing up, and Douglas fell to his knees beside the big lion, hugging him. Ryder gripped the big lion’s mane, and Cracker closed his eyes, ducking his head and purring slightly, the sound like a cement mixer’s growl.
“That’s Kaden,” Chaz said quietly. John saw Douglas pale as his grip on his mate tightened.
“Cracker, is that Sherman’s brother? The one who…?” Douglas asked.
Cracker gave a low growl, nodding as they all watched the brawl.
“Kaden growled at Blue and Murray,” Chaz explained.
“Shit!” Alfie swore, running over to stand beside Chaz, leaving his mates, Jay and Mason to deal with the bikers. “Why would he do that? Those kids don’t need some biker dick frightening them like that.”
“Biker dick?” came a dry voice, from the other side of the street.
“If the name fits…” Alfie drawled, narrowing his eyes on the guy, whose hair was in a buzz-cut, his dark eyes glinting with amusement.
“Alfie, don’t start a war, buddy,” Chaz said, wrapping an arm around his friend’s waist. Alfie arched a brow and pursed his fuchsia painted lips, his hazel eyes glittering with irritation. His nails were colored a matching shade to that on his mouth, and he wore a loose flowery tunic over a pair of purple and gold harem pants, and a pair of sparkly slipper on his feet. His hair had some butterfly clips attached.
“Yeah, girly, don’t start a war,” the biker drawled, sneering.
Alfie shifted immediately and leapt at the man, raking at him with his claws. The biker shifted in defense, which caused Mason and Jay to leap into action to defend their mate.
Chaz rolled his eyes, and John snarled angrily at this new situation.
“What the fuck is going on?” someone shouted from the direction of MJ’s bar and grill. Cassidy, a female mountain lion shifter, stalked up the street, looking absolutely furious.
Chaz sighed with relief, biting back a smile when he saw the feisty feline. Cassidy was a force of nature, and had the ability to sort out testosterone-enhanced disputes quickly. Formerly a pure-blooded mountain lion, she’d accidentally been converted into a shifter by Joe when she’d been rescued from the facility run by Sean Feenan. She’d acted as a surrogate mother to most of the youngsters at the ranch since then, and was in a full-time romantic relationship with Jane, John and Jay’s sister.
“Sherman and his step-brother Kaden got into a fight because Kaden snarled at Blue and Murray, who told Kaden he shouldn’t swear,” Chaz said, and saw Cassidy glare ice over.
“Who snarled at Blue and Murray?” she asked, in a dangerously quiet voice.
“The one with the light blond mane,” Chaz said helpfully.
Cassidy stood with arms crossed over her chest for a few moments, then looked at Chaz. “Go get me some ice,” she said furiously. Chaz gulped and obeyed, scampering off to the café. Minutes later he returned with Kevin, the pair of them carrying two large buckets each, one with cold water, the other ice.
“Sling it over all of them,” Cassidy ordered, and Chaz grinned at Kevin before they launched their weapons over the combatants.
Instantly the battling ceased abruptly as the five brawlers were doused in ice and cold water, and turned their attention on Chaz and Kevin.
“If you even think about harming a hair on their heads, I’ll rip your balls off,” Cassidy warned menacingly, showing her fangs for effect. “Pace, what the hell are you doing just standing there while our children are terrified out of their wits? Don’t you think they’ve been through enough trauma?”
John looked at Cracker, as though bemused that he was being blamed for this. He dared not shift to argue the point and simply shrugged, rolling his eyes at Cassidy.
Pace gave a low growl, giving Cassidy a wary look.
“Isn’t public brawling illegal in this town?” Cassidy asked, hands on hips. “Arrest them.”
Pace chuffed, curling his lip, and rounded up Sherman, Kaden, Alfie, Mason, and Jay, as well as the other biker who had yet to be introduced. Mason stood firmly between Alfie and the big lion shifter, since the leopard didn’t appear finished with his argument.
“Alfie, is that you?” Cassidy asked, sounding incredulous. “Did you really just attack someone in the middle of the street?”
Alfie shifted immediately, and faced her, his entire frame trembling with self-righteous fury. “He called me girly,” he retorted, pouting.
Cassidy stared, astounded at the young shifter for a moment, and then pointed toward the sheriff’s office. “You’d better spend a few hours in the lock-up if you think that’s an excuse, young man,” she said, narrowing her eyes on him.
“Get going, Alfie, or she’ll rip your balls right off,” Chaz whispered loudly, receiving an offended look from his friend. “Besides, if these bikers are allowed to stay, you’ll have more teams for the Shifter Games. You’ll have several hours to persuade
them. Family relations and all that.”
Alfie looked thoughtful, then a gleam lit his eyes and he looked at the large group of remaining bikers standing quietly. “Let’s talk, pussy,” he said, patting the lion biker’s head, then shifted back to his leopard form and sauntered off, completely naked, toward the jail. The biker looked confused, but got moving when Mason snarled at him, and the group followed Alfie, with Pace and John taking up the rear.
“That guy’s toast,” Chaz laughed, then wiped the smile off at a glare from Cassidy.
“What was that really about?” she asked.
Chaz sighed, staring after his mate. Briefly, he summarized to Cassidy what had just happened. Chaz met Cassidy’s stare sadly. “I don’t know how to fix this,” he said. “This is like an open wound, and Cracker’s as angry as Sherman is.”
Cassidy linked her arm with Chaz’s, and urged him toward the café where the kids had been taken. “How about we check on the little ones, and then we can go bash some heads together, maybe,” she said. Chaz cast another look after his mate, but figured perhaps Cassidy was right. An hour or two in lockdown may just make them see sense.
Chapter Six
Sherman sat, arms crossed, for the second time in his life behind bars. He was imprisoned with his best friend, Cracker. Mason, Jay, and Alfie shared the next cell, and Kaden and his biker friend the last one, on the other side. Sherman stared at the wall, refusing to make eye contact with anyone, and tried to ignore the fact that his mate had not been to see him, yet. Perhaps Chaz was ashamed of him. The puke green overalls that Pace had given him weren’t helping his mood any. What happened to good old orange?
“Ready to talk, yet?” Kaden called from his cell, wearing a matching jumpsuit. Sherman scowled, huffing angrily. Kaden snorted. “Still acting like a prick, then? Here’s me thinking you may have mellowed over the years.”
Sherman reacted to that one, and glared through the bars at his step-brother. “Mellowed?” he bellowed, exasperated. “San Quentin isn’t a place to mellow, moron,” he said bitterly.
Kaden returned the look, glaring right back. “Then maybe you should have waited for law enforcement before going off half-cocked?”
“Law enforcement that were working with the cult,” Sherman said grimly.
Kaden looked shocked, and shook his head. “No, that isn’t right. Dad was…”
“Your dad was in on it,” Cracker cut in, sharply. “He was the one who told us what you did.”
“What did I do?” Kaden asked, sounding confused.
Sherman shared a look with Cracker. “He really doesn’t know, does he?” he said sarcastically.
“He really doesn’t,” Alfie said, munching on a tub of popcorn. Sherman blinked, wondering where the little shifter had gotten such a treat. “Oh, I’m sorry, would you like some?” Alfie said, offering the tub.
Sherman curled his lip, rolling his eyes, and turned to look back at his step-brother. “This is better than Days of our Lives. So sad, as well. I hope it has a happy ending,” he heard Alfie whisper to his mates, who laughed softly, shushing him. Sherman ignored all three of them. He was in enough trouble already.
“Your father told us that you were the one who called the gang in the first place,” Cracker said, sounding tired.
“I called the cops, to get them to stop the gang!” Kaden yelped. “I did not call the gang, they just showed up.”
“Your dad also said that you gave a statement to the court that Cracker and I had threatened you multiple times, and were a bad influence,” Sherman added. “We saw the document. It was signed by you.”
Kaden stared, unbelieving. “I was knocked out by the gang, who entered the house in the middle of the night. I already told you that. They took Stephanie, and held me at gunpoint to stop me attacking them,” he repeated what he’d said earlier. “I never called the gang…I didn’t know who the hell they were until later, at the trial. I wrote a letter to the court telling them that Stephanie was a vulnerable trans-teen, and that you, Cracker, Fester, Misty, and Jester were super protective of her, and had helped her going through the transition, which mom fully supported. I wrote that you were trying to rescue her when you went after the gang, and that when you got there, they were beating her and you tried to stop them. I wrote that the gang members were killed because they wouldn’t stop and tried to kill you. I did not tell the courts or the cops that you threatened me.”
His eyes narrowed suddenly, and he looked hurt. “Is that what you think of me? That I would ever do something like that? That I would have sent those monsters after her, to torture and kill her? I loved Stephanie. I would have killed those bastards myself if I’d gotten there sooner. The cops arrived just before I did and stopped me, put me in their squad car, under guard. I wasn’t hiding. I would have done anything to help Stephanie.” His voice broke and he stared at the floor, tears in his eyes.
There was utter silence in the cells for several minutes.
“Do you think that maybe you’ve misjudged your brother?” Alfie asked hesitantly. Sherman shot him a look, searching for sarcasm and finding none.
“Maybe it’s time to consider that your brother is as much a victim as you all are,” Chaz said quietly, walking into the jail. “Maybe you need to think before you snarl at little kids. They were terrified,” he added, staring hard at Kaden. And maybe you,” he said, glaring at the other biker, “need to not insult the residents and be a damned dick if you want to stay.”
“He insulted me first,” the man said, sneering at Alfie. “Called me a biker dick and a pussy.”
“I called Kaden a biker dick for scaring the kids,” Alfie said haughtily, giving the guy an insulting once-over. “You’re the one who stepped into my conversation and began insulting me.”
“Slade, please, let’s not start up again,” Kaden said wearily. “We may even get out of here by nightfall. Then we’ll just head on out again. This was a waste of time. They all think I’m a monster. I guess Sage isn’t the place for us, after all.”
Sherman jerked, startled, and took a longer look at his brother. He thought about what Kaden had said, and it sort of jibed with what he knew of his stepfather. The man had been a total jerk to Sherman and his friends. He hadn’t liked Cracker’s sister, and the fact that Stephanie had been transgender had really stuck in his craw…although he’d hidden it from their mom. Cracker was not blood-related, but Sherman’s mom had adopted him when Cracker was orphaned. She’d been so loving and tried to save everyone. It had broken her heart when Stephanie had been murdered, and her sons jailed. They hadn’t heard from her the whole time they were incarcerated and when Sherman tried to contact her on his release, her number had been disconnected and no one knew where she was. He figured she was done with the lot of them.
“You don’t need to leave town,” Sherman replied after a moment. “Maybe we should take a look at what happened, and see for ourselves.”
“Why? You still won’t believe me,” Kaden said bitterly.
“I never believed that you would call anyone to kill my sister, but we were shown the transcripts,” Cracker answered, staring at Kaden. “We were set up by someone. The gang knew we were going to be there, they didn’t exactly hide who they were. The cops who arrived weren’t the usual beat cops, but we found out later they were linked to the same cult who put Aston away. We just want to know the truth.”
“I didn’t call the gang,” Kaden insisted. “I loved Stephanie.”
“Are you boys going to behave yourselves if I release you?” Pace asked as he came into the basement. “I’ll whup all your asses if you cause any more trouble.”
“I think maybe the worst is over,” Alfie said, finishing off his popcorn and licking his lips. “Now can I please get out of this horrendous overall, puke green really isn’t my color.”
“If you don’t like wearing puke green, don’t end up in my jail,” Pace retorted with a smirk, then opened the cell doors.
Alfie gave him a kiss and a hug, and
led his mates upstairs. That left Sherman and Cracker in their cell, and Kaden and Slade in the other. Neither one moved right away.
“Do you want to spend the night?” Pace asked, arching a brow, his green eyes studying them with some sympathy. Kaden shook his head and got to his feet, looking as though he’d aged ten years, his face haggard.
“There’s a campground out at the ranch,” Chaz said quietly, glancing at his mate and Cracker warily, directing the words at Kaden. “If you want to stick around for a while longer. You must have traveled a long way.”
Kaden looked at him, sighing. “We were on the east coast,” he said. “We travel from place to place, looking for work. It dried up. Then we heard about Sage, and thought we’d head out here. I knew that my brother had been released recently, a friend of mine works as a warden there, and wondered if he may have come here. I wanted to see if I could mend some bridges. I tried to visit over the years, but I was told that they didn’t want me there. I guess I know why, now.”
“I heard your conversation earlier,” Pace said, and passed a folder to Sherman. “This might answer some questions you may have.” He gave Kaden a sympathetic look. “Your dad did work for the cult, in a round-about way, recruiting candidates for the labs and the zoo program that they ran. He forged documents, in your name, to get you away from your brother. He profited a great deal from his part in it all.”
“But I’m a shifter,” Kaden protested. “We’re from a lion lineage that goes back centuries. Why would he do that to other shifters? Our people have had enough grief over the years.”
“Yeah, but he didn’t like the fact that Sherman and Cracker were there, didn’t like that your stepmother wouldn’t cut ties with them, and he loathed the fact that Stephanie was transgender. He said it was unnatural and she should be punished,” Pace replied.