by Jools Louise
“What does he need help with?” Cody asked, shooting a warning look at John. Kathleen laughed behind her hand. John had a healthy sense of humor.
“Our dear friend is requesting a suitable partner for the next race,” John replied drolly.
“He said since there wasn’t anyone who could match him, you’d do in a pinch,” Blue added, then began giggling infectiously.
Cody snorted, swung the little minx under his arm, and carted him off. “Well, then, we’ll just have to show Uncle Mick what we can do, won’t we?”
There was a loud squeal, and a lot more giggling, as they disappeared.
“Are you finished here?” John asked, grinning as they the pair left the shop. Kathleen nodded and allowed herself to be wheeled out of the empty unit. John locked the door behind them and handed over the keys. “There you go,” he said. “Do you fancy a coffee or something before you head home?”
Kathleen nodded. Coffee sounded heavenly. “I’d like that,” she replied, enjoying the ride across to Café Anglais. There was a lot of activity today, a carnival atmosphere in town as impromptu races had begun on the main street. The shifters were having a ball, trying to outdo each other, getting extremely competitive as the felines tried to beat each other. Pace chuffed and grumbled, but in the end he’d put up signs diverting traffic so the residents could take part in some healthy competition.
As they walked, Mick and Cody came flying past, running flat out in shifter mode. Kathleen recognized the sash they each wore, determining the team they were on, and their name. Both wore matching colors, since technically they were part of the Two Spirit team, but their names were emblazoned in bright colors so they could be identified in shifter form.
“Aren’t you taking part?” Kathleen teased her chauffeur.
John laughed at that, carefully negotiating one of the ramps, then crossed the street. “I’m saving myself for the main event,” he replied. “If I exert myself like that, I’ll be too worn out to compete.”
Kathleen snorted at that. “Does that mean you’ve been practicing in private?” she asked shrewdly. “The ranch has plenty of trails, and you’d have access to the sports complex, since you live out there.”
“Kathleen, please, I do have some standards,” he retorted, sounding pained. Then he leaned closer, and she heard a chuckle. “I’m entering the swimming trials,” he whispered. “But don’t tell anyone.”
“Swimming?” she asked, a little surprised.
“Yes, I really despise running,” he drawled, shivering. She tilted her head back, and laughed at his pantomime reaction. “And I love the water. I swim in the lake every day back at the ranch. But running? Not my cup of tea.”
“Not even for the satisfaction of doing a victory lap when you’ve beaten your buddies?” She grinned at him.
They reached the café, and he wheeled her inside, parking her chair at the end of a table, and guiding her into a seat. He leaned closer again, his eyes twinkling. “We’ll have to see, won’t we?” he replied, before heading to the counter to order her coffee.
A moment later, her six boys ran in, and she felt herself tear up as she watched their happy faces. They were settling in so well, loving the freedom they had here, with so many new friends to play with, and dozens of protectors.
She’d had a horrendous time over the past few years. Daniel had been a monster, in every sense of the word, and ever since Drew had been born, after Sherman and his friends had been incarcerated, she had been at his mercy. She would never tell her sons, as she loved them with all her heart, but she had not been a willing recipient of Daniel’s attentions. He had forced himself on her, and forced her to bear children for him, one after the other. She didn’t know why he’d gotten her pregnant when it was obvious that he was no kind of a father. He’d tried to control the boys, rather than love them. She’d never understood why.
The final straw had been finding out that he had been behind Stephanie’s death, Sherman’s imprisonment, and her first husband’s murder. She hated him with an abiding passion for what he’d done. He’d hidden his psychopathic nature so well, she had been fooled completely—that guilt remained with her. She had let her foolish emotions blind her to his true nature. Never again.
John returned, placing a steaming cappuccino in front of her, sprinkled with chocolate. Beside it, he put a plate with a chocolate and orange muffin, freshly baked and oozing with a scrummy orange filling.
“On the house,” he said, joining her at the table with a cup of his favorite tea blend and a slice of banana and walnut loaf.
“Mom!” Moe yelled at the top of his lungs as he ran up to her, leaping onto her lap and hugging her tightly. She laughed at his exuberance, kissing his rosy cheek and hugging him back.
“Hi Mom,” Flint said cheerfully, crawling up onto a seat beside her while his brothers scrambled into their own chairs. Flint had his eyes on the muffin, looking at her hopefully.
“Let me go get some more,” John said dryly.
“No need,” Callahan said, bounding around the counter with a plate piled high with more muffins. “There you go, guys, eat up. I’ll bring some drinks over in a minute.”
“Please, can I have a banana and strawberry smoothie?” Flint asked politely, already reaching for a muffin and popping it on a plate.
“Anyone else for smoothies?” Callahan asked, getting a chorus of affirmatives. “Gotcha, coming right up.”
Sherman wandered in with his crew, and they piled onto the next table, exchanging jibes.
“I’ll order,” Cracker said, waving at Kathleen and the boys as he passed.
“Where’s Murray and Blue?” Moe asked John, digging into his muffin with both hands.
“They have lessons right now,” John replied. “They’ll be along soon, with Uncle Cameron.”
“Lessons?” Moe mumbled, his mouth full. “Why can’t I have lessons, Mommy?”
“You’re too little,” Flint said sharply with a warning frown.
Moe’s eyes filled up and his lower lip trembled. “I can’t have lessons?”
“All the little ones have lessons, Flint,” John chided gently. “David teaches them their letters and numbers, and they read stories and play with lots of different toys.”
Flint stared at John, looking a little scared suddenly. “Daniel told us we weren’t allowed to do any lessons,” he said tearfully. “We got spanked with a belt if we disobeyed him. He hurt me when he caught me practicing my numbers.”
“Nobody gets beaten for wanting to learn here in Sage,” John replied firmly, his eyes fierce as he heard Flint’s explanation. “Daniel is in prison, and he’s going to stay there for as long as possible. He won’t be hurting anyone else. Moe can have lessons whenever he likes. Right, Moe?”
Moe smiled, showing chocolate-coated gums and teeth, and nodded. “Can we go right now?” he asked excitedly, clapping his hands and sending crumbs flying in all directions.
John exchanged and amused glance with Kathleen. “Perhaps we can take you out there in the morning,” he said.
Moe squealed for joy and carried on demolishing the muffin.
“Would you like to go to the classes, as well, Flint?” Kathleen asked, and saw his hesitant nod.
“Is Daniel really in prison?” he asked, still nervous.
“Daniel won’t be able to hurt you again,” Sherman cut in. “If you like, we’ll all go together, so you know there’s nothing to fear. Don’t let him stop you from doing whatever you want to do.”
Flint looked down at his plate, his tears starting to fall. “I don’t like Daniel,” he said. Sherman stood up and lifted him into his arms, cradling the little boy gently.
“Neither do I,” he whispered. “He’s an ass.” Flint gave a tiny giggle and wrapped his sticky hands around Sherman’s neck.
“I’d like to see the classroom,” Kathleen said, feeling a little nervous. She’d spent years being at the mercy of a monster, and now she had her freedom but she felt off balance. Anythi
ng new made her extremely fearful. It was frustrating, since when she had been married to her first husband, Dawson, she had been something of a free spirit. Dawson had been her soul mate, allowing her to be free to do whatever she wanted. He had loved her passion. Daniel had wanted to own her, and thwarted her every attempt to be her own person. Now she wasn’t sure who she was. It frightened her how much she had changed.
“I’ll borrow Chaz’s truck,” Sherman said, “and Cracker can drive his new monstrosity. He’s sold the bike, in the interests of comfort and space.”
“Cracker sold his bike?” Drew interjected, just as the smoothies arrived. Callahan delivered one each to the kids, ruffling Moe’s hair as he passed by, then produced a damp cloth and proceeded to wipe the smears of chocolatey goodness from the little boy’s face and hands.
“Thanks, Callahan,” Moe said, and began slurping his smoothie greedily.
“You’re welcome, bud,” the waiter said, retrieving the boy’s plate.
“Cracker, did you really sell your bike?” John asked as the big shifter came over with a tray of coffees for the crew, and a plate piled high with pastries.
“Sure did,” Cracker replied. “I’m a family man, now, and with two mates, I need the extra seats.”
His crew laughed loudly at that, John and Kathleen joining in. “He’s bragging again,” John drawled.
“He should try having four mates,” Ethan yelled from the kitchen. “Then he can talk about needing extra seats.”
“Hey!” Rage yelped from up in the tattoo studio, peering over the balcony. “You love having four mates.”
“Yes, I do,” Ethan yelled back. “I just don’t keep harping on about it like Cracker does.”
Cracker laughed at that. “I can’t help it,” he said, grinning widely. “I have the two best mates in town.”
“Oh, please,” Misty said, taking a swig of his coffee. “I’m happy for you, I really am, but please stop reminding the rest of us that we’ve yet to find that same happiness.”
“What’s a mate?” Flint asked suddenly, watching the interaction intently.
“Yeah, what’s a mate?” Moe said, copying his older brother.
Kathleen cleared her throat, cuddling her son closer and kissing his soft, fragrant hair. She loved them all so much. She felt silly for wanting to stay at the apartment in town, when she could be enjoying time with these beautiful boys.
“Mates are the people you want to spend your whole lives with,” Sherman said, smiling at the boys.
“Sherman, could I have a word with you later?” she asked quietly. She saw him tense, then his alert gaze swung to her, and he stared right into her eyes for a second, as though he could see through to her soul.
A smile began to form on his face, and a look of relief, as well. “You can move in anytime,” he said, without having to ask. “We’ve already completed the first two cottages while you were in the clinic. Cody reckons we’ll have the main house finished in about three months or so, after the games. For now, we’ll all stay in the apartment, until everything’s ready.”
Kathleen nodded, swallowing hard. She couldn’t believe that she’d been so afraid to live surrounded by trees. But she had been terrified of being reminded of what had happened to her.
“PTSD never really goes away,” John said softly, clasping her trembling hand in his. “But once you get to the bottom of why you’re so afraid, with Murphy’s help, you’ll be able to live with it. It won’t be so intense. He’s really very good at what he does. He’ll be there for you. We all will.”
“I’m just…” she began, shuddering.
“I know,” he said, squeezing her hand. And she knew that he did know. She met his gaze, saw the empathy there, and a shrewdness that told her he saw a lot more than he was letting on, and she let out a shaky breath. “You can use the studio as a refuge, if things get a little too much,” he said. “But isolation isn’t the key. You need people around you right now, to keep you grounded. Try to get back to a normal routine. You’re stronger than you think.”
“Mommy, don’t be sad,” Moe said, swiveling on her lap and standing up to give her a hug and a kiss. “This is our home now, and no more baddies can come get us.”
“No, sweetie, they can’t.” She gathered him close, closing her eyes as she held his sturdy little body close. “And once the house is built, we’ll be able to all live together again. Would you like that?”
“You’re not going to be too scared to live at the new house, Mommy?” Flint asked, wide eyed.
“I might be a little scared, for a while longer, but I don’t want to be on my own,” she replied, trembling still.
“Awesome!” Charles said, grinning and high-fiving his brothers. “Sherman and Chaz said that we get to choose our own bedrooms, and help decorate. I want a spaceship on my wall.” He made a zooming noise, as though he was a rocket.
“I want stars and a moon,” Harvey added, smiling excitedly.
“I want another muffin,” Moe said, which had everyone laughing.
“Not today, Moe, you’ve had plenty of chocolate, honey, and we don’t want you to be sick,” Kathleen said. “Finish your smoothie instead.”
Moe nodded, gave her another kiss, then turned back to slurp up more of the juicy drink.
She looked at everyone, seeing the love and respect as the two tables chattered about the future, and let out a shaky breath. She heard a loud cheer from outside the café, and turned to see Mick dancing around Cody, doing a victory dance. Cody snarled at his friend, nipped his tail, and then sauntered off, twitching his tail irritably. She laughed, knowing the upcoming trials for the Shifter Games were going to be fun to watch. She felt a new lightness of spirit, as though a heavy weight was being chipped away from somewhere deep inside, a place of darkness that hadn’t seen light in quite a while.
They still had a long way to go, this town, but they were getting there. That was the spirit of Sage, a sense of belonging and freedom and unity. For the first time, she could see a future for herself. And for once, that didn’t fill her with terror…it was something warm and beautiful, and she could share it with her boys.
She couldn’t wait to see what happened next.
Epilogue
Chaz and Sherman ran flat out in their shifter forms, looking delightedly at one another as they tested out the new track at the Two Spirit sports complex. The surface was designed for paws not running shoes, and was made of turf, making it easier to gain traction when in animal form. It was past midnight, and a full moon lit the stadium, with no other lights to guide them as they pelted alongside each other, aiming for the finish line four hundred meters away. Despite Sherman’s larger size, Chaz was keeping pace easily, and his mate was having to really put in some effort to stay a nose length ahead. They battled on, each wanting to win, delighting in the freedom of running on four legs, the wind in their fur on a track specially designed for shifter speed.
The place was deserted, and after a long day at work, on impulse they’d decided to check out the place, with Sherman suggesting they see what it looked like at night. Chaz knew it was a not so subtle ploy at seduction, but couldn’t think of a reason not to go. He loved checking out new places with his lover, especially since their apartment was filled with little people, who had sharp hearing. It was kind of difficult to have sexy time when munchkins were around.
They reached the finish line together, a dead heat, and wrestled with each other playfully, chasing their tails before falling in a heap onto the grass. Sherman gave a chuffing sound, purring like a cement mixer, and licked Chaz’s nose teasingly, then with a come hither look, headed for one of the bleachers. Chaz grinned to himself and followed. Sherman had told him that making love behind the bleachers was a rite of passage, and they should christen the new stadium in style. Sherman had so far explained this as a reason to make love in numerous places, under cover of darkness, all around Sage. Chaz was eager to comply.
They shifted to human form, walking hand in
hand to a suitable spot, then began kissing passionately, hidden from view behind the sloping stands of seats that surrounded the large stadium. Chaz felt the cool night breeze on his body, and enjoyed the sensation on his heated skin. He felt himself lifted, and groaned as he sank down onto Sherman’s thick rod, taking his lover in to the hilt. He would never get enough of his big mate, who had given him so much, loving him with an intensity that Chaz treasured. The feel of his ass being skewered, Sherman’s hands racing over his body, their lips clashing in a frenzy of lust, was something Chaz knew he’d never tire of. He loved his big lion, who roared and chuffed and purred, but never failed to let Chaz know how much he was loved. They fit perfectly.
They crumpled slowly to the ground, Sherman covering Chaz with his big frame, sliding in and out steadily as they made love, their moans and sighs of pleasure blending perfectly. Their lovemaking was languid, sensuous, and so tender that Chaz felt his love spill over, as he clutched at his mate, their passion igniting into a crescendo, finding their release together. Fluid cries were muffled as their lips met again and again, not wanting to be parted for a second.
They cuddled, kissing lazily, enjoying the afterglow.
Chaz suddenly tensed as he heard a sound, and lifted his head, staring through the gaps in the seats to look toward the track. He grinned suddenly as he saw John’s familiar figure, with his husband Cameron, kissing passionately, naked as jaybirds before John shifted into his feline form, a snow leopard. His white spotted coat, thick and luxuriously soft, glinted in the moonlight and he was purring as he butted his big head against his husband’s sleek thigh affectionately. Cameron, in human guise, stood tall and proud at the start line, ready to begin. Then he grinned at his mate, laughing delightedly, and took off at full tilt, with John racing right beside him, his long tail flowing out behind him, keeping him balanced. John easily kept pace, occasionally nipping at Cameron’s butt or heels, which had Cameron giggling infectiously, his peals of laughter making Chaz laugh softly.