The Manx Cat Guardians Boxed Set

by J P Sayle

  Not sure how long he’d been asleep, Ellie blinked into the darkened room. The weight of Daddy’s arms lay heavy against his back, and his soft snores rumbled up his chest. Uncertain what woke him, he lifted his head to glance over his shoulder. His head had barely moved when he met the jewel eyes of Morgana. They glowed in the darkened room where she sat not three feet from the side of the bed, staring up at them.

  Ellie whispered, “You know it’s rude to stand there, staring up at naked people, right?”

  “Well, you were the ones who got naked before I had a chance to get out of the room.”

  On a scream, Ellie’s knee collided with Connor’s balls as he jumped off the bed, his head spinning this way and that.

  “What the hell is going on?” Connor demanded groggily, his hands rubbing at his crotch while he glared at Ellie.

  Ellie was too busy having a personal crisis to bother answering Connor. Had he heard a female voice in his head? And why did he think it was the cat? Yanking on his hair, he spun around and went to turn on a light. Eyes watering at the instant brightness flooding the room, Ellie rubbed at them to clear his vision. This had to be a practical joke. It had to be.

  Connor shifting, his hands still clutching at his groin, had a slither of guilt worm its way past the panic coating his throat. “I’m sorry, Daddy… but… I thinkIheardavoice.” He rushed to say, only the look of confusion on Connor’s face made him say it slower. “I think I heard a voice.” There he’d said it.

  Connor’s jaw dropped, and his gaze swept the room before landing on Morgana, who’d remained sitting watching them like they were an entertaining TV programme. Ellie’s eyes narrowed. Was there something going on here?

  A hue of pink crept up Connor’s neck and into his face as he suddenly found the bedcovers very interesting.

  “What am I missing here?” Ellie asked when his pulse spiked. His hands shook at his sides when the female voice answered instead of Connor.

  “A lot. But it’s all right. I’m sure Connor will catch you up.”

  All the colour drained from Ellie’s face, and he wasn’t sure he was going to make it back to the bed, with legs that now resembled a plate of jelly.

  Connor

  With a curse, Connor jumped off the bed as soon as he saw Ellie go into shock. His glazed expression, pale face, and shaking limbs were enough to make him want to growl at Morgana. He grabbed hold of Ellie and helped him to the bed. He encouraged him to sit while he knelt in front of him, holding on to his icy hands.

  “How could you be so callous, Morgana?”

  “Me callous? I told you to tell him what was going on. I know you did the thing.”

  “You can stop right there. Yes, we had sex, but that, missy, is none of your business—”

  Morgana strolled towards the bed and jumped up, hissing over the top of him. “Is that right? None of my business? If it weren’t for me, you wouldn’t have found your soul mate. Never mind doing the thing.”

  Having had enough, Connor shouted, “Will you shut up for a minute so I can explain to Ellie what the fuck is going on here.”

  “Oh my god, why are you two arguing? No, don’t answer that. More to the question why can I hear the pair of you in my head? I’ve lost the plot, haven’t I? Really, I’m locked up in some asylum, and I’m imagining all this.” While Ellie rambled on, Connor’s mouth opened and shut, and he cringed at how frightened Ellie sounded.

  What the fuck had he done? He gave Morgana a glare before he glanced back at Ellie. There was no way he could smile and be convincing, so Connor kept his face as blank as he could. How to explain this and not sound as mad as King George V?

  “The goddesses save me. Ellie, look at me,” Morgana demanded in a no-nonsense tone.

  When Ellie glanced at Morgana with trepidation written all over his face, Connor’s mind whirled with what he needed to do before the pesky cat made it worse.

  “Ellie, I’m sorry.”

  A sob tore from Ellie before he even had a chance to start. His shaking shoulders and lowered head got him up off the floor. He sat on the bed and lifted Ellie into his lap. He cupped his cheeks to lift his head so they were looking at each other.

  “It’s going to be hard to explain this to you. But I want you to listen to Daddy and try to have an open mind about what I have to say. I promise when I’m finished, you can ask any questions you want.” Tears slid down Ellie’s cheeks, but he gave a small nod, so Connor explained.

  “Morgana is a special cat. She is a guardian, and her role is to make sure soul mates meet so that they can connect as part of the universe’s plan. I know this might sound odd at first. It took me weeks to get my head around it, but it’s true. Brad, Greg, Joe, and Nick, they are the same. They are all soul mates…are all like us. The cats play a vital part in that, and with that comes the ability to hear your guardian. When we had sex, it seems that ability was passed to you. I didn’t know that would happen. Otherwise I would have said something.” He glared at Morgana over the top of Ellie for a second. He ignored the returning sniff and head flick.

  Ellie licked his puffy lips and drew Connor’s gaze back to him.

  “Are you saying we’re soul mates, like a predestined thing?”

  There was uncertainty but not fear in Ellie’s question, so Connor nodded, not sure where he was going.

  “And you knew about this the whole time we’ve been dating?” he asked, his eyes sparking with anger.

  Refusing to hunch under the biting tone, Connor gave a curt nod.

  “Daddy, when were you going to explain this to me?”

  Though the question was said with quiet control, Connor felt the bite as it lashed at him. He stuttered, “I… well… I was trying… you see.”

  Not giving him a chance to continue, Ellie wiggled off his lap and stood, hands on hips, chin thrust forward. “When, Daddy, were you going to tell me?” Ellie ground out through his clenched teeth.

  Colour crept up Connor’s neck, and he struggled to keep check of the anger burning inside. “Be careful how you speak to Daddy. I won’t warn you again.”

  Ellie’s chin wobbled before he covered his face with his hands. The hurt that shone from his boy’s eyes before he hid behind his hands crippled him.

  “Oh, what the hell are you playing at? You were supposed to be making it better, not worse by getting all growly like that,” Morgana said as her head moved and her eyes went to Ellie, who remained hidden behind his hands.

  His shame deepened at how right Morgana was. With a huff of frustration, Connor went to Ellie and took hold of his hands. Easing them away from the tear-stained cheeks and hollow eyes, he lowered his mouth and gave him a gentle kiss, needing the contact to help settle the heart rate that was up somewhere in the stratosphere rather than in his body.

  “I’m sorry for being a dick. I’m worried you’re going to run off and leave. And as crazy as this situation is, that is the thing I can’t stop being scared about. I didn’t say anything before. Not because I didn’t want to, but because how do you explain telepathic cats and not have the other person run a mile.” He laid his forehead to Ellie’s when his breath whooshed out, but his face remained calm.

  “Okay, Daddy, I get that. I do. So does that mean you didn’t mind me being your soul mate?” The longing in the question sliced at Connor’s heart.

  “Oh, boy, you have no idea how happy I was to find out you were my soul mate. Fuck. I’m more worried you wouldn’t want an old, boring school teacher who doesn’t have much to offer other than money.” He wasn’t sure why he said that or why it put the anger back in Ellie’s eyes, but he didn’t have to wait long to find out.

  His face was gripped, and his mouth was captured in a brutal kiss he never had thought Ellie would give. His legs weakened under the onslaught, and his body reacted. His eyes widened at how that was even possible after the last two orgasms he’d had.

  When Ellie lifted his mouth off Connor, he looked no less angry. “Daddy, you listen to me. There is so
much more to you than what’s in your bank account. And the last thing you are is boring. As for the age difference, I love it. It makes me feel special.” Ellie huffed out a frustrated breath, his fringe lifting and landing in his eyes. He swiped at it. “I’m not explaining this right—”

  “No, boy, you’re doing a great job. And I appreciate it so—”

  “Daddy, will you let me finish. God help me and save me from an impatient Daddy.” His eyes rolled, and Connor gave him a knowing smirk but remained silent, waiting for him to continue.

  “I love you, Daddy. There, I said it, and nothing bad has happened.” He’d no sooner said it when there was loud banging coming from downstairs. Connor and Ellie turned towards the door in unison, eyes wide.

  Connor moved first, but as he looked down at his naked body, he groaned. His mind in a turmoil at his boy’s declaration of love, he went to the wardrobe and pulled clothes out at random, dressing without paying any attention.

  He kept glancing at Ellie, who stood nervously chewing on his lip. His eyes were the size of saucers and glued to the closed bedroom door.

  “It’s going to be fine, boy. I’ll answer the door. You get dressed.” He left the room, hoping that whoever was at the door wasn’t bringing bad news with them, not after what Ellie had declared.

  I love you. The simplicity of those words rocked Connor to his very core. The genuine emotion Ellie expressed as he’d spoken them left his heart soaring. How could he ever have thought anyone but Ellie would fit him so perfectly?

  When he opened the door, his mind was full of how he could show Ellie that he felt the same. The smile that had formed dropped at the worry clouding Nick’s face.

  “What is it, Nick?”

  “Is that any way to greet your best friend,” Nick retorted, not making eye contact when he squeezed past Connor.

  Blowing out his lips, Connor moved back and shut the door, resigned to finding out what was wrong with Nick. When Nick stood in the hall and made no move to go any further, Connor’s brow pinched.

  “Nick, you going to tell me what the issue is?”

  His gaze moved from the floor up to meet Connor’s, and he got the distinct impression Nick was embarrassed by what he was about to say. He motioned with his hand for him to talk. All he got was a sigh, and then Nick glanced over his shoulder up the stairs, to where Connor assumed Ellie had appeared.

  He twisted his head and gave Ellie a smile of encouragement. It dropped when Morgana poked her head around Ellie’s legs before she padded down the stairs in front of him. He’d forgotten all about her. Shit. Had she said something to Ellie while he’d been gone? Was it possible for her to talk to Ellie without him hearing?

  “You didn’t say anything to Ellie while I was gone, did you?”

  “I can hear you, you know,” Ellie said inside his mind, making him start.

  He mumbled an apology to Ellie but kept his gaze locked on Morgana when he got the impression she was up to something.

  “I take it you two have got to the hot, sweaty, naked bit?” Nick asked and distracted Connor long enough for Morgana to sail off into the kitchen, nose in the air.

  Rubbing at his face, Connor shook his head. “Why do the people in my life have no barriers or filters? Hey, tell me?” he shouted after Morgana before staring at Nick.

  Nick shrugged at him, a gleam of humour lighting his eyes, “’Cause you’re special.”

  “Oh, bugger off. You can keep the special if that’s the case.”

  “Don’t forget I’m not human, you silly man,” Morgana fired back at him.

  He dragged his hands through his hair and snorted. Ellie chuckled, making him aware he’d also heard Morgana. Would Ellie be able to hear her all the time now? Or just when she wanted him to?

  “That’s for me to know and you to find out,” came her response to his silent question.

  “Will you stop that,” he demanded loudly. It was only when both Nick and Ellie eyed him, then burst out laughing that he realised he was talking out loud. “Ha-ha, keep laughing.” He pointed at Ellie. “It will be me laughing next when I redden your bottom.”

  “Oh, pleaseeee, I do not need to hear this. Well, unless you let me watch. I wasn’t allowed to join in and watch the others at Christmas—” Nick froze.

  Both Connor’s and Ellie’s brows rose at the rosy glow on Nick’s cheeks. His eyes lowered to the ground as he kicked at the carpet with his booted foot.

  “What happened at Christmas, oh, it sounds like someone had a fun time.” On hearing Ellie’s breathy voice, Connor glanced in his direction. The arousal he saw did a number on him, although he was never one to consider exhibitionism a thing he’d enjoy. But if it involved Ellie, then he’d change his mind.

  Getting off track much?

  Pulling his head out of the gutter, Connor looked away from the heated expression on his boy’s interested face. “Can we not talk about this. Instead, do you want to tell me why you came over?”

  He was not sure which was worse: Nick wanting to spill about his sex life or the now sullen Nick, who hunched into his jumper.

  “I wanted to talk to you in private about Max and Christina.” As he spoke, Connor watched him flick a concerned look at Ellie.

  “You don’t need privacy. I’ve kind of explained things to Ell—”

  “What do you mean, kind of? Either you have, or you haven’t,” Nick said, interrupting him.

  “I was in the middle of talking about how special Morgana is and our soul mate connection when you arrived,” Connor huffed out in an aggravated tone.

  “Please stop, you two. Can we at least get a drink or something to eat before we go at it? I’m famished and in need of something to stop my stomach from jumping around like a kid on a bouncy castle.” With that, Ellie stomped off, and Connor chuckled at his retreating back.

  “That’s us told.” Nick smirked at Connor.

  “Yeah, yeah.” He didn’t argue but followed Nick into the kitchen. Connor paused at seeing Ellie making himself at home, rifling through the fridge. The emotions that had surged through him earlier came flooding back. The force of them took his breath away, and he struggled to remain standing. The longing to find that someone special when he’d been convinced he’d never meet the right person that fit him so entirely was lost under the love that rose. How had he got so lucky?

  The emotions carried him across the kitchen, where he tugged Ellie round to face him. He cupped his cheeks gently and stared into his silver eyes. There was a wealth of emotions just beneath the surface, and Connor opened himself to them. “I love you.”

  A sheen of tears coated Ellie’s eyes, glazing them before his lashes fluttered. His chin trembled, and then he offered his lips for a kiss. Connor could never deny his boy anything. He caressed Ellie’s lips with his and teased them open with his tongue. Connor swallowed the soft moan that filled his mouth. His hands tightened, and he held on, dizzy with the power of the kiss buzzing through him when it was returned with such love.

  Every breath seemed to make his blood heat, his heart swell, and something deep inside opened up, and then there was nothing but Ellie. His scent, the feel of his skin, the feel of his tongue gliding over his own. The world melted away and left him in a place he never knew existed. A world where the love he held was the most precious thing, and he growled at the thought of anyone taking it away from him.

  “Hey, there’s a guest here, or have you forgotten?” Nick complained half-heartedly.

  With reluctance, Connor released Ellie’s mouth. “I promise we’ll finish this later,” he said as his fingers caressed Ellie’s cheek, and he tried to convey how moved he was.

  “Okay, Daddy,” Ellie whispered.

  There it was, that tone of voice that caught him right in the chest and balls. His lips clamped together to stop the moan from escaping. There was a light of mischief on Ellie’s face. He threatened, “You will be paying for that later.”

  “I know,” Ellie said, a big grin on his face before h
e moved to go back and grab the food he’d pulled out of the fridge.

  There was a moment of silence while Connor worked to remember Nick standing not four feet from him. His hands balled at his sides as he asked, “What happened, Nick?”

  The smile fell from Nick’s face, and with it came a prickly sensation at the base of Connor’s neck.

  “Have you explained to Ellie about Christina?”

  Connor shook his head, indicating to Nick the floor was his to explain. When he gave a grateful nod, Connor walked to the kitchen table and sat next to Ellie, who was now making a sandwich. Wanting to be close in case he got upset, Connor placed his hand on Ellie’s thigh, relishing the contact. A sense that whatever Nick was about to reveal wasn’t going to be good news gripped him.

  Nick talked, and a ball of dread grew in Connor. His hand tightened on Ellie’s leg when it bounced. With Nick’s quick explanation about the witch, Ellie’s eyebrows disappeared under his fringe. His attention was no longer on the sandwich he’d started to eat.

  With each bombshell Nick dropped, Ellie became ghostly white, his complexion a perfect match for his white-blond hair. Unsure how to stop what was happening, Connor sagged. Resigned that Ellie needed to hear it, he sat and waited for Nick to get to the point.

  Nick

  Nick eyed Ellie and his pale cheeks, not sure if he should continue. Looking at Connor for guidance, he got a stilted nod, so he carried on, “Ellie, Christina disappeared a while back, and none of us are quite sure where she has gone. The trouble started years ago, when I met her, but when the king took her magic, things went awry. She agreed to help Greg with a problem he’d been having at work with a member of staff. She was working in the office. Not that she was any good at it, but she did manage to befriend the fucker who’d set up Greg before she disappeared.

  “Louise had messed with a critical spreadsheet that meant Greg could have landed in a whole heap of trouble, and Martin could have had the government come down on him like a ton of bricks. Anyway, Louise snitched on Greg, setting him up, but Martin realised something was amiss and got Brody to help figure it out.” Nick went on to explain how Joe set up cameras to catch Louise in the office, messing with Greg’s computer.