Marvin

By JP Sayle and Lisa Oliver

Ajani is a shifter without a conscience. Stolen as a child, hidden from the world, trained to kill without remorse. It’s all he knows. He works without question until someone targets the only bright light from Ajani’s dark past—Marvin.

Ajani had always known there was something tugging at his soul, or that special someone, but he doesn’t want to bring Marvin into his dark world. But then when had Ajani ever got what he wanted? The Fates chose Marvin for Ajani, and he’ll need all the skills he’s learned to keep his mate safe.

Marvin, previously known as AX4395, is finally happy in his life with the Thalassa's and all the gorgeous children, but he will never forget the lost boys—those youngsters he used to visit regularly, the boys who grew up in cages. The scientists’ experiments he’d endured during his own time in captivity turned him into a hairy outcast and a legend—Bigfoot. Thanks to his skills, Marvin escapes the fate befallen so many, but he still remembers every boy, and the others he’d met along the way. When fate brings him face to face once more with the one special boy, he remembers above all others, Marvin knows his life will change forever.

But finding his fated mate exposes Marvin to a fearful foe—one who knows Marvin and Ajani, and all the other lost boys. Now it’s up to Marvin and Ajani to pool their skills and work together to prevent the unthinkable. Because if something were to happen to Marvin, then who would remember the lost boys and save Ajani’s soul?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Jayne Paton
• Release date: Feb 22, 2023
• ISBN: 9798215710616

JP Sayle

Let me introduce myself, I’m JP or Jayne. I’m a lady of a certain age (cough, cough over 50 but I embrace my inner child often). I’m an identical twin and I was born in the Isle of Man; this makes me Manx (not British or English). I’ve lived in several places over the years but I returned to the island 1998. I love the sea and now it’s only a stone’s throw from my home.I quit my nursing career recently to follow my dream to write full time. I published my first book in 2018 and since then I’ve managed to publish further twenty-plus books. I gave myself a 12 book challenge for 2020, and I’ve written 14 so far!!My island is steeped in folklore and I have used some of this in my writing, particularly the Manx Cat Guardian Series, it’s paranormal with a twist. But I’m an eclectic girl and I’ve spread my wings a little. The tropes vary from Daddy Kink, BDSM, age gap, Billionaire romance, Smalltown friendships, friends to lovers, out for you, sweet romance, they all have a little angst (or a lot). I tend to write in series (shakes head). The list is below!Manx Cat GuardiansThe AppThe Flamingo BarBillionaire PlaygroundLa Trattoria Di AmoreDark River Stone CollectiveThe PlayroomPotter Creek(The app and flamingo bar are connected, as in the boys get a book in the app and their conclusion in the flamingo bar series)Writing has unleashed a beast in my mind and now I can’t switch it off. So with that, I now have to try and keep my unruly boys in check while they vie for my attention, and currently, it’s who shouts the loudest. But, I’m okay with that now that I have the time to let the words flow!

Book preview

Your life is made up of two dates and a dash – make the most of your dash. (Adapted from a poem by Linda Ellis).

Hug the ones you love.

Dedication – JP Sayle

Life is a journey that takes us on many twists and turns but every one of them can lead us to the joys of life.

Thalassa Family Tree

ASSASSIN’S TO ORDER IS a spinoff from Tangled Tentacles Series.

Here is the Thalassa Family Tree to keep you straight with who everyone is if you haven’t read any of the Tangled Tentacles series…

Alexi (alpha kraken) and mated to Danik a bear. They have twins, Zale and Marin, krakens.

Victor (alpha kraken) and mated to Azim a vampire don’t have any children.

Todd, (omega kraken) mated to Ki and Lucas dragons have four children, all girls. Abigail is a dragon while Bell, Daisy and Calli are all baby krakens.

Markov (alpha kraken) mated to Cassius a hammerhead shark. They have Riley age six a hybrid lion (Cassius’s to a previous relationship) Selena a shark. Samuel and Marina who are krakens.

Kelvin (alpha kraken) mated to Magnus a Leopard don’t have any children yet, but… never say never…

Prologue

Ajani

It wasn’t any one thing that woke him from the half sleep he’d grown accustomed to. His senses were always on alert as Ajani stared out from the confines of his cage. Scanning the dark, dank cellar, which was cold enough in winter to cause icicles to form down the walls, he used his senses. The door was locked and bolted, as were the cages they were in, but it was the chemical restraints that stopped them from being able to leave. They were chemically locked in their human form by the men in white coats, who didn’t speak to them. Daily they were subjected to new torments, but not once did the men, when they’d finished their day’s work, acknowledge them.

It was work; they were experiments and referred to by a number, but Ajani remembered the two who had named him. It might be a faded memory, but they were there in the back of his mind, where he kept them away from the parts of him he no longer recognized.

His young brain had tried to fathom what life had once been like before the cage, but it was so long ago, sometimes Ajani convinced himself that time wasn’t real. When the pain got too much, and the testing took him into a dark place, only then did he recall what his life had been like. His parents teaching him to swing through the trees. The feel of the wind on his face. The scents and feel of the tree’s branch in his hands. Damp earth and that of the air as he moved with grace in a place where he’d once been safe from needles and tests.

His young heart yearned for those things. He sniffed and scanned the other cages to make sure no one witnessed his moment of weakness. Those caged with him, along with their captors, did not tolerate it. Each one was a competitor vying for escape from purgatory, only escape wasn’t an option.

Don’t cry, a familiar voice whispered in the darkness.

His heart skipped a beat as he once more checked the darkness, seeing nothing, not even the figure attached to the voice. How?

He sniffed the air, wiping his eyes. All his senses enhanced by whatever they’d given him, worked to figure out where the owner of the voice was. It was always the same: the voice appeared to belong to an imaginary figure. Only Ajani knew that wasn’t the case.

Where are you, Ajani whispered, his body tensing at the merest of noises before a hairy finger slid through the cage bars and touched the side of his lower leg where he’d been kicked hard enough it had instantly gone black. Not allowed to shift to heal. The pain was his punishment for getting caught out.

The gentlest of touches, yet it seemed to help soothe him. It did what it always did and set his insides to hum with a sense of knowing. One Ajani had no real understanding of.

Was it part of something they’d done to him? It was a question he had no one to ask. The changes to his body were numerous and the way his whole body ached, it was impossible to figure out. Finding a place on the cage floor to make himself comfortable, he’d long since given up trying. Yet the simple touch from number AX4395 made Ajani remember he was more than a test specimen.

Why was that?

You were upset earlier, I came to see if you were alright.

His voice was low and melodic, one that could ease the pain in Ajani’s heart. It was a silly notion, but still, he clung to it.

The visits didn’t happen often, and Ajani couldn’t remember the first time, but he always felt connected when AX4395 was near. It somehow made the length of time between visits more bearable.

How do you get in? How did you see? He kept his voice low to ensure the words didn’t carry. Ajani was aware of the skills of those caged with him. They often fought so those in white coats could figure out what the skills of their animal were without shifting. Know your opponent. Words drilled into his brain, he was sure.

This place was where they first brought me. I know how to get around without being seen. The sadness was there in the voice of the hairy creature, who didn’t reveal his face.

The finger continued to stroke against the sore spot, and warmth filled Ajani’s chest. With it came the urge to see him. It wasn’t the first time, but this time it came with an urgency Ajani hadn’t experienced before. Up to now, AX4395 had kept his face hidden. Ajani suspected it was to do with the amount of hair on the hand, which always offered comfort. Will you show me your face?

Complete silence followed the merest sound of an indrawn breath. For long moments Ajani thought he was going to deny him, then a hairy face appeared for the briefest second, before it disappeared.

The air in his lungs expelled fast enough that he glanced at the other cages, his eyes narrowing, assessing if he’d alerted anyone to AX4395’s presence. They had never discussed the need for secrecy; only Ajani understood AX4395 didn’t talk to all the others in the same way he spoke to him.

Warmth spread through his cold body when the face reappeared for another moment. A wide smile gave his heart a jolt. There was nothing about the hairy face that scared Ajani because eyes don’t lie.

After years of being trapped, he’d gotten good at reading those around him. The blue eyes that reminded Ajani of the sky on a clear day were bright, honest, and held nothing but compassion. A stark contrast to Ajani, who was sure he was filled with nothing but hate.

AX4395 was one of them. Only it seemed something had gone wrong with him, or that’s what Ajani thought now he’d seen his face. None of the others in the cages were hairy, unless in their animal form.

AX4395 distracted Ajani from his thoughts when there was surprise in his voice. You didn’t scream.

Ajani tilted his head at the darkness and, as always, marveled at how AX4395 could be there and not be seen. Something Ajani had yet to master. Why would I scream? he asked in all seriousness.

Everyone outside does. Well, except for Marvin, he’s nice and gives me food. Do you think I could be Marvin rather than a number with letters?

The finger didn’t stop stroking his leg, and each movement caused Ajani’s eyelids to droop. If you like the name, why not? he replied slowly, his words hardly more than a hum in the chilly air.

I like Marvin. The silence that followed was as comfortable as the finger that never stopped lulling him with its gentleness, easing his pain.

Ajani’s head settled against the bars, his nose twitching as he inhaled Marvin’s scent. Something deep within him he didn’t understand, glowed, giving him something to tuck away and keep safe.

His eyes drifted shut as Marvin whispered, That’s it, sleep little ape. I’ll watch over you.

Chapter One

Marvin

Can’t you sleep?

Marvin looked up from where he was rocking Zale, soothing the poor boy who’d woken because he was teething, to see Danik checking on Marin. The big bear and he had bonded over their shared love of Danik’s children and Marvin knew Danik wasn’t concerned about finding him in the nursery. Marvin made the rounds every night, checking on all the little ones that now filled the Thalassa compound.

When I was hairy, people would scream when they saw me, so I used to travel mostly at night and find somewhere to bunker down in the day. I like the nighttime—it’s so much quieter than the day.

Being at the television studio today must’ve been a draining experience for you then, with all those people around. Satisfied Marin was sound asleep, Danik tucked one of his legs under him as he sank down into one of the two large armchairs in the room. Were you nervous about being on the camera?

The makeup felt weird on my face. Marvin rubbed his cheek. I wanted to scrape it off so bad. When I was under the lights, it hardened on my skin. I was worried I was turning into a giant-sized cookie. That interview lady Fiona didn’t even seem to notice, and her makeup was thicker than mine.

Danik chuckled. Being on camera all the time is Fiona’s job. She is probably used to it. Then his face changed into what Marvin was recognizing as Danik’s thinking face. It meant the bear had something serious to say.

You know that if you don’t want your face to go on national television, it’s not too late to pull the interview. With the Thalassa name, we can have all the footage destroyed in an instant. I wasn’t happy Ben even asked you to do it.

Marvin frowned as he thought about Ben, who was a cat shifter, and more importantly, a man on the shifter council who had visited three days earlier. Marvin had met Ben when he went before the council. He was part of Magnus’s plan to call attention to a changeling who’d become the shifter council ruler. Marvin adored Magnus and Kelvin—they were like his adoptive fathers—but he wasn’t as keen on Ben. The cat shifter had been pushy since Ki and Lucas—two dragons mated to Kelvin’s brother Todd—had incinerated the changeling. Danik was mated to another tentacled brother—Alexi.

Ben said that being on television was an important way of communicating to the highest number of people at the same time. A way of letting some of the grownup lost boys know it was safe to come out of hiding—if they were hiding. Marvin frowned. If they were hiding like I was, then how could they even see me on the television? They’d have nowhere to plug one into a wall. When I was living in the forest, I didn’t even have walls.

See, Danik nodded, This is where you’re clever and I agree. I’m not sure if the message will find the target demographic they’re hoping to reach.

Ben lied to me? Marvin kept his voice low. Zale was sleeping in his arms, one of his chubby arms flung out, his fingers curled into a loose fist.

No, I don’t think so. You’d scent it if he did. Danik paused a moment and then added, I just think he wasn’t only concerned with getting you to do the interview to help some of your friends who are still hidden. He came to see you for his own personal reasons, too.

Oh, you mean he wanted to sex me up? Marvin nodded. Magnus said the same thing. He giggled and then covered his mouth with his hand, watching Zale closely. But the boy kept sleeping.

Magnus was glaring at Ben while we were talking in the living room, and I didn’t know why, so I asked him. Magnus was saying to Ben, ‘you know what you were doing. You pulled the same move on me,’ and then Kelvin was all puffing his chest out and draping himself over his mate. It was so funny.

Danik chuckled, too. It’s never easy for a mate to be civil to someone that your partner has slept with before.

Ben was saying it was okay because he wasn’t mated, and that I’m an adult. Marvin had been thinking about that most of the day. He was talking about him having sex with me, right?

I imagine so.

Marvin frowned. But why would he want to if we’re not mates? I wasn’t smelling like I wanted sex.

Danik coughed, which Marvin was learning meant he wasn’t sure how to answer the question. Sure enough, Danik asked, What did Magnus and Kelvin say?

I don’t know, Marvin said glumly. They started smelling all sexy and giving each other the eyes. And then Ben got a call, and I decided to visit Riley.

You did the right thing, Danik said firmly. If you don’t feel like getting close to someone, then you don’t have to, no matter what they say.

I’m not sure what all the fuss is about. Tracing a finger lightly over Zale’s arm, Marvin looked up and met Danik’s eyes. I’m glad Ben told us the children had all been rescued. He promised me they were safe. But I wanted to help my friends as well. I need them to know they can be looked after, just like you all look after me.

The television interview won’t hurt those efforts and you know Todd, Kelvin, Markov and Cassius, Magnus and me—face it, all of us are working every spare minute tracking down the addresses you gave us, making sure no one has been left behind.

The way Danik said those last words made Marvin think they were important to the bear. They were important to Marvin, too.

My friends might not recognize me without all my hair, he said, chewing his bottom lip. They’ve never seen me in a suit, or with a clean face. What if they had the sound down and couldn’t hear my voice? How will they know it’s me if they do see the interview?

Marvin, you have the most incredible and unique eyes. Danik got up, and came close, carefully taking Zale from Marvin’s lap. You told Fiona your number. You explained the story about your name. They will know it’s you.

She didn’t have to keep asking me about the experiments. Marvin hadn’t enjoyed that at all. He watched as Danik got Zale successfully into his crib without waking him.

Maybe she didn’t, my lovely friend, but you did great, talking about what happened to you. Your friends will recognize a kindred spirit even if they missed seeing your eyes.

So, do you think they will get in touch soon? It was lovely living with Kelvin and Magnus and the others, but the tugging in Marvin’s gut was getting harder to ignore.

The program isn’t being shown on the television until Friday night, so you’ll have to wait until at least next week. But I am sure if they can, they will contact us, and if they can’t, we’ll find them. I promise you, the whole family is determined to find your friends. Now, seriously, you need to get some sleep.

Marvin got to his feet. I can wait until next Monday, he told himself. I will wait until next Monday, or maybe Tuesday, but then if no one calls, I will have to find them for myself.

Chapter Two

Ajani

The stench of death lingered in his nose as Ajani stared down at the man whose life he’d just taken. His heart was hardened to their pleas for life, for forgiveness. They deserved no mercy.

Ajani, like his brothers, had been trained for one purpose, and they’d been bred as tools to use against those who chose to thwart the shifter council’s laws. Ajani