by Rae Foxx
“Can someone tell me what is going on here?” I looked from person to person, waiting for someone to lift their heads and spew into some response concerning ghosts and the sewer lines or something.
No one moved.
“Howl?” I asked after a second, realizing that I probably needed to release him. Sure enough, he straightened, the people behind him following suit.
Hmmm…. That might have some uses. But not for everyone. Just for me. And Howl. Alone.
I licked my lips and he smiled, clearly clued in to my thought processes.
“Are you guys all having a group stroke or something?” I asked, pulling my mind out of the gutter and into the sewer. “I’m not smelling anything out of the ordinary.”
“Seriously, Ivy,” Howl whispered, walking toward me, his face screwing up more with each step. “Remind me to get your mom out of whatever hell hole you came from. That smell is a demon. If it’s not bothering you, then that trailer park has got to be full of them.”
“A demon?” I shrieked, sidestepping Howl’s outstretched hands to spin around like a top. “There is a demon down here?”
“Was,” Howl corrected, waving Owen and Evan off to open some windows above the gym equipment. “I doubt even you would be standing if the bastard was down here.”
“How do you know it’s not? Don’t they hide in the shadows or something? Drink blood?” I said, still shrieking and turning as everyone else threw open windows.
So much for the holy pope of Alpha’s, I was going to ‘wolf chases tail’ neurotic now. Not sure if the growl in my chest was a laugh or a snarl.
“You are thinking of Vampires,” Scarlet gave me a massive eye roll. She clearly hadn’t forgotten my vampire phobia from a few months ago.
And I thought Vampires were the worst of it. This paranormal underworld liked throwing me curveballs.
“Demons can’t stand in shadows because they are mostly made from shadows,” Howl said, pulling a crank and opening what looked like a barn door in the room. The last of the smell rushed out, replaced with the smell of pine. “They rarely take human form, when they do aren’t often corporeal. Well, I guess that’s any form really seeing as they can shift.”
“Shift?” A few of my pack members were snickering at my questions, but I shut them up with one swift glare.
“Not quite, they can take on human or animal form and hold it for quite some time, but their true form, their original form is almost like…” Howl looked up, screwing his face up as if the word he was looking for was written on the ceiling.
“Shadow figures, kind of...but more solid. They slink around--move like water in their real forms, but when they shift into human or animal, they are as real as you and me. Only their scent gives them away.”
“Well, that sounds frightening…” And to think there were a few of them in the trailer park. I took a great inhale, trying to find something in the scent that would make it easier for me to recognize in the future--if we ever encountered one again.
Screw beating Pater. I needed to learn how to defeat this Freddy Krueger wannabe.
“Don’t worry, Ivy,” Owen said, having moved from opening windows to playing with weights. “You’ll never see one. They’re not even allowed at the academy because they are so foul.”
“They aren’t allowed in because they stink?” I asked, ignoring the fact that I was never going to see something that I was smelling quite strongly right then.
I wasn’t going to count my demon eggs before they hatched. Which they better not.
“No, demons aren’t allowed in the academy because they are vicious, manipulative, barbaric, and selfish,” Howl said, as he flicked the lights to the place on, the sun and fluorescent canisters catching in the dust and making the place look less like a demon haven. “A demon in our school would mean mass havoc and that’s with just one. They thrive and feed off chaos and hysteria. In short, demons are a shit storm.”
“So, Selene. The demon is Selene,” I said without thinking, shocked faces and concealed laughter spreading around me like ripples in a pond. “Come on, you were all thinking it.”
“I can neither confirm nor deny if Selene is a demon.” Howl earned himself some laughs and a mighty eye roll from me.
‘Uh huh. But when I see her peel her skin off you are going to get an I told you so,’ I teased him with a wink. He grinned, the tip of his finger running over my hand and catching my nerves on fire.
Damned mating instincts. He was making it hard to breathe.
‘That’s a succubus, Ivy. And that she might be.’
I shuddered, succubus, demon. Whatever she was, she was going on my list of arch enemies.
With Pater, and now a demon, we had our work cut out for us.
“Okay, well before we get any more enemies knocking down our door, let’s figure out how to beat them,” I announced, sounding more diplomatic than I had in the living room upstairs. “Danvers. You’re up.”
“Okay!” she said brightly, bouncing her way to the middle of the floor. “Let’s get started! As I’ve said, I’ve trained small animals before and I think I’ve come up with a system that puts you at your full potential and gives you the upper hand.”
Everyone nodded excitedly, a few people jostling for the front of the group. They were eager, which was good because I was still waiting for her to show me something worthwhile.
“First, a demonstration,” she announced and immediately began stripping.
None of us were strangers to nudity, but she was a little bit more bare and brazen than I was used to. She even jumped up and down once she had shed her bra and pinched her nipples.
Okay….
“When we begin, I would like everyone to work naked, after all, being at one with nature puts us closer to our animals. Clothes are a restrictive container for that.’ She had started swaying in the middle of the floor, fingers running through her massive bush as she dipped and sagged in a dance that looked more like it belonged on a stripper pole than in a fight training session.
“When we are one with our animals we are one with their strengths, with the feral fight or flight that will keep us alive and successful in our battles.” She was still swaying, still touching, and now she was moaning. Even Howl was looking uncomfortable, his hand wrapping around mine as he stepped forward, like he was going to protect me from the masturbating shifter.
“Watch how I move. These are the basics that we will begin with.”
And with that, all hell broke loose. For a split second, I was sure she was having a seizure. Then she spun kicked and gave a mighty hi-ya!
Her jerky movements made her look like the bad guy from one of those Japanese movies where the mouths don’t match the words. Her eyes were out of focus, her motions choppy and broken, and she yelled and spun and kicked and bounced all over the place.
She stuck her butt in the air, wagging it before she kicked behind her, spun, fell to the ground, rolled around in the dirt and then cat crawled toward us while growling. Before she got too close, she jumped, then rolled, then spun. Walking like a crab, she moved around us, hissing and throwing out random kicks.
I was genuinely concerned about this woman’s state of mental health. Crawling around like a crab and flipping wouldn’t be winning us any battles.
Well, unless we were clowns at a rodeo. I was sure Pater wasn’t going to challenge us to a rodeo battle, if that was a thing.
I’d have to remember to ask.
“Oh...my...God…” Scarlet murmured, her jaw-dropping as wide as her eyes. She wasn’t the only one, everyone was staring in confusion.
Please, God, let some real training come soon. Then all this naked teacher watching wouldn’t be in vain. I crossed my arms and tried like hell to find something worthy in all this demonstrating. She did have a good hook and maybe we could use that flipping to our advantage?
Oh, fuck. I give up.
I should stop her--someone should stop her.
Scarlet whispered over my ear
, “What exactly are we supposed to be learning here?”
“Fuck if I know. Psycho dance fighting?” I answered and glanced over to Howl who had his lips tucked between his teeth. From the clench in his jaw, I knew he was biting the hell out of them, trying not to laugh.
Behave.
I watched the display of her...talent...like I’d watched the bargain circus when it rolled into the field next to the trailer park one summer. The clowns were creepy and half of their make-up dripped from their faces in the desert heat.
Danvers reached up to the sky with both arms and I looked to see if there was actually something above her. There was nothing. She brought her arms down, cradling an invisible baby and rocking back and forth while she side-stepped and kicked out a leg every once in a while, looking more like a twitch than a purposeful movement.
And Howl said I flailed? Please. This woman was the mistress of flailing in the name of fighting and training. When she stopped, wiping the sweat from her brow while taking a bow, we clapped, but I wasn’t sure why. Maybe because it was all over. Maybe because she’d finally put us out of our misery.
I had to clear my throat more than once before I could speak.
Owen beat me to it.
“What in the holy hell was that?”
Chapter 11
Owen took the words right out of my mouth. I couldn’t even correct him I was laughing so hard. I wasn’t the only one.
Everyone behind me was either too shocked to form words or were hiding their giggles behind their hands.
Unfortunately, Danvers didn’t seem too fazed.
“This is the beginning of a training program that will see you through any battle with a larger animal.” She grinned, chest puffed up in pride. “Now, let’s get started. Everyone should be teamed up with an animal bigger or smaller themselves. I don’t want you to shift, but you should strip and wrestle, allowing your animal to guide your movements.”
No one moved. Except for Danvers who bounded towards the stack of training rings near the free weights.
“What in the land of fucks did I just watch?” I asked when she was out of earshot.
“Wait, is there an actual land of fucks?” The twins started, although Owen didn’t have the decency to keep his voice down. “I mean, can we take a pack trip there or something? I think that’s in order, Alpha.”
I turned to kick him in the balls, but Scarlet had already slapped the back of his head so hard that he tumbled forward, losing his balance.
“Are we supposed to dance Pater’s pack to death? And... rock their babies to sleep? Who told her that was training?” Scarlet had gone beyond gob smacked and evolved to pissed off.
She wasn’t alone. All of the eager questions from frustrated pack blasted at me along with grumbling.
“This is ridiculous.”
“What is the Alpha thinking?”
Don’t worry. Pissed off pack behind me, I am in agreement with you. “Fuck. None of that is going to help us. None.”
“For now, do what we know,” Howl spoke up, half turning to the stunned crowds behind us. “We each have abilities and things to teach each other. Try to listen to your animal as she said…”
“But if I see anyone jazz dancing their invisible babies to sleep, I am taking pictures for blackmail purposes later…” I interjected. Thankfully a few people laughed. “We don’t have any more time to waste. We have to be ready for anything--Pater, Nicky, hell even whatever demon is stalking us. We don’t know who will strike, when or how. But we’ve got this. We'll defend what is ours.”
Kick-Ass Alpha speeches? At least I’d have one down.
“Okay, pair off!” Danvers gleefully announced as she laid down the rings, oblivious to the scarring visual display she had inflicted on all of us. She was out of breath and moved to plunk her ass on the stairs and watch.
Everyone grumbled and immediately began breaking off with animals that were either larger or smaller than their own. I instantly grabbed Scarlet, not really wanting to accidentally maim one of the new members of my pack.
Scarlet would understand if I maimed her. She would be the only one.
‘Will she?’ Howl asked into my mind. I scowled at him, receiving a smile and a wink as he wandered off to one of the training rings with the twins in tow.
“You ready to kick my butt, Alpha?” Scarlet teased as she stripped, everyone else doing the same. We were a sea of butts and boobs in an underground dungeon. What was with shifters and their pseudo orgies?
“I have no intention of kicking or touching your butt. You should neither touch nor kick mine either,” I snort-laughed, scooting around to keep a healthy distance from the fox who had already moved into a fighting stance.
Scarlet stomped her foot. “Oh, come on, this is my only chance to beat you!”
“Nude wrestling is your only chance to beat me?” I stopped circling. She lunged at me, arms wrapping around my neck as she pulled me to the side, attempting to drag me to the ground.
Unluckily for her, I grew up watching WWF like other kids watch Saturday morning cartoons.
I was ready and fell down faster than she was expecting, flipping her over my head and right onto her back.
“Oof!” she groaned and moaned at the impact, writhing as I jumped to my feet, ready to take her. “What was that?”
“That was trailer park central, baby.” I clapped my hands and wiggled my fingers, prodding her closer to me. “Now, what did you say about winning?”
She moaned and rolled onto her hands and feet like she was an old lady.
I rushed her, ready to shoulder push her back over, but she rolled right as I reached her and planted her feet right where my boobs were going to land and kicked.
Hard.
“Boobs! My boobs!” I screamed as I fell back, pain lassoing through my chest like fire ants had infested my boobs. I landed hard against my shoulders, curling myself into a ball as I cradled the girls that were clearly going to bruise. I could already see the red marks of Scarlet’s toes beginning to form.
“This must be what guys feel…” I mumbled through my pain.
“Now to finish the job,” Scarlet mumbled and did the one thing I had told her not to do. Kick me in the ass
Except she missed.
The mo-fo kicked me in the vag.
My boob cradling moans were forgotten as I arched and screamed.
And that was when all hell broke loose.
Literally. The floor around me caught fire, large snakes of red-gold flame that rippled over the dirt like I had thrown gasoline down. My pack screamed as the flames spread, the towering pillars growing as I writhed and clutched at my lady-bits.
“Ivy!” I heard someone shout through the flames.
And right then, all my lady pain took a massive shift to the backseat.
Holy Fae balls. I knew that voice.
Shit was about to get real.
Finn was standing on the edge of the underground cavern, his magic stretching over the room as he put out my flames.
“Ivy!” Saxon joined him in a rush of cold as he ran into the room, winding and weaving through the bodies both sitting and standing like he was made of wind. Heads turned at their arrival, leaving a trail of gasps and soft screams that rippled about as quickly as the flames.
Saxon reached me and took me into his arms, cradling me as he kissed my temple. He bit softly at my neck, I knew he was checking for a pulse. The people around me thought they were witnessing my death.
Scarlet rolled her eyes.
This was so not how I pictured the introduction of my guys going.
Surprise, bitches! Your new Alpha is a fucking harem queen!
Considering a few people were still screaming, this was not going over very well.
My magic calmed, my wolf pleased, my boobs having settled to only a dull ache. I looked around as Finn extinguished the last of the flames and joined us.
Everyone was looking at us, eyes flicking from me to Howl to Finn, and finall
y to Saxon with a look of horror on their faces. Scarlet was treated to her own share of shock, but she held her hands up and backed out of the circle gathering clothes as she went.
“Not my orgy, not my problem,” she mumbled as she hid behind the twins who were openly smirking. My life was their constant comedic companion.
“Um, everyone, this is Saxon and if you couldn’t tell already, he is a vampire and my mate. This is Finn, he is Fae, he is also my mate...along with Howl. Also my...yeah…I have three mates.”
Someone sign me up for a public speaking class—fuck economics and chemistry.
One woman turned up her nose. “Three mates? I don’t…Is this…”
The silence could have become a sentient being of its own right then it was so loud in the room. I could hear it growl.
“Yeah, don’t ask why. We are along for the ride. I’m like…” I hesitated, giving Howl a look, but he shook his head.
‘We need to keep your parentage to ourselves,’ he said, plucking the question out of my head. ‘They are barely able to take this right now.’
“There’s some superpower in my blood, I guess, that draws them all to me,” I ended somewhat lamely. That would have to do.
“Then what about the fire?”
“Did you do that, too?”
“Are you really a shifter?”
Man, these guys were good at rapid-fire questions. I sighed and pushed myself off Saxon’s lap. If I was going to lead, I should do so standing on my own two feet. Gravity reminded me how much my boobs were going to hurt in the next few days.
“I am a shifter. My father was a powerful wolf shifter, I have no doubt about that,” my heart ached a little bit, that magic screaming against my fingers as though it was pissed about being passed over. Fine. They needed to know anyway. “The magic, however…”
I lifted my hand, letting the power rip from me in sparks of fire that I hadn’t been able to control before now. I guess, like all things, it gets easier with time.
A long ribbon of flame cut from me, jumping from finger to finger before it vanished. I shook the heat away, thankfully not catching anything else on fire. Well, except Saxon’s pants, but he was polite enough not to call attention to it.
