Shifted Temptations

by Black, C. E.

  He wore black cargo pants tucked into very big black boots and a grey long sleeve tee. The shirt strained against his well-developed biceps. I just knew he could have done curls with three of me.

  I blinked up at him, stunned, as I looked over his face. His dark brown hair was long and pulled back into a neat ponytail at the back of his neck. He had a lot of facial hair, but it was trimmed neatly and looked clean.

  Hazel eyes stared back at me and as intimidating as his body was, his eyes were the opposite. Nothing but kindness shown through and I relaxed considerably. There was something sparkling in the depths of his gaze that made me like him instantaneously.

  “Sam, this is Paul,” Alex said beside me as he gestured towards the other man that I had rudely ignored.

  He had about the same build as Alex and wore something similar to the big man, black pants, black boots, grey tee. His hair was also black but had been completely buzzed off his head, making his black eyebrows stand out unusually. His nose was on the large side and his lips were plump. I wouldn’t say he was unattractive, but definitely unusual.

  When I looked into his dark eyes, though, I immediately wanted to run. They bore into me with an intensity I had not liked. It was calculating and almost cruel. I did not trust the man.

  “Hello.”

  My smile was weak as I held out my hand. I was standing by the couch with the aid of my crutches. Jordan stood on my left and Alex was on my right as we spoke to the two men in front of us.

  I continued to hold out my hand politely, but it was getting difficult keeping my balance as I was using only my casted arm on one crutch. We stood there a moment as he continued with his creepy stare and I began to wobble unsteadily. I eventually had to drop my hand and turned away from him, embarrassed.

  I wasn’t sure why I was embarrassed. Paul was the one who was being rude, but I thought that maybe I had broken some sort of military shifter rule or something. I shrugged and looked to the large man as Alex introduced him.

  “And this is Bear.” Alex had ignored Paul’s impolite actions so I would too, I decided.

  I blushed as I looked at Bear. I had been rudely ogling him only a moment ago. Not wanting to make the same mistake and cause awkwardness, I did not hold out my hand.

  He walked towards me, his eyes twinkling mischievously. I raised an eyebrow wondering what he was doing. I was shocked when he stopped right in front of me and picked up my good hand off my crutch. Placing his other hand on my opposite arm, he steadied me as he brought the hand he was holding to his mouth, laying a gentle kiss on the back.

  My cheeks heated causing his lips to pull up into a large grin. My lips parted at the sight. His smile was panty dropping gorgeous. That grin combined with his sparkling eyes, had my knees shaking. This man knew how to charm women.

  “Nice to meet you,” I whispered, still stunned by his beautiful smile.

  “To meet such a beautiful woman, believe me, the pleasure is all mine.”

  His voice was the deepest I had ever heard, making a tingle shoot down my spine. His smile widened as I shivered.

  “Alright,” Jordan growled stepping closer to me. “Enough flirting with our woman.”

  I giggled and both Jordan and Alex looked down at me in amusement. Since when had I ever giggled? I shrugged. I couldn’t help that Bear knew how to treat a lady.

  Jordan wrapped an arm around my waist as Alex moved closer, both of them glaring at Bear as he winked at me playfully. I grinned and my men growled causing Bear to chuckle a deep baritone laugh as he backed away.

  My smile only got brighter. I loved that Jordan and Alex were getting a little jealous.

  “I’m not so sure having you stay with Sam is such a good idea anymore,” Alex said, his voice rough.

  “I think I agree,” Jordan said.

  I elbowed them as best I could as Bear chuckled. Jordan and Alex grunted, but only pulled me closer. I rolled my eyes and looked up at Alex.

  “That was rude. Don’t you trust me?”

  Alex looked down at me. “Of course I trust you. It’s him I don’t trust.” He glared back at Bear.

  “Do you think he will hurt me?”

  Bear’s smile disappeared and his eyes turned hard as Jordan and Alex looked down at me frowning.

  “I would never hurt her. You both know that.” Bear informed them seriously.

  Alex nodded. “No, you are safe with him, Sam.”

  I turned to Jordan with a raised eyebrow. He leaned in and kissed my cheek in reassurance. I smiled at Bear bringing the twinkle back in his eyes.

  “Well, I don’t see any problems then,” I said still smiling. Until my gaze fell on Paul, then my smile wilted.

  He had not moved or spoken, only watched the scene play out with an eerie look on his face, as if he was memorizing every word. His gaze met mine and I saw something dark move through his eyes. I did not like Paul, not one bit. Something was wrong with that man.

  “We will be right back,” Jordan said as he pulled me down the hallway.

  Alex followed as we went into his bedroom. After shutting the door they both wrapped themselves around me, Alex behind me and Jordan in front. We pressed tightly together, just holding each other in silence for a few minutes before Alex spoke.

  “I’ll miss you.”

  “I will miss you both,” I said, tears forming behind my closed eyelids.

  “I love you, Sam,” Jordan murmured in my ear.

  “I love you too.

  “What about me? I love you too,” Alex whined as he kissed my neck.

  “Ok, ok, I love you too,” Jordan grumbled to Alex, making me laugh.

  Alex punched him in the shoulder. It looked like a hard punch, but Jordan’s eyes were shining with laughter.

  “I wasn’t talking to you, asshole.”

  I laughed harder and lifted my head to place a kiss on Jordan’s cheek. Then I turned and did the same to Alex.

  “I love you too, Alex,” I said smiling. “Two days?” I asked.

  Alex nodded. “Three, at the most.”

  “Okay, Paul’s not staying here, is he?” I asked.

  I really hoped the answer was no because if they said yes, I was going to kick up a fuss. I refused to stay alone with that man.

  “No, why?” Alex asked

  “There is something about him, the look in his eyes, I don’t know.” I shook my head. “I just have a bad feeling about him.”

  I turned to Jordan. “Is he going on the mission with you?”

  “Yes.”

  “What about Bear? Why isn’t he going?”

  “He just wasn’t pulled for this one.” Jordan shrugged.

  “Be careful. Please?” I begged.

  “We promise.”

  Jordan pulled me into his arms and I laid my head against his chest with a sigh. I loved him so much. I only hoped he was true to his word and was as careful as promised. I didn’t know what I would do without them.

  Jordan leaned down and whispered in my ear, causing shivers to race down my spine.

  “I will do anything to get back to you, Sam, but I will not be with anyone, but you.”

  I pulled back and looked into his deep blue eyes. I knew what he was saying, but I had mixed feelings about it. As much as I didn’t want him to sleep with anyone else, I also wanted him home safe, no matter what he had to do to get there.

  I swallowed hard. “Are you sure? I want you safe, no matter what.”

  Jordan nodded and kissed my lips softly. “I will be safe, I promise, but no one else, Sam. I want only you.”

  I laid my head against his chest again and listened to the steady beat of his heart as I soaked in his warmth. Alex stepped up behind me and I turned into his arms.

  “You too, Alex. Please be safe.” I pleaded against his chest.

  “I promise.

  He leaned down to capture my lips in a heated kiss. It was a goodbye kiss mixed with a promise of what was to come when he got back home. His tongue darted inside my mouth an
d I groaned at how good he tasted. We clung passionately to each other as our mouths melded into one.

  Then movement between us had us parting on a laugh. Ava had taken that moment to flip. Alex got down to his knees and placed his hands on either side of my swollen belly.

  “Bye baby, I love you,” he whispered then place a soft kiss on my stomach.

  Tears of pure happiness were threatening and almost did fall as Jordan came down to the floor next to Alex. He kissed my stomach and laid his cheek gently against the swell.

  “I love you, baby Ava.” Jordan voice cracked and my tears overflowed.

  I had never imagined we would end up like this. The love the three of us shared was so special and I was thankful that our secrets and lies had not kept us apart.

  The men finally stood and after one more embrace, they pulled away.

  “We have to go,” Jordan said.

  They both kissed me quickly and left the room. I did not follow. I could not watch them walk out of the apartment. We had said our goodbyes and I just wanted some time to myself. They would be home before I knew it, I told myself. I closed my eyes and the tears began to stream down my face as I heard the apartment door shut.

  “Are you alright?” A deep voice said from the doorway.

  I looked up to see Bear watching me. His expression was supportive and I was glad he was there. I wanted some space in that moment, but I could not imagine being alone for the next two or three days.

  I nodded my head, but I wasn’t all right. I would be though, as soon as my men returned.

  “I’ll let you rest, but let me know if you need anything.”

  “Thank you,” I croaked.

  After Bear left the room, I crawled into bed. Jordan and Alex’s scents surrounded me and I breathed deep. I wanted to immerse myself in their aroma. I already missed them terribly and worse, I was so worried. It was going to be a long three days.

  ~ 25 ~

  Jordan

  The Alpha Division consisted of ten shifters from around the country. Our division was only one of many the U.S. government had under their thumb. Each group was stationed in a different sub-area. Our division was responsible for four states, Virginia, Tennessee, North Carolina and South Carolina. We had been called to help neighboring sectors in the past, but it had not happened often.

  Before going into the mission, we met up at command central, as we liked to call it, but it was really just a warehouse on the coast of North Carolina. For the most part, all ten members of the Alpha Division were put on a rotation. Not every member went on all missions. The six of us that were chosen for the mission Wild Hunt, stood around a large table with Teij.

  Blue prints were spread out as he went over our course of action. As our commander, he would be seeing over our strategy, but he would not be joining us for the mission. When Teij was not present, I was the active second.

  I stood beside Teij with Leo on my right. Leo’s blonde hair was shoulder length and pulled back with a rubber band. There was a boyish quality about his face. He was in his early thirties, but could have easily passed as a seventeen year old. His other form was a lion and though he gave off an easygoing attitude, the man was fierce.

  Alex stood across from us, on the other side of the table next to Paul. Paul was a cherry, new to the Alpha Division. This was his first mission. I had not figured him out yet. The man was dark in all aspects. Many things went on behind those black eyes and I liked to keep an eye on him. His form was a jaguar like Alex and I, but he had not come from our community. He said he was from farther north, but I did not know where yet.

  Terry and Hawk stood to Teij’s right. Terry was a fox shifter and our best sniper. The woman could hit any target dead on and knew how to hide. She was average height and slim build, with short dirty blonde hair that spiked up in the back. Her face was model beautiful when she wasn’t scowling at one of us. She was the only woman on our team and although we liked to tease by calling her ‘Foxy,’ we tried not to give her too much shit. She was too good at her job for that.

  Hawk was just as his namesake. He could fly over undetected and keep our asses out of trouble. The man was tall and lanky, but was as strong as the rest of us. His brown hair was cut short and business like; his eyes were brown and his face seemed average. In fact, his total appearance was average. If you didn’t know any better, you would have thought he was an accountant or some shit, not part of a paranormal militant operation.

  Teij was a large man, around six foot, five inches and as dark as midnight. His bald head and silver hoops dangling from his ears gave him a menacing appearance. His white teeth practically glowed against his dark skin adding to the effect.

  Teij wasn’t a tyrant though. He was a bad ass, but he had an eerie calm about him that made you think he was just waiting for the right time to pounce. I thought shifting into a Bengal Tiger had something to do with that, hunting their prey and all.

  Before moving into the town, we had mapped out our positions. Wilde Mountain was oddly shaped, almost exactly like a dartboard. They were surrounded by mountains and then the first of their property began. The outside ring consisted of heavily wooded forest, which was excellent for shifters to run and hide. Next was a ring of farmland and then the residential area.

  Our goal was to hit the bull’s eye, center of down town Wilde Mountain. The Town Hall was where we should find our first target, Alexander James Wright Sr.

  “Alex and Leo, I want both of your alter egos coming in from the north.” Teij pointed to the top of the map. “Make your way to this house, 124 Wickham Lane. That’s where the drugs were being stored as of last week. At Jordan’s command, fire it up.”

  Teij didn’t wait for their approval, he just continued. “Paul, I want you coming in from the east and meet up with Jordan at the bull’s eye.”

  “Terry, you are coming in from the west. Make your way to the bull’s eye and set up high. Hawk, do what you do best. Take to the sky and keep watch.”

  Everyone gave a nod ready to get going.

  “Jordan will get to walk right in. Come up from the south, this will have all of our asses covered. Anyone out in those woods needs to be taken down. There can be no fire alarms. Find the enemy, take him out then torch the evidence. I want this quiet people.” He looked at each one of us, his dark eyes narrowed. “There will be innocent bystanders, so no bullets in the streets if at all possible.”

  We broke from the meeting and packed up. As I had planned on staying human, I made sure to have my weapons ready. I had a .45 caliber pistol and 9mm as back up along with two hidden knives.

  Luckily, there were enough fields in between the mountains and forests surrounding the town for a helicopter to drop us at our designated areas. The ride was silent as we mentally prepared. No one looked at Alex, but I wanted to badly. His father would be killed tonight and though he hid it well, I knew the strain he was under.

  I was glad he had not argued about his role. He wanted to be a part of taking down Alexander, to be able to look in his father’s eyes and maybe even ask why. I knew that, but I agreed with Teij. It was better for us all if Alex stayed away from that task.

  Terry was dropped first so she could get to her position. I needed her set up with the sniper rifle before I got to the town center. Hawk went with her and took to the skies.

  As soon as I jumped from the copter, I took off through the trees. I was quick and silent as I kept an eye out for guards. From when I lived there, I knew they had regular patrols.

  I reached farm land without sensing any other warm bodies. I thought it was odd, but figured I must have been lucky. As I made my way closer to the residential section, I started to become a little uneasy. It was quiet, too quiet. Not a soul could be found.

  I kept to the shadows, going from house to house only coming out when I had to cross a street, until I reached the town. The main road going in was deserted. Cars lined the street, but no one was in them. The shops and buildings were empty and most looked just as I r
emembered, though some had been updated like the government buildings.

  The Town Hall looked brand new. With its massive size and marble stairs and columns, it looked out of place against the older red brick structures. I snorted, knowing exactly whose idea that was. Alex’s father had always thought of himself as better than everyone else and I guessed he felt he needed a place that fit his ego.

  I made my way closer to that monstrosity of a building, sticking to the alleys and shadows. I was only about a block away when I had no choice but to hit the main road. I stepped out carefully and looked around. There was no one. It was a dark, moonless night and not even a street light was on. That didn’t hinder my eyesight, but I had to admit it was odd. Had everyone skipped town?

  I sniffed the air and found nothing. No one was lingering close by so I made my way down the street. My eyes scanned the area. All was clear, but I hoped Terry was ready. Something did not feel right.

  I had just reached the four-way crossing at the center of town, when a boy stepped out of the shadows and stood in the middle of the bisecting roads. I stopped. Where in the hell had he come from?

  He was in his late teens, early twenties with short blonde hair. I didn’t recognize him, but I did recognize the shot gun he carried. I knew the scent of my own gun would have hidden the smell of his, but how had I not known he was so close? He stood only ten feet in front of me.

  My gun was aimed and ready to shoot when two jaguars stepped up behind him. Shit!

  “Drop your gun,” The boy said.

  Of course, I had not obeyed and the boy fired. I dropped and rolled, then got up and ran to the last alley way I had passed. I hid behind the brick building then swung around to fire back. The shot went wild as I was slammed to the ground.

  Another jaguar had been hiding in the alley. Fuck! How in the hell was I missing them?

  My gun went flying as we tumbled to the ground with him on my back. I rolled over quickly and grabbed his neck. Before I could throw him off me, he ripped his neck out of my grip and went for my throat.

  He was strong, stronger than any shifter I had ever come across. I was able to block his fangs from ripping out my throat, but that was about it. His claws dug into my chest, holding me as we rolled around the ground. I knew we were in the middle of the street and there were other threats nearby, but there was nothing I could do.