Chinchilla and the Devil
Page 12
“This is so good. I’m starving.” She took a big bite of the meatless meatball and moaned in delight. It was the perfect blend of garlic, parsley, grated cheese, and black pepper. There was something else there too, something she couldn’t identify, but it was delicious.
“Um, doll?” Tony’s eyes widened slightly as he watched her eat.
Sofia moaned with every bite she took. Her devil licked his lips, seeming to like the show, though he did keep one eyebrow raised. Was she hogging all the food? Too bad. It was good, and she was hungry.
“Tony, this is delicious,” she enthused and took another bite.
“Yeah, but um, doll?”
“What?” She asked and swallowed the last bite.
“You ate the meatballs.”
“So what? They were Maude’s recipe, right?”
“Um, not exactly.” He bit his lip and nodded towards the uneaten pile on one side of the plate.
“You see, those were Maude’s recipe.” Tony grimaced. “And these here were my recipe.”
“So, uh, you mean, they had meat?” She squeaked.
“Yeah, uh, pork and beef, organic grass-fed, non-GMO, of course.” He watched her carefully, his expression a bit anxious, and Sofia waited a beat for revulsion or fear to fill her. Oddly enough, it didn’t.
“Uh, remember when I told you that a mating mark from a Jersey devil could sometimes cause changes in the devil’s promised mate?”
“Yeah, I remember.” Her voice was low.
“I think this is one of them.”
“Okay.” She exhaled a breath just to clear her head. “So you’re saying, I eat meat now.”
“Yeah?”
“Okay. That’s not bad, and those meatballs were amazing.” She shrugged and was surprised she meant it. She could adjust to a new diet if it meant she got to keep Tony.
“Are you sure you’re okay with this?”
“A hundred percent. So, what else can I expect?”
“I love you, you know that right.” He smiled before continuing, and her pulse raced. “Maybe you should try shifting?”
“You think?”
Tony nodded encouragingly. He waited for her to stand up before taking a spot in the corner of the room. Her shift was faster than usual, but other than that, she didn’t feel any different.
“Whoa.” Tony grinned at first, then simply stared at her.
She knew she was cute and fluffy in this shape, but what could cause him to make that expression? She hoped it was nothing serious. Maybe she had sauce on her fur?
Crud. Not having the ability to talk when in animal form was one of the most annoying things about being a shifter. She chittered at him and hoped he’d get the idea. Sure enough, a second later, he bent down and opened his palms, waiting for her to run into them.
She did and was surprised to scent anxiety and trepidation from her mate. What was wrong? Worry clouded her brain. Did she grow an extra tail or something? She needed to see herself in the mirror. Like now. Sofia squeaked and bobbed her head, hoping he would catch her drift.
“Alright, love.” Finally, he turned towards the floor to ceiling mirrors on the side of the bed and allowed her to look her fill.
Holy chinchilla! Sofia had never considered the possibility that anything like this could happen from a mating mark! First, she took in her size. She was about double the size she was before.
Still, not big for a shifter, but freaking huge for a chinchilla. Next was her newly red-tinted fur, as well as some sharp ridges along her now forked tail.
Opening her mouth wide, she counted two extra sets of razor-sharp fangs in addition to the incisors she was born with. But perhaps the most shocking was the pair of blood-red, bat-like wings that now protruded from her back. Excitement raced through her veins.
Did they work, or were they just for show? Not wasting another moment she tried flapping them, faster and faster, until she was flying around the room so rapidly, everything seemed to blur.
“Easy,” Tony shouted. He caught her before she hit the ceiling fan. “You okay?”
He cradled her to his chest, making soothing noises, That was much too good a position to waste in her fur. Next thing she knew, she was lying on top of him, kissing him breathless.
She hoped he wasn’t too disappointed with her new look. After all, she didn’t turn into a full Jersey devil like his cousin-in-law, but that was probably because of her shifter genes.
Speaking of shifter genes, FUC would definitely want to know about this side effect of mating a Jersey devil. She only hoped they wouldn’t want more than a blood sample.
“Aren’t you angry?” Tony asked once she stopped kissing him.
“Angry? What for?”
“Well, because of me, you’re different now,” he started and rubbed his hair.
“Isn’t it awesome? I bet FUC will want to get some samples to study the effects mating a cryptid has had with a traditional shifter. I mean, we didn’t think anything like this was possible before.”
“But are you angry?”
“No, I’m thrilled. How cool is flying!”
“Really?” He seemed both surprised and elated.
Sofia nodded. Of course, she was happy! What did he think? She snuggled into his chest, loving the way his arms instinctively wrapped around her. They both sighed, content to be with each other.
“Tony,” she whispered.
“What is it, love?”
“I love you,” she confessed.
“I love you too,” he returned immediately.
And she believed him. It was a little crazy, and very, very fast, but she knew in her heart that he was the only man for her. He’d given her more adventures in the short time she’d known him than she had ever had before, and from the looks of things, there were more on the horizon.
Sofia couldn’t wait. This chinchilla finally had her devil right where she wanted him, and nothing was going to come between them.
Not too far from the Canadian Rockies…
“They are calling us Scarab, sir. The name surprisingly close to our own moniker, SCAR.” The minion shuffled his feet nervously as he spoke to Dr. Wembley Ranklinger the sixth. The leader of Shifter Capture Alteration and Removal, a private organization that worked towards the complete abolishment of shifters, was not known for having a good and even temper.
“Are they? Well, I suppose we should applaud the clever little animals, shall we?”
“Uh, no, sir. I just meant–”
“Shut up, Harrison. Get me another subject, one that hits that PRIC detective closer to home.”
“No problem, sir. I already have a man on it.”
Same day in Philadelphia…
Julietta DiCarlo was unloading her groceries when a noise startled her from behind.
Squeak! She turned around nose twitching as she scanned the area for intruders. Her older brother Tony had taught her how to be prepared and to defend herself from any unwanted attention. Too bad he didn’t tell her how to avoid being shot with a tranquilizer gun at thirty yards.
“Fuck,” she groaned at the yellow tufted dart before her vision started to blur. She just hoped someone got the milk out of her new Jeep before it started to stink.
The end….for now.
There are more FUC Academy books coming!
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An Unofficial Glossary of Italian-American Words used in this book…
Minchia – (meeng-ya) male genital organ
Pasticcino – (past-ee-chino) cupcake
Oofa – (oo-fah) emphatic sigh
Strunz – (stroo-nz) literally a turd
Malocchio – (mal-ok-yo) evil eye
Nonna – (no-na) Grandmother
Panella – (pa-nella) rou
nd Italian bread
To Voglio – (tee vol-yo) I want you
Calmati – (calm-a-tee) Calm yourself
Bella/o – beautiful
Bellissimo/a – most beautiful
Fuhgeddaboudit – how wise guys say forget about it
Mannaggia – (mah-na-gee-ah) May evil take you (like wishing bad luck on someone)
Madonna mia – My Lady - referring to Mary, praise Mary, etc… it’s used as an expression
Mangia – (mah-n-j-ah) Eat
Simpatico – sympathetic/on the same wavelength
About the Author
Hi!
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I’m C.D. Gorri, Bestselling Steamy Paranormal Romance and Urban Fantasy/YA Author, Creator of the Grazi Kelly Universe, & Smashwords USA Today Happy Ever After Hot List Indie Author! I’ve always been an avid reader, with a profound love for books and literature. When I’m not writing or hanging with my family, I can usually be found with a book in my hand. I live in my home state of New Jersey, which often features in my work, with my husband, our children, and our dogs, Dash and Chewie.
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I want to thank you so much for picking up my first FUC Academy book! I hope you enjoyed Chinchilla and the Devil, I look forward to adding more to the series soon!
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Like stories about Wolves, Big Cats, Dhampirs, Bears, Dragons, Devils, and more? They are all in my books! You can learn about them on my website: https://www.cdgorri.com/pnrbooks.
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The Grazi Kelly Universe is growing by leaps and bounds, and I have plans to increase it even further. Be sure to check out how the Macconwood Pack all started with Wolf Bride and Charley’s Christmas Wolf.
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It’s back to my writing cave for now!
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del mare alla stella,
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C.D. Gorri
https://www.cdgorri.com
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Also by C.D. Gorri
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Blood Moon: A Grazi Kelly Novel 6
The Complete Grazi Kelly Novel Series: (The Grazi Kelly Novel Series Books 1-6)
Purely Paranormal Pleasures Tales
Christmas with a Devil, a Dragon King, & a Demon
Destined Mates: A Purely Paranormal Pleasures Anthology
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Keeping Magic
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Charley's Christmas Wolf: A Macconwood Pack Novel
Cat's Howl
Code Wolf: A Macconwood Pack Novel #3
To Claim A Wolf
The Wardens of Terra Shorts
Star Kissed: The Wardens of Terra 1.5
Moon Kissed: The Wardens of Terra 2.5
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Chinchilla and the Devil (Coming Soon)