by Lia Davis
She took a couple of steps back and sat down on the bed. The bit of padding provided by old blankets and things made it quite comfortable. She patted the empty space beside her and watched him as he joined her.
Ever since he had entered her mind for the first time, she had picked up on bits and pieces of his personality and character. She had some idea of who he was, but the gaps in her knowledge were huge.
I want to learn everything about you, she thought.
Eric leaned toward her and cupped her face again like he had done just before that first kiss. She trembled and closed her eyes.
Me too.
When Eric's lips touched hers, he was filled with a fire even more intense than the one he had felt the first time around. Was it going to be like this each time? As far as he had heard, a couple's attraction, once mated, would never fade.
Shifters who were lucky enough to find their true mate would stay faithful their entire lives. Till death do us part. He pulled away to get a better look at her.
Janine's eyes opened and it was like he could see into the depths of her soul. This was the woman he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. He would take her back to meet his folks as soon as their schedules allowed. Once their situation here was a bit clearer, he wanted to make a home with her, perhaps even start a family, if that was possible.
His fingers trembled slightly as he traced the outlines of her face, down the sides of her neck, soon reaching the collar of her uniform. She continued to look at him throughout.
Is this okay? He pulled his eyebrows together, awaiting her response.
She simply reached for his shirt and pulled him closer, lying down on her back as she did so. He did not need further prompting. His hands started their feverish struggle to rid her of her clothes as she started to fumble with his.
The small fire he had made had grown a bit and provided much needed warmth in the old wooden cabin. It was starting to get cozy. Not that they needed much outside warmth.
Her skin burned against his fingertips with a heat he had never come across before.
This wasn't his first time with a woman, and he imagined it wasn't her first time either. But it might as well have been—that was how different it felt. Her soft, pliable skin invited more detailed tactile explorations.
It hadn't taken long for both of them to find themselves completely naked. The rough fabric covering the mattress grazed his knees, but that did nothing to discourage him. Each time he looked at the woman below him, time seemed to stand still.
Nothing mattered anymore. Not her concerns about keeping things professional until the end of boot camp. Not even his worries that his work with the New Alliance had potentially made things worse. All they had been through had led them to this point. Now that they were truly together, they could take on the world.
"Kiss me," Janine moaned.
Eric muffled her demand with his lips, but she shook her head. Not there.
He covered her neck and shoulder in kisses until he reached the right spot. His lips and tongue teased and flicked at her nipples, first one, then the other, causing her to writhe against the bed.
This place wasn't perfect. The bed was not too comfortable for her either; he could sense it. But she showed no signs of regret, so he put his concerns aside and focused solely on giving her pleasure. The fact that they were finally together made everything more precious.
He slipped one of his hands between them, exploring the gentle curve of her side and her stomach, until he reached the soft mound of her sex. She leaned up and nibbled his neck, which sent shivers all the way down his back.
When the tip of his finger found its way in between her folds to her most sensitive spot, she cried out his name. Her already frantic heartbeat surged once again, almost matching his own. To his sensitive ears, it sounded like the beat of a drum, thumping faster and faster, setting the pace for their intimate dance.
"Don't tease me. I need you," she demanded, as she grabbed a handful of his hair.
He grinned down at her. Despite her much smaller size and more fragile physique, she had spirit, even in bed. Your wish is my command.
He had barely finished the thought before pushing her legs apart and getting in between, aiming his rock hard cock at her already moist entrance.
She bucked her hips upward, signaling that this was exactly what she wanted.
He did not wait any longer and entered her.
"Oh God yes!"
Her body invited him in, surrounding him like a soft but tight sheath. His mind grew cloudy; the details of their surroundings faded until it was all just a blur. The only thing in full focus was her. Her face, glistening slightly in the flickering light of the fire place. Reddened cheeks, feverish eyes. Her body worked with his in perfect harmony, thrusting and pulsating. Hips gyrating, muscles contracting.
Every move of theirs contributed to a shared goal. Pleasure.
He held on to her hips, raising her off the bed and onto his thighs. She reached out for his neck and lifted herself against him.
Now that they were sitting rather than lying down, she was in control. This was how she liked it, Eric could tell by her quickened breaths.
He held her in his arms as he continued to make love to her, faster and faster.
Little moans had escaped her lips when they just began, but by now they’d stretched and grown more intense. Luckily, the cabin was remote enough that they would not be overheard, not even by a shifter.
She started to shiver and tremble in his arms as he felt her approaching climax. They were one now.
Her pleasure was his pleasure.
As the tension inside her grew, he found himself closer to the edge as well.
A pool of energy collected inside his core, pulsating in tune with their hearts, which had started beating in sync. With every thrust, it grew bigger and bigger until Eric felt ready to explode.
But it wasn't him who went off first. Janine shuddered against him and cried out his name again.
"Oh, Eric!" She dug her fingernails into his back, as though she did not mean for him to ever escape her grasp.
That sent him headfirst into his own orgasm. He grew rigid as his hot seed passed through his shaft and into her. It was a magnificent feeling, satisfying not just himself but his inner animal too.
He cradled her in his arms as they continued to sit up on the bed. Steam came off their naked bodies as they tried to catch their breaths.
After what felt like an eternity, he picked her up off his lap, allowing them both to lie down on the mattress. She had her eyes closed, though she was still awake. He listened to her slowing heartbeat and ran his fingers through her messy hair.
This was a sight he would not often get to see, especially not in front of others. Janine was always completely put together; he'd seen as much even the first time they met.
Neither of them spoke, aloud or even telepathically. They did not want to disturb the moment. And that was how they stayed for another ten minutes or so.
Their bubble of perfection burst much too soon as the sound of Janine's phone interrupted the silence. Eric could feel she was reluctant to let go of what they’d just experienced.
You'd better get that before people start to suspect something, he suggested, even though he felt the same.
She sighed and checked the caller ID.
"Shit, it's the general," she mumbled.
Eric kept as still as he could as she tapped the screen of her phone to answer. "Yes, sir?"
A gruff male voice spoke on the other end. He was loud enough for Eric to hear every word. "Major Williams. I was hoping for an update."
Janine closed her eyes and Eric wrapped his arm around her tightly. The call could not have come at a worse time.
"The cadets have completed Phase Two today," Janine said.
"Surely heads will roll now?" General Stone demanded.
"Actually, Sir, I must say they performed much better than we could have foreseen."
; "Meaning?"
"They've all passed, Sir. They've made it to Phase Three."
Eric could hear Janine's heartbeat speed up again, though it seemed to sound different now that she was anxious rather than aroused.
"Don't tell me you've already announced their results?"
Janine glanced at Eric. Well sort of, now I have. "Yes, sir. It was self-evident. They know how they performed."
The general grumbled a few choice curse words on the other end. "And Phase Three?"
"Police procedures, laws, and regulations, sir. Secretary Teese has arranged for an expert."
"You had orders, dammit! Alpha Squad was not meant to succeed!" the general roared.
"Sir, we did the basic training and the advanced training, including survival and target practice. We even did parachute training just like instructed. They performed well against all odds. Every single one of them. If they are unable to pass the theory test at the end of Phase Three, that's a different matter, of course."
"Well. You'd better hope that they don't, Major," the general spat, then hung up.
I thought you weren't going to tell him yet? Eric wondered.
Janine closed her eyes and snuggled against Eric's still naked shoulder. I've never been good at lying to people.
Eric smiled. Fair enough, neither was he. So we'd better make sure then that everyone does well during the coming weeks, he thought.
Indeed. I'm relying on your help, Janine responded.
You can always rely on me.
Chapter 14
Phase Three started with police procedures, courtesy of the expert instructor Secretary Teese had sent over. It was quite the learning curve, not just for the cadets, but for Janine as well, who sat in on the training.
If everything went according to plan, they'd be ready for action soon. And every single one of them, including Janine, needed to know how to handle the general public.
She found it difficult to concentrate; the memories of the night at the cabin had etched themselves into Janine's mind, making it hard to simply brush them aside. At the same time, Eric had taken on the role of star pupil; no matter what subject was being covered, he was ready to ask insightful questions.
As it turned out, there was quite a bit of overlap between the police training and his own shifter training topics.
Today's discussion: strength and abilities.
In a way, it was a relief for Janine to take a step back and let someone else take the lead on the training. The weeks that had passed so far had been stressful; they weren't an ordinary group of recruits, making their training even more challenging than a normal unit.
Of course, as Eric started to speak, Janine had trouble staying objective.
"Today Mike demonstrated some police techniques for restraining and subduing suspects. I hope you don't mind—" Eric glanced in the direction of the other man, who had stuck around to participate in Eric's session for the day too. "But a lot of these methods will not work for shifters. Here's why."
Eric waved Mike over. "Cuff me, if you please."
The hairs on the back of Janine's neck stood up. She had never known herself to have a dirty mind, but now, everything was different. She held her breath and tried to focus as Mike opened his handcuffs and approached Eric in much the same way he had taught the group earlier in the day.
But when he made a move to grab and twist Eric's arm behind his body, the maneuver failed. Eric's arm simply did not move, no matter how hard Mike struggled. It was obvious from his red and flustered complexion that he had put his all into the staged fight. Eric, meanwhile, had not broken a sweat as he stood his ground.
"You see, bear and wolf shifters possess the strength of about two to three human men, depending on their level of training. Female shifters are at least twice as strong as their human counterparts as well."
Mike stood back with his arms folded. "What's the solution? This sort of thing is going to become more and more important to regular law enforcement as well."
Janine looked around. Cadets Blackwood and Adam King seemed to have enjoyed the demonstration so far—they were grinning like schoolboys—while Cooper's face could barely disguise the shock at what he'd seen. Not the brightest of the bunch, the former Border Agency man.
Even if Janine had not gotten to know Eric so intimately lately, she could have guessed at the shifters' superior strength. All the physical tests she had put them through during the first week of boot camp had shown her as much.
Eric straightened himself as he addressed the group, including Mike. "Well, it's all about finding weaknesses. Sometimes the only way to win would be to fight dirty."
The sound of a chair being pushed back made Janine turn to check the back of the group. Bentley had gotten up.
"Mind if I have a crack?" he asked, his chin jutting out in a show of confidence or arrogance, Janine could not be sure.
Eric raised an eyebrow. "Sure thing, mate. Do your worst."
Janine inhaled sharply. Things were about to get interesting.
Bentley approached Eric in a few long and resolute strides. Then he placed his hand on top of Eric's shoulder and grabbed his arm.
Eric let out a growl, but much to Janine's surprise, her man was forced onto his knees, with a triumphant Bentley beside him. The man had actually managed it. Eric glanced up and gave Janine a reassuring look. He was fine, even if he didn't look it.
"And that's how you do that," Bentley quipped. "Nerve points, lads! You'd be surprised how useful a little knowledge of anatomy can be."
"Right. That's what I was coming to," Eric confirmed as Bentley released him from his hold. He rubbed his shoulder and faced the group again.
"I've prepared a little diagram. Adam, if you could hand a copy to everyone." Eric gestured at the pile of papers on the table next to the wall. "Applying the right amount of pressure will give you an edge in hand-to-hand combat. Of course, this won't work if the shifter decides to change form, but it's better than nothing. I would also suggest the use of Tasers. We'll have to experiment a bit to figure out how many amps would be needed to effectively disable a transformed shifter."
Janine watched as Mike, the police trainer, took notes, and everyone else studied the diagrams. Funny, to think that the supposed expert sent in to train the team ended up learning a thing or two himself.
Eric's brother and Blackwood exchanged an apprehensive look. Janine supposed that they did not enjoy having their weaknesses exposed to the rest of the group, especially Bentley.
But if they were going to be effective at their jobs, this was exactly the kind of thing they needed to learn. With Bentley's and Mike's help, Eric demonstrated a few more moves that could effectively be used on shifters, then had Cooper repeat all of them once as well.
As soon as Cooper had managed to successfully copy even the final maneuver, Janine got up from her seat and nodded at Eric. "Good job, Cadet King. This has been extremely helpful."
You ain't seen nothing yet, Eric's voice spoke in her mind.
Perhaps you'll show me some more moves later, Janine teased.
"All right, I think this is enough for today," Eric addressed the whole group.
He had really taken to the role of trainer very well. It built on his strengths and experiences leading a New Alliance team. Janine suppressed a smile. She was lucky to have him on her side; actually, the entire squad was lucky. This right here was what would set them apart in the field.
Things were looking good. So long as nothing else went wrong, they would be unstoppable.
The remaining weeks of training went by in a flash. Despite the general's warnings and threats, everyone, including the weakest of the group, Cooper, had passed the written examination conducted by Teese's expert police trainer, as well as any tasks Eric had set for Shifter Awareness Training. There had been no stopping the squad.
Janine's gamble of somewhat coming clean with General Stone had paid off, so the invitation to today's ceremony would not have come as a complete shock
to him.
The other thing that had paid off was her affair with Eric. Since that first night in the cabin, they had visited the place a few more times to spend more time together alone and get to know each other. So far, nobody had caught on, which was a relief.
Now, as she stood on the grounds outside their barracks in front of her team as well as the handful of other attendees representing the government, Janine could not feel anything other than proud. They had come so far in such a short period of time. Alpha Squad had made it against all odds.
Even the chilly October winds and onset of drizzle could not dampen her spirit.
General Stone, who stood toward the back of the group, glared at her, but his approval did not matter to her anymore. Despite everyone's differences and initial hiccups, the team had passed with flying colors. They were now ready for action.
"I'm not good at speeches, but I just wanted to tell everyone you've all done a great job," Janine began.
She scanned the crowd. All eyes were on her, but she remained unfazed and remembered the notes she had taken for today's occasion.
"In this past month and a half, we have come a long way." Janine looked at Eric in particular, then forced herself to pay attention to the others as well. "We all came from different professional backgrounds, carrying with us different sets of experiences and different strengths. But now, after the intense training we've been through, we have grown together, adapted, and learned more about each other. And though we started as a mere collection of individuals, we have now become a team."
Janine paused as she noticed Oliver Teese, fidgeting with a folded up piece of paper he had just retrieved from his inner coat pocket. Was he planning to make a speech next? Typical politician. She felt like rolling her eyes, but suppressed the urge.
"This unit is the very first of its kind, and that brings with it not just great responsibility, but also immense opportunity. We will be judged not just by the media and general public, but also by other agencies." Janine glanced over at General Stone, who looked even angrier.
"But I truly believe that we can do some good work together. We can make a difference. We are Alpha Squad!" Janine raised her voice to signal the end of her short speech.
