A Taste of Shifter Geekdom: Shifter Romance (Vanguard Elite Book 2)

by Annie Nicholas

  Blain took a deep breath. She could hear him sniffing as if following a trail.

  She inhaled, smelling damp earth and fungus. Without her vision, she had to rely on her other senses.

  They hit another crossroad. The air smelled fresher straight ahead and this was where Blain led them. Julia wagged her tail. So that’s what Pallas meant when he taught them about finding their way with their noses.

  Continuing through more tunnels, they followed the scent of fresh air until the stars twinkled ahead. With a yip, Darrell broke ahead.

  Blain stumbled into Julia. The blind wolf had done well on the worn and familiar track but this was a new path.

  Darrell barked, leading Blain by sound. Julia stayed behind him, nudging him if he wandered off the trail. He trusted them both enough to barrel ahead at full speed. This place was new to all of them. God knew what Pallas had in store for them next.

  Julia’s heart skipped a beat as Darrell ran ahead. What if there were more traps? Lungs on fire and legs threatening to quit, she ran neck and neck with Blain.

  Darrell cut in front of them and came to a sudden stop.

  She and Blain skidded to a halt while Penny slid right into them. They rolled into a tangle of paws and tails.

  Something sharp poked her back and stabbed into her flesh. A pitched bark was her only way of communicating the danger to the others.

  Darrell pulled Blain off Julia and nosed her fur.

  She twisted around. Barbed wire had snagged her skin.

  With gentle teeth, Darrell pulled it free.

  The sharp pain of tissue tearing made her whine. It was much harder to suppress her emotions in this form. Animals had no need to lie. She crawled away from the trap and stood with the other wolves. Ahead, Ian and Clare crept on their bellies. She met Darrell’s puzzled glance.

  Not a trap, but another obstacle. The whole field to the manor was covered with barbed wire. Pallas must have set this up after they started running. Their alphas were crawling through the sharp obstacle.

  Darrell lowered himself and began to scout a path.

  She waited with Blain and Penny. The omega leaned heavily on her. She seemed ready to collapse.

  A commanding bark caught their attention. Julia offered Blain her tail for him to hold in his mouth. The way was too complicated to maneuver by sound alone. She followed Darrell’s route like the world’s weirdest conga line. They traveled under the wire, pausing when someone got snagged.

  Once they crept through the last of the wire, they raced for the manor where Pallas stood vigilance with a stop watch and a clip board looking very much like a track coach instead of a blood thirsty vampire task master.

  As they passed, he called out their names and wrote on his board. He knew their wolves by sight? Not many non-shifters had that talent. Julia added it to her conspiracy theory.

  Ian and Clare waited in human form, dressed with water bottles in hand. Mud caked their faces.

  “Shift,” Ian commanded. “You’re the second group in so you’re safe from being sent home.”

  Julia collapsed on her belly and closed her eyes. She’d just lay here until morning. Thank God, thank God, she passed. She didn’t know how long she rested and gave thanks. When she finally lifted her head, she noted that Darrell had shifted, cleaned the mud off, and dressed.

  He sat next to her, stroking her dirty fur. “You okay?” He offered her a bowl of fresh water, which she gulped empty.

  She climbed onto his lap and pressed her head against his chest. Solid and strong, she needed that foundation in her life. She never had someone to lean on until she met Darrell. How could she continue without it?

  “Are you too tired to shift?” He whispered in her ear, his breath warm and his voice smooth. “Another huge wave came in and the last ten should be here soon.”

  She gave him a quick lick and found her pile of folded clothes. Shifting hurt more when exhausted. The process was slow and grueling. She should have eaten and slept first but she wanted to talk to Darrell more. Once the process had finished, she dressed.

  Darrell helped as if she were an old woman, but when she hugged him to share warmth, the hard package in his jeans told her he didn’t think of her in that way.

  “One,” shouted Pallas as a wolf trotted pass him on wobbling legs. It startled as if the vampire had shot at him. “Shift, dress, and pack.”

  Clare drew the wolf aside, speaking quiet words.

  Julia’s heart ached worse each time Pallas repeated those instructions as a wolf crossed the finish line to home. That’s what the manor had become to her. Home. Being kicked out of the boot camp would be like being homeless. Packless.

  Chapter Ten

  Darrell clenched his jaw shut and watched as ten of their fellow campers climb onto the school bus still parked on their front lawn. He understood why Pallas couldn’t keep them all. The vampire wanted a small elite force by the end of the weeks of training. Darrell’s soul burned from shame at being glad he and the others of his close group of friends weren’t among those ten.

  He held Julia tighter. The sharp shooter test was approaching fast. He couldn’t bear to watch her climb on that bus. “We’ll get up early tomorrow afternoon and continue your rifle training.” He didn’t pull his gaze away from the bus but felt Julia nod her head that rested on his chest.

  Penny hovered close to Clare. The alpha female paled as she hugged each member of the ten going home. A few climbing on the bus shed tears, but most appeared relieved. Maybe in the end it was best they returned to their packs. Not everyone wanted to be a fighter.

  Ian stopped next to him on his way to the bus. “Thanks for keeping an eye on Penny and Blain during the race.” The alpha fiddled with his keys. “Clare and I shouldn’t have left them behind.”

  “We can’t keep covering for them either. That might eventually get them killed.” Darrell didn’t drop his gaze when Ian glared at him. Dominance wise they were matched, but Darrell could care less of being a leader. Hunting and providing were his priorities.

  “We’ll discuss that later.” Ian climbed aboard the bus so he could drive the ten to New York City.

  “I’m going inside the manor.” Julia slid out of his arms, leaving a void around Darrell. She pushed through the crowd, moving slow and deliberate.

  Darrell watched her until she went through the front doors.

  Blain had been standing behind him the whole time. He must have heard Darrell’s callus words. “Don’t be a dumbass. Go get the girl.”

  “Hey man, what I said was wrong.” Darrell rubbed the back of his neck. For a shifter, he was a great liar. He’d always been able to control the nervousness people experienced when not telling the truth. His control kept his scent steady. Didn’t mean he liked to lie, but he shouldn’t have said that where Blain could hear. His friend deserved better.

  Blain shrugged. “As far as I’m concerned I saved your ass in the caves.”

  Darrell hung his head. “I’m a jerk.” If not for Julia, he wouldn’t have crossed the pond. She’d kept her cool and never left his side. They worked better as a team than individuals. He had to keep that in mind for the future. “Tonight’s been a good lesson in humility.” He slapped Blain on the shoulder. “You’re right though.” What the fuck was he doing out here with Blain? “I need to get the girl. Do me a favor?”

  “Find someplace else to sleep? No problem. We have ten empty bunks.”

  With Ian on a road trip, that gave Darrell the room to himself. “You read my mind.”

  “Don’t get caught and give Pallas an excuse to send both of you packing.”

  Darrell scanned the horizon. “It’s almost dawn.” He winked at Blain then realized the other wolf couldn’t see it. “I better check on her.” He jogged to the manor, hopping the steps, and entered the building. He found Julia alone in the pack room, pacing. It looked like she’d already washed off most of the mud.

  She stopped dead in her tracks at the sight of him. “We have to talk.” M
ud still smeared her cheeks and her hair fell in tangles around her shoulders. She never looked more beautiful. They spent the night struggling together and they made great partners. A shifter couldn’t ask for more in a mate.

  “I’m sure we do.” He crossed the space between them in three strides. “But later.”

  She wrung her hands. “I have something to confess.”

  He wrapped her in his arms. Her soft curves molded to his body as he bent her backwards and claimed her mouth. Whatever she had to confess could wait. Nothing she had to say would change that he wanted her.

  She clung to his shoulders, her lips parting as she made a surprised noise.

  Slow and sure, he explored the soft lines of her mouth. He loved the pronounced bow of her upper lip and how it felt on his tongue.

  Julia arched her back, pressing the mounds of her tits to his chest.

  His cock went from stiff to rock hard. He’d glimpsed her naked before they shifted but looking and touching were galaxies apart. Whatever the future held for them, today, this morning and afternoon would be about them. Only them. No vampires. No packs or alphas. No fucking tests or town or rifles. In one swift move, he broke the kiss and tossed Julia over his shoulder.

  She squeaked. “What are you doing?”

  He lifted her and headed for the stairs. “Tucking you in.”

  “My roommate’s going to freak, Darrell.” She wiggled to get free and almost sent them tumbling backwards.

  “I planned on using my bunk.” He gave her a playful spank.

  She went still.

  He paused. Had he hit her too hard? “Julia?”

  “What about Blain?”

  “Taken care of.”

  She swatted his ass. “What are you waiting here for? Move it.”

  He raced the rest of the way to his room and set her on his bottom bunk. Not the sexiest place for their first time together but it beat the cold ground of the practice range. He wished he could make this moment special. He didn’t want her thinking this was meaningless sex. “Julia.” His throat tightened with emotion and it came out as a whisper. “I wish we could go somewhere nicer…” Wished he could afford to take her to the finest restaurant and best hotel.

  She laid her fingertips over his lips. “We can’t leave the boot camp. I know this.” She pulled his sweater over his head and dropped it on the floor.

  He worked on his jeans. She didn’t understand. He could never do those things for her.

  Julia tugged her own clothes off as they raced to see who could strip the fastest.

  His boxers came off last. He lifted his head and the world stop rotating.

  She stood against the bunk bed, elbows against the top mattress, completely nude. Rounded breasts peaked with hard nipples bounced as she gave them a little shake. He didn’t think his cock could get any harder. She proved him wrong. Her tapered waist curved into generous hips and thighs all covered in creamy skin. Where to start?

  The hungry desire in Darrell’s eyes set Julia’s heart racing. She’d never had a man stare at her with such stark need. A shiver of fear ran down her spine. This shifter wanted her as much as she wanted him. What if she didn’t live up to his expectations? She’d only been with males of her pack, and Darrell was nothing like them. Never had she wanted to please another person more than now.

  He ran the back of his knuckles from her collar bone over her left breast and brushed her sensitive hard bud.

  She gasped at the contact. Her core wet with longing.

  “You’re so beautiful,” he whispered. His eyes had changed to his wolf’s and she responded in kind. He ran his nose in her hair and inhaled, only a breeze of air separated their bodies.

  She feared moving. She didn’t want to break the spell that had fallen over them.

  “I’ve always wondered if I’d ever find you.” He traced her face with his gaze. “It’s hard to believe that you’re real.” His words echoed how she felt. She never dared dream of finding her one true love. Fate had led her straight to him. She had to run away from her pack and endure the boot camp’s hardships, but she do it all over again to be with Darrell.

  “Let me show you how real I am.” She sat on the bottom bunk and guided him to stand between her knees, giving her a good view his cock. It curved, hard and thick, poking his stomach. A bead of pre-cum trickled from the tip. She bent forward and licked it.

  He hissed, gripping the rail of the top bunk. “I don’t know if this is a good idea. I’m really close.”

  She smirked. “That sounds perfect to me.” Grasping his shaft, she guided him into her mouth. Iron wrapped in silken skin touched her tongue. He tasted like a male of the earth, salty and dark.

  He stood still as stone as she stroked him deeper, taking him in her throat, and caressing his shaft. He was so quiet. Was she doing something wrong? Did she dare glance at him? Maybe she was boring compared to other females. Then he shuddered and gasped for air. “Fuck.”

  She released him in her relief. He was holding back. She ran her hands over his sculpted abs. “Relax.” She wasn’t sure she was speaking to, him or herself. They could both use a stiff drink.

  “I don’t want to hurt you.”

  “I’m not made of glass. And maybe, I want to hurt a little. I let you know if you go too far.” She returned attention to making him shudder. He moved his hips with each of her stroke, helping to go deeper. Tangling his fingers in her hair, he cradled her head, angling it perfect so he could fuck her mouth.

  His molten gaze captured hers. His gentle thrusts grew more erratic. “Oh, yes.” Darrell always seemed in control. Yet she made those walls crumble. A power that not even her alphas or her task master owned.

  She moaned, sucking him harder, running her teeth over his delicate skin.

  “Shit.” He threw back his head, eyes closed as he pumped his hips faster. “Oh yeah.” He drove deeper and stopped.

  Clinging to his ass, she held him there and swallowed to constrict her throat muscles around him.

  He groaned, his body going ridged and tight. His cock jerked in her mouth as his seed spilled. “Oh, yes. Yes.” His hands clenched the bunk and the metal groaned under his shifter strength.

  She drank him in, taking what belonged to her. No other would have him. He belonged to her from now on. She would paint an off-the-market sign and hang it from his shoulders.

  He pulled free of her lips and sagged to the bunk, catching his breath.

  “Do you need to rest?” They had just completed the Fit to Win course. She could understand the need for a nap.

  He pushed her onto her back, the narrow bed barely enough room for one, and spread her legs. “Do you?” His fingertips trailed between her nether lips. He spread her wider and contemplated her pussy.

  “No…”

  “Good, I have plans for you.” He slipped a finger inside her and stroked her inner core with a firm touch.

  “Do you?” Her breath hitched as he stroked her again. Sex with someone she loved was so different than she’d expected. She couldn’t touch Darrell enough. Couldn’t get close enough.

  He withdrew his finger and sucked it in his mouth.

  “Oh.”

  He smiled as he licked it clean.

  “I’m not opposed to that.”

  He returned to stroking her inner muscles, thumb rubbing against her clit. “So tell me, Julia, how would you like to me fuck you this afternoon?”

  “I have options?”

  “Slow and gentle. Hard and fast. In bed, on the floor, against the wall.” He paused. “Top bunk.”

  She laughed and cupped his face. “Let’s start with this.” She kissed him. Simple, lip to lip, taking her time. Their tastes mingled.

  He crawled on top of her, his hands cupping her breasts and kneading them together. He kissed one then the other. “I changed my mind.” Lowering his head, he sucked on a nipple until it ached.

  She arched her back, the pleasure intense to the point of pain. “Oh God.”

 
; He released her. “I think we’ll do this for the rest of the morning.” He repeated the same thing to her other breast.

  “Darrell…” She moaned

  Pushing her tits together and releasing them, he continued to kiss and nip every inch.

  Her pussy ached from lack of attention. She slid her hand between them, hoping to release some of the ache.

  “No cheating.” Darrell clasped her wrist and brought her hand up to her nipple. “You can touch here.”

  She ran her hands over her breasts, stroking them. “Do you like to watch?”

  “I’m more of an interactive guy.” Raised on his arms, he pushed the tip of his cock inside her. Teasing her by going just inside before pulling out. When she raised her hips, he compensated by moving his, keeping from going deep. He bent his head to her hardened, aching nipple and blew a cool breath. It contracted, sending a jolt of pleasure so intense she cried out.

  He thrust at that point, driving all the way inside her.

  She clenched her inner muscles as s sensual burn spread through her core. Incomprehensible sounds fell from her lips and he drove himself into her again and again. He spread her legs wider, guiding them around his waist so he could push even deeper.

  Sweat soaked Julia’s hair as she clung to ass. “Yes.” She kept repeating the answer to his unasked question.

  He pulled free of her hold.

  She rose to her elbows. What now?

  He climbed out of bed and flipped on her stomach. There wasn’t any room for him on the bunk bed to mount her from behind so he laid her across the narrow bunk, legs on the floor and head to the wall. On his knees, he pressed his chest to her back, hand snaking around to her pussy. He trust from behind, entering from another angle.