Suave as Shift

by Keira Blackwood

  “Marks her how?” she asked.

  “In the heat of passionate lovemaking, he gives her a nip, hard enough to scar, hard enough to last a lifetime.”

  “Ouch,” she said.

  “Are you afraid of pain?” I asked.

  “No.” She answered without hesitation. “I’m not afraid of anything when I’m with you.” Her blue eyes sparkled, and I felt that magnet pulling me to her.

  I took a step closer.

  A rustling sound echoed through the tunnel behind me. I froze. We both did.

  It was here—the Alu.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Juliana

  Lincoln turned and bolted, throwing his suit jacket to the ground by my feet. Had he seen something? Heard something? I could only guess.

  “Lincoln?” I called, and cautiously hurried to catch up. The pathway was dark. I stuck my phone in the front pocket of my shorts. The light cut in and out while I walked, but I held tight to the handle of my weapon, and tighter to the salt. I knew it sounded stupid, and I’d teased him for it, but if Lincoln wanted me to have salt, I trusted in the damned salt.

  I trusted him.

  I trusted him. I loved him. I didn’t want to just leave Barbetta with him, I wanted the claim he’d talked about. I wanted him to be mine, and for me to be his, forever.

  Getting to that forever took surviving the now.

  “Lincoln.”

  There was noise up ahead. Fighting noise.

  How was he so fast that I couldn’t see him? I knew how—shiftery powers—but it was going to take some getting used to.

  I reached the end of the path, which opened into a small dirt room.

  A giant tiger circled a man in a hooded black robe. Was that it? Was this the thing that hurt my sister?

  As if he could read my thoughts, the man jerked his head toward me.

  Without hesitation, I twirled, spilling salt on the ground around me. I watched the crystals fall and made sure the salt was shaped into a complete circle.

  A fierce growl echoed through the small space.

  I looked up, and found a face right in front of me, or the shape of one. There were no eyes, no mouth, only a canvas of pale, stretched skin with sunken pits where eyes were meant to be. Alu.

  Stabbing panic pierced my chest, instinct pushing me to flee. Crunching alerted me to the ground below. My shoe crushed part of the salt barrier behind me, as I’d taken a step back without realizing.

  Fuck.

  I lifted my heel, expecting the circle to be broken, expecting the Alu to charge through and attack. But the barrier was still intact.

  I let out the breath I hadn’t realized I was holding.

  The Alu was so close I could touch it, but its feet remained set just outside the circle. Its head twisted as it raised its hands in the air.

  I stood straighter, righting my feet.

  A snarl filled the tunnel, reverberating through my chest.

  Lincoln.

  I smiled.

  A blur of motion, the tiger charged from the darkness. Claws flashed through the air as Lincoln lunged at the Alu.

  The Alu’s knee bent as it lost its balance. It reached a hand over its shoulder, swatting.

  Finally, the monster turned, unable to ignore the giant tiger that clung to its back. Lincoln clawed and bit, tearing clothing and flesh from the Alu.

  I looked down at the salt circle around my feet, to the dagger in my waistband. I pulled the blade free.

  Hissing and snarls filled the air. Lincoln held tight as the monster thrashed to free itself from the tiger’s jaw.

  It was hard being stuck in place. I wanted to help.

  The Alu threw the tiger from his back. Lincoln thudded into the wall, his body falling limp to the floor.

  As the Alu kneeled over him, fear welled in my gut.

  “Lincoln, get up!”

  His furry legs kicked, but he didn’t rise.

  Images of my sister lying face down in the street flashed through my head. It couldn’t happen again. I wouldn’t let it.

  I looked from the salt circle to Lincoln.

  Fuck it.

  My knuckles whitened and my palm went numb as I squeezed the hilt of the dagger. I lunged forward, pointy stabber first, and impaled the creature in the neck.

  Hot, smelly gas spewed from the Alu’s wound, where the red-bladed dagger was still lodged.

  I took a step back.

  With a hiss, the creature turned, abandoning Lincoln, and grabbed hold of my legs.

  Holy fuckballs.

  Sharp nails pierced through my soft flesh. I cried out in pain. My muscles gave, and I fell to my back.

  This was it. I was going to fucking die.

  The faceless beast stood, tightening its grasp, then dragged me farther into the darkness.

  I kicked and thrashed, scraping my fingers across dirt and stone, reaching for something, anything to grab hold of.

  “Lincoln!” I turned my head to look for the fallen tiger.

  His fierce golden eyes shot open and met my pleading stare.

  The tiger rose unsteadily to his feet. He shook his head and narrowed his eyes, then bounded forward and dove at the Alu.

  Lincoln’s sharp teeth clamped around the creature’s neck.

  The pointed claws in my legs released and my feet dropped to the floor.

  My calves stung, seared with pain as if the creature still had a hold on me. But my feet listened when I told them to move, if clumsily.

  I searched the ground for my blade, only to remember I left it in the damned creature.

  A high-pitched screech echoed through the tunnel.

  The monster lay on its back, pinned to the floor by the tiger, limbs flailing.

  Lincoln closed his jaw around the Alu’s neck.

  And silence reigned.

  The Alu lay still, clothes tattered, skin torn.

  Lincoln took a step back and shifted, returning to human form. I ran for him, but he held out an arm.

  “Wait.”

  I froze in place.

  He reached into the bag and pulled out an axe.

  “Get the salt.”

  I did as I was told, grabbing the canister from the circle I’d abandoned.

  Lincoln lifted the axe high above his head.

  “Throw that shit all over the body.”

  I did that, too. “Good?”

  “Yeah.”

  I took a step back, and Lincoln dropped the blade to meet flesh. There was a crash, and then silence.

  Lincoln abandoned the handle, blade lodged in the dirt, and reached his arms out for me.

  I ran to him and snuggled into his bare chest. He wrapped me in his arms and held me. It was over. It was really over.

  “I thought I told you to stay in the salt circle.” His lips curved up on one side, and his eyes narrowed playfully.

  “Shouldn’t you be thanking me for not listening?” I looked up and met his gaze.

  He caught me by surprise, with a kiss. I kissed him back, loving the feel of him, and just plain loving him. It was over. We were okay, both of us.

  Lincoln leaned his forehead against mine and closed his eyes. His chest moved in slow, even breaths, the feel of it calming my nerves.

  “Thank you.”

  I smiled up at him. “That wasn’t so hard, was it?”

  “No, not so hard at all.”

  “So what happens now?” I asked.

  “I can’t leave this thing here,” he said. “So I brought a shovel.”

  “Awesome. I always wanted to bury a demon. But you might want some pants first.”

  “Yeah,” he said. “Sounds like a plan.”

  I watched Lincoln dress, and then I watched him dig. With only the one shovel, there wasn’t much to do but wait and watch.

  It gave me time to appreciate the way his arms moved and the way his muscles flexed. He was strong, and fun, and I wanted him to be mine.

  He made the best sounds while he worked—the scrape of th
e shovel on dirt, the deep grunts and growls that came from his chest.

  Everything else was quiet, no distractions from enjoying the show.

  The ringing of my phone caught me by surprise.

  “Hello?” I pulled the thing out and answered, my attention still set on Lincoln.

  “Jules.” The voice on the line was weak, soft, and I could barely hear her speak. But I’d know that voice anywhere. My heart was full. I could hardly contain my excitement, so when I spoke it came out as an overly-enthusiastic squeal.

  “Emily!”

  Lincoln stopped what he was doing and looked up at me with a bright, hopeful gaze, one I knew was mirrored on my face. No, I wasn’t just hopeful. I was filled with joy, pure joy.

  “Jules, I don’t know...what happened.”

  “It’s okay, Em. I’m on my way. Everything’s going to be okay.”

  And I knew, for the first time in a long time, that it really would.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Juliana

  The car didn’t move fast enough. My feet didn’t move fast enough. Nothing but instantaneous space-age teleportation would have sufficed as I raced to Emily. Since we didn’t have that, we drove, ran, and took the elevator.

  “Don’t do that.” Lincoln’s eyes were wide as he clung to the back rails of the elevator.

  “Do what?” I looked up and met his gaze.

  “The bouncing.”

  “Oh, I didn’t even realize I was moving,” I said. “And I thought Tiggers loved to bounce.”

  His smile spread from ear to ear. “You can’t believe everything that you hear.”

  “True,” I said. “This box must be snail powered. Open doors. Open. Open.”

  “You’re excited to see her.”

  “Of course I’m excited.” I nudged his side with my elbow. “And are you...afraid of elevators?”

  “No.”

  “Liar.”

  “I’m reasonably cautious about jostling death boxes more than is necessary.”

  “Uh-huh.”

  “You know how tough I am.” He gave me a wink, but his fists were still clinging hard to the railing.

  “I know, you wrestle demons. Probably poke rattlesnakes just for fun, too. But elevators. That’s where the danger is.”

  He pulled me in against his side and kissed the top of my head. “I’ll have you to protect me though, right?”

  “To hell and back.”

  Lincoln nodded. “To hell and back.”

  The doors opened, and I raced down the hall, straight for my sister’s room.

  Shelby was there by the bedside, talking to Emily.

  And Emily was sitting up. And talking back! She looked tired, but when our eyes met, she smiled.

  I hopped on the bed next to my sister and pulled her into a hug.

  “Whatever the virus was,” Shelby said, “it seemed to clear up quickly. Everything looks good, Emily. A day or two of rest and the doctor will clear you to go home.”

  Shelby tapped her palm on my shoulder and headed for the door.

  I turned to Em. “How are you feeling?”

  “Like I don’t want to spend another two days in bed.” Her voice was dry and cracked as she spoke. Dark circles surrounded her eyes, like she hadn’t slept in a week. Funny, since she’d slept for two.

  “Yeah, I can appreciate that.” I took her hand and squeezed.

  “You know, I don’t even remember what happened. They say I sleepwalked or something.”

  “Or something,” I agreed. “But it’s over now.”

  “And there were others?”

  “Three.” I turned to see Lincoln leaning in the doorway. I didn’t hear him arrive, but I sensed his closeness. And I was glad he was here to share this with me.

  “Tell me he’s with you.” Emily bounced her eyebrows and gave me a tired but knowing grin.

  “Yeah, he is.”

  “They’re all awake,” Lincoln said, crossing over to us.

  I watched the way he moved—confident, strong, effortlessly sexy in that suit.

  “So you’re not from Barbetta,” Emily said.

  “CDC,” Lincoln said.

  “Wow.” She looked at me again, approvingly. “And you two met over my nap?”

  “We did.” I took his hand.

  “I’m Lincoln,” he said. “It’s great to meet you.”

  “Emily,” my sister said. “You, too.”

  She leaned closer to my ear. “Is it serious? He’s looking at you like it’s serious. Penis wall serious?”

  Lincoln’s smile spread from ear to ear.

  “Yep, and he’s got great hearing, FYI.”

  Emily nodded and snort-laughed. I’d missed that laugh.

  She looked up at Lincoln. “Tell me you’re leaving town together. Jules has just been spinning wheels here, biding her time. She could use an adventure.”

  “Em, I can’t go anywhere until you’re back on your feet,” I said.

  “Don’t stay for me,” she said. “You have to live your own life. I’m happy in Barbetta. You’re not, and that’s okay, always has been.”

  “Thank you.” I felt like a weight had been lifted. I hadn’t realized that I’d been waiting for just that, for my sister to tell me what I already knew. She’d be okay without me, just like I’d be okay without her. It was time. Well, after she was home from the hospital. That was non-negotiable.

  We visited a while longer, small talk mostly, as Em and Lincoln got to know each other. And when it was time to go, I knew what I wanted next.

  We drove back to my place, and Lincoln walked me to the door. He turned, like he meant to leave.

  “Don’t,” I said.

  He turned back.

  “Stay,” I said.

  Lincoln threw his arms around me and lifted me up off the ground. I squealed in delight.

  “I’m ready,” I whispered, meeting his gaze.

  He set me down softly. “Ready for what?”

  This time I wasn’t nervous to tell him exactly what I wanted, even though it meant more. It meant forever. “Give me your mark.”

  His lips crashed over mine and I threw my legs around his waist. Excitement flowed through me like a flood.

  This was the start of our life together, this commitment, this night. And I was ready because I loved him.

  I fumbled with the keys as Lincoln trailed kisses down my neck.

  “Right here,” he whispered against my skin. “It’ll hurt. It has to scar.”

  “I can take it,” I said.

  The door opened, and Lincoln carried me inside.

  I tore off my shirt and let it fall to the floor. Lincoln kissed my chest, warm lips trailing over the tops of my breasts.

  “Upstairs,” I breathed.

  He carried me, and I held on tight.

  Maybe I should have been nervous, but I had nothing to fear. I wanted the tiger and the man. And right now, I wanted his cock.

  As if he could read my thoughts, his eyes darkened and he squeezed a hand on my ass. A shot of excitement carried through me. This was it, this was our night, our bonding. And I was going to enjoy the hell out of it.

  “Which door?” he asked. His dark eyes blazed with hunger. Hunger for me.

  I nipped the lobe of his ear between my teeth. “End of the hall.”

  He picked up the pace, running the last few steps. I bounced in his arms, laughing at the awkwardness of it.

  But then the soft mattress caught me as Lincoln dropped us down.

  He shucked his clothes. I did the same with mine.

  “All the firsts you’ve been missing,” he said, “I’ll give them to you. All the orgasms, too.”

  His lips were all over me, and his hands. I closed my eyes and gave in to him, gave into the pleasure.

  At first, he was slow and deliberate, teasing my breasts until I thought I’d come just like that. But then he moved to my clit. Over and over he worked his magic, gifting me with all the pleasure I could stand before I melted
. Then he started again.

  “I promise to always do the opposite of what you tell me to do,” I said. “And I’ll always have your back.”

  That earned me another go ‘round.

  I reached for his cock, but he wasn’t having it. He kept it from me until I’d lost count of my orgasms, lost count of hours and days and any grip on anything outside of my bedroom.

  “Please,” I begged. “I need...”

  I sucked in a deep breath as he pressed in. Full, content, and exhausted, I lay on my back and stared up at him.

  He kissed me softly then tilted his hips.

  The sensation was too much. Lincoln was too much, and also just right.

  When I couldn’t think anymore, couldn’t stand anymore, Lincoln bit my neck, just where he’d said he would, giving me the gift I’d wanted more than anything else, a promise to be his. His teeth stung as they cut, but the pain was worth it.

  That was it, and I tipped. My head fell back as we climaxed together, joined as one. In that moment, and in life.

  When I found the energy to speak, there was only one thing I wanted to say.

  “I love you, Lincoln Lollygag Blake.”

  “I love you, too, Juliana.”

  Epilogue

  Lincoln

  Two years and dozens of missions passed before my mate and I returned to Georgia. This time as partners. Our mission took us to a swamp fifty miles south of the town where our adventure first began.

  There, in a small hut, was a nest of vampires. We struck at sunrise, but the canopy of thick foliage blocked out most of the sunlight.

  I was first through the door, but Juliana kept pace. For every vampire I took down, she killed one too. A dark hole was in the center of the floor, a rope ladder staked to the side.

  “Should we flip for who goes first?” she asked.

  “You know it should be me.”

  “Sounds like you forfeit.” She started down into the darkness before I could object.

  “You know I’m more resilient,” I said. “What if there’s a pile of hungry vampires down there just waiting for something sweet to come to them?”

  I teased her, but I wasn’t really worried. She was as capable as I was, a complete badass in her own right.