Shadow Sentinels: Beginnings (A Paranormal/Urban Fantasy Wolf Shifter Romance)

by Karen Tomlinson

  I was busy cracking my knuckles when the door creaked open and that heady woodsy scent I constantly dreamed about blasted my senses. My whole body went rigid and on alert. Connor!

  “Ah, it’s you. Where’s Mr Rawson?” The head’s voice softened taking the harshness away, if only slightly.

  I looked up and then wished I hadn’t.

  Connor glared down at me, his eyes glinting.

  I schooled my face into a blank mask, but found it hard to swallow against my dry mouth. He looked good—really good.

  “Mrs Winter, I’m here on Rawson’s request. He’s out on assignment at the moment—as I’m sure Ember could have informed you…”

  He shot another glower my way. I stared back, my stomach flipping. I’d forgotten Rawson had left this morning—and Lyss worked on Fridays.

  Mrs Winter turned her gaze on me, at least it felt like it. I didn’t bother looking at her. “No, she didn’t tell me that. In fact, she hasn’t spoken a word about the incident—nothing at all.”

  “Really?” Connor’s eyes held a question and took on that intense stare he got when he was demanding an answer.

  No way was I explaining I decked Shannon because I was jealous. I held his stare, my eyebrows dipping and my nostrils flaring. The weight of his power pressed down on me, pulling at my will, making me want to go to him, to wrap myself around him, nuzzle that strong neck and confess my darkest secret.

  What the fuck...?

  Now I snarled, and pushed back. Making my spine snap straight, I sat bolt upright and refused to bend to his will.

  “That’s interesting.” A dark smirk curled his lips, one that promised he wouldn’t let the matter drop.

  I didn’t know if he meant it was interesting that I hadn’t explained why I’d lost my temper or that I’d just defied the pressure of his alpha compulsion.

  “Yes, well, Ember is now an adult and as of the end of today is no longer a pupil at this school. I need to wait for word of the other girl's injuries. If she is badly hurt I will inform the head of the agent training programme and recommend that Ember is dismissed into the civil training programme, instead. They will assess her there for her ability to maintain control, especially considering her history of assault during her time at this school.”

  My gaze shot to her. I couldn’t help it. My palms began to sweat, my heart racing, but I bit my lip, I’d only make this situation worse by protesting my innocence.

  Connor tilted his head and his eyes narrowed on me.

  Oh gods, he could hear my heart race, probably scent my heightened emotions, too.

  The civil training programme was really a way to ascertain if shifters could enter into human society and manage to live there safely; if they couldn’t control their shifts or anger and animal urges to hunt or kill, they were locked up...or destroyed.

  A man walked in front of the window. I stiffened. The geeky teacher, Mr Blaze, I’d heard him called, glared at me through the window. The light reflected off his glasses making his eyes seem like they were glowing.

  I swallowed. How could I have let Shannon get to me? Now I was going to have to grab my escape bag and run. There was no way I was letting them lock me up or put me down like a rabid dog. I shuffled, ready to bolt through the door.

  “... furthermore, Mrs Winter, the past incidents were years ago when Ember first started here. She was protecting herself from bullies then—as I am sure she was doing today. Perhaps, for all your ability to run such an upstanding school, procedures on the proper way for the school to handle bullying should be revisited. And let’s not forget, the older pupils here are about to go through their Primis and tempers can fray easily…”

  My attention snapped to Connor. Trust him to deliver an insult wrapped so tidily you think you should thank him. Mrs Winter looked like she was sucking a lemon. Her glasses had fallen down the bridge of her nose and she was giving Connor a really terrifying glare. He’d been leaning forward, hands on the big, old desk, but now pulled himself up to his full six foot five inch glory. Power pulsed again.

  I tilted my head, keeping my face neutral. Even I wanted to cower from the pure dominance he emitted.

  Mrs Winter tried holding eye contact. To give her her due, she managed longer than most female wolf shifters would with Connor; Mr arrogant alpha shifter extraordinaire. She eventually caved, though.

  I would have smirked, but my mouth was busy hanging open. Normally, he gave me as much of a verbal roasting as Rawson did.

  “.... and if any male is ever stupid enough to corner Ember and attempt to use his powers to hurt her again, if she doesn’t rip his throat out, then I’ll do it myself. Perhaps you ought to mention that in your report to the head of the agent training programme.” A growl rippled up his throat, his wolf near the surface.

  I stifled a gasp. When I was sixteen, a senior, who had just gone through his Primis, attacked me. He had cornered me, yanked my skirt up and torn my panties before I could even comprehend what he’d done.

  My stomach churned, and I swallowed hard at the memory.

  By the time I’d pulled myself together enough to fight off my attacker, his dick was out of his pants. It hadn’t ended well for him, but I’d been the one hauled into this very same office to explain myself. Again, I’d remained silent until Rawson and Lyss had arrived. It wasn’t until I’d shown Lyss my ripped undies, the bruises around my neck where he’d held me, and the scratches on my hips, that I’d been exonerated from any wrongdoing. Connor had never mentioned that day. I didn’t even realise Rawson had told him, but it had obviously stuck in Connor’s mind. Gods knew it was stuck in mine.

  Mrs Winter pressed her lips together and nodded hurriedly. I even felt a bit sorry for the hard faced cow. Having one of your past pupils come back and throw their powerful alpha vibes in your face must be a bit disconcerting.

  “Good. In fact, I’ll even have a word with Mr Evans myself. He’s the head of the agency programme, by the way—and a good friend.” Connor stepped back, and the weighty pulse of alpha energy receded from the air.

  Mrs Winter gave a little cough and pushed her glasses back up her nose.

  I released a breath through my nose and rubbed at the goosebumps covering my arms. I hadn’t truly appreciated how powerful Connor was until just that moment.

  “Of course, Mr Maxwell...”

  I almost barked a laugh at Connor’s disgruntled face. He really didn’t like being addressed so formally, though he had taken Lyss’s maiden name not Rawson’s surname to avoid confusion. He had never known his true surname.

  The door opened and Mr Blaze walked in. He met Connor’s gaze then immediately dropped his stare.

  Yeah, no alpha vibes with this one. The geeky teacher stepped to the edge of the room, as far from Connor as possible.

  “It seems Shannon is unhurt, and she can’t seem to remember what happened to her.” Mr Blaze shot a look at me.

  What? Did he think I’d done something to wipe her memory? That magical pulse might have done it but it sure as hell didn’t come from me.

  Connor’s brows dipped, but I didn’t miss the smirk on his full lips before he hid it.

  My mouth opened ready to blurt out the questions tumbling through my mind when Connor glared at me, so I snapped it shut. Black seeped into his blue eyes. His wolf. This time my chest tightened in response; those dark eyes were brimming with warning. Absentmindedly, I rubbed at my chest and looked away first. I couldn’t help it. Connor was powerful by himself, but together, he and his wolf were an overwhelming force. And they were both pissed at me.

  “I beg your pardon, Mr Blaze?” said Mrs Winter.

  Mr Blaze wrung his hands and glanced at me through narrowed eyes.

  “Shannon has no apparent injuries, and the girls who were with her seem to have forgotten what happened, too. In fact, I can’t find anyone who witnessed the situation.”

  “Really?” Mrs Winter peered down her nose at me.

  “I’m afraid so. I picked Shannon up
off the floor and there was no sign of an injury on her. She said she was fine, so I sent her home. It’s her last day anyway.”

  It was hard to keep the disbelief from my face, but I did.

  Mrs Winter frowned then raised her hands. “Well then, you may go, Ember. It seems your trip was wasted, Mr Maxwell.”

  Mr Blaze turned to me and looked over his glasses. “I’m not sure what happened today, but I personally think it deserves a bit more investigation. I saw Shannon fly backwards and hit the ground, even if I didn’t see how you did it.” Mr Blaze flashed Connor a dark look.

  Connor raised a brow looking totally unintimidated. He crossed his arms over his chest and took one step forward, then another. I raised my brows. The dweeby teacher actually stood his ground, though he couldn’t prevent the bead of sweat that ran down his temple.

  Connor grinned and reached out. He scooped it up with his forefinger, studied it, then grunted and wiped it on the shoulder of the other man’s tweed jacket. “I’m sure you won’t find a thing.”

  Mr Blaze grunted. “We’ll see.” He spun on his heel and left quickly, his footsteps fading away down the corridor.

  “Let’s go.” Connor headed for the door.

  I listened to him for once. This wasn’t the time to be giving Connor shit; besides, I couldn’t wait to get out of this school and never look back. Connor grunted a farewell at Mrs Winter, and he guided me out with a gentle, but firm hand on my lower back.

  Outside was hot and humid, with dark thunder clouds gathering over the Kent countryside. Fat raindrops hit my skin. “Oh, for...!” I grunted, rolling my eyes. Could this day get any worse?

  “Ember. Go to the car.” Connor gave me a gentle push in the right direction.

  I stiffened at the command in his voice and opened my mouth to tell him not to order me about. The warning on his face stopped me. Mr Blaze was just disappearing around the corner of the building. Connor’s attention focused on him like prey. Fed up with this whole situation, I shouldered my rucksack, lowered my head and set off at a run for the car. Getting soaked was not on my list of ‘fun things to do’ for today.

  “Ember? Haven’t you forgotten something?”

  I skidded to a halt and turned back. “What?” My brain was still trying to understand why Shannon had no injuries on her face. I smashed my fist into her chin and saw the blood as well as the burn on her skin. How could she not be injured, or her friends not remember what happened? It was bizarre. I remembered that energy pulse. Perhaps someone had fixed her face and her memory? I shook my head. The only people with supernatural abilities on school premises were the teachers, and they were mainly shifters, as far as I knew. No witches, wizards or mages were ever allowed on school grounds unaccompanied, and any pupil who had gone through their Primis was quickly moved into the programme chosen for them by the bureau.

  “Keys?” Connor quirked a brow at me. His blue eyes glinted with flecks of anthracite, the remaining blue twinkling brightly.

  I flushed. Great, even his wolf was laughing at me now. I stomped forward and snatched the keys from his finger. He turned away, ignoring my dramatics, and went after the geeky teacher with the stupid name. Trying not to think about what Connor was about to do to said geek, I got in the car, put my earbuds in and shut my eyes. Music was one escape that I loved. Tapping my foot and humming to myself, I almost managed to forget about Shannon.

  The car door opened, blasting me with hot, damp air. The smell of rain on hot tarmac drifted into the car, along with Connor’s spicy scent. I inhaled deeply unable to stop myself. My whole body instantly heated. My eyes snapped open, and my attention zoned in on his wet t-shirt, and how it clung to every cut of muscle on his chest and stomach. Jesus, I wanted to run my hands down that amazing body. My mouth dried out. It wasn’t fair that he could affect me like this.

  He reached in and gripped the steering wheel. Raindrops dripped down his corded forearm, falling on the denim covering his powerful thighs, which was already dark with moisture, outlining the strength in them. Heat unfurled low in my belly as my gaze honed in on what was between those thighs. Gods, I’d never been even remotely interested in sex with anyone—except Connor. I quickly closed my eyes again, trying to get myself back under control.

  The whole goddamn car rocked when Connor dropped his bulk into the driver's seat of the Mercedes.

  “Now, what really happened?” He twisted his body to face me.

  Just to annoy him, I pulled an ear bud out, and kept an innocent look on my face. “Sorry? What did you say?”

  His blue eyes narrowed. “Don’t give me that bullshit. You heard me.”

  I shrugged even though his power pressed in on me, compelling me to tell him the truth. I tilted my head letting my red hair fall in a soft curtain which hid my face from him. No way was I telling him the truth.

  “Did you lose control, Firecracker?” he said, more gently this time.

  I shook my head. “Not really. I just...nevermind.” I sighed, really not wanting to get into why I’d hit queen bitch.

  “What happened, then? And how is Shannon not injured? I’ve seen your moves, and you can pack a punch when you want to.” He chuckled.

  It was a deep rich sound that gave me goosebumps. Irritatingly, I flushed at his compliment.

  “I don’t know.”

  “Did you hit her?”

  Another shrug.

  Another chuckle. “I’ll take that as a yes. Why?”

  I clamped my mouth shut. “Bet I can get him to fuck me tonight too…”

  My heartrate spiked, and my hands heated in my lap. Smouldering. I hissed and lifted them off my legs before my clothes started to burn.

  “Hey.” Connor took my hands in his. “You only lose control like this when you're really upset or angry. It hasn’t happened for years, right?”

  “No.” I pulled against his grip. My heart jumped, I could hurt him.

  “Don’t worry, Firecracker, you won’t burn me. You can’t.”

  I met his gaze. “Why can’t I? I burn anyone or anything else I touch when Fire is riled.” Only… I blinked, my eyebrows pulling down into a frown. I’d never burned Connor, even when I’d been really pissed off at him. I’d lost control of Fire only once before; not long after I’d started living with Rawson and Lyss. A nightmare of flames and pain had sucked me in. I swallowed and tried to shake the memory of that nightmare away. Connor had woken me. My skin had been burning up, my bedclothes and pajamas singed. He didn’t even hesitate, just took my hands and led me to the shower. Flicking on the cold water, in nothing but PJ bottoms and me in a nightshirt, he stood in the stream with me, enduring the cold, and held me until he was blue—and I finally calmed down...

  “You just won’t.” He smiled and released my right hand. Gently, he tucked a bit of hair behind my ear. That soft touch sent a delicious tremor through my whole body, but I kept my gaze fixed on our joined hands. His hand surrounding mine felt so good.

  Silence settled between us. Connor was the only one who knew that my skin heated like hot coals when I got extremely emotional. After that night, he had vowed to keep my secret, and I had vowed never to tell anyone about his nightmares. I’d buried Fire deep in my soul, so that red hot flash of uncontrolled rage that had hit me today was very rare.

  Connor’s thumb brushed my knuckles, that gentle caress stealing my breath. The air in the car became thick with that deep musky smell I loved. I inhaled deeply and sighed, my body relaxing even as heat shot through me. I bit my lower lip and closed my eyes. It was the most heavenly scent I’d ever come across.

  A low rumble escaped from Connor’s chest.

  At that resonant sound, my breath hitched, but I didn’t dare look up. My reaction to the scent Connor was giving off was confusing, not to mention it sparked feelings that were useless. He could have any woman he wanted. No way was I going to fawn over him just so that he could reject me...

  Connor released me and turned his hand palm up. “See? I’m fine.” His voi
ce was lower than usual, a deep baritone that sent another wave of heat coiling between my legs. I squeezed my thighs tightly together. What the hell was going on with me? I hadn’t reacted like this with any other guy—ever. “You can’t burn me, Firecracker. Now what did that spoiled princess do to make you lose your shit?”

  Another gentle wave of power seeped into my skin, warming my flesh and bones. I swallowed hard. Between those alpha vibes, his touch and his voice, I couldn’t think straight. I met his gaze with my own. “Stop that.”

  “Stop what?” He raised his brows in mock innocence, his dark eyes penetrating my soul.

  “Hitting me with that alpha nonsense you use on everyone else.”

  His lips curled, baring his teeth in a feral smile. “I can’t help it, Em, it’s who I am. My wolf is always near the surface, just waiting to escape. I have to fight him all day, every day. And he’s more of a handful than ever when I’m near you. Besides, you seem to like it—when you let yourself.” His voice was a low purr now.

  I dipped my head. Once again, my hair fell forward in a heavy curtain and hid my heated cheeks. Oh gods! Could he really tell how turned on I was right now?

  He reached out and tucked my hair behind my ear again, letting his fingers brush through the silky strands. “I adore all this gorgeous red hair, but don’t hide yourself from me with it.”

  I shivered at his touch, and my eyes fluttered closed, a small moan of pleasure escaping me.

  A calloused finger touched the superficial cut under my eye. “Em…You still haven’t answered my question.” His voice was low, but that soothing purr was accompanied with another pulse of power; a big one that had me gasping.

  My blood instantly overheated. So did my skin. Fire awoke from her slumber, her attention perking up at my reaction to this alpha’s touch. She wanted to tangle with him, to pitch herself against him; to fight and to win. I snarled and forced her back. My wolf on the other hand wanted something very different; she wanted to submit, to let this alpha command her however he wanted.