by C. D. Gorri
“Hey.” He grinned, kissing her nose and her lips, taking his time to tease the plump upper one. “You said my name.”
“Well”—she shrugged—“we solved the case.”
“True. Sort of.” He frowned.
“Oh, my gods.” She sat up, jostling him to the side. “You’re right! Come on, I have an idea on where to find your missing Samantha Andrews!”
“What? Now?”
“Yes, now!”
Sergio didn’t ask again. He trusted his mate and her instincts. About time he showed her.
He grabbed some clothes from the dresser and handed her a pair of sweats.
“Sorry, Red, that is all I have.”
“No, it’s not.” She grinned. “Now you have me.”
Sergio’s Jersey bull snorted proudly at her statement. In fact, he was practically glowing by the time they dressed and went to pick up Tony and Sofia to follow Red’s lead.
Funny how he’d started out investigating her and it looked like she’d solved the mystery after all. Not that she was telling him anything yet. Didn’t matter. He had his mate, and he could wait till she was ready to spill.
Happy moo.
28
Sammi knelt down and lifted the “keep off the grass” sign Critter Control had placed on one of the grassy knolls on campus.
Following her hunch, she and Sergio, along with Tony and Sofia and a whole team of FUCs, were now in the process of removing the so-called humane traps and treatments CC had left to take care of the rodent problem on campus.
As suspected, the traps contained packets of food, heavily dosed with a toxic mix of chemicals identical to the ones in the lab where Sammi had been brought by her kidnappers.
Alyce Cooper met them there. She had her teams set up floodlights in certain areas so as not to disturb those with supernaturally enhanced night vision. Sammi was not gifted with such, but others were.
“I found something here,” Dawn—Everett Johnson’s mate—called out from her position on the ground near one of the underground tunnels’ entrances.
“Sergio.” Sammi waved in his direction, and he came bounding over.
The two jogged to where Dawn sat, cuddling something to her chest. As they neared, she saw it was two tiny critters. Gopher, to be exact.
“Is that…?” Sergio’s mouth opened.
His entire expression filled with awe. Big brown eyes went from the gophers to Sammi and back again. Soon, other critters filed out of the tunnel, including a six-foot American alligator that stretched the thing to its max capacity.
“They’re shifters”—Everett scratched his head—“but why are they hiding?”
“Because they escaped from the lab and Dr. Ranklinger has been going crazy trying to find them,” Sammi murmured, bending down to eye level. “Hi. My name is Samantha Andrews too. A lot of people have been looking for you, and they are anxious to talk to you. But we can wait until you’re ready, okay?”
“I don’t believe it.” Alyce Cooper sidled up to them, shaking her head. ““Codgill! Get me Mrs. Leeds on the line, and someone give Finn a courtesy call. I’m sure he’ll want to slither in on these events.”
A few hours later in a FUC meeting room…
“Red, this is Julietta Di Carlo and Dr. Damon Finn.” Sergio introduced her to the female he’d rescued that started this whole thing and the doctor who’d followed her when she left HOLE to find Sergio at FUCN’A.
Poor little mouse looked at her with enormous eyes, and Sammi had the distinct impression Julietta had been crushing on her bull. Eyebrows raised, Sammi let out a long exhale, figuring she could afford to be gracious. Especially since a certain steely-eyed doc was staring daggers at the mouse.
Sniff. Interesting.
The FUC agents familiar with rehabilitating rescued experiments set to work, providing food and water and guiding those who changed back into human form to their accommodations. The academy had a whole dorm section added on for experiments—shifters who needed a place to stay while they figured out how to embark on the next chapter of their lives, and humans-turned-shifters who had to learn how to control their new abilities.
Some agents stayed outside with those who still huddled in their animal shapes, needing time to shift back to their human forms.
“Here you go, Red.” Sergio strode toward her with a cup of coffee and, gods bless him, a cheese and cherry Danish.
“Thank you.” She smiled. “How did the conversation with Mrs. Spirito go?”
“Very well. Turns out her granddaughter answered a scam letter phishing for easy marks. Told her she was picked to join Her Majesty’s special mailing list and offered a scholarship to the school of her dreams in Canada.”
“No way!”
“Yes way.” Sergio snorted. “And the whole thing with that crazy number, the $117,632 loan we kept seeing? Nothing important. Turns out Randee the raccoon is a little more messed up than we thought on account of her evil scientist father experimenting on her since she was seven.”
“Wow! I can’t believe it.”
“Mrs. Leeds told Tony to give FUC access to her. It was a good idea. She will finally get the help she needs.”
“I am glad, but I am worried about these shifters, Sergio. I mean Ranklinger is crazy. And we lost him.”
“It’s okay, Red. We will find him. Now, how are you, really?”
Exhaustion was starting to make her droop. Concerned, the beguiling bovine grabbed a chair and, to her confusion, sat down. Then he pulled her close and balanced her gently on his lap and understanding dawned.
Snuggling closer, she held her goodies and sipped the coffee, but that was not enough for her bull. Rubbing her back with one hand, he took the pastry and fed her bite by bite.
“I can’t believe we found all these missing shifters,” she said when she could not eat another bite.
“You found them, Red. And I can believe it. You are a FUC agent after all.”
“Hardly.” She sniffed, shaking her head.
“Didn’t I tell you? Alyce Cooper wants to see you first thing tomorrow.” He grinned widely, dropping a kiss on her cheek.
“What? She wants to see me?”
“Yep. Said she needed you to keep digging into this investigation since Ranklinger got away. Now that we know he is the evil behind the group known as SCARAB, we have to find him.”
“But you’re a PRIC, Sergio, and if I’m going to be a full-fledged FUC, how can we work together?”
“Aww, come on, Red. Did you forget I’m the detective in charge of this particular joint task force?”
“So, you mean…” Excitement buzzed through her, and she scissored her feet, squealing with joy. “You’re staying?”
Sammi bit her lip, waiting as the bull looked at her through his deep, espresso-colored eyes. Then he smiled, and his entire face blossomed. She could hardly breathe for the love and happiness she saw shining in his adoring gaze.
Just imagine, the wedgie hedgie herself had found and claimed a mate!
Joyful sniff.
“Of course, I am staying, Red. How could I ever leave you?”
“Oh, Sergio.” She sighed and melted into him, snagging his lips in a long, languorous kiss despite all the FUCs, PRICs, and ASSs milling about.
“Let’s get out of here,” he growled against her lips, and she had to admit she loved that Jersey accent of his. Who else could make heeya sound so awesome?
That rumbly growl of his that started deep inside his chest and vibrated onto hers had her girly bits blushing and swelling with need. She wanted him so much. More now that she’d had a taste.
“You got me, Red. Every single inch.”
“Good,” she sighed, and she meant it.
She loved all his inches. Every last one. And there sure were a lot of them.
“Come on, Red.” He stood up and led her to the car they’d borrowed from Director Cooper. “We’ll let everyone else take point while you and I get to know each other.”
“Oh, really?”
“Yes, really.”
“I’ll agree if you tell me one thing.”
“What’s that?”
“Why do you call me Red? You said it the very first time you saw me. But my hair is dark.” She turned to face him and noted Sergio’s cheeks were currently the only crimson things in the car.
“Well, you see…” he began then sucked in a breath.
He held it in for a moment before releasing it. Like some form of meditation, she thought. Then he turned to her with his heart in his eyes and damn if her own didn’t swell three sizes right there.
“I call you Red, sweetheart, because to me you’re like a red flag waving in front of my bull,” he said.
“You mean I vex you?”
Sammi exhaled, a little disappointed. She was confused. Yes, they were mates, but not all mates loved each other. Still, her hedgie was anxious to hear him out.
“No! Well, maybe a little”—he chuckled—“but only when you go off and get yourself kidnapped.”
“Oh, I see, so I am vexing, but you think it’s okay?”
She sniffed, mildly placated.
“You are interesting, Red. You can’t deny that. Vexing, too, but certainly not in any way I can’t handle.” He took her hand in his big, warm one and kissed her fingers.
“But what I mean is you are my red flag, waving just for me and my bull.”
“Is that a good thing? What if I drive you nuts? What if the wedgie hedgie strikes again and I cause some major disaster?”
“Hell yeah it’s a good thing,” he growled.
“Sergio, be serious.” She worried her lip.
“I am serious. Seriously crazy about you. I mean just looking at you drives me nuts, Red. Knowing you exist in this world with me is pure magic. You are 100 percent amazing,” he crooned, and sucker that she was, her hedgie’s heart melted. “A red flag isn’t a bad thing at all, sweetheart. You’re my weakness, my strength, my whole heart, this mystical force calling me, tempting me, pulling me toward you. I am dazzled by you, Red.”
“You are?”
“Fuck yeah.”
“Take me home. Show me,” she demanded, and her bold bovine beamed at her in his happiness before pressing the pedal to the metal.
Twenty minutes later, the two of them were wrapped around each other with nothing between them at all. Sergio’s magnificent cock pressed between her pussy lips, begging entrance, and she widened her legs, cradling his enormous girth as she welcomed him inside of her.
“Heaven, Red. Being inside you is pure heaven,” he growled, crushing his mouth to hers.
Sammi had never had much luck with men, but kissing Sergio, making love to him, had her feeling like a goddess. He stretched her walls with his mighty thickness, impaling her over and over again with his forceful thrusts.
“Sergio,” she moaned, and then she couldn’t speak at all.
“Mate,” he growled and pumped faster, harder, swirling his hips and touching her in the perfect spot so deep inside she thought she saw stars.
She didn’t think she could take anymore, but he proved her wrong. Rising up onto his knees, he took her legs and pulled them up against his shoulders. Every slide of his cock drove her wild.
From this position, she felt every inch of his thickness get sucked down even deeper by her greedy pussy.
Hell yeah. He was gorgeous and insatiable. And holy hell, he was making her come. Sammi bit her lip, but her bull would have none of that. With blunt fingers, he tugged her flesh gently from her teeth.
“Lemme hear you, Red. I want that scream. It’s mine,” he growled, eyes glowing gold with his beast.
“Yes! Oh, Sergio!” She howled his name as her back arched, wringing out every single inch of pleasure she could take from him.
“Red!” he screamed soon after.
His movements were rough, jerky, almost violent, but no less deep, no less tender. Sergio came hard, bathing her sheath with his cum, making her see stars.
They lay there a while without moving, a boneless heap of limbs struggling to breathe. Sammi had never felt so well-loved in all her life.
“It’s ’cause I do, Red,” her bull growled as he righted their positions and draped a cool sheet over their damp bodies.
“What?” she asked, not realizing she’d spoken aloud.
“I love you, Samantha Marie Andrews.” He grinned and moved to kiss her.
Sammi was game, but she needed to set him straight about one thing. She pulled back at the last second, causing him to frown.
“Call me Red,” she commanded.
“You sure?”
“Hell yeah. I’m Jersey sure about you, my big-hearted bovine.”
Of course, she pronounced it shawww.
“Oh, you’re gonna pay for that. Makin’ fun of my accent,” he growled.
Sammi giggled as Sergio found her tickle spots in no time at all. She was more than willing to pay the price for messing with her bull.
“I’m gonna like being mated,” he said, kissing her lips when he finally gained the upper hand and settled over her.
She wasn’t about to tell him she let him win. He could figure that out later.
Epilogue
“Pssssst! Harrison!”
“Yes, boss?”
“I think they’re gone,” Dr. Ranklinger whispered as he crawled through the sludge filling the septic tank beneath the abandoned Critter Control building he’d been using as a base of operations for months.
His hair-brained daughter, no, he wouldn’t call her that, his subject had gotten them caught. Ugh. He knew she’d be trouble from the beginning, but what could he do? After her mother had died, relatives had sent her to him, and he had no choice but to try to cure the child of her shifter woes.
Unfortunately, he might have messed a few things up psychologically, but he was not going to admit that to anyone. For a while, she’d done well securing their funding through stolen identities that hurt no one important. Just shifters who he then sought to cure. They should be grateful, really.
“Yeah, but maste— I mean Dr. Ranklinger, I think your test subjects have been rounded up by FUC and PRIC.”
“Never fear, Harrison. We shall get more test subjects. I will rid the world of the shifter menace once and for all! My new formula is almost ready.”
“Oh, how brave and noble you are! Treating us poor, lowly creatures! Bless you, master! Shifter Capture Alteration and Removal will be a great success! I just know it.” Harrison trembled in his glee.
“Yes, I am noble and brave. Come on, it is time to retreat back to our Place of Operations Proper.”
“Can I, master?”
“Oh fine, Harrison, go ahead,” he relented.
“Back home to POOP!”
“Ugh.” Dr. Ranklinger shook his head.
He might have to deal with cretins like Harrison for now, but soon the world would know of all he’d done to cure the shifter disease plaguing them. And he would get his daughter, cough, subject back too.
I am ever gonna get anything right? Julietta wondered as she walked across the FUCN’A courtyard to WANC. Seeing Tony, and Sofia had been great. So great she thought she’d stick around. But why did she have to run into him of all people?
Stupid stuck-up snobby snake-man!
Squeak! Even her mouse had something to say whenever she was around Dr. Damon Finn. The man was just so… so…
Gorgeous. Sexy. Hot.
Ugh. It was hopeless. She was a sucker for men who ignored her. And ignoring her was easy to do considering she was mousy, even for a mouse.
How was a girl like her going to get a guy like him to notice she existed? Then it hit her as she passed the office of the registrar.
OMG. Brilliant!
Julietta knew exactly how to build her confidence and make an impact on the world.
She was going to get FUC’d!
The End
Or is it?
* * *
Damon Finn could not believe th
e little mouse shifter was his fated mate. Even worse, she’d gone awol! What else can this serpentine surgeon do, except follow her to FUCN’A? Find out what happens next in Mouse and the Ball by C.D. Gorri coming in 2022!
And there are more FUC Academy books from other authors coming your way soon!
To find out more about these books and more, visit worlds.EveLanglais.com or sign up for the EveL Worlds newsletter. If you haven’t already downloaded the free Academy intro (written by Eve Langlais) make sure you grab it at worlds.evelanglais.com/wordpress/book/fucacademy1!
An Unofficial Glossary & Acronym Appendix
Zia- (zee-ah) aunt
Zio- (zee-oh) uncle
Oofa – (oo-fah) emphatic sigh
Nonna – (no-na) Grandmother
Impastata- (im-pahs-tata) mixed ricotta cheese
Bruthah- Brother in New Jerseyan
Heeyah- Here in New Jerseyan
Fuhgeddaboudit – how wise guys say forget about it
Shawww- Sure in New Jerseyan
* * *
FUC: Furry United Coalition
FUCN’A: Furry United Coalition Newbie Academy
WANC: Working and Administration Networking Core
ARSHOL: The Animal Rescue Special House of Learning
ASS: Avian Soaring Security
PRIC: Private Resourceful Investigative Contractors
DIC: Detective in Charge
COC: Complaints on Campus
HARD: Habitable Accords & Resolutions Document
HARDER COC: Habitable Accords & Resolution Document En Response to a Complaint on Campus form
MMM: Maude's Meatless Meals to go is Maude’s food delivered (pronounced like mmmm)
HOLE: Home Office for Life-Threatening Emergencies (pop-up medical clinics used by multi-organizational task forces during operations)
Also by C.D. Gorri