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    Gorilla in the Hiss: FUC Academy, #31
    Gorilla in the Hiss: FUC Academy, #31
    Gorilla in the Hiss: FUC Academy, #31
    Ebook234 pages3 hours

    Gorilla in the Hiss: FUC Academy, #31

    By Jodi Kendrick

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    About this ebook

    Gorilla in the Hiss

    A spoiled kitty. A repentant gorilla. A secret love affair.

    Katharine Karak's shiny new job at the FUCN'A is all about teaching cadets how to fit in with the one percent.

    Zeek LeBrute swore he'd never return to the fight rings. Instead, he's been teaching Academy cadets what he knows about fighting to survive.

    No one knew that Katz and Zeek had a brief secret affair that changed their lives forever.

    Neither had any idea their new paths were about to collide and set their plans ablaze in a sizzling dance of resistance to distracting passions.

    When Darcy Karak and Caleb Terry ask them for help on their first big FUC case as agents, Katz and Zeek are faced with hard decisions for their families, the shifter community…and themselves.

    How can this passionate kitty resist becoming distracted by such a hot gorilla to focus on her goals?

    This gorilla may have to overcome his kitty's hisses with kisses to prove it isn't too late for them.

     

    Gorilla in the Hiss is book #31 of Eve Langlais' Furry United Coalition Newbie Academy (F.U.C.N.'A.)  EveL Worlds.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherEveL Worlds
    Release dateAug 16, 2022
    ISBN9798201904777
    Gorilla in the Hiss: FUC Academy, #31
    Author

    Jodi Kendrick

    Jodi Kendrick is an author living in Eastern Ontario with her family.  A history enthusiast and word dabbler most of her life, she enjoys exploring ‘beyond-the-everyday’ and the ‘time-before-now’, discovering relationship threads weaving individuals through time and place.  She writes fantasy romance, historical romance and sometimes delves into horror, dark fantasy, speculative and paranormal.  She’s rarely seen without flashy notebooks and colorful pens. 

    Read more from Jodi Kendrick

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      Book preview

      Gorilla in the Hiss - Jodi Kendrick

      1

      Katz stifled a yawn as she rushed along the path from the Furry United Coalition Newbie Academy—FUCN’A—housing to the Working and Administration Networking Core—WANC—building.

      Day one of the new job.

      Swiping her clammy palms across her thighs, she smiled at the cluster of students she passed on the steps up to the door.

      First day and already late.

      It couldn’t be helped. She’d had to delay her flight.

      Mummy had needed her for a last-minute meeting that ran late into the night before she was due for another round of negotiations on another business deal on the other side of the world.

      Exhausted and impatient, Katz had initiated a lengthy disagreement.

      Katherine Karak knew her mother was actually attempting to sabotage Katz’ choice to work for the FUC Academy for a couple of semesters. The late night had ended in a volatile argument. It was uncharacteristic for Katz to engage in full-on confrontation with her predatory mother.

      But that was last night.

      She’d caught a red-eye and arrived but had managed only a few hours’ sleep.

      So I was inspired by my brother Darcy’s ability to break free of our parents’ plans to bind him to the family business. In her nervousness, she’d been explaining this to the administrative secretary, who stared expressionlessly at Katz.

      Her lioness mother was a CEO and owner of a corporation that specialized in mergers, acquisitions and management consulting. She had her claws in every aspect of the family business—including her children’s private lives.

      Lovely, the secretary said in a pinched voice. Please complete these forms while I retrieve your employment package. She rose from behind the desk, gaze flicking up and down Katz. This was due last week. Further tardiness will not be tolerated, Ms. Karak.

      Typical WANC’er.

      Snatching a pen from the countertop, Katz moved toward the windows with their wide ledges that stretched toward the ceiling, resting the clipboard and forms against one ledge for better visibility and to catch a bit of sunbeam-basking while she worked.

      She drew a deep breath and began filling in the forms.

      Katherine Karak. Twenty-three. Shifter type—Feline. Was that enough, or did they need specifics? Caracal. Next of kin… Darcy Karak, brother, shiny new FUC agent.

      That will piss Mother off—to not be named as my next of kin, she muttered, tapping her pen against the clipboard.

      Former employment. Family business—lifetime.

      She drew a deep breath to dispel the encroaching sense of suffocation that the idea of spending her life working in the family business, without any modicum of autonomy, brought.

      All this is in my resume. Why do I have to fill this out again? she grumbled then glanced back toward the counter to ensure the WANC lady hadn’t heard her, not wanting to erode her first impression further.

      She put the pen on the ledge and pinched the bridge of her nose.

      Katherine, you know you’re no good without a solid ten hours of sleep. You’ll never make it through the day without chomping someone.

      She glanced at her watch.

      How long till nap time?

      Hours still.

      Eyes closed, she turned her face upward, soaking up the morning rays streaming through the glass.

      Nearly finished? The WANCer’s clipped voice startled Katz, interrupting her purring.

      Her eyes snapped open and turned down to the forms. No. Yes, ma’am.

      She raced through the rest of the questions, belligerent muttering sprinkling her space under the window.

      She turned on her heel, plastering her professional smile across her face as she approached the desk to deposit her completed forms.

      The woman slid a fat envelope onto the counter, and Katz’ clipboard disappeared behind the barrier. Everything you need is in there. Your schedule and campus map are on top. Your first class is—she rotated her wrist, checking her watch—in about an hour. Good luck and welcome to FUCN’A.

      An hour! Katz squeaked. I thought I wasn’t starting classes until Thursday.

      The WANCer shrugged. I don’t make the schedule, Ms. Karak. Good luck, she said again in a clear dismissal.

      Aren’t I supposed to have a guided tour of the campus? Shoot—that was yesterday!

      She swallowed the rising panic as she strode back toward the outer door and shoved it open.

      Breathe. Calm. Think.

      She spotted a bench tucked under a majestic tree and headed toward it. Setting her oversized purse on the bench, she dropped down next to it and tore the top of the envelope open.

      Best get started.

      Schedule first.

      She glanced at her watch and then searched for a pen from her bag.

      First things first.

      She did indeed have a class in an hour. Leafing through the pages, she got herself calibrated as to what her next steps were then matched the schedule and classrooms to the map.

      I can do this.

      Just like arriving late to a business conference with presentations to slam. The only difference was the audience. Instead of pinch-faced magnates set in their ways, she’d be facing open-minded shifters from all backgrounds with the single goal of being the best FUC agent they could be.

      And it’s my job to help them do that.

      First lesson. Adaptability. In any situation.

      Including this one.

      With another glance at her watch and the map, she stood and slung her bag over her shoulder. Time to go.

      Whatever other prep work needed to be done would be done mentally on the way then on the fly once class started.

      I can do this.

      I have to do this.

      Now I understand the pressure Darcy was talking about.

      Except, this time, Katz was instructing, whereas Darcy had been learning.

      If Darcy can do this, so can I.

      Mother won’t win on this.

      I’ll prove I can succeed at whatever I choose to do, without her support.

      Remember to use your opponents’ momentum. Yes, that’s right. Just like that, Lydia, Zeek LeBrute said before turning to observe the next student’s stance in the training facility on the FUCN’A campus.

      Squirt, he said, looking down.

      King Kong Junior.

      Zeek grinned.

      Bryah Lam grinned back.

      How are the flying lessons coming along? he asked, adjusting the height of her loose fist and pushing her foot into the proper distance.

      Bryah shrugged, allowing Zeek to adjust her stance. Smooth. Instructor Columba and I only have a few more sessions before she heads back to ASS.

      Is she taking Joe Suricatta with her when she goes back to the Avian Soaring Society? He unnerves me.

      Bryah laughed. No idea. But he unnerves everyone. Don’t worry about it. She swung her arm, fist connecting with an easy block.

      Better. Harder next time, Zeek said. Punch like you mean it.

      Didn’t want to hurt you.

      Zeek scoffed but grinned at Bryah. She was the best friend of his cousin, Corra Terry, and girlfriend of Corra’s brother, Caleb Terry.

      Her foot snapped up toward his chin.

      Angle is wrong.

      How do you like working here? she asked before her foot came up again.

      Better. It’s good. Not what I expected. I’m still amazed they accepted my proposal after everything that happened.

      Bryah shrugged. Guess they see your potential. You proved that you’re not like your dad and grandfather, she said, referring to incidents involving his cousin Corra last fall. How are the renovations coming along at the family estate?

      Try the next combination of strikes, he instructed, repositioning himself for her attack. Great, since Mom took over. The new gyms look fantastic. It’ll be great running legit businesses now. We’re hoping to start interviewing for new hires soon.

      Awesome. You should have a party or something. Maybe you can get Darcy’s sister to help with that. I think that’s her thing—make it all sophisticated and stuff. Whoops! Are you okay?

      She stared, wide-eyed; her strike had connected unexpectedly.

      Zeek’s ears rang as his pulse tripped. He nodded and chuckled. Lucky hit while I was distracted.

      Bryah’s eyes narrowed on him.

      He could see the clockworks ticking behind her assessing gaze. Yeah, I’ll keep that in mind. Keep up the good work, he said, moving on to the next student.

      You’re coming to The Hub tonight, right?

      Maybe, he said as he assessed Vo’s stance. It was perfect, so he just clapped him on the back and moved on, putting more distance between himself and the too-curious and observant squirrel shifter his cousin was dating.

      He cursed under his breath.

      She’d caught him off guard with the mention of Darcy Karak’s sister.

      Katherine Karak. Katz.

      Distant acquaintance—very distant—as far as the world knew.

      Sophisticated was the perfect word to describe the beautiful feline shifter that his gorilla-self seemed to take an interest in. So much so he’d wanted to beat his chest in territorial declaration when they’d met all those months ago.

      Focus, Zeek.

      Shaking off the surprise mention, he got his head back into the job at hand: Instructing FUCN’A cadets in the finer points of whole-body martial arts in human form—in this class. There was also one for augmented fighting techniques in shifter form. And a blending in with the shadier sector of human populations role-play class.

      Street smarts.

      He glanced at Bryah again. Something that she and Corra were already well adapted for.

      However, many of the other students were from middle- and upper-class backgrounds and had no notion what happened below the third floor, let alone in trailer parks or inner-city zones where the street sweepers couldn’t reach.

      The underbelly of society that agents might have to mingle with.

      Zeek’s specialty, as well as fighting dirty when necessary.

      A world he’d left behind, with Caleb’s encouragement, but he couldn’t argue that certain skills were useful.

      And the Furry United Coalition Newbie Academy agreed. Whatever skills their agents might need to keep them alive in sticky situations were valuable assets.

      And Daniel Zeek LeBrute had a résumé to build if he wanted his business to be legit.

      He was no longer his father’s lackey or his grandfather’s thug.

      He shoved the twinge of guilt aside as he dodged a student’s fist. His grandfather and his father, Rollo, were riding cots behind bars.

      Because Zeek had turned on them. His family.

      For his cousins.

      And for Katz.

      He instructed the last student then clasped his hands behind his back and walked back the length of the Academy training gym, assessing.

      His old life had ended last autumn.

      FUCN’A had given him a chance at something new.

      He drew a deep breath and expelled the lingering guilt.

      It was time to build a new concept of what family was to him.

      Which started with his mother and his cousins, Caleb and Corra Terry.

      And the Furry United Coalition Newbie Academy.

      2

      In our next class, we’ll identify the different tiers of shifter hierarchy and why you need to know them, Katz said in closing, releasing the cadets from the session.

      Group noise filled the classroom as they rose from their chairs and collected their belongings to move to their next class.

      That was great, Katz, Corra Terry, her brother’s girlfriend, said while approaching her. I had no idea how complex life is for the one-percent. So many rules.

      Katz shrugged. It’s silly, really. A holdover from the old days.

      A way to separate the masses, huh? The sparklies from the grubs like us.

      Grubs. Katz snorted in a very unsophisticated way and rolled her eyes. It’s all just pretense. But it’s vital for infiltration.

      Yeah, I know. Corra smiled and shouldered her. You’re coming to The Hub tonight, right?

      Kats smiled at the intimate gesture. She’d grown to really like Corra since she’d stood up to Darcy and Katz’ mother when their parents were trying to force him into an arranged marriage for the sake of the family company.

      Which they did for all of their children to maintain the dynasty.

      Katz was next and last in line. It was part of the argument she’d had with her mother.

      Katherine was expected to toe the family line as she’d promised.

      She sighed.

      The Hub? Oh, right, the pub in town your friend Bryah works at. She makes amazing French 75’s, by the way. I haven’t had one as good as that since the last time I was in town.

      Yes, she has quite the talent for alcoholic beverages. So, you’ll be there, right?

      To be honest, Corra, Mother held me up and I barely made it here in time. I have a lot of paperwork to review and class planning to do before tomorrow. I was barely holding on by my claw tips today. And I haven’t napped yet.

      Nah, you did great. I have to get going to another class, but we’ll talk later at The Hub. Oh hey, Miranda! Corra called out on her way through the door.

      Katz glanced to the open door as Miranda Brownsmith, a top FUC agent and occasional fill-in FUCN’A director—not to mention fierce sabretooth-bunny shifter—entered the room, bouncing.

      Katz blinked, trying to adjust her focus on the famous bunny shifter. Hello, Agent Brownsmith.

      I’ll call you Katherine, and you call me Miranda.

      Katz.

      Miranda nodded and smiled. Ready for the campus tour you missed yesterday?

      Of course. Katz shoved her papers into her bag and slung it over her shoulder. I apologize for arriving late.

      You’re here now, Miranda said, leading the way through the building. She pointed out all the key locations Katz recalled from the map, at a speed that felt more like power walking than a leisure tour.

      Through the education facility, the sports facilities and grounds, the student dormitories, and staff housing, and back through administration and various leisure buildings.

      The place was better than some of the five-star resorts she’d been to in her lifetime, minus the access to alcohol at all hours of the day and night. Miranda chattered on about the function of every sector, including rules and regulations.

      They bypassed a group of female cadets gushing about one of their instructors.

      ...hot.

      ...great butt!

      ...bet his hair is soft.

      And his hands! Have you noticed the size of his hands?

      You know what they say about big hands… Oh hey, Agent Brownsmith! one said to Miranda, turning several shades of pink.

      She greeted them, ignoring the comments.

      Katz followed Miranda, who’d resumed walking.

      Who were they talking about? she asked, curiosity piqued.

      Hmm? Oh, our martial arts instructor. He hasn’t been here very long. I’m sure you know him— Oh wait, there he is. She gestured across the open green space where more female students clustered around a blond man that towered above

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