Authorized

A Mercenary Novella

By Becca Vincenza

Chapter 1

Apollo

The bar was as stereotypical as it could get, right down to the broken jukebox that looked like it had been there before the bar originally opened. The floors were as old as the bar itself, that was for sure―the scuff marks, blots of unmistakable dried blood, and other varying stains. The food was barely considered that with the amount of grease that had accumulated on every inch of the meals. It didn’t matter, the beers were cheap, and the company pleasurable. Not another male or female were settled anywhere near my dark booth. Even the waitress-slash-bartender kept her distance from me.

Good. Fucking great.

My hand tightened over the sweating beer in my hand. The glass splintered a little and I released my tight hold. That fucking phone call.

Not thirty minutes ago a man from my past called. The last thing I wanted to do was pick up. My instincts screamed to let it go, to just press end. But I owed Lucas Boudreau my life. That Cajun fucker had kept silent, holding it over my head like a guillotine ready to fall. He had never said a thing. Now this.

“I’m cashing in my favor,” he said in his fucking arrogant voice.

It’s been a while since I killed. I had washed my hands of that life. I wanted better. It sounded fucking pussy-like but it was the truth. The blood on my hands, the body count in my closet … I was done. Fucking done. Done being someone’s hired-hand bitch.

“Give me the name then.” Last kill. Even I scoffed at my own thought.

“Ah, no. This isn’t a kill. I need you to protect someone for some time.”

“A protection mission?” I asked. Shifters didn’t ask for help of any sort, and for him to ask for this kind of help? Something felt off. My wolf’s hackles raised.

“My mate’s sister.”

“How unfortunate for you. This favor and we are even?”

“Yes.”

“E-mail me the details, I’ll be there as quickly as I can.”

His e-mail hadn’t come in yet. As soon as it did, though, I would be off to protect his mate’s sister. Definitely unfortunate for him. Mates were a responsibility even before he had chosen the life of a mercenary. That I had for some time as well. Now, even living in this small ass town in the middle of nowhere, I still had to look over my shoulder. Couldn’t imagine how Lucas and his mate would live happily ever after.

I downed the last few sips of my beer and slammed the glass down. Might as well get home and packed. Standing up, I snatched my jacket from the back of the booth and marched out, leaving a rather large tip next to my empty beer … mostly to make up for what my friends called my ‘charming’ personality. Or more accurately, friend, as in just the one.

The trip home was too short, and an e-mail from the Cajun arrived right before me. A snarl slipped past my lips as I looked down at the notification on my phone. A medical facility? What the fuck was the Cajun up to?

It didn’t matter, I had my location and job. If this meant I didn’t owe Boudreau then I would do it.

****

Bleach. The stinging scent smothered my first impression of this place. Wolves had very sensitive noses, and even in my human form the smell hurt. Snorting out the scent, I growled at the thought of the Cajun sending me here. It had been a long drive, but the rewards were worth it. I loathed owing anyone, anything. The Cajun had this hanging over my head for years. Even if he would have forgotten it, I never would have.

My work boots clomped heavily against the tile. A nurse passed by, a sweet little number―short, curvy, and full lips. Her scent screamed lust as she checked me out. I waited for the initial spark of my own desire to flare, but even as the blonde nurse passed, my cock remained where it was: soft and unstirred. It hadn’t been that long ago when any woman could get me riled up and get my wolf’s attention. So why had it become a challenge?

I pressed forward, going to the room number that the Cajun left for me. He didn’t tell me much about the person I’d be protecting. Her name was Mallory, her sister, Mazy, had mated to Boudreau. Apparently, he got himself a human mate, with a human sister with medical issues. He didn’t tell me how or why Mallory had been admitted and I didn’t care. He did mention Mazy had gotten into trouble with some loan sharks.

The halls were filled with doorways with numbers on the plastic squares next to them. The nurse’s station had been at the front and I checked in as a visitor for Mallory. I stepped into the elevator. The air here was a little less stifling of the detergent and disinfectant which was a nice reprieve.

The doors opened to the fourth floor and I stepped off. The wolf stirred and his power swirled through my body, the familiar burn that felt like home. His power, our power, loosened my muscles and my senses expanded as the wolf rumbled. An underlying scent, a tiny trail; barely there but it called to us. Most likely it was a left over scent from a dinner that had him interested. I shook it off and the scent disappeared as quickly as it arrived, but the wolf remained close to the surface.

This time I took the extra effort to make my movements softer than I had downstairs. The floor was eerily quiet, and the constant hum and beeps of the machines ran continuously. The low squeaks of the ever-moving nurses echoed, but the silence of voices unnerved me. I found myself at the bar because my animal required contact, companionship. The voices of the other people soothed the urge the animal craved. Silence like this rang in the ears, a pounding reminder of my solitude.

I pushed aside the thoughts and stepped forward before the doors shut. Mallory’s room had been located halfway down the hallway. Tracking each scent of the patients behind the doors, I memorized them. Boudreau didn’t give me a time on how long he’d be gone. If it were a day, there wouldn’t be a need, but I suspected I’d be here for a while.

At Mallory’s room, the door remained shut. It was a large, oversized doorway, with a heavy looking door and a metal door handle that gleamed in the light.

Growling, I shifted my weight. Glancing around the hallway again, I gauged the route another mercenary might take. Boudreau wouldn’t ask me here unless he truly thought his mate’s sister would be in danger. After my time as a merc myself, I knew how most worked. Shifter mercs worked silently and under the radar. None of them would come stomping through a medical ward.

No, they would come through other means.

As I opened the door to Mallory’s room, the scent of sickness washed over me in a heavy cascade. The stench had been overwhelming, and my lips peeled back into a snarl that my wolf mirrored. I stepped forward to see past the beige curtain. At first I saw the poking upward of toes covered by a powder blue blanket, legs neatly placed next to each other. My line of sight brought me to a covered chest, and then to a pale, delicate face framed by red hair.

Her pale skin, and the tubes attached under her nose, were a cruel reminder how fragile humans were. So this was Mallory. Her scent was mingled with sickness, and the cleaning products of the hospital.

Mallory had a window in her room; I stepped over to it and made sure the lock and screen were secure. The wolf brushed against my skin again. He stirred as my gaze swept over the sleeping beauty on the bed. Mallory was a gorgeous but sick woman. A human woman.

I walked silently out of the room as only a well-trained shifter and predator could.

Oakmoss. The subtle scent that captured me before rose again. Barely there. Only a hint of a hint that my sensitive nose caught. I paused mid-step and turned my head and inhaled. The scent vanished. My curiosity would have to wait, didn’t matter either. Instead, I took my stance in front of Mallory’s cracked door. Until the Cajun and his mate returned from New Orleans, this is where I would be staying.

****

After returning from a short break at my motel room nearby, and an even quicker shower and meal, I found myself back pacing outside her door … just like the past three days. Fuck the Cajun for making this his favor. Fuck that scent for taunting me. I paced restlessly. The wolf hadn’t calmed since the scent flared three days ago and it kept getting stronger. I couldn’t keep my eyes off her door. I hadn’t gone in since I first arrived. With the agitated state of my wolf, and my own ornery self, going in that room wouldn’t help anything.

My wolf had remained close to the surface, my already heightened senses strengthened further. The noises filling the building had started to drone together―the constant beeps and whoosh from breathing machines. All had been normal, yet I couldn’t shake this edginess.

My wolf was agitated. The hairs on the back of my neck stood on edge. I smothered the ever-constant growl in my chest. My gaze flicked to the doorway. Fuck this. I’d just check on her. That’d calm my wolf.

Marching to the door, I pressed my hand on the doorknob. Oakmoss filled my senses again in that same teasing scent. The earthy scent calling me home, called to my wolf. As quickly as it came, it passed over me only to disappear again.

The door swung open and the familiar sight of the beige curtain greeted me. Stepping forward, my gaze sought out the tip of her toes. The blanket laid flat. My breath came out in heavy pants as a hot, fiery rage beat into my gut. My wolf tore at my insides, howling and screeching.

Mallory wasn’t here.

“Fuck!” I roared, spinning around.

Chapter 2

Mallory

Pain ruled me.

Bones crushed into a fine dust.

My insides being ripped apart.

Every second of it, utterly alone. I didn’t have the strength of my animal. I didn’t have the companionship of my animal. I was completely alone in my pain. My sister hadn’t answered my calls, and I gave up on waiting for her. My parents had been gone for a long time now. Instead, in my solitude, I fell.

Oblivion. I had fallen into a timeless pit of darkness and silence. There were moments I wanted to claw out of the deep blackness, other times I eagerly dove back into its pits.

Snow. Crisp. New. An Arctic chill that had a hint of a bite. But it reminded me of home. Where I lived before the darkness, we had all four seasons, but my favorite had been winter. Everyone complained about the snow, the cold, the ice on the windshields. It was so easy to get caught up in the negatives, that people often forgot about the sparkling sprinkles in the freshly fallen snow. The feeling of warming up next to a fire after a day of play in the cold.

The scent blew over me like an Arctic breeze that reflected its hauntingly sweet scent. It called me forth from the darkness. The scent hadn’t been constant, but it brought me closer and closer to breaking through the surface each time I caught it. I knew, just knew I was seconds from bursting through the barrier of darkness.

Waking wasn’t like in the movies. It wasn’t a romantic slow awakening, of fluttering eyelashes or the subtle parting of my lips. It was fast, disorienting, and pulled me from the only place I knew for years. Fear gripped me hard, and a wildness I had never felt engorged my chest.

My chest sawed with heavy breaths. I couldn’t get a handle on my breathing, I couldn’t catch air to live in my lungs for more than a few seconds. My arms had a series of pinching. Then the fear that had washed through me amplified. The wildness screamed, screeched at me. Shift. Shift. Too late.

A hand pressed against my lips, blocking out the limited air I could breathe. My nostrils flared, the scent of the arctic chill crept into the room. It soothed the wildness that had been clawing inside of me. My eyes trained onto the door, away from the body that was attached to the hand.

A musty, wet heat scent came from the hand pressed against my lips. The fingers pressed so tightly that bruises started to form under his unrelenting touch. His nails pinched my skin and I refocused to him. Gaunt, pale skin, greasy black hair. His presence immediately flagged my internal need to run. I had learned a long time ago when faced with a larger predator, I had no choice but to flee. I didn’t have an animal to protect me; I had been born latent, doomed to an animal-less existence until I met my mate. If I ever met my mate.

“I knew you were mine,” he whispered, his murky brown eyes glazed over with a sheen of madness. Something inside of me rebelled his words with a fiery rage. I didn’t belong to him, I belonged to the other scent. The one that still called to me. The stark light of the room made it impossible for me to dismiss his crazed eyes and his possessive hold. His other hand was wrapped firmly around my too thin thigh. Gods, how long had I been a prisoner to the darkness?

“Mmm … the nurse is coming soon. When she does we will take our leave.” He leaned forward, his humid breath coating my cheek in slime. What I wouldn’t give to rip my face from under his hand and snap my teeth at his nose.

The thought had come on wicked quick, and surged a bloodlust in me I had never felt. I tampered down the feeling, assuming it rooted from the fear. I didn’t even know this man. He had a long face, framed by his long, greasy hair and high cheekbones. There was something about him … A memory itched at the back of my head. The memory was there, and then gone again before I could fully grasp it.

“You will do as I say, Mallory, or I will have your sister killed.”

My eyes widened, and I my stomach dropped violently. Gut wrenching fear consumed me, leaving me feeling cold.

As if he had sensed the defiance in my gaze, he threatened me with the one thing I would not risk. Mazy. She was my only family. My only anything. Friend, person to lean on. As pathetic as it sounded, she had become my whole world. After our parents’ death, and my accident, I couldn’t work and I couldn’t go out. I had physical therapy, where I worked with humans.

Taking my reactions as a confirmation, the man nodded slowly.

“Oh, my sweet Mallory.” He released his tight grip on my thigh and brought his hand to my face. As he brushed the hair from my face, his fingertips grazing over my jaw. I flinched from his touch and he snarled lowly.

“In time you will welcome my touch. You don’t understand yet, because your animal is just awakening, but you will understand what it means to be my mate.”

****

The next two hours felt utterly surreal. It was a flurry of people and action. Fear kept me quiet and complacent. Asher, the shifter, had told me his name, and who exactly who he thought he had been to me. Something inside of me rebelled at his words, when I tried to act on it he hissed a warning and promised me he would kill my sister. She owed him a lot of money, and currently had been held by his men at a remote location. He constantly reminded me that things would get better when my animal was fully settled, and then I would understand the bond between us.

He was a fool and a lunatic. My animal wasn’t coming to the surface because he was not my mate. The gods would not be so cruel. I had seen my parents together, and they had been true mates. My father was ever so careful with my mother. He would never hurt her … not like Asher had already done to me.

The doctors and nurses here knew I had shifter blood. When Asher claimed to be my mate, the female nurses swooned. Humans knew about shifters, and it was rare for one of us to be in their care. Because I was latent, and I was more human than animal, I had to be treated like so. Asher insisted that I needed care they couldn’t provide. And the attending doctor didn’t know what to do since Mallory hadn’t visited in weeks. The nurses piped in, saying how they had been so worried, but Asher assured them that she needed some time away.

With all his velvety lies, and charm, he won them over. Unfortunately, humans had little information on our care, and when Asher stated he had a doctor with all the right credentials, they released me into his care.

Asher helped me swing my legs over the side of the bed. He had been impatient to leave. His nails lengthened and bit into my fragile skin, and I moved faster, trying to escape them. My toes touched the tile and I shuddered. It’s both a magical and terrifying experience. This would be the first steps I have taken in … gods, I didn’t know how long.

In the car accident that had killed my parents, I had broken both legs in multiple places. I had been to physical therapy but it wasn’t looking good for me. It was how I ended up here, according to what the nurses were rattling off. They confirmed that during my stasis my legs had fully healed, but I lost a lot of muscle mass.

“Oh, what about the stern looking man who is usually hanging around outside your door?” one of the nurses called out as Asher started to push me out on wheelchair. My back straightened, my hands tightening together. I craned my neck to look back at the nurse, but Asher’s hiss of air stopped me.

“Do not endanger yourself, mate.” Asher’s lips brushed against my ear.

Fear floated through me, smothering like smoke.

“Yes, he’s a friend. I had someone go relieve him of his duties,” Asher said with perfect cadence.

Out of the corner of my eye I saw the nurse nod, her lips thinning, and she swallowed visibly. Did she not believe him? Did I dare to hope? Asher’s took in a sharp breath, scenting me. My fear masked any notes of my suspicions of the nurse. He pushed the chair forward. Releasing his grip on one of the handles, he touched my bare arm. The feel of his fingers trailing down my arm caused me to suppress a shudder. His touch invoked disgust, a sense of wrongness. It was more bone deep than fear; something inside of me rejected his touch.

Asher wheeled me out of the room that had been my home for so many months according to the nurses. What had been months to the outside world, felt like years to me. Even before I had been lost to the darkness, I had been sheltered and blocked from the world. I understood why Mazy had done what she did―she worried for me―but … I longed to be free. Now I was escaping one prison for another. A much more dangerous one.

The hallways were brightly lit. The beige walls meant to be commercial, perhaps even soothing, felt smothering. So plain, uneventful. Could I really consider this place home? ’Cause that is how it felt. Like I was leaving home. The large, heavy, wooden doors that closed off others like mine lessened.

An Arctic breeze. A shiver spiraled down my chest and clenched my stomach. That scent. I wanted to follow it. It became all-consuming, to the point I gripped the arms of my wheelchair and tried to lift myself from the seat. I didn’t get far.

Greasy oil and wet dirt forced the other scent from me. My eyes met a black clad chest. Asher. How could I have forgotten him? Forgotten what was at stake? Something inside of me brushed against me, offering me courage to look up. A stormy expression overtook his features―the pale, gaunt skin pulled tightly against bone, making his cheekbones more pronounced than ever.

Oh gods … what had I done?

Asher didn’t speak but his animal flashed in his eyes, making them glow an eerie rusty brown that reminded me of dried blood. He stepped forward, angling his body so he still faced me, but reached out to press the arrow button for the elevator. His steps were measured and precise, every footfall clicked. I flinched; fear bit into me. The instinct I had learned to nurture and grow by living with shifters my entire life flared. Fight or flight. For me it had always been flight. On the tail end of the flight instinct, a sweet whisper told me to fight, to snap my jaws at him, but I tampered down the urge. It was a dangerous thing to challenge a stronger shifter, especially since I didn’t have an animal, let alone the fact that I was still so weak from waking. Not to mention he had my sister. Mazy was all I had left in this world.

Asher grabbed my bicep, crushing the sparsely muscled part of my arm. The grip was bruising and painful. I bit the whimper I felt creeping up my throat. He leaned down, taking in a deep breath through his mouth.

“You will not do that again. Am I understood?”

Heavy dread swallowed down my bile, and with a quick jerk of my head he released his ever tightening grip.

“Good, mate.”

The title didn’t belong to him.

Chapter 3

Apollo

Oakmoss. A flash of deep red hair. A whisper of pale, creamy skin. If I had only recognized my reactions earlier, I would have taken her out of that place sooner.

The image I had of my mate slowly slipped away from me. She was in danger. Another shifter’s scent penetrated the raging fog over my brain. It was a musty, humid scent that made me want to recoil. Unfortunately, wolves had some of the strongest noses in the shifter kingdom and now it was being used against me. I kept imaging a faceless shifter covering my mate’s body with his.

The beast inside scratched, claws digging into my skin, demanding a release. A howl. A bite.

“Fuck.” The word ripped from my gut, through my chest, finally barreling its way out like a hurricane. Loud enough to probably wake at least half of the comatose patients here. Footsteps sounded down the hallway, some of them the light steps of a female, but the heavier footfalls meant she brought backup. Time to leave.

Breathing the twined scents in one more time to remember them, I turned on my heel and dashed from the room. The trail left behind was fading. It’d be impossible to tell if it was because they had left hours before, or from the heavy traffic of nurses, doctors, and other visitors. It was prime visiting time, which wouldn’t help. I didn’t need my nose to tell me that they went down the elevator.

Taking the similar route down the hallway to the stairways, I passed one of the regular nurses who worked in Mallory’s room. Her eyes locked with mine, recognition flashing across them. Her steps became slower the closer we got to each other. Her lips twisted, and confusion painted plainly over her features. She was a pretty, curvy, and brunette. Exactly my type. And yet my dick didn’t even feel a twitch. The normal lust the wolf rushed at me wasn’t there. Instead, replacing the feeling was cold emptiness.

I continued to pass the nurse, mind swirling with all the possibilities. What was I going to do? If I called the Cajun and told him not only did I lose his mate’s sister, but she was my mate as well he would go ballistic. That bear inside of him was a brawler, and while my wolf loved a good fight, Lucas would maim me.

“Sir,” the nurse called out from behind me. My wolf demanded I keep on the move, every moment I wasted here I would lose the trail of my mate, but I stopped with a barely restrained growl. The muscles in my neck strained as I held back my annoyance.

I turned around to face the nurse. She was one who had been assigned to Mallory. I made it my business to know each nurse assigned to Mallory.

“I thought your friend was going to get you.” Her eyes darted to the open door across from us. Her voice held hints of nervousness, and her scent soured with a twinge of fear. “He must not have found you, but he signed Mallory out.”

My nostrils flared with my anger.

“How?” My voice dipped with a growl.

“He claimed to be her mate. We couldn’t determine, but her sister said one of the signs of Mallory’s recovery might be due to her finding her mate. We never thought it was possible. Mazy never thought … Well, I am happy for her. But I thought you should know.” The nurse walked away, leaving me with the information I already knew but needed confirmed.

Mallory was taken.

And she was mine.

****

The Leviathan had been a second home for me for a couple of my younger years. Moss, the owner and mysterious bartender, had allowed me to rent the room in the back. It was nothing more than that, but I had been separated and disowned by my pack at an early age, and I had been caught up in all the wrong crowds. He had been the one who pulled me from the fray. He’d never admit to be my savior of any sorts, but he watched out for me.

It had been years since I had been on this side of the country let alone seen him. I had left this behind, and fucking Boudreau had dragged me out of retirement. Or pseudo retirement. I did jobs, but I was selective. I preferred to live off the land, away from people―shifters and humans.

My top lip peeled back as I caught the scent of different shifter men and women inside. It was overwhelmed with pheromones, sweat, and hints of fear. The people who visited this bar were a brave sort. The fear was probably from a newcomer looking for a merc, but wouldn’t have the stomach to go through with their hit.

I stepped up the old rickety stairs, the wood groaning under my weight. I had been built like all shifters―thick, big, and tall. Whoever the fuck my father was, the one thing he did give me had been good genes. Something that kept me ahead in our world … for the most part.

I pushed on the door, letting it swing open. Unlike the cliché entrance where everyone stops and stares at the newcomer, people at the Leviathan kept their heads down. Instead there were glances snuck from corner of eyes and subtle turns of the neck. It was a quiet crowd. Two women danced lazily next to the old jukebox that looked about as old as I suspected Moss to be. There were a few men crowded at a tall table with drinks, watching the women with sparks of interest.

There was one set of eyes that I could feel burning into me. He always managed to have a stare that not only matched one of an older, protective brother, but also a judging father. My wolf recoiled at my flare of anger. He knew better than to get a rise out of Moss, I never learned. I met his glowing green gaze head on.

Moss didn’t have to pull his lips back in a sneer, nor did he have to straighten his back, nothing made this fucker any more intimidating than when he just remained calm and cool. Moss continued to wipe the glass in his hand, but he held my stare. My wolf, an alpha in his own right, still felt quiet and a tamed sort of submissive. When a predator met a bigger predator, they became the prey. My wolf wasn’t stupid enough to fight for dominance with Moss, and I averted my sight to just over his shoulder.

A loud clack of a heavy glass sounded against the scarred bar top. Moss had a scowl on his face now. His lips tipped down in a sharp angle. To the others in the bar, he might have seemed slightly annoyed, but I knew better. I had walked into that look when I first arrived, and I kept going back to the fights, to the drug dealers, and the dangerous underbelly of the shifter world. Moss hadn’t spoken a godsdamn word to me in all the time I spent here, but his facial expressions told everything I needed to know.

I felt like the snot-shit brat that had come to him almost fifteen years ago. And I was in deep fucking shit again.

Chapter 4

Mallory

A cool breeze brushed against my cheek like a lover’s stroke. I imagined the hand attached to those fingers, an arm, then a face. Not Asher’s face. A rugged man, with a day’s worth of stubble and dark, haunting brown eyes. A shiver went down my spine. A sharp, handsome nose, square jaw, dark hair. There was a wildness to him, an untamable air that intrigued me.

A sharp yank at my arm brought me back to the present. The sun was hidden behind the clouds but my delight at being outside again didn’t falter. Asher had only allowed me to be outside the day before when we left the hospital, where he lifted me into his tall SUV drove by another shifter. Humans, before shifters came out, would have easily detected them if they had paid enough attention. Even now, they would walk past one and not know what they were. I had grown up with them. I knew what to look for and the air they held.

Disappointment prickled at my skin as we had left the outdoors for the inside of the car, to immediately where we were now. A hotel. It was a tall building, with glamorous detailing that only served to annoy me. An uncomfortable sense of wrongness was my constant companion. Though it had to do with Asher―that was a different feeling all together―this was for the hotel we stayed at. It made me feel like an imposter. This wasn’t anything I would hope for myself.

Asher allowed me a couple of moments on the balcony, but it was obvious from his tugging he wanted me back in the room. I bit back my disappointment. The wind picked up, swirling my hair from my neck and the cool breeze caressed my neck, reminding me how long it had been since I could really feel the outdoors.

He yanked again. Smothering the rise of embarrassment and anger that bubbled in my gut, I went inside. Asher had decided he didn’t trust me, and as a precaution, he had tethered me to the bed. A long, thin chain that allowed me full access of the room had been cuffed around my wrist and attached to the headboard of the bed. The chain was made from sterling silver. I didn’t think it was meant to impress, but rather used as a dimming effect to our animals. Joke was on him; I had been born latent and it didn’t have the same effect on me.

Asher sat on the edge of the bed waiting for me. His black slacks with an iron crease right down the center caught my attention first. I hated that crease. My chain was spun around his fingers, and his wrist flicked as he tugged on it, pulling my right wrist forward. Humiliation rose to my cheeks and flushed with my combined anger. I wasn’t some sort of toy, and I hated him even more for this.

“Where is my sister?” It was the first time I had seen Asher today. He had left the night before saying he had business to attend to and he wanted to let me rest. After all, I had just left the hospital after waking from months of coma.

He wasn’t wrong. Even before I was hospitalized for my coma, I had been bound to a wheelchair. I had been going to physical therapy for my legs, but they hadn’t been getting better before I took my next fall. I touched my left leg, barely a whisper of my fingers brushing against the physical and mental scars. My fingers touched the soft fabric of the lounge pants he had given me. Nothing was mine. And I hated that.

Hated him.

“No, ‘hello my sweet mate’? No, ‘thank you’ for the gifts I have given you?” His reptilian eyes lifted to mine. I flinched. Instincts and training had me immediately look down. My father’s words rung in my head even after all these years. If you face a bigger predator than you, you must always look away. Down’s the best.

Mazy didn’t get the same lessons. I did because of my latency. I was doomed to human status unless I met my mate. It had been a dream of mine when I was much younger, but then when my parents and I got into the car accident that killed them and disabled me, I stopped relying on that dream.

Asher yanked on the metal, causing me to stumble forward. A sick, bitter hatred ate at my stomach. A real mate would never be able to hurt his mate. Then again I knew he wasn’t my mate. My animal perked up at that and rubbed her fur under my skin. It was a feeling that was so new and foreign, but it felt natural at the same time. I gasped quietly, getting used to the feeling of her reassurance and comfort.

“What? What did you feel?” Asher’s fingers dug into my biceps. I blinked. He towered over me; his greasy black hair dipped forward, brushing against my forehead. His beak nose, and thin lips were too close for comfort. I tried to step backwards but he kept me in place.

“Nothing,” I answered defiantly.

His fingers tightened, and his sharp nails bit into my skin. An angry sneer twisted his lips and his nostrils flared. His animal slithered into his eyes again; his pupils went vertical and into tight slits.

Stupid, Mallory. Stupid. Don’t piss off the man who has your sister captive.

I dropped my gaze down once more. His animal was different than most apex predators but the man inside would appreciate the gesture, so I exposed only a small piece of my neck. He craned his neck, the soft rustle of his fabric alerted me he was getting closer. I tensed, reminding myself that I had to play along. Or at least be somewhat accommodating.

His hair itched at the rise of my cheek and I held myself still even though all I wanted to do was rip his hair from his scalp. One of his hands slithered up my arm to the base of my neck. His fingers twitched against my pounding heartbeat. Though I felt defiant, I was scared to death. He held my sister’s life in his hands, mine as well. The pads of his fingertips dug into my neck.

“You’re mine, Mallory. Best not to forget that.”

“Please just let me see my sister.”

“No.” His lips brushed against my neck and I couldn’t help but to pull away from his touch. That was not his place to mark. The animal inside of me rose again. Her fur bristled under my skin. Asher pulled back.

“There she is.” He leaned back, capturing my gaze with his. “My little beast.”

Chapter 5

Apollo

Moss made his way around the bar with quick, easy steps, never taking his gaze off me. His enormous shoulders were tense, the veins in his neck strained with his rising anger. The others in the bar quickly got out of his way, or simply turned their attention to someone else, anything else. It was rare for Moss to come around the bar and when he did, it often meant someone was about to get a beat down.

Me.

Fuck.

I had left with the intention of coming back, but my vagabond wolf and lack of ties had kept me away. Wolves were social creatures, one of the shifters that liked living around others, but because of my history and because of the life I lived, I didn’t long for that life. The people surrounding me had more than soured me for it. I detested the idea of a pack.

Moss, I had thought, felt similarly to me. It wasn’t often he was with anyone but people inside this bar. There were frequent visitors, sure, but they weren’t what I would call family. As big as Moss was, and he was huge even for a shifter, he moved silently across the old wooden planks of the bar. He stood in front of me, his bark-colored hair stark under the bare bulbs that hung from the ceiling.

Those bizarre green eyes of his that got him the nickname in the first place glowed with his inner animal. One that no one could identify, but even human instincts flared up, saying not to fuck with him. Power rolled over him in waves.

Moss didn’t speak, didn’t even blink, but he pulled my shoulders forward, in a tight hug with one firm slap on my back before he released me. He stepped back, assessing, the frown still marring his features. He kept his hands clasped on my shoulders, making me feel like the child I once was. But I was not longer that kid, even if I had fucked up.

“Moss, we need to talk.”

He nodded once, releasing his hold. His gaze swept over the room; a few of the others had turned their heads to try to take a sneak peek at the show going on behind them. Most wisely kept to their own business. But it wasn’t often one could ignore Moss’s gaze, and those not even looking at us tensed.

Moss walked forward, and I followed behind, keeping my back straight. I was a grown ass adult, I could take care of my own business. I pushed my chin up, thinking of my mate. Her deep red hair, and pale skin free of any visible freckles. She hadn’t spent much time in the sun as a kid. My wolf whined out for her, desperate for her closeness, her scent that still lingered in the back of my head. She was so far from my reach.

Moss craned his neck so one eye stared back at me. I pressed my lips together, not speaking until we were in a less crowded area. I had been out of the official merc game for only a few years, but I never lost the enemies that came with the job. None of them could know about my new weakness, especially since she was already out of my grasp.

Moss continued to lead me to the back rooms. It was a small apartment area, mostly a living room with a bed tucked away in the far corner, but the familiar warmth of home wrapped around me. The small pedestal table with a metal base and a plastic top with two rickety chairs that sat around it. When I had left here, I had left the merc business. Being back in this room reminded me of all the reasons I had stayed away as long as I did.

As odd and quiet as Moss was, he’d been my only family. Moss stepped over to the small kitchenette, which it didn’t have much more than a fridge and a microwave. The bar was equipped with a stove and oven; if I was making any meals it was done in the bar’s kitchen. Moss pulled out two frosty beers by their necks and set one down on the table. He kept the other, twisting off the top with a pop. He tossed the top on the table with a click and a clank.

I stepped up to the table, grabbing the second beer, and followed his action. The bottle was cool between my fingers. My body ran hot due to holding back my wolf. He was annoyed with my lack of efforts and any progress. Moss would be the best source of information though. He would know everything I needed to know.

I toyed with the beer between my hands, scratching at the label. I hadn’t actually said it yet, but it was harder to admit out loud what I already knew.

“I met my mate.” I took a hard pull from the bottle. When I set it back down I caught Moss’s intense gaze. He waited for me to go on. Moss’s unasked question hung in the air. Where was she?

“She was taken.” I watched him carefully. There were subtle gold flecks that burned brighter when his animal was closer to the surface. “I need your help.”

He shook his head once. The muscles in his jaw ticked.

“Fuck, Moss. I need you to help me. You got me into this mess.”

Moss straightened his back. The guy was fucking huge. He was bigger than most shifters, and I knew the stance he was taking all too well. I often spoke without thinking. And from a guy who never speaks, he caught everything I said. My lack of a filter had gotten me into a lot of shit. I tried to take from Moss’s book for a time, but it didn’t last long. And he often had to play clean up.

“Shit! I’m out of my forest here.” I speared my fingers in my hair, tugging at the ends. Frustration warred through me. I released my hair and cracked my neck. My fingers were twitching to grab something. The frustration fed into my restlessness.

Moss didn’t relax. The gold in his eyes dimmed a little, but anger still wafted from his scent. His fist tightened, the vein on the back of his hand pulsed as blood pumped through it.

“It was stupid coming to you.”

A throbbing pain bloomed behind my right eye, on my temple, and immediately following a headache pounded. Moss had moved so quickly that I hadn’t even had time to blink and he was there punching me in the face with his right fist. I stumbled back a step or two. It fucking hurt, but it wasn’t anything I didn’t deserve. Anger had clouded my judgement as it always did. Moss was the steady stream of calm that had shaped me into the man that I had thought I become.

Losing not only my mate, but the Cajun’s mate’s sister? I was at the end of my ropes. At least Moss didn’t knock me with his dominant hand. In the years I lived with Moss, I had watched him in countless of fights. If he wanted to cause damage he would fight with his dominant hand, if he was annoyed and wanted to prove a point, he would fight with his right side.

“Fucking, shit.”

Moss grunted. He hated when I swore, and it was why I had stopped while I was around him. Probably contributed to why he punched me. I righted myself and the vision in my right eye blurred before I blinked, and it cleared. The throbbing pain lessened as my body healed itself.

“She was taken right under my watch!” I growled, frustrated. My wolf rose, adding his own anger to the mix. How the fuck did I manage to do that? I let her get taken. And I had no leads. If I went to the Cajun, he would take her from me. She hadn’t felt real until I told Moss and it came crashing down.

My mate. I pulled at the roots of my hair again. Moss’s lips were pinched, and he let a breath out through his nose.

“It’s Boudreau’s mate’s sister.”

Moss tipped his head down in a shallow nod.

My hands shook. My wolf jerked forward. It was a mixture of hatred toward the Cajun and fear that he really would take my mate away, after I got her back. The shift swept over me, bristling fur sprouted from every pore, my teeth elongated, and the wolf took over.

Chapter 6

Mallory

The cool tile pressed on my heat skin. A fever had overtaken my body and I had escaped into the bathroom before Asher realized anything was wrong with me. I didn’t even know what was wrong with me. Shifters weren’t supposed to get sick, even as a latent I rarely got sick. This felt different. My skin was crawling; my stomach had twisted into so many knots that I thought it would never untie. Nausea pooled in my mouth.

I whispered to the floor asking for sweet relief. I crawled forward to find a new place to set my head. The chain attached to my arm allowed me full access to the bathroom, thankfully. It ticked against the tile as I moved forward.

Man, I wanted out of here. My arms shook with fatigue even though I hadn’t done anything all day. Yesterday, after I had confronted Asher about seeing Mazy, he had left after a phone call. It was during the night that the fever started. I had kicked off the covers on the bed, sweat plastering my hair to the back of my neck.

Tears stung my eyes as another wave of nausea swept through me. My stomach lurched forward, and I cringed at the thought of throwing up again. My throat was so raw, it felt like I had swallowed razorblades. My body flushed with a feverish heat. I crawled forward, holding onto the rim of the toilet bowl. Vomit crept up my throat, burning me from the inside out.

I released it into the bowl and dropped back to the floor. Gods, what was wrong with me?

Footsteps sounded. They pounded to the new rhythm of my headache. I hoped that if they belonged to one of Asher’s guards he would go back out of the room once he realized I was in the bathroom. If it was Asher, I hoped he accidentally tripped and fell out of the balcony to his death.

I hated him for threatening my only family. And for telling me that his was my mate. He wasn’t mine. My animal, the ghost of her had been lively at the fresh scent of my mate. And he seemed like a blurry idea in the back of my head. The longer I stayed here the more distant his scent became. Maybe he had been just a dream.

The footsteps clomped closer and drew me out from my thoughts. I pressed my forehead against the outside of the bowl; the porcelain felt so, so good. The door swung open, just barely missing my bare feet. I curled them closer, hating whoever came in unannounced. I thought I had locked the door, but I had stumbled in here in such a haze that I’d probably forgot.

“What do you think you’re doing?”

I peeked around from where I was curled around the toilet. I raised my brows. Asher stood in the doorway, his lithe frame shadowed by the light from the other room. I had turned off the brighter light and left the shower light on. With the pounding in my head, and nausea, I needed less light.

Asher had a scowl on his face as if he was disgusted by the fact that I was laying on the bathroom floor. Shifters didn’t get sick, so I could only imagine what he must of thought of me hugging the toilet.

“Being sick, obviously.”

“You should have called me.”

“Now why in the hell would I do that?” Apparently, my filter had called in sick today, too. A dread swirled in my stomach counterattacking the already terrible churn.

Asher took a menacing step forward, his chin tucked down, shadowing the features on his face. His eyes burned yellow with the rise of his animal, and it was the only thing I could focus on. Gods, why hadn’t I just kept my mouth shut?

As he came closer, his big work boots stepped on top of the chain attached to my wrist. It caused a quiet crunching noise, which distracted him for a brief moment. Asher glanced down at the chain, and the left side of his lip upturned into a malicious smile.

In the blink of an eye he had snatched up the thin chain and pulled it taut. Unable to find the gumption to fight back, I let him tug my wrist until the muscles strained in my shoulder.

“Stand, mate!”

His words were biting, but they didn’t hold any power over me. He wasn’t an Alpha. He was a crime boss with betas behind him because he paid well. I sneered at the thought. Asher yanked the chain again, the metal cuff cutting into my skin. Crawling to my knees, the hard, unrelenting tile pressed into my bones. My body was still recovering from coming out of the coma, and now this plague that had taken me. My breaths were labored.

“While I enjoy the visual, get on your feet.”

My limbs trembled; the muscles in my knees strained, screeching with pain. A sharp hiss escaped as I climbed to me feet while trying to avoid putting my face right into his crotch. Fucker would like that, I snarled. My head swam, instability caused me to sway forward. Asher caught my forearms in a biting grasp.

“Easy, mate.” His voice was a chilling hiss. A shiver went down my spine. He yanked my body flush to his. My belly was pressed against his hardening dick, and nausea crawled up my throat in slow progression.

“Is that a roll of dimes in your pocket or is your dick really just that small?” My lip quirked up and I berated myself for letting my tongue get the best of me. His grip became punishing and I almost regretted the words.

“Good to see you have some spunk left in you. It will be all the more satisfying when you submit to me.”

There was a stirring way in the back of my head, a deep seeded anger that couldn’t quite rise to the surface. The feeling rang through me like an echo. I would not submit.

You must submit to the bigger predator. Sweetie, you are at the bottom of the food chain. There are rules you must live by. My father’s warnings echoed by my mother, and when she was old enough to understand I was different, Mazy. They strove to protect me, I understood that. In a world full of powerful shifters, I was practically human. Even though I was supposed to have shifter genes, my legs hadn’t healed quickly. Instead, I had pushed myself too hard.

It was a lesson, apparently, I still needed to learn. If I pushed too hard, I would endanger myself. Asher’s eyes flashed a dangerous color and it wasn’t just myself I was putting in danger. Mazy was all I had left. She had spent her life protecting me, now it was my turn. Dutifully―as a good, little submissive shifter―I tilted my head to the side, exposing my neck. The muscles were corded tight, straining. Any loosening of my control and I would be facing him head on once more. That fair distant cry sounded again but it was fading quickly. My strength was snapped from me; one moment I stood, the next my legs gave out.

My joints creaked with sharp, needling pain.

“We will have to get you out of the city. You need to shift, and you can’t do it here, strangled by the city. My little beast needs freedom, doesn’t she?” Asher asked. His grip on my arms wasn’t supportive, and I crumbled to the ground, panting. It was all I could do to keep my head upright.

I didn’t know why he thought I could shift. I couldn’t even stand. A new fever broke over my flesh, sweat dotted my forehead. I desperately licked at my lips, hoping for moisture for my very dry, cracked lips. But my tongue had withered. My body shook, and though I didn’t think there were any contents left for me to upheave my stomach deemed it possible. Bile coated my throat as I held it back.

As brave, and probably stupid, as I was feeling a moment ago, fear crept in. I wanted … no, needed the comfort of someone familiar. I just wanted to be held.

“Please, let me see Mazy,” I whispered, trying to tug my arms free from Asher’s grip. His nails scraped against my skin, leaving raised red welts. Hatred shadowed over my heart, darkening as I begged him to allow me to see my sister. In my bones, I knew seeing her could help.

Asher’s top lip curled with disdain. “No. Now clean yourself up and return to bed. We leave first thing in the morning.”

Helplessness grew in a hungry pit in my stomach, swallowing whole my hope, and any sliver of happiness I might have garnered to seeing my sister. Tomorrow he was going to take me from the city.

An invisible, heavy weight crashed down on my shoulders, making them drop. My heart felt crushed. The quiet nuance in the back of my head cried out, a low, sorrowful sound. Apparently, it didn’t like the idea of leaving either.

Chapter 7

Apollo

“Who the fuck is this asshole? More importantly, what the fuck does he want with my mate?” My wolf had been riding me hard for the past forty-eight hours. I hadn’t slept at all, barely ate, and hadn’t had a single fucking ounce of alcohol. I gripped the roots of my hair between my fingers and tugged. If I wasn’t careful I would scalp myself. My human fingernails had ceased to exist―in their place was black, curved claws. A manifestation of my wolf, since he was right on the edge of my skin.

Moss had somehow hacked into the security system at the hospital. He pulled up footage of the man who wheeled Mallory out of there. Moss was a closet genius, he had to be since he owned this fucking place. He didn’t bring in others to do his paperwork or pencil pushing jobs. He ran it top to bottom, solely. He had pulled up the electric documentation of Mallory’s check out. As I suspected, and I’m sure Moss did as well, the fucker had used an alias. Moss had left to run the front of the bar, leaving me to search for leads. I was coming up short and my instincts told me I was running out of time.

A low growl rattled in my chest. There was one option but I loath to consider it. If I called the fucking Cajun he would swoop in and take his mate’s sister away from me. My mate. My wolf howled and thrashed. He clawed at my insides; my muscles felt like they were torn to ribbons. I flinched, holding my own howl of pain.

Fuck, I needed to get a grip. And a fucking lead.

I rolled the rim of my beer bottle on the small dining table in the apartment I used to live in with Moss. The bottle had ceased being cold hours ago. It was probably stale and flat now, since I hadn’t touched it since the moment I opened it. The sound kept me grounded as I worked through my frustration and anger. What sort of mate was I?

The door slammed, making me glance upwards. Moss moved silently, even for a shifter―it was like he was ghost. His scent was so faint that it was hard for my sharp wolf nose to pick it up. Whatever predator he was, he was dangerous.

My sights zeroed in on the folder in his hand. His bright green eyes were hard and the news he was about to share, I wasn’t going to like it. If he got me closer to my girl, that is all I cared about.

Moss stepped over to the table and a quiet grunt escaped him. Probably commenting on my distinct stink. My skin crawled, even my wolf could barely stand to breathe in around me. I ceased to care. My thoughts were consumed with the thought of getting my mate back. I would shower when I had the information I needed.

I reached for it, and inside there were loose sheets, the top one had a picture paper-clipped to it. The shifter from the security video sat at a desk with a woman who looked remarkably like Mallory. It must be the mysterious sister that I never met. Boudreau’s mate.

In the file was also a paper, and on it was this delicate sprawl that was Moss’s handwriting. He didn’t speak, and he rarely spoke through paper either. I looked up at the giant shifter. Moss glared at the paper as if encouraging me to stop wasting time and check out what he found out.

Mazy needed money, got loan from Asher Tosh. A known shifter loan shark, all around asshole, and gang organizer. He’s got your mate.

Under it was an address to a hotel. I assumed it was one of many and doubt filtered through me. It could be the wrong hotel. He probably had multiple safe houses.

“How do you know this is the right place?” My voice came out as a snarl. The wolf dug and clawed, demanding freedom to rush to the hotel. My nose and lips twisted and elongated. My cheekbones snapped and broke as my face started to shift. I snapped my teeth together and tried to hold back the wolf.

Moss slammed his palms down on the table, rattling me into looking at him. His animal, whatever the hell it was, shone through. Those unnatural eyes swirling and darkening. My wolf, an Alpha, backed down with a quiet snarl. I breathed through the quick reformation of my face, hating my wolf for a moment. Forcing the shift like that was extremely painful, but it wasn’t anything I wasn’t used to.

I licked my lips. Moss wouldn’t have given me this information unless he was completely certain. There was no one in my life I trusted besides Moss and I had to trust his information. I checked out the other papers in the folder. It was the alias that Asher used at the hotel, and his check out time was for tomorrow.

Fuck, he was going to take her out of the city and hide her away.

He wasn’t getting away with my mate.

Fuck no.

****

After a shower and a small meal―which was all my wolf would allow―I was gearing up. I pulled out fatigues from my duffle bag that I had brought with me when I first came to Moss a couple nights before. He had left to go back up front while I made my plans. Most shifters who worked as mercenaries didn’t take human weapons with them, we preferred to kill with our claws. Even if the humans were aware of shifters, it was easy to pin murders on animal accidents.

In this case, I wasn’t taking any chances. It was my mate on the line. The weapons I had trained in were coming with me. I had a Glock strapped under each arm on a custom-built holster. Most built for human men were too small for shifters to begin with, but because we might shift we needed something that could be taken off easily, but not be shredded.

One of Moss’s many hidden talents was leatherwork. He had made the hostler for me when he trained me in using the weapons. I had an ankle hostler for a small butterfly knife. Another one tucked in my waistband. I pulled the smooth leather hostler, the clips on the back that would snap apart in a quick shift fitting snuggly between my shoulder blades.

The black T-shirt I had donned before bunched and I pulled the ends down. Doubt swirled through me. Would my mate even want me? I supposed that didn’t matter. She was mine and I was going to save her. What she chose to do afterwards was her choice.

But she deserved the choice.

After throwing on a plaid button-up, I snatched my jacket up, my heavy boots clomped against the old wood floors. Droplets from my hair flicked onto my face and I wiped it away with the back of my hand. I ran my hand through my hair, shaking out the excess hair. I was going to stake out the hotel, hoping that they hadn’t left yet. I didn’t think Asher would be stupid enough to wait until morning to leave with his precious cargo, and I had only a bit of time.

I scooped my bag up, throwing the black canvas bag over my shoulder and snatching my keys up. I didn’t know where I would be once I got Mallory. Would she want to return to her sister? In that case I would be seeing the Cajun I had been trying to avoid ever since he asked me for this fucking favor. Still, it would clear me of any favors to him.

If she wanted to stay and explore our mating, then I had plenty of safe houses I could take her to. Somewhere secluded where the Cajun couldn’t find us until she was truly mine. I was going to kill Asher and she would never have to worry about the fucker again. Even in the midst of danger we were still in my cock swelled in my fatigues, pressing hard against the zipper. The thought of really claiming her and destroying the shifter that hurt her made my wolf grumble with pleasure. Failure wasn’t an option.

Fuck that shit.

I was getting my mate.

Chapter 8

Mallory

I clutched the pillow close to my chest. The even breathing next to me was the only comfort I had. The mattress underneath me might have been threaded from the clouds but it felt like a stiff board underneath me. My toes were twisted together as I kept myself as small as possible. Asher had climbed into the single bed in the suite and only wore a pair of boxer briefs. After a command, a tug on my arm, and various threats to my wellbeing and that of my sister’s, he finally got me to get in the bed. However, I refused to take off the clothes that I had been given.

Asher had tried trailing his fingers against my skin, which crawled in return. The lounge pants and tight tank top did nothing to protect me from his advances. He gripped the hairs at the nape of my neck, and his sharp nails scraped at the back of my skull. He dragged my head back and I held in my cry of pain. Instead, a small grunt came from his torture. He would have to try harder than that to get a scream from me.

“Tomorrow you will be mine.” Asher released me and rolled to his side of the bed. I remained silent, waiting for him to sleep. Once I thought he was and I slipped from the bed, but he woke immediately and told me to get my ass back in bed or it would be my sister that would receive the punishment.

I twisted my torso around and glared at him. I had told him to go to hell, and I was just going to the bathroom. He didn’t buy my false truth. I did have to pee, but not enough that I had really needed to relieve myself. Either way, shifters could scent lies and mine was only partially the truth. He allowed me to go, but he waited until I was back in bed before he shut his eyes again.

“You will understand soon that this is only for your own good.”

The rage that burned through my veins circulated for a couple more hours before it dimmed down. Instead, I was left with the deep pain that had settled in my heart. A fine sheen of sweat beaded over my forehead and above my top lip. The fever I had been running earlier still hadn’t broke. The only relief I’d had been that the nausea was no longer my constant company. But my body felt like it weighed a thousand pounds.

A restless sleep took me under.

“Mallory! Malllllllorrryy!”

My father’s voice. A deep timbre that reminded me of home. Snow crunched under my boots, the fluffy flakes fell on my head, sticking to my hair moments before it melted. I tilted my head back and stuck my tongue out.

“Mallory!” His time his voice was a sharp command. Instinctively, I tilted my head to the side, exposing my neck, and tucked my hands together in front of me. Eyes to the ground. Alpha was calling, be submissive. Those were the rules drilled into me since I was a baby. But nothing inside of me demanded I do these things. Instead a small voice in the back of my head encouraged me to venture farther into the small woods next to our home and play in the snow.

No, Daddy will only get more upset.

It didn’t take long for him to find me. His coat blended in with the freshly fallen snow, his black-tipped nose and dark green eyes alerted me to his presence. I hated I couldn’t smell him coming like Mazy or hear his subtle movements like she swore she could hear. She stopped coming out on these adventures with me, making it harder to evade our parents. But Mazy started becoming more of a home-body, sticking close by and finding her fun there.

I, on the other hand, wanted to explore the woods, go in deeper and farther than before. If only I had an animal like hers or my father’s, I could do so much more. I was limited by my human body. I sniffled loudly. My father rushed forward and pressed his nose to my neck, taking my scent.

I tried to push him away, but he let out a quiet snarl, letting me know that his animal needed to make sure his pup was okay. I allowed him to check over me. Once he finished he walked behind me and nudged me with his head back to the house.

At home my mom and sister stood in the doorway watching us. My mom helped me take off the clothes that were becoming rapidly wet and cold. I shivered hard and sneezed as my coat came off.

“Come on, sweetie, I’ll make you some hot chocolate.” My mom took me by the hand into the kitchen while my father padded into their bedroom so he could get dressed. Mazy followed us in the kitchen. We lived in a small, two-bedroom house, with a tiny living room that could really only fit a love seat and the fireplace. Off to the left of it was the equally small kitchen. In the center was a small round table where I climbed onto the wooden chair. Mazy sat in her spot next to me.

“Mallory, you shouldn’t have gone out that far without your sister.” Mom scowled. Mazy watched me with a sympatric eye. And then she sunk in her chair, knowing her own scowling was coming next.

“And Mazy! You know better than to let your sister wander that far without you.” Mom turned around and placed hot chocolate in front of both of us. Mazy didn’t touch hers, but I wrapped my little red fingers around the hot mug. A silent sigh released as warm started to leech back into my frozen skin. As much as the cold hated me, I loved it. The snow, the cold, that was my home. I just couldn’t handle it as well as the rest of my family, but I tried to hide it. Mom must have heard my sigh and she turned to look at my hands.

“Thomas!” Mom cried out for my dad as she reached for my fingers and pressed her own warm skin around them as well.

My parents fought that night about staying here. Mom thought it was the best that we moved to a warmer climate. But my dad’s animal needed the cold. They told Mazy and I to go to bed, but we listened from our bedroom door. I started to cry when I heard that Mom wanted to leave here. This was home. I loved the cold. I loved watching Dad out in the snow.

Mazy took me by the shoulders and led me to her bed. Together we laid together while she held me.

Dad came in later that night to check on us. He pressed a kiss to my forehead, and one to Mazy’s. Mazy must have stirred and opened her eyes, I remained quiet.

“Are we really leaving, Dad?”

“I don’t know yet. little goose.”

“Is it because Mal doesn’t have an animal to protect her?”

“No, little goose. She doesn’t need an animal to protect her when she has us. Your mom, myself, and you, will always be there to protect her.”

Mazy’s hold around me tightened for a second, and I felt her chin rub against my forehead as she silently agreed with my father. Yes, they would always protect me. I felt the burden of that weight for the rest of my life.

My eyes slowly blinked open as the memory still lingered in the back of my head, and Asher’s hand had somehow found its way onto my hip. With my family, we protected each other. I would do anything to protect Mazy after all the sacrifices she made for me. But I had to be sure she was safe. As soon as Asher woke, I was going to make him take me to Mazy.

Determined with a new plan, I took stock. The sickness that had been raging yesterday calmed to a dull roar. I hoped that it was just a twenty-four-hour thing. Not something that had to do with me just coming out of coma, and the fucker behind me taking me out of the hospital moments afterwards.

It felt like hours, but it probably was only a half an hour later when Asher’s hand tightened around my hip and he tried to pull it flat. I refused to give even when his nails bit into my skin.

“How long have you been awake, mate?”

I hated when he called me that. A quiet part of me snarled, claiming he had no right. I felt the wrongness of it.

“I want to see my sister.”

No point in beating around the bush. I made my decision.

“You will see her when I allow it.” Asher’s grip got tighter; it felt like his hand was crushing against bone. I flinched but otherwise remained quiet about my pain.

“I want to see my sister.” And I swore in my head those would be the only words he heard from me until I got to see her.

Asher released a sharp hiss. His hand tightened, and his other arm wrapped around my waist. Before I could try to roll out of his hold, he forced me on my back. With quick movements of a shifter he threw his leg over my hips. His crotch rested above mine and his weight kept me immobile. Fear was a sour pit in the bottom of my stomach. His greasy black hair flopped over his eyes, shadowing his features. His weight sat heavily and restraining. If I wiggled and struggled, I feared it would only incite him further. I remained still, my chin lifted stubbornly.

Asher wrapped his hand around my neck and squeezed. I tried not to react. He bent, his small dime roll dick pressed against me. Dread swirled in my stomach, threatening to rise.

“Your fear is intoxicating, mate.”

“The only thing I fear is how you plan to mate me with a teeny, tiny―”

There was a sharp crack before the pain registered. My cheek burned with his handprint. Blood pooled in my mouth. I must have caught my cheek between my teeth. The pain was sharp and shooting, but kept me grounded. My father’s words still echoed around my head. My family would always be there to protect me, but now it was my turn to protect Mazy.

“I want to see my sister.”

“You will see her when I damn well please. You, my mate, need to learn manners.”

“I have followed every goddamn rule you’ve made since you took me out of the hospital! Don’t I deserve to see her,” I swallowed the bile down that built in my throat as I considered what I was going to add, “mate?”

Asher released a quiet stream of a hiss. His eyes shut as if he was savoring me calling him mate. My body protested everything about it. My insides felt like they were being torn apart and the pain almost made me black out.

“Get ready, we leave in ten.” Asher released his hold around my neck that had loosened the more we talked. He slipped off my hips and left the room. I simply breathed for a few minutes. I’d calmed him by calling him mate, but I had destroyed something inside of me. I didn’t think I would be able to call him that ever again. The title belonged solely to my mate, who was still a foggy image and scent in my head.

I wanted to believe he was a figment of my imagination, because then I wouldn’t get my hopes up, but … how was I awake? Finding him would have to wait though. My sister was the most important person to me. I rolled out of the bed. The suite was large, the bedroom separated from the living room by glass French doors.

The bathroom was attached to the bedroom, and since I had spent so much time in there already, I dreaded going back in. Just the thought of seeing the toilet had another roll of bile pooling under my tongue. I shook my head and swallowed hard.

Mazy. She was my focus.

Chapter 9

Apollo

I gathered my black canvas bag over my shoulder. The strap of the heavy bag cut on the underside of my arm, pinching where my hostler sat. My boots clomped heavily on the old hardwood floors that lead to the back entrance of the Leviathan. A rare few knew about the back entrance, just as Moss wanted it. I had used it many times in my youth when living here, slipping in and out of the bar without alerting other patrons.

Determination steeled through me. The directions and address to the hotel that we suspected Mallory was being held at was imprinted on my mind. But the later the night got, the more worry crept in. I had to get moving before I lost them.

My truck sat outside in the back, away from other patrons. Moss’s own truck sat next to it, quiet and sure just like him. Moss had been a guardian for me, a mentor and more. After I left tonight the chances of me seeing him again felt slim.

If my Mallory wanted to live a quiet life, then that is what I would do. I had been living a solitary life since my accident. The one that put me indebted to the Cajun in the first place. An echo of pain filtered through my scar ridden leg. The scar ran from the middle of my back all the way down my left leg.

I had accepted a job to take out a corporate yuppie that had pissed off another. Easy enough job. Unfortunately, the one I was after hired two parts of the triple threat―the Cajun and the dragon. I didn’t know what went wrong on their end, but Dominic’s dragon ended up letting his fire loose. The entire floor where the CEO I was having a meeting with, to kill the CEO Dominic and the Cajun were hired by, went into the flames before we could even blink.

My employer was killed almost instantly. I made my way out of the building, but the floor we were on was unstable. A large, metal support beam fell down from the ceiling and pinned me from my left leg to lower back. I couldn’t get up, and I couldn’t shift to try to wiggle my way out. It was one of my first hires and I was going to die out on the job. I remember thinking how Moss would be so proud. After all, he had been the one to train me, but he also firmly believed I shouldn’t use my skills to be a hired gun.

Smoke filled my lungs and my wolf was struggling against my skin to shift. Nothing was working and the metal beam at my back was heating with the licking flames.

It was in my last moments of consciousness that the Cajun’s voice came out loud and clear. He shifted to his brawler of a bear and knocked the molten hot beam off my body, but the damage had been done. Even shifters could scar, and it took months of recovery. I contacted the Cajun and told him I owed him for saving my life. If there was one thing that Moss taught me that stuck was repaying debts.

Years I waited for his phone call, dreading it, hating that I was in his debt. And now it had led me to my mate. Uncertainty warred through me. My mate was a gift, but I’d forever be connected to the shifter who had to save me like a little pup. I owed Moss my life and for that I would never be upset, but the Cajun had to save me while on a job. It had tarnished my reputation.

My wolf snarled at the thought. Some things were better left in the past. I had fulfilled my debt to the Cajun. Or I had mostly. It was a gray area now that I would have to worry about once I got my mate back.

I stepped over to my truck, opening the back door to throw my pack on the bench seat. I shut the door and a hand landed heavily on my shoulder. Only one shifter I knew could move that stealthy as if he had appeared out of thin air.

Turning on my heel, my gaze met Moss’s brightly lit one. He had a scowl on his face that had become very familiar to me, especially in my younger years. A couple years back when I had left to live my solitary life I had not said good-bye to Moss; my wolf saw him as his only pack member. It wasn’t good-bye, but it also made it very hard for me to leave. It was why I had left without a word to him. Looked like this time he wouldn’t accept that.

I wasn’t going to pussy foot around it. I had planned on leaving without telling him good-bye again, I didn’t know where my life would lead me this time. When I left those years ago, I always saw myself coming back to the Leviathan. But what would happen when I got Mallory back?

Moss pulled me in, with his grip on my shoulder, and wrapped his arm around my shoulders. It was a quick hug that was over before I realized it happened. Moss stood a few feet from me once again and looked at me with pride shining through his eyes. He rarely smiled in the time that I lived with him. His lips were tipped upwards, not quite a smile. I nodded and climbed into my truck.

Moss was gone by the time I started my truck and backed out of my spot next to his.

The drive to the city was quiet; the stereo in my car had long stopped working. Normally I would use a separate speaker hooked up to my phone to play music, but my wolf was restless. Silence was better and would allow me to hear any possible threat before it happened. The address to the hotel was branded in my mind. The map that I had studied before I left was imprinted.

It took an hour and then some to arrive outside the hotel. It was on a busy city street, and I busted the parking meter as I waited. I stalked the hotel, lying in wait for any hint of my mate. I had already checked around the building for any back entrance that they might use but the building was backed up another tall structure. There were two exits―the front, and a side that would force anyone to come to the front anyways.

My eyes burned bright as my wolf surged to the surface.

My mate. Soon.

Chapter 10

Mallory

Asher had clothes bought for me which I had refused to touch until now. I had been wearing the outfit I first changed into since arriving to the hotel a couple nights beforehand. I dug through the clothes hoping for something, anything really. Mostly it was filled with frilly summer dresses. My nose scrunched up at the thought of wearing one. No thanks.

At the bottom I found a sturdy pair of jeans; they were a little big around the waist and a little long, but they were still better than the dresses. Most of the shirts showed a lot of skin, but I found one that would do. The neck was so big that it draped over one of my shoulders. I tugged the sleeve up over my shoulder. The shirt itself was white, with small holes that made it look like a moth had gotten a hold of it, but was probably some fashion thing I didn’t understand. I wore the tank top I had on underneath.

The doors to the suite opened, and I sat on the couch. I glanced over at who entered but it wasn’t much of a guess. Asher was wearing sleek black pants, and a dark green button-up. Much different than his just briefs this morning. I had avoided looking at his pale skin above me, but flashes of those moments attacked me.

A shiver of disgust scraped down my spine, like icy fingernails tearing up my skin. My only comfort had been of Mazy. I needed to make sure she was safe, because I truly didn’t think the quiet part in me that had been tearing myself apart would allow anything else. My insides already felt like they had been torn to ribbons, that if I went any further with Asher without solid evidence that he had Mazy, there wouldn’t be anything left inside of me.

Asher’s dress shoes clicked as he stepped over the tiled entranceway, which led to three steps down to the next level, the living room where I was sitting. In front of me was a huge TV, but I hadn’t touched the controls for it. My mind was too busy working on how to convince Asher to allow me to see Mazy.

Asher’s greasy black hair bounced as he cheerfully came down the stairs. When he crossed in front of me, my back straightened and tightened. I tried my best to control my breathing. I couldn’t show him fear, even if it was running rampant through my blood. He held my life in his hands. Even though I tried to sass talk my way out of situations, I was still very hyper aware that he could destroy me and my sister.

Asher continued past me. My shoulders dropped a centimeter, but the tension reminded in the neck, a tight bundle of nerves knotting and twisting. He strode over to the end of where my chain was connected. It was a thick metal loop that had been anchored on to the wall. My cuff had been padlocked on, and I feared why the metal loop was there in the first place, but best not to think too hard about it.

The quiet clank of the metal was the only sound between us. I peeked over to where Asher was slowly moving toward me. He was gathering the chain that had my line of movement. My arm tugged toward where he wrapped the chain up.

“We’re leaving, mate. And this is what is going to happen. I will release you from the chain, and you are going to take my arm―”

I let out a scoff. There was very little chance I would be willing to do that.

“You will take my arm and walk to the car. No screams, no nothing. If you comply to all my requests, then before we leave the city I will take you to see your sister.”

A dangerous warmth of hope bloomed in my chest. Maybe it was foolish to hope he would truly keep his word, but I would be willing to do the little he asked to see her. Asher came to the end of the chain, which was attached to my wrist. The small lock that held the chain together bounced against the sharp edge of my wrist. Asher caught my wrist in a tight grip, dropping the extra slack he had.

“Do you understand?” Asher asked, tightening his grip.

“Yes,” I gritted out. He unlocked the lock and it dropped to the floor, along with the remaining chain, with a quiet twinkle. The chain slid against my jean-covered leg, pooling with the rest of the sparkling chain. My wrist felt pounds lighter.

“Let’s go.” Asher tugged me from the couch and tucked me close to his hip. I wanted to pull away from his hold, but his promise thrummed through me.

Do as he asks, and I see Mazy.

Asher led me out of the suite and into the hallway. It was the first time I would be seeing the hotel. When Asher brought me in I was still dazed from just coming out the coma. I had fallen asleep on the drive over, and the ride up to the room. Funny, after sleeping for months straight my body still demanded it.

The hallways were as ornate as the hotel suite. The entire place screamed money and made me squirm. I certainly didn’t belong in a place like this. The walls were decorated with fine pieces of modern art, and the hallways were painted with sleek, fine lines and colors. The flooring was veined marble tiles. My bare feet padded against the cool tiles, while Asher’s shoes clicked.

Why he didn’t supply me with shoes baffled me. But so far Asher had been very calculating in his movements, so there had to be a reason why. We didn’t pass anyone in the hallways toward the elevator. Once the elevator arrived and we climbed on, Asher tightened his grip. I shuffled a little closer. Disgust swamped through me, sticky and humid against my skin. The small metal box that dropped us farther and farther to the lobby left my stomach a floor above. I closed my eyes, hating the feeling of being in the elevator.

Asher’s breath fanned over the crown of my head and I pried my eyes open. My hands had tightened into fist that I loosened, willing my anxiety to drop. Asher would sense it and he would feed off of it. The thought soured my stomach and steeled my resolve. Straightening my back, I rolled my shoulders, and the movement jarred Asher’s tight hold. He let out a low hiss as a reminder, and in response I craned my neck to face him. I bat my lashes and tugged my lips into a painfully forced smile.

“Sorry, darling.” I couldn’t bring myself to say the word mate. The word did not belong to him. Something inside of me raged at the thought of using it for anyone but the man who smelled like fresh snow, and an Arctic breeze.

Asher retightened his grip, his nails biting into the fleshy part of my arm. It didn’t surprise me that he was upset with my word choice, but his pain wasn’t as bad as my insides feeling as if they were being ripped apart. Nothing quite surpassed that pain.

“Don’t worry, mate. You will learn your place soon enough.” He emphasized his use of mate, and his dark promise wasn’t wasted on me.

“Hopefully it will be behind you with a bat in my hand …” I muttered too low even for shifter ears to catch. It was something I had come to perfect in the years living with my parents and sister who could hear everything I could not.

Asher must have chosen to ignore hearing any sort of peep out of me as he didn’t press or retaliate. Good thing, too, because the doors to the elevator opened with a quiet ding. We stepped forward into the very cold, sterile lobby. The lobby had the same style as the hallways―sleek lines with cool colors. The surrounding furniture looked more uncomfortable to sit in than to stare at. Perhaps it worked in the employees’ favors as they didn’t have to deal with loitering guests. Good for them.

My parents lived simple lives, but Mazy and I never wanted for anything. We also weren’t exposed to many trinkets or wonders of the modern ages. Our parents had kept us on the outskirts of town, choosing to live near forest until I was coming into my preteen years. It was then that my mother became adamant about moving us to the city. Even then, though, our parents never pushed us into getting jobs. Mazy had gotten one while she was in her last year of high school, and I followed in her footsteps. The worst part of any job was the unrealistic demands of the customers. So, as I gazed around the mostly empty lobby, I felt nothing but envious of the horrid furniture. These employees really lucked out.

Or it was just that late in the night. The moonlight shone through the glass entranceway. The entire front of the lobby was windows; it looked out to the quiet city streets. The darkened night was lit entirely by the stars, streetlights, and the moon.

A sliver of cold fear worked its way into my veins. Asher told me he would take me to see Mazy, but why leave in the middle of the night? Logically, it felt like there was nothing to gain by leaving now. And what of Mazy? Surely, he didn’t want to do a midnight rendezvous. I scratched my forehead, the night’s activities and my lingering fever making it hard to focus.

As if sensing my thoughts went to it, another roll of nausea went through me. I squeezed my eyes tight and hoped to hold back the pain that travelled with it. My muscles ached as if I had run miles, and my joints creaked. This was how the fever originally started the night before. Why it was hitting me again, I wasn’t sure, but it made me long for the sterile rooms of the hospital.

Tucking close to his side, Asher walked to the front counter where a midnight clerk stood. The guy had bags under his eyes, and a glazed look in them. His mouth was slightly parted as his eyelids drooped heavily. I squinted, trying to figure out if he was half asleep or asleep with his eyes open. It was a great game to distract myself with as sweat broke over my skin again. The damn fever had come back.

Asher cleared his throat, unsuccessfully getting the clerk’s full, undivided attention. Asher tried again, but this time slammed his hand down on the counter, making the guy jerk into awareness.

So asleep with his eyes open then.

“Room has been paid for, but we had to leave early. I just wanted to return my keys, so it was acknowledged we left already.”

The clerk mouth-breathed at Asher for a half a minute before nodding and taking the card keys from him and slowly typing the information into his computer.

“All set, sir. Did you get a valet to get your car?” Mouth-breather sounded professional and not like he had been caught well asleep with his eyes open.

“Yes.”

The clerk responded with a nod and got to work on his computer again. He didn’t speak for a moment or two. I swayed in Asher’s hold as the fever gripped me tighter. It had come on this suddenly the night before. I had been on the cusp of sleep, and then I was running to the bathroom, hoping I made it in time. This time while my stomach turned and twisted with gut wrenching pain, nothing felt as if it was forcing its way up. My ankles had a strange tingling pain and in a moment of complete weakness, I stumbled farther into Asher’s hold. My body had betrayed me, and I lost my balance, control, something.

The clerk looked up at me, alarmed, but Asher waved him away, with quiet reassurances that I was just tried. However, his grip was punishing and promised pain if I didn’t control myself better. Well, if he could figure out why I kept having these moments of fever, that would be just swell. Truthfully, it scared me to my very core.

Asher was not my mate. He was not the one who invoked my animal out of my dormant genes. The Arctic breeze and a fading face was, but he wasn’t here anymore and gods knew where he was. Problem was, I didn’t know what I was anymore. Was I still latent? Still practically human in every way and this sickness that kept consuming me would eventually kill me? Or was it something to do with my animal awakening?

Latent shifters existed, but rarely came out to the public as so. It was painful to know that you belonged to the shifter world but still remained on the outside fringes. It was easier to pretend to be fully human and accepted than to be on the outside of both worlds. It had been where I spent most of my life. My parents and Mazy had been my family and my only real friends. Humans might know about shifters but they still proceeded with caution. And the same would be said about shifters toward humans. Shifters might be able to take out a human with a single punch, but humans out populated shifters.

Asher tugged me, jarring me from my dark thoughts. Perhaps a human sickness wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world … if it meant I could get away from him. A frown pressed my lips into a tight line as he pulled me toward the doors.

A lustrous little car sped around the building and sat humming at the entrance. My nose crinkled with distaste. I wasn’t a car person, in any extent of the word, but the sports car in front of me made me want to cringe. It was low to the ground, the front end was overextended, the cab short and stout. It looked like it only sat two people and the valet stretched his leg out to exit the driver’s side. He looked thrilled to have been able to drive it, but I wasn’t thrilled about getting in it.

Asher opened the front door of the hotel, nudging his head toward the car. Easy enough to decipher. He wanted me to get in, but my stomach crawled. A quiet thought surged in the back of my head again. If I get into that car, I’ll never be free again. I hesitated and took a step backwards.

Asher’s arm shot out as quickly as a snake and snatched my wrist, reminding me I had no choice. Stealing my wrist back, I tilted my chin back and walked forward. I still didn’t like the car. Ugly, and stupid. The urge to kick it was strong.

The night had a little chill to it, and it wrapped around me like an old friend. I sucked in a full breath, missing the fresh air. It felt like years since I got to be outside. The moment didn’t last as Asher cleared his throat, demanding my attention. A quiet snarl vibrated in my throat. I paused. Well, that was … different.

Even as it happened my stomach twisted painfully and the aches I had been able to forget for a split second returned. Asher stepped around the car to get in. As I stepped forward, the breeze gusted by and on it was a subtle scent of snow. It was too early in the year for it, and we didn’t get much in the city, but it was there.

Mate.

The urge to flee flooded through my body; my muscles tensed as adrenaline poured into my bloodstream. The only thing that kept me in place was the thought of my sister. Mazy needed me. If she was truly being held by Asher, then I would do anything to save her. Fighting against every instinct I ducked down and got into the car.

Chapter 11

Apollo

A black 718 Cayman Porsche flew around the oval drive of the hotel, shooting out of the underground garage like a bat out of hell. My truck sat idle in a parking lot nearby. I rolled down the passenger window an inch to get a better sense of what was happening across the street. As I suspected the fucker was going to try to escape into the night. Not with my mate.

Mallory stepped out of the modern, expensive hotel looking completely out of place. Her hair was wild, long, wavy red hair twisting in the wind. Her fair skin glowed under the moonlight. If I believed enchantresses existed, I would assume she was one. She had me completely captivated. My wolf―who had been on edge, clawing to get out every moment of the day―was soothed. Quiet and stalking.

 Mallory’s eyelids fluttered shut, lashes brushed against the tops of her cheeks, and her lips parted slightly. She took in a large breath. I lurched forward in my seat, my wolf demanding to go to his mate. I couldn’t act without knowing if the hotel was under Asher’s employment. Having done my research, I had no doubt that Asher was not a massive shark loan. He had his hands in my different businesses in this town though. Cooling my wolf down, I focused in on Mallory.

Mallory folded herself into the tight ride. The door shut, and I rolled up my window. The chase had just begun. The red lights of the taillights flashed, and in seconds the humming idle car roared to life. The car jerked out of the hotel and sped down the road. Fumbling with my own controls, I turned on the lights while putting my truck in gear. I followed, keeping at least three to four car lengths between us at all times. The challenge with Asher leaving at this time of the night was there was a higher chance he would realize that I was following.

If I caught the scent of his car, the unique mixture of his ownership and the car’s particular fumes would be enough for me to follow. It would allow me to take different paths if Asher started to suspect someone was following.

My hands tightened around the steering wheel until the leather creaked under my grip. The fucker was speeding down the roads with my mate in his car. If she was truly a latent shifter, she probably still hadn’t embraced her animal yet. She would still be as weak as a human. If he got into an accident with her in the car … My wolf growled loudly in my chest.

Asher slowed down some, which made me worry. What was he planning? Did he suspect me? I slowed myself and considered pulling over in front of what looked like an apartment complex. The Porsche ahead of me swerved to the left before the car righted itself. My brows pressed together tightly. What the fuck was happening in that car?

They continued through the city going at the slower pace, but no erratic movements since the once swerve. The longer I followed, the more frustrated my wolf became. He wasn’t the most patient of hunters. The frustration made me restless.

How long would it be before I could make a move?

The worry I felt for my mate, fueled my anger toward Asher. I scooted forward on my seat, and pushed the gas a little more than I should. As I tugged in a breath to cool down, the car swerved again. This time it wasn’t an accidental twist to the right. The brake lights flashed in sporadic flickers.

The roads were lined now with old buildings; some were boarded up, while others still thrived with their businesses. The Porsche was moving at too high of a speed, and I stepped on my own gas. Nothing I did could prevent the car from crashing.

Fear seized my gut as the front end smashed into a tall, metal, overhead light. The metal lamppost groaned and whined as the top half swayed until it came crashing down on top of the car. The sound of the metal on metal echoed in my ears, pounding in my head.

Mallory. Mate.

I slammed on my brakes even though I had been going at a slow cruise as it was. There weren’t any other cars out this late in the night. I didn’t waste any time. Shifting my gears into park, I slid out of my truck.

Cautious of my surroundings, I listened for signs of police, or any other people. Although it might not look like there were people around, in this part of town there was always someone lurking. Letting my guard down would be foolish and dangerous.

The air was quiet, no breeze coming through to sweep away the smoke. That caused a problem. A quiet hum in the back of my throat sounded as I thought on it. It meant that it would give the police and fire-station an easy beacon to follow. There wasn’t much smoke fuming from the destroyed front end, but it might attract the attention of crowds. I needed to get Mallory out before then. This was my best chance to get her.

I remained low, my knees bunched as I rushed over to the crashed Porsche. Neither door had flung open. Worry trundled through me that the crash had rendered them unconscious. Asher, I didn’t give a damn about, it would be best if he was knocked unconscious. But Mallory, she was fragile.

A deep growl rumbled in my chest. My mate.

I stepped up to the trunk of the Porsche and hoped that the gods had given me one in my favor. If Asher was unconscious it would make getting Mallory away easier. Not that I wouldn’t love to slit the fucker’s throat with my claws, but Mallory needed to be safe. My hand slid against the cool metal of the car. The closer I got to the passenger side door, the hotter the metal began to burn. The insides were steadily becoming unstable.

I reached the edge of the passenger door when it creaked open. I stepped back, remaining low to the ground. In the crash, the passenger side mirror had been smashed up. The glass sprinkled the ground near the passenger side. The pieces twinkled in the moonlight.

The door swung open, capturing my attention. A pale, delicate foot appeared. A bare foot.

My wolf raged forward, and I reached out, holding her foot before she could step into the glass peppered on the ground. A growl rented the air in warning. The leg attached to the foot twitched as she tried to pull it back into the car. Well that wouldn’t do either.

Mallory leaned out the door, her dark red hair brushing over her shoulder and tickling against my nose. Her scent filled my nostrils with a heavenly scent that consumed me. Earthy, with oakmoss, it reminded me of home. A deep, instinctual home. In the woods, the dirt under my claws, the heady thrum of life flowing through the trees, and wildlife.

Her scent carried me away, and I was lost to the moment. Until she pushed on my shoulder and tried to yank her foot back again. I was jarred from my thoughts and forced to stare into her dark forest green eyes.

Her lips peeled back into a snarl. Thrusting forward, my grip on her foot loosened and she fell on top of me. I fell back onto the unforgiving ground with my mate’s weight resting on me. My wolf grumbled his contentment, but it only lasted a moment before I heard a hiss. Tucking aside my mate’s lush red hair, I peeked around her to see Asher’s eyes glowing yellow with his animal close to the surface.

Well fuck.

I bared my sharpening canines at him in a warning. Mallory twisted on my chest, and her knee rammed into my crotch. A puff of air released from my lungs, and a grunt followed.

Fucking, shit. A blinding pain resounded as she knocked me in the dick again.

“Stop squirming, mate.” My wolf pushed forward, speaking for me.

“Arctic breeze?” her sweet voice whispered against my ears.

Chapter 12

Mallory

“Arctic breeze?” I had no other name for him. Mate felt too weighty even if he had just used it but his voice was strained. It was deepened and abrasive as if the vocal cords were being rubbed the wrong way. My father’s voice used to get that way when he had been severely pissed off and his animal rose to the surface. If I met this familiar stranger’s eyes, they’d glow with his animal.

“I don’t do pet names.” His voice was deep, so very masculine and distracting. I twisted my neck so I was face-to-face with him.

My mate. A quiet whisper in the back of my head.

His eyes were molten amber, a mixture of all shades of brown, a never ending rainbow. The sight was hypnotizing. A warmth settled into my blood, a sense of rightness clicked into place. Then his words came back to me.

My eyes crinkled with confusion, and my lips started to form the question. Instead of letting it out, I untucked my hand, which was pressed between his solid chest and mine, and patted his cheek. Seriously, now was not the time.

I pushed my hand against his shoulder. Hmm, solid and strong. The thought distracted me for only a moment. When I turned to see Asher, he was still strapped in his side of the car, blood dripping from above his eyebrow where he hit his head against the dashboard. The loud thump of his head hitting it had sent a chilling thrill down my spine.

On the ride through the city, I pressed Asher, asking him about my sister and her whereabouts. At first, he avoided answering, instead telling me we would get there soon. Then his answers started to change. The sinking feeling in my gut reminded me of my earlier fears. He didn’t have my sister. He confirmed it the moment before I yanked the steering wheel from his grip, forcing the car to ram into a streetlamp. The move had been foolish, sure, but a poisonous anger had leeched into my veins and pumped into my heart. All knowledge had left, and I was left a trembling mass of instincts.

Instincts that told me if he got me out of the city, I would surely never see my sister again. I would be his as he wished it. Primal instincts flared inside of me and urged me to fight back. The instincts, unfortunately, also flared another round of aches in my bones. The wrenching of the steering wheel was both revenge and a desperate need I couldn’t place.

I bared my teeth at Asher. It was a move many shifters did when they showed aggression. Even growing up with shifters, I didn’t tend to react the way they did. The move shocked me, but not as much as the pleasure that crossed over Asher’s face. The blood that had gathered above his forehead dribbled down and crossed over his lips, blooding his teeth.

“Get away from my mate.” Asher’s words came out as a hiss. His animal was close, scales peeking out from under his neckline.

Although fear should have consumed me, it didn’t. Instead, like a refreshing dip in the sea, a coolness crossed over my skin, cleansing me, freeing me from any dark emotion. A hand tangled in my hair, brushing it aside. Again. My tangled mess was getting annoying. Before I was in coma, I had left it be, too caught in my own depression. And it would seem the nurses and my sister allowed my hair to grow while I was in the hospital, too. Right now, I wanted to chop it all off.

“Climb over me and get to the truck,” the alluring voice under me demanded. He had my hair tucked to the side so that he could stare down Asher. Though his scent called to me, the muscles under my hands were tense with anger and aggression. A niggling of fear wormed its way into the pit of my stomach.

A very quiet voice in the back of my head told me to trust him. He was the one from the hospital, he would never hurt me. Mindful of where I jammed my knee this time, I crawled over the top of him like he asked and stood at the trunk of the car. Hopping to his feet in the graceful move of a shifter, Arctic moved in front of me, blocking Asher from my view. But not before I caught a glance of his skin starting to scale out. The heavy weight of a shift pressed against my skin. It made it crawl, roll, and a spark of desire ignited in my heart. What I wouldn’t give to shift.

The thought made me pause. I hadn’t thought something like that in years. When I was younger, I often asked when my animal would appear. My parents shared a look before sitting down and explaining to me how I was different. It was hard to squash the feeling of yearning from my mind and body.

Arctic walked backwards, his fingers brushing my sides. He steered me, never taking his sights off the open door.

“I will not so easssily give up my mate, wolf.” Asher’s voice was garbled as he fought back the shift, his s’s slurring, and hissing.

Arctic didn’t answer. Instead, he turned so his back faced Asher and crowded me. His hands gripped my hips and continued to steer me backwards.

“Come.” Arctic twisted my shoulders around and kept his hands there as we speed-walked to the truck with the headlights still on. His ride I guess.

The saying, ‘the devil you know is better than the one you don’t’ came to mind as he led me closer and closer to the old, beat-up Ford. It was a nice truck, a little rough around the edges, but I tucked my chin in and glanced back at Arctic.

His rainbow brown eyes still shone with his wolf. His strong jaw was covered in days’ worth of stubble. A proud nose sat above pump lips that begged to be nipped. Wait … what? I blinked away the thoughts and focused on him again.

His dark brown hair hung over his forehead, in thick, sexy strands. Jeez, he might smell like fresh snow and remind me of home, but it didn’t mean I needed to get all gaga over him. And truthfully, how could I trust him? What was he even doing here?

“Whoa there, buster.” I twisted around in his grip again, Asher’s car in my sights once more.

Devil you know. Or this fine-looking devil?

“That’s not my name.”

“Um, duh?”

“It’s Apollo.”

“Sure it’s not Adonis?”

He raised a single brow. Damn that was attractive, and annoying. I hadn’t meant to say that out loud, but hey if he was going to be a god, it wouldn’t surprise me that he was the God of Beauty.

“I don’t do pet names,” he repeated, annoyance lining his eyes. I held in my curt laughter. This really wasn’t the time to be egging him on but it sent a thrill through me.

“Okay then, Arctic. Who are you?”

“Apollo, your mate.”

Chapter 13

Apollo

Surely her animal had to be emerging. Couldn’t she smell me? Recognize me as her mate? There was uncertainty in her gaze, and she kept glancing back to where Asher’s car sat. We couldn’t stay here―he was still shifting, and it wouldn’t take long for his snake to get free from the car. Killing him would be easy, but I wasn’t going to risk Mallory in the process.

I urged her toward the car again. Mallory didn’t take her eyes off the wreck, so she stepped backwards. Her muscles under my hands were taut with her worry and fear. The scent was sharp and acidic. The urge to soothe her was overwhelming but since I had been the cause, I had no cure.

“I promise I will get you in contact with your sister as soon as we are in a safe place.”

“Funny, ’cause that asshole said he had her.” Her eyes flashed with anger. Toward me or at Asher I wasn’t sure, but I had to proceed with caution. Mallory was rightfully timid and inside my wolf snarled. She wouldn’t have to be afraid of me. Never me.

“No, your sister is with a … friend of mine. They mated and went to visit his family in New Orleans.”

Her lips pressed tightly together. A snarl of frustration threatened to burst through me.

“I need you to trust me for just a few minutes. When we get to a safe space, I promise I will get you on the phone with your sister’s mate. He can connect you from there.”

Twisting my neck, I glanced over my shoulder to see a flash of moss brown scales. Fuck. We didn’t have time for this.

“Mallory!” Her attention was also stuck on Asher’s animal as it untangled itself from the car.

“Fine! Fine.” Her voice was that of defeat, but she willingly went to the truck. I tried to open the door of the passenger side for her, but she beat me to it. The large python flopped to the concrete as I put my truck in reverse. His eyes watched as we drove away. Mallory sat straighter in her seat and made eye contact with Asher. Slowly she lifted her hand and flipped him off. A snort of laughter worked its way out of me.

Fearless mate.

Yes, but also scared. Her fear still tainted her skin with a rotten perfume that made my nose burn.

“And you can’t call my sister’s so called mate right now?”

“No.”

“Why not?”

Because I want to keep you for myself.

“I’m driving.”

“Seriously?” she asked, skeptical.

“Seriously.”

Mallory was silent as I drove on. I would have to circle around the city and hopefully throw off any tails we might have. Asher might be consumed by his animal for the time being, but it didn’t mean he wouldn’t have connections out looking for us. A snarl built in the back of my throat at the thought. We would go to Moss’s safe house here in the city, and hopefully in the morning she would feel safe enough with me to leave the city. It was too risky staying here with Asher’s men crawling about.

My main concern for now was to make sure I got her to the apartment safely. We would decide after that.

***

The car ride had been tense, at best. Mallory squirmed in her seat for the most part, her hands twisted in her lap, her shoulders were curled forward, and her head bent to the window. I didn’t attempt to speak, words of comfort escaped me. Plus, we weren’t out of the woods yet. I wouldn’t offer her false hopes. Promising her the moon when I could not deliver would be a betrayal against the tentative trust she had put into me.

I had kept to the roads for a couple hours. Mallory’s head knocked against the window a couple times before she woke with a startled jump. I had already lost my mate to a crime-boss shifter, and now I couldn’t even take care of her simplest of needs. She needed a bed, shower, and food. Whether in that order or not I didn’t care but she needed to rest.

Two hours should give us enough time to get a little shut-eye, shower, and a quick meal before we needed to be on the move again. It would be foolish to head back to the bar, but it had been my first option. Now that was out the window, so I would have to figure out a new plan. No doubt by now Asher had control over his animal and was doing what he could to find my mate.

I pulled into the parking garage nearby the nondescript apartment building. It was very much Moss’s style. Unnoticeable, but easy access. It was something he drilled into me when I lived with him. It didn’t matter about the flash of the thing but rather its function. Pretty could come later after usability and reliability.

The building was quiet, not quite on the outskirts of town, but far enough from the hustle of it all. It was on the opposite side of where Asher had been taking Mallory in the first place. It gave me reassurance that we would have a bit more time to hide out in the city. Mallory stirred in her seat as I parked the car. She slowly lifted her head as if it weighed an enormous amount. She blinked several times before she realized that it was just dark in the parking garage.

“So where to from here, oh savior?” She didn’t look at me; instead, she stared ahead at the concrete wall. Her fear tainted the small cab of my truck and I hated that I invoked it in her.

“To the apartment. You can shower, get something to eat, and rest.”

“Thought you said you’d let me talk to my sister.” Her voice dropped with a growl. The rumble continued in her throat until she cleared it, her brows pinching in confusion.

“Your animal is emerging.”

“Got that, Arctic Breeze. What about your promise?” She twisted in her seat and glared at me, her green eyes flashing with annoyance.

“It’s two o’clock in the morning. I can call her now if you wish, but I can’t guarantee she will answer.” Plus, I needed a bit of time to think of our next plan. Now that I had her, her scent clung to me like a second skin. My wolf was rolling in contentment that our mate was near. He wouldn’t allow anything else than keeping her forever.

“No, no. It’s fine,” Mallory whispered, shaking her head. Her recent bravo left her in a rush. Her shoulders dropped heavily and the last few days took its toll on her. “Shower sounds good, sleep sounds divine, and I’ll probably eat you pretty soon.”

“I’d much rather eat you,” I muttered under my breath, unable to keep the thought in.

“What?”

“I said, I’d much rather eat you.”

Mallory sized me up, checking me out head to toe. She hummed under her breath but didn’t say a word about it.

I got out of the truck and headed around the end of the bed to wait for her to climb out. She moved slowly, glancing around. Her muscles were loose. I didn’t fear she would take off, but wariness drew on her muscles.

“Come on, Mallory.”

She nodded and walked to my side. We headed to the apartment building together.

Chapter 14

Mallory

Our steps echoed around the parking garage, but it kept me alert. Awake. Unfortunately, I felt extremely at ease with Apollo. A muscle next to his right eye twitched anytime I called him something other than his name, which made my insides lighten a bit.

My limbs felt heavy. I had only gotten a bit of sleep in the car and it still tugged at me. Since I had been with Asher, exhaustion gnawed at my muscles, but sleep had eluded me.

The last couple days should have put me under, and yet in Apollo’s presence I felt more alive. An energy―restless, new, and untamed under my skin. Rolling my shoulders, I tried to shake out this feeling.

“It’s your animal,” Apollo said. He took in a deep breath through his nose, tilting his head in my direction. “Do you know …”

A flush crept up my cheeks. Asking another shifter what kind of animal they had was personal. Some animals, like bears or wolves, could smell each unique scent of an animal and didn’t even have to ask.

“I’m not sure. My parents had been a mix pair. Mazy took after our mother.”

“I’m sorry, Mallory. First thing in the morning I will get you on the phone with you sister.” Apollo slowed his pace, matching mine. Cringing, I wondered how he knew where my thoughts had traveled. “Your scent. And you’re an open book right now.”

“I’ve been spending way too much time with humans.” I thought again on how my legs recovered. Had it been because of finding Apollo? Did my animal speed up my healing? It made more sense than the time I had been in coma. If I had remained latent I didn’t think my legs would have recovered so quickly.

Apollo’s laugh rang around us in a deep baritone that made something inside of me warm.

“Come on.” Apollo reached out to me; he hesitated before placing his hand on my lower back. I appreciated that he didn’t touch me.

I glanced up at him. Goddamn he’s gorgeous. But not in a pretty boy way. No, he looked rugged and wild. Not knowing why or how a quiet growl of appreciation tumbled out of me.

My eyes widened and I took a step forward, escaping his almost touch. Swallowing my apology, I hoped his animal wouldn’t take the sound as a challenge. His eyes glowed as his animal touched the surface.

“We should get you inside. I don’t know the extent of Asher’s reach. He won’t get his slimy hands on you again.”

“Not sure snakes are really slimy,” I retort as we continue our way to the rundown apartment complex. Apollo let out a quiet rumble. Whether it had been a laugh or a growl I didn’t know. Choosing to ignore it, I stood waiting at the entrance. Apollo jogged over, catching up before unlocking the door.

“Just a key?”

“Look around you, Mallory. This place is shit.”

“Are you always this blunt?”

Arching a brow, Apollo looked down at me as he held the door open only a crack, but the warmth inside felt welcoming.

“Better get used to it, mate.”

Instinctively, I flinched. Apollo’s face darkened, and guilt consumed me. While it hadn’t been a reaction to him, the act had upset him. Sucking in a breath as uncertainty and a deeper, more dangerous emotion ran through me, I touched his forearm. The skin on skin contact soothed this anger that simmered under my skin, and his own muscles relaxed a smidgen.

“I’m sorry. Asher called me ‘mate’; it had torn me up on the inside. It usually was followed by some sort of …” I swallowed a couple times. Gods, I wanted to be braver for him. He looked like a male who deserved a fearless mate, but instead he got me. Little ole Mallory, still trying to figure out herself. Especially now, with this new revelation about having met my actual mate.

Apollo growled again but opened the door wide enough to allow me inside without having to touch him. Sucking in a breath, I decided to try and be brave. I brushed gently against his chest when I entered the building. Satisfaction warmed my insides. It felt like it came from a different, new part of me.

Apollo closed the door behind him and led me up the stairs. The building’s stairs creaked heavily under our combined weight and I worried that it would fall apart under us. Gripping the bannister, I hoped to hit a solid footing soon.

We made it up two stairways before Apollo stopped at one of the doors and made quick work of the three locks on it. Lifting a hand, he indicated for me to wait as he slipped inside. He left the door open a crack, and I strained to listen.

My senses had been getting better since the moment I left the hospital. Apollo’s fresh, crisp scent called to me. Like an invisible cord tied from my belly to him, it pulled me forward. Restraining from following him, I took comfort in following his scent and the quiet creaks of the floorboards. He moved silently in a way most shifters knew how to move. Mazy had gotten away with so much when we were kids because she could move silently. I had a major disadvantage.

The door swung open, and Apollo stood there with a frown on his face but waved me in. Ducking my head, I slipped inside. The interior felt at odds with the entire building. While it wasn’t anything fancy, it felt homey; well-loved but well kept. The room smelled clean, it didn’t smell like someone lived here regularly. It felt strange to know that, but after living with shifters my whole life it felt right.

“Whose place is this again?”

“It’s an extra apartment my friend keeps. He is letting us hole up here for the night. Tomorrow we should get out of the city.”

“What about after that?” I asked.

“What do you mean?”

I sighed, leaning against the arm of the couch. Apollo stood in the kitchen area watching me with those rainbow brown eyes. Gold sparked underneath them, his animal watching.

“Asher isn’t going to just give up. I am not naïve enough to believe that. Even if we leave the city and keep a low profile he won’t stop searching. He knows my weaknesses, or weakness. If Mazy has finally got her mate, I don’t want to ruin their lives either. So what are we doing after?”

“We are doing nothing. Once I get in contact with your sister’s mate, he and I will take care of the problem.” His animal pushed forward, his eyes completely gold now, and his canines grew a little.

“What are you?”

“A mercenary.”

“We’ll get to that in a moment. But I meant what kind of shifter.”

A growl rumbled from his chest. “You sure you want to know that?”

“Yes.” I refused to back down from his stare. My parents’ rules pounded in my head but a different, new part of me refused to listen. Don’t give in.

Apollo’s lips peeled back into a smile. “Wolf.”

A shudder went through my body; a delicious, unexpected shiver. Something inside of me loved knowing what kind of shifter he was. It took great pleasure in it.

“Your animal approves.”

My eyes flashed up to his. I hadn’t even realized I turned my gaze away―not down but away.

“She’s showing herself just a little bit there in your eyes.”

“I had been sick with Asher, I assumed that it’d been too late for her to emerge. I thought she was dying.”

“No, she was waiting for your mate. And she probably needed an alpha, someone stronger than Asher.”

Raising my brows, I gave him a look. He let out a warning growl.

“I want to shower. But just so you know, I don’t accept your answer about you and my sister’s mate going after him.”

“Good thing you don’t have to worry about it. Come on.” Apollo left the kitchen area, heading over to one of the closed doors attached to the living room. He opened the door to a small but functional bathroom. It was such a different contrast to what Asher had subjected me to that I felt the tension leave my shoulders.

“There are two locks on the door. A regular lock that came with the house, and an industrial, shifter-strength lock. Use both. There are no windows for people to sneak through, and I will be in the kitchen making you food.” Apollo left, heading straight back to where he came from.

For that alone I felt eternally grateful. My parents had been true mates, they were rarely without each other. Apollo must have been feeling the same urge to stay close―as was I―but yet here he was trying to give me a bit of space. It made me feel safer and trust him a little more.

“Thank you, Apollo.”

Before he could say anything, I shut the door behind me and flipped the locks over. The quiet clicks filled the room. Breathing a little easier, I went to the shower/bath combo and turned on the water. As I waited for it to warm, I went to the small vanity. The mirror that hung over the sink was small but served its purpose. It seemed to be the common theme in the apartment.

Green eyes that had a hint of a glow in them stared back at me. Sunken cheeks, and thin, uncared for lips. I cringed at my reflection. Shifting my thoughts back to the glow in my eyes, I felt for that foreign piece of me that had been making itself known. A subtle brush of fur touched my mind. Warmth coursed through me. I blinked, my eyes glowing more readily than before.

Stepping back from the mirror, I squashed down the hope that bubbled up inside of me. She might be just barely there, but it didn’t mean I would ever get to fully embrace my animal. I had to think about this logically. Though my parents had done their best to find out any information on latent shifters, we were rare and few in between. Especially those still living with their birth parents.

I worried with the trauma from my past, coupled with our rocky start, she would never fully emerge. Letting those thoughts fade away, I got into the shower, hoping to wash away the memories. And my silly hopes.

Chapter 15

Apollo

My wolf couldn’t understand how my mate stood only feet away and I wasn’t in the shower with her. Fuck, my cock grew hard as unwarranted thoughts rushed through my head. Water forming rivulets down her perky breasts. Her nipples tightened and wanton. Stifling a growl, I paced away from the door. Mallory probably deserved better than me, a male that could control himself. But fuck I didn’t believe any male had that sort of self-control.

Maybe Moss.

The thought of him anywhere near my mate made me see red. My claws punched through my skin, piercing where I curled my hands into tight fists. My mouth felt cluttered with my canines lengthening.

Yeah, I was too much of an asshole to give Mallory up. She had just escaped captivity, after being sick for months, and my mind should be far from what I wanted to do with her sweet, supple body. Growling at myself again, I went to work in the kitchen. Moss kept the place semi-stocked, with foods that could last in the freezer. I pulled out two steaks and placed them on the counter to defrost.

It’d be the best option for now. I threw them into a pan and dug through the fridge, searching for anything else to go with it. It was already late, and I had no idea if Mallory would really want that much food, but I couldn’t push away the urge to take care of her. The shower continued running and I kept myself busy with anything else to keep my mind off of her.

Mallory’s earlier question about what we would do about Asher ran through my head. I had wanted out of the merc game―the life didn’t appeal to me anymore―but if it meant keeping my mate safe, I didn’t feel that normal niggling of guilt. Lucas and his other two friends had not been the worst mercs out there. Even before their mates they had a code they lived by. I hadn’t for a small part of my life.

The water turned off and my head popped up in the direction of the bathroom. She needed to be protected and I would be willing to sacrifice any piece of my remaining tattered soul. Forcing my head back down, my ears strained to listen to any noise that came from within. After what felt like a couple tortuous hours, the locks switched over.

The door creaked open and I kept my head down even though every inch of me demanded I look up. A freshly showered Mallory might be my undoing though. And any shred of control I had would fly out of the window.

She cleared her throat, demanding my attention. Instead, I kept my head down, watching the browning steaks.

“Are there any extra clothes here? I really don’t want to put these back on.”

Immediately shame roared through me; my wolf clawed at my insides. How could I have not checked for her? Of course she wouldn’t want to wear what Asher had forced upon her. Forcing my eyes up, my first sight was of her bare legs. A shudder went through me, as what seemed like miles of bare, milky smooth skin greeted me. Wrapped lightly around her lithe body was a thin, white towel. It stopped at the swell of her breasts, and that caused a twitch in my cock.

Fuck. Following the line of her neck, my full-blown out eyes met hers. To my surprise and my wolf’s delight, her animal crept forward again. Luminous green eyes watched me with appreciation that I recognized.

“Arctic?”

“Bedroom.” The word came out as a full-out growl. I had every intention of nudging my head in the direction of the room. Instead, my feet took over and I strode toward the room. Swinging the bedroom door open, I waited with my back pressed against it. Mallory looked uncomfortable for a moment before she stepped forward, straightening her shoulders. As she strode toward the door she slowed when she reached me.

I didn’t leave enough room this time for her to pass without brushing against me. This time my wolf wouldn’t allow any distance between us. Mallory stepped forward, tipping her chin back stubbornly and refusing to back down. Whatever she tried to accomplish I didn’t think it was to have my cock pound with desire and lust for her. But it was all she managed to do with her glare.

Mallory’s defiant look didn’t last long before it melted. I didn’t know where her thoughts had run to make her guard go up all of the sudden, but my wolf preened at seeing her relax again. Her scent had lost all traces of fear around me. Pride pumped through me. Mallory brought her hand up; it hovered over my chest for a moment before she pressed it against my shirt.

Mallory peered up at me, nibbling at her bottom lip, and I growled with desire. Her hand on my chest twitched and a new heady scent swirled around her. Fuck, it almost brought me to my knees.

“Arctic?”

“Don’t call me that.”

She tightened her hold.

“Apollo.”

Hearing my name on her lips? Fucking nirvana. Holding back, like an untrained pup, I felt my cock eager to burst with my release. Everything about her made me hyper sensitive. She made me want more than I cared to ever admit.

“Get out,” she whispered as she slipped a little farther past me. She blinked her heavily lidded eyes, and I knew she hadn’t been immune. She felt desire for me. Her scent didn’t lie.

Trying to be respectful, though, I tugged the door a little farther closed.

“All the way, Arctic Breeze.”

I snarled, shutting the door between us. I realized when she used a nickname with me she was trying to distance herself from me. Shaking my head, I knew I had been a shit. She needed time. Fuck, though, I wanted her now.

Stepping away from the bedroom, I made myself busy in the kitchen again, saving the meat from burning. Mallory had been in the room for some time and I couldn’t hear any movement. I breathed in the scents of the apartment―still just hers and mine. Moss’s subtle undertone lingered but his scent had never been overpowering.

Turning off the stove, I walked over to the room. Easing the door open I peeked inside. Mallory lay curled up on the bed, her breathing even and relaxed. She had found a pair of sweatpants that looked huge on her and an even bigger plaid button up. Her hands had been tucked inside of the sleeves and pressed close to her chest.

As quietly as I could, I entered the room and covered her up with the blanket. Mallory sighed and her strained body relaxed. Her nostrils flared, and she uncurled a little more. Pride pumped through me. Mallory, at least subconsciously, trusted me. Her animal must trust me. The urge to stay with her lingered inside of me. Instead, I pulled my shirt off and set it next to her. Hopefully my scent would afford her a better night’s rest. The next couple of days wouldn’t be easy.

****

My neck creaked as I woke up. One leg had fallen to the floor, the other draped over the arm of the too small couch. There’d be no way I could sleep on the couch at the cabin, when we got there. Mallory would have to just share.

Sitting up, I rubbed at the back of my neck. My nostrils flared as I took in the scents in the apartment. Mallory’s had become stronger, and I whipped my head around to follow the scent trail.

“Over here,” she announced from the table sitting in the kitchen area. She had the steak I made last night in front of her, about to pop a bite into her mouth. My gaze remained glued to her lips wrapping themselves around the small morsel that I made especially for her. My wolf rumbled with pleasure. Taking care of our mate, that felt right.

“What time is it?” I grumbled. I should have been awake before her. Hell, we probably shouldn’t even be here anymore. We arrived at the apartment around two or three in the morning. I had only planned on letting her get in the shower, food, and a quick nap. Asher might already have scouts out, or his people could be headed straight for us.

Rubbing my hands over my face, I waited for Mallory to answer me.

“It’s ten after nine.”

“Fuck,” I mumbled behind my hands. Swinging my other leg over, I ran my hands through my hair before standing up. “We need to get moving.”

“Can I call Maze?”

Shit. I remembered I promised her but I had also meant to get out of here earlier and pick up a burner phone on our way out of the city. I didn’t know that we could afford the time, but as my gaze swung toward Mallory I didn’t think I could deny her.

“We need to get out of the city.”

“I’m not leaving without being able to talk to Mazy.”

“I gotta get a burner phone. I don’t trust that Asher hasn’t already tapped into anything that might be connected to one or both of us.”

“Then go get one.”

I looked over at Mallory who had both her eyebrows raised in a challenge. My wolf surged forth, wanting to answer the call. Pushing him down, I locked my gaze with Mallory.

“I can’t leave you here.”

“Then take me with you and we can head out while I’m on the phone.”

A quiet growl sounded at the back of my throat. She sounded extremely pleased with herself, and I had a feeling she knew exactly what she was doing.

“I don’t like games, Mallory.”

“I don’t either. But the way I grew up, Arctic Breeze, is the way I have to do things. A latent in a shifter world? Sounds like the bad beginning to a song to be honest. Yet it was not an easy life. My sister was all I had after our parents died. I’m going to tell you this one more time, I won’t do anything without make sure she is safe.”

“Alright.”

“Thank you, Apollo.”

A warmth spread through me. She finished eating the warmed up steak and I headed to the bathroom. We needed to leave the apartment as soon as possible but I needed a shower. The next hour we moved quickly, or rather I did while Mallory ate, then changed clothes. She couldn’t find anything that fit her much better than the sweats so she switched what she had on. However, I noticed she took the shirt I had left by her during the night and wore it.

I walked through the apartment with a towel hung low on my hips, hoping that Mallory would catch a sight of her mate. Instead, I couldn’t find her. Panic rushed through me and I pulled in the scents of the area. Nothing different. Instead, Mallory’s scent came from the bedroom.

I headed in that direction.

Chapter 16

Mallory

The shower stopped, and I felt a sudden flush through my whole body as I thought about who was currently under the spray. I highly doubted that he showered with a bathing suit on, and the other presence that kept getting stronger in my mind rubbed against me. Encouraging me to the door. Unlike I did, Apollo left the door completely open. Feeling restless and uncomfortable, I needed to put some space between us.

I walked to the bedroom and decided to spend a few minutes alone trying to get the image of a very naked Apollo out of my head. When I woke up this morning, I discovered he had left his shirt on the bed, and to my total embarrassment I snuggled my nose in the folds of the fabric. I breathed in his scent, letting it calm me. I didn’t want to admit that I had nightmares about Asher, because he shouldn’t hold that power over me. But it had been impossible.

Apollo’s scent alone chased away the lingering effects of the dream, so I kept his shirt close by―I put it on, and found another pair of sweatpants to wear for now. It felt strange not having anything of my own, but with the situation we were in, it’d have to wait. One thing I would not wait on, though, was contacting my sister. I sat on the edge of the bed, playing with the edge of Apollo’s T-shirt.

“That looks good on you.”

I glanced up to see Apollo’s wolf was out to play again. His eyes burned with his animal. My own responded in kind; I felt her shift around under my skin. I shuddered, feeling awkward as I adjusted to the new sensations.

“You’re naked.”

“Well, I can be if you want.” He grabbed for the towel that hung dangerously low already.

My eyes shot up to his. “Oh no you don’t.”

Apollo smirked before he turned away from me, dropping the towel anyways. Though I had lived with shifters my whole life, I never did shifter things with them. Getting undressed and running together, not something I did. While I wasn’t completely inexperienced with men, after my parents died and my accident, I didn’t have relations. Of any kind.

I couldn’t keep my eyes off the firm ass of the shifter in front of me. The lines of muscles in his back mapped down, all returning to the same place. My mouth dried up, and I tried to force my gaze away. It wasn’t until I felt the burn of his own gaze that I turned my head. He laughed quietly.

“I thought you didn’t play games.”

“I don’t play word games. I love to play.”

Ignoring his innuendo, I kept my focus away from him. I wrung my fingers together. Morning had come and my fears had light to shine on them. Even with the casual flirting with Apollo, I couldn’t help but regret some of my decisions last night. What if Apollo had wrong information and Asher did have my sister? What if Asher found us before we could get out of town? What would happen if Asher got his hands on me again?

Warm, callused hands wrapped around mine. I peeked up at Apollo, who’d dressed in fresh pants and had a button-up halfway on. His chest was right in my line of sight, and my fears were chased away for just a moment. Apollo gently nudged my chin up.

“I won’t let anything happen to you.” His whiskey eyes warmed with a promise I didn’t think they would ever break. My heart swelled. Essentially this man before me was a complete stranger, but he offered me safety after only knowing me for hours.

Apollo appeared conflicted before the expression wiped away from his face and determination set in. He leaned down, pressing his lips gently against mine. Funny, I assumed when he kissed me it would have been raw, wild, and passionate. This was tame and calm. But it felt right, exactly what I needed.

My fingers sought out his hair, determined to keep him close. A desperation that I tried to stave off roared inside of me. Touching him felt like a drug. His tongue brushed against my lips and I opened. Apollo urged me backwards. Every stroke, fueled the flame in my belly.

“Mallory.” Apollo pulled back a little, pressing his lips against my cheek. “As much as I do not want this to stop, we have to leave.”

Logically, I knew we did. But the new presence in me wanted to forget about all that and remain right here with Apollo. He pressed one last heated kiss that promised more later to my lips. I breathed in his scent, calming my racing heart.

“Okay, sorry. I don’t know what came over me.”

“Mallory, never apologize for what just happened. We will continue it later when we are safe out of the city.” I nodded. Apollo pulled back, looking a little flushed, and turned around, giving me his back as he finished dressing.

I stood up and left the bedroom; it felt a little too stifling in the room. I headed back to the kitchen uncertain what to do with myself. Apollo followed me out of the bedroom a moment later with a duffle bag in his grip.

“Load up some food and then we need to move.”

I nodded and searched through the cabinets. I pulled out mostly traveling food, chips, crackers. There were bottled waters under the sink and I grabbed a couple of those. Apollo set the bag on the table and I shoved them inside. He stepped out of the bathroom looking tense.

“What’s wrong?”

“Our scent will be all over this place. I don’t have time to disinfect.”

Before I could respond the door exploded open. I stepped back away from the table, glancing over at Apollo. His canines tore through his gums and elongated. He had claws extended and ready to use. Searching the kitchen for a weapon, my eyes landed on the steak knife I had used earlier this morning.

A shifter came barreling inside the room; he was massive but slow. Wondering what we should do, I glanced over at Apollo. He took a step toward me while the shifter who entered gathered his bearings. It seemed the storm through the door stunned the man.

“Grab the bag, and then get to the car. If I’m not there in five minutes, then leave without me. Go to a bar called the Leviathan.”

I opened my mouth to protest but the massive shifter turned toward us, his nostrils flaring as he scented the air. My gaze dropped to the bag that sat on the table. My guess would be that the keys would be in there. The shifter stomped forward, his attention torn between the two of us.

Apollo didn’t wait, he leapt forward, slashing with his extended claws. The shifter stumbled with a snarl on his face. Apollo forced him backwards, away from the bag and doorway. Seeing my opportunity, I lunged forward, snagging the bag and rushing out of the door. I glanced behind me.

“Apollo!”

He pulled back on his attack, looking torn between wanting to fight the shifter and wanting to escape with me. I’d do as he asked but I would rather he came with me. Apollo took a step back and I rushed down the stairs. My heartbeat pounded so loudly in my ears that I didn’t know if he followed after. I’d make sure that the truck was ready, and we would get out of here. Both of us.

Rushing outside, the sun blinded me for a moment before I ducked my chin and swept my gaze up and down the road. The road looked clear and I bolted to where Apollo had parked his truck. In the garage complex I ran, my footsteps echoing loudly. I worried that it would draw attention to me, or it would drown out the sound of someone following behind me. Pushing down my fears, I made it to the beat-up truck.

Swinging the door open I hopped in, shoving the key into the ignition.

“Mallory!” Apollo’s voice came from behind me. Twisting in the seat, I saw him as he rounded the corner. The truck roared to life, and I wondered if I should wait for him or try to meet him. My choice had been made when he sprinted the last couple hundred feet between us.

I slid over on the bench and waited as Apollo jumped into the truck. He slammed the door behind him. His scent filled the cab, and my heart pounded in my chest. It was the completely wrong time, but I wanted to pull him close and kiss him. Adrenaline dumped into my system, making my blood burn with anticipation. It’s a high that was a foreign to me. My parents had been overly protective of me because of my latency.

Apollo shifted the gears and zoomed out of the parking garage―the shifter that had found us in the apartment nowhere to be seen.

I breathed out, slowly, letting my body relax. Apollo glanced over at me and placed his hand on my knee. He had been trying to comfort me, but it felt unnecessary. A once quiet part of me screamed. This, this had been what I craved. While I didn’t want Asher to ever get his hands on me again, I needed a little action, I needed adventure in my life.

As the adrenaline fled from my system, I sagged deeper in my seat. Leaning my head against the headrest, I watched the city fly by. Apollo didn’t speak but seemed tense. After the scenery started to change, I shifted in my seat.

“Are you okay?”

“I’ll be fine.”

“Who put the stick up your ass?”

“Not now, Mallory.”

“No, what happened?”

“Nothing.” Apollo growled. I scooted back in my seat, preparing for a battle, but I noticed the wolf had been dangerously close to the surface. My animal brushed against me, encouraging me to act. I reached over and brushed my fingers over the corded muscles in his forearm, encouraging Apollo to release his death grip on the steering wheel. He let go and held my hand.

“I don’t know how to do this. Have a mate, and that shit. If that shifter had gotten you―”

“He didn’t. And I trust you to always find me.” Sliding over I sat flush against Apollo’s side, and he wrapped his arm around my body. My animal rumbled quietly inside of me, content. Apollo kept driving with me tucked to his side. I fell asleep finally feeling safe.

****

The truck rocked, unsettling, and I woke up with a start. Apollo’s warm hand wrapped around my knee, comfortingly. Blinking a couple times, I took in our surroundings. The city had given way to forest, the trees around us full and tall. The road we traveled on was dirt and full of potholes. The sun had been blocked by the trees, but streams came through, and I wondered how long I had slept. The clock on the dashboard lit up saying: 5:43 p.m. I rolled my neck, trying to get the kinks out.

As my mind caught up with the surroundings and time, my heart picked up pace.

“Apollo?”

“Yeah?” he grunted as his nostrils flared. He probably scented my distress.

“You said I could call Mazy.” How could I have slept the day away? I allowed Apollo to take me out of the city without knowing for sure if she was safe or not. The pit in my belly grew, and my vision dimmed as panic took over. Apollo released his hold on my leg and reached over to the glove compartment.

My breathing became a little more erratic.

“Here.” Apollo had a small phone in his hand and held it in front of me. “There is only one number programmed in it. Call the number, a man named Lucas will answer, ask him to talk to Mazy.”

My head kept bobbing as he spoke, I didn’t think I could get enough air in to speak yet. My hands shook as I took the phone from him. A small, paranoid part of me whispered that this could all be a ploy.

Shaking away the thought, I powered on the phone and went to the contacts. Despite myself I snorted at the contact name.

Asshole.

I tapped the name and pressed the phone to my ear, grateful that Apollo didn’t ask me to put it on speaker. Even though with his hearing he would probably be able to hear both sides of the conversation, but in a way, he was giving me privacy.

“Hello?” He had a southern twang to his voice, and it almost made me smile. “Apollo?”

“Is Mazy there?”

“Who is this?” The voice got hard, fast. The tone that had been almost cheerful had all but disappeared.

“Please, is Mazy there?”

“Cher, stop. I’m trying to figure out who it is,” the man I assumed was Lucas said to someone else.

“Mal?”

“Maze?” I called out even though my name sounded far away.

“Lucas, give me the phone right now.”

There was a bit of a growled argument before the phone switched hands.

“Mallory? How … you’re awake?”

I glanced over at Apollo and noticed a muscle ticking in his jaw.

“You didn’t tell her?”

“It’s been a little crazy, Mallory.” Apollo didn’t take his eyes off the road. “Hurry, I have no idea if Asher knew about this phone.”

I turned my attention back to my sister, who kept asking who I was speaking to, how I was awake, how I knew Asher. The questions never stopped, and her worry would only grow.

“Tell me you are safe, Mazy.”

“I’m safe. I am with my mate, Lucas. Where are you?”

“I can’t answer that right now.”

“Lucas, give me the pho―”

“Hello, cher, put Apollo on please.”

I glared at Apollo but gave him the phone.

Chapter 17

Apollo

“What the hell is happening?” Lucas growled into the phone. I internally groaned. The last thing I needed right now was dealing with this Cajun.

“I’m protecting my mate.”

“Careful there, Apollo.”

“She’s mine, you fucker.” My wolf refused to let anyone doubt the claim I had yet to solidify with Mallory, but still existed. Mallory squirmed in her seat. My upper lip curled in a silent snarl waiting for Lucas’s response.

“Tell us what’s happening.”

A growl sounded in the back of my throat. I knew the moment I told Lucas about Asher and the heat on us, he would get back to town as soon as possible. Mallory needed to be safe, and while I could protect her, I would need to sleep eventually. But I still hadn’t been able to claim her in any sort of way. My skin itched at the very thought of another male near her.

“I’m mated, Apollo. I don’t want my mate’s sister. What I do want is my new sister to be safe,” Lucas said as if knowing where my thoughts were headed. He had been the one to ask me the favor of watching Mallory, he knew of her health. Lucas had to know that we didn’t have enough time to complete our mating.

“Ask your mate about a shifter named Asher.” I heard a gasp from Mazy on the other end. “I’ll call you when we get to my cabin.” I hung up the phone and rolled down my window. Mallory watched the phone like a hawk but it couldn’t stay with us. I chucked the phone out the window.

Mallory glared at me and scooted away, putting space between us.

“I wanted to speak to my sister.”

“Mallory.”

“I know. I get why you did it, but I didn’t get to tell her that I loved her. Or that I was safe. You should have let me at least done that.”

“Mallory …”

“I don’t want to talk about it right now, Apollo. Just keep driving.”

My wolf clawed at my insides, pissed that I had upset her. If she had let me speak, I’d tell her I had messed up. A connection like she had with her sister wasn’t something I had in my life. Moss was the closest thing to family for me, and even then I didn’t know what one would label our relationship.

Instead, I’d give her the space she requested. We would arrive at the cabin soon. For the drive, I considered contacting Lucas in a couple days to at least give Mallory and I some time alone before he arrived. Although, I worried that Asher would find us quickly. I warred with my thoughts as I drove.

Mallory moved in her seat, and she released a couple sighs.

“Yes?”

“Are we going to be there soon?”

“Yes. I’m sorry, Mallory.”

Mallory shifted once again in her seat and I felt her gaze burning through me. I wondered if she was trying to determine my sincerity.

“I’m not good with the family shit.”

“Well, Mazy is my sister, and if you and are going to be mates, you will have to get used to it.”

“When we get to the cabin, I have a landline that should still work, you can call her from there.”

“Thank you.” Mallory relaxed where she sat and I breathed a little easier.

The rest of the drive had been uneventful. The back roads led in twists and turns, and I was grateful for Moss bringing me here when I’d been younger and still growing into my wolf. The small cabin that Moss and I called home for years came into view.

Mallory scooted forward, gaping at the building. “It’s beautiful.”

“Thanks.” I swung the truck around the cabin, parking it in the back away from sight. The forest surrounded the cabin, submerging us in nature. My tense wolf eased and relaxed. The city stressed my wolf out, but being here we both felt free.

Mallory kept her gaze roaming around the grounds. How was she feeling? My wolf felt completely at home here, did her animal feel the same?

“How are you feeling, Mallory?”

“Restless,” she whispered.

I nodded, knowing she hadn’t been paying any attention to me. I hadn’t ever met another latent besides Mallory, so I didn’t know how long it took for their animal to emerge.

“Come on.” I climbed out of the truck, grabbing the bag that Mallory had snagged from the apartment. I swung it over my shoulder, and walked to the bed of the truck. Mallory joined me, tugging the sleeves of my shirt over her hands. She kept glancing around and rolling her shoulders. Her scent changed to anxious and I wondered what was going on in her head.

“My skin feels tight,” Mallory whispered as we walked toward the entrance of the cabin. I remained quiet, letting her explain at her own pace. “I feel anxious but energized. Like I’ve got ants everywhere, crawling over my skin, in my blood.”

“Come on, Mallory. We will get the stuff inside. You’re going to want to eat, then we will have to come out to shift tonight.”

I kept walking even though Mallory’s footfalls stopped behind me. She needed to shift, the anxious energy inside of her would only get worse as the day went by. The sun had already started to drop behind the horizon.

“You can’t mean … would it be this soon?” Mallory asked, still standing near the truck.

I opened the door to the cabin and waved her in. She followed numbly, her sights faraway. Mallory might doubt what she felt, but even now I could smell a change in her scent.

“This is the safest place for you to change right now, Mallory. I won’t let anything happen to you.”

Mallory stepped into the small cabin. The only light came from the windows, so I switched the lights on and the bare bones, rustic cabin came into view. Moss and I paid the rent and bills under an alias. He and I never brought anyone here before, and I would have to contact him when all was said and done. We would have to relocate and get a new cabin.

Moss needed time away from everyone. Something I understood completely as well. As much as my wolf was a pack animal, the desire to be alone overrode the desire for company. Mallory wandered through the cabin, touching the sparse furniture. We had an old, ratty couch, and a two-person table that sat on the far end. One doorway led to the kitchen, the other led to a small hallway to two bedrooms and one bathroom. Everything in the house was necessities.

When I came out here, I mostly came to reconnect with nature, and let my wolf run free. Mallory’s scent didn’t falter―it remained close to content, and that stronger oakmoss scent that originally called me to her. Her dark red hair brushed her ass and I couldn’t keep my gaze off the way it swayed.

A quiet rumble of approve came out of me, but didn’t capture Mallory’s attention. Instead, she kept looking around.

“It’s not much.”

“It’s perfect,” she sighed happily, turning around, her lips pulled back in a brilliant smile. I hadn’t realized how starved had I been for that look, for anything from her other than caution and a little bit of fear. My wolf howled inside of me, bursting with a happiness I didn’t think I’ve ever felt before.

“We had a place sort of like this when I was growing up. Oh, in the deeps of Montana, deep where the snow would build up. My dad loved it out there.” Mallory’s smile melted down to something sadder but still a smile. Watching her was all I ever wanted.

“What kind of shifter was he?”

Mallory shut down. Her face closed up, and her eyes went hard as she blinked away any emotion. The wolf inside of me snarled, annoyed that I had ruined her good mood.

“Pick a room, I’ll start dinner. Then after we shift.”

Chapter 18

Mallory

“Then after we shift.”

The words rung in my head, echoing over and over. And I expected fear, I had prepared myself for disappointment. Yet all my traitorous heart felt was excitement. The quiet part of me that had been growing, my animal. If I admitted it to myself, at least. She swelled with a thrill of excitement. It felt like another adrenaline dump but more controlled. It felt like I’d been hooked up to an IV, and bursts of warmth would spread over me.

It had been so different from the sickness and pain I felt with Asher. Everything felt different, and with those bursts came stronger senses. Apollo’s scent along with something so foreign yet intriguing filled this space. But Apollo’s uniquely crisp scent called to me and I followed it into the room on the right. Inside was a twin size bed with the most basic, plaid blanket laying on top of it.

Nothing other than the bed, and even the sparse, quietness of the room still felt more like home than the sterile rooms I had been forced in. A shiver of fear went up my spine as my thoughts went back to my time with Asher. Without realizing it, a growl sounded from my chest. I shut it down and breathed out.

My fingers twitched and I tried to calm my thoughts. However, my animal pushed forward thoughts of going for Asher’s throat.

“Mallory?” Apollo’s voice sounded so far away, my vision tunneling as my thoughts turned back to the violence I wanted to inflict on Asher. “Breathe, Mallory. Breathe.”

Strong fingers brushed against my forearms, stroking the tender flesh. I focused on the touches. Following the instruction of the voice, I breathed. Apollo’s scent surrounded me like a warm blanket. It kept me focused on the here and now. He had sort of saved me.

“I rescued you.”

I peeked an eye open, not realizing I had spoken that out loud. From the frown and wounded ego look on Apollo’s face I knew I had. I patted him on the arm.

“Sure, you did.”

He bared his teeth at me, with a fake snarl that made my heart leap forward. “Careful, Mallory.”

I gave him a toothy grin before stepping back from his hold, feeling more energized than before, but this felt different. I wanted to … play. When Mazy and I had been kids she had this period in her life where all she wanted to do was get a rise out of me. It hadn’t been vicious but playful; her mongoose wanted to play. She wanted to play. Our parents sat us down, explaining that while she and I could play together as humans, I wouldn’t be able to play with her as an animal. But that is what her animal hoped for.

It had broken my heart. Not only because I didn’t get to feel this same urge as my sister, but because of the look of disappointment on her face. My sister had been my life after our parents died, but I realized now as I messed with Apollo, we never got this kind of relationship. We never got to enjoy each other. Instead, she worried about protecting me, watching over me.

My steps faltered, and Apollo must have sensed the change in my mood. He stepped forward, calmly, his eyes glowing with his wolf. Protective beast, it would seem.

“I need you to promise me something.”

“Anything, Mallory.”

“You might want to hear what I want before making that promise.”

Apollo didn’t say anything, but instead stood and waited. Patient and willing to listen to what I needed. I prayed he would hear me.

“My whole life, my sister and even my parents sought to protect me. Watch over me. I don’t want that from you. I want more … I want a partner, I want a playmate, I want you to treat me like we are equals.”

“I will not treat you like we are equals, Mallory.” He paused, stepping forward, brushing his fingertips under my lips.

I opened my mouth to protest, but his soothing touch forced all thoughts from my head.

“I won’t treat you like an equal, Mallory, because you will always be superior to me. You will always be my top priority. I can promise you everything else. I won’t treat you like less. I will give you the respect as a shifter that you deserve.”

It felt like Apollo left his words hanging, as if there had been more he wanted to say. I looked up at him expectedly, waiting to hear the rest.

“You’re not ready to hear what I have to say. Come on, dinner is ready.” Apollo looked torn, his gaze dropping to my lips before he took a step around me. He left the room and suddenly it felt degrees colder.

His words didn’t leave me; instead, I picked at them. I kept thinking about it, over and over, and it drove me insane. I stormed out of the room with every intention of calling him out. He couldn’t say something like that, not after we … had a moment. Scoffing at my own silly thoughts, the scent of food distracted me.

Apollo might have been onto something because the smell alone sent a stabbing pain of hunger through me. Grimacing at the noises my stomach made, I crept closer, hoping he wouldn’t notice. Apollo walked past the small entrance to the kitchen and I slowed my steps.

“Come on,” he called, giving me a sideways glance like he knew I had been stalling. Deciding to ignore my very loud stomach, I stepped into the small kitchen, which also held a table. Just like everything else in the cabin, it had been built with necessity in mind. It seemed so silly to love a place as much as I did this one. Maybe because it was the complete opposite of what Asher had forced on me. Not glamour or glitz, this was rustic, bare minimum.

My parents’ old cabin felt like this. Mazy and I even shared a room. We never went back there, not after our parents passed. A hollow ache throbbed in my chest.

“Where did your thoughts go?” Apollo asked as he set a plate in front of me. Without realizing where my feet had taken me, I sat myself down at the small dining table.

“A dark place.”

“All I am good at is grilling, so I made hamburgers. The meat is the easiest to defrost,” Apollo explained as he sat across from me. My lips twitched upwards and a quiet snort escaped me. It was the absolutely wrong thing to say that it felt right.

“Thank you for making me food, again. I’ve never been good in the kitchen to be honest with you.”

“I don’t mind.”

“Good. ’Cause I didn’t have any plans on getting better,” I joked, feeling lighter. Turning my thoughts from my parents had been the best plan for now. It still felt fresh even after all these years.

“What exactly are your plans?” Apollo asked. His stare was unwavering.

“What do you mean?”

“You know what I am asking, Mallory.”

Did he want to know if I wanted to mate him? I barely knew him, though I couldn’t ignore the fact that even now in his presence I wanted to be closer. I needed to know what it felt like to have his hands touch me. I shivered remembering the brief moments he already had. But Apollo seemed to be very careful on how he handled me.

I appreciated it because as much as I wanted to desire him, Asher’s distasteful, crude touches still burned my skin. My mind refused to think about what would have happened to me if Apollo hadn’t come after me. I had no doubts that even if I got away from Asher in the car, he would have found me not long after.

“I don’t really know who I am, Apollo. Before my coma, I had been a latent shifter dealing with her parents’ deaths, trying to regain the use of my legs. Before then I had lived a very sheltered life. My parents wanted to protect me, and so did Mazy.” I loved my family but sometimes their love felt stifling.

“Then we will have to decide what to do once we have taken care of Asher,” Apollo said. He seemed so calm about … well, killing someone.

Was this my new life?

Chapter 19

Apollo

Mallory ate but she took her time, chewing each bite until I was sure it had just become paste in her mouth. My wolf was anxious to get out to the woods, but not so much that I would be willing to go without Mallory. Even I could see she felt restless from where I sat. She tried to hide it but she kept twitching in her seat. Her gaze would search for the outdoors. The small window in the kitchen had captured most of her attention after I told her we would decide what to do after I took care of Asher.

 The longer we sat inside the more anxious my wolf got. It didn’t help that when I come out here, it’s mostly to shift. From almost the moment I arrived I would be out in the woods running, hunting, letting the wolf free.

Mallory peeked over at me, and I could see the debate crossing her features. I wondered what bothered her. So far if I pushed her too much she shut down. But her indecision wouldn’t help anything.

“Ask me.”

“It’s not so much a question but more of a concern.”

“Then tell me.”

“What if I can’t shift?” Mallory looked pale. Her scent soured with her fear. My wolf snarled, and I tried to smother it.

“You will shift, Mallory. You feel her inside of you already. That restless energy buzzing through you right now? She wants out.”

Mallory had a moment of doubt, I saw it flash over her face. Instead of allowing it to suck her under, she tipped her chin up. Staring me in the eye as if challenging my words, she nodded her head.

“Let’s go.”

A surge of pride went through me. Mallory told me she didn’t really know who she was, but every moment I spent with her, I saw a little more of who she really was―this brave, fearless woman, who needed someone to challenge her … at least for now. I had no doubt Mallory would be able to take care of herself just fine, but until she got to that point I would push her.

Mallory stood up, straightening her back, and even though I could still scent the fear on her, she decided to push ahead. A smile quirked at my lips, and I followed her outside. The moment the fresh air hit my face, my wolf rose to the surface. This is what I needed. A shudder went through me, and my wolf lurched forward, ready to take over. But I held back the compulsion.

Instead, I turned my focus to Mallory. She stepped a little farther into the wood lines surrounding the house, then took off my flannel that she had been wearing since we left the apartment. Part of me hated seeing it go, but my cock stirred at the thought of more of her clothes coming off. It was the most inappropriate time but it didn’t matter.

Mallory looked like she belonged out here, a nymph that should have never left the forest. Her long hair brushed against her ass; her legs were still slim but I figured with time they’d become quite shapely. Seeing her unnaturally slight figure pissed me off. She had been stuck in coma, and then that fucker Asher got his hands on her.

“I can taste your anger. It’s so strange. It’s spicier than your normal scent,” Mallory said, watching me. Her eyes burned as her animal grew stronger inside of her. Mallory shivered but it hadn’t been due to the weather. No, the air out here was warm and welcoming. A perfect time to hunt.

“Your animal.”

“Hmmm.” Mallory tugged at the shirt she had under my flannel. I didn’t think she even realized it. She rolled her shoulders, seeming agitated.

“Tell me what you’re feeling.”

“Like my skin is too tight. I keep thinking how much I want to run through the forest.”

“Let’s go then.”

“But …” She glanced down at herself, still in her human flesh. I smelled the disappointment wafting off her. She hated that she hadn’t shifted yet but it would take time. I wanted her to ease into it.

“I can feel her, brushing against me, wanting out. I just don’t know how.”

“Let your instincts guide you.”

Mallory gave me a withering glare. “That’s the best you have? Let my instincts guide me?” she snapped, annoyed.

Her feisty response made me choke back a laugh. Undoubtedly, she was right, that hadn’t been the least bit helpful, but it relaxed her. Even I could see the tension in her shoulders dropped, and her animal stepped forward a little more.

“I would give you something better, but this has been second nature for me.”

Mallory’s gaze shifted from mine. It was the wrong thing to say and I regretted it but I wouldn’t take it back. She didn’t have the opportunity to know her animal for her whole life. She still had so much to learn but she was ready. The scent of oakmoss increased, and she shuddered once again.

“Do you want me to go first?” I asked, my wolf ready to take over.

“Maybe that would be for the best.” Mallory’s voice sounded strained.

“Don’t fight it.”

“Easy for you to say, Mr. Instincts.”

I snorted as I removed my shirt, while toeing off my boots. Usually I would be better prepared leaving my clothes indoors, since the weather could change and ruin my stuff. I hadn’t even thought of it, not when Mallory needed me instead.

Mallory swallowed audibly as I discarded my shirt. Slowly I reached for the buttons of my pants. Mallory didn’t take her eyes off of me as I allowed the jeans to fall down. Instead of bashfully shying away from my nakedness, she took it all in. Even her tongue peeked out, wetting her bottom lip, and my cock reacted.

Mallory’s gaze flickered up to my eyes, and my wolf stared back at her. He had been so close to the surface now that we felt like one, in my human body. Something I hated before―it always felt crowded and awkward―but this time we had a shared desire. Her.

“Come run with us, mate,” the wolf said as he took the final step to taking over. My body shifted fluidly. My wolf’s body dropped to all fours, my back hitting Mallory’s waist. Her body shuddered, and to my surprise she completely undressed. Her slim body came into view; her breasts were perky, and sat high on her chest. I wondered, though, if once she got to her healthy weight if they would weigh down, become a little fuller.

Fuck.

My gaze traveled down but that’s where she drew the line, covering her sex with her hands. She tsked me, but her skin rippled. A startled gasp came from her and I glanced up to see her face. Her eyes burned with her animal.

Mallory gripped her stomach as she fell to her knees. Unable to see her in pain, I barked, trying to gain her attention. Mallory’s velvety long hair spilled over her shoulder, hiding her face from me. I stepped forward, nuzzling my nose in her hair, taking in a fresh wave of oakmoss. I shifted back for a moment, holding her in arms.

“Breathe, my mate. Breathe.”

“Gods, why does it hurt?”

“Only for a moment. Remember what I told you.”

Mallory snorted a strangled sound but it seemed to calm her a little. She released a shaky breath, and her eyes met mine. I saw the fear in them.

“Trust her, she isn’t there to hurt you.”

Mallory nodded and closed her eyes.

Chapter 20

Mallory

Every nerve felt like it had been scorched with a live wire. My skin buzzed with electricity, and my hands shook as my bones felt splintered. Apollo made shifting back and forth look so easy that it made me hate him a little bit. With his arms around me, I managed to calm down. The pain had been consuming, yes, but it eased as something else took over.

Collapsing on myself, I groaned as my body felt like it was expanding then shrinking down again. I tried to breathe, tried to trust that my body knew how to handle itself. When I thought I would pass out from the pain, it broke away. A sensation of calm slipped over my skin.

Trust me.

And I did. A little voice, that feeling inside of me that had been growing burst free. I breathed out, my lungs expanding against my ribs, and I felt the earth beneath my padded paws. Shocked by my own thoughts I opened my eyes and glanced down.

I had paws. Small white paws. A new limb, which had joined the four I now stood on, wiggled. Craning my neck around I stared in shock at my own fluffy white tail. The noises of the forest that had been background noise now felt like I had surround sound in my ears. I tilted my head listening, trying to pinpoint everything.

And a smell so enticing and calming tugged at me. Following the source of the scent, I turned completely around to see a still very naked, human Apollo staring at me with wide eyes. He looked over me, his hand hovering above my head. Acting on what the animal inside of me wanted, I pressed my head into his touch. His big hand brushed over my ears, sending a ticklish sensation up my spine. I curled my spine and leaned back, nipping at his hand. I didn’t actually get him, nor had I planned on hurting him.

Instead I felt warm and excited. The simple giddiness of getting a rise out of my mate. Apollo’s lips peeled back, exposing his sharp canines, and his eyes glowed with his much larger wolf. Yipping at him, I jumped back and danced around a bit before lunging forward for another nip.

Apollo growled, shifting back to his wolf form, and lunged at me. Yipping, I twisted around, using my smaller size to my advantage. Slipping out from his reach I took off into the woods. The wind combed through my fur. The sensation felt completely new and exciting. Everything in this body felt new.

I heard Apollo behind me the entire time and I think he was purposefully slowing his movements so that I could enjoy this all. But his scent and his footfalls got closer. I slowed my pace and peeked back at him. He brushed his nose to the ground, flicking his gaze to me as if indicating that I should do the same. I followed suit and lowered my muzzle, breathing in through my nose.

Scents exploded in my mind. One called to me―my mouth watered, and my stomach clenched with hunger as if I hadn’t just eaten. Apollo growled approvingly as I followed the trail. As the smell grew stronger, so did this hunger inside of me.

A scuffle against the earth caught my attention. My ears perked up, rotating in the direction of the noise. Breathing in, I tasted the air around us. Eager I moved to rush forward, but Apollo stepped ahead of me, blocking my path. I growled at him, annoyed. As I tried to rush around him again, he shook his head. He only stepped back when I calmed a little, and moved forward, prowling ahead of me. He craned his neck back, looking at me expectedly.

Apollo had been trying to show me how to properly pounce on my prey. Instead of attacking the animal ahead of us, he pulled back and sat down a few feet away. He nudged his head in the direction I had been heading.

Internally I smiled, pleased that he wanted me to take my own lead on this. He wouldn’t do it for me and let me reap the awards. Instead, he showed me and wanted me to finish the hunt. Crouching back down, I crept forward, just like Apollo showed me.

I pounced.

****

My paws thundered over the ground, my belly full, and I felt more energized than I had ever been. Even the one time I didn’t think energy drinks would affect me like a normal human and drank three in a row. My heart had felt like it would have pounded out of my chest. This felt almost like that but without the scary health side-effects. Instead I panted with happiness as Apollo nipped at my paws.

I barked quietly as I ran back toward the scent of the cabin. Apollo followed, never protesting the direction I was heading. Darkness had fallen, the stars peeking between the branches, but my vision had never been better. I hopped over a branch. Apollo stepped over it. I growled at him which earned another yip near my back side. I chittered. Apollo licked his chops, having eaten with me.

The cabin came into view, and the animal inside of me yawned, pulling back. Her exhaustion echoed my own. As I dragged myself forward, a heaviness settled in my bones. My skin twitched, my fur started to rescind, giving way to flesh. As my hair brushed against my naked skin, I twirled around to see Apollo had shifted back.

“That was the single most amazing thing that has ever happened to me. Ever.” Elated and feeling as if I weighed nothing I threw myself at Apollo. He caught me, hugging me to his bare chest. My overheated skin against his sent a zing of awareness through me.

Apollo was my mate, after all, and feeling him against my own body warmed me inside and out. Feeling the playfulness of my fox still, I nipped at his ear. Apollo snarled, leaning back, looking me in the eyes.

“Mallory …” The plea in his voice, the desire that stirred against my leg, I couldn’t resist. The only thing that had been holding me back from embracing Apollo completely was my fears of Asher. But I refused to allow him to infringe on anymore of my life. In a sense, I had told Apollo I didn’t know who I was. It was time I started to shape who I wanted to be.

I wanted to be with my mate.

“I need you, Apollo.”

Taking it upon myself to be brave, I rubbed against him, encouraging his own want. Apollo brought my lips to his, claiming me hard and fast. His tongue stroked against mine, offering promises of what was to come. My heart burst in my chest, and my body ignited with flames.

Apollo wrapped his hand around my thigh, encouraging me wrap my legs around him. Needing to feel him against me, I obligated. His muscles bunched as he walked us back toward the cabin, his lips never releasing mine. My breasts felt full for once and ached for his touch. I rubbed my chest against his, trying give me a sense of relief.

My body demanded a reprieve of some type. My breasts ached, my core felt empty, and even with Apollo’s devilish tongue working wonders on my imagination I needed more. Craved it like my next breath.

Pulling back from Apollo’s lips, I brushed my fingers across the strong cords of his neck, down his chest. Slipping past my own body, I wrapped my hand around his straining cock, stroking it, and encouraging him to move faster.

He groaned, panting against the crook of my neck.

“Can’t move when you touch me like that.” His hot breath stroked the tips of my breasts, tickling and teasing my tightening nipples.

“Hmm.” I released him only for him to rush inside of the cabin. The door shut behind us, and Apollo pressed my body against the door. I started to drop my legs, but Apollo thrust his hips forward, keeping me in place.

“Fuck, I want to be inside of you right now.”

“Then why aren’t you?” I leaned forward, nibbling on his earlobe, then licking away the sting of every bite.

“I need to savor you. I want to watch you writhe in pleasure. I want to taste your sweet pussy, and I want to fuck you so hard you’ll forget about any man you had before me.”

Every word had me panting harder than before, imagining what he’d said, wishing for it now.

I swallowed, slowing licking my lips. “Apollo.”

“I might come just hearing you say my name that way.”

“Oh gods …”

His voice, his words only made me want him more. Now.

“Tell me you want me, Mal, tell me what you need.”

“You.” A quiet growl vibrated at my vocal cords, and the hunger I felt for the hunt bloomed within me again. This felt like a different sort of hunt though. A different challenge.

Apollo pressed his lips against my neck, kisses going down farther and farther until he hit the crook of my neck. His teeth pressed lightly against my skin. I stilled before pushing him back a little. A growl came from me, and following Apollo’s earlier comment, I listened to my instincts.

Racing away from him, I felt free in my nudity and comfortable with him. I stood behind the couch and watched as his wolf stepped forward with the man. Both of them considerate and patient. But even I could see the hunger and lust in his eyes. And―ahem―other prominent areas as well.

Apollo raced around the couch and laughter bubbled up my throat as I breathlessly escaped his hold. I ran down the hall. Strong arms wrapped around my waist from behind and lifted me up.

“You’re mine.”

The words sent delicious shivers down my spine.

“Yes.”

Chapter 21

Apollo

“Yes.” Mallory’s hissed acceptance might be my undoing. My cock felt so hard and the base of my spine tightened. I could have an orgasm just holding her, hearing her words. Fuck, I felt like a sap. Her naked body pressed against mine had become my new definition of heaven. A body like hers was what sinners dreamt of. Certainly nothing that I deserved.

I swing her legs up, carrying her cradled in my arms to my bedroom. Moss and I never came up with a rule about having women here, it had been an unspoken thing that this was our place. No one else’s. But I think with my mate, he would understand. However, it didn’t mean I had to mark every room in the cabin with our mating. Even though that is exactly what I wanted to do. I wanted everyone to know she was mine.

Mallory leaned forward in my hold, running her tongue along my collarbone. The sensation, mingled with her scent covering me, urged me on faster. I dropped her carefully on the bed, but enough to let her know I still held the power.

Mallory’s animal had initiated the battle of wills, and dominance between us. I didn’t mind, my wolf liked to play, and I always won. Mallory didn’t look like she wanted to play that way anymore. Her eyes held a heat that I prayed belonged only to me. My fingers brushed down her sides, making her squirm a bit, and as they made a trace toward her core, she danced.

Mallory moved, pulling my attention back to her lips as she claimed mine, tugging my hand away from her curled covered core. Pulling back from her obvious tactic, my brows pinched together.

“What’s wrong?”

Her scent shifted from straight lust to souring a bit with a mix of emotions that, in my state, I couldn’t separate. It didn’t help that her primary scent, which still reigned, was lust. Which increased my own.

“Um, I need you to know. You’re not my first―”

I growled, “Not something I want to hear, Mallory.”

“Listen, you oaf. But you are my first in a couple years.”

Fuck.

“Fuck. That’s a long time …”

“Yes, I know. Thanks for that. But I haven’t … you know, trimmed down there or anything because … well, I had been in coma.” Mallory shifted her gaze away from me, her cheeks had a brushing of pink on them.

“I don’t care. We’re shifters, Mal. You sprout fur all over your body and I still think you can be sexy. Mallory, you are my gorgeous, sexy mate. Nothing about you is unattractive to me.”

The tension from Mallory’s body drained out, and she shifted her weight under me, her rhythm suddenly a very different beat. Her body called to mine, and I refused to ignore it. Proceeding where I had left off, I slid my fingers to her inner thigh, caressing circles on the sensitive skin.

Sensing she needed a few more moments of just this, I leaned down, pressing kisses against her neck. Mallory moaned quietly, her hands roaming across my body, exploring as I wished to do to her. Only, when her hips rotated forward, brushing against mine, it took all of my control to hold back. Aware of what she said, I knew this first time would have to be slow for her. But fuck did I want to mate her like my wolf wanted to. Hard. Fast. Satisfying for the both of us.

Later. This time we will go slow and enjoy each other.

Mallory’s breasts heaved upwards with every heavy breath that escaped her. Her quiet mutterings didn’t feel nearly enough. I wanted, needed her to lose herself.

“Apollo.”

My fingers brushed against her warm, wet core. I found her sensitive clit, gently massaging and tweaking my technique, listening and scenting her reactions. My own cock responded, twitching and jerking at the noises she made.

“Fuck! Gods, Apollo. Fuck me.” Her voice was strained, the muscles in her neck corded and I couldn’t take my eyes off the place I wanted to put my mark. Pulling back, I adjusted myself, her body so welcoming and warm. Mallory leaned closer, wrapping her fingers around me, giving me a quick stroke, before leading me forward.

Peeking through her lashes, she smiled at me.

“Mine.”

“Yours,” I said. I entered her with a quick push, unable to hold back when she encouraged me to. She cried out in pleasure, her animal shining through her eyes for a moment before stepping back. Allowing them both to take pleasure in these moments.

Keeping my body in a rhythm that Mallory seemed to enjoy the most, we rocked together. Her hands caressed my skin. The muscles in my back bunched under her touch. Everything about her enticed me. Then, surprising me, she clawed at my back when I hit a certain spot for her.

My lips tipped upwards, and I smiled down at her as I prepared for the same thrust. Her breath stuttered before she cried out, clawing her blunt nails into my skin. I roared at the pleasure of her marking me, even in that way. Fuck I needed to sink my teeth into her. She seemed to understand, titling her head just so.

Lining up my next thrust into her, I lunged forward, sinking my teeth into her tender flesh. She growled and followed suit. She came apart in my arms, her tight, warm pussy gripping me to the point of pain. I released inside of her as I held on tight.

This.

This was fucking heaven.

Unable to hold back I released her neck and roared as she finished around me. She released her own hold, calmly stroking my back in languid motions. My brave Mallory also, it would seem, had a very caring side.

“You’re still hard inside of me. Ready for round two?” Mallory asked.

I growled. I take that back, my mate is brave, caring, and adventurous.

****

We had fucked a couple more times, but the last time had been slow, leisurely as our animals took a step back, allowing us to enjoy each other’s bodies. I realized she had scars on both of her legs, and I gently ran my fingers over the old wounds.

Mallory, my fearless mate, didn’t shy away from my touch. Instead, her fingers caressed the scar on my back from the wound that almost cost me my life.

“Would you tell me what happened to you one day?” she asked me quietly as her eyes roamed over my chest.

“I had been hired by a rival company that had, unbeknownst to me, hired Dominic, a dragon shifter, and Lucas, your sister’s mate. They, along with a third, worked with each other occasionally. If another merc heard about it, they would immediately deny the job. At the time I had been pretty wet behind the ears.

“The job went sour fast. The people who hired me and hired them had been dealing in … illegally obtained substances, let’s leave it at that.” I couldn’t tell her it had been weapons, definitely didn’t want her to know drugs had been involved as well. While she probably knew I didn’t have a good background, she didn’t need to know everything. Not yet at least. “One of the humans on my side attacked Dominic.

“I don’t really know what had been wrong with the shifter but he lost his fucking mind. He started to attack everyone on my side, so I jumped in, trying to save the humans. He shifted and clawed my back down my leg. If Lucas hadn’t stepped forward, and got in his friend’s way, I’m sure Dominic would have killed me.”

We both fell into an easy silence again.

“My parents had always treated me like glass. Fragile and breakable. Of course, they loved me, and doted on me. Mazy had left to go to college, I wanted to and we had been on our way to visit a college.” Mallory got quiet; her nails bit at my skin as she tried to find a hold.

“The car came out of nowhere. Or at least it felt that way. Even ’til this day, I keep just seeing nothing then bright headlights. The police suspected the truck driver hadn’t slept in days. He and my parents died instantly, the truck had hit the front of our car. My mom died first, and my father followed after her. My legs had been so badly broken that once they had completely healed up, it was almost a year later. I had to go to physical therapy.

“Every day I blame myself for their deaths. And every single one of those days when I had been in physical therapy, I didn’t think I was worthy. My parents should have been strong enough to survive, I should have been the one who died that night. It should have been me.”

“I’m glad it wasn’t.” I pressed a kiss to her forehead, unable to not touch her, to show her my affections in some way. I traced the scars on her legs. “These are your warrior bands, never be ashamed of where they came from. You survived what a two shifters could not. It makes you strong.”

Pride swelled in my chest at that thought. My mate, strong, and resistant. Though I wish she didn’t have to lose her parents in such a way, I couldn’t deny their sacrifice had led to her survival.

“I fell, when I had a particularly bad night. I had been so angry with my parents, with my sister. With whoever made me this way. I wanted to rebel, to act. Instead, I had been so weak I ended up in coma, I guess.”

Mallory got quiet again. She tucked her head under my chin and rested against me; her breasts brushed against my chest. Everything about this woman drove me wild with need―to comfort, to fuck, to simply be with her.

“Apollo?”

“Hmm.”

“Fuck me again.”

Chapter 22

Mallory

Apollo is all I can smell come morning. His scent part of me, as mine is part of him. The thought sends shivers of delight throughout my whole body. Refusing to open my eyes, I snuggled my nose closer to the warm chest under me. Apollo and I had spent the night waking each other when the urge got too great, and my bones felt like liquid this morning. Paired with my first shift, and mating, I didn’t want to leave the bed.

“Cher, maybe we should wait.”

“No! I need to see my sister.”

I frowned. Okay, now I know I wouldn’t have dreamt of my sister while in bed with my mate. I blinked a few times, to see Apollo still passed out. Glancing around the room I took stock. Pounding on the door sounded again and I realized I could hear them from here.

Oh shit. Pushing on Apollo’s chest I tried to wake him. He groaned quietly, but kept on sleeping. Geez. I rolled my eyes, slipping from his hold. We had left out clothes outside, and I cringed. Mazy wouldn’t miss that. It was sad how my older sister made me feel like a teenager again.

The bag Apollo brought with him sat in the corner of the room. I combed through it, finding another pair of sweatpants and flannel. He really had the rugged man thing going for him. I didn’t mind, I found it sexy. Turning my thoughts away from that because my animal, lusty little beastie she was, wanted to return to bed. I threw another pair of pants on Apollo, and left the room.

Finger combing my hair, I wished I had time to shower. The way my senses felt right now, there would be no mistaking what Apollo and I had done. At the moment, the last thing I needed was my sister judging me or yelling at me.

I shuddered, already able to feel her judging me having realized I had mated Apollo. She had to understand though, because Apollo told me she had mated. She would understand … or she wouldn’t. But I trusted Apollo. He had come after me, had helped me through my first shift. Since I had met him he had been nothing if not supportive.

“Mallory! I can hear you, open the door!” Mazy pounded her fist against the hard wood one more time.

I wondered why she didn’t just open the door and enter. Stepping up to the door, I lifted the collar of my shirt, hoping it would help hide the mating mark.

I opened the door, half hiding behind it, and half ready to slam it shut if need be. But the scents coming through the door seemed familiar. Of course, everything with my animal alive inside of me had been different.

The older, pretty version of me stepped into the house. Mazy’s eyes were a shade darker, and her hair a shade lighter, but we had our mother’s nose, and our father’s chin. My breath exploded out of me. Mazy’s lips wobbled as tears filled her eyes. She rushed forward, wrapping me up in her arms.

I breathed in the scent that had mixed with the man at the door, but still smelled like our old home, with our parents. Mazy had always been taller, but as she held me it felt like she had put on a few healthy pounds since I went into my coma.

Mazy pulled back, wiping away her tears with one hand, but kept the other clasped with mine. She looked over her shoulder at the handsome man standing at the door behind her. He had a couple piercings on his face, and that surprised me. My sister with a tattooed bad-boy? Never saw that coming.

“Mallory, this is my mate, Lucas. Lucas, my baby sister, Mallory.” Mazy refused to let me go, so I reach out with my free hand to shake Lucas’s hand. His nostrils flared and a look of surprise slipped over his face before he wiped it away.

“Pleasure, cher.”

“Mallory?” Apollo called out. His footsteps slapped against the hardwood floors as he came storming down the hallway. We all turned to look at him and my eyes went wide.

A very naked, pissed off Apollo stood in the entranceway to the living room. His eyes flashed with his wolf, until he took a deep breath.

“Fuck. How did you find us?” Apollo calmed a bit, but still stood naked as the day he had been born. I might have been okay with it just being me and him, but I don’t think I would ever be okay with how he flaunted it now.

“Your truck. I had my eyes and ears out for it. Easy enough find. Might want to remember that,” Lucas replied, glaring in my mate’s direction.

Apollo’s top lip curled back into a snarl. He took a step forward, and I cleared my throat, trying to divert his attention even for a second.

“Maybe go put some pants on.” I felt weird having my sister see my mate’s … well, everything.

“I’ll be back.” Apollo twisted around, leaving the room still annoyed.

“Well, that’s one way to meet someone,” Mazy said, shaking her head. She turned her attention back to me, cupping my cheeks. Tears welled in her eyes again.

“I can’t believe that you are awake. And alive. And …” Mazy started to cry, and Lucas gave me a sympathetic look as he pulled her into a hug.

“She’s been a wreck lately worrying about you, cher.”

Mazy pushed away from her mate’s hold.

“I had no idea Asher would turn on me like that. I mean, I knew he wanted money, and lots of it, but I never thought … I am so sorry, Mallory.”

I flinched, hating the thought of Asher. Even more so hating that my sister believed she had been at fault for what happened.

“It’s not your fault, Maze, you didn’t know. No one could have predicted that.”

“I guess I just don’t understand how he got you to wake up. He isn’t your mate, is he?”

My brows pinched together, and my lips parted as I began to ask how she didn’t know Apollo was my mate, but he stepped into the room.

“If you found us here, it means he can, too. Are you going to call in Dominic and Quentin?” Apollo asked. My confusion only grew.

“Who?”

“I already called them. And told them my mate’s sister was in trouble that I could use their help.”

I opened my mouth to speak but Apollo took a step farther into the room.

“Perhaps I could call Moss.”

“So, it’s also his scent I smell here?”

“Yes.” The muscle in Apollo’s jaw ticked. It was the same one that I saw jump whenever I called him by his nicknames. I considered doing it now just to get his attention, but instead I remained quiet, listening.

“You’ll love Eden and Winnie. Winnie and I used to work together at a bar, that now Eden’s mate owns. It’s a weird, long story, and I will tell you about it later. Mallory, I’m so sorry I wasn’t there when you woke up.”

Mazy continued to speak, but my eyes had settled on my mate. The animal inside of me felt so fresh and new, it had been a bit of a struggle to keep her contained when her lust shot right through me. Desire to be with her mate, desire to touch her mate. Our mate.

“And you will come live with Lucas and I of course. We’ll be able to take care of you.”

“What?” I asked, pulling my mind out of the gutter and back to my sister.

“You’ll come live with us.”

My mind spun out of control. I loved my sister, I did. And her words were coming from a good place—she wanted to protect me, be there for me—but my lungs tightened and seized up. She wanted to shelter me. My whole life before … Apollo really had been my parents sheltering me. Then my sister. And I realized before I allowed them to. I had let them take care of me because I’d been scared. Maybe my fox gave me courage, or Apollo did, or maybe even it had to do with the little time I spent with Asher.

I didn’t want to hide. I wanted adventure.

Chapter 23

Apollo

My ear twitched as I listened into Mallory’s conversation with her sister. Hearing how someone wanted to take my mate away from me, my wolf rose to the surface. From the moment I woke up I had thought I lost her. And to come out here and find not only her sister, but Boudreau in my home? I don’t know how I contained my rage.

Actually, I did. I set my sights on my mate—she looked gorgeously ruffled still from our encounters last night. Thinking about her hot, welcoming body, my cock stirred to life. Pushing those thoughts out of my head, and thankful for the sweatpants I found on the bed, I focused on what Lucas was saying. Or rather I tried to.

“How long has it been since you two completed the bond?”

“Last fucking night. I was going to call you today and give you our location.” My irritation grew, because Lucas had kept Mallory from telling her sister that I was her mate. How the other shifter didn’t smell us on each other or connect the dots I didn’t understand.

“Look, we got some news while we were in New Orleans. Mazy is feeling a little bit protective, and a lot scared for her sister. Until we get this mess figured out with Asher, it would be best if you two cool your jets. For Mazy’s sake,” Lucas said. He kept shifting his gaze back to his mate.

I took in a deep breath and noticed Mazy’s scent had a unique twinge to it. “She’s with child?”

“Yes, and my mate would appreciate if you kept your mouth shut, so she can tell her sister.”

This was a side of the womanizer I had not seen. When I met Lucas years back he had been chasing different tail every night. He rarely cared about the consequences of his actions. I didn’t know this shifter, and it worried me. He had no claim over my mate, especially now, but I glanced over at Mallory.

She was mine, and I hers. Mallory would have to decide our next move once I took care of Asher.

“Your mate will eventually find out, Boudreau,” I growled, annoyed all over again. The day after we marked each other, and I can’t even hold my mate the way I long to do. But more pressing mattes had arisen. Since Boudreau was able to find me here, it meant Asher would most likely be able to as well. It had been foolish on my part to have brought my truck, I should have stashed it away and found a different way out here.

The thought pissed me off. I had my mate, then lost her … she had been held by a psycho loan shark. Shaking my head, I pushed those memories away. They were in the past and could not be changed. It was pointless to fret about it. Instead, we needed to plan.

“I think we need to call Asher out,” I stated.

Boudreau looked at me, analyzing my words and probably running through every possibility.

“When the others arrive, it wouldn’t be a bad plan. You can challenge him.”

“He won’t play fair and he will bring men to try to steal her away. It might be best for you and the others to leave.”

“No, we will stay. Dominic is more than capable of taking care of the women on his own, and Winnie is a shifter as well. Quinn hasn’t said if she is pregnant yet, but I don’t think that would stop her anyways.”

“Mallory will be able to take care of herself. Her animal is fierce.” I didn’t know if Mallory wanted me to tell them which parent she took after. I would allow her to tell who she wanted in her own time.

Boudreau and I joined out mates, and Mazy was holding Mallory again with quiet tears running down her face. Mallory smiled, holding her sister, but I could see a hint of worry in her gaze. I would get her alone sometime today and ask her what upset her.

Once Mazy released her sister, we all went into the kitchen. Mazy and Lucas sat down at the table, while Mallory joined me by the stove. There was a lot I wanted to say to her, a lot I wanted to do to her—kiss her, fuck her, be with her. Instead, I settled on placing my hand on her ass, caressing it gently, hidden behind the cover of the stove.

“Stop. Not right now.” Mallory’s tone held a hint of teasing. She wouldn’t mind so much if her sister wasn’t sitting across the way.

“What’s the plan, now that they are here?” she asked, concern wrinkling her brow.

“When Lucas’s friends show up you will leave with their mates to a safe place. Then I will challenge Asher.”

“You’re kidding me, right?” Mallory asked, pissed off. Her fox crept forward, shining in her eyes for a moment.

“I am not kidding you.”

“You promised me you wouldn’t baby me. You promised you would treat me better.”

“I am. This isn’t a battle I am willing to lose you over. I can easily take care of this.”

“You’re not listening to me, Apollo.”

“You are not listening. You have only shifted once, you only hunted once. You do not know our ways.”

Mallory took a step back, looking like I had slapped her across her face. I regretted my words the moment I said them. Of course, she understood. She had lived her entire life wishing to have her animal at her reach; having to watch from the sidelines and longing for more. I stepped closer to her, reaching for her, but she flinched away.

“Don’t.” Mallory glanced over at her sister who watched us closely. “Don’t touch me.”

“Mal?” Mazy called over to her sister with a worried expression on her face.

My wolf growled deep inside my chest. No one should be comforting my mate besides me. She shouldn’t even be upset. How could she not see that I was trying to protect her?

“I’m fine, Maze. I think I might need some air though.”

“I don’t think that is a good idea, Mallory. You should stay in the cabin for now. Until the others arrive, this is the safest place for you,” Mazy said, giving her sister a stern glare.

I agreed with Mazy. Mallory was too new to shifting, and we didn’t exactly have a restful sleep last night. And thoughts of what we did do last night rushed through my blood right to my cock.

Fuck. This wasn’t the place or the time. Mallory sent me a dark glare before smiling demurely at her sister.

“’Kay, sis. I’m at least going to go hang in one of the bedrooms for a bit. I didn’t get much sleep last night.”

“I’m so sorry. We will take care of, Asher. You won’t have to worry about anything,” Mazy told her with a soft smile. She misunderstood the reasoning behind Mallory’s sleepless night. And it annoyed me that I had to hide the fact Mallory was my mate. Even if she was pissed off at me.

Mallory didn’t speak again; she left the room without even looking in my direction, and it pissed off my wolf. I tried to calm myself down with thoughts of killing Asher, because after he was dealt with, my mate and I could start our lives.

Chapter 24

Mallory

Anger surged through me. My sister I understood, because this had been our relationship since the day my parents found out I was latent. They had drilled it into her head―protect your sister at all cost. As much as I wanted to resent my sister for treating me like glass our entire lives, I couldn’t blame her. Our parents wanted what was best for me, and a human in a shifter life? It could be dangerous. And even now she didn’t know that Apollo and I mated, that I took after our father and had his Arctic fox.

Of course, my father had been a lot larger then I was in fox form, but I still had the teeth and claws to protect myself. Anger pumped through me, my fox irritated that even my mate didn’t believe in me. He had promised not to treat me like everyone else. I didn’t need to be at the front lines fighting Asher, but I wanted to be here. I needed to.

I had to live with him for a stressful couple days. I had to bend to his will, trying to keep myself alive. And I survived. Although I didn’t come out completely unscathed, I’d been the one to get away initially. Apollo didn’t see me as capable, as his equal, and that gutted me. Though I hadn’t meant to lie to my sister, I truly did see the logic in their worries.

The air felt too thin. I couldn’t get enough into my lungs, and my vision wavered. Instead of going to the bedroom, I stepped outside. I wouldn’t go far. The quiet and steadiness of the woods around me calmed my anger. My fox had been irritated, but being outside calmed her as well. Breathing in the scents of the woods that I took my first run in coaxed my fox further out. Holding back the urge to take a sprint, I breathed in.

The air was filled with different odors, new ones that I couldn’t decipher. My fox shifted under my skin, apparently noticing the smells as well. A tension crackled under my skin. As my heartbeat increased, my control over my fox dissolved. I tried to keep a tight hold on her but she took over. I dropped down to all fours, this shift proving much faster and easier to do than my first.

I had to crawl out from my borrowed flannel. Shaking my head, to untangle my ears from the shirt, I lifted my snout. The air still tasted wrong. I tilted my nose back down, trying to catch the trail we had taken last night. Perhaps a quick run wouldn’t hurt, and the smells would dissipate. Trotting forward, the scents finally started to disappear, and my fox snuffled happily.

****

I caught the trail of a rabbit and ended up chasing it until its trail disappeared. Disappointed that I hadn’t caught my bounty, I decided to head back the direction that I came. The wrong odors still lingered nearby and it started to agitate me. My nose twitched as the scents filtered in. Sneezing, I tried to clear my nose out. But everything seemed muddled and I lost Apollo’s trail.

When I left, I had planned to follow his essence back to the cabin, but too many new smells covered over the tracks. Slipping through the woods, a noise caught my attention―the motor of a car―and I crept closer to the sound. If I could find the road, or at least the dirt path Apollo drove here, I could find the cabin.

The SUV that came barreling down the road bounced and made a loud noise as it hit another pothole. Apollo had been much more careful about driving this way. My instincts flared, telling me to run. Twisting around I ran back into the woods. The SUV’s noises stopped and my ears swiveled back.

“Fan out, there’s a shifter out here, I can smell them,” someone called out.

My heart leapt forward. I kept running, my heart thumping in my chest.

The voices started to fade away, but my instincts urged me forward still. I knew I shouldn’t have left the cabin, but coupled with my anger and my fox’s worry over the other scents, I hadn’t been thinking clearly. A branch snapped close by and my pace slowed. Creeping closer to the ground, I crawled onward.

Leaves rustled nearby. Crawling to a stop, I sniffed the air. The smells had turned to a wetter, muskier scent that made my lips peel back from my canines. The scent was all wrong, it niggled a memory from the back of my mind. A quiet growl rattled in my chest as I tried to figure out where my prey hid. The voices from the SUV got closer and my tail flicked with indecision.

Before I could decide, the hair on my scuff rose. I twisted on my paws, but I didn’t move fast enough. Someone grabbed the extra skin on the back of my neck and lifted me off the ground. I growled fiercely and snapped my fangs at my captor. Pinning my ears back, I growled at the smiling man.

“Hello, mate.”

I snapped my jaws at Asher who stretched his arm farther out to keep me out of range. I twisted my body, trying to escape his hold. Logic told me to shift, he would be dazed for a moment and it was all I needed. Unfortunately, logic had been overruled by instinct. My fox was in full control, not allowing me even an inch to try to shift back.

“I’m going to declaw your little paws when we get back home. And then, you are not leaving our house, our bed for the next couple of months. Do you realize how much you put me through?” Asher’s eyes flashed to his animal’s. Fear coiled in my belly and I lashed out, scratching at any bit of flesh I could get.

Asher hissed at me, shaking my whole body, dazing me.

“You will stop this madness, mate. We are leaving.” Asher pulled out a cellphone from his pocket while he still held me in file-sharpened nails. Human nails, just filed to a point. Snarling, I wiggled myself around, attempting to loosen his grip, as he pressed the phone his ear. I knew he wouldn’t be able to pierce my skin with his nails. At least I hoped not. So, I curled my body as tightly as I could. As soon as Asher’s attention had been diverted to his phone, I flung myself wide and caught some skin on his arm.

Asher released me, and I took off. Or I had hoped it would work that way. Dropping his phone, he wrapped both hands around my fluffy tail. The hard yank on my sensitive appendage caused me to whine loudly. Blood rushed to my head as he flipped me upside down. While I tried to get my bearings, he pulled something else of his pocket.

My heart hammered in my chest.

A syringe filled with an unknown substance caught my sights. Redoubling my efforts to get away from him, all I kept seeing was the syringe getting closer. I continuously yipped, trying to get someone else’s attention. Maybe if we were close enough to the cabin, Apollo would hear me. Or even Mazy. Of course, my sister didn’t even know about my fox yet.

Oh gods, my sister.

My eyes widened as Asher got closer. Either I quieted and allowed him to prick me and I would protect my sister, or I could fight like hell and hope to get someone’s attention.

My decision was made for me when a howl filled the air.

Chapter 25

Apollo

Mazy had been quietly talking to Boudreau in the kitchen about their next plans. Once this had been taken care of, Mazy wanted to take my mate away. After hearing the way she spoke to her mate about Mallory, I understood Mallory’s anger. Mazy had tried to keep her sister in a bubble, being overprotective even in human standards.

Shame bit at me, followed by anger at myself. Mallory asked me not to do this to her, not to put her in this small human bubble. But I had. And I didn’t allow her to speak her mind. She had wanted to support her mate and show her courage to her captor.

Fuck.

I left the kitchen determined to find my mate and plead for her forgiveness. Mallory didn’t speak much of her time with Asher, but her actions spoke louder than words. She had been very skeptical with me at first, and a bit standoffish. She didn’t want my touch at first. Even after knowing who I was to her, she had locked me out of the bathroom. It would have been a normal reaction for a human because they didn’t understand. But Mallory wasn’t human.

The scent of oakmoss mingled with anger filled the living area of the cabin. My wolf growled, annoyed with me, blaming this on me. Not that I could blame my beast, but my instincts to protect my mate overruled my mind.

I walked to my bedroom but the scents that hung around were weak, and old. Frowning, I went back to the living room only to smell Mallory’s trail led outside. She hadn’t …

But as I recalled our argument, mingled with her sister’s words, I had no doubt she had gone outside. Shaking my head, I went to grab her.

Outside, she hadn’t lingered around. I scented the air. Following the trail left behind, I found the pile of her clothes left over from a recent shift. My wolf’s howl echoed in my head.

The door creaked behind me.

“Dominic called, he is on his way, with Eden, Quinn, and Winnie. But he said that they both scented other shifters nearby. Where is Mallory?” Lucas asked, as I bent down to pick up her discarded shirt.

“She’s gone.”

“Shit …” Boudreau ’s voice faded as his words registered. Other shifters’ scents were nearby, which meant Asher found us. Moss and I had picked this place for its seclusion and lack of other shifters nearby. Boudreau still spoke, but my head had already been on the hunt. If Mallory’s emotions got the better of her, like I assumed they did in the first place, she wouldn’t be able to shift back. Honestly, I didn’t know if that would be a good thing or not.

“Dominic said they will drive around the trails out here and see if they can’t pick up her scent.”

“I’m going to hunt for her.”

Boudreau looked back to where his mate had stayed inside the cabin. Asher had used her as leverage before, when Mallory didn’t know the status quo. I could see the indecision in his eyes.

“Tell her about Mallory and I. Keep your mate safe. I will do the same.” I didn’t let Boudreau answer. My body melted into my wolf form and I took off toward the trail Mallory left behind. I needed to find my mate.

****

The sun had dropped, hovering on the horizon. I sprinted through the forest, trying to find my mate; her scent trail had still been strong. Some time back I had crossed the scent of Dominic’s SUV and I worried it would have sent Mallory farther from the cabin. She had been circling back at one point, but the trail had deviated.

Loud whining came from farther in the woods. My ears perked up and I followed the sounds. A howl ripped from my throat as the scents hit me.

Asher. And my mate.

My claws dug into the earth as I rushed forward, the muscles in my hind legs burning. I’d never let him get his hands on her again. As they came into view, I launched myself forward onto Asher’s back. He hadn’t shifted but I could smell Mallory’s fur.

Digging my claws into his back, I reared my head back to cramp my jaws around his neck. Before I could he threw himself backwards. My spine slammed into the ground and I groaned. All the air in my lungs flooded out, and my tight hold loosened. A flash of white nearby alerted me that Mallory had been freed from Asher’s hold. I swiped at Asher to get him off of me, though I knew he would try to keep the upper hand.

Asher refused to move, and I felt the shift of his body on top of mine. Asher didn’t scare me, but if he managed to shift into his python I needed an escape route and fast. The thought of his snake’s body around me made me redouble my efforts.

Soon my claws no longer teared at human flesh but scales. The sound of my nails against him sent a quiet shiver of worry through me. I slowed my movements, trying to decipher where he was at in his shift. I’d have to wait for the perfect moment.

Asher’s weight increased, and my breaths came out shorter. Fuck, I had to get this fucker off of me. The flash of white came again, and I growled, trying to warn Mallory away. She should see if she could get help from Dominic or Lucas.

Instead of doing that though, my fiery little mate pounced up. Her white tail hit me in the face, as she clawed and bit at Asher. He squirmed and hissed. However, Mallory got him to move enough that I could slip out from underneath him. Once I did, I barked at her, trying to communicate and get her away from him.

Asher struck. His two massive fangs flashed at me. I bounced backwards. Snarling, my lips peeled back from my canines. Mallory’s Arctic fox form jumped out from the other side of Asher, avoiding his twitching tail. Her head dipped between her shoulder blades as she snarled at him as well.

Asher kept his sights on me though. He flashed his fangs at me again before surging forward in his heavy’s snake form. I leapt backwards, snarling at him. I moved too quickly for him. Mallory took the opportunity and jumped on him from behind, clamping her jaws on the back of his neck. The problem, though, was she needed to go for the soft underbelly.

Asher threw his head back and tried to shake her off him. Exposing the softness under his neck. My gaze flickered to Mallory as she dug her claws in, watching me closely as well. When her gaze dropped down and back to me, I realized she hadn’t been trying to kill him. She had been opening him up for me to strike.

Taking her lead, I rushed forward.

****

“You still smell like his blood,” I complained as I rubbed my nose into my mate’s hair. She and I had showered together for what felt like hours. I had disposed of Asher the only way I knew how. I had been taught to be a paid killer, so I did what I did best. The fact that Mallory had to be part of it pissed me off, but she promised me with her words and body that it didn’t bother her.

Mallory even admitted at one point she thought she should feel bad about being okay with me killing him, but she couldn’t bring herself to do it. We sat away from the others who had invaded my cabin. Moss would be pissed when he found out that others knew where this was located. Though I suspected he had a cabin even I wasn’t officially aware of.

Mazy had hugged and peppered her sister’s face with kisses when we arrived back home, after we showered of course. Lucas had done as I asked and explained to Mazy that Mallory and I were mated. Still, though, Mazy had been insistent that Mallory needed to remain close to her protection. I would do whatever my mate asked of me. All that mattered to me was that I had her in my arms, safe.

“You smell like you. A crisp Arctic breeze. Hmm, like home,” Mallory whispered as she watched the others.

Winnie―another latent shifter who recently found her mate―pounced around, talking to everyone, trying to “liven up the party.” Her words. Her mate had a scowl on his face, but his eyes brightened with his animal as he watched her. Mazy smiled quietly at her friend’s antics, but kept close to her mate with a hand protectively over her belly.

Dominic kept a possessive hold on his human mate, who sat in his lap. Her glasses reflected a glare every once in a while, but behind them I saw mischief. But the way her mate held her, I doubted she would do any antics like Winnie.

“Do you wanna go to bed?” Mallory whispered to me. I nodded. The others would be staying the night here―however they wanted to figure out sleeping arrangements they could, but my mate and I were taking my bedroom. Mallory stopped by her sister and gave her a tight, long hug, before pulling away.

“Night, sis. I love you.”

“Love you, too.”

 Chapter 26

Mazy

Dear Mazy,

Sissy, you have to know how much I love you. And you have to know how excited I am to have a little niece or nephew coming into this world. But that is your life, and it’s filled with adventure.

Apollo and I will be leaving in the middle of the night. Luckily, my mate is stealthy when the event calls for it. He will take care of me, as I will take care of him. We are both free from Asher now.

Sissy … please don’t come after us. Let me finally live.

I know you, Mom, and Dad meant the best for me, but I never got to really live. I love you and, I promise we will be back to visit often, and for when my niece or nephew comes into this world.

Love,

Mallory.

P.S. I took after Dad. I guess you got a bit of Mom, and I got a bit of Dad.

I held the letter in my hands as I read it for the fifth time this morning. Lucas had already known they were gone before we found the envelope on the dining table. Apollo left a short one for Lucas that pretty much said get the fuck out of his cabin. Lucas snorted at it, and held me close as I read the letter the first time.

Goodness, I didn’t realize my parents and I had even done that to my sister. I mean, she needed protection. But I guess it didn’t really connect for me.

I put my hand on my belly. “I promise, little one, whatever you are, I will treat you better.”

“Not so sure about that, cher. I might never let the babe out of my sights.” Lucas smiled, his eyes on my hand.

I smiled. Crazy to think my womanizer of a mate would be so excited about a baby.

Epilogue

Moss

A scent tickled at my nose. Shaking my head, I ignored it. Polishing another already clean glass I kept myself busy as the bar I owned, which was filled with shifters. The Leviathan served pretty low class, but I didn’t care. My beast swirled in my gut, an echoing cry inside of me.

I lurched forward.

What the …

The doors of the Leviathan opened. The rain billowed in behind the small shape in the doorway. The water called to me for only a second before the small, shapely body took over. A hood hung over the face, blocking out my sights.

My beast yawned inside of me, and for once in my very long existence, I walked out of my bar. I ran from this small figure standing in the doorway. No, I ran from whatever stirred my dormant beast.

The End