Authorized: Mercenary Shifters (Mercenaries For Hire Book 4) Read online

  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. L
uckily, 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