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

  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 gi
ven 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.