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

  “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.