“When do we need to leave?”
“Now, cher.”
Mazy nodded again, her already pale skin going ghostly white. Fear hadn’t touched me until I saw her face. She worried something would happen, but my beast and I knew there was no way I would ever allow something to happen to her. She was my mate. My everything. I stood up and went to her.
“Mazy.” She craned her neck back to look at me. “Nothing will happen to you. I promise with my life we will walk out of this, alive and well.”
The doubt still lingered, but she took a deep breath and stood on her toes. She pressed her lips lightly against mine.
“Together for a week, no interruptions afterwards,” she whispered.
“None.”
“Good. Good.” Nervousness tinged her voice.
My bear and I had a promise to make good on.
***
Dark and ominous, the gas station sat in front of us, and my bear twitched inside of me. Mazy and I took a car over here, and the entire time Mazy had bounced her leg, looked out the window, and generally pumped out nervous energy. My neck stung with a sweet sting that came from her bite. It was a reminder she was mine to watch over completely now, and I wouldn’t let anything bad happen to her. I couldn’t.
“I’ll carry you in. Do you remember the rest of the plan?”
“Pretend to be unconscious until they show themselves, and then shift and run behind you,” Mazy said, her eyes completely focused on the gas station before us. “What if they have Mallory with them?”
“Apollo would have called to tell me something was wrong.”
“Is this really it? Will we be done after this?”
I didn’t want to lie to her. Nor did I want to scare her away.
“It will be done with them. I didn’t make friends while in this business. There might be someone out there that is always willing to use you against me, but with this,” I traced my claiming mark on her neck; a surge of love and pride waved through me, “you will always be protected from those who were too scared to mess with me. Only those foolish enough to try to hurt you, you and I will destroy them.”
Mazy’s mongoose pushed forward, her eyes burning redder than its natural tone. Her little predator loved the praise. My own brawler of a bear came forward to her challenge. My Mazy had a little beast inside of her, even if she didn’t recognize it.
“We need to go inside soon, Mazy, or they will get spooked and leave.”
“Okay, let’s do this.” Mazy leaned back in her seat, and I climbed out. I pulled in a sharp breath; the smell of the old gasoline was stifling. The greenery that sprouted out from the cracks were drowned out from the scent. Whoever picked this spot did it with the intention no one would be able to smell them. Smart.
I stepped around the car to the passenger side where Mazy sat. She stared out at the gas station, worry filling her eyes. My hand on the handle, I opened it. Mazy didn’t move.
“I won’t let anything happen to you, cher. There is nothing that will keep me from you.” And I meant every word. My bear rumbled with agreement. She was my everything. Mazy eased back in her chair, and with a quiet nod to me she relaxed her tense muscles as much as she could.
“Trust me, cher.”
Mazy’s tense shoulders loosened as my arm brushed against her back. Placing my other arm under her knees, I pulled her out of the car carefully. She lolled her head forward, keeping her eyes shut. The walk from the car to the front of the gas station was quicker than I wanted. The plan we had in place would work. Yet, I still feared for her.
At the door, I kicked at the knob, and it smashed easily, showing the age of the building. Inside the place was gutted; animal nests were scattered in the corners, and a few looked bigger than animal size. People had used it as shelter as well. The smell of stale urine and feces stung my nose. The old scents of the gas from the station mingled with it and made it hard to decipher any other scents than those.
The moonlight bled in from the open door, giving off enough light that while my eyes adjusted I could still see enough. There were no other bodies in the gas station. It put me on edge, and I wondered if they had gotten spooked and took off.
“Drop her and leave. The money is at the doorway,” a voice called out. Whether he was in the room or not I couldn’t tell. It sounded almost like it was coming over the PA system, which guessing on the age of the building it shouldn’t work.
My bear inside hated the idea of setting her on the ground and walking away. It wasn’t part of our plan, but I didn’t know that they would show themselves if I didn’t walk. I wouldn’t be far and Mazy would shift. She could move fast and she was a smaller target in her animal form.
Mazy tensed in my arms, her fear apparent. The man who wanted her was most likely a shifter, and I couldn’t risk speaking to her. I pressed my fingers tighter against her shoulder, hoping she understood the message I was giving her. Bending my knees, I crouched down, setting her on the dirtied floor against my bear’s wishes—against my own desires. The last thing I wanted was to leave her, but I trusted her.
Mazy could take care of herself. She would be fine, and I wouldn’t be far behind. I couldn’t leave her there alone. Though I wanted to reassure her, I couldn’t risk it. Instead, I kept my mouth shut and set her on the floor as gently as I could; perhaps I gave myself away, but it was all I could do to keeping the bear at bay. The strain of his fur against my skin had me shaking. My control was tentative at best.
Straightening my knees, my spine rolled back to an upright position. My muscles were tight with tension. Stress knotted my gut. I wouldn’t let anything happen to her. With great effort, I convinced the bear of that fact and turned away from her. I walked forward, back to the entrance that I came through. Straining, I listened for any movement, but as I suspected they were going to wait until they thought I was gone.
Once my feet hit the threshold of the doorway, my calf knocked the suitcase they had dropped the money in. It was a cliché move and made me realize that this was probably one of few drop offs they had done. More times than not, the men I did drop offs with would put the envelope in my car, or they would give me directions on where to find it. Setting it outside the door told me this person was an amateur.
I hadn’t even made it fully out the door before I heard a new set of footsteps. It wasn’t Mazy, she knew the plan. She wouldn’t reveal herself until absolutely necessary. Nerves pumped through me. Would they stop if they thought I was still nearby? Stepping over the case and out of the doorway, I listened to the footsteps that echoed closer and closer.
“Fucking bitch, almost ruined everything,” the same voice from earlier muttered. His movements stopped, and I strained to hear more. My fists were tightened to the point the skin turned white; my legs tensed, ready to move the moment I needed to get to her.
The bear inside of me pushed his anger and urgency onto me. I had to wait, just a moment longer. If he thought something was up he might be far back enough to get away or he might be close enough to hurt Mazy. My lip lifted upwards into a snarl at the thought. The man inside took a few more steps forward. The bear ripped at me from the inside, clawing his way to the surface. I flinched as I held back just a little bit more.
His steps slowed; my muscles strained. There would be no more waiting. I stepped around the doorway to find the man who had threatened my mate. It wasn’t a McMullen. The male squatted next to my mate was tall, gangly, and had large ears. His head shot up, his eyes reflecting in the moonlight. My sense of smell was still stifled but there was no mistaking him for a shifter. The man that Mazy had mentioned before. Howard Lester.
“I said your money was out there, take it and leave. This is none of your business,” he said.
He was too close to my mate. The bear’s growl rumbled through me.
“That’s where you’re wrong. She’s my mate.”
Howard pulled his lips back into a sneer. His eyes swirled with his animal, which was pressing closer to the surface.
He was crouched down next to Mazy, and I feared that his animal could harm her before she could get away and I didn’t know what he was.
“Mazy!”
She responded by opening her eyes and glaring up at Howard. Her face twisted into an angry glare. She threw up her fist and caught him under the chin.
Howard fell back on his ass, looking momentarily stunned. “You bitch,” he snarled.
Mazy’s body melted into her mongoose. As soon as she slipped out of her clothes and scurried over to me, Howard’s body exploded into his animal. He had a reddish, tan underbelly, his back black and gray. Large ears, and a long, pointed muzzle. Jackal. He pulled back his leathery lips over his teeth and opened his mouth. The move was aggressive and brought about my brawler.
My bear pushed from the inside out. His power pumped through my body, pulsing a heady thrum. My canines pushed through my gums, fur bristling from my skin. I landed heavily on my paws, my claws ticking on the concrete flooring. The jackal took a step back, his gaze darting from me to my mate who stood behind me. I roared to recapture his attention.
Howard shut his mouth and leaned his weight onto his back legs. He was going to try to run. The bear’s excitement at the chase swirled through me. Breathing heavily, I waited for him to make his move.
The jackal looked to Mazy once more and shook his head. I didn’t care if he was making it obvious he wouldn’t be coming for her. He threatened my mate. He wasn’t getting away with that. With his weight on his hind legs, he pivoted around and darted out the way he had entered.
With a mighty roar I chased him. He would die for what he did.
Chapter 13
Mazy
I hadn’t been able to sniff through the scents to tell who was coming at me until it was too late. Nerves had kept me in place, but I trusted Lucas; he wouldn’t let anything happen to me. When I opened my eyes to see Howard, an anger so deep pumped through my veins I couldn’t help it … I had to hit him.
The moment Lucas went after Howard, I had shifted back into my human body and gotten dressed. The smell of the old gas station was making me sick, and I made my way back out to the car where I waited for Lucas. Every minute, I worried for his wellbeing. Never did I doubt his ability to take on Howard, but I didn’t know if he had others lying in wait for him. What if Lucas is outnumbered? I bit my thumbnail as I waited in the car.
Worry kept me strung out, but the stress of the night had been pressing down hard on me. Sleep called to me, pulling me under for a few seconds at a time. The door shut, jarring me from the sleep I had fallen victim to again.
“Shh, cher. It’s just me. Let’s get you home.”
Hmm. Home sounded good. He was back. Safe. My mongoose chirped happily, and my eyelids fell back down, allowing me to sleep.
***
Two weeks had passed since that night. Lucas brought me back to his place … our place. We didn’t leave for a week. It was selfish of me, but I had been worried about losing him. He felt the same. Howard was no more and Lucas refused to say anything other than that. He had carried me inside and started to shower before I saw the full extent of what had happened. But when I walked in, he was still stained with some blood. That night he just held me. Tighter than anyone else ever had before.
Apollo’s updates were brief, but Lucas assured me that was normal for him. He would continue his watch until Lucas and I got back from the Bayou where we were. My heart fluttered in my chest. Lucas told me all about the woman who raised him, taking him out of the human foster system and teaching him how to control his bear when he didn’t think there was any hope. Lucas’s love for his ma mere was endless, and I was so worried she wouldn’t like me.
Lucas promised me over and over that she would love me. Easy for him to say. I fidgeted with the summer dress I had worn. The scoop neck showed off my mating mark, which I was very proud of. My hand tightened around Lucas’s. His ma mere, which he insisted I call her as well, lived deep in the swamp lands. He said it was easier for the shifter children she took in. They could let their animals out there. The lands were hauntingly gorgeous; the trees growing out from the waters that surrounded the area, the mist weaving between them. The greenery thrummed with life, and the water reflected the beautiful scenery. While the bugs were terrible, I could ignore it to be able to be in this place.
The sun peeked through an opening in the trees and hanging branches.
“It’s so gorgeous.”
“I like to think so,” an old, creaky voice spoke behind me. I turned around to see a tanned woman who had to be just under five feet. Her wrinkles had wrinkles, but with her woven braid of silver and sparkle in her brown eyes, she was as youthful in spirit as I was in age. Her beauty shone through.
“Ma mere?”
“Child, look at you. Such a sight … Lucas didn’t do you justice.” Her accent was very thick. It was almost impossible to decipher what she had to say.
“C’mon now.”
Lucas smiled brightly as ma mere pulled me into the small house with a surprising strength I didn’t expect from her slight frame. The feeling of coming home welcomed me with a warm embrace. Leaning over, Lucas kissed my lips with a chaste peck as we made our way into the house.
One day when Mallory woke up, I would bring her here. To meet our new family. Lucas and his ma mere were home, family, my everything. Lucas never seemed so comfortable and lax as he did here. There was a spark in his eye that reflected in his ma mere. I would do anything to be able to see it for the rest of my life.
Epilogue
Apollo
Fuck Lucas for making me do this. His mate’s sister. I hadn’t gone into the room, but her scent sent my wolf on the prowl. Twisting my lips back down to a neutral position than the constant snarl that had been plastered on my face, I paced in front of the door.
Something was wrong. My wolf was restless. Just go in and look at her one more time. That would calm him down. Yes. That was it. I was just worried she wasn’t in there.
I grabbed the doorknob, the weight of the metal, the cold touch sent a shiver down my spine. I didn’t feel things like this. What the fuck is wrong with me?
I tousled my dark hair with my hand before I twisted the knob. There was something about this Mallory. Something big. The door swung open and my eyes immediately sought out the sight that my wolf had been replaying in my head for days. A beautiful woman with deep red hair, a pale complexion. She was thin but still fucking stunning.
And her bed was empty. I stared at where she had been since I arrived.
She was gone.
“Fuck!” I roared.
Stay Tuned for a Short Story
Wedding, Dragons, and Bears, oh My!
Mercenaries for Hire: Short Story
By Becca Vincenza
Chapter 1
Eden
“He’s going to shit his pants,” Winnie said with a bright smile. She and I had become fast friends, especially when our way overprotective, possessive mates didn’t want us too far from their sides. Even though Winnie was a rare lynx shifter, Quentin was still crazy protective of her. At least she had that going for her.
I puffed a breath.
Human and mated to a dragon. Not only a dragon, but my parents were bear shifters. Not only that, but my mate, the dragon, was also a mercenary. One that had been hired to kidnap me by my father. I don’t group my mother in with him, but I also wasn’t one-hundred percent certain she wasn’t part of it either. Still, I was willing to give her the benefit of the doubt. For now. Depended on how today went. Getting to this point had been a challenge all of its own.
“Dom won’t shit his pants. More likely he will come charging down the aisle, those sexy, thick, muscular thighs all wrapped up in sleek tuxedo pants.”
“Whoa, girl, do I need to get the spray bottle?”
A bubble of laughter built in my chest. Now I knew that wasn’t an empty threat. Said spray bottle had made an appearance last night after the rehearsal dinner, which Dominic insist
ed on. I hadn’t wanted any of this. I would have been happy being married by shifter standards, which we already were. I touched the base of my neck where a scar should have been. Well, almost married by shifter standards.
The rehearsal dinner had been tense with my parents and half of the Clan here. Bonnie had been in hot water with my father, but fortunately he cooled his jets when I explained how she had done her job to a ‘t’. Bonnie had stayed after with our motley crew. Winnie and Mazy were safe from the shifter-slave traders and decided it was the night to celebrate that, too. After the dinner our small group went up to the girls’ room. Winnie was getting frisky with Quinn; however, he wasn’t a fan of public display of affections.
Lucas, on the other hand … he had no problems with it. I was draped across Dominic’s lap, and Winnie tried to climb Quinn while Lucas had Mazy in a lip-lock that was blush inducing to even my crude mate. When Quinn wouldn’t respond to Winnie’s demands, she sprayed everyone off, determined if she wasn’t getting her mate now, no one was.
Dom had tried to follow me back into my room but the girls were staying with me to keep with the human tradition of the groom wasn’t allowed to see the bride.
“Stupid fucking tradition,” he grumbled.
I pressed my lips together, smothering the giggle that wanted to pass my lips. He had been the one who insisted on doing this. However, letting him know that might only lead to naughty punishments. Not that I was opposed, but I was trying to be the good one.
“You’ll be there right on time. No making me fucking wait. I can barely stand not being inside of you right fucking now,” Dom whispered against my lips. The sensual promise in those dark eyes made me step back.
“Don’t you even dare. You started this. Not me.”
Contracted: Mercenary Shifters (Mercenaries for Hire Book 3) Page 8