by Desiree Holt
“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 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, a few looked bigger than animal size. People had used it as shelter as well. The smells 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 more 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 for 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. I strained listening 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 outside the door, 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? I stepped 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 were 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 reflected 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 that was pressing closer to the surface. He was crouched down 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 and looked momentarily stunned.
“You bitch,” Howard snarled.
Mazy’s body melted into her mongoose, and she slipped out of her clothes and scurried over to me. Howard’s body exploded into his animal. He had a reddish, tan under belly, 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 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.
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 was 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 any more 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 Apollo. 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’. His ma mere, which he insisted I call her that 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 as I was in spirit. 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. Lucas leaned over and 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 that spark in his eye that reflected in his ma mere. I would do anything to be able to see that 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 was 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.
About the Author
Becca Vincenza lives in the oddly shaped Michigan, with her English degree, two dogs, and obsession with paranormal and romances.
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Frenzied
A Great White Story
Blaire Edens
Shark-shifter Tiburon Diaz has gone from predator to savior. After saving Eva Buxton’s life, he’s drowning in her. Eva, a high school biology teacher, finally has the bedroom partner she’s always wanted. But when research scientists threaten their future together, the two of them will have to decide if one scorching hot week together is enough to decide forever.
A Sporting Chance
There wasn’t anything or anyone to do on Sporting Island. A small island just off the coast of South Carolina, most of the island was a state park filled with campers, tents and families.
Ugh.
Eva Buxton had only seen one guy she’d fuck since they’d crossed the ancient drawbridge that led to this dead end island two days ago and he was a Mayan God of a lifeguard who wouldn’t have noticed her unless she’d faked her own drowning. He never took off his sunglasses, never seemed to spend any more time looking down at her than any of the other people lining the beach.
On the bright side, she only had five more days of hiding out on the beach while Mandy and Derek, an ER doctor who wasn’t afraid to fly his freak flag, played an X-rated version of Twister in the tent.
Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Oh how she wished that was in her immediate future.
She was trying very hard not to be jealous. It had been nearly four months since Brad had dumped her, after shattering her heart in a million pieces. While there had been a couple of one-night stands since then, she was in the worst drought of her life. She’d didn’t really miss Brad, but she missed his dick.
When Eva had agreed to come on this beach vacation, she’d thought she and her best friend and roommate, Mandy, could have some girl time together. As a tenth-grade biology teacher, she had the whole summer to chill and this trip had sounded like a great way to kick off the summer.
They’d packed a tent, a few bikinis and flip-flops. After filling a cooler with boxed wine, they’d driven down from Columbia in Mandy’s Mustang convertible. They hadn’t been on Sporting Island for more than three hours when Mandy’s boyfriend had decided, at the last minute, to drive down himself to join them. And at that point, the tent was too small for the three of them.
Way too small.
With all the creative things Mandy and Derek were probably doing
, it was too small for the two of them.
Eva’s core clenched at the thought. Yesterday, she’d forgotten her magazine and had trudged back to get it. She unzipped the tent, thinking Mandy and Derek would probably still be sleeping. They weren’t. Mandy was on top, her full breasts jiggling as she rode Derek, the erotic smell of sex filling the tent. Eva had zipped the tent back up and returned to the beach with no magazine, bikini bottoms soaked, and a desperate need to get off.
It had been a long time, too long, and even though she’d packed her battery-powered boyfriend, it wasn’t like she had anyplace private to use it.
It was going to be a long week.
Eva adjusted her beach towel and tossed her e-reader into her beach bag. Even though it was barely noon, the temperature had already crept toward a hundred degrees and the humidity made breathing a real chore. After taking off her sunglasses and baseball cap, she headed toward the water. The sand burned under her feet and she was glad when the blue-grey Atlantic kissed her toes. The water was the perfect temperature and by the time it covered her knees, she’d begun to cool off. She dove into the water.
It felt like being wrapped in silk. She stayed underwater, swimming away from shore, letting her long hair fan behind her. After a couple of minutes, she surfaced. She flipped onto her back and closed her eyes, enjoying the buoyancy of the water, the way the small waves licked at her body. It was such a sensual sensation, so erotic. She allowed her mind to float, losing herself completely in the cool, wetness of the Atlantic.
* * *
As a man, he had no chance to save her.
But as a shark, he might.
Talk about outstanding qualifications for his day job as a lifeguard.