Page 56 of Mated to the Human: Volume One

Setting a holder with the coffees and a bakery box on the counter, Gavin smiled. “You’ll have to bring this mate in one evening. Char and I would love to meet them.”

“Him,” Merrick said. “Leander.”

Gavin grinned. “Congrats, man.” He pushed the coffee and cookies toward Merrick. “On the house. Count it as a belated mating present.”

“Thank you,” Merrick said, feeling silly at the lump gathering in his throat. “That means a lot.”

With a wave goodbye, he stuck the money he’d pulled out of his wallet into Gavin’s tip jar once he moved on to the next customer, grabbed his items, and headed out the door.

Cool air rushed over him as he smiled to himself and stood on the corner waiting for the walk sign. He found it so unbelievable how drastically things had changed in just a few days. He’d woken up with Leander’s arm thrown over him this morning, his skin cool and perfect against the furnace Merrick turned into under the covers. They’d kissed goodbye as Leander headed off to the office and him downstairs to the bookstore.

It was so easy. Like Leander had been there all along. He knew they still needed to discuss permanent living arrangements. Leander hadn’t been back home—and Merrick had never even seen it—since the gala. He wanted to be where Merrick was. Honestly, Merrick would be surprised if Leander stayed at the office all day.

The light changed and Merrick started across the road, still lost in thought. He reached the halfway point when a dark van screeched around the corner and slammed on its brakes, stopping only a couple feet in front of him.

“What the hell,” Merrick yelled, stopping so fast he almost dropped the coffees. As the side door slid open, Merrick’s brain caught up to what was happening. Two men in black masks jumped out, reaching for him. With a scream, he threw the coffee and bakery box at them and turned to run.

He made a couple steps before he was yanked to a halt. Hands grabbed the back of his shirt, hauling him backwards. Still screaming, he fought, pulling and yanking to get away. People were getting out of their cars. Several with cell phones pressed to their ears. The hands changed tactics, sliding around his waist and lifting him bodily off the ground.

A roar—wild and animalistic—tore through the air, and the sound of metal crunching rang out from behind them.

Merrick’s mind screamed out with new fear. Run!

The men trying to take him started shouting, and the arms holding him went slack. Merrick took the opportunity and elbowed the man hard in the chest and shoved his way to freedom.

He started running again when a motorcycle slammed to a stop in front of him. The man riding it jumped off and reached for him. He tried to bat the arms away, but strong hands gripped his upper arms.

“Merrick!”

He looked at the man’s face. One of the hellhounds that had been at the meeting. Bacchus.

“Oh my god,” Merrick gasped, slumping in Bacchus’s hands.

“You’re okay,” Bacchus assured him, moving him so Merrick was behind him.

It was only then that Merrick looked back toward the van. The top was crushed in—a big crater in the middle making the whole frame sag. The driver was slumped against the steering wheel, his window shattered, and the two men who’d tried to grab him were on the ground.

Standing over them was a beast. Huge and muscular, with dark claws extending from its toes and fingers and sleek black fur covering most of its body. Merrick’s eyes widened when his gaze made it up to the beast’s face. Its muzzle protruded like a wolfs, ears pinned back against its head, and a mouth full of gleaming sharp teeth.

I always thought werewolves were quadrupeds, he thought a moment before the bipedal wolfman in front of him began shrinking before his eyes. A minute later, Ammon stood—completely naked and smeared with blood—over the two men who’d attempted to abduct him.

Merrick’s eyes were wide, and his knees were shaky.

“You alright, Merri?” Ammon asked, stepping over the men like they weren’t worth his time.

Merrick had to swallow twice before he could answer. “Yeah. I-I’m okay.”

In front of him, Bacchus swore, “Fucking hell, Ammon.” He turned and tore open one of the motorcycle’s saddlebags and pulled out a leather jacket. “You couldn’t have shifted back indoors?” He stepped up to Ammon and wrapped the jacket around his waist.

Ammon smirked at him. “Maybe I wanted to give you a show.” He held the sides of the jacket together on one hip and reached for Merrick with his other hand. “Come on, Merri. Let’s get you inside.”

Sirens blared in the distance, and Merrick’s head felt fuzzy, but he followed Ammon back to the bookstore.

* * *

“Merri!” Leander shouted as soon as his feet hit the sidewalk. He’d flown straight there the moment Ammon had called him. The sun was high in the sky, but he could barely feel the drain of it. Since the moment his phone rang, all he could think of was getting to Merri.

Police cars had the intersection in front of the bookstore blocked off while an ambulance loaded a person in the back. Ammon had said he’d left them alive. Part of Leander wanted to storm over there and finish the job himself, but he knew keeping them alive was better. Dead men didn’t talk.

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