Maximus: #1 (Luna Lodge: Alpha Squad)

by Madison Stevens

  The hybrids would take out the Phoenix Corps, and then they would figure out some way to reverse what had been done to them. As long as they kept their freedom, hope remained, regardless of their current inability to scent out their Vestals.

  A different thought pushed out the aggression as he remembered why he was there. He was waiting for the hot little hazel-eyed redhead who had been complaining inside. It was hard to believe she just happened to be interested in the same area he was, given what he’d seen on her dropped map.

  Was it a trap? It came off as an almost comical bit of clumsiness, but it might have been purposeful bait laid out in front of the hybrid.

  It wasn’t impossible the Phoenix Corps would use a sexy athletic woman to do their dirty work. Many of the people involved in manipulating hybrids understood that subtlety and soft power could be as much a tool as something more horrifying.

  Maximus sucked in a breath. Those same people also knew that it was pointless to throw women at hybrids other than their Vestals. Attraction wasn’t enough, not for a hybrid. Her obvious interest in him had to be a coincidence, and he was letting his own problems color his understanding of the situation.

  He blinked and shook his head. He was having trouble concentrating on his mission rather than letting his mind wander to alternative interrogation techniques that involved a bed at the motel. There wasn’t time to worry about how hot the woman was and what her body might look like unencumbered by clothes. Not that her jeans didn’t fit her tight ass nicely enough to give him an idea.

  Maximus hardened at the thought and sucked in a breath through his clenched teeth. What the hell was happening to him? This wasn’t like him at all. Not only that, it was dangerous. Thinking with his dick was nothing more than desperation about not being able to scent Vestals. That had to be it. He’d gone a long time without this kind of thing being a problem. What other explanation could there be?

  Ignoring his attraction, he had no way of verifying if she was involved without risking his cover. He couldn’t throw her against the wall and demand she tell him everything she knew about the Phoenix Corps. She might be an innocent victim, too. It was time to gather more intelligence, and that would require something he was less comfortable with, being suave. If he’d brought Tiberius along, he would have made the other hybrid do it, but Maximus was by himself, and he didn’t have time to call for backup.

  The door opened, and a strawberry scent drifted out with the arrival of the woman, a nice shampoo. She muttered under her breath, but Maximus’s enhanced hearing let him pick the words out thanks to the quiet of the area.

  “They’re probably just yanking me around because I’m not local,” the woman muttered under her breath. “Was I supposed to offer a bribe or something? Is that how it works? This is ridiculous. Aloha my ass! Everyone who works in there is probably a transplant from New York or L.A.”

  The woman’s breath caught when she noticed Maximus sitting on the bench. She put a hand to her chest and took a couple deep breaths, staring at him. He tried not to frown, confused by her reaction. He wasn’t ready to believe her rant wasn’t faked to throw him off-guard.

  This wasn’t a promising start to his plan, whether she was a Corps spy or an innocent woman who happened to have information he needed. Though, now that he thought about it, a huge man sitting on a bench with no one else around was bound to be noticed. Her surprise also might be for some completely unrelated reason.

  It was annoying. He preferred a straight-forward search and destroy mission to all this lurking around.

  Maximus forced a smile, despite his suspicion. Did she recognize he was a hybrid, but hadn’t before? If she worked for the Phoenix Corps, she might have seen pictures of his small group of hybrids. But they’d interacted inside, so it didn’t make sense she would be so surprised now. Was it the surprise of seeing him there waiting?

  That wasn’t automatically a bad thing. Surprise had a way of messing up plans.

  Maximus stood and offered her a polite nod. There was no reason to let her know he was on to her, and he still needed intel on the forest, direct or otherwise. The more the hybrids knew before they acted, the greater chance of mission success. Ignoring a possible lead because of discomfort wasn’t something he would do. He owed it to his men to push past his limits.

  “Good morning, ma’am,” Maximus said with a friendly nod of his head. The first person to speak in a conversation often controlled it.

  The woman swallowed and walked toward him, her steps unsteady. Maximus’s nostrils flared as he picked up an unexpected scent from the woman, arousal. His heart kicked up, and he bit down a growl as his own cock stirred in response. Okay, so much for controlling the conversation, and it was obvious her reaction wasn’t about her recognizing him. He doubted a Phoenix Corps operative would let herself lose control like that at the sight of a hybrid.

  Intel gathering. That’s all this was. Nothing more. Nothing less. He needed to focus on the mission.

  “Uh, hello,” the woman offered, her voice sweet and lacking the fire from before. “I’m sorry.”

  “Sorry about what?”

  “You had some business there.” She nodded toward the building. “But I got in your way. You must not have had the…” She furrowed her brow. “Then again, you’re here. Just didn’t want to be there when I was making a scene?”

  “Oh, it’s nothing that needed to be finished today. I happened to be in the area, and I figured I’d stop by. It seemed like you were going to be a while, and I don’t like waiting rooms, so I left. It’s not a big deal.” He extended his meaty hand. “Max.”

  Giving her his true name might present too much of a clue, even with his disguised eyes. There were plenty of huge men in the world, but huge men with names invoking ancient Rome were far more likely to be hybrids thanks to the obsessions originally of the Horatius Group and others who had followed them.

  “Selena,” the woman replied, giving his hand a firm shake. She let out a nervous laugh and ran a hand through her short red hair. “And I’m extra sorry you had to see me in Full Bitch Mode in there. I’d like to say I’m not normally like that, but I’d be lying if I said it was rare.”

  Maximus shrugged. “Bureaucracy frustrates everybody. I’m sure you’re not the first person to get screwed over because of stupid rules.”

  “Sure. You’re right.” Selena sighed. “It’s been a painful couple of days for me, and I need that office to play along a little to make it better, but I don’t think it’s going to happen. At this point, I bet if I came with permission from the governor, that lady would tell me I need to get the president’s signature.”

  Maximus tried not to stare, taken in by the dusting of freckles covering her face, and those luscious lips. Even the slight curl to her hair called too him. He wanted her.

  What the hell? Is this what awaited the hybrids once they gave up hope on finding their Vestals, getting horny for the first woman who smiled at them?

  Sure, Selena was beautiful and strong-willed. She obviously took care of herself and would have stamina in bed, but she wasn’t his Vestal. He was meant for a specific woman, the other half of his soul.

  But his Vestal might never come. Even if she did, he wouldn’t know. Hybrids were drawn to their destined mates by scent, and the Phoenix Corps’ last parting gift to the final twelve members of Alpha Squad appeared to be that denial. It might have been their plan all along, a way of controlling them and forcing their return.

  Selena cocked her head to the side. “Is something wrong?”

  “Huh?” Maximus asked.

  “You just got quiet, and you look upset. I hope it’s not me.”

  “It’s nothing,” Maximus said. “I was just thinking of something. Not your fault at all.”

  No. He was thinking about the situation the wrong way. If he would never find his destined mate, then there was no reason to hold back on seeking something. A normal relationship might not fill the hole in his soul like being with a Vestal, but
it was better than nothing.

  Today though, it wasn’t about the hot little redhead in front of him, but the mission. She might have been a Phoenix Corps’ spy, or she might have information on something that could lead him to the Corps. Sometimes duty could mix with pleasure.

  “Hey, you busy?” Maximus asked.

  Selena stared at him. “What?”

  “You busy?” Maximus gestured down the street toward a coffee shop. “You got time for a cup of coffee? A little caffeine always helps me when I’m having a bad day.”

  “Hard to believe a guy like you has bad days.” Selena gasped and put her hand over her mouth. “Did I say that aloud?”

  Maximus nodded. “I just figured it’s been nice talking with you, and we could talk some more.”

  Selena looked uncertain and held up her folder. “I don’t know. It’s not like I don’t want to, but I’m supposed to be getting this taken care of.”

  “Is it really something that taking thirty minutes to relax would ruin?” Maximus offered his best smile.

  “I suppose it wouldn’t be a big deal.” Selena shrugged. “A little latte or cake won’t be the end of my job. It’s not like those idiots at the permit office are suddenly going to change their mind in the next few minutes or probably at all.”

  “Great.” Maximus inclined his head toward the coffee shop. “Let’s go.”

  It was strange to be suspicious of his own motives. Part of it was checking out the location of interest and gaining any new possible information, but he couldn’t deny how much the feisty redhead appealed to him. Something about her hazel eyes drew him in, and it was taking all his concentration not to stare and freak her out.

  It didn’t matter. Even if the woman wasn’t involved with the Phoenix Corps, learning more about why her permit was denied would provide some useful intel about the area of interest.

  There were worse things than recon dates.

  Chapter Six

  Selena lifted her latte to her lips and took a slow, careful sip. The gesture was as much about hiding her face as getting her caffeine jolt, especially since she had to concentrate to not stare at Max. She was supposed to be figuring out how to solve the permit problem, not going out for coffee with the statue turned real-life hotness sitting across from her.

  He must have been interested, otherwise he wouldn’t have asked her out for coffee. Her luck might finally have been turning. The new job and the Hawaii shoot were turning into disasters, but at least she could get a nice date out of it when it was all said and done.

  If Bill had known what she was doing, he might have fired her on the spot. There wasn’t that fine a line between expecting hard work and ridiculous and unreasonable requests, but neither Bill nor Chris seemed to understand that. Defying them partially motivated her side excursion. It was easy to undermine people when they weren’t around to yell at her.

  Selena didn’t sigh, despite her lingering irritation with Bill and Chris. It was hard to be that upset when she was having coffee with Max. Every time the man looked at her, it was like his gaze was piercing right through her, like he knew everything about her. It both frightened and excited her. She’d never had a man look at her like that before, let alone one as handsome as Max.

  It was strange. She hadn’t met him before. There was no way she could have forgotten someone like that, but at the same time, she felt like she’d known him all her life. She trusted him implicitly and wanted to talk to him. Before she knew it, her whole sorry tale spilled forth.

  Selena’s mouth ran on autopilot as she let the conversation flow well past idle interest and explained in detail about the job and her issues with Bill and Chris, including how she wanted to punch them both or kick them in the balls. Probably both at the same time. It wasn’t the best friendly conversation starter.

  Max laughed after she finished. “That’s one way to express how you feel. You might want to add a throat punch in there, too.”

  “I’m sorry.” Selena gasped and put a hand over her mouth. She lowered her cup to the table. “I’m sure you have better things to do than hear me whine about my job and how I hate my boss. I didn’t intend for this to be a bitching session.”

  “It’s fine. I’m my own boss, so I don’t have to deal with that kind of thing.”

  “Never had a bad boss?” Selena looked curious.

  “I… used to work for some people, and I’d like to punch them. Location to be determined.” Max shrugged, a look of faint amusement in his brown eyes.

  Something was off about his eyes, not the expression, but the color. For some reason, he didn’t feel like the kind of man who should have brown eyes. Selena didn’t know what color she thought he should have, just not brown. It was like his face was screaming that his eyes were a lie, but that didn’t make sense.

  “I… don’t know why I just told you all that,” Selena said. “I’ve been bottling it up, and I think it just came spilling out. I’m really sorry. I’m not usually this needy.”

  “Maybe I have a trustworthy face,” Max said. He picked up his half-eaten bagel and took a bite. “I wouldn’t have a problem with you thinking that. Most people are intimidated by my size, so it’s nice to be trusted.”

  Trustworthy, maybe. Handsome, rugged, and with just the perfect-sized beard for Selena’s taste? Definitely. His size was a bonus, not a problem.

  “That could be it,” Selena murmured, staring into those alluring yet somehow wrong eyes. She lifted her drink again as an excuse to break eye contact. It was like the man was hypnotizing her. Was that a real thing?

  She didn’t know anything about him other than his name. He could be a serial killer or a mob boss. If she wasn’t careful, she’d end up a cautionary tale on some show about cold-case murders in beautiful places. Her body told her to not worry about that, but her brain fought against its treachery.

  “Job,” Selena managed to get out.

  “Job?” Max raised an eyebrow. “I’m not following you.”

  “Your job.” Selena chuckled nervously. “You said you’re your own boss. What do you do for a living? Wrestle polar bears?”

  She cringed inwardly at the joke.

  Max laughed. “No, I’m a private security contractor. So far, no polar bears have gone after any of my clients, but I might wrestle one depending on the circumstances.”

  “Oh, private security contractor in Hawaii.” Selena laughed, this time more confident. “You’re a show waiting to happen. You just need a Hawaiian shirt and a nice helicopter. Max Polar Bear Wrestler, P.I.”

  Max shook his head, a playful smile on his lips. “I’m here checking into something for a job. While it’s not my first time here, I don’t live here.” He nodded toward the window and the ocean in the distance. “Not that it would be bad to live in such a beautiful place. They’re lucky they have all this water to keep us mainlanders away.”

  “That’s one way to look at it,” Selena said. “I’m hoping that my job will let me see the world. It’s already a good start. I’ve never left the mainland before. I went into Canada once, but I’ve never even been to Mexico. I don’t think anyone would consider that well-traveled. What about you? I imagine your job takes you all over.”

  “You’re right. I’ve traveled all over, and it does come with the job.” Max lost his easy smile from before, a subtle tension lining his face. “But that also means I don’t always get to appreciate the places I’m visiting. When you’re worried about getting shot, it doesn’t leave much time for appreciating the sights.”

  “What about Maui?” Selena smiled over her cup. “It doesn’t look like you’re chasing bullets here. And I don’t think there are a lot of polar bears wandering around here.”

  “While I’m not at liberty to discuss all the details, this is more about just exploring some things for a client back on the mainland.” Max rolled his shoulders, his smile returning, but obviously forced.

  “So you do have a boss after all.” Selena set her cup down. “It’s just a tempor
ary one. Lots of temporary ones.”

  “If you want to think of it that way, then yes.” Max looked off in the distance with a thoughtful expression before returning his attention to her. “What’s your next move?”

  “Huh? I don’t know. I’m supposed to be doing several projects with this director. If I kick him in the balls, that might cause some problems.”

  Max chuckled. “I’m not talking about your career. I mean about the commercial and the permits. From what you’ve told me, Bill isn’t going to take no for an answer and the permit office is bound and determined to make sure you fail.”

  Selena looked back and forth, unsure why she was so paranoid. It wasn’t like Bill was following her around. There was no way he would have been able to keep quiet if he was. She represented a significant chunk of the crew staff effort involved in doing the boring, on-the-ground administrative prep work, which is why she was in this predicament to begin with. Permit details weren’t some deep, NDA-covered territory.

  She leaned forward and lowered her voice. “I’m thinking about going out to the location to check it out. It’s a good first step.”

  “Oh? Why is that?”

  Selena nodded. “The location was picked based on satellite and local photos. While it’s not a casual stroll to get there, it’s also not super-deep in the forest.” She frowned. “Something doesn’t smell right. I think this might just be them jerking me around, but if I can prove it, I might be able to move things along.”

  “You think they’re lying to you?” Max’s face didn’t hold a trace of doubt. Either he believed her, or he was a great actor.

  “Or they’re at least exaggerating. It’s not like I’m terrible at my job. I checked out the history of the site, the permit requirements, and all that sort of thing. No one’s filmed any commercials there, but it’s been in TV shows before.” Selena’s gaze slid toward the window, cloaked in suspicion. “And suddenly they care about some old Army storage site that’s nowhere near the actual shooting site? This smells, and not of Spam.”