Shadow Soldier

by Kali Argent

  Following Deke down the narrow hallway, Roux couldn’t shake the feeling that something had changed during their conversation. She couldn’t explain it, didn’t know exactly what felt different, but she wanted to trust this shifter. She wanted to believe that he’d help her without expecting anything in return.

  “Deke?”

  “Yeah?”

  She squeezed her fists at her sides and breathed deeply through her nose. “Don’t make me regret this.”

  CHAPTER FOUR

  Early morning light spilled in through the naked windows to warm Roux’s face. The rubber mattress squeaked beneath her when she rolled onto her back to stare up at the crinkled paint on the ceiling. Cool air filtered into the room through a vent on the far side of the room, chasing away the late summer heat.

  Apart from the temporary bed, the room held no other furnishings. No pictures or art decorated the pale blue walls. The closet door stood open across the room from her, its depths completely empty, not even a single hanger on the rack. The rest of the house had a lived-in feel, but this room even smelled unused, musty almost, and she wondered why he didn’t put it to better use.

  Despite her reservations, she’d fallen into an exhausted sleep almost instantly. Cradled by the comfort of the air mattress and enveloped by the softness of the thin blanket, she’d barely moved during the night, and if she’d dreamed, she couldn’t remember it.

  Throwing the covers back, she sat up and rubbed the lingering tiredness from her eyes before crawling off the bed. She flexed her toes over the shiny, hardwood floor and stretched her arms over her head as she yawned. Her stomach rumbled greedily, beckoning her to leave the relative safety of the bedroom to go in search of food. With a final twist and a quiet groan, Roux combed her fingers through her tousled hair and shuffled toward the door.

  “Shit!” she cursed when she opened the door. Slapping a hand over her mouth to stifle the scream that threatened to rise up from her chest. “Deke? What the hell are you doing?”

  Sprawled out in front of her door, Deke slept on the hardwood floor with his head resting in the crook of his elbow. At her slightly hysterical greeting, he jerked up so quickly he banged his head on the doorframe. Rubbing his brow, he cursed a blue streak that would have made a sailor proud as he climbed to his feet.

  “Morning,” he grumbled, still prodding at a spot just over his left eyebrow. “Sleep well?”

  Roux bit her bottom lip and ducked her head as she fought the urge to grin. Something had to be seriously wrong with her, because in that moment, she realized she’d actually been looking forward to seeing him again. It made no sense, and she didn’t know how to process the information, so she pushed it away and focused on the problem at hand.

  “Why were you sleeping on the floor in front of my room?” How easily she referred to his spare bedroom as hers. A slippery slope indeed. “Afraid I was going to sneak out in the middle of the night?”

  Leaning against the doorjamb, Deke ran his fingers through his spiky, black hair and shrugged. “The thought did cross my mind.”

  “I could have gone out the window.”

  “You could have.” Pushing away from the wall, Deke motioned for her to precede him down the hall to the kitchen. “I doubted you’d leave without your bag.”

  Damn, she’d completely forgotten about her bag. There it sat, though, right where she’d left it against the wall at the end of the hall. It wasn’t like her to be so careless or thoughtless. The bag itself had no value, but it held everything in the world she could call her own. Not once in eighteen months had it left her sight.

  “Did you…”

  Before she could finish, Deke started shaking his head. “I didn’t touch it, didn’t look through your things. I wouldn’t do that, Roux.”

  He spoke with such conviction she couldn’t doubt his sincerity. Clearing her throat, she tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear and nodded.

  “Are you hungry?” he asked. “Coffee?”

  “Coffee?” Roux perked up and tripped across the kitchen, standing right beside the captain before she even realized what she’d done. “You have coffee? Like real coffee? None of that instant crap, right?”

  Deke laughed, the sound rich and full of warmth. “Let me guess,” he mused. “You’re a dark roast kind of girl.”

  “Guilty.”

  The knot of anxiety she’d felt since their confrontation outside the grocer began to unravel. Revisiting her feelings from the night before, remembering how much she’d wanted to trust him, she wondered if Deke might not be the monster she’d painted him as.

  “I, uh, I could make breakfast.”

  Resting his hand on her lower back, he ushered her toward the table with a gentle push. “I’ve got this. Sit.”

  He didn’t speak harshly, but an undercurrent of command laced his tone. It likely made him a fine leader, but Roux wasn’t one of his underlings, and she didn’t take orders from men with more testosterone than manners. Since she couldn’t tell him that without sounding like an ungrateful bitch, she decided on a different course of action.

  “There’s a bakery in the Square, right?” She’d seen it during the ride to Deke’s house. “Do they have coffee?”

  Deke nodded. “And the best scones you’ve ever tasted.” His expression softened, and the lines around his mouth relaxed. “Is that what you want?”

  “Do you want the truth?”

  He dipped his head again. “Always.”

  “I want to see the Square. I want to visit the others from my group, make sure they’re okay.” She tugged at the collar of her borrowed T-shirt, pulling it back up where it had fallen off her shoulder. “I want clothes that fit.”

  “We can do that.”

  If she planned to escape the city, she’d need Deke’s help. He wouldn’t be too keen on doing anything for her if she continued to treat him with open hostility. Even so, his easy concurrence surprised her, and she couldn’t help but wonder what the catch was.

  “You’ll take me to the Square?”

  “I will,” he agreed, but he spoke with hesitancy. “It’s not that simple, though. You can’t just go strolling through the streets. There are rules, laws that can’t be broken.”

  Roux arched an eyebrow at him as she folded her arms over her breasts. “Do you think I’m going to waltz into the bakery and stab the first shifter I see?”

  “Damn it, Roux, listen to me!” One, long stride brought him within inches of her, and he grabbed her upper arms, holding her firmly as he stared into her eyes. “This isn’t a joke, and it isn’t a fucking game. Out there, out in the city?” He jabbed his finger toward the front door. “Out there, it’s a whole other world.”

  “You think I don’t know that?”

  Hell, she probably knew better than he did. Still, it was the first time he’d lost his temper with her, and the urgency in his voice had her attention.

  “No, Roux, I don’t think you understand at all.”

  “I thought you said humans weren’t treated badly here?” she challenged. She should have trusted her instincts, but she’d dared to hope he’d been telling the truth. “If that’s the case, why are you so worried?” Anxiety began to bubble to the surface, and she leaned away, scratching her nails over the fabric of her shorts.

  With a rumbling growl, Deke stood straight and lifted his right hand. Roux flinched when it moved toward her, but he simply brushed her hair back from her face in an act so tender, it made her breath catch in her throat. He didn’t say anything about her reaction, but she could see the pain in his eyes, and it stunned her to realize she actually cared that she’d hurt him.

  “Anyone who breaks the law in the city is held to the same standards.” His voice gentled, and the grip on her arm loosened. “Humans just happen to have a few more laws than the rest of us.”

  “What would happen if I fuck up?”

  Instead of answering, Deke grunted and shifted away from her. �
�I won’t let anything happen to you.”

  “Good. I’m glad that’s settled.”

  “Good,” he echoed with a crooked grin.

  It wouldn’t just be her ass on the line if something went sideways, though. After everything Deke had done for her, she wouldn’t hang him out to dry like that.

  “Okay, tell me what I need to do.”

  * * * *

  Holding lightly to Roux’s arm, Deke led her through the front door of the local bakery. The fox-shifter who owned Sunrise Bakery had been in business long before the Purge, though he’d acquired a couple of new assistants since the Coalition had seized control. He seemed good-natured about the help forced on him, though, and he made sure his workers received a decent wage for their time.

  “Mason,” Deke greeted as he approached the counter with Roux following half a step behind him. “Where are the Doublemint twins?”

  “Captain.” Peter Mason, a thin man with shaggy reddish-orange hair, rolled his eyes at Deke’s nickname for his apprentices. “Macy and Sharon have the day off.” His gaze flickered to Roux, and he tilted his head in question. “New pet?”

  Biting back his groan, Deke placed a steadying hand on Roux’s shoulder, inwardly wincing when he felt her muscles tense under his touch. “Too early to tell,” he answered without a trace of the anxiety he felt. “Still in the probationary period.”

  Though his brow creased, and he must have sensed the growing tension, Peter said nothing further on the subject. “Well, what can I get you today?”

  Eager to get Roux seated—and more importantly, out of the earshot of any passersby—Deke ordered quickly, paid the man, and ushered his fuming mate to a corner table.

  “What was that?” she demanded, her tone hushed but clearly angry. “Pet?” Her bright green eyes—eyes the color of new spring grass—darkened as she fell heavily into her seat. “You said I just had to keep my head down, my mouth shut, and not make eye contact with anyone.”

  Deke turned his own chair so he could see the entire dining room and still keep an eye on his irritated mate.

  “You said nothing about fucking pets,” Roux continued, leaning across the table toward him.

  Despite her outrage, or maybe because of it, Deke wanted nothing more than to close the distance between them and kiss the combativeness right out of her. She was a hellcat with all the fury of a raging tempest, yet her size and demeanor reminded him of a rebellious kitten.

  He’d nearly swallowed his tongue when she’d stepped into his kitchen the night before, freshly showered and brimming with defiance. Even pale and malnourished, she was more beautiful to him than she could possibly know.

  Dark shadows swept under her eyes and below her angular cheekbones, testaments to the hardships she’d endured. The shirt he’d given her constantly fell down around her shoulders, and the shorts barely clung to her narrow hips. Paired with her own hiking boots, the ensemble made her look smaller somehow, more fragile. Still, a sense of possessive satisfaction filled him at seeing her in his clothes.

  Her long, chestnut-colored curls lacked luster, but the ringlets had felt soft and feathery against his fingertips. Roux didn’t trust him, not yet, and he understood her reasons. That didn’t stop him from wanting her.

  Before he could stop himself, his gaze fell to her pale, pink lips, and once again, thoughts of sealing his mouth over hers filled his mind. That line of thinking wouldn’t do either of them any favors. If he had any damn sense at all, he’d follow through on his promise and get her as far away from Trinity Grove as possible. The more time he spent with her, though, the more impossible it became to let her go.

  “Hello?” Roux’s brow creased, and her mouth turned down at the corners as she waved a hand in front of his face. “Are you even listening to me?”

  “Why does it matter what label they put on it?” Reaching across the tabletop, Deke took her hands, holding tight when she tried to pull away from him. “This isn’t the place,” he added, giving her a pointed glare. “As far as anyone in the city is concerned, you’re under my protection. That’s enough for now.”

  Roux had proven she could be obstinate, but luckily for him, she was also smart. A muscle ticked in her jaw, and her eyes narrowed into slits, but she only nodded. Sliding her hands out of his grip, she leaned back in her seat and quirked an eyebrow at him.

  “For now.”

  “Captain,” Peter called from the counter. “Your order.”

  Deke started to rise, but Roux jumped up with a smirk that could mean nothing good.

  “Allow me…sir.”

  Moon goddess above, she made him fucking insane. In all his life, he’d never met anyone he simultaneously wanted to kiss and strangle. She both focused him and turned his world upside down. His instincts had been tripped into overdrive, his every thought now centered on protecting Roux, doing whatever it took to keep her safe. It made him a formidable protector, but it also left him vulnerable as a soldier and a leader.

  “French roast,” Roux announced, placing a brown and white paper cup down in front of him. “Apple-something scone.” Dropping a matching sack into his lap, she kicked the seat of his chair, right between his legs. Then she leaned into him, resting her hand on his left shoulder, just near his collarbone. “And one more thing.”

  He didn’t react, didn’t so much as blink, but his pulse sped when her fiery temper flashed in her eyes again. Hypnotized by her closeness, Deke didn’t immediately realize what she intended until it was already too late.

  Dropping her foot from the seat, she swept her heel into the leg of the chair while she shoved at his shoulder, toppling him onto the linoleum floor. With a wicked grin, she straddled his hips and crouched over him, her elbows resting on her bent knees.

  “I don’t need protection,” she whispered. “I just need an advantage.”

  Deke didn’t know whether to be pissed off or impressed. Pushing up on his elbows, he bared his fangs, growling a warning at the female. He’d never hurt her, but she needed to understand what world she lived in now. Roux was a survivor—smart, strong, fearless—but she was also hotheaded, impulsive, and reckless. Traits that had served her well in the wild would only end up getting her killed in Trinity Grove.

  “Captain?” Peter stood just behind Roux, a coy smile curving his lips. “Is everything okay?”

  Partly to maintain their cover in case anyone had seen them through the window, but mostly because he’d been able to think of little else, Deke fisted his hand in the collar of Roux’s shirt and jerked her down on top of him. Her surprised gasp caused his cock to twitch, and a deep groan rolled through his chest when her breath fanned against his face.

  Tangling his free hand in her curls, he held her close, slanting their mouths together in a kiss that seared his blood.

  “Never mind,” Peter muttered, his footsteps shuffling away back toward the counter.

  Roux stiffened, her muscles tensing while her thighs squeezed his hips. Her eyes rounded momentarily before creasing at the corners, the brilliant green alight with murderous rage. Pushing at his chest, she arched her back in an attempt to free herself, but only succeeded in rubbing her pert ass over his aching groin.

  Releasing his grasp on her T-shirt, Deke slid his hand under her arm to caress her back in long, soothing strokes. He didn’t close his eyes or look away, but watched her intently, mesmerized by the soft shade of pink that spread over her cheeks. Sweeping his tongue across her unyielding lips, he teased and coaxed with gentle ministrations until…

  A quiet, utterly feminine moan spilled from her mouth as she relaxed into him, suddenly groping at his chest rather than pushing him away. The first glide of her tongue against his sent a jolt of electricity through his veins, awakening something ancient and primitive inside him he’d never experienced before.

  His skin burned with a heat that consumed him, and his naturally elongated canines grew in length until the tips pierced his bottom lip. Deke had alway
s prided himself on his control, but in that moment, he was little more than a beast, driven only by desire and instinct.

  His gaze shifted from his mate’s lovely face to the soft, delicate skin at the crook of her neck. Breaking the kiss, he pulled her closer, nuzzling the column of her throat with his nose and lips. The gums around his canines throbbed, and his mouth filled with saliva at the thought of kissing her there, licking…biting.

  Deke jerked away with such force his head smacked against the aging, brown linoleum. He released his hold on Roux, and without hesitation, she scrambled off him to kneel at his side.

  Brushing her tangled hair out of her face, she panted as she leaned over him. “Holy shit,” she breathed, pressing her fingers against his right temple. “Deke, your eyes. What’s wrong with your eyes?”

  Colors blended together, some muted, others distorted, and the sunlight streaming through the large, storefront windows caused an ache in the center of his forehead. The noise from the Square exploded in a thunderous roar, making it difficult for him to understand her. Not since puberty had he been unable to control his shift, and in the middle of a bakery didn’t seem like the best place to relearn bad habits.

  “They’ll shift back,” he assured her. “Just give me a second.”

  “Deke,” she whispered urgently, glancing out the windows and then over her shoulder as though to be sure no one could see them.

  “It’s okay.” Pushing to his feet, he hauled her up with him and smiled. “It’s a town full of Gemini, Roux. No one’s going to be fazed by a pair of cat eyes.”

  “Maybe not, but they might have something to say about a pair of glowing ones.” Lunging past him, she grabbed the silver napkin dispenser and shoved it toward his face. “Look.”

  A ring of ghostly blue light surrounded his slitted pupils, reflecting back at him in the metal surface.

  “It’s nothing.”

  “It doesn’t look like nothing.”

  No, but unfortunately, he couldn’t do anything about it. The change didn’t happen in most shifters until they’d already claimed their mates, but nothing seemed “normal” with Roux.