Chapter 8

CHAPTER EIGHT

RIVER

A fter the gruesome two Vincent Prince movies, a knock sounded on the door, and Apollo hopped up to get it. He opened the door a hair and a hand with two shopping bags slid in through the crack.

"Thank you, Silas."

"Of course."

Apollo closed the door and turned back to her, holding up the bags. "Sorry, they only have a thrift store in town."

She shrugged. "Clothes are clothes. Used are better, in my opinion, because they are softer, and you can tell what they will fit like since they've been washed several times."

A strange expression planted on his face.

"What?"

He shook his head. "You are different from any female I've ever met."

"Thank you."

He snorted and sat on the bed with the bags. She dumped them out and looked at everything. Silas had done a pretty good job guessing her sizing, except for the underwear. A new pack of women's underwear with a sticker from the general store said they were size XL. She pulled out a pair and held them up.

"I'm curvy, but I'm not big sexy curvy."

Apollo burst out laughing.

She threw the underwear at him. "If you think they are so funny, you wear them."

"Okay." Apollo stripped off his sweats before stepping into the underwear.

Okay, so he goes commando. Good to know.

River burst out laughing. The underwear barely hugged the hips of his large frame.

"You like them?" Apollo cat walked back and forth, and River laughed even harder.

She couldn't remember the last time she'd laughed so hard. She laughed and then snorted, and Apollo stopped.

"You snort?"

She snorted again.

"Oh my gosh. You snort when you laugh. That's hilarious."

She couldn't help but laugh harder, which made her snort more. She couldn't stop.

Apollo looked down. "Okay. I don't look that funny in these."

She nodded, and tears streamed out of her eyes as she laughed.

"Hey, you better stop, or I might get a complex. I've never had a woman laugh at my physique before."

"Did they ever see you in lacy purple grannie panties?"

He shook his head solemnly. "No, Kitten, this fantastic sight I saved just for you."

She dried her eyes and giggled a few more times. "Well, it's a sight I will never forget, but also that I never need to see again."

A wicked twinkle settled in his eyes. "Does that mean you want me to take them off?"

"Of course."

"Okay. If you want me naked…" He reached for the waistband.

"That's not… I mean… Yes, take them off, but put your sweats back on."

He tsked. "You are no fun at all."

"I'm tons of fun."

"Okay, let's do something fun then."

"A board game?"

He nodded.

"I'll play a board game, but only if I get to pick the next movie."

Apollo smiled his amazing crooked grin. "Deal."

* * *

APOLLO

After River beat Apollo three consecutive times in three separate games, he decided it was time to try something else.

"Want to go outside for a run?"

"Isn't it too light?"

"Why would it be too light outside? This is my property. We can do whatever I want."

Apollo watched River for a minute, thinking she might say no. But finally, she stood and stretched.

"A run would be nice. Who knows how long it'll be until I can run again."

"What do you mean?" Apollo asked.

"I mean, I don't know anything about the estate. I don't know if I can run there. I don't know if it's safe. I don't know if I have to go somewhere else. Who knows if you'll have ten million bodyguards watching me so I can never go."

They walked outside and waited until they'd gotten into the trees before changing out of their clothes. Despite all that had happened between them, River was still modest and insisted he go behind a tree while she changed. It made him smile.

He couldn't believe her mom put her through so much, and then after that, not even knowing that you're an Omega, only to find out because somebody bit you. He couldn't imagine what that would be like.

"I'm done," River called.

"Almost finished."

He heard a shuffling noise, and then he shifted. When he peeked around the tree, she stood in her beautiful silvery glory. He'd never seen a more beautiful wolf in his entire life. To Apollo, she was everything. She walked up to him tentatively, stopped, and then nipped at his front leg before darting off with a chuff.

Oh, so that's how the run's gonna go.

His wolf howled in delight.

The chase was on.

River may not have spent much time running in wolf form, but she'd taken to it like she'd been doing it since she was a child. Every time Apollo went to pounce on her, she would dart away or fake a turn. They spent over an hour with him trying to catch her. In frustration, he shifted back to human and tackled her.

She wiggled to get out of his grip but couldn't. Eventually, she gave up and refused to look at him.

"Oh, you think I cheated, huh?" he teased.

She huffed.

"It's not my fault you're too fast for me."

She still refused to look at him.

"Is it because I'm naked again? Is that why you won't look at me?"

She yawned.

"Well, thank you very much. It's good to know that my being naked doesn't entice you at all."

She looked at him, and he grinned. "Tag. You're it."

He jumped up and shifted midair before tearing off into the trees. He looked over his shoulder to see her flip to her feet and beeline straight for him.

Apollo and his wolf were sure they'd never done anything as fun in their entire lives.

* * *

RIVER

River chased Apollo until her legs gave out, and she fell to the mossy ground, exhausted but thrilled. She'd never been an exerciser and not a runner, but somehow, in wolf form, there was nothing better than running.

As the sun began to set under the mountains, she lay on her side and took in the scents and feel of the woods. It felt all too natural, too right. She could see herself living like that permanently—no cellphones, no computers, just… peace—peace, joy, and Apollo.

Apollo trotted up behind her and dropped to the ground, setting his head on hers. The feel of his warm body against hers made River smile. It was so comfortable with him. So easy. Nothing like with Ares, who was all fire and passion. Apollo was the part of her she'd never experienced before. A part she'd never even known she missed. The comfortable, protected, loved part. The part that made life easier. When she'd thought of finding a mate growing up, this was what she'd expected. Someone who just felt like he'd always been there. A confidant. A protector. And someone she knew she could rely on for anything.

They lay together, staring up at the sky. She sucked in a breath and chuffed.

Apollo shifted. “Wow. The Northern Lights. You can see them out here sometimes. Not in the city, but out here, they are visible when the weather is right. It’s been years since I’ve seen them this far south, though.”

She chuffed.

They stared at the sky, and Apollo rubbed her side for nearly an hour. The beautiful rainbow of greens and blues that floated across the sky made her wish she painted.

Apollo kissed her head. ”Are you hungry?"

River whined.

"I'm gonna run to the cabin and tell them to grab dinner. I think something meaty would be best. Steaks, maybe."

River licked her lips.

He ruffled her ear and kissed her nose. "I'll be back in twenty. Don't run off without me."

She rolled back over and watched the lights flutter across the sky like colored mist. She wished she could capture the sight and hold onto it forever.

Her eyelids grew heavy, and she closed her eyes, allowing the evening breeze to wash over her. She'd not known peace like that in so many years that she'd forgotten it was an option.

River awoke to the snapping of a twig. Her eyes flew open, and it took her a moment to realize where she was. Had she fallen asleep? How long had she been there?

Another twig snapped, and she lifted her head.

Apollo?

She scanned for him, but he was nowhere in sight. She sniffed the air, but she couldn't tell what she smelled. It didn't smell like a wolf, but it didn't smell human, either. It smelled… of nothing.

She jumped to her feet and listened. She had no idea where they were in relation to the cabins, but she didn't want to stay put. Her wolf paced, telling her they should run. But which direction?

Whispering caught her attention. She spotted them easily in the dusk. What the hell were they doing on Apollo and Ares' land? She stepped back, trying to hide behind a thick bush. Then she caught the glint of a gun.

Hunters.

River tried to back up further but hit a root and stumbled.

"Did you hear that?" one of the hunters asked.

River froze.

"There she is," said the other.

"Where?"

"There. By the tree."

She? They were looking for her?

River looked closer as the men moved out of the shadows and into the low light. She recognized one of them. The man from the street. The one who ?stared at her. A bandage covered his nose, and he had two black eyes but wore the same clothes.

She wondered if Apollo had broken his nose. Maybe he wasn't as innocent as she thought.

She sniffed the air again, and again, the strange muted scent of nothingness struck her. Similar to how she'd not smelled Titan when he'd scratched her. And just like that time, her wolf told her there was a problem.

Though her wolf begged her to run, River didn't move a muscle.

"Shoot her already so we can get out of here," said the one with the broken nose.

The other man raised his gun and aimed at River.

Oh, hell no!

She was not going out like that. Shot by human assholes. River growled and then leapt toward them.

A shot rang out, and something whooshed over her head and struck the tree behind her. She hurled herself onto the man with the gun in a heartbeat. She grabbed his arm, ripping and tearing into it, crushing the bones in her teeth. The man screamed, and with a whip of her head, she tore the limb from his body and flung it away.

"Holy shit!" The man with the broken nose yelled.

The first man rolled on the ground, wailing and grabbing at his torn flesh.

The second man backed up a step, and then his form rippled- but nothing happened. He tried again and again nothing happened.

"Damn Titan! Damn, is freaking masking pills."

A chill raced down River's spine. Titan. He'd sent the men to find her. But they weren't men. They were shifters using the same masking pills she'd used to mask her scent for so many years.

River lunged at him, teeth bared, and he pulled a pistol from his hoodie.

"Stay back."

River growled, and her hackles raised. She stalked forward as he continued to back up.

Kill. Kill. Kill.

"I mean it. I don't care what Titan says. I will shoot you if you come any closer."

Titan again. The Lycan ruining her life.

Not this time.

River howled and prepared to leap when a dark blur came out of the trees and knocked the shifter to the ground. The man fell flat on his belly, and the gun slid out of his hand.

The colossal wolf ripped into the man's shoulder with a crunch. The man screamed and scrambled forward, reaching for the gun. River lunged, but he grabbed the gun and fired once.

She didn't hear the shot, but she felt the explosion that ripped through her shoulder.

Her wolf cried out, and she backed up. She stumbled and struggled on three paws.

Apollo roared and shifted to human form before grabbing the man and slamming him into the nearest tree. The man crumpled to the ground, and Apollo picked him up and slammed into the tree again before transforming again and ripping the man's head off.

River whined as pain continued to shoot through her like wildfire.

Apollo stalked over to the first man.

Dammit. She shouldn't have been so stupid. She should have run. Ares would lose it when he found out. Ares would blame Apollo. She remembered Ares's promise to kill Apollo if anything happened to her.

Apollo shifted back to human. "Who told you that you could hunt on my land?"

The man's mouth opened and closed, but no noise came out.

"Answer me!" he demanded, shaking the man.

"Titan told us to come."

"To kill her?"

"No. To take her to him."

Apollo roared. "Titan." He slashed the man from groin to chest, and the man's gut spilled onto the ground.

Apollo threw the man into a tree, breaking his neck, before turning to River. Blood slicked his skin, tinging every inch of him in red. The sight both terrified and excited her. She whimpered, and he ran to her side and looked her over, touching her gently.

"I'm so sorry. I didn't think-" He cut off as emotion filled his eyes. "I should never have left you."

He bowed his head and pressed a kiss to her muzzle. "I'm so sorry, Kitten."

She breathed in and winced as pain shot through her shoulder.

Without a word, he gathered her in his arms and cradled her to his solid chest before taking off.