"No. I'm just worried about you is all. It took you long enough to call me."
"Why didn't you call me?" Her mother teased.
Rowan squeezed her eyes shut. Her irritation was growing. "You know I couldn't do that. It could get you into trouble with Dad if I caught you at a bad time."
"Well, feel free to call anytime, honey. I moved out."
Rowan's eyes shot open, and her jaw hung. "You what?"
"You heard me." The older woman chuckled. "I'd been planning the move for a long time, but you created the perfect storm. I hate to admit it, but I took advantage of your leaving. Duncan can't afford another scandal. Your exit gave some long-standing rivals hope that Duncan was growing soft. Things around here have been tense. Anyway, I moved into a little apartment right next to a few humans. I must say, I like the quiet."
Rowan ran a hand down her face and shook her head. All this time, she'd seen her mother as a selfless protector. It turned out that she had the guts to go after what she wanted to.
"I'm so proud of you, Mom."
Rowan's mother laughed. "That's exactly what I called to tell you! I'm so proud of you for leaving honey, for choosing the best path for yourself. I'm so glad to see that at least one of my girls has turned out right."
"Don't give up on Sloane, mom."
"A mother knows, Rowan." The older woman's voice had a sad lilt to it. "A mother always knows deep down, and that's the worst part. It's my other reason for calling."
"Did something happen with Sloane?"
"No, but I heard from a friend that the Darksong did offer the Dragonclaw a contract to retrieve the wolf you rescued. We turned the contract down, but another dragon clan might take it on. I just wanted you to know to expect an attack from the sky."
"Wow." Rowan shook her head. "They're taking this hard."
"They're desperate, and they need to send a message. Whatever's wrong with the Darksong is getting worse. The fact that they asked one of their closest allies for a wolf tells you how dire things are. I'm sure they sent multiple contracts out, honey. I hope you're ready."
Rowan sat up in her seat and pulled her shoulders back. She and the girls had been training for a year, and over the last couple of months, they'd reached a level of synergy that Rowan had only ever dreamt about. They had several formations and strategies planned out for practically any situation, and their purchase of the home in the mountains had just come through.
A year of planning and hard work had gone into the Whiteheart clan, and it was time for them to become what they'd set out to. It was time for them to fight for their place in Falhurst, and the place of shifters like Eva, who wanted out of the dark shifter life.
"I'm ready, Mom." Rowan's words were firm, and her heartbeat steady and calm. This is what she'd been training for, perhaps her entire life. And for the first time, she felt at peace with it all. The cheating by her ex, her father's lies and manipulation of her and her sister, even Eva's parents' betrayal of her their daughter.
It had all been leading them to this. To a moment where one clan would stand up to the shifter system that had prevailed for centuries. In the hope that shifters could live a life of peace, in harmony with each other and the world around them.
After saying her goodbyes, and promising her mother they would have a proper visit once things calmed down, Rowan hung up. She walked out of the car and found Brooke waiting for her outside of the grocery store.
"Call the others. Tell them we're moving to the base."
Brooke frowned. "So soon?"
"Mom just told me the Darksong sent a contract out for Eva to the Dragonclaw. There's a good chance they sent one out to other dragon clans, and all other shifters. It's a little early, but I think we can handle everything."
To Rowan's shock, Brooke grinned. "It's time for the Whitehearts to make a name for themselves."
8
The next morning, Eva huffed as she made her way up the mountain that would be their temporary home for the foreseeable future. When Mara pointed out the location of the base from the foot of the mountain, Eva had been confident she could climb all the way to the top with little to no difficulty. But now, an hour in, she was tired, sweaty, and lagging behind.
"We're almost there," Rowan said, falling back as she had several times over the past hour.
Eva huffed. "That's what you said last time."
"And I was right." Rowan grinned. "Okay, we really are close now. Fifteen minutes tops. In fact, I'd say the other girls are there already."
Eva stopped and looked ahead. "God, I didn't even notice they were gone."
Eva shook her head. All her clan members were carrying various weapons and necessities. She carried nothing, yet she struggled more than any of them.
"It's okay. When we first took this hike six months ago, we all hated it and took ages to complete it. But as part of our training, we ran up and down this mountain several times. Don't feel bad. This hike would be hard on anyone."
Eva whistled. "Wow. You guys are committed to this clan."
"We are." Rowan smiled. "And now you are too. You're part of us, remember?"
Eva blushed, then started walking again, this time at a much slower pace. Rushing to the house wouldn't do her any good now, and Rowan seemed to be in no hurry either.
"Sometimes I forget. I've been Stonelight for so long. I also can't do a lot of the stuff you guys do, like fight."
"It doesn't matter to me. You're Whiteheart. One day, when the clan expands, we'll have a lot of nonfighters like you. Until then, take my word. No one here thinks you're not pulling your weight."
Eva scoffed. "That's hard to believe when I'm carrying nothing."
Rowan drew a sharp breath, and Eva's heart dropped. Here she was letting her insecurities get the better of her again, and this time she was dragging Rowan down into the pits of sadness with her. She needed to change that. Rowan was a lot quieter these days, which wasn't a bad thing, but there was nothing Eva loved more than seeing her face light up.
"Sorry. Just being negative. Tell me more about this safe house. How the heck did you afford to buy a house at twenty-seven?"
Rowan grinned. "I didn't buy it. The clan did. When we decided to set up the Whitehearts, we knew we needed money. One of Mara's friends put us in touch with a cop. He'd secretly been dealing with the shifters that were acting out, risking exposing us to the humans. He needed help, and we needed money. Dozens of missions later, and we managed to buy this place."
"Wow. Those must have been quite pricey missions if you could afford a whole house."
Rowan shook her head. "The pay was good, but not that good. There aren't too many homes on this mountain, but the few that are here are all on the West face. The people who own them mostly use them for vacations. Our home is the only one on the East face where the view isn't as good. That made it cheap and gave us plenty of privacy."
"That sounds smart. And what about the previous house. You're renting that, right? What's the long-term plan?"
Rowan slowed down to a halt and folded her arms. "We've been saving for a piece of land a little further away from Falhurst. It's spacious enough for several homes. The goal is to have that be the Whiteheart base."
Eva looked at Rowan. Really looked at her for the first time. She was so different from how she remembered her, but still as lovely on the inside and out. Right there and then, she couldn't help but take a step closer toward her crush. It was like something had possessed Eva, and she was powerless to stop it.
"You're amazing. You know that?" Eva tucked a loose strand of Rowan's hair behind her ear, hating how cheesy the move was. But at that moment, she needed to make a move, and that was all she knew.
Damn Hallmark movies, she thought wryly.
Rowan took a step toward her, and Eva's heart stepped on the gas. Her lips parted in instinct, and her eyes zeroed in on Rowan's. When she did, she saw her childhood friend's gray eyes darken, as they locked on Eva's lips.
Rowan took a smaller s
tep forward and cupped Eva's face in her hands, tilting it upward. Then she leaned down to gently brush her lips against Eva's. The touch was barely a whisper, but Eva whimpered nonetheless.
This is what she'd been waiting for what seemed like forever. Rowan wrapped an arm around the small of her back, and Eva grabbed a fistful of her shirt needing the support as her knees threatened to buckle under her.
Rowan got the hint and deepened the kiss, applying more pressure. Not enough to be dominating, as some of Eva's exes had, but enough to communicate desire and affection. Eva opened her mouth and welcomed Rowan's tongue as it begged for entry.
She groaned as their kiss heated up. Eva rose to her toes, and pressed herself against Rowan, needing to feel even more of a connection with this amazing woman. She couldn't believe that Rowan Fanan was holding her in the middle of a forest somewhere, and kissing her like she was the most stunning woman in the world.
Eva groaned as Rowan pulled her tighter to her. Things were getting hot, pretty fast, and both women were gulping considerable breaths in between kisses. Eva felt a distinct wetness seep into her underwear.
I can't wait to touch her, she thought. And to have her touch me.
That thought poured a bucket of cold water over Eva. She disengaged from the kiss and took a step back. Sex with Rowan sounded terrific, but what if Rowan didn't like what she saw?
"What is it?" Rowan asked peppering kisses all over Eva's neck.
"We should, uh, slow down."
Rowan's head snapped up, and her eyes widened. She took a step back. "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to push you further than you were comfortable."
Eva bit her lip and took Rowan's hands in hers. She hated that this was how she reacted to the idea of sex. Eva hadn't slept with anyone since her last relationship for a good reason. Where sex was a fun activity that she jumped into with gusto before, now it was a source of worry.
"You didn't force me into anything," Eva said, rubbing her thumb over the back of Rowan's hand.
"Are you sure?"
"Positive."
Rowan tilted her head. "Then why did you ask to stop? I'm just curious, by the way."
"I started thinking about sex."
Rowan cracked up, apparently having not expected the blunt response. "Me too. Is there a reason why that would be a problem for you?"
Eva twisted at her hair and looked around her. Spotting a boulder that seemed out of place but perfect for her, she leaned against it. Rowan joined her, placing a hand on her knee. Eva loved how touchy Rowan was. She'd first noticed it in the shop the night they met. Rowan seemed so reserved in some ways, but her body betrayed her.
"When we were kids, you used to be the life of the party. You're a lot quieter now. Why is that?"
"You're changing the topic. We don't have to do anything you're uncomfortable with."
Eva took Rowan's hand in hers. "No. I'm not. I'll answer your question. It's just something I've been wondering about."
Rowan's eyebrow raised in doubt. Searching Eva's face for a hint of a lie and finding none, she lowered her head. "When I was younger, my father always pushed me to be a lot more like him. One way he did that was by pitting me against my sister. Even though I was three years younger than her, he always acted like it was a competition between us for who would be his second."
"I take it it wasn't a competition."
Rowan scoffed. "Not really. He just used me to push Sloane. He'd make comments all the time about how much better suited Sloane was to being second, and eventually clan leader. So, I observed her and imitated her. Deep down, I was never comfortable with the loud persona I put on. Last year, after I found out the truth about everything, I dumped the whole act. And now I'm my true self. Do you think I'm too serious? Giselle's always going on about that."
"Not at all. But then again, Giselle's well over a ten when it comes to loud personalities. I wouldn't take her word for it." Eva laughed as she pulled Rowan's hand into her lap and played with her fingers. "I like the fact that you're not too loud. It means you listen. That's not something I've had a lot of."
"You mean with your parents."
"Yeah." Eva rubbed her face. "It was always about the clan with them. Whenever I did something that aligned with those goals, I was praised, but anytime I voiced a different opinion, I got shut down. I like being able to speak my mind and have someone listen. I don't exactly have friends."
Rowan pulled her hand away and wrapped Eva in a side hug. "Now you have plenty. No, scratch that. Now you have genuine friends. Shifters always live in a community, but you'll be shocked how many don't have real connections. What you have with us is real. Especially with me."
Eva smiled, then pecked Rowan's cheek. "Thanks for saying that. I've needed to feel like I belong for a while."
"Join the club."
Eva dissolved into silence for another couple of minutes. She hadn't answered Rowan's question about sex and Rowan hadn't pushed.
She's so damn patient, Eva thought. I hope she doesn't think I'm too much to handle.
Eva took a deep breath. "My ex was controlling."
Rowan tensed for a second, then relaxed her arm around Eva's back. "Did you know that from the beginning?"
"I saw hints, but I never put the dots together. She was a knockout and lived a high flyer life. I felt lucky to have met someone like her. Then she started making little comments. At first, they were about the way I dressed; then it escalated to comments about my body." Eva looked down. "She never said the words, 'you need to lose weight,' but the message was clear. She wanted me to fit into her world."
"I'm so sorry you suffered through that," Rowan said, her voice heavy.
"Me too. I hate to admit it, but I stayed with her for two whole years. Then something finally snapped in me. I had started skipping meals, and I felt weak all the time. One day, I fainted at work. I was by myself, so no one noticed, but I hit my head pretty hard. I realized that I was hurting myself for someone who only cared about themselves. I dumped her and moved on. It's been a year."
Rowan stood up and stepped in front of Eva, pulling her up to stand. "I'm sorry you had to deal with that, and I understand that you have things to work through. I want you to know that I'm not going anywhere. I really, really, like you, Eva. And I've got to admit that your body is a big part of that. I like your curves, and I think you're perfect the way you are."
Rowan was saying the perfect words, but each word bounced off a wall around Eva's heart. She couldn't believe the words. Her body was back to the way it was when she was with her ex. How could Rowan see something different?
"Thanks for saying that," Eva said, diplomatically.
Rowan smiled sadly. "You don't believe me."
Eve opened her mouth to protest, then snapped it shut.
"It's okay. As I said, I'm not going anywhere. When you're ready, I'll be here. We can do things at your pace. Besides, this isn't the perfect time to get swept into a sex-induced haze."
Eva's eyes popped, and she snorted a laugh. She slapped a hand over her mouth, and her shoulders heaved as she fought to hold back her laughter. "What sex-induced haze?"
"Well, "Rowan said, leaning in conspiratory. "You may not know this, but I am quite the overachiever in the bedroom. And you are totally my type. I hate to sound pervy, but I have seen you naked. All my exes were voluptuous too, so don't think I'm lying for a second. I'd say it’s safer for everyone involved if we wait. I know I won't be able to think straight once we're together."
Rowan pecked a surprised Eva on the lips before she took her hand and led her up the path. Once they stepped into a clearing that exposed a rustic medium sized home, she dropped Eva's hand and smiled. "See you inside, girlfriend."
Eva nodded and followed in a daze. Rowan said she was her type, and she didn't have a reason to lie about that fact. After all, Rowan had seen Eva naked; a fact Eva had tried to forget. Rowan had liked what she'd seen and knew what she was getting into.
Eva had never imagined tha
t a woman as striking as Rowan would view Eva's soft and shapely body as attractive. Most shifters were lithe and muscled like Rowan. And here, Rowan was telling Eva that she was perfect, just as she was, and that they were girlfriends now.
Rowan Fanan, Eva thought. You make me want to tear down these walls I built. If for no other reason, then to find out what you mean about being an overachiever in bed.
9
The following morning, Rowan tiptoed out of Eva's room, careful to shut the door quietly behind her. She was so focused on not waking up her new girlfriend that she didn't hear anyone come up the stairs. As soon as she turned to head back to her sleeping spot on the couch, she came face to face with a smirking Brooke.
"Jesus!" Rowan placed a hand above her heart. "What the hell are you doing here?"
"I think the question is, what are you doing leaving Eva's room?"
Rowan shushed Brooke and grabbed her elbow, leading her down to the living room. Rowan should have been asleep on the couch, but after dinner last night, she had felt the overwhelming need to be near Eva. Her girlfriend may not have been ready for sex, but that didn't mean they couldn't enjoy everything else that came with a relationship.
So Rowan had snuck into Eva's room, once Brooke had left for her night duty, and they had talked for hours. Rowan was careful not to initiate any physical contact with Eva. She genuinely meant it when she told Eva that the ball was in her court. But the emotional closeness she felt more than made up for any physical distance she may have felt.
"Why did you sneak up on me?" Rowan folded her arms, plopping down on the living room couch.
"I wasn't trying to, but it's good to know I can get one over you."
Rowan smiled. She and Brooke had grown up together, but Rowan's position as the clan leader's daughter had given her advanced training from a young age. But Rowan knew better than to underestimate Brooke. Her best friend had talents of her own, and her mind was the most formidable weapon she yielded.
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