Eva gasped. "Brooke! Brooke's not back."
"What?" Mara yelled. "I can't believe we forgot about her. We've got to head back out."
"No need," a naked Rowan called, as she carried an equally naked Brooke into the house. Jade followed behind her, a solemn look on her face. Whatever happened, it had been bad enough for the usually unflappable Jade to show this level of emotion.
"Oh my god!" Giselle yelled as she helped Rowan position Brooke on the couch, covering her with a blanket. "What happened?"
"She was shot. Several times." Rowan shook her head. "I don't know how I didn't hear it."
Mara patted Rowan's shoulder. "I wasn't sure I heard it myself. Things were pretty loud out there. Did you manage to deal with the worst of it?"
Eva watched Rowan nod, her chin trembling. Eva's heart immediately ached. She hated the fact that Rowan had to see her best friend like this and that she had to be the one to heal her.
"Yeah, I got some of the bullets out and sealed some of the wounds, but there may be some left inside."
"I'll get them out," Mara said.
Rowan took a deep breath. "That's not the worst part. I think the bullets were covered in some type of poison. I pulled as much of it out of Brooke and dissipated it into the air, but some of it had already done its damage. Her magic's practically gone, and she won't wake up."
Jade walked back into the living room with a set of clothes for Rowan. Rowan gratefully took them and put them on, before sitting in the armchair with a blank stare.
Mara walked over to Eva and tilted her head towards Rowan, signaling that Eva should comfort her girlfriend.
Eva quickly moved to Rowan's side, mentally berating herself for being so slow to act. She didn't know what had taken over her. It had been a mix of adrenaline, then shock and sadness.
"Hey," Eva said wrapping an arm around Rowan's shoulders as she perched on the arm of the chair. "I'm so sorry about all of this."
Rowan stared at the rug. "At least we got to her in time. I think she'll be okay, but I've never dealt with something like this."
"She isn't even flinching," Giselle said, her voice low, as she watched Mara dig the bullets out of Brooke's body. "She's totally out of it."
"It's probably for the best. Pass me a towel," Mara said, turning to face Rowan with an apologetic smile. "You did a good job. The wounds you healed are closing up nicely."
Rowan hmmed apathetically, and Eva realized that she needed to do some healing of her own. She cupped Rowan's face and tilted it upwards. "You did your best."
Rowan turned away. "I could have done more."
"How?" Jade asked, standing behind the couch, looking down at Brooke. "I didn't hear the gunshots either."
"No. On the phone." Rowan shook her head. "Brooke sounded panicked. She said she'd fallen asleep and when she woke up, she saw the bears already advancing. I knew she felt guilty, but I didn't want to draw attention to her mistake by addressing it. I thought that short, clear orders would help her move past her mistake. I was wrong."
"No," Mara said, her voice firm. "You did the best you could under the circumstance."
"Mara's right," Eva said. "You had no way of knowing how she would react. Brooke is pretty level-headed. I'm sure it was an instinct thing."
"Exactly, and if anyone's to blame, it's that group of bears," Giselle added. "It's shifter law that guns should never be used around humans. They broke that law and took things a step further by lacing those bullets with poison." Gisele scoffed. "The Darksong must be offering everyone a fortune for Eva for anyone to go this far. How bad are things over there?"
"Pretty bad, I'd say." Jade leaned down and pushed some of Brooke's hair away from her face. "All we can do is focus on taking care of Brooke."
Mara nodded. "Good call."
"We still need to stand guard," Rowan said, rising. "That contract is open to everyone. I'll head out."
"No." Jade walked toward the door. "You all shifted into your animal forms and exhausted yourselves. I feel good. I'll go."
"Maybe I should leave," Eva said, her voice trembling.
Rowan turned around with an energy that had been missing over the last few minutes. "What?"
Eva couldn't look into her girlfriend's eyes, which burned with anger.
"You said it yourself, Giselle. I'm the one they're coming for." Eva stood. "Another clan will probably take on the contract. If I leave, and you tell them I'm gone, no one will have to get hurt again."
"That's not what I meant," Giselle said, her voice impassioned. "You're not the one to blame here, Eva. It's all the Darksong's fault. They asked the Stonelight for a female wolf. Then your parents offered you up. And now the Darksong put out a contract for you. Don't you see? It's all on them."
"That's right," Jade said, leaning against the door. "Don't let them twist their evil actions around and make you feel guilty."
Rowan ran a hand through her hair. "Okay. Let's all just take a second to breathe. Why don't we table this discussion until later?"
"Sounds good to me," Jade said, before opening the door and leaving.
Rowan took Eva's hand in hers and led her upstairs to her room. Once the door was shut, Rowan turned to Eva with tears in her eyes.
"Don't ever mention wanting to leave me. Not now, when everything's gone to shit. Not ever. I need you, Eva. I need you so badly. I didn't want to break down in front of the team, but I'm scared for Brooke. I don't know if she's going to—"
Eva pulled Rowan sharply to her and held her in a fierce hug. Placing feverish kisses over her neck, she whispered the words "I'm sorry" over and over again. Eva had fallen into old habits and started blaming herself for everything, thinking that she was the problem.
I can't keep doing that, she thought. Not when Rowan needs me, and when I need her.
"She'll be fine," Eva whispered. "I feel it in my bones. You did everything you could. Brooke is going to make it."
Eva continued to whisper affirmations over and over until Rowan's crying finally ceased. Then, she helped Rowan crawl into bed and held her girlfriend while she slept.
For so long, Eva had played to the whims of everyone around her, choosing to silence her voice. Now, she had a rock in Rowan and her new clan. And it was time for her to act like a rock for them, too.
Running away wouldn't help much. In fact, it would be like a slap to the Whitehearts' faces. They had already sacrificed so much and accepted Eva. Leaving them now wasn't an option. They were sisters, and sisters stood by each other.
Eva knew well and good that if Rowan hadn't intervened all those nights ago, she would be in Darksong hands. The Darksong were to blame for all of this, and they needed to be stopped.
Eva raised a hand and stroked Rowan's hair. "I'll do my best to help you finish what you started. This is about more than me now."
13
Eva woke to the gentle rhythm of fingers stroking her hair. She took a deep, satisfied breath, then shut her eyes once more. When she felt Rowan's arms snake around her waist to pull her close, she smiled.
After the horrible events of the previous day, all the walls Eva had built around herself concerning physical intimacy, had been thrown out of the window. While she still wasn't quite ready to have sex with Rowan, she was more than willing to offer her girlfriend physical comfort.
When Eva first ran into Rowan a couple of weeks ago, she'd seen nothing but a strong, painfully gorgeous woman. After Brooke got injured and Rowan broke down, Eva now understood that Rowan's strength came from her vulnerability. It was Rowan's experiences of being let down that gave her the strength to try to be all she could for other people.
And now it's my job to be her source of strength, Eva thought.
Eva opened her eyes and shuffled around until she was face to face with her girlfriend. "Morning."
"Morning." Rowan smiled. "I like waking up with you."
"The feeling is entirely mutual. How did you sleep?" Eva lifted a hand to bush an errant strand off of Rowa
n's face. Being this close to Rowan made it hard for Eva to keep her hands off the beauty that faced her.
"I slept well. Although I woke up around three."
"It must have been because you napped earlier."
"Yeah." Rowan yawned. "Is it weird that I feel sleepy again?"
"Not at all. You had a heavy day yesterday. Physically, mentally, and emotionally. Even a dragon needs some downtime to recharge," Eva teased.
Rowan quickly straddled Eva and proceeded to tickle her mercilessly. Eva squealed and laughed for a good thirty seconds until she finally wrestled Rowan's hands away. Rowan grinned down at her, her gray eyes shining.
Eva lifted her head and parted her lips for a kiss. Rowan obliged, and soon all thoughts faded away as both women got lost in each other. Not in a lust filled haze, but one of comfort and gratitude. Eva had never felt more grateful to be alive, and most of those reasons had to do with the woman she loved.
I can't wait to tell you and show you just how much I love you, she thought.
Rowan pulled back, smiled, then lay on her back, pulling Eva to her as she did so. Eva placed her head against Rowan's chest, enjoying the innocent intimacy and the knowledge that Rowan, even in the most challenging time of her life, still had the foresight to understand that Eva wasn't ready for sex.
Eva patted Rowan's flat stomach before resting her hand against it. She belonged with Rowan, that much she'd come to learn. And while it might have been too fast for some people, it was just right for them.
Promises of a future together lingered on Eva's tongue, and she bit her cheek to stop herself from saying it. Now definitely wasn't the right time.
Rowan sighed. "I hope we get a few allies."
"Me too," Eva agreed. After Rowan woke from her nap, she and Eva joined the team downstairs for a team meeting. Brooke, unfortunately still hadn't woken up, and they had come to terms with the fact that she wouldn't do so for a while yet.
Mara was confident that Brooke would recover. Physically, she was okay, but shifters were magical beings. It was the magical part of her that was asleep. Mara trusted that with time, Brooke's magic would naturally regenerate, and she would wake.
With that thought in mind, the team decided to dive back into the most pressing matter at hand. After much discussion, the team had agreed to send Mara back down to Falhurst, to call on the allies that had sworn to help the Whiteheart in their time of need.
Rowan had later explained to Eva that after forming their clan, each member had reached out to contacts in the hopes that if worse came to worse and the Whiteheart faced a monumental enemy, they wouldn't be wiped out.
Eva hated that that time had come so fast, but she was glad they had help on the way.
"Rowan," Giselle's loud voice rang.
Eva rolled out her side of her bed and quickly reached for a robe. She quickly put it on and turned, ready to find the door flung open, and Rowan long gone. To her surprise, Rowan stood in her tank top and shorts, with her hand held out for Eva.
"You waited for me," Eva said, her voice incredulous.
Rowan frowned in confusion. "Of course! You're a part of the team and my girlfriend. I need you with me."
Happiness crept over Eva's heart, and she wondered, had she ever been happier in her life?
Of course not, she thought. Rowan is showing me that what I've been doing all my life wasn't living or loving.
"Well, thank you for waiting. It means a lot to me."
Rowan leaned down to peck Eva on the cheek before her face sobered once more. This time, Rowan the clan leader had emerged. Patting Eva's hand gently before releasing it, Rowan walked into the kitchen where the team stood around the kitchen table. From their collective body language, Eva already knew another enemy was hot on their heels.
"Report," Rowan said, holding her hands behind her back.
"On my way back, I spotted a pack of wolves heading to the foot of the mountain, on the East face. They don't seem to be setting up camp. I saw at least two dozen of them, and from their size in human form, I'd say they're going to be quite the handful."
Eva drew a sharp breath and shuffled her feet. It looked like one of the more powerful clans had taken up the Darksong contract for her. The kind of size Mara was talking about happened through careful breeding. The only clans that focused on that kind of thing were the most dangerous.
"Okay," Rowan said her voice flat. "What about our allies? How many are coming?"
Mara winced. "One."
"What?" Giselle snapped. "You must be mistaken. Did you go to the Shatterford wolves? I have a few friends among them. I'm pretty sure they'd come."
Mara shook her head. "I did. I approached everyone that promised to help each of us, and they all said no. Except for Tyler."
Jade shrugged. "At least we've got a lion coming. They've got twice the strength of any wolf."
"Way to be positive," Giselle said, her voice sarcastic.
Jade turned to Giselle and glared, before shaking her head. "Not today. We have more substantial problems."
"Rowan," Mara said. "You're awful quiet. What are you thinking?"
"That we're screwed."
Eva's eyebrows shot up. While she was glad to have Rowan display her vulnerability, she didn't think this was the best time to do so. Looking around her clan mates’ shocked faces, Eva got the confirmation she needed.
"We're screwed if we stay here and wait for them to come to us." Rowan took a step forward. "I'm tired of waiting for people to attack. I say we head down that mountain, and meet them head-on. This isn't just about Eva, although a significant part of it is. It's also about sending a message to the entire shifter community. Females cannot just be kidnapped and traded like pieces of meat. Violence and assassination contracts aren't the only way to live. It's time we stop trying to establish a new way to live, and we start living it. Starting now. I say we take down these wolves, then head down to the Darksong territory to face them head-on."
Giselle clapped manically, and Mara cheered loudly. Jade grinned and folded her arms. As for Eva, her eyes watered as she saw the brilliant leader in Rowan. She would follow her until her dying day if the future she spoke of were even a remote possibility.
"Hell yeah, I'm with you," Giselle said pulling Rowan into a hug. "We've been on the down and outs. No more playing it smart. Let's kick some doggy butt!"
"What is it with you and butts?" Mara asked, shaking her head.
"Well, wolves are related to canines," Jade started. "Perhaps, the—"
"Don't kill my high, Jade." Giselle lifted her hands in warning. "We just had an awesome pep talk, and I'm pumped. How big did you say those wolves were again?"
Mara pursed her lips. "I'd say almost twice your size."
"Perfect. That means they're heavy and slow." Giselle rubbed her hands with glee. "It's time to show them what speed and finesse can accomplish."
Rowan smiled. "Easy there. We still have to come up with a concrete plan. The most important part of which, relies on Eva."
Eva turned sharply to look into Rowan's eyes. She was serious. "Me? What do I have to do with anything?"
"A lot. You're Whiteheart, remember?"
Eva ducked her head. "Yeah, but I'm not a trained fighter."
"That doesn't matter." Rowan placed a hand on Eva's shoulder. "You're smart, and you've got good instincts. What I need you to do is stay here and protect Brooke. Giselle will give you a handgun and show you how to use it. You'll stand outside and do your best to stay calm. Anything that comes without announcing its presence you shoot. If possible, shoot to kill. I need you to protect both you and Brooke. Can you do that?"
Rowan's gray eyes were bright with emotion as they bored into Eva's. Eva felt the weight of the world on her shoulders, but she oddly felt a sense of purpose too. Here was her chance to give back to the people who had already given so much to her.
"I think so."
"Of course you can," Giselle sang. "I'm a brilliant teacher."
Row
an rolled her eyes. "And there you go killing the moment again."
"Pfft. Whatever. You're just jealous you don't have the touch. Come on Eva. I'll get you set up."
Eva smiled at Rowan as she allowed Giselle to lead her into the kitchen pantry where Eva found out the guns and weapons were kept. After a quick crash course in how to fire a weapon, Giselle took Eva outside and positioned her in the perfect spot.
Ten minutes later, the entire team had left. Before shifting, Rowan had hugged Eva and kissed her goodbye, telling her how proud she was of her. Eva's chest had expanded with hope and confidence. She would not let her girlfriend or her clan down.
Pretty soon, the ominous sound of growls, howls, and heavy feet pounding the ground filled the air. Then the sound of gnashing teeth and the occasional gunshot. Eva squeezed her eyes shut, hoping the nightmare would end.
She hadn't been expecting this. It sounded way worse than when the bears had attacked, and she prayed that everyone would come back safe and sound. Eva mostly hoped that Jade's primary order of business would be to take out the gunman. If Rowan got hurt, there would be no saving her. She was the only one that had enough magic to heal with.
Eva straightened her shoulders and opened her eyes. She had no choice but to trust in her teammates. In return, she had to make sure she didn't violate their trust in her.
The heavy thud of footsteps drew near, and Eva's hands shook as she raised the handgun to the level Giselle had told her to. The sound of heavy panting joined the heavy footsteps, and a chill ran up Eva's spine. This was it. A wolf was approaching, and she was responsible for not only her life but Brooke's.
A dark figure ran into the clearing in front of the safe house, but it didn't get far. Eva squeezed the trigger without a second thought, and to her shock, the wolf collapsed. Eva laughed breathlessly.
"I did it! I killed a wolf with a five-minute lesson!"
Her joy was quickly shortlived as a second wolf ran into the clearing. This one had a brown coat, but its eyes were black as night. Eva raised her gun and fired, but she missed. She shot over and over again, failing to hit her target, as the wolf meandered as he walked toward her. It was like her bullets were moving in slow motion, and a simple zig zag movement was enough to dodge them.
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