by Zoe Chant
Emilia found herself laughing heartily. She couldn’t help herself. “Yeah, I can see how that might be the case.”
Rowan smiled, but the expression in his eyes was serious. “I also meant what I said when I told you I’d come out here looking for a fugitive. He’s bad news, and he’s proving hard to track down. That’s why I came out here – to check out a possible sighting.”
Emilia frowned. “Why would he come to somewhere like Fairhill?”
Shaking his head, Rowan shrugged. “Who knows? It’s out of the way, and surrounded by wilderness. Maybe he felt it was off the map enough that he could hide in the woods until the heat died down. Or maybe he just knows someone out here. In any case, he may not even be here. It was always a bit of a long shot to be honest, but we didn’t want to take any chances. Not with this guy.”
“Is he very dangerous, then?” Emilia asked, concern rising within her.
“Potentially,” Rowan said carefully. “But if he is here – and at the moment, that’s up in the air – I’ll find him. I won’t let him get his claws into this place.”
Emilia felt a surge of affection for Rowan. Looking at him, she could tell he meant what he said. His golden eyes seemed to glow, his expression serious.
She remembered what he’d said about the town he’d grown up in, and how it had been run by a criminal gang until he’d returned and arrested them all. It was clear that he meant every word he said.
“Thank you,” she said softly, before leaning forward to kiss him.
She felt her body beginning to respond to him again as his lips brushed against hers, his tongue slipping inside her mouth.
Groaning, she touched his shoulder – and then pulled back.
“God, as much as I want to just jump straight back to it, I should really feed the dogs and cats,” she said, forcing herself to ignore the building heat in her belly. “And check the rabbits, and see that Harvey has enough hay...”
Rowan laughed softly, his eyes warm. “No, of course. Come on. I’ll help you, if you like.”
Emilia smiled. “That’d be great.”
Chapter Seven
Rowan
Rowan drifted back into consciousness to the unfamiliar feeling of a warm body in his arms, snuggled against his side.
Our mate.
The memory of the night before sent a wave of warmth surging through him. Emilia had accepted him – she had accepted their mated bond, accepted what he was. While, in his heart, he had never really doubted she would, he was so used to the secrecy of the shifter world that he had still felt some trepidation about telling her.
But Emilia, with her kind heart and generous spirit, had been open to him, even after seeing him in his griffin form.
Of course she was, his griffin retorted, preening slightly. We are very attractive.
Rowan wasn’t sure how to explain to it that yes, while it certainly was impressive, attractive was another thing altogether, so he just let the matter drop. It didn’t matter. Emilia had accepted him – them – and they had sealed their mated bond, repeatedly.
Rowan had to hold back a groan at the memory. He had never seen anyone more beautiful than Emilia, but seeing her as she had been last night had only increased his attraction to her – something he hadn’t thought was possible. She was beautiful in every sense of the word, with her luscious curves, long black hair, dark eyes and honeyed skin.
She was utterly irresistible.
Lowering his head slightly, Rowan pressed a kiss to the top of her head as she slept. It might have been pure chance that had sent him out to Fairhill, but Rowan wasn’t about to question it. He felt beyond fortunate – some shifters spent years searching for their mates, but it seemed to him that Emilia had been gifted to him.
I suppose it is Christmas, he thought, smiling against Emilia’s hair. Even if Emilia herself would probably hate the thought. But perhaps their meeting would help her change her mind about Christmas, and she could begin to introduce him to the joys of the human celebration...
Emilia stirred in her sleep as, downstairs, one or two of the dogs began barking. Rowan frowned, sitting up slightly on the bed.
Maybe he was being overly cautious, but he was on the alert almost immediately. The dogs had been silent all night, and they seemed like the kind of well-behaved, well-trained creatures that wouldn’t bark unless they had a reason to.
“Mmm... Rowan? What’s up?” Emilia blinked sleepily, looking up at him. Sitting, she seemed to fully wake up. “The dogs are barking.”
“Do they usually bark?” Rowan asked her.
She shook her head. “Not unless they see something that interests them, like a stranger. But not many people come down this road.”
They looked at each other as the implications of her words sunk in.
“It might just be Georgia come to pick up Freddy,” Emilia said uneasily. “She might’ve got sick of waiting. I probably would have, snowstorm or not.”
“Maybe,” Rowan said, feeling his unease grow. “But I’d prefer to check it out.”
Emilia frowned, but then nodded.
She was used to living in a small, safe community, Rowan reflected as he picked up his clothes from where they’d been strewn around the room. Perhaps his years in law enforcement had put him more on his guard than he needed to be, but it was better to be safe than sorry.
Hardwicke would be proud, Rowan thought, shaking his head. I’ve finally learned a bit of caution.
“Just wait here for me, okay?” Rowan said, turning to Emilia where she sat on the bed, the blankets barely covering her bountiful breasts. She nodded, her eyes wide.
Rowan padded from the room in his bare feet, pausing on the landing of the stairs to look out into Emilia’s front yard through a small window.
What he saw made him pause, his heart thudding in his chest.
Standing just beyond the border of Emilia’s yard was a wolf.
Perhaps around here that might not have been so unusual. But the moment he laid eyes on it, Rowan’s griffin reared up in his chest, a screech leaving its beak.
Not just any wolf. A werewolf.
“Emilia,” he called out, his voice steady. “I have to go outside for a minute. I’d like you to stay inside until I get back – no matter how long that may take.”
Emilia appeared in the doorway of her bedroom, her blanket draped around her shoulders, her eyes wide.
“What is it?” she asked.
Rowan shook his head. “Not sure yet. But for the moment, just assume it’s not safe outside. I’ll come back and give you the all clear when I can – but please, for the moment, listen to me and stay where you are. And keep the dogs inside, too.”
“Right – okay,” Emilia said. The nod she gave him was resolute, but he could hear the slight tremble in her voice.
I was stupid to drag her into this, Rowan thought grimly as he headed down the stairs. She needs to be protected from these internal shifter problems.
In the end, that was what it came down to. Fights between shifters could have far worse consequences if humans became involved – most likely for the human.
Rowan cursed internally as he reached the front door. He hadn’t been thinking, he realized. He’d been so overwhelmed with the knowledge that Emilia was his mate that he’d rushed into things without considering the consequences, yet again. He should have made absolutely sure Watts was dealt with before he’d said a word to her, either about shifters or about the fact they were mates.
Placing his hand on the handle of the front door, Rowan steadied himself. He reminded himself that he didn’t know yet why this werewolf was here. Perhaps it was benign. Perhaps it just wanted a chat.
But something told Rowan differently.
Opening the door, he stepped out onto the porch, barely feeling the freezing cold air against his skin or the snow against the soles of his feet.
The wolf lowered its head, baring its fangs slightly. Aside from that, it made no move.
“Who a
re you?” Rowan asked, narrowing his eyes and tensing his muscles. In a fight, a wolf couldn’t hope to take him on – but he’d still rather avoid it. Especially since where there was one wolf, there were usually more.
One wolf wasn’t a problem. But a pack...
The wolf transformed, taking on its human shape. Fully shifted, he was a fairly young man, clean-shaven, but with a cruel gleam in his eye that Rowan didn’t like.
“I only came to talk,” he said. “I’ve got a message from Merritt Watts.”
Rowan bristled. So he was here. And he clearly knew about Rowan’s presence in town.
I’m not interested in any message, was what he wanted to say, but he was very aware that Emilia was upstairs, and her safety came before anything else. He couldn’t risk provoking a confrontation here.
Forcing himself to be calm, Rowan simply said, “What’s the message, then?”
The werewolf’s lips twitched slightly. “Not here. I’m not having this conversation near a human.”
Rowan’s shoulders tensed and his griffin reared up angrily at the implied insult to Emilia, but he realized that getting farther away from her would most likely be in her best interest. He was trained, and he could handle himself.
If there’s a pack of werewolves, let them try to get through us, his griffin growled. We will fight to protect our mate.
“Fine,” he said. “Where, then?”
The wolf jerked his head. “In the woods. I just want to talk.”
Rowan knew he was walking into a trap. He’d been in Shifter Patrol long enough for that – and besides which, he wasn’t stupid. It couldn’t be more obvious the wolf was trying to lure him away. But just at this moment, Rowan couldn’t see that he had much choice. He had to lead the wolf away from Emilia, and do whatever he could to ensure her safety. He’d just have to deal with it when the wolf sprung whatever trap he hoped to set.
“Fine,” Rowan said, stepping down from the porch, his feet still bare. But he hadn’t been joking when he’d told Emilia he barely felt the cold.
The werewolf gave him one last sneer, before turning and heading into the dark forest beyond. Rowan followed him, all his senses on high alert. He kept his griffin as close as possible to the front of his mind without actually shifting – its eagle’s eyesight and lion’s sensitivity meant that he’d perceive any danger before it could take shape.
And it meant that, when the man began to shift as soon as Rowan stepped beyond the tree line, he was ready for him.
The wolf shifted in lightning-fast time, turning with its fangs bared before leaping forward.
Rowan threw himself sideways, evading its snapping jaws easily. He shifted, feeling his body change shape, his wings bursting forth from his back and his hands becoming the powerful talons of the eagle. He could only guess that the werewolf had hoped to get his teeth into him before he could shift, but it had clearly been underestimating an agent of the Shifter Patrol Corps.
He let the griffin take him over, letting out a mighty cry of rage. The wolf jumped backward, growling, yellow eyes calculating. It was still clearly not ready to give up.
It lunged forward suddenly, snapping at his leg, but Rowan reared up, raking the air with his talons. The wolf leapt back just in time, retreating slightly.
Kill the wolf, his griffin screeched inside him, its rage churning through his veins. We must keep our mate safe! It needs to die!
But Rowan knew he couldn’t do that. If he killed the werewolf here, he’d lose an easy lead on Merritt Watts. Watts had evaded them for months now. He needed to make the werewolf talk.
The werewolf leapt forward again, jaws open wide. This time, Rowan pounced upward, his wings beating once to carry him easily out of the wolf’s way, before he plunged down again.
The wolf was a cannier fighter than Rowan had expected, and it twisted around at the last minute, jaws snapping, before burying its sharp teeth in his shoulder. Pain lanced through him, but it didn’t matter. He had the werewolf trapped beneath his talons, and it wouldn’t be able to keep its hold on him for long.
The werewolf whined, clearly in pain, but it clamped its jaws even more tightly onto his shoulder, its teeth sinking further into his flesh. He could feel blood dripping down his leg. The pain was great, but Rowan could bear it. Just a moment longer, and the wolf would have to let go...
Almost a moment too late, Rowan saw movement out of the corner of his eagle’s eye. A massive black shape suddenly burst out of where it had been hiding in the undergrowth, squealing and roaring.
A wild boar, Rowan realized as he was forced to release the wolf, leaping upward to get out of the boar’s path as it charged, its tusks gleaming in the morning light.
The boar was massive, its razor-sharp tusks easily as long as Rowan’s talons, and its body covered in thick, bristled hair that would make it extremely difficult to wound. It pulled up in its charge, spraying snow and dead leaves under its cloven hooves.
Ordinarily, Rowan might fly away when faced with a situation like this. Despite all of Hardwicke’s scolding, he really did know better than to get into a fight where he was clearly outnumbered.
But he couldn’t do that now. To fly away and wait for reinforcements would leave Emilia vulnerable.
And it’s all my fault, Rowan berated himself as his eagle’s beak let out another furious screech. I dragged her into this. My mate. I must protect her.
The boar grunted, its small eyes mad with anger. Rowan watched it carefully, while keeping one eye on the wolf. It would be a mistake to underestimate it, just because it was injured.
The boar lowered its head, clearly readying itself for another charge. It shot forward again, tusks slashing at Rowan as he leapt out of the way, missing him by inches.
Rowan raked the boar’s sides with his talons as it shot past him, but its thick hide meant he left only minor wounds. Still, it squealed in pain, stumbling a little as it came to a halt. Rowan, not wanting to give it a chance to recover, hurled himself forward, his talons burying themselves in the boar’s back as it tried to roll over to shake him loose, grunting furiously.
Rowan snapped at the boar’s face with his beak, hoping to open a cut above its eyes that would blind it with blood. If it felt it couldn’t fight effectively it might be forced to retreat...
But then, Rowan felt a heavy weight crash into his side, knocking him away from the boar and onto his side in the snow.
Another wolf, he realized, as he leapt to his feet, ready to fight it off. But to his surprise, it was already backing away, teeth bared. As he watched, yet another wolf emerged from the forest. A large lynx wasn’t too far behind it.
I can’t fight them all, Rowan thought in despair. But nor could he retreat. He didn’t know if these shifters understood what Emilia was to him just yet, but he couldn’t take that chance.
One thing he did know, however, was that he’d kill each and every one of them if they so much as looked in Emilia’s direction.
The griffin was wild with fury, wanting to take them all on no matter how bad the odds.
But I can’t do that right now, Rowan thought, struggling to get a hold of his griffin’s wild instincts. I need to think about this with a clear head...
He let out a low warning growl when it looked like the boar was about to make another move, and it halted, seeming uncertain. It glanced toward the lynx – which gave a low snarl, and then began to shift.
Rowan recognized the man he became instantly, from the files on him back at Shifter Patrol HQ. Eliot Curtis. He’d always been Watts’s number one henchman, and Rowan wasn’t surprised to see him here now.
“Shift,” Curtis said, his voice gravelly. “Shift now, or we’ll see who’s faster – you or my boys here. It’s not a long race back to the house.”
Rowan bristled. Maybe they had figured out that Emilia was his mate. Either way, it didn’t matter. They knew he’d never risk a human civilian in a matter like this.
Fight! Fight them all! His griffin wanted
to rear up and take them all on, slashing with its talons and claws and beak until all of them lay dead on the snow. But Rowan knew it’d be impossible – he couldn’t fight them all, and nor could he stop all of them from running back to the house. At least one of them would get there before he could stop them.
I have no choice, he thought, caught between anger and despair. If he wanted to ensure Emilia’s safety, he’d have to do what they said.
For now, anyway.
Rowan let out one last low growl, before shifting back into his human form. He realized he was making himself more vulnerable, but he knew he could shift in an instant if he had to.
“Good,” Curtis snarled, his green eyes glowing dangerously. “I think you must have a pretty good idea why we’re here.”
“Merritt Watts,” Rowan growled, anger simmering in his stomach.
Curtis nodded. “Got it in one. He wasn’t what you’d call pleased to see you out here.”
Rowan raised an eyebrow. “And yet, he sent me such a nice welcoming committee.”
Curtis sniggered a little at that.
At least he can appreciate a joke, Rowan thought.
“That’s absolutely right,” Curtis said. “Now, if you’ll just come along quietly, this doesn’t have to get nasty. Watts is waiting for you.”
Rowan hesitated. He knew, obviously, that going anywhere with these goons was the definition of a bad idea.
On the other hand, he didn’t see what other choice he had. And the farther away he went with them, the farther away from Emilia they’d be.
That, at least, was a good thing.
“Don’t worry about your girl,” Curtis said with a cruel laugh, as if he’d read Rowan’s mind. “She won’t be touched, so long as you do what you’re told. Believe me, we don’t want humans getting mixed up in shifter business. A missing human means human cops sniffing around.” He grimaced. “They can be annoying.”