Taken By The Wolf: Collection

by Jessica Ryan

  She was startled by a knock at the door—someone here to rescue her from her own thoughts. She opened the front door, leaving the screen door closed, as she looked down at another wolf who nearly blew her away with beauty.

  This woman was much older than Rain had been, with silky brown hair and giant amber eyes. Her face was thin and her body muscular. She could have been Rain's older sister, but there was something about the way she carried herself, the confidence written across her face, that made her glow in a special way. She was wearing a plaid shirt that was tied off at the waist, revealing a well-defined mid-section leading to tiny denim shorts. Eva was dumbfounded. How could every werewolf female be so beautiful? They were all knockouts. She could already feel her confidence waning a bit. She definitely did not fit in with the females of Bucklin.

  "Hello," Eva said, not sure how to react. "Rowan's at work."

  "I'm aware of that," the wolf said. "I'm Eden. He sent me to do what Rain didn't."

  "Oh," Eva said. "I didn't know Rain did something wrong."

  "Rain always does something wrong," Eden said. "Are you ready to go?"

  "Where are we going?" Eva asked.

  "Does it matter?" Eden asked, a hint of annoyance in her voice. "Your mate wants you to go. Are you going to defy him?"

  Eva's lip instinctively curled in disgust as her eyes bugged out of her head. Did they consider her Rowan's property?

  "Excuse me?" Eva asked, her voice rising at the end.

  "Rowan has claimed you," Eden said, tapping her foot in annoyance. "His word is law now, and he wants you to go with me to learn about werewolf life."

  "Let's get one thing straight," Eva said, forgetting where she was and who she was talking to. Her short fuse had been lit and there was no holding her back. "I am no man's property, dammit."

  "Humans," Eden said, rolling her eyes and shaking her head. "No wonder you have such high divorce rates."

  "Are all you wolves stuck in the 1930s?" Eva asked.

  "We just know the proper way to have a relationship," Eden said, crossing her arms. "Now let's go."

  "You can go," Eva said, slamming the door in Eden's face.

  She turned and stomped back into the kitchen, her hands shaking. Jason had tried to treat her like property, had tried to force her to dress how he wanted, hang out with who he wanted and work where he wanted. She wasn't going to go through that again. When Rowan came home she was going to give him a serious piece of her mind. She'd take her chances with her asshole parents and that crazy biker gang if the other option was having to live as someone's property. Sure, she wanted the love, care and protection that Rowan had promised her, but not at the expense of who she was. A man could provide for his wife and treat her like a queen without standing over her. In her eyes he would treat her like a queen and she would treat him like a king. She didn't want to treat him like a king while he treated her like a peasant—that wasn't how relationships worked in her eyes.

  Eva paced around the house, trying to calm herself. It was just too upsetting, there was a manhunt forty miles away for her and now she had wolves treating her like property. All the good vibes of the night before had melted away, and she was alone again.

  Chapter 14

  It was close to noon, almost lunchtime, when Rowan's day was turned completely upside down. Just as he was heading to the kitchen to heat up his lunch the front door opened and in walked two men he'd hoped he wouldn't see anytime soon.

  "Sheriff Phoenix?" the first man said, walking forward, right past the receptionist, and grabbing Rowan's hand in a hearty shake.

  Sheriff Jerry Hewitt was a short, stocky man many people called The Bull behind his back. He was built like one and had the same temperament. His best days were behind him, but he was probably going to uphold the law in Cedarville until his death. Behind him was a taller, less imposing figure: First Deputy Donovan Woods. He was a tall, skinny, black kid who was a local legend at Cedarville High School. Unfortunately a knee injury had derailed his promising basketball career and now he was busting the same people he used to take lob passes from.

  These men only came to Bucklin when there was a serious problem, one that spanned the counties the two cities were located in. Nothing made Rowan nervous, but he still didn't like their presence. He had a pretty good idea why they were here.

  As much as Rowan was used to getting his way, he had nothing on The Bull. If Jerry Hewitt said jump, surrounding sheriffs asked "How high?" All except Rowan, and it never failed to bother Jerry that the sheriff of such a lowly town wasn't under his thumb.

  "We need to have a little bit of a talk," Jerry said.

  "Let's step into my office," Rowan said, trying to extend some form of courtesy. In reality he wanted to shift and rip the bastard to shreds. When Satan's Angels had first assaulted Bucklin, they'd reached out to the surrounding counties, hoping someone would lend a hand. Jerry had completely blown them off, yet he still expected cooperation when he had a problem.

  Rowan situated himself behind his desk, poking out his chest and sitting up as straight as possible. He towered over Jerry, adding a little bit of intimidation to this meeting.

  "What brings you here, Jerry?" Rowan asked.

  "Please, Rowan, call me Sheriff," Jerry said with a laugh. He liked to act like he was joking, but in reality he was pissing all over Rowan's desk, trying to show him who was really in charge.

  "Have you heard about the missing girl?" Donovan asked, unfolding a flier and passing it across the desk.

  Rowan looked down at an older picture of Eva, one that looked like a high school graduation photo. The flier was asking for any information and promising a reward. Rowan tried to look as interested as possible, like this was big news to him.

  "I actually haven't," Rowan said, changing his voice to a more authoritative tone. "You didn't feel the need to notify me through the proper channels until now?"

  "Simmer down there, big boy," Jerry said. "She just went missing two nights ago."

  "How can I help?" Rowan asked. If he was cooperative, they wouldn't suspect a thing. Jerry knew there wasn't something quite right about Bucklin, but he had never learned their secret.

  "The girl went missing from a bar just outside Cedarville," Donovan said, reading facts off a piece of paper. He was talking so Jerry could study Rowan's reaction. Rowan remained stone-faced, not giving the little troll anything to work with. "It was her first night working there and she left the bar around two a.m. The owner left out the back door and took a back road to go home, not entering the parking lot in front of the building until the next day. She discovered the missing woman's car in the lot at that point. Next to it was a deceased male. The owner told the investigating officers he’d had an altercation earlier in the night that involved the girl. His throat had been ripped out by a large animal, either a dog or a wolf."

  "Do wolves attack humans?" Rowan asked.

  "Animal control isn't sure," Donovan said. "The woman is currently missing, but her blood was found at the scene."

  "How far out have you searched?" Rowan asked.

  "We've done our job, Phoenix," Jerry said. He didn't like being questioned in any way, especially not about his procedure."

  "Who was the man?" Rowan asked, knowing the answer. He wondered if Jerry would tell him, knowing the history.

  "Some biker," Donovan said. "He had no identification on him."

  Rowan didn't take his eyes off Donovan, but in his peripheral vision he saw Jerry lean forward when he mentioned the biker, waiting for Rowan to show some recognition. Jerry must have thought he was dealing with an amateur; the man never had respect for Rowan or his force.

  "She's cute," Rowan said, looking down at the flier. "Why's a kid working in a bar like that?"

  "What?" Jerry asked, not expecting that question.

  "This looks like a high school graduation photo," Rowan said. "What's a kid doing working that late at a bar?"

  "She's actually twenty-two Sheriff," Donovan said. Jerry shot
him an angry look, not liking his deputy addressing anyone else by that title.

  "Oh, I see," Rowan said. "Why the old photo? Does she even look like this anymore?"

  "It's all the family could find," Jerry grumbled.

  "I see," Rowan said. "So let's cut to the chase. What do you boys need from me?"

  "We need to search the area around your town," Jerry said. "We have an entire task force that's going to snoop around."

  "So do I," Rowan said. "And they know this town better than you."

  "So?" Jerry asked. "It's my case, I want to find the girl."

  "So you think she's here? You think a wolf dragged her twenty five miles to my town?" Rowan asked.

  "He's got a point, Sheriff," Donovan said.

  "I don't think it was a wolf," Jerry said.

  "Then what was it?" Rowan raised one eyebrow, mocking the proud sheriff.

  "I think someone kidnapped her," Jerry said. "Someone with a trained attack dog."

  "And he kidnapped her and brought her here?" Rowan asked.

  "We haven't found anything in Cedarville yet," Jerry said. "We're the only towns in this area."

  "We'll keep an eye out, Jerry," Rowan said. "Don't worry. I'll have everyone on it."

  "You're going to deny me?" Jerry asked his face incredulous.

  "I can handle the business in my own county, Jerry," Rowan said. "You have no jurisdiction here. Let me handle my business. If we find the guy who took her, or if we find her we will certainly turn everything over to you."

  "That sounds good," Donovan said. "We can focus all our efforts in Ceda…."

  "Shut up!" Jerry barked at his deputy. Donovan immediately recoiled in fear, not wanting to upset The Bull. "Now you listen here, Phoenix! I don't know what fucking game you're playing, but I aim to find out!"

  "I don't play games with the law, Jerry," Rowan said, with a cocky smile.

  "I am the law!" Jerry shouted.

  "In Cedarville and Cedar County," Rowan said. "Now, how about you get the hell out of Green County, before I have you escorted out?"

  Jerry was dumbstruck. His mouth moved but no words came out. Finally, Donovan stood up, walking out and motioning for his boss to follow. Jerry stood up, giving Rowan one last glare before stomping away.

  As soon as they were gone Rowan leaned back in his chair, letting all the air out of his lungs. "Son of a bitch, I hate that guy."

  After a brief moment he looked up again, his eyes widening and familiar words escaping his lips. "Son of a bitch."

  Here was Eden, no Eva in sight, strutting towards his office with a purpose. Her face was contorted in rage and her fists were clenched. She was never easy to deal with; she saw herself as something of an alpha female, and she was one of the older members of the pack.

  She walked right past the receptionist, who was still dumbfounded that people kept bypassing her, and slammed Rowan's door behind her, rattling the window.

  "Are you fucking serious?" she asked.

  "About what?" he responded, leaning back in his chair and smiling. He had his own anger problems, but nothing like the females of his pack. Eden wanted things her way at all times, and she flew off the handle if it didn't happen.

  "About this fat human bitch!" she yelled.

  Rowan immediately sat up, his eyes narrowing. "Watch how you speak about her."

  "I will not!" Eden yelled, still a fit of fury. "I went over there and told her to come with me. She wanted to know where and refused. Where does she get off denying her mates orders? You gave her an order through me, and she needs to follow that. On top of that who is she, a lowly human, to deny a wolf?"

  Rowan shook his head. Even though she was in the relatively young Dawnguard pack, Eva was still old school. She believed in the old ways as much as the Oakdale pack, when men ruled the world and women were just there to look pretty and pump out babies. Aster had managed to convince most of the pack to evolve with the times, to fit into the modern world they lived in, but Eden was one of the stubborn ones.

  "You’re making a huge mistake mixing with this, this, this human!" She said the words like they were too disgusting to speak, like “human” was the king of dirty words.

  Rowan could feel the rage bubbling up inside of him as she talked. She asked how dare Eva? How dare she speak to the top beta in her pack like this? How dare she speak of his mate like this? It was none of her business who he claimed, and he would not stand for her bad-mouthing his Eva.

  "And look at her," Eden continued. "Have you even seen her body? What are you thinking? You want your pups coming from good stock, not some human who’s completely out of shape!"

  Rowan had had enough. He slammed his fist on the desk and rose, instantly silencing the insubordinate wolf in front of him.

  "Shut your insolent mouth right this second," he said, his voice barely holding back the rage that was seething inside of him. "Do you know who you’re talking to like this? Do you?"

  "Of course I do," she said, defiant to the end.

  "Obviously you forget yourself!" he said, his voice finally rising. "I will not have you question my choice of mate! I will not have you badmouth my mate! I have claimed Eva and she is going to be a member of this pack whether you like it or not."

  Eden stood before him, trying to find words to throw at him. He wouldn't allow anymore though.

  "Say ‘yes, sir’!" he yelled. "And then get out! I will take care of teaching her myself."

  Eden bit her lip, wanting to say more. Rowan could feel his nostrils flaring and he knew he hadn't blinked since he stood up. His chest was heaving and he could feel the veins in his neck popping. She did not want to cross him anymore.

  "Yes, sir," Eden said, looking at the ground. She started to walk out, but the proud older wolf couldn't let it slide. She stopped and spun back around. "You deserve more than a human."

  "What do I deserve?" Rowan asked. "You? Don't make me laugh."

  Her eyes grew wide and tears began to well up, and he knew he’d hit a nerve. She spun and rushed out of the building, leaving him alone.

  "Hold all my calls!" he screamed, falling back into his chair.

  Eden had always coveted a mating with Aster or Rowan. Aster had strung her along, sleeping with her at various times, but never settling down. He thought as alpha he should just mate with whomever he chose. That was the way it had gone in the old days and most females would accept that if they were attached to the old days—but not Eden. She was too proud, too hungry for the station of alpha female. She wanted a lifetime mating, and she thought she could get it from Rowan. She'd approached him several times in the past, but each time he shot her down, crushing her.

  "This fucking day," he muttered, putting his hands over his face. Sometimes he thought he did more work than the actual alpha of the pack. Most of the pack saw Aster and himself as equals, but Rowan certainly didn't feel like one today—he was the workhorse while the alpha sat on his throne.

  Chapter 15

  Eva’s heart jumped a little when she heard Rowan’s truck pull into the driveway around three that day. He was home much earlier than the day before. She was happy he was there earlier—now maybe they could get to hashing things out. Plus she had taken to cleaning his entire house top to bottom to pass time. She had vacuumed enough hair to make a new wolf. After that was done she'd even fixed the back screen door that she’d broken the day before.

  “Eva, are you here?” he asked as he came in through the back door. “We need to talk.”

  “Yes, we do,” she said, stepping out of the kitchen and crossing her arms. She shot him her best bitchy look, ready for war. She was a veteran of relationship battles, and no man could shout her down if it came down to it.

  “I’m sorry about Eden,” he said, rubbing the back of his head and looking her in the eye. “She overstepped her bounds. I can explain.”

  Eva nearly fell over. Was he actually apologizing? No man had ever apologized to her unless it was a halfhearted attempt to get laid, but here
he was, immediately riding the sorry train.

  “It’s okay,” she said, the only words she could muster.

  “Eden is a little bit older than me, in case you couldn’t tell,” he said. “She’s kind of old school, still acts like we live in the wild sometimes. I’m sorry she came at you like that.”

  “It’s okay,” she repeated. Without warning she reached up and smacked the side of her own face, trying to bring herself back to reality. After shaking it out she looked up at Rowan with a smile. “I was just afraid that was really how you felt.”

  “What do you mean?” he asked, unbuttoning his shirt. Eva took in a deep breath and bit her bottom lip as his massive granite chest became exposed.

  “I just mean I was afraid you really viewed me as your property,” she said.

  “No,” he said. “Well, not in that sense. It’s complicated with a wolf.”

  Uh-oh, this didn’t sound good. “How do you mean?”

  He walked forward, putting his hands on her shoulders and looking down at her face. “You have to understand I have an animal living inside of me, a wild animal that lives on instinct.”

  “I get that,” she said.

  “I don’t view you as my property,” he said. “But my wolf might kind of. He’s claimed you, which means he views you as his mate and he won’t allow any other males to take you.”

  “I think I’m okay with that,” she said, looking up into his beautiful eyes. She could get lost in his wild, dirty blonde hair and rugged face. “As long as you don’t think you can order me around constantly.”

  “Hey, no,” he said, laughing. “You’re mine, but that’s a good thing around here.”

  “Is it?” she asked, pulling him in for a hug. “We have to talk about something else.”

  “What’s that?” Rowan asked, looking worried.

  “I turned your TV on today and heard some of the news,” she said, not able to meet his eyes anymore.