by Jessica Ryan
Rowan let out a long, deep sigh before turning away from her. “The sheriff from your old county came to visit me today.”
“And?” she asked, looking hopeful.
“They think you were kidnapped by someone,” he said. “Things are going to be even tighter now.”
Those were words she didn’t want to hear. Things were already tight enough being stuck in a strange town with no friends.
“I don’t think you should be out in Bucklin without some kind of disguise,” he continued, turning back to her with sadness in his eyes. “I know it’s horrible, but we have to wait for things to blow over.”
“What do you intend to do with me?” she asked, standing up straight.
“What do you mean?” he asked.
“When all of this is said and done?” she asked. “When the bikers are gone? What happens to me?”
“We move on with our life together,” he said, smiling.
“What if I want to go home?” she asked. “Let everyone know I’m not dead?”
Rowan rubbed his stubble, pondering her question deeply. “I suppose we can figure out a way to reintroduce you to the world, but that’s a long way off. Baby, it’s going to be a little while until then.”
Eva could feel tears beginning to well in her eyes. She wasn’t a crybaby; as a matter of fact she rarely cried. The tears were purely out of frustration, frustration at the helplessness of her situation.
“I just wish I could let my family know I’m okay,” she said, trying to fight back the tears. “I know they disowned me, but surely they care, right? It just sucks they think I’ve been kidnapped.”
“I know,” Rowan said, pulling her in close and squeezing tight. “It’ll all be ok. It’s too dangerous to let anyone know right now, just too dangerous.”
“I know,” she whispered, burying her face in Rowan’s meaty chest.
He pulled away, heading toward the back door. “I have a lot to show you, but first we’re going to go by the doctor.”
“Oh yeah,” Eva said, vaguely remembering the conversation they’d had yesterday morning before the big council meeting. He had said he was going to take her to the doctor afterwards, but no such trip was made. She followed Rowan out the back door.
“I’m sorry we didn’t go yesterday,” Rowan said. “Things got a little crazy after the meeting.”
“That’s okay,” she said as they climbed into his truck. The events of the morning before began to play back in her head and she turned to look at Rowan. “You know, you’re acting a lot different than you did yesterday.”
“How do you mean?” he asked, pulling out of the driveway.
“You were pretty distant, even a little cold,” she said. “When I fell out of bed you acted like you were annoyed I was even in your house.”
“I was,” he said.
“Seriously?” she asked, giving him a “go to hell” look.
“Don’t be offended,” he said, laughing. “I haven’t been around very many humans in my life. You’re the first one I’ve spent any kind of time around. I think you’re absolutely beautiful. My wolf nearly claimed you from the moment I laid eyes on you.”
“That’s flattering,” Eva said. Was his wolf a completely different being, just waiting to break to the surface? “Sounds like you personally didn’t claim me, though.”
“No,” he said. “I tried to resist, but I couldn’t. The more time I spent around you the more I saw what my wolf saw.”
“All of that in a day?” she asked, raising one eyebrow.
“It’s different for werewolves,” he said, looking over at her with admiration in his eyes. “Correct me if I’m wrong, but with humans you have to go through a period of courtship. I’ve heard it can last years sometimes, before you figure out if the person you’re with is your ideal mate.”
“More or less,” she said, nodding.
“It’s not like that with werewolves. We’re part human, yes, but the wolf is a very strong part of who we are. We know a mate when we see them. There’s no need for years and years of courtship. When we claim a mate, well, by god, that’s our mate.”
Eva nodded her head before turning back to look at the road. A sly smile appeared on her face as she thought about his words. Yesterday he’d been annoyed with her, had acted like she was a burden on him. But, Rain’s advice had been true. She’d found her way to his heart through his stomach and his libido. Unfortunately that also meant she was stuck with this man she barely knew, in a relationship she hadn’t even thought possible several days ago.
“Are you okay?” he asked.
“Yes,” she said, sighing. “This is a lot to take in. You’re part human, but I’m all human. I don’t know how I feel about being set up in a lifelong relationship with a man I barely know.”
Rowan looked over at her, worry lines on his face. “I understand. Maybe I can set you up with some of the human females in town. That might make you feel better.”
“It might,” she said, trying to hide the sour look on her face. She still had no choice in the matter. He hadn’t told her she wasn’t bound to him, he hadn’t even told her they’d talk about it, he’d just told her she could talk to others in a similar situation.
Nothing bothered Eva more than having no choice in the matter. She’d never felt more bipolar than during the last two days. Her emotions ran hot and cold so fast her head was spinning.
Guess I have to get used to all of this, she thought. I have no choice.
Chapter 16
The trip to the doctor was not as bad as Rowan thought it might be. The doctor said the wound on the back of her head was not large and was already healing on its own. She had a mild concussion but was responding to his tests well already.
"Well, at least you have a clean bill of health," Rowan said, smiling at Eva as they got back into the car.
"Yeah, that's good," she said, crossing her arms.
"What's wrong?" he asked.
"I'm still upset about the situation," she said.
Rowan sighed. "Still? I thought we had moved past all of this?"
"You don't understand me," she said. "I don't like not having a choice."
"Very well," Rowan said, pulling the car over to the side of the road. "You have a choice now. If you want, you can step out of this car, find a way home and move on with your life. I trust you; I know you won't reveal anything about my pack to anyone."
"What about the council?" she asked.
Rowan knew he was taking a big gamble; if she got out of the car then his life might be forfeit. Aster couldn't protect him against the combined might of the four other alphas, but he had to fix this with Eva if they ever had a hope of moving on as a happily mated couple.
"I’ll deal with them," he said. "It won’t be your concern once you get out of the car. You’ll be on your own again, just as you were before, but you’ll at least have your freedom. I'm sure you can hitchhike back to Cedarville. Hell, you can call the sheriff, and tell him you escaped an insane kidnapper in the woods. He'll be the big hero once he brings you home."
"I.." Eva started to say.
"How about I drive back to my office and call Sheriff Hewitt? I'll tell him you wandered into town confused and scared. He'll be here so fast that you'll be back in your apartment by dinner, if you still have an apartment, that is. I'm sure the Angels are already watching it."
Eva looked at the ground, then back up at Rowan, her eyes narrowing. "Why don't we just continue to where you were taking me?"
"You have a choice," he said. "Make your choice. I want you to make sure it's the right one."
Eva's faced screwed up with concentration as she pondered what her new mate was telling her.
"I just want to let everyone know I'm okay," she said.
"You will," he told her, reaching over and grabbing her shoulder. "I will make sure of it."
"You will?" she asked, hope appearing in the crystal blue ocean of her eyes.
"I will make sure of it," he said.
"But not right now."
"Ok," Eva said, nodding her head. "I want to be with you, Rowan, I really do. I've never met a guy as sweet and caring as you."
"Those aren't words often used to describe me," he said with a snort.
"I know you put up a tough exterior for the pack," she said. "But I've felt something different from you. What you've done to protect me so far, it's amazing."
"I claimed you," he said with a smile. "I won't let anyone harm you."
"That's all I want," she said, sliding across the truck's bench seat and wrapping her arms around his neck. He felt blood rush to his cock immediately as her soft hair laid on his shoulder. For the first time in his life goose bumps ran up and down his arms. No female, human or wolf, had ever had this effect on him.
"Are you staying?" he asked softly.
"Yes," she whispered. "Let's go where you wanted to take me."
"Okay," he said, putting the car into drive. "Let's go."
* * *
After their adventure on the side of the road, Rowan went to the supermarket and left Eva in the car while he went inside.
The dog left the human in the car, she thought, giggling. Then she felt bad—Rowan was half wolf and half human, not a dog. She felt lousy for even thinking the joke, a sign she was really beginning to care about her hulking hunk.
He had told her they were going on a field trip when he got out of the car, and she waited patiently for his return. He had given her the opportunity to leave, to return to her old life, and she had refused it. It was at that moment that Eva realized a lot of her feelings of being trapped weren't valid; she was in a better situation than she’d been in before. Broke, alone, fighting to survive: these were the words she'd use to describe the last year of her life. Now she was under the protection of a sexy werewolf without worrying about where her next meal would come from. It wasn't a bad predicament to be in.
There was still the fact that she was considered a missing person hanging over her head, something she would have to find a way to clear up eventually. It was obvious the law in Cedarville was hunting for her, but did her parents even care?
She imagined her father taking the phone call, informing him that his little girl had been kidnapped or worse. He had probably hung up and immediately called his publicist, wanting to keep his name out of the story. Or he would go on TV, sobbing about his missing little girl to try and garner sympathy and get his name out there. She wondered if her mom's stone face even shed a tear, or was she too high on Valium to even know what was going on?
As she sat in the truck waiting for Rowan, she grew even angrier. The people in her past began to flood into her mind, reminding her what a raw deal they'd all given her. Most people thought it was great to be born with a silver spoon in your mouth, never wanting for money. She would take love over money any day of the week. A warm hug before bed would have been wonderful growing up; instead, she got a story from the nanny and a pat on the head.
Did her parents not see how fucked up their way of raising a child was? They saw her more as an accessory to be paraded around at events than a child to be nurtured and loved. It was amazing she even had the capacity. If not for the attention of a few caring nannies and cooks, she would probably be an emotionless, spoiled rich girl living out her days tanning by her dad's pool while snorting cocaine off the pool boy's dick.
She looked in the side mirror, seeing a werewolf walking to his car with what was obviously a human female on his arm. The woman was a little curvier than average, nothing like the hard-bodied female wolves who populated the town. She wore an ear-to-ear smile as her mate spoke to her, looking down at her with love in his eyes as they continued by. She was hanging on his every word, obviously in love with him.
Is this what it's like to be with a werewolf? she wondered. Are all the human females like this?
Her eyes continued to lingered on the happy couple as they put groceries away in their truck. Males wolves seemed to enjoy driving trucks, Eva observed. Her thoughts travelled away from her parents to Jason.
Jason, she thought. What an asshole.
He had been so into her at first, but there was always something off about him, something that made her uneasy the entire time she knew him. He would give her backhanded compliments, insulting her at the same time. He would obviously check out other girls in front of her and then suggest she not order desert or eat her entire meal. She’d been powerless, afraid that he was all she could ever have. She had always prided herself on being strong, but she’d been so weak at that time. Never again would she let someone walk all over her like that again.
She was torn from her thoughts by a loud banging in the back of the truck. She spun around to see Rowan leaning over the edge, filling an ice chest with sandwich meat and drinks. He then walked around to the driver's door and opened it, setting a loaf of bread and a blanket next to her.
"Are we having a picnic?" she asked as he climbed into the truck.
"I figured we might get hungry where we’re going," he said.
"Where are we going?" she asked.
He looked over at her and smiled. "We're going to where it all began."
"Where what began?" she asked, a little confused.
"The five packs, of course," he said, like she should be familiar with wolf history.
"And where is that?" she asked.
"The hills behind Bucklin," he told her. "It's kind of a hike. Good thing you wore tennis shoes today."
"I figured something was up after Eden tried to whisk me away," she said. "Why are we going out there?"
"I want to teach you about Bucklin and the wolves," he said. "It just seemed appropriate to do it where the packs lived before Bucklin."
"You lived there?" she asked.
"Oh no," he said, chuckling. "How old do you think I am?"
"Like...thirty-something," she said bluntly.
Rowan turned to her, a little bit of hurt in his eyes. "I'm 29."
"Oh I see," she said, laughing. "Sorry, old man."
"Old man?" he asked, looking incredulous. "Wolves look young until they hit about sixty."
"Great," she said. "I'm going to be an old hag while you still look ready to run a marathon."
"Don't worry," he said, winking at her. "I'm sure you'll always be beautiful."
"Do wolves live longer?" she asked.
"Sometimes," he said. "But not much longer than humans if at all on the whole."
Together they listened to the radio and cut eyes at each other, both feeling the obvious chemistry between them. She was excited that he was going to teach her a little something about werewolves, and getting out into nature might be the best way to clear her head and organize the events of the last three days. She never knew so much could happen in such a short period of time. It would have driven anyone else mad.
Bucklin was surrounded by flat, open farmland to the south, east and west. North of the city was a tall range of hills, covered in old cedar and maple trees. It was an impressive sight when walking around downtown—the hills looming over you like a wonderful backdrop, much nicer than the endless fields on the other sides.
They pulled Rowan's vehicle to a rest stop on the side of the road and parked in front of a wooden fence separating the rest stop from the untouched wonder of Mother Nature.
"So we're heading into those hills?" Eva asked, looking at the trail disappearing into the forest.
"Yes," Rowan said. "It won't be so bad, though, I'll carry you if you get tired."
"Please, I'm not a delicate little flower," Eva said with a chuckle.
"I would never accuse you of such a thing!" Rowan said, unbuttoning his sheriff's shirt. He took it off and stashed it in the back seat.
Eva couldn't believe it but he looked even hotter in a plain white crew-neck t-shirt. It hugged all the right spots, while billowing around his tight waist. She began to drift off, her eyes getting dreamy as she looked at her lover. His body was perfect, but his tanned, hard-lined face did even more for
her. As he stood there looking at her she imagined a cigarette hanging out of his mouth to match his stubble and long, dark blonde hair.
Oh yeah, she thought, imagining her smoking man straddling a motorcycle. The perfect rebel without a cause.
She had never had the “man in uniform” fantasy until she met Rowan, and now she was having another new one: the James Dean fantasy.
Is there no end to the ways this man can make me feel? she thought, following him into the trees.
Chapter 17
Rowan looked back at Eva as they continued to climb the steep paths that led up the hills behind Bucklin. He couldn't help but smile as she continued to climb, red-faced, panting and obviously tired. There was no quit in this girl and he loved that. She had a true warrior's spirit.
"Do you need a break?" he asked, stopping and stretching his back with one foot up on a large rock.
"Hell, no, Captain Morgan," she said, climbing to join him. "I'm just getting started. These are calves of steel."
"I believe it, after rubbing all over them," he said, leaning over and giving her a quick kiss on the forehead. "Even fatigued your wit doesn't dull."
"Fatigue?" she asked, shaking her head between heavy breaths. "I'm not tired at all."
Rowan could only laugh as he turned to continue up the path. As much as he liked his city life he couldn't deny the sheer pleasure he got from hiking in these hills. At one time they had been crawling with wolves, covering a large area. Residents of the town had been afraid to go into the hills, not understanding why so many wolves had made their home there. Residents of Bucklin called them the Wolf Hills; they weren't the most imaginative bunch. Rowan called them something different: his ancestral home.
Rowan's parents had grown up and lived in these hills, back when the packs were at one another's throats. They grew up in a brutal existence, fighting for food and territory, making uneasy alliances and sleeping with one eye open.
Those days didn't sound like the most appealing to Rowan, who enjoyed being able to leave his door unlocked at night. Unfortunately, with a possible traitor in the town, Rowan felt a bit more uneasy about day-to-day life.