by Jessica Ryan
"It is," she said.
"Get dressed," he said quickly, trying to change the subject. "We have a field trip to go on."
* * *
Rowan didn't say a whole lot as they pulled out of Bucklin and onto Highway 38, heading past the old trading post.
"Where are we going" she finally asked.
"Cedarville," Rowan said, smiling at her.
"Where in Cedarville?" she asked slyly.
"I'm not sure," he said. "How do I get to your old apartment?"
"Are you serious?" she asked, feeling the excitement bubble up inside her.
"Deadly," he said.
The rest of the drive only lasted fifteen minutes, but it felt like fifteen hours to Eva. As they pulled into her apartment complex she nearly opened the door and did a tuck and roll to get to her door.
There was nobody around, no police tape on her door, nothing.
"I guess they gave up on looking for me," she said.
"Well, they wouldn't make your apartment a crime scene," Rowan said matter-of-factly.
Eva ignored his smart-ass comment and nearly beat her door down as she fumbled with the keys. Finally the lock clicked and the door swung open, allowing her access to her former home.
She fought tears of joy as she looked at her personal property, her things. Rowan followed her in, carrying several boxes from the back of his truck.
"Well, let's load up," he said. "Pick what you want."
Eva turned around and wrapped her arms around his neck, planting a giant kiss on his lips. He pulled her in close, his strong hands gripping her back tightly as he applied pressure to her lips. Together they stood in her doorway, a mated couple, kissing passionately.
Finally Rowan pulled away and laughed. "How about I get started and you make a phone call?"
"To where?" she asked.
"Home," he said, smiling.
"But nobody's home," she said. "We're both here."
He smiled again before patting her on the shoulder. "Your old home."
Eva laughed and walked to the bedroom, trying to find her old corded phone. She hadn't been able to afford a cell phone once she was out on her own, so this phone was her only means of communication. Unfortunately, she didn't even have an answering machine.
Her fingers began to sweat and her stomach was a ball of steel weighing her down as she stared at the phone beside her bed. Did she dare pick it up and dial her father's number? She knew it by heart, one of the few numbers she knew.
After several intense minutes of heavy breathing she sat down on the edge of the bed and picked up the phone, dialing the phone number she never thought she would dial again.
"Hello?" a gruff voice said on the other end.
"Dad?" she asked.
"Who is this?" her father said.
"It's Eva, Dad," she said, closing her eyes to keep the tears in. "You don't even remember your own daughter?"
"Of course I do," he said, sounding like he was trying to cover. "How could I forget? I was just very busy with work."
"I know, Dad," she said.
"Where the hell have you been?" he asked. "We've been worried sick."
"Well, I wasn't kidnapped, if you were wondering," she said. "I was away, out of town."
"How irresponsible of you," he said. "You had everyone worried sick."
"I'm glad you were concerned," she said. "The news said I was kidnapped and possibly dead."
"I know what it said," he said. "I also knew you had run off with a boy, trying to embarrass your family. I called the police station and told them what you were probably doing. No need to waste the taxpayers' money hunting you down on a bender."
"I'm not an alcoholic, Dad!" she protested. "You told the police to stop searching for me?"
"That's right," he said. "I knew what was going on."
"No, you didn't!" she said. "How did you know I wasn't dead or kidnapped? You only cared about how it would look for you to have a kidnapped daughter on the news!"
He was unbelievable; he had given up on her that quickly. The Bull had kept with his duty trying to find her, but he was the only one. Nobody else had gotten involved because of her father. He didn't love her; he only loved his money and his image.
"Are you going to come home now and stop this foolish independent life you're trying to live?" he asked. "You've obviously failed. You come home and we'll start over. I even have a boy to set you up with."
"Is he related to one of your business contacts?" she asked. Her father had always tried to set her up to help his business.
"That's beside the point," he said dryly.
"Goodbye, Dad," she whispered. "Forever."
"Eva!" he yelled. "Don't hang…."
She sat for several minutes listening to the dial tone after she put her finger down to hang up the phone. He was an evil old bastard, the very worst of American greed.
"Are you okay?" Rowan asked, appearing in the doorway.
Eva turned and looked at the man who had completely changed her life. The light from the front door shone in behind him, illuminating him like an angel from heaven come to rescue her. Everything about this man was perfect. He was her savior.
"Everything is great," she said, smiling at her mate, the love of her life.
"Good," he said, dropping a box on her floor. "Let's pack this room up."
"Yes," she agreed. "Then let's go home. Our home."
The Bucklin Wolves Are Not Done
Eva and Rowan's story is done, for the most part. They're going to move on and live a happy life together.
However, the story of the Bucklin Wolves and their battle against Satan's Angels is not over.
Now we move on to Hawk's story. The ever-watchful Alpha has entered the forest, where Eva felt so much evil, to find Abaddon's missing mate: Leena.
Will Hawk be able to contend with the evil that awaits him inside? Will he discover its source or will it consume him?
Ciara has let her life get out of hand—night after night of drinking, partying and waking up next to a stranger. She's ready to detox her life and start over, finding true love. Several friends have told her the only way to do that is to find herself by going on a one-on-one nature retreat. She's on a spirit quest to discover who she really is.
Unfortunately, or fortunately depending on who you ask, she's going to find more than herself. She's going to find an alpha wolf.
A Note from Jessica
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Other Books By Jessica Ryan
Billionaire Ace
Sharing the Billionaire
Secrets of the Billionaire
Ritual of the Billionaire
Lost Alpha
Lost Alpha Part 1
Lost Alpha Part 2
Lost Alpha Part 3
Lost Alpha: Collection
The Bucklin Wolves
Taken By The Wolf Part 1
Taken By The Wolf Part 2
Taken By The Wolf Part 3