by Kimber White
Eve
I waited until night fell. Daytime was torture. I felt Mac behind the wall. It was as if his pulse was my pulse. Every part of my body felt pulled to his. I belonged with him. Only his touch could erase the memory of Chris’s. And he wanted more, so much more. I would die before I let him. In that, I was like Lena. I didn’t even know her. Had never spoken to her. Still, I believed I understood fully what had happened to her.
Something about Lena made her special. She was a shifter’s daughter even though she was human. Maybe that gave her just a little more immunity to a shifter’s mark than Nikki or me. Whatever it was, she fought. She fought hard enough that Shelby Cole was gone. Had she killed him? Now, she was a prisoner.
Somehow, I made it through dinner. Nikki was gone again and for the first time I was glad of it. I couldn’t trust her. She was Joel and Chris’s eyes and ears now where it came to me. I hated myself a little for thinking it. She was my friend. My first friend here at Birch Haven. But, she might be lost to me forever.
As soon as the sun went down, I put on my sweatshirt, pulling the hood tight around my head. From a distance, maybe no one would know who I was. I went to the park, instinct drawing me. It was the right time. Mac had made sure of it. When I reached the tree line on the south side of the park, his blazing silver eyes bobbed like jewels in the darkness.
Breathless, I reached him. Mac pulled me to him. We staggered back through the brush together, nearly losing our balance.
“God,” he gasped, his voice raw with emotion. “You don’t know how badly I’ve wanted to charge in there and get to you.”
“I know.” Tears flowed freely. I couldn’t hold them back. I’d been holding on so tight for so many hours; now, in Mac’s arms I could let it all go.
“Did he hurt you?” Mac cupped my face with his hands. Then his fingers roamed everywhere, along my jaw, over my shoulders. They left a trail of heat that pulled me to him even more. “Did he touch you?”
“No,” I shook my head, gasping. “Not in any way that matters. He can’t. He knows it. It’s like you said, the Alpha has to approve it. He’s nowhere around. It’s okay. We have time.”
“Precious little,” Mac said. “God, I’ve been a fool thinking this plan of you going back there and pretending everything is normal made you safer. It ends tonight. I don’t care what happens next. I’m taking you back with me. I can outrun those assholes and get you safely to the caves. We’ll figure out what to do then.”
It was so tempting. To run away with Mac and never look back. I wanted to be selfish. I wanted to be free. But, I owed him the truth.
“Mac,” I said stepping out of his arms. He immediately saw something in my eyes and went very still. I knew this would be the hardest for him. I had to get the words out. “Lena. I saw her. She’s alive.”
Mac took a faltering step sideways. His eyes went wide, then he doubled over as if he’d been punched in the gut. My heart broke apart. Mac let out a strangled noise like an animal in pain.
“Is she...she’s okay?” His eyes pleaded with me. I reached for him, my turn to trail my fingers along his jaw.
“She’s alive. She’s in a cell or a hospital. I’m not sure. I only saw her on Chris’s phone. He had a live stream from a security camera. He used it to try and threaten me about what could happen if I...if…”
Mac slowly closed his eyes. He ran his hand down his face. Then, he reached for the nearest tree, bracing himself against it. Finally, he looked back at me.
“If you try to fight him,” he finished my thought for me.
“She’s alive!” I went to him, gently placing my hands on his chest. He wore a flannel shirt with the top two buttons open. I don’t know what made me do it, but I unbuttoned three more and spread the fabric aside. His breathing became ragged and his muscles rippled. There, high on his chest, he bore a striking tattoo. It was just like April described. A wolf’s head with two great wings unfurled behind it. At the base, were two crossed swords.
Mac closed his fingers around my wrists. A beat passed. Then another. I had meant my touch as an innocent gesture to confirm something I’d been told. Something deeper kindled between us. It might have been fueled by the adrenaline from news of Lena, or the pent up rage he’d felt worrying about me all day. In me, it was both but something more.
I wasn’t meant for Chris. I wasn’t meant for any other man but this one. I’d seen too much...felt too much to deny it. We had a thousand reasons for turning away from each other. Here, so close to the boundary of Birch Haven, this was madness. But, neither of us was strong enough to push back.
“Eve,” he whispered my name as a promise. I put a finger to his lips to silence him. No more questions. No more words. Just this. Us. We both knew in our hearts there might never be another chance.
Once I’d started, I couldn’t stop. I tore at Mac’s shirt, pulling it off him the rest of the way. He cast it aside and stood before me. Every inch of him was chiseled perfection from his hard-cut pecs, his bulging biceps, to his trim, tapered hips where his jeans hung low. Ginger curls made a trail from his washboard abs to the promise of what was hidden below.
I reached for him, fumbling with his belt buckle. Mac cupped my face and his lips found mine. His first kiss was slow and tender. I could have drowned in it. But the growing heat between us reached a fevered pitch. We might never be lucky enough to savor this, but for now, we would at least quench the fire.
I was down on my knees, clawing at the zipper of my own jeans. Mac went down with me. Wriggling out my pants, I got them only as far as my knees before Mac was on me. He’d dragged his own jeans down and his manhood sprung free. I gasped at the size of it. He was already thick and hard, the tip glistening with his seed. I reached for him, stroking the length of him. Mac shuddered then found my lips again.
“Eve,” he whispered my name again. The small space at the back of my neck burned with the same desire as the pulse between my legs. Oh, God. I wanted him. I wanted his mark. I wanted him to claim me so there would never be any doubt about where I belonged.
My jeans felt like a prison as I tried to spread my legs. It didn’t stop Mac. There was so little time. The longer we stayed out here, the more likely Joel or one of the others would find us. Mac’s eyes locked with mine; his silvery wolf’s gaze sparked with lust. Then, Mac thrust himself into me, sheathing himself to the root.
His crushing kiss muffled my cry of pleasure. Maybe someday, we would be free enough for me to scream his name into the wind. This was wild, natural, perfect.
I thrust my hips to match his rhythm. We were desperate with each other, feral. My pleasure began to build and build. I felt Mac’s release. He threw his head back and bit down hard on his bottom lip. I knew he wanted to howl. I wanted to hear it. I wanted all of him. The beast. The man.
I reached for him, pulling him down on top of me. Mac went still, bracing himself on his elbows as I found the friction that would drive me home.
Mine. My wolf. My man. I would die before I would ever let another touch me.
Fourteen
Mac
How had I ever denied this? How could I have ever thought Eve was anything other than mine? When I touched her, my heart began to beat. When I was inside of her, she filled my soul. I’d been born a shifter. We learn to live with two halves ourselves. But, until this moment, I’d never truly understood what I was.
The balance between beast and man is one that has marked my whole life. As my body joined Eve’s, I was whole for the first time since I began to draw breath.
Our coupling was hurried, rushed, primal. I had so much more to give her. Taking her once was not enough. It never would be. No sooner had we climaxed before my need for her rose again. Gasping, Eve felt it too. The rising tide within me nearly drove reason from my head. Eve knew what to do by instinct.
She turned, offering me her ass. The sight of her with her jeans tangled around her calves and her sex swollen, wet, and gaping for me made the thunderous beast inside of me roar to
the surface.
“Please,” she cried. Eve was already quivering with lust. Her hair fell to the side, exposing the back of her neck. My fangs came out. I bit my lip with them and drew blood. God, I wanted to mark her. She thrust against the air, waiting for me as I stroked my rock hard cock. She needed no further priming, Eve was still slick with desire. What I wouldn’t give for the luxury of time. I could look at that ass for hours. I wanted to draw her out, make her beg even harder. Then, when we’d both gone past the edge, I would drive myself home and give her the release she craved.
There was no time for any of that now. There was only this. I put my hands on her ass and spread her even wider. I would take my time with her someday. I would hold her like this and torment her with my tongue while she writhed beneath me. Then, she would do the same to me.
“Mac,” she whispered. “Hurry. I need you.”
I needed her too. I positioned myself at her sweet, slick cleft, then plunged into her. Eve’s walls tightened and twitched around me. I was big for her, I knew, but her body molded to mine. We had so much more to explore. I knew in the back of my mind we might never get the chance. We had now though, and I intended to make the best of it.
Eve was even quicker this time. By my third thrust, she arched her back and her walls went rigid. I felt her little sex pulsing against me as fresh juices flowed. Keeping my hands on her hips, I let her grind out her second orgasm. She pressed her face into the soft earth, trying to muffle her cries of pleasure. I wanted her to scream and give in to the wild lust wracking through her. Soon.
She hadn’t quite finished, when my own driving need took over. So, for the second time in less than ten minutes, I came again, filling her to the brim. Would I be lucky enough someday to let my seed take root in her? It seemed impossible, but the promise of it nearly drove me mad with wanting.
Eve was mine. She was born for this. I was born for this. I would kill anyone and anything that might try to tear it away.
Fully spent, we rolled to the ground. I gathered Eve into my arms and put soft kisses on her neck. My wolf’s fangs were still out. The pulse of my need to mark her still beat strong. If I did it, it would both save her and doom her with the Pack. I didn’t care, but had to make myself.
Eve collected herself first. She drew her jeans up and straightened her shirt. She put one palm against my cheek and traced the lines of my tattoo with the other.
“It’s beautiful,” she said. “What does it mean?”
Scanning the tree line, I listened for intruders. We were alone. For now. I zipped my fly and sat up, pulling her against my chest. “There are five of us who left the Pack together. The wings mean freedom. The swords symbolize our resistance. Jagger got his first. He was also the first to break free. After the Pack caught wind of it, the rest of us got ours. Now, it’s also a test of loyalty. If any member of the Pack ever sees this ink, they’ll know who we are.”
She tilted her head, her keen eyes regarding me. “So when you get the tattoo, there’s no going back. It marks you as a traitor to the Pack as far as they’re concerned.”
“Something like that,” I said, kissing her fingers.
“Five of you,” she said. “Just five?”
“Five Alphas,” I said. “Me, Jagger, my half-brother Liam, Payne, and Gunnar. But, we have a network of others who have helped us with supplies and runs. We’ve been able to get quite a number of beta wolves across the border over the last year. But, it’s getting riskier each time.”
“Promise me you’ll stay safe,” Eve’s eyes widened with fear. “Oh, Mac. If they ever catch you…”
“Shh.” I leaned forward and quieted her with a kiss. My lust stirred once again. With it, so did Eve’s.
“I can feel you,” she said. “In here and in here.” She pressed one hand to her heart, the other to her head.
“If I marked you, it would be so much more. Eventually, we could read each other’s thoughts. I’ll always know if you’re in danger.” My voice dropped low. I wanted to tell her that I would always keep her safe. That I would always come for her. Jagger had promised the same thing to Keara. I wasn’t ready to explain to Eve about her. She was owed the truth.
Eve touched my cheek, her eyes searching my face. God, even without the marking, she was already getting very good at reading my moods. She knew I was holding something back, but didn’t press.
“What about you?” I asked. “Isn’t there anyone out here looking for you like I’m looking for Lena?”
Eve’s lips parted, then broke into a sad smile that gutted me. “Not really. Not anymore. My mom died when I was sixteen. Lung cancer. She went fast, but not fast enough. My father has never been around. It’s his major claim to fame. That’s how they got me to come here. A scholarship offer that was too good to be true. It’s a story like that for just about everyone inside Birch Haven.”
She rested her head against me and I kissed her. “You mentioned that before. I think you’re right. They find the girls they think no one will miss. But, you’re not alone now, Eve. As long as there’s breath left in my body, you’ll never be alone again. I’ll come for you. I’ll always come for you.”
“I’ve never had a real family. Not really. Even when my mom was alive I was alone. Even here, it took me so long to let anyone in. With you though, it was so easy.”
“Fate,” I whispered. “Hits you like a thunderbolt. That’s what Liam and Molly said. I want you to meet her. She’s going to love you.”
“I think I’d like that. What are they like? The caves.”
“Vast. Dark. Hidden. It’s the safest place we could find. That deep underground, the Pack hasn’t been able to sense us.”
“Huh.” Eve laced her fingers through mine. Hers were small and delicate. Mine looked dark and rough next to hers. She was so small, and yet so strong. “You know, I’ve never visited them. I’ve lived within fifty miles of them my whole life, but I’ve never gone. There have been so many things like that in my life. I’ve been on the edge of things. It felt safer that way. Don’t get involved. Don’t get attached. I watched my mother do the opposite over and over again. She always went in whole hog whether it was a get rich quick scheme or a new man. Every time, she got ruined all over again. I said I’d never be like her.”
“You’re not,” I said. A fire burned inside of me. I knew what she was thinking. I understood her doubts. “And I’m not. That’s not what this is.”
“Oh, I know,” Eve said. “At least, it doesn’t feel like that. But, Mac, you have to know that about me. I’ve never been the kind of person to jump into something without looking before. This is new to me. The only other time I did was Birch Haven. Look how that turned out.”
I turned her to face me. “I’m never going to hurt you. I’m never going to so much as touch you unless you want it. Even if you never want to see my face again, I’ll still protect you. Forever.”
Eve’s throat bobbed as she swallowed hard. A tiny vein pulsed near her temple. Her eyes searched my face. I knew how hard this was for her to trust. I would not break my vow. I would spend the rest of my life proving to her that I was worthy of this.
“So now what?” she said, brightening. “It seems I can’t go with you without risking the entire Birch Haven patrols following us. I can’t go back there for much longer without risking...Chris.”
“I won’t let him touch you. No matter what happens. I’ll find a way to keep you safe.”
No sooner had I said it when the hairs on the back of my neck stood on end. The air changed and I sensed we weren’t alone. I rose and pushed Eve behind me. My growl came out low and threatening.
“Mac, don’t!” Eve tried to step around from behind me, but I held her tight. Three women emerged, their footsteps crunching so loud against the fallen leaves I wouldn’t have needed preternatural gifts to hear them approach.
I felt Eve’s body relax behind me. She knew them.
“It’s all right. At least, I think,” she said. I kept a firm hand
on the small of her back, but let her come around from behind me.
The women were terrified at the sight of me. One stood apart from the others, taking the lead. She was tall and reed-thin with straight dark hair and large eyes that went up and up as she took me in. One of her companions was a stunningly gorgeous African-American woman with luminous green eyes that glinted in the moonlight in a way that almost made her look like a shifter. She was human though. They all were. The third woman hung back. She had blonde hair and a fuller figure.
“April,” Eve said. She came fully out from behind me, gesturing with her hand for me to stay back. I did, but kept Eve within arm’s length. These women would never be fast enough to lay a hand on her with me around, but my protective instincts burned strong.
“This is your friend, I take it,” April said, fixing a hard stare on me.
“He is,” Eve said. “Mac, this is April. She’s the girl I met the other day. The one who knew Lena. This is Jasmine. And I’m sorry, who are you?” she directed her question to the third girl hanging back behind the others.
“I’m sorry,” April said. “This is Kat. She’s new. Just came to Birch Haven last week.”
“What are you doing out here?” Eve asked.
“Looking for you, of course.” It was Jasmine who answered this time. Her flaring anger made me snarl. Though these girls were no threat to Eve, my wolf was stirred.
“Have you asked him?” April asked. “Can he help us?”
Eve’s face went white. She looked from me to the girls. “Uh. We haven’t...I haven’t…” The deep blush coloring her cheeks made me smile. As stirred as I was, so was she.
“We can help you,” April said, bypassing Eve in her flustered state. “You’re the one looking for Lena Morris, right?”
I couldn’t stop the growl that escaped from deep inside of me. “What do you know about her?”
Eve stepped in. “I’ve seen her,” she said to April. “She’s in a cell of some kind. She’s alive.”