One more week, Rylan thought.
Would he make it to Christmas or would he break down and give it to her before then?
“How awful!” Evie’s distress pulled Rylan from his thoughts.
“What is?” Rylan asked as he turned to look at Evie.
“That poor woman. She and her husband were out celebrating their 9th wedding anniversary when a drunk driver crashed into her car, killing her husband. Both of her legs were broken. She’ll be in the hospital for months, and just before Christmas too. How tragic!” She shook her head in sympathy.
Rylan turned to look at the news and sucked in a deep breath. Time seemed to slow down as he sat up staring at the image on the screen.
“No, no, NO!” Evie turned to look at Rylan, confused by his reaction. He seemed pale as he stared at the screen, shaking his head in denial.
Did he know this woman? The way he was acting….No. It couldn’t be. Not her, please not her. Realization dawned and Evie felt her chest constrict painfully.
“Is that…your mate?” she asked in a whisper, hating how her voice trembled. Rylan blinked, turned to her and nodded. She saw the pain in his eyes.
Of course he would be upset. His mate was in pain.
Evie tried to ignore the stabbing pains she felt in her heart. It was unbearable. She couldn’t stop the tears from flowing.
Rylan scented her pain. It was stronger than when she had told him of her husband’s dissection. He reached for her but she shifted suddenly, her grey wolf growling at him, baring its sharp fangs.
She hopped off the couch, ran to the kitchen door and slipped through the Wolf Door. She took off into the forest at a fast pace, running until she couldn’t keep it in anymore. She stopped and howled. It was a heart breaking sound that reminded Rylan of his own pain nearly six months ago. And he had caused it.
Evie-wolf howled until she was exhausted. She fell asleep in the woods, uncaring that she was blanketed in the softly falling snow. Rylan waited until her howling ebbed, quickly dressed and picked up his small duffle bag. He went outside and sniffed. He had to move fast before the snow covered up her scent. An hour later he found Evie-wolf, sound asleep on the ground, half covered with snow.
“Evie?” She raised her head and growled at him in warning. “Honey, it’s snowing. You can’t stay out in the open like this. Let me take you home, please? The children will be upset if you’re not there in the morning.” Too tired to fight, too tired to move, Evie-wolf rested her head on her paws and watched him. She growled at him as he set down his duffle bag and pulled out a blanket. He covered her and picked her up. He carried her all the way home.
Once they were home, he set her down in front of the fire. He took off his thick coat and boots and set them by the door. He went upstairs to check on the children. Satisfied they were fine, he returned downstairs. She was still by the fireplace. He went to their bedroom and started a fire. Once their room was warm, he picked her up and carried her to their bed. As soon as he set her down, she growled at him and leaped off the bed. At the door, she turned and growled a warning at him, baring her fangs. She went back to the living room and plopped down in front of the fireplace. Rylan stayed by the bedroom door until she had fallen asleep, then cautiously went to the living room and lay on the couch. If she wouldn’t sleep in their bed, then he would sleep near her in the living room. He refused to be separated from her.
Evie was certain she had died and gone to hell. She woke up by the fireplace and the awful events of the previous night came crashing into her. She steeled herself against the pain that radiated throughout her body, but it didn’t stop the tears from falling. Not wanting the children to see her, she managed to get up and walk to her bedroom. Rylan was in the kitchen making breakfast. She could hear him moving around and scented the distinct aroma of frying bacon. She locked the bedroom door and lay naked on their bed, curled up in a fetal position and cried until she ran out of tears.
Rylan could scent her pain, even from the kitchen. He forced himself to stay in the kitchen and take care of breakfast. The children would be up soon and they would need to be fed. Before he completed the thought, he heard them running down the stairs. The savory scent of bacon called them into the kitchen. They seemed surprised to see him cooking breakfast instead of Evie.
“Where’s Mommy?” Gabby asked as she pulled set the table.
“Sweetie, Mommy’s…ah…not feeling well. We have to give her a chance to…rest. After you eat breakfast, I need you to keep your brothers upstairs, ok? You can watch TV in the guest room. Think you can do that for me?” Gabby grinned as she nodded, happy to help Rylan. He leaned over and kissed the top of her head.
“What’s wrong with Mommy?” Finn asked.
Not wanting to deceive his children, he confessed, “I…she’s upset with me, Finn. I just need some time to make sure she’s not mad at me anymore, ok?” Finn’s eyes widened.
Mommy was mad at Rylan?
Rylan gave Max a hug and put him in his high chair, strapping him in. He served the children breakfast and drank his coffee while they ate. His stomach was tied in knots, so he ate nothing. After breakfast, Rylan carried Max upstairs and gave him a quick bath. He waited until Finn and Gabby were done with their showers before he left them with Max.
He returned to the kitchen and cleaned up, then walked to their bedroom. He turned the knob and was shocked to find it locked. He knocked softly on the door, but Evie refused to answer him.
“Evie, Honey, please open the door.” She still refused to open it. He swore softly and kicked down the door. Evie laid on the bed, curled into a ball, eyes red and swollen from crying. Rylan didn’t know what he felt as he observed Evie. All he knew was that he needed to stop her pain. He knelt down in front of her, reached out to stroke her face and she pulled away from him. Her rejection cut through him like a knife.
“Evie….”
“Don’t.” Her voice was barely a whisper.
“She means nothing to me, Evie. She didn’t want me, remember?”
“She’s your mate. You have no choice but to go to her. Your wolf won’t let you leave your mate. She’s free now. It will take some time for her to grieve her husband, but I know she will fall in love with you.” Her voice broke and she turned away from him. Rylan scented the strength of her pain and would have fallen to his knees if he were not already there.
“Evie…”
“Just go, Rylan. Go to your…mate.”
“I’m not leaving you, Evie. I belong here, with you, with the children.”
The doorbell rang and Rylan swore. The last thing he needed right now was an uninvited guest. He answered the door, surprised to find one of Ethan’s pack mates standing at the door.
“Why are you here?” he asked irritated at the interruption.
“Ethan said you had to leave suddenly and wanted me to keep an eye on Evie and the kids.”
Ethan must have seen the news report as well. Rylan was angry and insulted that Ethan thought he would abandon Evie because his mate was suddenly free. He opened his mouth to argue when he heard Evie by her bedroom door.
“Thank you for coming, Travis. Rylan will be leaving soon.” She turned and walked back into her bedroom. Rylan followed her into the bedroom, slamming the door behind him. Evie sat on the bed, her purple fluffy robe pulled tight around her.
“You’re sending me away?” Rylan was hurt that Evie would abandon him too.
“You can’t resist your mate, Rylan. It isn’t possible.” Rylan remembered what Evie had said to her father about Remington: I would never ask Remington to be my mate when his true mate is still out there. I will not sentence him to such a life.
Does Evie think I would feel it was a punishment to be mated to her? I will have to prove to her that she is the only one that matters to me. I love Evie, not Sonja.
“Fine. I’ll go and see her. But I’ll be back.” He stomped over to the closet, picked up his duffle bag and began stuffing it with some clothes. He zipped up the bag and then
stormed out of their bedroom.
The children came downstairs, saw his bag and noted the anger on his face.
“You’re leaving us?” Gabby began crying. Max saw Gabby cry and he began crying too.
“Is Mommy that mad at you, Rylan? Just give her a hug and a kiss, she won’t be mad anymore, you don’t have to go. Just kiss her already!” Finn pleaded with him. Rylan’s heart was near breaking at the sight of his children crying for him. He dropped his duffle bag and kneeled down beside them. They rushed into his arms and he hugged them tight.
“I have…an errand to run. As soon as that’s done, I’ll be back. I’m going to spend Christmas right here with my family, with you,” he promised. He gave them a gentle squeeze and released them. The sooner he left, the sooner he would be back. Without another word to Evie or Travis, he left.
Chapter 23
By mid-afternoon, Rylan had reached the hospital. He stood outside his mate’s room and stared at her, lying on the bed, both legs in casts, suspended from the ceiling. He took a deep breath and walked into the room. She turned to look at him and recognition lit her eyes. She reached for him and he stepped closer, took her hand and he knew what Evie said was true. He couldn’t resist his mate. His wolf would never let him.
After Rylan left, Evie had a strong urge to finish her half full bottle of Johnny Walker Black Label. But she was uneasy leaving the children alone with Travis. She knew him, had grown up with him, but she had not seen him in over a decade. Now he was a virtual stranger to her. She showered and drank some coffee, forcing herself to eat some of the bacon Rylan had made for breakfast. Her stomach protested and she decided to just drink her coffee. She sat at the table, subconsciously fingering the locket Rylan had given her as she sipped her coffee.
The day went by slowly. She snuggled with the children on their bed, watching TV while Travis patrolled the area. She felt depressed, lethargic. If it weren’t for her children, she would be curled up in bed, wallowing in self misery. Her only regret was that her children would suffer for her lack of self control. If she had refused to let Rylan into her bed, she wouldn’t have fallen in love with him. They wouldn’t have fallen in love with him. They would be heartbroken when they realized he wasn’t coming back.
Evie forced herself to get out of bed and start dinner. She kept busy in the kitchen, focusing on anything but Rylan’s absence and the empty, aching hole in her heart. Gabby quietly set the table, leaving out the place setting at the head of the table. Travis joined them for dinner and they ate quietly. The scent of sadness and pain was palpable and Travis felt smothered.
All this emotion over an Alpha who left to run an errand? He shook his head and ate his meal.
After dinner, the children sat in the living room with Evie, playing a board game. Travis began pacing impatiently. He received a phone call and whatever was said to him made him angry. Evie scented his anger and decided to send the children to bed.
“When is the Alpha coming back?” Travis suddenly demanded. Evie gave him a warning look and sent the children up to bed. As they walked by Travis, he grabbed Max and held him against his chest, with his hand on his face. Max fought to get away but Travis kept his hold.
“What are you doing? Put him down this instant!” Evie stood as she demanded Travis release her son.
“Answer me, you Bitch!” Evie was flabbergasted.
What is wrong with Travis? Why is he acting this way?
“WHEN WILL HE RETURN?” Travis shouted. Evie shook her head sadly.
“He’s not coming back. He went to claim his mate.” Her heart ached so much she could barely stand.
“I need the Alpha. He’s worth a lot of money.”
Evie stared at Travis in horror as comprehension dawned. “You…You were the one that gave them Lucas? For money?” Waves of pain crashed into her and her knees gave out. She fell to the floor, too shocked to cry.
“I got a lot of money for Lucas, but I would have done it for free,” Travis sneered. “I wanted him gone so I could have you.”
“What?”
“I’ve wanted you ever since I could remember, but you were never interested in me. Then you met Lucas and after one day, gave yourself to him.”
“He was my mate!” she reminded him.
“After he was gone, I thought I’d have a chance then. But you locked yourself away in this…shack. Then you come visit your father and after a week, a week, you take this Alpha home and you fuck him!”
Travis was so enraged he began squeezing Max. Seeing and scenting his brother’s pain, Finn changed into his wolf and attacked Travis. Travis saw Finn-wolf leap and swung his arm. His fist connected with Finn-wolf and he went flying backwards. Finn-wolf fell on the floor, unconscious.
“Finn!” Evie managed to crawl over to Finn-wolf, quickly checking him for injuries. He was breathing evenly and there was a little blood on the floor where his head connected with the wood. She pulled Finn into her arms, holding him tight against her. She turned to Travis and growled at him, her wolf eyes promising retribution for hurting her pup.
Because he was still holding Max, she didn’t dare attack him. It took every ounce of self control to keep her wolf from rising, from seeking vengeance for her mate and for her pups.
“If I can’t have the Alpha, then I’ll give them you and your pups. But first, I’m going to take what’s mine. Get over here and strip. Everyone else is fucking you, why not me?” Travis leered at her, spittle dripping down his mouth.
“Let Max go and I’ll do it.”
“The boy stays with me until you’re naked and on your knees.”
Knowing she had no choice, she acquiesced. Evie turned away from Travis to set Finn-wolf down gently on the floor, so he missed the sudden look of shock on her face when Evie caught a familiar scent. She glanced over at Gabby, caught her eye and shook her head slightly. Gabby’s eyes widened as she caught the scent and she nodded back at Evie.
“Gabby, come stay with Finn,” Evie commanded.
Gabby moved and sat near her unconscious brother. Evie forced herself to stand and walked over by the fireplace. Travis turned to watch her, his back towards Finn and Gabby. She stood in front of the fireplace and gazed at Travis, looking directly in his eyes. Evie ran her hands leisurely up her thighs, over her belly, up to her breasts. She squeezed them gently and Travis began panting. The front of his pants tented as his erection grew. Slowly Evie began unbuttoning her top. Travis was so entranced by her body, the scent of her growing arousal that he missed the scent of the wolf that had entered through the Wolf Door. The large white wolf snuck up quietly behind Travis and bit him hard on the ass.
Suddenly, sharp pains radiated from Travis’s ass and he dropped Max in surprise as he screamed in pain. Evie quickly scooped up Max and moved out of his reach. The large white wolf bit down harder and Travis managed to swing his hand, hitting the wolf on the snout. It released him and transformed into Rylan.
“How dare you hit my son! You will pay for terrorizing my family.” Enraged, Rylan stood to his full height, fists clenched, ready to fight, ready to kill. Evie was astonished to see Rylan standing in their home. Her mind didn’t even fully process what he said to Travis.
“You can’t kill him, Rylan. He’s betrayed my father, our pack. He’s been selling wolves to the people who….” She couldn’t finish her sentence. Rylan nodded.
They would need him alive, to find out who purchased the wolves and how many had been taken. But they didn’t need him unharmed.
Sensing the danger, Travis transformed into a gray wolf and attacked Rylan. Rylan instantly changed into his wolf and leaped out of the way. He turned around and they circled each other, growling and baring their fangs. Evie backed away from them, holding Max. She headed over to Gabby and Finn. She suspected Travis might try and attack them. She wouldn’t let him near her children. She set down Max and stripped, changed into her sleek gray wolf and stood guard in front of them as Travis-wolf and Rylan-wolf continued circling each other
, growling loudly and lunging at each other, occasionally swiping at the other wolf with a sharp paw.
Once Evie was safely in front of the children, Rylan-wolf attacked. They met in the center of the room, standing on hind legs as their upper legs swiped at each other. As they danced around, each wolf tried to bite the other’s neck to deliver a killing blow. Rylan-wolf was an Alpha and he was enraged at Travis for attacking his family. Travis-wolf was smaller but fighting for his life. The battle raged on as each wolf swiped at the other, biting each other on the back, hind leg, anywhere their sharp teeth landed. Rylan-wolf finished toying with Travis-wolf and lunged at his side, knocking him over. In an instant he was over Travis-wolf, with his jaws clamped securely over his neck, biting down with enough force to dig into his flesh.
“Don’t kill him, Rylan, please! We need him alive.” Evie had changed back into her human form. She dressed quickly as both Rylan and Travis returned to their human forms. Rylan punched Travis in the stomach, then the face and he was knocked out cold. Because he was naked, he did not turn around, knowing Gabby was still in the room. He maneuvered himself so that he blocked Travis’ naked body from her view.
“Do you have rope, anything to bind him?”
“Yes. I’ll be right back.” Evie ran to the back door, outside to the small gardening shed. She found a piece of rope and ran back to the house. Outside the back door she found Rylan’s pile of clothes and she gathered them up and brought them inside. She gave Rylan the rope and he hogtied Travis, binding his hands and his feet together behind his back. She left to get medical supplies to take care of Finn. He pulled on his boxers and went over to the children. Gabby and Max rushed into his arms and he held them tight, glad they were both unharmed. Evie came back with a bowl of warm water, some rags and a small medical kit. Rylan carefully picked up Finn and carried him to the sofa. He sat with Finn across his lap, holding up his head so that Evie could examine it. She wet the rag and wiped his blood soaked head. There was a lot of blood but she only found one small cut. She put some antiseptic on the wound and the stinging pain caused Finn’s eyes to flutter open.
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