A gray wolf appeared, and Eva's hands shook as she lowered the gun. The wolves stalked toward her, stepping over their fallen comrade, their black eyes fixed on Eva. They had an air of death about them.
I guess this is it, she thought.
Eva blinked rapidly, as the thought registered and she gasped. Her legs felt weak as she took a step back and her lungs burned as she tried to draw breath.
"Shit!"
Eva's heartbeat pounded in her chest, rattling her ribcage. It was all over. She'd tried, but in the end, it wasn't enough. There was nothing else she could do. Eva hoped Rowan wouldn't be too disappointed in her.
Before she could follow that thought down into a pit of depression, a loud roar sounded to her left. Both Eva and the wolves froze, then a sizeable brown lion charged into the space in front of the safe house, placing himself between Eva and the wolves, and roared.
The sound was deafening, and it was a definite challenge to the two wolves, who to Eva's relief, started backing away. More heavy footsteps drew near, and five more lions joined their leader, filling the space to the brim.
This must be the Tyler Mara mentioned, she thought.
Seeing her only chance for survival, Eva quickly dashed into the house, shutting the door behind her, and crouched on the floor, covering her ears with her hands. The last thing she wanted to do was see or hear the bloody mess that would take place in a matter of seconds.
Minutes later, she felt a tap on her shoulder. Eva's eyes flew open, and she scrambled away, panting to catch her breath. When she turned to face the intruder, she saw only the most enticing sight.
Rowan stood before her, gloriously naked, with a cheeky smile on her face, and most importantly safe. "I've never had a woman react that way to me naked. Should I be flattered or offended?"
Eva grinned, scrambled to her feet, and launched herself at her girlfriend. "Flattered. You should definitely be flattered."
14
"I love you," Eva said, her face pressed against Rowan's neck. The taller woman froze, then warmth flooded through every part of her being, relaxing her limbs as a massive grin split her face.
"I love you too," she responded.
Rowan lowered her right arm to Eva's waist and pulled her girlfriend even closer needing to feel her heat against her. Eva placed wet kisses against Rowan's neck in the spot that made her tickle. Rowan giggled.
"Stop that. This is supposed to be romantic."
Eva pulled back and smirked. "Oh, it already is. Don't think I can't feel your nipples poking me. You must be excited to see me."
Snickers broke out behind Rowan, and she turned to find a dressed Giselle and Mara doing a terrible job of holding back their laughter. Heat flooded Rowan's face, and she folded her arms over her chest. She turned to look at Eva whose face was just as red as hers.
"Sorry. I didn't know they were here," Eva whispered, ducking her head.
Rowan sighed, then reached for the blanket she used to sleep on and wrapped herself in it. She'd never been embarrassed by her body, but having her friends witness her obvious arousal was a no go.
Rowan pursed her lips then turned to face her friends. "It's okay. They're just jealous."
Eva smiled, then leaned forward and whispered. "I'm flattered that you're excited to see me."
"Always." Rowan cupped Eva's cheek and stroked it. "You're my mate."
Eva inhaled sharply, her eyes opening wide. "Just like that?"
"Yup. I've known for a while, but I didn't want to scare you off by mentioning it so soon."
"Oh my god! Same here." Eva laughed. "We're both goofballs."
"Hey," Rowan said, raising a finger. "No one gets to call my mate a goofball."
Eva grinned and tiptoed to peck Rowan's lips. "We'll continue this conversation later in a more intimate setting." Eva lowered her voice. "This bra is hiding just how excited I am to see you, too."
"Rowan Fanan," A baritone voice called. "Is this how you welcome your help?"
Rowan turned to grin at Tyler. "Sorry, but we weren't sure you were coming, and not with help. What did you do? Bring your entire pack with you?"
Tyler grinned, his brown eyes full of warmth. "Only a third of them. That's why I was a little late to the party." He turned to face Eva. "I hope we didn't scare you too much. You looked about ready to pass out."
Eva squealed. "I was! First, two massive wolves wouldn't stand in place long enough for me to shoot. Then a giant lion jumped between them and me. And finally, a pack of lions, each one as imposing as the next followed."
"I'm glad you're okay." Tyler grinned. "Can't have Rowan's mate getting hurt before we're properly introduced."
Rowan folded her arms over her blanket and glared. "How did you know she was my mate?"
"I peeped through the window." Tyler winked. "I may be gay, but even I felt a little something when you two kissed."
Rowan reached for the nearest pillow and chucked it at Tyler. In the process, her blanket slipped bearing her torso. She scrambled to pick it back up and frowned. Tyler looked amused and completely unfazed.
"Wait. How is it that you're fully dressed? Didn't you shift?"
"I did, but one of us always carries a bag full of clothes whenever we head out on a mission. We stash it nearby so we can get changed after. I assume you haven't implemented that little trick yet."
Rowan rolled her eyes. "We're still new, so that would be a negative."
"It does sound like a clever idea," Mara piped in.
"That's what I'm here for."
"How are you here?" Jade asked, taking a step forward into the living room where they all stood. "Especially with what looks to be your entire pack."
Tyler flipped the brown hair hanging over his face dramatically and smacked his lips. "Well, when Mara finally confirmed the rumors I heard about your fight with the Darksong, I knew this was the chance we'd all been waiting for. I challenged my uncle for alpha and won. After that, it was a simple matter of running over here. As of now, the Braveheart clan swears loyalty to the Whiteheart Clan. We will be your allies in all times of need. Just, you know, give us a heads up a lot sooner next time."
Rowan's jaw fell. Here was one of the leaders of one of the most powerful lion clans declaring loyalty to her clan, and asking to join. "Are you serious? You want to ally yourselves with us?"
"Of course!" Tyler's face sobered. "While I won the position of alpha fair and square, I'm sure that there will be opposition. Few people are okay with a gay alpha. I'm going back home to change those stereotypes, and you're doing the same, but in an impressive way. I don't dare to break away as you have, but I want to contribute in any way I can. I want more for myself and every shifter out there. I want us to have proper jobs or start businesses that aren't just fronts for illegal activity. I want us to use our strength to help people. I want any one of us to be able to mate a person of any gender. And by any of us, I'm talking about me. The gay alpha of a straight pack!"
Everyone burst out laughing, and Rowan walked to Tyler and held out her hand. "The Whiteheart Clan would be honored to have the Braveheart as allies. Whenever you need us, we'll be there. Once I'm dressed, I'll be more than happy to welcome you with a hug."
Tyler picked Rowan up in a bear hug and spun her around. "No need for that. We're family now. I've gotta get used to seeing female bits, and you've got to get used to seeing male dangly bits."
Rowan punched Tyler in the arm once he put her down. "Please don't put that picture in my head. Before we proceed, I need to get dressed."
A couple of minutes later, Rowan walked out of she and Eva's room fully dressed, and finally comfortable. She couldn't believe that the Whiteheart clan had grown so fast, and acquired such skilled allies. Rowan shook her head as she replayed Tyler's last words to her.
I guess we'll all have to get used to one another again, she thought.
Rowan ran down the stairs and froze midway. There, seated up, and sipping a glass of water, chatting with an excited Tyler as
the group watched on, was Brooke. Rowan blinked back the tears that filled her eyes.
Brooke had only been out for a little over a day, but in that time, Rowan had come face to face with the possibility of life without her best friend. That future looked bleak and uninspiring. Brooke was the first person Rowan had come out to or shared her dream of the Whiteheart clan with. Rowan needed her by her side to see their vision through.
"Hey," Brooke said, as Rowan stepped onto the living room floor.
"Hey yourself." Rowan smiled. "I'm glad you're okay."
"We all are," Mara said, squeezing Brooke's shoulders from her position standing behind her.
"I am too, after the dumb stunt I pulled." Brooke hung her head and rubbed her eyes. "I was just so—"
"You don't have to explain." Rowan shook her head firmly. "We've all made mistakes, and no one here cares."
"Exactly," Jade said from her seat near Brooke. "No one here blames you. All of this is on the Darksong."
"Speaking of the Darksong," Rowan said, folding up the sleeves of her plaid shirt. "We need to visit them to end this war once and for all. We've more than made our case, and with our new allies, I'd say we'll have a pretty convincing argument to get them to take the contracts down and leave Eva be."
"Going straight to the source," Tyler stood up. "Ballsy. I like that."
Rowan smiled. "Good, because I need you and the other lions to act as our muscle. You know, for visual impact."
"So, you want us shirtless and sour-faced?"
"Exactly."
"You've got it. I'll go give the guys their marching orders."
Brooke stood up. "Let me get changed, then we can go."
"Are you sure you're okay to come with us?" Rowan raised an eyebrow to emphasize her question.
Brooke scoffed. "It's not like we're leaving the country, Rowan. Besides, I told you I feel fine. Now, let me get back into the swing of things. I need to think about something else other than what happened."
"Okay." Rowan stepped aside and patted Brooke's shoulder as she walked by.
"Why is she still guilty?" Giselle asked.
Mara sighed. "I have a feeling even she doesn't understand that."
"Come on guys," Rowan said. "Let's go put an end to all of this. For Brooke, Eva and all of us."
15
Eva stepped out of Rowan's truck, onto the gravel-covered parking lot. Once they'd made it down the mountain, Eva was glad to find that Rowan's truck was safe and sound where they'd left it, behind a cluster of trees at the foot of the mountain.
The Whiteheart members hopped in and made their way to the Darksong hangout after the Braveheart guys refused to pile into the back of the truck, electing to follow on foot.
"Really?" Brooke burst out laughing. "Another bar?"
Jade shrugged. "I guess all the imposing clans like to show how unfazed they are by everything. What better way than to spend all your spare time drinking?"
"I would never have thought the name Wooden Horn would be the name of a bar." Mara cocked her head and studied the door. Eva followed suit and frowned. She didn't get it either.
"Well, it's getting a little old," Rowan said, her voice flat.
Eva turned to her girlfriend and raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"
"The Dragonclaw's favorite hangout was a bar too. I hate stepping into one, especially when I know what deals get made in there."
Eva reached out and took Rowan's hand in hers, resting her head on her shoulder. She hoped this would be the last time Rowan would have to enter another bar, but she knew the chances of that were low. All Eva could do was be supportive.
"Hopefully, this will be quick, and painless."
Rowan nodded sharply. "Let's go get this over with."
"Aren't we going to wait for the guys?" Mara asked.
Rowan shuffled her feet, the gravel giving away her eagerness to end this feud.
"No. We've already defeated the fighting forces of two powerful clans. We've made our point. We need them for a show of force. By the time we get to that point, they'll be here. Let's go in."
Eva released Rowan's hand and stepped back. Rowan turned to give her a small smile. Eva understood that there were times when Rowan needed to be seen as the leader of a clan. It wasn't that Rowan was ashamed of her, it was that she needed to portray a false masculine picture of strength. Having her girlfriend hanging on to her arm would work against that.
Eva followed behind Rowan and Mara who led the group in. Once the doors to the bar opened, darkness and silence greeted them. Eva hadn't spent much time in shifter bars, but she'd expected noise and rowdy behavior.
"Why's the place empty?" Giselle whispered in her ear.
Eva shrugged. "Perhaps they're out on an operation."
Eva followed the team into the bar. Once inside, she spotted a good-looking woman seated at the corner table with the man Eva recognized from his visit to the Whiteheart home weeks ago.
"Zoe," Rowan said, her voice loud and confident. "The Whiteheart has come to pay you a friendly visit, and offer a truce."
"You don't get to come here and make demands," the man said standing.
"Shut up, Aiden," Rowan said. "Zoe can speak for herself."
To Eva's surprise, the attractive woman burst out laughing before she rose. "Rowan's right."
Zoe walked away from her table and met Rowan in the center of the room. Aiden stood behind her to her left, glaring at Rowan.
Zoe was just as tall as Rowan, but the similarities ended there. Zoe's eyes were a dark brown, and her hair jet black. She was also a lot more muscled than Rowan was.
"If these two went head to head, I don't know who would win," Giselle whispered in Eva's ear.
Jade turned to glare at the two women, and Eva held her hands up defensively. Giselle was the one doing all the chatting and a poor job of whispering. Eva had no interest in carrying on a conversation with her. She was too busy admiring her girlfriend, who at that moment, exuded more power than Eva had ever seen.
Tonight will have to be the night we make love, Eva thought, with a smirk.
"So, Rowan. What brings you by?"
"I'm here to ask the Darksong to relinquish their interest in Eva Martinelli, and the Whiteheart Clan by extension."
Zoey cocked her head. "That means that you acknowledge that she is Darksong property."
Eva pursed her lips, holding back a few choice words. She'd liked Zoe for telling Aiden to shut up, but now she was acting like every other power hungry, barbaric, Darksong.
"Eva is no one's property. Let's get that straight. Secondly, the agreement the Stonelight made with you was based on false truths."
Zoe's head jerked back an inch, and the careful masquerade of nonchalance she wore fell for a second. "What do you mean?"
"Eva is my mate."
Eva's heart soared at the confidence with which Rowan said those words. There was no hesitance, only the utmost pride. But then Aiden bellowed and ruined the moment.
"Two women can't be mates. It's biologically impossible."
Zoe turned around sharply, and although Eva couldn't see her face, the message she sent Aiden was clear enough. The Darksong third's nostrils flared, and he bowed his head. Zoe was the Darksong second, and here, it appeared that hierarchy still held a lot of power.
"Forgive my third for his uneducated response." Zoe clasped her hands behind her back and turned to face Eva. "If you were already mated, then why didn't you tell your parents?"
Eva's hands shook, and she clenched them and raised her chin. Zoe had assumed that she and Rowan were mates before the attempted kidnapping. Eva quickly glanced at Rowan and saw her encouragement to run with the story. At least that's what she read in her girlfriend's eyes.
"My parents are homophobes. They've never accepted me. There was no point in telling them about who I was with." It was a partial truth, and it seemed that helped Eva sell the story because Zoe looked at the floor and mumbled to herself.
"I see."
Zoe lifted her head. "Be that as it may, you've killed several Darksong allies, and the group who you just defeated was made up of Darksong wolves among other clans. Blood must answer for blood."
"That it must, but the only reason blood was shed was that you provoked us. You sent Aiden to us, and he didn't want to talk. He only made demands." Rowan walked around the circle of women as she talked. "You provoked us, and we responded. When we moved to our safe house to seek safety and refuge, you followed us and sent men after us."
Zoe quirked her lips. "That's quite the interpretation."
"It's merely a retelling of events. The Darksong threatened us, and the Whiteheart responded. If you continue to do so, then we will continue to respond. I'd rather not have any more bloodshed. That's why I came here. To make peace and also pass on some information. The Braveheart clan has sworn allegiance to the Whiteheart. They fought with us today, and will continue to do so." Rowan pulled back the curtain of the bar window. "They're standing out there to show you that we will not be bullied."
Aiden scoffed and followed Rowan. Once he looked outside the window, he turned and dipped his head to Zoe.
The dark haired woman took a deep breath. "Aiden, leave us."
The Darksong third clenched his jaw, then stomped out of the room, but not before muttering the word bitch. Once he left, Zoe relaxed her stance, and to Eva's shock, she smiled.
"Well played."
Rowan cocked her head. "Excuse me?"
"I've only dealt with your sister Sloane thus far. She's far too heavy-handed for my liking. I like your soft but firm approach."
Eva stared at Zoe, with her eyes wide. The young woman's personality had done a complete one-eighty. She wondered if that's how Rowan was when she was the Dragonclaw third.
"And you," Zoe said pointing at Eva. "You're pretty quick on your feet. That lie would have convinced almost anyone, except I go to the Titanrun to blow off steam every once in a while. I know Rowan's been single for a long time."
Outlaw Dragon Page 10
