“Who told you this rubbish?” Quinn’s expression darkened dangerously. Eva paused in her rant long enough to wonder if his look was a warning she should heed, or if it was something his tribe should now worry about.
“Oh, rubbish, is it? Don’t pretend you’re some angel, Quinn. You wanted your brood mother, well now you’ve got her. But don’t you think I’ll come to your bed willingly to be used as some incubator, waiting and ready for you whenever you want it,” Eva hissed, her anger coursing through her like acid.
“That’s enough,” Quinn roared as he stood up, the full power of the voice of an alpha shaking the ground at Eva’s feet. Eva’s eyes widened as she realized she had not only poked the alpha, but quite possibly thrown ammunition at him, too.
“I don’t know what nonsense you’ve been fed by the gossip-mongers of this tribe, but I’ve heard enough,” Quinn spoke with the certainty of an alpha.
Eva took a step backwards, away from Quinn, shrinking in on herself. She had forgotten that he was, by all rights, an alpha, with all the power that came with that position. And she had managed to anger him.
“Go, Eva. Go get some rest,” Quinn pointed at the door leading into the house.
Eva slunk off to her room, making sure not to turn her back on Quinn until she had left the kitchen.
Quinn rubbed his eyes; he had less control over his tribe than he had thought.
Quinn was pacing across his study when Thomas entered the room. He could feel the anger rolling off Quinn in waves and felt his stomach drop down to his feet. It was a great perk being the best friend of the alpha almost as often as it was the greatest curse, Thomas reflected.
“Do you realize it’s almost midnight?” Thomas asked gently. While Thomas was used to these midnight talks, it served Quinn well to be reminded that some of his tribesmen actually did sleep.
Quinn stopped pacing for a second, waved his hand in dismissal and continued wearing a path into the carpet.
“Can we stop the pacing and get to the talking please? I’ve had a long day trying to plan our next attack – as per your orders, I might add,” Thomas took a seat in one of the overstuffed lounge chairs facing the fireplace.
Quinn nodded and leaned against the wall, arms folded.
“Is it true?” he asked softly.
“Is what true, Quinn? Is the tribe well-fed? Yes. Do we need more land? Yes. Is the sky blue? Sure. You’ll really have to be more specific than that,” Thomas couldn’t help the sarcasm. There were days when he wondered if Quinn was being obtuse just to irritate him.
“Thomas, is it true that the tribe thinks she’s here to be some sort of bed warmer and brood mother?” Quinn’s expression darkened.
“Ah,” Thomas pulled his face; he’d really hoped to avoid this particular conversation.
“I’ll take that as a yes, then,” Quinn sighed.
“There is a rather large portion of your tribe that believes she’s here for, shall we say, breeding purposes,” Thomas tried to put it delicately, but he had a feeling he’d failed miserably when Quinn finally replied.
“And I wonder where they get such ridiculous ideas,” Quinn spat.
“Think about it, Quinn,” Thomas remained unconcerned. He had dealt with Quinn’s mood swings for his entire life – there was nothing new or threatening about them.
Quinn raised his eyebrow in question.
“You paid for a girl who is easy on the eyes, from a different tribe, without giving a credible reason to anyone. It’s a well-known fact you’ve never even taken a lover from your own tribe, even though the girls fairly throw themselves at your feet. And here you are, with a paid-for she-wolf living under your roof. What did you think the tribe was going to say? Oh, look, he just deals in human trafficking now? Unless the girl is of some other value politically, I don’t blame them for thinking she’s here to warm your bed and raise your children.”
“That’s not why she’s here,” Quinn shook his head in dismay.
“I know that. But I’m also the only one who knows the real reason she’s here. And as your best friend, I meant it when I swore I would tell no one. But the question now is, does Eva even know why she’s here?”
Quinn shook his head; Thomas sighed.
“So now you’ve got a paid-for she-wolf living under your roof who thinks she’s a glorified bed warmer? I don’t envy you one bit, my friend,” Thomas almost laughed until he saw the expression of horror on Quinn’s face.
“Oh, gods, no wonder she hates me.”
“Well sure, Quinn. There’s that, and the fact that she was bought like a slave. And she has to look at your ugly face. I’d hate you too,” Thomas smirked.
“Your sense of humor leaves much lacking, Thomas,” Quinn rolled his eyes.
“Yes, but my strategic brain is why you keep me around at the end of the day.”
“Speaking of strategy, what is happening on the expansion front?” Quinn sat down in the other chair.
“How much time do you have?”
CHAPTER THREE
Eva slept fitfully that night; her dreams were plagued with the whisperings of a thousand voices. All the voices said the same thing – that she was nothing more than a paid-for breeding machine.
Faceless voices whispered in her ears, taunting her.
She woke with a start at sunrise, and decided she would explore the tribe again – this time outside of the village boundaries.
Sticking her head around the kitchen door, she was relieved to find it completely devoid of Quinn. Eva scoffed down her oats and morphed into her wolf form, thinking she might avoid the scrutiny of the villagers better if they didn’t recognize her straight away.
Eva shook out her back, glad to be in her other form for a change. It was exhilarating, feeling the power of her wolf form course through her. She loped through the village, tongue lolling out of her mouth, enjoying watching everyone else, instead of everyone else watching her.
Once outside of the village boundaries, Eva let herself go and bolted. She wasn’t sure where she was going, but she wasn’t sure it mattered at this point. She ran, enthralled by the feeling of the grass and ground beneath her claws. The wind whistled in her ears and the fresh air filled her lungs. She rolled in the grass, scratched her back against the bark of a tree and, when she finally found a stream, drank deeply from its cold depths.
A noise behind her caused her hackles to raise. Eva growled deep in her throat, and barked a wolf laugh as an abashed Quinn stepped out from behind a tree. He raised his hands in a peaceful gesture, his sheepish smile disarming Eva. The air around her shimmered as she shifted back into her human form.
“Are you following me?” Eva raised her eyebrows.
“Not entirely, no. This is where I come to think sometimes,” Quinn pointed to a large rock next to the stream. It was the perfect size for him to sit on and stare out at the water.
“I’ll leave,” Eva offered.
“No, don’t. It’s not necessary. Join me for a bit?” Quinn had that haunted look again that Eva couldn’t stand to see.
She nodded, and sat down on the rock, motioning for Quinn to take his seat next to her.
Quinn wondered, not for the first time, how it was that Eva could be spitting at him like a viper one day, and the next, act like a kitten needing a tummy scratch. He took his seat next to her, careful to keep a bit of distance between them. He leaned down next to him, and grabbed a couple of stones. He had been practicing skipping stones for as long as he could remember – he still wasn’t any good at it, he thought as the first stone went down into the river.
“Like this,” Eva said, and skipped a stone across the surface of the river.
Quinn raised his eyebrows.
“Is there honestly nothing you can’t beat me at?”
“Sulking, Quinn. No one can ever beat you at sulking,” Eva grinned, and skipped another stone.
“At least I’m good at something,” Quinn sighed in defeat.
“I’m sure there’s
plenty that you’re good at. Taking a beating from a girl, for instance. You’re good at that, too.”
“Oh, it’s like that, is it?” Quinn laughed, failing at another attempt to skip a stone across the water.
“How about being the worst first kiss ever?” Eva nudged Quinn with her shoulder, painfully aware of the distance between them.
“I don’t recall you ever kissing me, Eva. I’m sure I’d remember that.”
“I was four, Quinn. I remember it clear as daylight. You were wearing that stupid superhero cape you thought was so cool, and we were playing. I was the damsel in distress, for some ridiculous reason. You saved me, and plonked a wet one on me. I may have started crying,” Eva giggled.
“Oh, well, I like to think I’ve improved since then,” Quinn looked over at Eva, eyebrows raised, a small smile playing at the corners of his mouth.
Eva felt her world slow down, as his eyes met hers. Those emerald eyes, sparkling with humor, were staring straight at her naked soul. She felt her breath catch in her throat, and felt that familiar heat cause goose bumps on her skin. She wanted to lean forward, she wanted to reach out and touch his face. She wanted him to reach out.
It felt like an eternity had passed, when Quinn finally grinned sheepishly and looked away from her. He skipped a stone across the water, almost making it this time, and shrugged.
“Did you have a good run?” Quinn asked, changing the subject smoothly.
“You have no idea. There’s something about the freedom of being able to run here. I don’t think I ever truly experienced it back home, you know?”
“I think I do, yes. I don’t want you to ever think you’re a prisoner here, Eva. I know it’s difficult to believe, but I want this to feel like home for you.”
“That may take some time, Quinn. My entire life has been uprooted. I know no one here except for you. And we all know what everyone thinks about that,” Eva said softly.
“I’m sorry about the rumors. You should know they’re not true, I swear that on my life,” Quinn looked at Eva, her head was bowed and she was worrying a stone in her fingers.
“I think a part of me knows that; I just think it’s easier to believe the gossip sometimes.”
“I would prefer it if you came to me and asked, instead of assuming the worst in me, Eva,” Quinn sighed.
Eva looked up at Quinn, and wondered how this had happened to them. The six-year-old Eva would never have seen this coming; and a nine-year-old Quinn would never have dreamed of something like this.
“What’s worrying you so much, Quinn?” Eva had seen enough of the haunted look on Quinn’s face to know something was bothering him.
“What makes you think my life isn’t all sunshine and roses?”
“I grew up with you. I know you better than you think.”
Quinn shifted uncomfortably next to her, deliberating his words. He wished he could tell her the full truth of it, but he knew she wouldn’t understand. So he decided to tell Eva the safer half of what was bothering him.
“My tribe is growing too fast. The land we claim as ours isn’t enough to sustain us. It means one of two things – we pay for more, or we fight for more.”
“And? Which will it be?”
“Well, obviously, I’d prefer to pay for more, but gold isn’t something you find sitting in a tree waiting to be plucked. At this rate, we’re going to have to fight for it. The other problem is raids and skirmishes on my borders. There’s always someone testing my defenses
“You mean there’s always someone attacking your people?” Eva’s brows knitted together as she pondered the ramifications of something like this.
“In a nutshell: yes. My old tribe, as an example, is always looking for a way to bring me to task for what I’ve ‘stolen’ from them. They’re a dying tribe – most of the youth followed me when I left; the only people who chose to stay were those of the older generation.” Quinn shrugged.
“What other examples are there?” Quinn couldn’t mistake the concern in Eva’s voice, and for a brief moment, he felt his heart fluttering in his chest.
“Others who have lost to my warriors who want their land or people back often come calling. There are those who wish to take what is mine so that they don’t have to go through the effort of accomplishing it themselves. There’s always someone who wants my pie, Eva. The only thing I can do is trust in my people and their loyalty to me, and this tribe.”
The silence stretched out between them as the sun began to set, throwing blankets of orange and purple over the landscape. The last bit of the day’s heat began to draw out of the earth around them, as the chill of fall took hold for the night.
Eva shivered in the breeze that was stirring around them. Quinn, wanting to pretend he hadn’t noticed but finding his chivalrous self couldn’t abide by that, placed his arm around her shoulders and pulled her into the crook of his arm.
“We really should be getting back,” he murmured, the smell of her freshly-washed hair teasing his nostrils. Damn the girl, he thought. He couldn’t keep her out of his mind, and now he was going to smell like her too. If it wasn’t one thing driving him crazy, it was another.
“Soon,” Eva replied softly, “Let’s just watch the sunset and then we’ll go.”
Quinn nodded, not sure if he was ecstatic or horrified at the thought of watching the sunset, and less so, whether he should even be doing such a thing with Eva or not. Deciding he really didn’t care either way, Quinn pulled her closer against him and watched the sun set on another day.
Quinn slept that night, for the first time in what felt like months. He attributed it to smelling like a certain she-wolf, and wondered why that had such a positive effect on him. He spent the entire next day waiting for that evening – hoping against hope to catch a glimpse of her during the day.
He found his mind permanently preoccupied by her, and it drove him slightly crazy. He was loath to admit that he didn’t pay attention to a single thing that was said to him all day, and found he really didn’t particularly care.
By the time that evening came, he was as nervous as he had been on his very first day at ‘big school’ as he’d called it. His palms were sweaty and his knees weak as he walked into the kitchen door of his house, to find a dishevelled and distracted Evangeline furiously stirring a pot on the stove.
“You know I have a cook, right?” he asked, smiling, as he stood in the doorway watching her.
“You do know Sally hasn’t had a night off in over four months, right?” Eva pushed her dark fringe off her forehead with the back of her hand.
“I’m demanding, apparently. And you are a woman of many talents, by the smell of it.”
“Hah, don’t judge it until you try it. It’s an old family recipe, sort of a stew I guess, though I never could do it justice,” Eva grimaced.
“I somehow doubt that,” Quinn took a seat at the table as Eva dished up a bowl for him.
It turned out she was rather right – whatever the original had tasted like, Quinn wasn’t sure she’d done it any justice. Refusing to give her any satisfaction, Quinn forced down every mouthful that he could and felt himself cringe inside when she smilingly offered him seconds. He nodded, the gentleman in him refusing to be beaten by this she-wolf, who had long since pushed her plate aside, and worked his way through his second helping of what he came to think of as his punishment.
There was no other reason for it, he thought. He was being punished by some greater power for wasting an entire day thinking about the curve of her hips and the pinkness of her lips, when he should have been listening to defense strategies and tactics.
It was his own fault, his punishment, this so-called stew. He felt it only justified to refuse a third helping when offered – there was only so much punishment he could take.
“That was…” he tried valiantly to find a word apt enough to describe the horror that was now working its way to his stomach.
Eva blushed and almost glowed with the compliment that he hadn’t gi
ven her, making it all rather worthwhile for him.
CHAPTER FOUR
“There was another incident last night,” Thomas said without preamble as he walked into Quinn’s office.
“What?” Quinn looked up from where he was seated at his desk; he had been pretending to read through the accounts for the month but all his mind could focus on was Evangeline. The she-wolf was driving him crazy in more ways than one. It had been a month since her arrival in the village, and he still couldn’t focus on anything else. Quinn was starting to worry that he was losing his mind -- slightly.
“They’re starting to find our weaknesses, Quinn. I don’t know how much longer we can push back against these attacks without leaving our core weak. We need to hit back, hard. And we need to do it soon. Our people won’t be safe in their beds for much longer at this rate. They pushed in further than usual before we chased them off.”
“What are you suggesting, Thomas?” Quinn rubbed his eyes, glad to be free of his pretense for the moment.
“We hit back, now. While they think we’re still sleeping and preoccupied by their attempts thus far. We need to clear out the rebel camp to the south. If they find allies anywhere, we’re going to have a serious problem on our hands,” Thomas said as he paced the length of the room.
“Are you sure that’s the only alternative? What about reasoning with them – bargaining even?”
“It’s a no-go, Quinn. The few that we’ve managed to catch since this started are still locked up in solitary confinement, refusing to say even a single word. They’re loyal – or stupid – to a fault. They don’t want to be given your gold; they want to take it. If anything, they enjoy the thrill of the fight. They’ve got nothing to lose, and death doesn’t seem to scare them.”
“That makes them more dangerous than I think we’ve given them credit for,” Quinn sighed.
“We’ve also been underestimating their abilities, it seems. Quinn, they pushed all the way to the orchards last night – we only picked up on their scent by chance. They’re no longer happy to have border skirmishes; they’re coming for the center of the village,” Thomas turned on his heel as he reached the end of the room, and started pacing back.
Bought By Their Alpha Page 3
