Eva spat out the toothpaste, and rinsed her mouth and toothbrush, taking her time before replying to Quinn, whose level of exasperation was increasing with every second that Eva delayed her response.
“Eva,” though it was just her name, the threat to answer was there.
“I saved your life, Quinn, you should be thanking me,” Eva smirked, none too perturbed at Quinn’s rising anger.
“Than-thanking you?” Quinn spluttered, as though the thought hadn’t even occurred to him.
“Yes, Quinn. The words ‘thank’ and ‘you’ should be on your lips right about now. It’s customary to thank someone when they’ve done something epic, like saving your life.” Eva raised her eyebrows, as if this were obvious. Which it was, she thought.
“Eva,” Quinn’s exasperation had him at a loss for words.
“Fine,” Eva laughed, “I had a bad feeling, okay? And you can’t shift, and none of the pack behind you looked vaguely worried about you – so I shifted in case. It’s a good thing I did, too.”
“You realize how incredibly dangerous that was? Don’t you?” Quinn’s anger seemed to be getting the better of him.
“I don’t understand why you’re so angry, Quinn. I had to protect you – and I’d do it again. You can shoot daggers from your eyes all you like, it’s not going to make me apologize for protecting what’s mine.”
Eva turned away from Quinn, pulling his T-shirt over her head, now fully intent on showering, whether he liked it or not.
“Yours, huh?” Quinn’s voice had softened considerably.
Eva looked at Quinn over her shoulder, arms across her chest, a coy smile playing on her lips.
“Yes, mine. As in, belonging to me.”
“Is that so?” Quinn growled low in the back of his throat.
Eva’s answer was a wink.
“Well, then, I’d better thank you properly,” Quinn reached out and took Eva in his arms, spinning her around to claim her mouth with his.
His tongue found hers, as his hands traveled up her sides, ever so lightly. Eva’s hands wound their way into his hair, as she rose on tip toes to deepen the kiss. She moaned against his mouth, as he pulled his shirt over his head, their bare chests finally against each other. Quinn lowered his mouth to kiss Eva’s once more, his hands cupping both sides of her face, before he reached out to open the shower door behind her. They shuffled into the shower together, hands and tongues and mouths everywhere.
Quinn removed the last of their clothes, his mouth and tongue following his hands as he pulled down Eva’s jeans, and made quick work of his own. He flicked on the shower, and they both gasped as the cold water hit them.
Their mouths found each other again, and Quinn lifted Eva up, her legs wrapping around his waist. He pushed her against the wall of the shower, his mouth devouring her chin, her neck, her shoulders, before settling on one perfectly, round nipple. He nipped and sucked, as Eva’s hands gripped at his hair, her knees pulling tighter around his waist.
Eva moaned something that sounded like Quinn’s name, and in that moment Quinn lifted her up and slipped inside her, her heat and wetness welcoming him home.
Quinn groaned against her mouth, as they sought each other out, their desperation to be as close as physically possible taking over both of them.
Quinn thrust into Eva, deeper and deeper, as their tongues danced around each other. Eva’s orgasm threw Quinn over the edge, into his own. Eva shuddered in his arms, her eyes open and staring into his as her pleasure coursed through her body, the smile on her lips met by his.
CHAPTER NINE
“What were you thinking?” Thomas seemed to echo Quinn, his exasperation as clear as Quinn’s had been. Quinn couldn’t help but smile, recalling how he’d said the same thing to Eva – and the result thereof.
“Come on, Thomas. Nothing too bad happened,” Quinn replied.
“Too bad? Quinn, are you smoking crack or something? Jonah could have killed you, and then where would we be? I’m not cut out to be anything other than a beta, you moron!”
“It turned out just fine, man. Relax.”
Thomas raised an eyebrow, not sure he liked this relaxed version of Quinn – it disturbed him down to his core.
“I’m not going to relax, Quinn. Yes, the man was stealing from us, that doesn’t mean you go confront him in your current state! What would you have done if Eva hadn’t been there to save your sorry ass?”
“Hey!”
“No, I’m serious Quinn. If she hadn’t read the situation correctly, we’d all be burying you instead of some fighter from Pasadena. Geez, Quinn. Don’t do that again, okay?”
Quinn smiled, “That was pretty intense though, right? She’s vicious, that she-wolf.”
“If that’s what she can do to someone who hasn’t done anything to her personally, imagine what she can do to you if you step a toe out of line,” Thomas smirked as his comment registered and Quinn’s eyes widened in genuine fear.
“You just had to put that worry in my head, didn’t you?” Quinn groaned.
“Pay-back’s a bitch, Quinn.”
“You mean to tell me, Quinn is blatantly ignoring my directive not to do anything physical, hmm?” Adrianna’s eyebrows shot into her salt-and-pepper fringe, but Eva was glad to see a smile playing at the corners of her mouth.
Adrianna lifted her tea cup to her lips, and paused as if to say something, before seeming to change her mind and taking a sip.
“No, of course not,” Eva blushed.
“It’s about time he got off his lazy ass and did something,” Adrianna cackled into her tea cup.
Eva’s eyes widened and then narrowed.
“You locked us in a room together for two weeks on purpose, didn’t you?” Eva pointed an accusing finger at her friend, who only laughed even harder.
“Was anything you said true?” Eva pursed her lips, looking mildly unimpressed.
“Of course, it was. No heavy lifting, no sudden movements, no shifting, taking it easy,” Adrianna smirked, “The general gist of taking it easy was true – that doesn’t mean he had to sit still in bed for two weeks, so I suppose I played a trick on you two. I’m just shocked you lasted as long as you did.” Adrianna shrugged at that, not overly concerned.
Eva spluttered into her own tea cup, finally putting it down in front of her.
“I can’t believe you, Adrianna.”
“I don’t have my husband around anymore, Eva. The least I can do is ensure you two get laid,” Adrianna’s grin was all naughty, nothing nice.
“Mission accomplished.”
“You’ve got the health all-clear from Adrianna,” Eva said as she kissed Quinn on the top of his head.
Quinn was seated at the kitchen table, papers and ledgers spread across the full length of the table. Eva raised an eyebrow in question.
“The tribe’s finances,” Quinn sighed, rubbing his temples with his thumb and forefinger. “What’s that about cleared health?”
“Believe me, you don’t want to know. Just accept that you’re basically better, and let the rest go.”
Quinn’s puzzled expression brought a smile to Eva’s face. If only he knew.
“So, what exactly is it in these pages that is stressing you out so much?” Quinn’s eyebrows shot into his hair – Eva had never shown an interest in the running of the tribe before.
“Come sit,” Quinn motioned that Eva take a seat next to him; she chose his lap, instead.
They spent the next few hours poring over the financial statements of the tribe – until they’d explored every avenue, and every side alley they could find. Quinn had never realized just how much a fresh pair of eyes could help and it turned out Eva wasn’t just another pretty face.
By the time they had been through every page and every idea at least twice, Quinn decided it was time to call it for the night. He carried Eva, who only mildly protested, to their bedroom and shut the door behind them.
“A tithe,” Thomas stated, his eyes widening in appre
ciation.
“I know, I can’t believe we didn’t think of it either,” Quinn smiled, his pride in his she-wolf glowing in his eyes.
“I can’t believe it either,” Thomas slapped his hand to his face, pulling it down over the length of it in exasperation. “We should have been doing this from the beginning – how have we survived this long?”
“That’s a very good question. It seems that it’s only fair that we require a tithe in return for protection, land and the option to be a part of the tribe at all.”
“You know there will be those who won’t like this, at all?”
“I’m aware. But then, every other tribe demands taxes of some sort – we’ve realized we can’t do it any differently. It is what it is,” Quinn shrugged.
“You’ll lose numbers, Quinn. You realize that, right? There will be those who walk away from the tribe.”
“If they can defy their alpha in that way – then they don’t belong here, Thomas.”
“Fair enough. Now, we need to implement this somehow.”
The two men discussed their various options for the implementation of the tithe – it helped that Thomas was onboard with the idea, and Quinn thought, not for the first time, how grateful he was to have a beta who saw things in a way he didn’t. While it often caused them to butt heads, it also helped with the management of the tribe.
They eventually decided that the tithe would come into effect the following summer. There was no reason to implement it immediately; the farmers’ fields lay fallow and it wouldn’t be fair. Those who hunted would have to double their efforts through the winter regardless of a tithe.
The only hurdle would be explaining to the tribe that the tithe was there to help them in times like these – by ensuring that extra food was on hand in the tribe’s warehouses, Quinn could ensure his people a better chance at making it through the next winter.
By the time Quinn and Thomas were done, night had fallen, and Quinn had a raging headache. He was only relieved at the thought that they’d come up with something, at long last, to try to help the tribe through the winter. This was the most logical way to do it. Quinn didn’t believe in having his people pay taxes, in gold or currency as such, but he was sure that even the most thick-headed of them would understand the necessity of putting aside food for the good of the many.
Quinn let Thomas out of the kitchen door, and went to find Eva. He found her, rolled up on the couch, blankets wrapped tightly around her. He picked her up as gently as he could, and carried her to bed, kissing her lightly on the forehead when she snuffled.
Quinn paced their room for the next hour or two. His wolf needed to run free – he’d been in his human form for too long – and it was driving his inner wolf slightly crazy. He hoped he’d be able to shift the next day, and perhaps go running with Eva, if Adrianna would allow it.
It was a necessity, he realized. He couldn’t keep his wolf form at bay forever, it was part of why he was so short-tempered of late. Nodding to himself, Quinn finally lay down next to Eva, and drifted off into a deep, dreamless sleep.
Adrianna had given the all-clear for Quinn to shift, after inspecting his ribs and bruising. He was healing well enough that she felt the danger to him was past. While the bruising had turned a rather unsightly yellow and green, Adrianna said the ribs were healing well enough that Quinn could shift. She also felt it was important that he did – it wasn’t healthy to keep his inner wolf caged up for so long.
Quinn sighed in relief, and took Eva’s hand and all but ran out of Adrianna’s shop. They’d barely made it into the woods around the village before shifting into their wolf forms. Quinn could feel the relief in his inner wolf at being let free – and he took off running, the thrill of the power coursing through him enough to push him faster than usual.
Eva had no trouble catching up – her slighter frame and natural affinity for running had her overtaking Quinn. She stopped a few yards ahead of him, tongue lolling out the side of her mouth in a wolfish grin as she waited for him to catch up.
Quinn barrelled into her, rolling her over onto her side, and they started playing like a couple of wolf cubs. Snipping and yowling, they ran circles around each other until they’d tired themselves out.
They took the return journey to the village at a comfortable pace, enjoying the freedom of the fresh air and cold ground beneath their claws. The air was crisp this time of year, and puffed out in front of their noses in small clouds as they ran. By the time they reached the house, evening had fallen and they were both chilled to the bone. Quinn dragged Eva into a hot shower; a necessity, he said, after a run like that. Eva had smiled and acquiesced.
The days seemed to turn into weeks, and as time went by, the tribe slowly grew comfortable with the idea of a tithe. It took several tries to explain it to some of their number, and while there was a general grumbling about the change, it seemed that no one disagreed strongly enough to leave the tribe.
Quinn could only sigh in relief – and be thankful that his alpha standing was strong enough to dissuade any of his tribe from seeking trouble.
Realizing he hadn’t thanked Eva – or even shown his pride in her – Quinn decided to rectify that error in judgment by cooking dinner himself. He hadn’t forgotten Eva’s debacle with her so-called stew, so he went with something a little different. Calling on his Latina blood, Quinn laid out a Mexican feast unlike anything Eva had ever seen before.
“Just a little something to show you how much I appreciate you,” Quinn had shrugged, a sheepish smile on his lips.
“It’s perfect,” Eva breathed.
“I need you to know how proud I am, to call you mine,” Quinn said, pulling Eva into his arms.
“Whatever gave you the idea that I’m yours, hmm?” Eva raised an eyebrow, laughing at the concerned look on Quinn’s face. “It’s not like you’ve ever asked.”
Quinn’s brows knitted together, as he realized the truth of what Eva had said. He’d simply assumed that what they shared was mutual and had needed no words, but he realized then that it wasn’t the same for Eva – she needed confirmation and he could have kicked himself for not giving it to her sooner.
“In that case, Evangeline Thomas, will you be mine? Mine only,” Quinn growled slightly on the last. “I promise to protect you, to let you always be yourself, and to cherish you, always. Just say you’ll be mine.” Quinn pulled Eva closer against him, his emerald eyes taking her breath away with their intensity.
She smiled slightly, and whispered, “I’m yours.”
CHAPTER TEN
Eva found she couldn’t ignore what Adrianna had said about her father, so what felt like months had passed since she’d left her home, and she hadn’t spoken to him once. It shocked Eva down to her core that she had let time get away from her for so long, so when the next morning dawned, she decided it was time to rectify that wrong.
Eva had made her way to the rock by the stream, her phone in her hand, and spent longer than she cared to admit staring at the blank screen – not knowing what to say, or not wanting to say what she wanted to – she sighed deeply and started typing.
Evangeline:
Dad, I miss you.
The minutes dragged on as she waited for a reply. She only hoped her dad would read further into the message than the little bit she could manage. Her phone buzzed, and Eva opened the message, her breath held.
Dad:
I miss you too, bumblebee.
Eva exhaled slowly, wiping away the tears that were making their way down her cheek. She remembered, not for the first time, how much she had loved her striped yellow and black socks as a child – earning herself the nickname when she’d decided to dress up as a bumblebee on Halloween, socks firmly on her feet.
Quinn had dressed as a bug catcher that same year, she realized, causing her to laugh at the irony of their childhood. Even though she felt her heart might break at the thought of her father, alone for all this time, thinking of how she must hate him, Eva couldn’t help but feel her
heart burst with love for the man who now claimed her as his.
She inhaled deeply, and decided to phone her father. She needed to hear his voice, to know that he was still okay, and that he didn’t hate her for abandoning him when he’d done all he could to keep her safe.
The phone rang in Eva’s ear, one ring, two rings.
“Eva,” her dad sighed on the other end of the line.
“Daddy,” she smiled through the tears.
“Are you okay? Are they treating you well?” his voice broke on the last. Eva wondered how she could have been so selfish – not to think of what this might be doing to her own flesh and blood – she’d only been concerned with her own misery.
“I’m doing well, Dad. He treats me well.”
“Thank God. Eva, I wish you could come home.”
“I know. How are things there? How are you?”
“Things are fine, nothing different. We’re preparing for the new planting season – we paid off the bank loans with the… sorry,” he mumbled.
“Don’t be. I’m glad things are better,” Eva felt her heart constricting in her chest at the pain in her father’s voice. She knew well-enough what he had been about to say – with the gold we got in payment for you. And while it stung, to be reminded of the reason for her circumstances now, Eva found she couldn’t get angry about it anymore. “I’m not angry anymore, you should know that,” she said.
“I wouldn’t blame you if you stayed angry for the rest of your days, bumblebee. Just know I did everything I could to keep you here, to stop Walter. But they went over my head. Forgive me, Eva.”
“I know they did. It’s not important anymore. I just needed you to hear it in my voice when I tell you there’s nothing to forgive – I only need you to let yourself off the hook, please?”
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