Eva wasn’t sure how she felt about that. “I’ve a degree to finish and vet school.” She groaned. “Surely he doesn’t think I’m giving that up. He hardly knows me.”
“He’s a shifter, Eva. He doesn’t need to know you. He just needs to know,” Regan explained softly.
Any chance of answering was lost as Bass rushed in, Nico unconscious in his arms.
“Shit,” Regan muttered.
Securing the bandage Eva had wrapped around Regan’s leg, Eva stood, watching as Oliver burst into action. Bass took Nico’s hand, his face seeming to twist in pain before Nico’s eyes fluttered open.
“There’s too many people in here,” Oliver shouted, staring down the family who’d followed Nico in.
“You’re good to go, Regan. Though I’d advise rest,” Eva instructed.
“That your official veterinary advice?” Regan grinned.
“Just common sense.”
Cassady giggled. “You’ll find we don’t have much of that around here.”
“You!” Oliver barked, pointing a finger at Eva.
Eva’s heart lurched. “M-Me?”
“Yes, don’t just stand there. Grab me supplies and get over here.”
“Looks like you’re hired,” Regan said, patting her on the back. “Thanks for the leg.”
Eva watched her limp out of the room before Oliver’s frustrated growl drew her back to reality.
She’d wanted to be useful; today she got her wish. She just hoped she didn’t let anyone down.
Chapter 21
John
“I happen to agree with Bass. This can’t go on. We need to make a counter strike,” John said over the hum of arguments. “Only I don’t think it’s a good idea to go alone, Bass.”
“I went alone last time,” Bass answered, stance firm.
“And they will have made sure you can’t do that again, Bass,” Katalina snapped as she paced backward and forward below the pavilion steps.
“Castor is a coward, but he’s not stupid,” Jackson added. “It’s too risky. We go together.”
Katalina halted, her arms flying into the air as she gazed angrily at her father and mate. “Awesome, two packs with zero alphas.”
“She has a point,” John added. He’d much rather his alpha stayed safe behind pack lines. Bass didn’t need to be the one to attack. “I’ll lead a team made up from both packs then if the worst should happen….”
His words trailed off as Bass snarled. “I’m not staying behind while my people risk their lives.”
“This arguing is getting us nowhere,” Katalina muttered.
John had to agree, but tensions were high, adrenaline and rage freshly lit from today’s attack.
“I like John’s idea,” Cage added, speaking up for the first time. Anna stood, embraced in his arms, her gaze far away.
“Of course, you do.” Katalina glared. “I’m sure you’ll be enlisting to go.”
“He will not,” Anna snapped, her eyes coming into sharp focus.
Cage attempted to mollify her with a smile. “I’m the best tracker out of both packs, Anna. It would be stupid for me not too.”
“Whatever we decide, we all agree this can’t go on,” Jackson added. The two alphas stood on opposite sides of the pavilion, tense with anger. “Castor has us right where he wants us. No room to roam, our freedom cut off.”
“He wants us to shatter from within,” Katalina whispered as she tipped her head to the sky. There was a heavy sorrow to his alpha’s mate, which he’d seen growing day by day. “And when we do, he’ll come for me.” John couldn’t make out the voices over the growls and disagreements, his own entering the mix, but Katalina reacted to none of it as she simply waited, her decision made. “I started this. I’ll end it.”
“Your sacrifice would be pointless.” Anna’s voice carried over them all, seeming to echo and vibrate through the trees. “You cannot kill what is not there.”
“What do you mean?” Katalina jumped up the steps, took Anna’s shoulders. “What do you see?”
“They take flight, whispers on the breeze,” Anna continued.
Cage’s snarl rumbled through John’s chest as he pulled his mate into his arms. “Leave her, Kat.”
Blinking as if waking from a sleep, Anna gazed at them all as they waited for an answer. “You’ll not find Castor until he wants you to. This is his game, and it will only end one way.” Katalina and Anna shared a knowing glance.
“And what way is that?” Bass asked, stepping forward.
“Back off,” Cage growled.
“We need to know,” Jackson added.
John’s wolf brushed against his skin, agitated by the sudden change in atmosphere.
“Me,” Katalina yelled. “It ends with me.” She turned on her heel and marched away as Bass raced after her.
John glanced between his alpha and River Run’s. “Regroup in the morning?”
“Talk to Bass. I think we should send a team out to Indiana. See if what Anna sees is true.”
“It is,” Anna answered. “He’s gone.”
“Either way, I think it would be better to confirm,” Jackson added, a little more gently. “I’m not doubting what you say, Anna. I just think it will help calm tensions.”
“I’ll go with you, John,” Cage volunteered. “Maybe Mia, Tyler, William?”
“We need equal numbers,” Jackson noted. “Talk it through with Bass after he’s spoken to Katalina.”
“Will do.” Nodding his respect, John then went in the direction his alpha pair had taken, but it wasn’t them he sought, but Eva.
Throughout the entire day, he’d been fighting. His need to track her down and make sure she was okay rode him hard. Logically, he knew no one had made it through the first line of defense, yet his heart wouldn’t settle until he saw her with his own eyes. It wasn’t just her physical health he was concerned about but her mental health as well. His world was a lot to take in. Attacks, lines of defense, teenagers ready to draw blood. It was all so far from what she’d known, and John feared it wouldn’t matter how gently he stepped, or sweetly he kissed her, Eva would never want to be with him when patrols and battle training were a part of everyday life. He could promise to keep her safe, but the truth was, until the feud between Castor and the packs was over, his words wouldn’t ring true.
Chapter 22
Katalina
“Katalina, wait!”
Picking up her pace, Katalina pushed her body to the limit in the hope of outrunning Bass, maybe even fate itself.
“Katalina, stop!”
But she couldn’t stop. To stop would be to feel, and Katalina wasn’t ready to feel. Not yet. Not now. She needed time, but time wasn’t something she had. It was slipping away. Death hovered above her, waiting for its moment to strike.
Bass was on her heels, the vibrations from his steps traveling beneath her feet, and still, Katalina ran. It was pointless, yet it was all she had left.
“Baby, please,” Bass begged as the tips of his fingers brushed her skin. Adrenaline surged through her, her legs finding extra strength from some hidden reserve, but it was useless — Bass was an alpha. She had no hope of out racing him.
The ground disappeared below her feet as Bass lifted her into the air, bringing them both to a halt. Twisting in his hold, Katalina lashed out, a growl so unlike her punching through the air.
“Just leave me alone!” The hurt on his face, sucked the life right out of her. Collapsing to the forest floor, Katalina buried her head in her hands and cried. “I’m sorry.” Katalina sobbed. “I didn’t mean that. I’m just… tired.”
She was tired of waiting, of wondering whether she would let down all the people she loved. If death was coming for her, then Katalina wished it would make its move. Yet as she’d stood beside John, waiting to fight an enemy that sought to destroy all she’d worked for, she’d begged for one more day, one more week.
“Katalina,” Bass breathed, joining her on the ground. “Please talk to
me. Please tell me what Anna saw.”
Looking up, tears caught like crystals on her lashes, Katalina faced the man she loved beyond words and realized she had to tell him something, because not knowing was killing him as much as knowing was for her.
“Castor wants me, Bass. I started this, and I must end it.”
He shook his head and gritted his jaw. “He won’t get near you.”
As she smiled sadly, she took his hand. “It’s not as simple as that, and you know it. There are some things we simply can’t avoid.”
“You didn’t start this, Kat. I did, and I started it long before we ever met.”
Taking a deep breath, Katalina brushed the tears from her face, resolve settling on her chest. She had to make him understand. She had to help him see her through their enemy’s eyes.
“You see me as a gift, Bass, but others see me as power. I’m a single pawn, holding up the chessboard. Remove me, and the game crumbles. I know it. You know it. So we can either keep pretending that I’m not a weakness, or we can accept the fact that this destiny was always mine.”
“You have never been weak, Katalina. Never. And you’re certainly no pawn. You are a queen. My queen.” His gaze hardened, his pain morphing into determination.
“Then why do you try to wrap me up in cotton wool?” She laughed sadly, shaking her head.
Cupping her face, Bass drew her lips to his, showing her his answer before speaking it. “Because I love you.”
“Then train me, Bass. If Castor wants me, he can have me, but I won’t go like a lamb to slaughter.”
“You are training.”
She shook her head. “It’s not enough, Bass. Everyone who spars with me holds back. I’m a treasure no one wants to break, but Bass, our enemy wants to smash me into a thousand pieces.”
“Get up,” Bass ordered, eyes flashing wolf. “You want to train, then let’s train.”
“Now?” Her eyes widened.
“No mate of mine will be a pawn for fate to use. You’re not weak, Katalina. You’re the strongest of us all, and it’s time you realized that.” His claws slipped free, his smile cunning. “Scared, little wolf?”
Katalina laughed. “Of you?” She crooked her finger, eyes shining. “Never.”
Chapter 23
John
When he couldn’t find Eva in the pack kitchen or her cabin, John began to panic
“Looking for your girl?” Regan asked, a smirk on her face. His eyes traveled down her body, pausing on the injury that was causing her to limp slightly. “Eva patched me up. Did a good job too. I fully expected her to freak out at the blood.” She nodded toward the infirmary. “She’s helping Oliver.”
“Thanks.” John eyed her leg. “Need a hand?”
She waved him off. “For this tiny scratch?” She rolled her eyes. “Don’t insult me, John.”
“I’m guessing you made him or her pay?”
Regan grinned. “Of course. I might be late to the game, but I’m making up for lost time. I think Ty was pissed that I didn’t give him a chance to get payback.” She laughed.
“I can imagine. Take care, Regan.”
After jogging over to the infirmary, John paused on the threshold, mesmerized by what he saw. A smear of blood ran across Eva’s cheek, her clothes stained and splattered, and though John had never pictured her in such a way, Eva looked the most natural he’d ever seen her. She was the calm within a storm. With a warm smile for those in pain, she moved with the efficiency of someone who’d been trained.
The casualty rate had been low, mostly bullet grazes and gashes made by claws. Nothing a few stitches, a bandage, and some rest wouldn’t fix. The exception being Nico, who’d taken a bullet through the shoulder, but the man would live and most likely be up on his feet in a few days, complaining to be put back on patrol.
Looking up from her task of cleaning Evan’s shoulder wound, Eva’s gaze found his. John’s chest tightened, his lungs momentarily forgetting how to breathe.
“Hi,” she mouthed, smiling.
As his lips lifted in return, John pushed off the door and entered the building.
“John.” Oliver lifted his gaze from his task. “Everything quiet out their now?”
“Yeah. You shouldn’t have any more casualties tonight.”
“Good,” Oliver said. His eyes flicked to Eva and back, voice lowering. “You should keep that one, John.”
“I’m working on it.” Leaving Oliver with a nod, John made his way across the room to Eva. “Skipping vet school?”
Eva laughed softly. “No, but it’s reminded me why I want to go to vet school.”
There was a light to her eyes that hadn’t been their earlier, and while a part of John feared this new light would lead her away from him, he was also pleased she’d found direction again.
“All done, Evan.” She smiled.
John held out a hand to pull Evan to his feet. “I heard Cassady was in here earlier?”
“She’s been sent home on bed rest. Her mother’s making sure she obeys.”
John laughed. “Poor Cass. She’ll hate every minute of it.”
“Oh, I know. She’s already cursed me for getting her pregnant when there’s a war she’s missing out on.” Evan chuckled, running a hand through his sandy-colored hair. “Truth is, I’m pleased she’s missing out.”
“Don’t blame you, pal.” His gaze found Eva washing her hands in the sink. “It’s easier to breathe when they’re safe.”
“See you later, John.” Evan patted him on the shoulder as he left.
But John’s attention was already off Evan and onto the woman who was walking toward him, a dusting of pink coloring her cheeks.
“Oliver,” John called, not taking his eyes of Eva. “Can I steal my girl?”
“She’s all yours,” Oliver replied. “Thank you for the help today, Eva.”
Eva smiled. “You’re welcome. It was nice to be useful.”
John’s wolf rose its head. Eva had found her place in his world. All that was left was to make sure she didn’t leave it.
“Your eyes are wolf, John,” Eva whispered, tipping her head back to gaze up at him.
John grinned. “That’s ’cause I’m a wolf, baby.” He took her hand. “Come on.”
Eva followed after a slight pull on her hand, caution on her face. “Why do I get the feeling you’d like to lock me in your room and never let me go?” Eva murmured when they’d exited the infirmary.
John shrugged, his wolf still in control. “Dominant wolves tend to be a tad possessive.”
Her steps faltered as he led her into the trees, but John tugged her along.
“I-I’m not sure I’m ready to give you what you want, John,” she stammered.
He didn’t like the tremor of fear in her tone. “Do I scare you?” She wouldn’t be the first woman to be afraid of him; John knew he was more wolf than most. It was a part of him now, something he’d long ago stopped fighting and accepted.
She frowned. “I’m not afraid of you. I guess a part of me thinks I should be, but I’m not. It’s the look in your eyes I fear.”
Pausing at the small stream which snaked backward and forward across the Dark Shadow-River Run border, John released Eva’s hand and faced her.
“What do you see?” he whispered. Doubt clouded her eyes. “There’s nothing you can’t tell me.”
“I see a future I’m not sure I want.”
His heart clenched painfully. “What do you want, Eva?”
“That’s the thing. I’ve no idea.” Her words were coated in sadness. “I know your world, my brother’s world scares me. I know I have a life waiting for me I don’t know how to fit into anymore, and I know the longer I walk down this path with you, the more I’m going to hurt you, and I don’t want to do that.”
“I can take it,” John answered when he knew damn well he couldn’t. If she left, it would kill him. She was his. He wasn’t supposed to live out his life without his mate.
She smiled. “Liar.
” Stepping toward him, Eva reached up on her toes and pressed her mouth gently to his.
Instincts taking over, John wrapped her into his arms as he growled into her mouth, all reason leaving his mind. He’d spent the entire day worrying about her, and now she was in his arms, kissing him, and whether he got hurt or not, John couldn’t stop himself from wanting to kiss her until he was branded deep within her skin.
Eva moaned as his hands traveled over the curve of her hip and cupped her ass. Lifting her into his arms, her legs wrapped tightly around his waist, John spoke all the words he was afraid to say aloud with the caress of his lips and grip of his arms.
They were both breathing heavily when they gasped apart, Eva still in his arms, her heated gaze meeting his. “I take it back,” she whispered between breaths. “I want it. I’m just not sure how to get it without losing who I am.”
“I don’t want to change you, Eva.”
A tear slipped down her cheek as her eyes turned glassy, and she struggled to her feet. “John, the Eva you’ve known was a shell of who she was. Losing my mother… it took something from me, and then there was my brother.” She shook her head sadly. “I’ve been holding my breath since she fell sick, and you make me want to breathe again. You do.”
“Then breathe,” John murmured, taking her face into his hands and brushing the tears trailing down her face away. “Breathe with me.”
She studied him, all her emotions on display for him to see. Her fear, her uncertainty, and her hope. “But what happens when I have to leave? What shall I do for air when you’re not there?”
“Who says you have to leave?” he asked, making every effort to keep his tone calm, even though just the thought of her leaving made him want to snarl.
“I do, John. I have plans, plans I put on hold because of my mother, and if I put them on hold indefinitely, I’ll regret it.” She turned away from him and walked to the stream, gazing at the water as it gently rippled past. “My mom made me promise to go to vet school before she died. She didn’t want any of us putting our lives on hold because of her. Three months, she said. Three months is all you’re allowed to be sad, and then you need to pick up the broken pieces and learn to go on.”
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