by Lori King
Jackson eyed her suspiciously. “What was that all about?”
Shrugging, Eva reached out and tugged him back to the bed. He went without a fight. “I told her if it was really important then she could have you after lunch.”
He raised a brow. “And the rest?”
Dragging him down on top of her, Eva made enough room for him to settle between her legs. Her arms came up to wrap behind his neck and she tugged him down to a slow kiss. When she pulled back, her grin was wicked. “She asked me if that was an order from the Alpha Mate, and I said yes.”
Jackson’s hips involuntarily jerked forward at her words. “Oh, christ.”
She laughed. “That do it for you, did it?”
He growled. “You have no fucking idea.”
“Oh, I’ve got some.” She waggled her brows and wriggled her hips, indicating that she could feel exactly what she had done to him.
“You’re going to be the death of me.”
She hummed in pleasure as he began kissing his way down her throat, nipping and sucking as he went. “But what a way to go, huh?”
* * *
A little over three weeks later found Eva walking nervously into the sheriff's station. She hadn’t been there since her father had run the place and had been actively avoiding most places since her mating with Jackson.
It wasn’t that she was ashamed or anything, but now she knew that most of them were shifters, and more to the point, her new pack. Jackson had explained everything that came with being Alpha Mate and Eva had found it all just a bit overwhelming. They had decided to take it slow with the introductions. Beginning with the easiest, they had arranged a small dinner with Jackson’s family, including Cassidy and her brother, Sam.
After that, they had opened it up to Jackson's other two Betas and some of the older members of the pack who were considered elders.
The larger percentage of the pack had yet to be formally introduced to their new Alpha Mate, however, and at least seven of them worked at the station with their Alpha.
Knowing she had to get it over and done with, given she’d be meeting the rest of the pack tomorrow night, Eva sucked in a deep breath and shored up all her courage.
Immediately upon walking through the door, she found herself set upon by Cassidy, a big beaming grin on her face. “Hey, girl. Finally sucked it up and came inside, huh?”
Eva frowned. “What?”
Cassidy smirked and pointed to the side window which gave everyone inside a glaringly obvious view of the main street. “Been watching you for the last ten minutes. We were going to start taking bets on how long it would take you.”
Burying her face in her hands, she groaned. “Oh, god.”
“Don’t stress,” Cassidy said, still laughing. “Come on. Jackson will be thrilled you’re here. I know we are. Hopefully, you’ll put a smile back on his face.”
“What happened?”
Cassidy waved off her question as she dragged her through the station. “Ah, just the usual. It’s Halloween tomorrow. Brings out the crazies.”
“And the werewolves,” she muttered under her breath.
“Very true, which is just another issue.”
Eva didn’t get a chance to ask what Cassidy meant as her friend shoved her into the Sheriff’s office without so much as a see you later, and closed the door.
Jackson glanced up in surprise, eyes growing happier when he realized it was her. “Hey, sweetheart.”
“Hey back.” She smiled as he got out of his chair and came to her. Eva loved the feeling of being surrounded by him. “Cass said you’ve been having a tough one?”
“Just the usual,” he said, almost burrowing into her.
She chuckled. “She said that, too. Wanna explain?”
Jackson sighed and lifted his head from the crook of her neck. “Had a few complaints that I’ve needed to deal with. Seems there have been a few dog attacks. The parents around town are understandably upset given tonight is Halloween. Last thing they need is some rabid dog going after their kids.”
Eva studied him closer, the weary set of his shoulders and the dark circles under his eyes showing that he hadn’t slept well the night before. She had felt his restlessness through the night, which was out of the ordinary for him. Ever since she had moved in two weeks earlier, Jackson had slept soundly. So much so that the snoring had begun to grate on her nerves.
A thought occurred to her then. “You’re worried about the pack, aren’t you? Tonight isn’t just Halloween, it’s the full moon. The pack will be safe on your lands, though, right?”
He let out a frustrated sound. “It’s also your first shift. And something like this hanging over us just puts me on edge.”
She cupped his cheeks in her hands. “It will be okay. You’ll find out what’s happening, and the pack will be safe. I’ll be safe.”
Jackson huffed. “Yeah, I know. You’re right.”
Eva couldn’t help the cheeky grin that spread across her face, and didn’t even try. “I’m sorry, could you repeat that?”
Frowning for a second, Jackson rolled his eyes as he caught up. “What, that you’re right? I thought you would have gotten sick of hearing that over the last few weeks.”
Laughing, Eva shook her head. “Oh, honey, don’t you know...women never get tired of hearing that.”
“Hmmm, I’ll keep that in mind,” he whispered, pressing their lips together in a quick, yet heated, kiss. “Now, as much as I love seeing you, I really have to go back to work. Was everything okay? What brought you here?”
She watched him walk back over to his desk and the mound of paperwork that seemed to be waiting for him.
“Just wanted to bring you this,” she said, holding up the container full of Jackson’s favorite pasta bake. “You left so early, you forgot it.”
He grinned. “You take such good care of me.”
Eva smirked, handing the dish over to him and dropping a kiss on his lips before pulling back and heading towards the door. “Well, don’t get used to it, hot shot. I’m no maid.”
She could still hear him chuckling as she left the station. Eva waved goodbye to the others there.
Making her way out to her car, Eva had just taken her keys out of her handbag when a hand clamped over her mouth. Before she had a chance to call out, Eva felt a sharp jab in her upper arm. Panic seizing her, it took a minute for Eva to react, then she started kicking and screaming behind the hand that covered her. None of it did any good, though.
Her vision started to blur, and she could no longer support herself. Arms immediately wrapped around as she felt herself being pulled away from her car and around the corner of the station. Eva searched frantically, hoping someone would see, letting out a moan.
All of a sudden she stopped moving, and someone shoved a thick gag in her mouth. Her mind couldn't keep up with the movements, and the next thing she knew she was laid down. From the worn dark leather, and hard surface underneath, Eva guessed it to be a car of some sort. When she felt her body being rolled over, she found herself face to face with a man she had never seen before. His eyes were crazed and his smile a little too malevolent. When those same crazed eyes flashed, she suddenly knew she was dealing with another shifter.
Whimpering, Eva struggled to get away even as she felt herself succumbing to whatever he injected her with. Revulsion washed through her when the man's hand stroked her cheek in an intimate gesture. Her vision began to dim, and her limbs went numb as he spoke softly.
"Such a pretty Alpha Mate, aren’t you?" he whispered. His lips curved into a grin. "You have no idea how long I’ve been waiting for this moment. Jackson Hollinger is finally going to get what he deserves."
* * *
A primal savagery consumed Jackson. The need to destroy something, anything, rode him hard as he paced back and forth in his office. Eva had gone missing two hours ago, and they were still no closer to finding out where she was.
Cassidy had discovered Eva’s car outside the station not lo
ng after his mate should have left. Nearby her keys had fallen to the ground alongside her handbag. They had managed to track her scent around the back of the building; however, everything went dead, and Jackson could only assume she had been dragged into some vehicle.
There had only been one other scent mixed with Eva’s, and Jackson had immediately recognized it as that belonging to the rogue wolf his pack had been tracking, to no avail, for the last few weeks. Whoever they were, they had been smart, always able to combine their scent with someone or something else to the point the senses became confused.
And all he could smell was Eva. Jackson couldn't get the scent of her fear out of his mind.
Sam, Jackson's second Beta, and Cassidy’s brother, came to stand next to him, arms folded across the expanse of his chest. “We’ll find her.”
Jackson nodded.
“I mean it, Jack. We will find her,” Sam’s voice was calm, with a hint of danger layered underneath. “And when we do, you and I will make whoever took her pay. You understand?”
“Yeah.”
For the first time, Jackson saw Sam was no longer the boy he had grown up with, the teenager who always got into trouble, and the young man who flirted with anything in a skirt. He was dangerous, darker. When Sam had left years earlier, Jackson hadn’t known whether his best friend would return home. Then Jackson had taken over the pack, and Sam had been there by his side as his second Beta, answering only to his little sister.
Jackson had thought Cassidy had won the title of first Beta fair and square, but now, staring at Sam, he wondered. Had Cassidy won the match to become first Beta, defeating her older brother? Or had Sam held back for fear of what harm he might cause her?
Sam’s eyes held a dark glint that Jackson couldn’t comprehend. But something told him he would need that side of his old friend tonight, and that if anything happened to Eva before they found her, he might actually understand it then.
5
There was dripping in the distance as Eva slowly dragged herself back to consciousness. Her entire body ached, and a burning sensation was trailing up and down her spine. Blinking into the darkness, her palms scraped across the cold, damp surface, trying to find some purchase to pull herself up on.
She hissed when sharp jagged edges cut into her skin and her teeth chattered from the cold. Fear bloomed inside of her as Eva registered the darkness came not only from the cave she found herself in, but also from the lack of sunlight outside.
“Oh god,” she whispered in horror. “The full moon.”
Beyond the trees, she could barely make out at the mouth of the cave, she could hear the excitable laughing of little children as they began to fill the streets for trick or treating, preparing to go to each house in a bid for more candy and surprises this Halloween.
Sharp, searing pain shot through her, and Eva cried out, arching through the spasms.
“Painful, isn't it?” Startled, Eva swung around in a defensive pose to find the man who had taken her staring at her with a mixture of satisfaction and pity.
A snarl ripped from her throat, shocking her, but her anger quelled any fear right in that moment. “Who the hell are you?”
With wide, glazed eyes, the man grinned savagely. “Thomas Fullmier.”
“Why am I here?”
Thomas titled his head to the side. “So inquisitive, aren’t you?”
“What?” She shook her head, wondering if Thomas was even sane,
“Who are you? Why am I here?” he mimicked her sarcastically. “There are bigger questions you should be asking.”
She raised an eyebrow, trying to appear braver than she felt. “Oh? Like what?”
His chuckled made her shudder. “Like are you going to make it through the night? My bet’s on...no... you won’t.”
Thomas’ eyes glittered with madness, terrifying her.
“Thomas, I don’t know who you are or what you want, but we can work this out,” she attempted to reason with him, knowing the chances were slim to none that it would actually work. “It’s dangerous right now to be out. We need to find the pack. They can help keep us safe.”
His maniacal laughter tore through the open cavern, echoing eerily around the space.
“Oh, I’ll be fine. You see, I’m an Alpha like good old Jackson. I don’t have to shift on a full moon. You on the other hand? Well, this is your first, right? No control yet.” Thomas faked concern. “Now here you are, all alone. No mate, no pack. And then, of course, there is the matter of one other small problem.”
“What are you talking about?” she said, voice shaking as the brutal tearing sensation grew inside her. She felt as though her body was being torn apart. In a sense, Eva gathered that was pretty close to true. Her first shift was coming. Her body was attempting to shape and form itself into something else for the first time, and she had no way to prepare for it by herself. The more she pushed against the sensation, the worse the pain became. “What other problem?”
“Just the little bit about the humans forming a hunting group. They plan to go searching for that pesky rabid dog that’s been attacking their sweet little children.”
“You?” She gasped, everything slowly falling into place. “You were attacking those children? Why?”
“The humans in this town have a nasty habit of reacting violently to things they don’t understand or can’t control,” Thomas said almost absently, as if trapped in a memory. “Last time it didn’t even take an attack, just a sighting of a wolf, to have them up in arms. Practically frothing at the mouth to take out a predator. They didn’t care that she hadn’t hurt anyone. All that mattered was the hunt.”
Eva whimpered when another ruthless wave of pain swept through her and she collapsed. Thomas’ words woke a memory inside her, and she glanced up in horror. “Oh, god. That wolf. It was years ago and I was in high school. You said she hadn’t hurt anyone. She was a shifter.”
“She was my mate,” he screamed, taking a hostile step towards her. “She was my everything. There was an accident when we were driving through your town. The back roads of your town were unfamiliar and we crashed. She was stuck. Even with my shifter strength, I couldn’t get her out so I had to find help, but it wasn’t like I could go to the humans. They’d ask too many questions about our injuries, and time was running out. The sun would be setting soon.”
Biting her lip against the noises trying to burst free, she steadied her breathing. “It was a full moon, wasn’t it?”
Glaring, Thomas curled his lip into a snarl. “Of course it was. She shifted without me. Her smaller form must have been enough for her to get free but she was alone and scared, in unfamiliar territory.”
“And they killed her,” she whispered.
“They murdered her!” She flinched back at his venom. “And that bastard you call ‘mate?’ I went to him for help. He could have called off the humans, but he didn’t want to reveal himself to them. He wanted to keep the humans in the dark, said he would help me track her down and get to her before they did. We were too late. We found her bleeding out from multiple bullet wounds.”
Tears tracked down her face, some from the agony her body was going through, and others for Thomas’ suffering. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. I know what happens to someone when they lose their mate. I can’t imagine what you’ve been through, but I also know Jackson would have done everything he could to have saved her.”
Clearly the wrong thing to say, Eva went flying backwards when Thomas struck her. “You stupid bitch! Weren’t you listening? He could have. He chose to let the humans stay ignorant. To keep his secret. He could have saved her, but he chose to let her die. So now I get to make that choice for him, unless he wants to reveal himself and your pack to the town. Those same humans are so desperate to keep their children safe tonight that the moment they find a stray, wild wolf near their homes, they will shoot without question. Halloween is a funny human tradition when you think about it. All those innocent boys and girls dressed up like little monsters
, not realizing their parents are the real monsters.”
She gaped at him. “You can’t be serious? No shifter would reveal themselves to humans, not even you.”
Thomas had lost himself to insanity. Eva saw it all clearly now. The man must have once known how dire it would be for humans to discover them. Had even admitted as much when he said he had searched for the pack Alpha instead of going to the humans for help. After all these years without his mate, and spiralling into chaos, Thomas had lost sight of reality and allowed his anger to fester in his madness.
All he could see now was revenge and death.
And in that moment Eva realised that she truly might not make it out of this alive.
The scream that tore from her lungs was sharp and brutal. It left her feeling raw and exposed as her body began to twist its form.
“Oh, god,” she whispered, voice hoarse from strain and fear. “The shift.”
Beside her, Thomas crouched down and grinned. “That’s it, just let it happen.”
She whimpered as more agony rolled through her until, blissfully, darkness enclosed her. Something she welcomed with open arms. Eva was more than happy to pass out and let her body do as it wished, and so she did, succumbing until everything was black.
* * *
“Boss, you’ve got a call on line two,” Cassidy said with a growl. “You need to take it.”
Jackson turned away from the grid patterns he and Sam had been devising for their search. “What?”
“Line two. Now.”
The urgency in her tone had him grabbing for the phone. “Hollinger.”
“Ah, Jackson. Long time, no hear,” said a disturbingly calm voice on the other end of the line.
“Who is this?”
The man tsked. “That hurts, Jackson. After all, last time we saw each other, you had such a deep and profound impact on my life.”
Jackson snarled. “I’m in no mood t-”
“To what? Find out where your mate is?” the man asked, chuckling. “I’d think that was all you could think about. I know it was for me when my mate was missing on your lands and a hunting party was after her.”
