Chapter 67

Pain radiates through me,and I roll to my side and stare at the empty meadow in front of me. I’m nearly certain this is what it would feel like getting hit by a bus. Every inch of me feels bruised though my skin remains smooth and even in tone. My muscles burn as if I’ve been working out. I’m also completely naked. Fuck. Where is everyone? The last thing I remember is the moon setting. I remember Ravi circling me and encouraging me as my body shifted and transformed back into a human.
I remember swearing at him and sending him away. I remember watching him leave, thinking that it must’ve been a joke, but he listened to me. And I guess I fell asleep.
“Sasha...” the familiar voice whispers my name, and I peer around the meadow to see Evan sitting on the ground a couple feet away.
He’s dressed in clean clothes, looking hotter than ever. If I hadn’t known any better, I’d think he was never a part of this. I’d think maybe we were in some sort of weird-ass dream.
Evan combs his fingers through his soft hair, the strands sparkling in the sunlight bursting through the thinning trees. Colorful flowers bloom in bunches around the green grass, and I spy the turquoise ocean, sprawling into the horizon.
“Here, let me help you. I’ve been tasked with watching you while our pack handles a couple things. I would have covered you, but Ravi didn’t want me touching you while you slept.” Evan clears his throat and grabs the folded blanket from beside him. He crawls closer as if he’s already used to being on his hands and knees from his wolf form, and he wraps a blanket over me, covering me up.
I shiver at his closeness, a strange scent wafting through the air like an intoxicating cologne. Notes of citrus and sugar mingle with the freshness of the sea, and I inhale a deep breath.
“You smell incredible,” I murmur.
Evan chuckles and touches my cheek. “So do you.”
I tip my head back and laugh. “Yeah, right. I’m filthy.”
“A little dirt never bothered me.” Evan helps me up, smiling at me.
It feels as if last night never happened. If I close my eyes, I can forget the night happened and that I’m naked because of something else, not that I transformed into a wolf. Holy fuck. I’m a wolf.
“And the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen,” Evan thinks to me, his voice mingling in my mind. “If only I hadn’t let you down. I’m sorry, Sasha. I tried to resist. It was as if I couldn’t do anything by my own freewill.”
Tears burn my eyes, but I don’t let them fall. Instead, I throw my arms around Evan and bury my face into the crook of his neck. I can’t help myself from kissing his throat, needing desperately to distract myself. Fear crashes through me, and there’s nothing I can do about it. I can’t just go running into the forest without a plan in search of the others. Fuck. Zev, Dustin, and Jeff are out there somewhere. They could be experiencing complete and utter torture.
“Stop. They are strong, and they will be okay, just as we are. We will find them. We just need to figure shit out here. Breck is currently with Ravi. He is going to learn everything he can for us. Anything we can use.” Evan groans next to my ear, tilting his head to meet my eyes.
I dart my gaze to his lips, the sudden intensity flowing between us igniting more than just relief inside me. I’ve never wanted to be so close to him. I can’t stop my rising desire, bursting because of his certainty in getting through this.
He lifts me off my feet, keeping the blanket snug around me, and I press my lips to his, kissing him softly and sensually, just reminding myself that I’m human and my life isn’t over. I remind myself that I’m not alone.
“Never. I would never abandon you. I don’t care what I have to do, but you’re important to me, Sasha. You have no idea how much it kills me to know that Ravi put a claim on you. I always imagined that you would be mine.” Evan swallows with his words, his soft breath tickling my skin.
I meet his gaze, staring into his beautiful caramel eyes. “He doesn’t own me or control me. I might have bowed to him, but you’re my real packmate. My mate. You, Breck, Zev, Dustin, and Jeff. I know that it’s been weird and complicated, but I—”
“You don’t have to explain yourself, Sasha. I don’t care if you feel connected to the others. All I care about is that you so amazingly share yourself with me.” Evan kisses me again with his words, carrying me inside a small cabin, the open floor plan like a studio apartment. A dozen unfamiliar scents wrap around me, and I can tell the other wolves have been here. It’s the strangest thing. I have so many questions, but Evan’s sudden desperation to distract me tosses everything away along with the blanket covering my body.
I should be embarrassed by the state of my body and how dirt smears over my skin and leaves and twigs tangle in my hair, but it’s as if none of that matters. All that matters is that I’m with Evan in this moment, and he treats me as if I am everything to him.
“Because you are,” he murmurs, carrying me all the way to the bathroom as if he knows that a shower would make me feel so much better.
He blindly turns on the water, sending steam through the air. Kicking out of his clothes, he holds me by my ass with one arm. I moan at the sensation of the water cascading over us, washing away the memory of the night and all of the heartache and fear that came with it.
I wiggle from Evan’s arms, lowering myself to my knees, kneeling as I lace my fingers around his hard cock. He massages shampoo in my hair, moaning as I suck his dick into my mouth as he tries to take care of me, but all I want to do is take care of him. I lick him, rubbing my fingers over his balls and explore him in a way that sends a wave of lust through me. Our emotions tangle, and I swear I can feel the pleasure I bring him. It blooms wetness between my legs, and I shift and squirm, needing some sort of relief.
He hears my desires and pulls me up, only to drop down and position my leg on his shoulder. I clutch his hair and gasp as his mouth caresses over my body, his tongue gliding across my clit in even strokes, sending my head spinning with bliss. It feels so incredible. All I can think about is how I want more. How I need more. Evan brings me more than just protection. He brings me love and companionship. He is everything I want in a man. Everything I never knew I truly needed.
My body spasms, the intensity of my orgasm making me scream out in pleasure. Evan lifts me back up and grabs a towel, wrapping it around us only to move us from the shower to the small bed. He drops me down, bowing to kiss me again, the scent of our passion so fragrant and intoxicating that all I can do is whimper. The need to be with him overwhelms me, and I reach between us and grab his cock, aligning it to my body. Evan groans as he teases me with his tip, and he stretches both of my legs over my head, exposing my clit to him and giving him the view he wants as he enters me.
The pressure of his cock sliding into me makes my eyes roll in pleasure, and I grip the blankets, moaning as he thrusts, his passion as feral as his wolf and as wild as my free spirit begging to take control to steal my reserve away.
“You’re so sexy, Sasha. So smart and fierce. You’re my perfect mate. I want you to be mine,” Evan murmurs the words, bracing on my legs as he kneels and thrusts inside of me over and over, stretching my body in ways that I know I won’t forget as the ache will linger. He strokes his finger over my exposed clit, strumming my body as he brings me to my peak again, making me come. His body tenses as mine tightens around his, and a more intense pressure steals my breath away. It surprises the both of us, and Evan bows forward, inhaling a breath by my ear.
I whimper as he tries to slide out of me, but the pressure increases even more. Fear clenches my chest, and my eyes widen. We stare at each other in shock, realizing that we are wolf-shifters, and we might have similarities to wolves, even in our human states. I never even considered that things could be different, and obviously, neither had he.
“Fuck, Sasha...” Evan lets his voice fade as his mind turns to how wolves mate. It’s the last thing I want to think about in this moment, but now that it’s in my mind, I know that we’re fucked. There’s only one way we can break apart.
I did bow as an omega after all, but that means that Evan is...
“I was changed by an alpha. It was a way to give me more strength in an attempt to create more power.” Evan shakes his head, slowly trying to ease his body away, but all it does is intensify the pressure.
I gasp and cling onto him, digging my fingers into his ass. “Don’t. It hurts.”
His face scrunches in worry. “I’m so sorry.”
I’m sorry too. I don’t say the words out loud though. Instead, I inhale a deep breath and pinch Evan by his chin, getting him to meet my eyes.
“You have to finish. It’s going to be okay. I have my IUD. But I think that’s the only way. Just...let’s just try to forget this is a thing.” My voice shakes as I say the words, and I bring Evan closer and kiss again, trying to lose myself to our passion once more.
It works. I concentrate on the scent of his skin and how amazing he feels inside me. I devour his affection, helping him relax, and he thrusts slowly and evenly, not too hard but enough to bring me pleasure instead of pain.
Reaching between us, he plays with my clit again, moaning with his pleasure tingling in his body with mine, and I imagine what life will be like and how I know things will work out. I know that Evan will help bring our pack together, and we won’t be in this position for long.
I orgasm again, my body tensing, and I moan and suck Evan’s shoulder. He grunts as he comes, his body reacting to mine, but he doesn’t pull out. He continues to kiss me, showering me with his affection.
“I think I’m falling in love with you, Sasha. I wasn’t going to say anything, but I need you to know. You don’t have to say anything back. But I do love you. I want you as my mate, and I will do anything to ensure it.” He smiles at me and kisses me, not allowing me to speak.
I couldn’t find my voice even if I wanted to, because my body still hums, and the scent wafting from him keeps my body buzzing and turned on so that all I can think about is wanting more. Needing more.
The pressure between my legs subsides, and Evan groans as he finally manages to slide out. He rolls over only to pull me on top of him, and I straddle his waist and plant my hands to his chest, feeling his heart beating seemingly just for me.
We stare at each other in silence, our hearts pounding and his body still ready and waiting. Evan arches up and kisses me again, lifting me to carry me back to the shower. Thoughts of caring for me twirl through my mind, his need to bathe me and feed me and cuddle me more prominent than his own desire to fuck me over and over again.
I savor his affection and love, realizing just how true it is. I’ve never felt an emotion like it, so raw and open and honest. I’ve never been in love before, but it’s as if my very being recognizes it. My soul returns it. His love for me isn’t unrequited. It’s everything I needed to realize that he is my perfect mate. Our pack will be stronger because of him.
A howl sounds through the air, drawing our attention. Evan cocks his head and listens, but I can’t hear any voices or anything besides the howl. And it rises fear inside me.
“Come on, let’s get dressed.” Evan guides me from the shower again, helping me dry off and change into a summery dress. I wish he gave me pants, but I’m not sure there are any here. Wherever we are is intended to treat me like what some men define as the epitome of femininity. Whoever picked out the clothing thinks I need to be a stereotypical human female, but those times are long gone. I’m not human anymore. I’m a she-wolf. And I will bite.
Evan rushes the door, yanking an actual spear from the place where it hangs. It’s the strangest thing, seeing him grab a weapon, and it also freaks me the fuck out.
“I’m still learning to transform. It’ll take too long for me to try, and whoever just howled is not part of our pack. I don’t recognize him.” Evan remains even in tone as he tells me. How he manages to stay calm is beyond me.
“What? Where is Ravi?” I ask, looking around the room in search of my own weapon.
“He’s coming. Our whole pack will be here any minute. We just need to hang tight.” Evan leans close to the window, trying to peer through the curtain without opening it.
The glass explodes, startling me, and Evan lands on his back as fire licks across the floor, burning everything so quickly that I don’t even get a chance to scream before the door swings open. A man rushes toward me, his face covered with a bandanna, and he snatches me off my feet. It all happens so fast that I can’t even fight before I find my hands bound behind my back.
Evan hollers, his voice filling with pain.
“Take the pup out. It’ll send him a message. Sasha never belonged to them.” The deep voice is like a punch to my stomach, and I gasp, but I can’t move. I can’t break free.
The scent of woods, moss, and something greener like fragrance of grass permeates around me. It scares me instead of bringing me comfort.
The man tugs a bag over my head, cutting off my view of the world.
“Head east. Take anyone out that tries to get in our way.” The man picks up his pace, jogging and bouncing the world around me. “And put out a call to our alliances. We have a she-wolf, and she’s going to need to be claimed by an alpha. She’ll need to be broken to bow. We must hurry.”
My soul aches as the man puts distance between me and Evan, and Evan screams in agony, his pain hot and intense.
Then it vanishes.
A part of me dies.