83. Do I have a dad?

Eve woke up early, ready to start a new page of her life. Discussion about the job with Anto had gone smoothly, both of them agreed that Eve deserved some privacy and independence in her life, especially after becoming a mother. She had to set an example. An example to the ridiculously fast-growing Lycanthrope girl, who was sitting next to the kitchen counter, watching her mother preparing breakfast. For a while, she sat quietly, deep in thoughts.

"A penny for your thoughts, baby?" Eve placed a plate of food in front of the little girl, bringing her back to reality.

"Do I have a dad? If I don't, can we get one? Maybe they're selling dads on the market, or maybe we could try to set up a trap and catch one in the wild?" Ally spoke cheerfully. She had no interest in the food; the spark burning in her eyes clearly showed off the passion she had for the idea.

"You do have a dad, baby. No need to buy or catch one," Eve laughed, sitting next to her daughter and side hugging her.

"Where is he? What he's like?" Ally leaned closer to Eve, eager to find out the truth.

"We needed some time apart. Grown-up things, you'll understand in time. And your dad is amazing in all ways possible, even impossible ones. Your dad is an amazing man with a heart of gold- loving, caring, and strong. The best man I've ever met," as Eve spoke, it was clearly noticeable how much she loved Eros. Her eyes filled with tears whenever she thought of him- those were the worst moments because she couldn't lie and say that she didn't miss him.

"What does he look like?" The little girl didn't give up; she had wanted to ask those questions for a while now.

"You resemble him so much- sometimes I feel like he's right in front of me. Especially when you smile or that little flame dances in your eyes. You two are very alike. Aside from the mask, of course," Eve took a sip of her morning coffee and sighed in delight. A proper dose of caffeine was what she needed.

"A mask?" Ally repeated her mother's words, forming a question out of the little fact she just heard.

"Yes, your dad wears one. He was badly injured, and most of his face is covered in scars; therefore, he keeps it hidden under the mask." Eve smiled, looking down at her curious daughter.
Ally sat quiet, an enormous grin appearing on her lips. The conversation proved that her mother was the best human out there- not everyone could love someone who wasn't pretty. But her mother fell for her father, who has scars all over his face. At that exact moment, the little girl understood what true love meant. It was beyond imperfections and looks- all that mattered was what was inside the person you love.

"What does that mask look like, mommy?" Ally jumped off the chair and waved her hands up, waiting for Eve to pick her up.

"It's a breath-taking gold mask with tiny black details all over it. A sight to see, that’s for sure- it made your dad look mysterious, yet dangerous. I like him without the mask more, though. If you're done with asking me questions like the little cop you are, let me take you to your crazies. I have to leave for a bit, but I'll be back in a couple of hours," Eve offered her daughter a hand and led her to the playroom, which had been built by the Watchers. Ally gladly spent time with her three crazy aunts and didn't mind that her mom would be absent for a couple of hours.
Eve quickly changed her clothing to a more professional look and left the little house. Anto offered to give her a ride, but for once, Eve wanted to do everything on her own. Without her mate or Watchers around her. She had to make her own decisions; she had to learn how to live without backup from others. Eve drove to the nearest city and stopped by a little coffee place. Her interview wouldn't start for a good hour, so she decided to look over her resume one last time and have a refreshing coffee since she didn't finish hers at home. When Eve was done- she tipped her waiter, thanked the staff, and headed back to her car.


Something inside her shifted, making the young mother feel like there might be some surprises waiting for her, but she tried to push the feeling aside. No matter what, Eve had to walk into that building with confidence.

"Hold your head high; you got this," she whispered under breath, encouraging herself.
The interview was due to start soon, so she rushed towards the receptionist. A tall brunette announced a couple of changes in their company, but they were still hiring new staff. The woman seemed happy about Eve's arrival, taking her time to explain about them being short staffed.

"Evangeline Dyer, am I correct?" the woman smiled, looking Eve up and down.

"That is me," Eve waved awkwardly, unsure what to do. She didn't look like a professional in her field, despite graduating as the top of the class. Nervousness had an interesting effect on Eve.

"Follow me, please. Today all interviews happen on the top floor. Someone bought the company just hours ago, and our new CEO is personally picking the new team. You're so lucky," the woman led Eve to the elevator, imitating a fanning action with her hand.

"Lucky, as in?"

"Girl, I heard he's super-hot! The secretaries were talking about him during their break. I didn't get to find out much, but they were drooling over his Godly physique. Only one of them got a proper look at him, and she said the man is sex on legs. I heard he is taller than a woman's dream. God, I wish I could go and get a little interview with him. I'm sure it wouldn't be little, but you get my point," the woman winked at Eve and got into the lift as soon as the door opened. Eve stood next to her, feeling awkward. It was hard to deal with stress, and the woman wasn’t making Eve's day easier. Why on Earth would she drool over the boss?

"I'm here to nail the interview, get an amazing job, earn money, and provide for my little one. That's all." Eve kept repeating her mantra over and over again, letting those words take over her. The receptionist kept babbling on about the newest rumors and telling Eve way too much about other company workers. She didn't hold any interest in Tiffany's dentist appointment or how many secretaries the delivery boy, Bobby, had shagged. Even if Eve called the talkative woman out, she wouldn't listen.

"And we're here," the woman announced as the lift door opened. Both of them stepped out and looked around. The whole place was one large office. Behind a large desk sat a woman. She must be the secretary. Eve approached her and introduced herself as a candidate for the position. The woman nodded, mentioned towards the glass door, and urged Eve to go there. By her words, the new CEO had arrived a couple of hours ago, and he didn't seem to be the most helpful person ever. After a couple more warnings and a large lump forming in Eve's throat- she headed for the door, followed by both women wishing her good luck. Eve took a deep breath and knocked on the door before entering. The office was empty, but someone had been there. A black jacket was hung on the leather chair, a steaming cup of coffee on the desk.

"Hello?" Eve called out. "Is anybody here? I was told to come here for the interview," she added, her voice sounding a little weak.

"I'll be right there," someone replied in a calm tone. Eve couldn't understand the person's words since the sound of water muffed the voice. She bit her lip nervously and sat on the chair, facing the desk. Eve cursed herself mentally. Could she be more stupid? She entered the office without proper warning, other than a weak knock on the door. Her biggest concern was that the new CEO of the company would see her as rude since she invaded his privacy.
Eve drifted in her thoughts and was startled by large hands covering her eyes from behind.

"I- I'm sorry. I was told to come here, and I didn't think. I promise I'm not that unprofessional," Eve cried out. She felt threatened by the sudden action from this stranger. In her mind he had decided to mess with her. Maybe tell her that she got the job and fire her second later?
The man moved a little; Eve could feel a presence close to her neck. He blew in her ear, gently making Eve shiver. She sat frozen to the chair, trying to figure out why the action seemed so familiar.

"Guess who?" the male whispered in her ear. Eve gasped in shock; if he hadn’t been holding her eyes closed, she would have fainted then and there. Her heart beat rapidly, palms became sweaty.

"E- E," she stuttered, unable to say his name out loud.

"That's it, just three more letters and you got my name, kitten. It doesn't matter, though, because I got you exactly where I wanted you to be. Imagine my surprise when your former best friend broke into my office to suggest looking for you on human territory. Crazy, right? Not as crazy as it seems if you have proper bait. Not so crazy if you have a great plan, and your mate doesn't think about her decisions thoroughly. Not as crazy as I was for all this time- turning fucking territories upside down, hoping to find you. Not so crazy as the love of my life killing our child." Eros moved his hands away from her face and stood in front of her. His eyes didn't leave her face as he kneeled and grabbed both of her hands in his. Eve noticed the look of betrayal and disappointment in his eyes but kept quiet. Ally wasn't ready to go back to the pack- there were too many enemies. Eve had to protect her child; she would rather keep quiet than risk her daughter's life.

"Why, Eve, why?" Eros shook his head, unable to understand why she never came back to him. Was this really a one-sided love? He didn't want to think so. Her eyes filled with tears, a look of longing on her face. One look at her was enough to see how much Eve had missed Eros. He let go of her and grabbed his phone. Eve didn't move nor talk. She just sat there, thinking about how to get out of this mess. Ally was waiting for her to come home, but it was too fast to introduce them yet.

"I'm on the top floor, and she's here. Bring someone to help, we will have to move fast, the building is full of people," Eros growled at whomever he spoke to.

"Yes, we will need a car, maybe two. It depends on how she's acting. Alright, see you in a minute then," Eros ended the call, and his eyes locked with Eve's. He wanted nothing more but to kiss and hold her, but he couldn't. It wouldn't be fair.

"I'm sorry, Eve. I'm so fucking sorry. I hope you won't hate me for this," Eros shook his head, straightening his body.

"Wha-" Eve didn't get to finish her question as someone behind her pressed an awful smelling cloth to Eve's face. She took a last look at Eros, who seemed to look so guilty it hurt her.

"Take her downstairs and make sure she's chained. She might stay there, or she might try to run away again. Either way; I can't trust her anymore. I'm sorry, love. I promise you'll be alright. Rest."
As Eve closed her eyes, she felt his cold lips on her forehead.