How had I ever denied this? How could I have ever thought Eve was anything other than mine? When I touched her, my heart began to beat. When I was inside of her, she filled my soul. I’d been born a shifter. We learn to live with two halves ourselves. But, until this moment, I’d never truly understood what I was.

The balance between beast and man is one that has marked my whole life. As my body joined Eve’s, I was whole for the first time since I began to draw breath.

Our coupling was hurried, rushed, primal. I had so much more to give her. Taking her once was not enough. It never would be. No sooner had we climaxed before my need for her rose again. Gasping, Eve felt it too. The rising tide within me nearly drove reason from my head. Eve knew what to do by instinct.

She turned, offering me her ass. The sight of her with her jeans tangled around her calves and her sex swollen, wet, and gaping for me made the thunderous beast inside of me roar to the surface.

“Please,” she cried. Eve was already quivering with lust. Her hair fell to the side, exposing the back of her neck. My fangs came out. I bit my lip with them and drew blood. God, I wanted to mark her. She thrust against the air, waiting for me as I stroked my rock hard cock. She needed no further priming, Eve was still slick with desire. What I wouldn’t give for the luxury of time. I could look at that ass for hours. I wanted to draw her out, make her beg even harder. Then, when we’d both gone past the edge, I would drive myself home and give her the release she craved.

There was no time for any of that now. There was only this. I put my hands on her ass and spread her even wider. I would take my time with her someday. I would hold her like this and torment her with my tongue while she writhed beneath me. Then, she would do the same to me.

“Mac,” she whispered. “Hurry. I need you.”

I needed her too. I positioned myself at her sweet, slick cleft, then plunged into her. Eve’s walls tightened and twitched around me. I was big for her, I knew, but her body molded to mine. We had so much more to explore. I knew in the back of my mind we might never get the chance. We had now though, and I intended to make the best of it.

Eve was even quicker this time. By my third thrust, she arched her back and her walls went rigid. I felt her little sex pulsing against me as fresh juices flowed. Keeping my hands on her hips, I let her grind out her second orgasm. She pressed her face into the soft earth, trying to muffle her cries of pleasure. I wanted her to scream and give in to the wild lust wracking through her. Soon.

She hadn’t quite finished, when my own driving need took over. So, for the second time in less than ten minutes, I came again, filling her to the brim. Would I be lucky enough someday to let my seed take root in her? It seemed impossible, but the promise of it nearly drove me mad with wanting.

Eve was mine. She was born for this. I was born for this. I would kill anyone and anything that might try to tear it away.

Fully spent, we rolled to the ground. I gathered Eve into my arms and put soft kisses on her neck. My wolf’s fangs were still out. The pulse of my need to mark her still beat strong. If I did it, it would both save her and doom her with the Pack. I didn’t care, but had to make myself.

Eve collected herself first. She drew her jeans up and straightened her shirt. She put one palm against my cheek and traced the lines of my tattoo with the other.

“It’s beautiful,” she said. “What does it mean?”

Scanning the tree line, I listened for intruders. We were alone. For now. I zipped my fly and sat up, pulling her against my chest. “There are five of us who left the Pack together. The wings mean freedom. The swords symbolize our resistance. Jagger got his first. He was also the first to break free. After the Pack caught wind of it, the rest of us got ours. Now, it’s also a test of loyalty. If any member of the Pack ever sees this ink, they’ll know who we are.”

She tilted her head, her keen eyes regarding me. “So when you get the tattoo, there’s no going back. It marks you as a traitor to the Pack as far as they’re concerned.”

“Something like that,” I said, kissing her fingers.

“Five of you,” she said. “Just five?”

“Five Alphas,” I said. “Me, Jagger, my half-brother Liam, Payne, and Gunnar. But, we have a network of others who have helped us with supplies and runs. We’ve been able to get quite a number of beta wolves across the border over the last year. But, it’s getting riskier each time.”

“Promise me you’ll stay safe,” Eve’s eyes widened with fear. “Oh, Mac. If they ever catch you…”

“Shh.” I leaned forward and quieted her with a kiss. My lust stirred once again. With it, so did Eve’s.

“I can feel you,” she said. “In here and in here.” She pressed one hand to her heart, the other to her head.

“If I marked you, it would be so much more. Eventually, we could read each other’s thoughts. I’ll always know if you’re in danger.” My voice dropped low. I wanted to tell her that I would always keep her safe. That I would always come for her. Jagger had promised the same thing to Keara. I wasn’t ready to explain to Eve about her. She was owed the truth.

Eve touched my cheek, her eyes searching my face. God, even without the marking, she was already getting very good at reading my moods. She knew I was holding something back, but didn’t press.

“What about you?” I asked. “Isn’t there anyone out here looking for you like I’m looking for Lena?”

Eve’s lips parted, then broke into a sad smile that gutted me. “Not really. Not anymore. My mom died when I was sixteen. Lung cancer. She went fast, but not fast enough. My father has never been around. It’s his major claim to fame. That’s how they got me to come here. A scholarship offer that was too good to be true. It’s a story like that for just about everyone inside Birch Haven.”

She rested her head against me and I kissed her. “You mentioned that before. I think you’re right. They find the girls they think no one will miss. But, you’re not alone now, Eve. As long as there’s breath left in my body, you’ll never be alone again. I’ll come for you. I’ll always come for you.”

“I’ve never had a real family. Not really. Even when my mom was alive I was alone. Even here, it took me so long to let anyone in. With you though, it was so easy.”

“Fate,” I whispered. “Hits you like a thunderbolt. That’s what Liam and Molly said. I want you to meet her. She’s going to love you.”

“I think I’d like that. What are they like? The caves.”

“Vast. Dark. Hidden. It’s the safest place we could find. That deep underground, the Pack hasn’t been able to sense us.”

“Huh.” Eve laced her fingers through mine. Hers were small and delicate. Mine looked dark and rough next to hers. She was so small, and yet so strong. “You know, I’ve never visited them. I’ve lived within fifty miles of them my whole life, but I’ve never gone. There have been so many things like that in my life. I’ve been on the edge of things. It felt safer that way. Don’t get involved. Don’t get attached. I watched my mother do the opposite over and over again. She always went in whole hog whether it was a get rich quick scheme or a new man. Every time, she got ruined all over again. I said I’d never be like her.”

“You’re not,” I said. A fire burned inside of me. I knew what she was thinking. I understood her doubts. “And I’m not. That’s not what this is.”

“Oh, I know,” Eve said. “At least, it doesn’t feel like that. But, Mac, you have to know that about me. I’ve never been the kind of person to jump into something without looking before. This is new to me. The only other time I did was Birch Haven. Look how that turned out.”

I turned her to face me. “I’m never going to hurt you. I’m never going to so much as touch you unless you want it. Even if you never want to see my face again, I’ll still protect you. Forever.”

Eve’s throat bobbed as she swallowed hard. A tiny vein pulsed near her temple. Her eyes searched my face. I knew how hard this was for her to trust. I would not break my vow. I would spend the rest of my life proving to her that I was worthy of this.

“So now what?” she said, brightening. “It seems I can’t go with you without risking the entire Birch Haven patrols following us. I can’t go back there for much longer without risking...Chris.”

“I won’t let him touch you. No matter what happens. I’ll find a way to keep you safe.”

No sooner had I said it when the hairs on the back of my neck stood on end. The air changed and I sensed we weren’t alone. I rose and pushed Eve behind me. My growl came out low and threatening.

“Mac, don’t!” Eve tried to step around from behind me, but I held her tight. Three women emerged, their footsteps crunching so loud against the fallen leaves I wouldn’t have needed preternatural gifts to hear them approach.

I felt Eve’s body relax behind me. She knew them.

“It’s all right. At least, I think,” she said. I kept a firm hand on the small of her back, but let her come around from behind me.

The women were terrified at the sight of me. One stood apart from the others, taking the lead. She was tall and reed-thin with straight dark hair and large eyes that went up and up as she took me in. One of her companions was a stunningly gorgeous African-American woman with luminous green eyes that glinted in the moonlight in a way that almost made her look like a shifter. She was human though. They all were. The third woman hung back. She had blonde hair and a fuller figure.

“April,” Eve said. She came fully out from behind me, gesturing with her hand for me to stay back. I did, but kept Eve within arm’s length. These women would never be fast enough to lay a hand on her with me around, but my protective instincts burned strong.

“This is your friend, I take it,” April said, fixing a hard stare on me.

“He is,” Eve said. “Mac, this is April. She’s the girl I met the other day. The one who knew Lena. This is Jasmine. And I’m sorry, who are you?” she directed her question to the third girl hanging back behind the others.

“I’m sorry,” April said. “This is Kat. She’s new. Just came to Birch Haven last week.”

“What are you doing out here?” Eve asked.

“Looking for you, of course.” It was Jasmine who answered this time. Her flaring anger made me snarl. Though these girls were no threat to Eve, my wolf was stirred.

“Have you asked him?” April asked. “Can he help us?”

Eve’s face went white. She looked from me to the girls. “Uh. We haven’t...I haven’t…” The deep blush coloring her cheeks made me smile. As stirred as I was, so was she.

“We can help you,” April said, bypassing Eve in her flustered state. “You’re the one looking for Lena Morris, right?”

I couldn’t stop the growl that escaped from deep inside of me. “What do you know about her?”

Eve stepped in. “I’ve seen her,” she said to April. “She’s in a cell of some kind. She’s alive.”

April’s face went dark. Jasmine let out an emotional sigh. My back went up.

“What do you know?” I couldn’t keep the dark threat from my tone. With everything that had happened between Eve and me, I was damn near feral. Eve put a hand flat on my chest and held a finger up to April, cautioning her to keep her distance.

April was defiant though. She crossed her arms and swung the hair away from her face. “If she’s in a cell, then I know where that is. I can take you to her.” She directed her words to Eve.

“No!” I said. “It’s too dangerous. I’m getting Eve the hell out of here. Now. She’s been targeted.”

“We all have,” Jasmine nearly shouted it. “Every one of us. That’s why we’re here. What makes her so special?”

The answer erupted from my throat in a snarl and I knew my wolf eyes glinted silver. “She’s mine. That makes her everything.”

“You can’t run with her,” April said. “Not now. They’ll come after you. The Pack will know the second Eve steps outside the boundaries of Birch Haven. They’ll track you. And now...you’ve made it so they’ll probably scent you on her in two seconds flat. So basically, Eve, you’re fucked. You’ve got no choice but to trust me.”

No sooner had April made her threat when the air changed again. My vision clouded and a fog drifted through my brain. It was the pull of the Pack. They were getting close again. I dropped to my knees, my growl ripping through the air. Kat and Jasmine looked terrified. April stood her ground. A choked sound came from Eve as she put her hand on my back.

“Don’t,” she said. “If you shift now, we’re all done for.” She turned to April. “Do you have a plan? Is there somewhere I can go?”

Jasmine threw up her hands and started to pace. If she were a shifter, she’d be having as much of a time keeping her beast at bay as I was.

“Yes,” April said. “I know a place. It’ll be temporary. You and your boys are going to have to come up with a plan and quick. I can keep Eve hidden for a day or two, at most. I can take you to Lena. I know where they’re keeping her.”

“How do you know all of this?” I asked. With Eve’s gentle hand on my back, I was able to come fully back into myself. “Why the hell should I trust you?” I grew bold. I grabbed April by the arm and turned her. As I suspected, I saw the faded outline of the mark she bore at the back of her neck. She jerked away and glared at me.

“He’s dead,” she answered the question I hadn’t asked yet. “The monster who marked me is dead. No one has a claim on me now. Not yet, anyway. I’ll die before I’ll let it happen again. All of us will. Have you ever asked yourself why the Pack doesn’t keep stronger wolves here to patrol the grounds? There are no generals here. Mostly underlings and betas.”

“Why?” I hissed. She was right though. It was the one thing that didn’t add up about Birch Haven.

“Because the temptation to just take one of us without permission would be too strong. And, the chances one of the generals or Alphas might find a fated mate here is too great. So he staffs this place with lesser wolves. But, don’t get me wrong. They’re plenty strong and plenty bad. That’s what happened with Lena. The wolf who marked her against her will was an Alpha. Shelby Cole. She fought back. When the Chief Alpha caught wind of it, he killed him. But, Lena was already pretty messed up from it. And the Alpha suspects she’s connected to one of you.”

Her words twisted in my guts like a knife. The Alpha was keeping Lena as a hostage because of me.

“It’s not too late,” April said. “If you have the numbers and can be quick about it, I think we can make a run for it. Can you get us out?”

“I can hide you.”

“No,” April said. “I’m not going from one shifter to another. But if you can just get us out…”

“Stop it!” Jasmine yelled. “This is insane. I told you. Even talking to him could get us killed or worse. You’re willing to put your trust in this guy? He’s a shifter. A shifter!”

“He’s not like the ones in there,” Eve said. “He’s not under the control of the Pack.”

“For now,” Jasmine said. “The minute they figure out who he is, they’ll bring him back in line. Why the hell would you want to risk that? You just want what they want. You want breeding stock.”

I clenched my jaw so hard I nearly ground my teeth into powder. This girl was scared. Terrified. As much as I resented the comparison, I could understand her fear. I couldn’t claim to know what she’d done to keep her wits about her in there. She’d lost friends. So had I.

“Lena Morris is my sister,” I said. That knowledge gave her power over me. It was an act of faith. Jasmine’s eyes searched mine and she recognized it. “Eve is my mate. My fated mate. And I am nothing like the shifters of the Pack. You want a way out? I’m it. If you can do what you say, if you can keep Eve and Lena safe until I get back, I’ll bring reinforcements. I know a place where the Pack won’t be able to find you. There are more of us than you realize. I’ve helped other people before.”

Tears fell from Jasmine’s eyes. “Someone already promised me that. They broke that promise. I lost my sister too. I wasn’t lured to Birch Haven. I came to find my sister. She was one of the Twelve.”

She said the last part with reverence as if I should know what it meant. My head spun. There was movement on the east side of the wall. Shifters were on the move.

“Who the hell are the Twelve?” I asked it at the same time Eve did.

April threw up her hands. “We don’t have time for this now.”

“So talk fast,” I said.

April rolled her eyes. “It’s an urban myth, anyway. But, fine. Real quick. There’s a rumor there were a dozen girls who made a break for it from Birch Haven a few years ago. Nobody knows what happened to them. Some say they got away. Some say they were caught and killed. Some say it never happened at all and it’s just a ghost story the yahoos behind these walls tell to scare girls like us. Jasmine, I’m sorry, but you know it too. I’m sorry about Jade. Chances are if she was here, she got herself marked and she’s off having puppies with some asshole shifter in southern Kentucky.”

Jasmine looked ready to murder April. She was right though, we didn’t have time for this. My wolf clamored to get out. The shifters on the other side of the wall were way too close. The need to grab Eve and run tore at me. We wouldn’t get far fast enough for me to keep her safe.

“It’s okay,” Eve said, turning to me and sensing my mood. “Come back with help. I can stay out of trouble long enough to figure out what’s happening with Lena.”

My nostrils flared as my wolf tried to rip his way out. Again, Eve’s calming hand on my arm kept me in control. How had I ever lived without her? How could I leave her now? Her eyes searched mine and gave me the hard answers neither of us wanted. We had no choice. The safest thing to do was regroup and come back.

“Keep her safe,” I snarled at April.

“You do your part, we’ll do ours. Come on! Clock’s ticking.”

Voice roses on the other side of the wall. Eve grabbed me and drew me into a kiss. It made her knees weak and I held her up. The taste of her intoxicated me.

April’s hand on her arm drew her away. “Come on!” she said. “You get your stink all over her and I’m never going to be able to hide her. Now, shoo. We meet here. Tomorrow night. Be ready.”

I pressed my lips to Eve’s ear and spoke in a voice too low for anyone but her to hear. “Stay alive. I love you.”

Then, I tore myself away.