Chapter Thirteen

Momma acted like a flustered schoolgirl as Littlefoot offered his hand to help her from Sharky’s car. He was, of course, a complete gentleman toward her. Both Meg and Eve didn’t miss the flirtation.

Eve silently pointed from one to the other. Meg shook her head. “Eternal mating bond.”

“Oh,” Eve whispered.

The two women followed them into the house. Inside, members of Littlefoot’s family warmly welcomed them. A huge dinner was already prepared. Two teenage boys scurried down the hall with their bags. Littlefoot led Momma to a leather recliner for her to sit. Two rotund women who looked exactly alike shooed Meg and Eve back until their butts hit the sofa behind them. Plates full of food were set in their hands.

“And we’ve been going to the house of the damned for this long when this was here? Why?” Meg objected. Eve chuckled as she bit into a forkful of herbed chicken. Momma was already munching happily on her supper.

Littlefoot and his family’s hospitality made the days without Micah a little less lonely. Seeing the children play took a chunk of Eve’s heart. It was a reminder of what she would never have. She spent hours talking to Meg. By day three, she’d told the blonde her life story. Meg told hers to Eve. Eve never had any real female friends. Not even Tabitha. None had been closer to her than Meg now was.

Eve noticed Meg disappear to talk to Noah alone. She didn’t want to pry in their intimate moment. But she said mating was eternal. And anyone who touched her other than Micah made her violently ill. There couldn’t be an affair. But what kind of conspiracy were they plotting?

On the final night of the full moon, Eve couldn’t sleep. Was it the residual effects of the withdrawal? Was it replaying Micah’s sexting text over and over in her mind? She wasn’t sure. She finally crawled out of bed to get a drink of water.

She heard voices in the mud room heading to the backyard. She knew Caleb could be an asshole. But he didn’t deserve this. She charged through the kitchen into the mudroom.

Both Noah and Meg were bundled in their coats and boots. He handed her a wooden box and a rifle.

“What the fuck?” Eve demanded.

“Eve, go to bed,” Meg ordered.

“Like that’s fucking happening. Where the fuck are you going?”

Meg sighed. “I’m going hunting. I’m going to find out which Hallow is lying.”

“Pregnant?”

“Yep. So go to bed.”

“Hell, no. I’m coming too.”

“Neither of you are going anywhere.” All three of them turned to find Littlefoot in the doorway glaring at them. He pointed into the house. “Go back to bed.”

“One.” Meg held up her finger. “We’re adults. Two.” She raised another. “Don’t you want to know who’s lying to you? If whoever it is keeps attacking, it’ll expose the other six.”

“What if it’s your mate, Meg?” Littlefoot inquired.

“Then I’ll kick his ass. So let’s go figure it out.”

Littlefoot stared at her. He reached out and snatched the rifle from her. “I take the shot. You stay safe in the truck. Understand?”

Meg smiled. “Of course.”

He turned to Eve. “Go quick and dress. Noah, are you coming?”

“Sure, I’m up,” Noah answered.

Eve slipped past them all. “Give me just a minute.”

Littlefoot nodded. “Meet us in the garage.”

Eve hurried through the house to her room. She’d never dressed so fast in her life. Once she zipped up her coat, she made her way to the garage. Littlefoot was in the driver’s seat. Meg was in the backseat of the quad cab. Noah stood outside, waiting for her with two rifles in his hands. He secured the guns in the rack hanging off the back window. He helped her in before climbing inside himself.

They patrolled the countryside near the sites of the previous two attacks for hours. Eve dozed off. She dreamed of Micah, of his brothers, of a terrifying beast with claws and fangs and coarse hair. She was jostled awake when Littlefoot slammed on the breaks. She rubbed her eyes as she fought to regain her senses.

“Is that?”

“It might be a moose. Or a bear.”

“That is no fucking moose or bear. What the holy fuck is that?”

“Noah, that’s a werewolf.”

“No, fucking way. Holy shit.”

“You operated on one. Why are you panicking?”

“It was bound. It wasn’t looking to kill me.”

Eve bolted up straight. Dead ahead in the middle of the wooded gravel lane stood a werewolf, its claws buried in the snow and its fangs bared. It stood as tall as Eve remembered Micah’s beast to be, well over six feet tall. Something didn’t seem right.

“Why is it growling at us?” Noah asked, terrified.

“The brothers can control the blood lust, but it’s like a wild possession. They go feral. Things blur. Maybe whoever it is doesn’t recognize us,” Meg answered.

“Abraham can’t control the blood lust,” Eve interjected. “But he’s smaller than that.”

Littlefoot looked across the cab at his nephew. “Can you do this or do I need Meg to cover me?”

Noah huffed. “I can do it.”

“Meg, Eve. Could you please get us the rifles?”

The two women unsecured the guns and passed them up to the two men. Noah opened the wooden box and handed a couple of the hypodermic bullets to his uncle. They quickly loaded the ammunition as the beast outside growled and prowled closer.

Littlefoot looked at Noah. “Use the door as a shield. Take the shot. I’ll cover you.”

“But…”

“How many bear have you shot?”

“Three.”

“Same thing. Go.”

Noah sucked in his breath loudly and then kicked the door open. The moment his feet hit the ground, he aimed. The werewolf lunged into the air at the truck. The sound that came from its throat was horrifying. Noah’s hand shook as he pulled the trigger. The bullet embedded into the underbelly of the werewolf. Littlefoot fired a second shot landing inches from the first. The werewolf collapsed into the snow.

“Now to see which brother we’re dealing with,” Littlefoot announced.

The beast shook violently as it shrunk. Coarse, black fur turned into smooth skin. Long black hair scattered along the snow. The naked body shivered in the cold.

“Eve, grab a blanket,” Littlefoot ordered.

She scooped up the blanket between her and Meg as she shot an anxious look at the other woman. She met Meg’s wide-eyed gaze. Eve hopped out of the truck to hand the blanket to him.

“Who is that?” she asked.

“I don’t know,” Littlefoot admitted as he laid the thick woven blanket over the naked man.

“He was with Roman Lycan. Stood to the right of him during the faceoff.” Noah glanced up at Littlefoot. “You bring us to watch the other team so you can concentrate on the brothers, Uncle.”

Eve whipped out her cell from the pocket of her jacket. Opening a photo app, she held it up and aimed it at the man.

Littlefoot raised an arm to block her. “What are you doing?”

“The brothers need to see this. If he’s a werewolf, what if Roman Lycan is too?”

Littlefoot glared at her and then dropped his arm. “Hurry. We need to go in case his pack is nearby.”

Eve pressed against the screen of her phone twice to take the photos. The second showed his unconscious face clearly. She scrambled back into the truck with Littlefoot on her heels. She hadn’t even gotten settled before he slammed the door and threw the truck in reverse. The tires spun in the mud and snow before the vehicle lurched backward.

The four of them disappeared into their rooms when they returned to Littlefoot’s house. Noah didn’t live there but took up residency on the couch. He trembled under the thick blanket that covered him. Eve crawled under the covers, but sleep eluded her. She didn’t wonder why. She knew. And it wasn’t only the nightmare that they just took down that did it. Roman Lycan is a werewolf. My werewolf doesn’t know he’s about to face one of his kind in the cage.

She watched each minute on the digital clock beside the bed tick away for two solid hours before the door to her room opened. Meg scuttled across the floor around the bed and climbed in with her. She wrapped an arm around Eve. Her rounded belly kept a bit of space between them.

“Can’t sleep,” Meg admitted. “I don’t why I’m so scared. I’ve seen Caleb. Why does this bother me so much?”

“Because he wasn’t a Hallow. The Hallows wouldn’t kill us. I’m pretty sure that guy wouldn’t have hesitated to tear us apart. And if you’re like me, you are terrified what his group wants with ours.” Eve shrugged and then turned toward Meg and wrapped an arm around her. “I have a feeling some pretty terrifying things are on the horizon for us.”

“You’ve got me, Eve.”

“And you’ve got me, Meg. We’ll stick together through the thick of it. But you need to teach me to shoot.”

Meg laughed. “Deal.”

The two women chattered softly to each other to not disturb anyone else in the house. Eve’s eyes grew heavy. Having Meg close brought her comfort. It made the nightmare go away. She heard the blonde snore. It was the last thing that hit her senses before she dozed off.

»»•««

Littlefoot insisted on taking them back to Sharky’s the next morning. He told Momma it was so he didn’t inconvenience the old man. Eve knew it was so that he could share what they saw the night before with the brothers. Meg and Eve climbed into the back of his truck and waited as he helped Momma inside. Eve wrung her hands and fidgeted as they drove down the road to the gas station. She glanced over to see Meg twirl a lock of hair around her finger absentmindedly.

Eve sighed. All she wanted was Micah, his strong embrace, his loving smile, and of course, what he hid in his jeans. The constant craving for sex was almost draining. She also wanted to show him the pictures that she took the night before. He needed to know what he was dealing with.

Seven large figures bundled for the winter chill stood in the middle of a circle of cars in the lot of Sharky’s Garage. Littlefoot pulled up beside them and parked the truck. Meg and Eve had to look like two excited puppies bouncing in the backseat as he opened the door and stepped outside. He was barely around the nose of the vehicle to help Momma out when the two women tumbled out and hurried to their mates. Eve pulled down Micah’s scarf and planted a kiss on his lips.

Micah chuckled. “Miss me?”

Eve grinned. “You have no idea.”

“Do anything interesting?”

Eve didn’t answer. She shot a look at Meg who was staring at her. Josiah turned to Littlefoot. “Was there another attack last night?”

Littlefoot shook his head. “No. But I think we stopped it.”

“We?”

“Noah, Meg, Eve, and I went werewolf hunting last night. We wanted to know which of you was attacking humans. Eve, show your mate what we found.”

Eve pulled her cell from her pocket and scrolled through the screens. She was suddenly aware of several large bodies pressed up against her trying to see. She held up one of the photos she had taken so they could all view it.

“Who the fuck is that?” Ezekiel demanded.

“Mike, that dude was standing next to Roman Lycan on the stage,” Samuel commented. “I can’t forget that mousy little smug shit.”

“I know,” Micah replied quietly. “I remember him.”

“Where did Leroy say they were from?” Josiah questioned.

“Maine,” Eve answered.

“You don’t suppose…” Josiah’s voice trailed off.

“They’re from Dad’s pack. Yeah. I do.”

“Weigh-ins are tomorrow night, bud. You can still back out.”

Micah let out a half-hearted laugh. “I’m not afraid to fight another werewolf. If anything, it gives me the incentive to beat the shit out of him for what he’s put us through.” He looked down at Eve, meeting her gaze. “Next time, leave the werewolf hunting to us, okay? We’re better equipped. And I can’t lose you. It would kill me.”

Caleb nudged Meg and pointed at Micah. “What he said.”

“You have such a way with words.” Meg elbowed him in the side.

Josiah shook Littlefoot’s hand. “Thank you for taking them in. And thank you for protecting them when you went out. This is information we can use in our favor.”

Littlefoot smiled. “Anytime, boys.”

The brothers climbed into the vehicles. Micah helped Eve into the Jeep and then hopped in the driver's seat. She watched Meg snuggle with Caleb in the cab of their truck. Momma was nestled contently in Josiah’s. Micah took her hand in his and then shifted into gear. All the light disappeared as they plunged into the woods after his family.

»»•««

Micah wasn’t sure there was a time this club wasn’t packed from one wall to the other. He searched the crowd for Lycan and his team. It helped to be abnormally tall.

He felt a tug on his arm. “Are they here?” Josiah asked.

Josiah kept looking. He nodded. “By the bar.”

He studied them as they sipped from bottles of beer. Roman met his gaze and smiled. His second was hunched over a barstool, looking like he had seen better days. The others flanked either side of Roman, enjoying the scantily dressed woman crawling over them.

“Pretty impressive, huh?”

Micah and Josiah turned to find Leroy beside then. Micah shrugged. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

Leroy nodded toward the bar. “Roman and his guys. Best physical specimens I’ve seen. Spent night and day in Graves’s gym. I think they lived there. I mean, I’d love to compare your training to theirs but you’ve never invited me to your gym.”

“And it won’t be happening anytime soon,” Micah responded with a snarl.

“Suit yourself. I’m going to start the weigh-ins. See you in a bit.” Leroy turned and strode off for the stage. The brothers let out a collective growl as he left.

“Ignorant dumb shit,” Josiah spat.

“I know, right?” Micah agreed.

Micah felt the crowd around him jostle, and then a pair of hands caress him. The hands that had touched him before made him feel sick. After the third pair, he threw up. This pair, however, set him on fire. His cock jumped in response. He didn’t have to know who held him.

“Hey, baby,” he greeted.

“Hey,” Eve returned. “How much longer?”

“Leroy hasn’t started yet. But it shouldn’t be long. Who brought you?”

“Cay and Meg. They found a booth in the back. They didn’t want to risk this crazy crowd with her being pregnant. I guess the last faceoff was pretty risky.” Eve pointed toward the back. Nestled in a plush burgundy leather booth was Caleb and Meg, cuddled together.

Micah held her close to him, burying his face in her hair. He inhaled the scent of her hair. It steadied his stampeding heart. Together with Josiah, they watched each pair of fighters ascend to the stage to weigh-in and then face off. The announcer’s voice echoed through the speaker system, shaking the walls with stats, weights, and comments. Two fighters started their brawl early. The on-stage security separated them, keeping their large bodies between the competitors.

Finally, the announcer motioned toward Micah. “And in our main event, a middleweight matchup for the title belt. First, let’s hear it for Micah Hallow of northern Minnesota.”

The walls shook, and chips of plaster fell from the ceiling as the crowd roared. Micah gave Eve a quick kiss and then strode on stage with Josiah following. Caleb followed a few steps behind. Micah stripped down to his fight shorts. Whistles and catcalls filled the air. He stepped on the scale and waited.

The doctor overseeing the weigh-in read the numbers on the scale. “One hundred and eighty-five,” he told the announcer.

“One eighty-five,” the announcer relayed to the crowd cheerfully. Everyone cheered in response. He continued. “And coming all the way from Maine, his opponent, Roman Lycan.”

Roman smacked his second, forcing him to stand. His team followed him as the crowd parted to let him up to the stage. He did just as Micah had, stripping off his clothes and standing on the scale. The club went silent as they waited for the result.

“One hundred and eighty-five,” the doctor repeated.

“One eighty-five,” the announcer spoke into the microphone. The raucous mob roared.

Leroy motioned to Micah and Roman. “Face off, gentleman.”

Micah strode to Roman until their noses nearly touched. Josiah and Caleb pulled him back. “What the fuck are you doing here?”

Roman smiled calmly at him. “I don’t want to fight you, Micah.”

“Then what the hell do you want?”

“Atticus sent us to bring you home.”

Micah frowned at him. “We are home. This is home.”

“No, it’s not. Home is with Atticus. He needs you to come home. He needs you and your brothers to take over the family line. Rule the pack. Follow your destiny.”

“We’re half-breeds, asshole.”

“It doesn’t matter to Atticus. You are the only heirs. Without you, we will fall apart and be destroyed.”

“Caleb and I are mated. We go with our mates.” Micah glanced over at Leroy who seemed a far enough away to not hear them. “My understanding is that Atticus frowns on that.”

Roman glanced down at Eve standing beside the stage watching them. “We will find you new mates. It will be painful. We understand. But we need you to breed. Your current mates can be disposed of.”

Micah rushed him again and growled. “Fuck you. I will kick your ass and force you to go home. Send Atticus our deepest regrets.”

Security and Josiah pulled him off Roman. Roman simply and methodically smiled at him. The fucker seemed brainwashed. He heard Leroy bark through the melee. “Pose, gents.”

Micah snarled and then dropped into fight pose. Flashes from cell phones lit up the dim bar. Leroy slapped each man on the shoulder. The security guards handed them their clothes and shoved them toward opposite staircases. Micah pulled his clothes on and followed his brothers down the steps.

“So that’s why they’re here,” Josiah said. “They are fucking werewolves.”

“Yep,” Caleb agreed. “They’re Atticus’s fucking errand boys.”

Eve pushed her way through the crowd, stumbling over the last few stray feet. She caught hold of Micah before she fell. She frowned at the brothers. “Who exactly is Atticus?”

Micah’s gaze was locked on Roman as he and his team made their way to the door. Roman met his stare one last time before he stepped outside and disappeared. “Atticus is our grandfather.”

“He said he wants you to go back to Maine. To rule.”

Micah smiled at her. “You heard me. We’re not going. We are home. Right here. This black haired, blue eyed, foul-mouthed, law breaking hellion standing in front of me? This is my home. You, Eve. To me, you are home.”

Eve wrapped her arms around his shoulders and lifted herself on her toes to kiss him long and hard. A few women hissed and cursed at the scene. The whole thing made Micah hard as a rock.

As they broke apart, he chuckled. “Come on, baby. Let’s go home so I can rest. And you know just how to relax me.”

Eve’s grin couldn’t be bigger when she kissed him. By the sudden pull inside him, by the way her fingers skimmed his cock through his jeans, he knew she was ready to alleviate all his tension. He just hoped she started with her pretty mouth. He gripped her tightly as she tugged him through the mob and out to the cold winter night.