Chapter Nineteen
Evie woke groggily. She dreamed last night about Dashiel and Cyne. A dream where she ended up between them while they took turns kissing her. She didn’t understand why each member of Shadewolf team inspired such carnal fantasies from her, but it seemed like they filled her thoughts, awake or asleep. Each man called to her, made her want impossible things. She’d already kissed two of them. She needed to stop this insanity and bury her attraction. She was human, nothing could come from it. She would keep her distance until she dealt with her feelings and put her silly crush to rest.
Getting ready for the day, she recalled the conversation from the other night. The sorrowful details Max and Caleb shared with her about their mate. While Evie now knew what afflicted Cammie, fear held her back from sharing that knowledge. The past year spent dealing with her newfound ability, learning the ins and outs of how it worked, isolated Evie from those around her, even Max.
At camp, she hid the ability from everyone. If her father had found out, he would’ve pronounced her a deviant and possibly ordered her death. He didn’t tolerate differences of any kind. In hindsight, she wished she had shared her secret with Max, but she thought him to be human. Uncertain of where his true allegiance lay, it kept her from bridging that final gap in trust to cement their friendship.
Should she take a chance now? She wasn’t under her father’s thumb anymore. Surrounded by other unique individuals, people she trusted, she no longer needed to go it alone.
Indecisive, she bit her lip. Would Max believe her?
Even though she knew it was the right thing to do, fear drove her uncertainty. What if Max ended their friendship over her failure to speak up sooner? She’d be left with no one. But if she stayed silent, that would make her a pretty crappy friend. This shouldn’t be about her. It should be about what was best for Cammie.
“Son of a bitch!” Evie exclaimed as she tugged on her shoes. She had no choice; she had to come clean.
Checking the clock, she still had a few hours before her first class. She needed to do this, and she needed to do it now. Otherwise, she might lose her nerve.
She grabbed her books and stuffed them in her backpack. She’d leave them here and circle back around to her dorm before class. In case things went bad, they wouldn’t weigh her down if she needed to leave in a hurry. With a resolute sigh, she headed for the door.
~
She arrived at the Shadewolf dwelling too quickly. Not enough time elapsed on her walk over to allow time for her nerves to settle. Evie sat on the front stoop and tried to convince herself to knock. The house, quiet behind her, was the perfect backdrop to lessen her nerves. The morning air stirred, the calm breeze kicking up leaves from the forest floor. It promised to be a beautiful day.
The sun crept over the horizon by the time she stood up and rapped on the door. Anxious, she straightened her spine and waited for someone to answer. Was it too early, and they weren’t up yet?
A deadbolt turned, and the door swung open to reveal a chiseled, naked chest with a spattering of hair. In pajama bottoms only, with his bare feet sticking out, Jaoel scowled down at her.
“You know, if you keep hanging onto Max’s tailcoats like this, it’s going to piss Caleb off. They told you last night they had a mate.” Jaoel’s snide tone cut deep. “Are you really desperate enough to continue to embarrass yourself this way?” His lack of interest in her answer became clear when he yawned loudly into his hand while his other one rubbed his chest.
“Don’t be a prick, Jaoel.” A deep voice came from the interior of the house. “Let her in.”
Jaoel sighed and shifted to the side to make a small space for Evie to brush past. When his skin came into contact with hers, a tingling spark rolled up her arm, halting her next breath. She shrugged it off as static electricity and moved forward.
Behind Jaoel, Cyne stood dressed in a pair of jeans and t-shirt. Evie needed to give herself another one of those pep talks when aching disappointment crashed through her to find him fully dressed. Memories from her dream bombarded her, and her face warmed.
“What’s wrong, love?” Cyne’s eyes drooped with fatigue. Last night’s assignment must have kept him out late.
“I need to see Max and Caleb, please. Are they up yet?” Uncertain, Evie chewed her thumbnail, Jaoel’s condemning words still ringing in her ear.
A rude snort came from behind her, but she ignored it, focusing all her attention on Cyne. He stared at her hard for a moment and then shook his head. “They’re up. In the kitchen with the rest of the guys. Come on.”
Cyne threw an arm around her shoulder, hugging her close as he led her toward the kitchen. The further they walked into the interior, the more noise she heard. She’d thought most the house asleep, but from the commotion coming from the kitchen, it sounded like they were all awake.
Laughter rang out as Cyne cleared the doorway with her in tow. Evie glanced around as she shifted from one foot to the other, suddenly uncomfortable. Dashiel, dressed in similar attire to Cyne, leaned against the counter, coffee cup in hand. Next to him, working a pan on the stove, stood Caleb. His disheveled hair, combined with the same clothes he’d worn last night, made him look like he’d just rolled out of bed and started his day.
Xander, Jaxon, Aaron, and Max sat around the table with half eaten plates in front of them. All conversation stopped upon her entry, and they turned to stare at her in expectation.
“Hey, sweetheart. What are you doing here so early? Wanting to skip classes already?” Max joked, his mouth half full of food. “Half the men in this house are your instructors. I may have to pull some strings.”
“Um…yes…I mean, no.” Evie shook, not wanting to confess why she came over. She didn’t want things to change, but she also knew it was inevitable. Max and Caleb deserved the truth.
She took a deep breath and rushed out, “I need to talk with you and Caleb.” She twitched side to side before adding, “It’s important.”
“Sure. Do you want some breakfast first? Did you eat?” Max sat back in his chair to rub his belly.
Shaking her head, she stepped out from beneath Cyne’s arm, afraid he would pick up on her unease. “No, I need to talk to you both. I should have said something sooner, but I didn’t, and I’m sorry.”
Evie’s eyes dropped to the floor, ashamed she waited this long. She should have spoken up when she first arrived and noticed the oddities. At the very least, she should have confessed last night. Instead, she’d been selfish, enjoying her time with the guys. Then later, the time she spent alone with Dash.
“What are you talking about, Evie? Tell us what’s going on.” Caleb’s brows creased with concern, the contents of the frying pan forgotten. Evie gestured to the stove and waited as he turned off the burner and moved the pan to the center. Placing the spatula on the counter, he came around the other side of the island to stand behind Max.
“Well…uhm…” Evie stalled right away. She hadn’t anticipated the others hearing her confession as well. Tongue tied, she regretted her rash decision to come here. She should have waited until Max and Caleb were alone.
“Oh, for fuck’s sake. Spit it out already.” Jaoel snapped in disgust. “Some of us have more important things to do. Like sleep.”
His nasty comment struck home, but she kept her mask in place. She didn’t want to allow him to witness a single hint of the pain she felt.
“Evie, please excuse Jaoel’s rude behavior. He had a long night and has yet to sleep.” Dashiel narrowed his eyes at the angry healer for a moment. “Please proceed with what you need to say. At your own pace. No one in this room will say another word.” Steel reinforced his words as he glared around the room, silently issuing his command.
Evie took a minute to center her thoughts. Not sure where to begin, she started with the truth. “I think I know what’s wrong with Cammie.”
The whispered words sounded ten times louder in the quiet room. At her words, Max and Caleb both froze. Evie wasn’t even sure they breathed.
“Evie, please explain.” Dashiel placed his empty coffee cup in the sink. “Cammie was examined by our best healers. No evidence of anything physical was uncovered.”
“Cammie, sh-she’s marked.” She cringed as she said the words, knowing the impossibility of them, but positive in her assessment.
Jaoel was in her face before the last word left her lips. “Bullshit. I was on the team that completed her physical exam when she returned from her mission. Plus, Surmata are immune to being marked.”
She stood her ground, forcing herself to meet his antique gold glare. “I can’t explain why I can see it and you can’t. But it’s there.”
“Fucking humans, always thinking they know everything.” He turned away in disgust. “Most humans lack the ability to see a marked soul.”
“Easy, Jaoel,” Dashiel cautioned. “Evie’s trying to help her friend.”
“Fuck that! I don’t know what game she’s playing, but I’ll be damned before I let some little slut of a human try to insinuate herself into my friends’ lives. Especially when they’re vulnerable.” Jaoel paced away from her, anger rolling off him in waves. “She needs to get it through her head they’re taken. Hell, she’s probably a fucking spy working for her father. The minute he makes contact with her, she’s going to go running back to him. She can’t be trusted, and the lot of you are fools to try.”
Jaoel stormed out of the room. His heavy footfalls echoed as he stomped up the stairs, quickly followed by a door slamming shut.
No one spoke. Trying to keep the tears that welled in her eyes at bay, Evie looked at Max. He slumped over in his chair, head cradled in his hands, sorrow evident in his defeated posture.
Not wanting to make the situation worse, Evie decided to retreat. “I’m sorry, Max, Caleb. I don’t mean to cause you pain, but I’m telling the truth. Do with it what you will.”
Evie beat a hasty exit to the front door. She half hoped Max would call out to her, forestalling her, but the room she left remained quiet.