“Explain to me why you ran off from training alone,” Kye bellowed as he came upon Evie lying in a thicket right at the edge of the meadow they went to often. She was in her panther form, her eyes closed as she growled low in her throat. The beast’s tail swished back and forth, letting Kye know she was agitated.
When Ranger had called him, Kye immediately knew where she’d run, and he didn’t use his panther to go after her. He knew that she’d probably need to see him… just him. It was obvious that she’d had some type of bad flashback from what Ranger had told him.
“Evie!” His panther was growling in his mind, but he wouldn’t let the beast free to show comfort toward hers.
“You used to talk to me about what was going on,” he reminded her. “Now, all you do is train.”
Nothing. She wouldn’t shift. At that moment, he wished he had his brother’s ability to force her to change. He needed Evie in his arms.
“Please, Evie… let me take some of this pain from you,” he whispered, knowing she heard him. He sat on the ground and opened his arms, praying she’d accept him.
Her panther looked over at him, closed its eyes, and stood. Kye waited patiently for what felt like hours before the beast climbed into his lap. A shimmer signaled her change, and within seconds, Evie was curled up on his lap, tears pouring down her face.
“I need to tell you what happened with the wolves,” she cried, “and when I do, you are going to have to make the decision if you’re still going to want me.”
Kye’s heart shuddered at her words. How in the hell would anything she had to tell him change his feelings for her?
“Evie,” he began, using his forefinger to tug at her chin. “Look at me. What’s going on?”
“I don’t even know where to start,” she sniffled, wiping her eyes. Kye’s heart broke into a million pieces at seeing her tears, and he wanted nothing more than to just hold her so no one else could ever hurt her again.
“Start at the beginning,” he urged, keeping a tight hold on her.
“I was coming from the alpha’s home and heard a strange sound by the side of my mother’s house,” she began. “I don’t remember all that happened other than a man grabbing me. He smelled so bad…”
Evie paused and shivered. Kye kissed the top of her head, hoping to give her strength. He didn’t know how he was going to sit there and listen to her recollection of what had happened without losing his mind, but he had to be strong for her.
“I screamed, and that’s when he put a cloth over my mouth,” she sighed. “I woke up to a boot in my ribs and a busted lip.”
“Fuck,” Kye whispered, holding her tighter.
“I tried to shift, but the pain in my neck stopped me,” she said, touching the spot where they’d collared her with a leather strap imbedded with spikes. “They laughed at me and said that if I completed the shift, my panther and I would die.”
“My brother showed me the collar,” Kye admitted, remembering how viciously angry he was the night she was found. “It was designed to kill a shifter.”
“The wolves make them,” she added, looking up at him with big, icy blue eyes. She wasn’t crying, but there were unshed tears building. It was only a matter of minutes before they escaped.
“I’m so sorry, baby,” he cooed.
“Every time I would wake, they’d have fun kicking me,” she admitted. “The two wolves that were there to watch over me liked to taunt me to call out for Talon. If my panther would push forward, they’d attack me. She wanted their blood.”
“She was trying to protect you,” he said softly.
“After the second day…”
“Evie?” Kye called her name. She’d recessed into herself like she was ready to shut down. “What happened?”
“After the second day,” she repeated, looking up into his eyes. “I won’t hate you if you decide not to touch me when I turn twenty.”
“Why are you saying that?” he growled, his mating scent thick in the air. She was scaring him. What could’ve happened that was so bad she was willing to let him go?
“Kye,” she whimpered, wrapping her arms around herself protectively.
“Tell me,” he begged. “Evie, you’re scaring me.”
“They… they kicked me and punched me in my stomach so hard, I started bleeding like I was having my cycle,” she hiccupped. “They saw the blood and they both laughed, saying they’d done me a favor so I couldn’t bring anymore cats into the world.”
“Those motherfuckers!” Kye exploded, jumping to his feet to pace as she scrambled away from him. Evie covered her face and began to cry harder as she rolled to her knees.
“I’ll more than likely never be able to give you cubs, Kye… I’m so sorry.”
It was still dark outside when Kye’s eyes fluttered open. Evie was snuggled against his side, and thankfully, she was still asleep. Her pain had filtered into his dreams and turned them into nightmares.
Those wolves had hurt her more than he had imagined. He really couldn’t fault her for not telling him. Was he mad? Yes, but as his brother had ordered, Kye wasn’t going to lash out at her. The news hurt, knowing he would probably never be able to breed an heir to his own pride someday. No children to carry on the alpha gene could be disastrous. Their species could die out without a leader.
Evie shifted in her sleep, and he rubbed her hair to soothe her enough that she eventually relaxed and fell back into a deep sleep. Kye watched her through the soft moonlight that peeked through his curtains. He didn’t need the light, but he appreciated his panther resting for the first time since he’d been told what had happened. Kye needed his human side right now.
He had to assure her for an hour that he would love her regardless of her ability, or inability, to have cubs. In the end, it didn’t matter. Kye only wanted Evie.
She’d brought up the elephant in the room, as well.
What if they were not fated to be mates? How would they be able to continue to love each other ten years down the road? Was he being an asshole when he thought about how he didn’t care for another female? That the woman of his dreams was already here?
The kidnapping, the protests, and the Community were driving a wedge in what was once their secret world. Kye remembered growing up with no fences… no borders to their freedom. Now, everyone in the pride was told to stay in groups and to listen to the Guardians when they spoke of anything dealing with their safety.
Hope, Calla, and Evie were trained in firearms so they could help protect the pride. The alpha’s mate and her sister, Nova, were experts and had no worries when it came to training the female pride members. If their ancestors could see them now, Kye wondered what they’d say.
Traditions and rituals were still enforced, but were they truly needed?
With the change of their existence being known to humans, even having something as simple as a Fall Equinox shift could be dangerous for all of them.
Kye pulled Evie toward his chest and closed his eyes tightly, praying to the gods that she would be safe. She just had to be. No one should have to go through what his girl had gone through at such a young age.