Taken by the Wolf: Collection (11 page)

"Say ‘yes, sir’!" he yelled. "And then get out! I will take care of teaching her myself."

Eden bit her lip, wanting to say more. Rowan could feel his nostrils flaring and he knew he hadn't blinked since he stood up. His chest was heaving and he could feel the veins in his neck popping. She did not want to cross him anymore.

"Yes, sir," Eden said, looking at the ground. She started to walk out, but the proud older wolf couldn't let it slide. She stopped and spun back around. "You deserve more than a human."

"What do I deserve?" Rowan asked. "You? Don't make me laugh."

Her eyes grew wide and tears began to well up, and he knew he’d hit a nerve. She spun and rushed out of the building, leaving him alone.

"Hold all my calls!" he screamed, falling back into his chair.

Eden had always coveted a mating with Aster or Rowan. Aster had strung her along, sleeping with her at various times, but never settling down. He thought as alpha he should just mate with whomever he chose. That was the way it had gone in the old days and most females would accept that if they were attached to the old days—but not Eden. She was too proud, too hungry for the station of alpha female. She wanted a lifetime mating, and she thought she could get it from Rowan. She'd approached him several times in the past, but each time he shot her down, crushing her.

"This fucking day," he muttered, putting his hands over his face. Sometimes he thought he did more work than the actual alpha of the pack. Most of the pack saw Aster and himself as equals, but Rowan certainly didn't feel like one today—he was the workhorse while the alpha sat on his throne.

Chapter 15

Eva’s heart jumped a little when she heard Rowan’s truck pull into the driveway around three that day. He was home much earlier than the day before. She was happy he was there earlier—now maybe they could get to hashing things out. Plus she had taken to cleaning his entire house top to bottom to pass time. She had vacuumed enough hair to make a new wolf. After that was done she'd even fixed the back screen door that she’d broken the day before.

“Eva, are you here?” he asked as he came in through the back door. “We need to talk.”

“Yes, we do,” she said, stepping out of the kitchen and crossing her arms. She shot him her best bitchy look, ready for war. She was a veteran of relationship battles, and no man could shout her down if it came down to it.

“I’m sorry about Eden,” he said, rubbing the back of his head and looking her in the eye. “She overstepped her bounds. I can explain.”

Eva nearly fell over. Was he actually apologizing? No man had ever apologized to her unless it was a halfhearted attempt to get laid, but here he was, immediately riding the sorry train.

“It’s okay,” she said, the only words she could muster.

“Eden is a little bit older than me, in case you couldn’t tell,” he said. “She’s kind of old school, still acts like we live in the wild sometimes. I’m sorry she came at you like that.”

“It’s okay,” she repeated. Without warning she reached up and smacked the side of her own face, trying to bring herself back to reality. After shaking it out she looked up at Rowan with a smile. “I was just afraid that was really how you felt.”

“What do you mean?” he asked, unbuttoning his shirt. Eva took in a deep breath and bit her bottom lip as his massive granite chest became exposed.

“I just mean I was afraid you really viewed me as your property,” she said.

“No,” he said. “Well, not in that sense. It’s complicated with a wolf.”

Uh-oh, this didn’t sound good. “How do you mean?”

He walked forward, putting his hands on her shoulders and looking down at her face. “You have to understand I have an animal living inside of me, a wild animal that lives on instinct.”

“I get that,” she said.

“I don’t view you as my property,” he said. “But my wolf might kind of. He’s claimed you, which means he views you as his mate and he won’t allow any other males to take you.”

“I think I’m okay with that,” she said, looking up into his beautiful eyes. She could get lost in his wild, dirty blonde hair and rugged face. “As long as you don’t think you can order me around constantly.”

“Hey, no,” he said, laughing. “You’re mine, but that’s a good thing around here.”

“Is it?” she asked, pulling him in for a hug. “We have to talk about something else.”

“What’s that?” Rowan asked, looking worried.

“I turned your TV on today and heard some of the news,” she said, not able to meet his eyes anymore.

Rowan let out a long, deep sigh before turning away from her. “The sheriff from your old county came to visit me today.”

“And?” she asked, looking hopeful.

“They think you were kidnapped by someone,” he said. “Things are going to be even tighter now.”

Those were words she didn’t want to hear. Things were already tight enough being stuck in a strange town with no friends.

“I don’t think you should be out in Bucklin without some kind of disguise,” he continued, turning back to her with sadness in his eyes. “I know it’s horrible, but we have to wait for things to blow over.”

“What do you intend to do with me?” she asked, standing up straight.

“What do you mean?” he asked.

“When all of this is said and done?” she asked. “When the bikers are gone? What happens to me?”

“We move on with our life together,” he said, smiling.

“What if I want to go home?” she asked. “Let everyone know I’m not dead?”

Rowan rubbed his stubble, pondering her question deeply. “I suppose we can figure out a way to reintroduce you to the world, but that’s a long way off. Baby, it’s going to be a little while until then.”

Eva could feel tears beginning to well in her eyes. She wasn’t a crybaby; as a matter of fact she rarely cried. The tears were purely out of frustration, frustration at the helplessness of her situation.

“I just wish I could let my family know I’m okay,” she said, trying to fight back the tears. “I know they disowned me, but surely they care, right? It just sucks they think I’ve been kidnapped.”

“I know,” Rowan said, pulling her in close and squeezing tight. “It’ll all be ok. It’s too dangerous to let anyone know right now, just too dangerous.”

“I know,” she whispered, burying her face in Rowan’s meaty chest.

He pulled away, heading toward the back door. “I have a lot to show you, but first we’re going to go by the doctor.”

“Oh yeah,” Eva said, vaguely remembering the conversation they’d had yesterday morning before the big council meeting. He had said he was going to take her to the doctor afterwards, but no such trip was made. She followed Rowan out the back door.

“I’m sorry we didn’t go yesterday,” Rowan said. “Things got a little crazy after the meeting.”

“That’s okay,” she said as they climbed into his truck. The events of the morning before began to play back in her head and she turned to look at Rowan. “You know, you’re acting a lot different than you did yesterday.”

“How do you mean?” he asked, pulling out of the driveway.

“You were pretty distant, even a little cold,” she said. “When I fell out of bed you acted like you were annoyed I was even in your house.”

“I was,” he said.

“Seriously?” she asked, giving him a “go to hell” look.

“Don’t be offended,” he said, laughing. “I haven’t been around very many humans in my life. You’re the first one I’ve spent any kind of time around. I think you’re absolutely beautiful. My wolf nearly claimed you from the moment I laid eyes on you.”

“That’s flattering,” Eva said. Was his wolf a completely different being, just waiting to break to the surface? “Sounds like you personally didn’t claim me, though.”

“No,” he said. “I tried to resist, but I couldn’t. The more time I spent around you the more I saw what my wolf saw.”

“All of that in a day?” she asked, raising one eyebrow.

“It’s different for werewolves,” he said, looking over at her with admiration in his eyes. “Correct me if I’m wrong, but with humans you have to go through a period of courtship. I’ve heard it can last years sometimes, before you figure out if the person you’re with is your ideal mate.”

“More or less,” she said, nodding.

“It’s not like that with werewolves. We’re part human, yes, but the wolf is a very strong part of who we are. We know a mate when we see them. There’s no need for years and years of courtship. When we claim a mate, well, by god, that’s our mate.”

Eva nodded her head before turning back to look at the road. A sly smile appeared on her face as she thought about his words. Yesterday he’d been annoyed with her, had acted like she was a burden on him. But, Rain’s advice had been true. She’d found her way to his heart through his stomach and his libido. Unfortunately that also meant she was stuck with this man she barely knew, in a relationship she hadn’t even thought possible several days ago.

“Are you okay?” he asked.

“Yes,” she said, sighing. “This is a lot to take in. You’re part human, but I’m all human. I don’t know how I feel about being set up in a lifelong relationship with a man I barely know.”

Rowan looked over at her, worry lines on his face. “I understand. Maybe I can set you up with some of the human females in town. That might make you feel better.”

“It might,” she said, trying to hide the sour look on her face. She still had no choice in the matter. He hadn’t told her she wasn’t bound to him, he hadn’t even told her they’d talk about it, he’d just told her she could talk to others in a similar situation.

Nothing bothered Eva more than having no choice in the matter. She’d never felt more bipolar than during the last two days. Her emotions ran hot and cold so fast her head was spinning.

Guess I have to get used to all of this,
she thought.
I have no choice.

Chapter 16

The trip to the doctor was not as bad as Rowan thought it might be. The doctor said the wound on the back of her head was not large and was already healing on its own. She had a mild concussion but was responding to his tests well already.

"Well, at least you have a clean bill of health," Rowan said, smiling at Eva as they got back into the car.

"Yeah, that's good," she said, crossing her arms.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"I'm still upset about the situation," she said.

Rowan sighed. "Still? I thought we had moved past all of this?"

"You don't understand me," she said. "I don't like not having a choice."

"Very well," Rowan said, pulling the car over to the side of the road. "You have a choice now. If you want, you can step out of this car, find a way home and move on with your life. I trust you; I know you won't reveal anything about my pack to anyone."

"What about the council?" she asked.

Rowan knew he was taking a big gamble; if she got out of the car then his life might be forfeit. Aster couldn't protect him against the combined might of the four other alphas, but he had to fix this with Eva if they ever had a hope of moving on as a happily mated couple.

"I’ll deal with them," he said. "It won’t be your concern once you get out of the car. You’ll be on your own again, just as you were before, but you’ll at least have your freedom. I'm sure you can hitchhike back to Cedarville. Hell, you can call the sheriff, and tell him you escaped an insane kidnapper in the woods. He'll be the big hero once he brings you home."

"I.." Eva started to say.

"How about I drive back to my office and call Sheriff Hewitt? I'll tell him you wandered into town confused and scared. He'll be here so fast that you'll be back in your apartment by dinner, if you still have an apartment, that is. I'm sure the Angels are already watching it."

Eva looked at the ground, then back up at Rowan, her eyes narrowing. "Why don't we just continue to where you were taking me?"

"You have a choice," he said. "Make your choice. I want you to make sure it's the right one."

Eva's faced screwed up with concentration as she pondered what her new mate was telling her.

"I just want to let everyone know I'm okay," she said.

"You will," he told her, reaching over and grabbing her shoulder. "I will make sure of it."

"You will?" she asked, hope appearing in the crystal blue ocean of her eyes.

"I will make sure of it," he said. "But not right now."

"Ok," Eva said, nodding her head. "I want to be with you, Rowan, I really do. I've never met a guy as sweet and caring as you."

"Those aren't words often used to describe me," he said with a snort.

"I know you put up a tough exterior for the pack," she said. "But I've felt something different from you. What you've done to protect me so far, it's amazing."

"I claimed you," he said with a smile. "I won't let anyone harm you."

"That's all I want," she said, sliding across the truck's bench seat and wrapping her arms around his neck. He felt blood rush to his cock immediately as her soft hair laid on his shoulder. For the first time in his life goose bumps ran up and down his arms. No female, human or wolf, had ever had this effect on him.

"Are you staying?" he asked softly.

"Yes," she whispered. "Let's go where you wanted to take me."

"Okay," he said, putting the car into drive. "Let's go."

* * *

After their adventure on the side of the road, Rowan went to the supermarket and left Eva in the car while he went inside.

The dog left the human in the car,
she thought, giggling. Then she felt bad—Rowan was half wolf and half human, not a dog. She felt lousy for even thinking the joke, a sign she was really beginning to care about her hulking hunk.

He had told her they were going on a field trip when he got out of the car, and she waited patiently for his return. He had given her the opportunity to leave, to return to her old life, and she had refused it. It was at that moment that Eva realized a lot of her feelings of being trapped weren't valid; she was in a better situation than she’d been in before. Broke, alone, fighting to survive: these were the words she'd use to describe the last year of her life. Now she was under the protection of a sexy werewolf without worrying about where her next meal would come from. It wasn't a bad predicament to be in.