The Lost Lyken (2 page)

Evan stepped back as her voice rose slightly. “That’s not true,” he answered softly.

“Yes, it is. Ever since you started working here, every time I come in you can barely stand to help me. Just like the other night on the street, if I hadn’t initiated conversation, you would have just kept on walking, and you didn’t really want to tell me about your family. That’s okay though, I’m not your type, and I understand that. I just thought talking to you and being a recognizable face might help you acclimate to moving here a little easier, because I remember what it was like for me to only know one person in town. And I’m blabbering, sorry, it’s been a long couple of days, can I just have my coffee please?”

Evan didn’t know what to say as a coffee came from around him on the counter, and watched as she picked it up, laid a few bills down and left.

“Did you notice how she skirted your question?” Winn asked with a smile as she leaned on the counter.

“What?” He frowned.

“She skirted your question, turning it back on you to throw you off.”

“Damn it,” Evan growled, his fist coming down on the counter as Winn chuckled.

* * * *

Evan patiently waited in the dark shadows. He knew Kasey walked home every night and at different hours. It just depended on what time she left the newspaper office she worked for as a research assistant and tonight proved to be a late one. He’d been following her for the past few nights to make sure she arrived at her apartment safely, but tonight was different—he had a bad feeling twisting his gut. Silently he stayed to the shadows as she walked by, his senses open to everything around them. He stopped when she did, staying still as she turned looking around, her eyes narrowed and nostrils flaring. He liked that she knew something wasn’t right; she was listening to her gut, her survival instinct. Hanging back a bit more he gave her some space as she continued home. About a block away from her apartment his ears twitched and nostrils flared as she was grabbed and yanked into an alley. Flash-stepping, he was there in a moment, catching the hand that went to strike her face. “Bad idea,” he growled, shoving the man back hard enough that he hit the building on the opposite side. Evan stepped in front of Kasey to protect her fully. “Are you alright?”

“Y-yeah.”

Evan’s gaze narrowed when the man stood. So he wasn’t human, he was Other Kin, an Orc by the raunchy smell.

“I, I think he’s the one who attacked me before, he smells the same,” Kasey whispered.

Evan strolled over, yanking the Orc up by his shirt.

“You, why are you protecting this human?” the Orc asked.

“Why are you touching what’s mine?” Evan growled.

“Why isn’t your smell on her then?”

Evan’s arm swung out when Kasey went to step forward. Evan turned, knowing his eyes shimmered. “Stay behind me!” he growled, his canines elongating. He turned quickly when the Orc attacked. Bringing his arm up, he deflected the hit as his other fist came up, knocking the Orc three feet off the ground to hit the building again. Evan heard Kasey’s gasp as the Orc’s camouflage twinkle faltered and his true self showed for an instant. Stepping forward Evan lifted the Orc up by his neck. “Are you the one who attacked her before?”

“Yes, but she got away. I didn’t like her talking to you, I want her. You haven’t scented her, so she’s free game.”

Evan kept his voice low to keep Kasey from hearing what they were saying. “She’s mine, stay away from her. If I catch your scent near her again, I’ll kill you.” Tossing him to the end of the alleyway, he turned to see Kasey’s eyes widened and her back flat up against the brick building. Stepping up to her, he wrapped his arms around her waist. “Hold on,” he said as he flash-stepped up to her apartment door.

Evan smiled as he looked down at her, her face buried in the crook of his neck, and her arms wrapped around his waist, gripping him tightly. “You’re home. I need your keys.”

“Huh, oh.”

Evan chuckled and caught her as she swayed. “Easy there, here let me.” Taking the keys from her, he opened the door, shuffled her in, and shut it behind them. “Are you going to be sick?” he asked knowing flash-stepping could aggravate sensitive stomachs.

“No, no I’m alright, just a little dizzy,” she mumbled as he set her on the sofa.

Evan knelt down in front of her, laying his hand on her knee. “Would you like a glass of water?”

“Ah, no.” Grabbing his hand when he went to get up, she met his gaze. “You…what…who are you? What the hell was he?”

“He must have hit your head against that building harder than I thought.” Slowly he removed her jacket and laid her purse on the sofa next to her, hoping she’d take his explanation and leave it alone. Evan smiled when Marabell growled at him from the corner. “Come cat, I will not harm you or your lady.” Lowering his hand palm up he let the black and white tuxedo female approach him slowly and sniff. When he glanced back up he met Kasey’s gaze as she stared at him, and he knew she was trying to figure everything out. “Do you need to go to the hospital?” Slowly lifting his hand away from the cat, he moved his fingers to the back of Kasey’s head, gently probing through her silken hair to her skull to make sure there really weren’t any wounds.

“No, I, I’m alright. Are we going to call the police?”

“No need. He won’t bother you anymore.” Gently he maneuvered her head down, so she was looking at his lap as he visually checked the back of her head. “What did he say to you the first night he attacked you? It had to do with me, didn’t it?”

“Yes. He told me I was his and he had better not see me talking to any man, especially you. He said…he said he didn’t like alphas in his territory.”

Evan snorted. “Yeah, well he saw how much I liked him hurting you, didn’t he?”

“I think we should call the cops,” Kasey said as she lifted her head. Jolts of pleasure tingles screamed through her body as his fingers caressed their way out of her shoulder length hair. “He might come back and, and you can’t be there all the time. I’m just lucky you were walking by tonight.”

“Trust me, he won’t come back.”

“You can’t know that.”

“I do, trust me on this, Kasey,” he said as he cupped her cheek. “He won’t bother you again.” Leaning forward, he knew he should stop, but damn, just one taste, one taste of her beautiful mouth. Gently, so as not to scare her, Evan lowered his lips to hers, even as the wolf in him screamed at him to take her and make her his. When she responded, he added just a slight amount more pressure. Damn she tasted good. Her lips were soft, so soft. Evan jerked back at her soft sigh, his eyes wide as her heavy lids fluttered open. “Sorry.” Jumping up, he stepped back. “I-ah…” Running a hand through the top of his hair, he stepped back toward the door. “See it’s not that I don’t like you…it’s that I like you too much. And I’m not…I’m not looking for this, not now, maybe not ever again. I’m sorry, Kasey.” Almost tripping over his feet, he grabbed the doorknob and opened it quickly. “Like I said, don’t worry about that guy, he won’t bother you anymore. Okay, right. Bye.” Sliding out the door, he heard the lock click and flash-stepped out of there.

* * * *

“You just can’t keep yourself out of trouble can you?” Winn asked.

“You just can’t keep your nose out of my pocket can you?” Evan said, turning as she leaned on the counter.

“Her scent is on you and that of her cat. Let the kitty lick you, huh?”

“That is just wrong in so many ways,” he grumbled.

Winn chuckled. “Well you know I’m a Hind, which means, I’m prey to you Lykens…”

Evan snorted as he wiped the counter down. “Yeah right, like I could catch your ass.”

“That’s beside the point I’m trying to make here. Anyway, before I was so rudely interrupted—I can smell the wolf wanting to get out, your other half is itching for release, Evan, and I suggest you let him run.”

“He wants to get out and…mate, and that’s not going to happen.”

“Ah, you mean besides a full moon fuck. Then he’s chosen his life mate.”

Evan whipped around on her, anger making his eyes glow. “No, he has not!” he seethed.

Winn held her ground. “I know what you went through, Evan, and I’m not saying it would ever be forgotten, but you need to let it go. You need to start living again. It’s been five years, and if your wolf has chosen a mate then you need to man up, pull up your big boy pants, and accept his decision,” she said with a calm even tone.

“It’s not only his choice! I don’t want another life mate. My soul mate was taken from me along with my child and I won’t go through that again. Besides, she’s human, Winn! She couldn’t protect herself against an Orc, how could she protect herself against an enemy like the darkness? Hell, I couldn’t even protect Sophia and she was one of the strongest females I knew. Besides, Kasey’s too fascinated with Alston for me to ever, ever tell her the truth, or bring her there.”

Winn’s head tilted. “You need to go for a run and listen to what your wolf is telling you. He would never lead you somewhere if you weren’t ready to go. And who the hell cares if she’s human? If she’s the one for you then no one, not even the ancients, have a right to step in and say otherwise.”

Evan growled just as the front door opened and he turned to see Kasey stepping in. She stopped when their gazes met.

“Ah, sorry, didn’t mean to interrupt, I’ll just…” Kasey muttered.

“Kasey, how are you?” Winn asked with a huge grin. “Come on in, your coffee’s almost ready.”

“But it looks like—well I don’t want to interrupt your conversation,” Kasey whispered.

Evan turned his back to her. Even though he sensed Kasey’s disappointment at his action he couldn’t help it, he had to get himself back under control before he faced her again. Stepping to the back, he mumbled something about boxes and disappeared through the door as he willed his canines to ascend. Leaning back against the wall, he closed his eyes, breathing deeply. His nostrils widened as he took large breaths into his lungs, letting them out slowly.

* * * *

Evan lunged up, his body shaking, sweat glistening off his chest as he gasped for air. “Sophie!” he shouted, his hands covering his face before his fingers threaded into his hair. He sat there on his bed breathing heavily. He hadn’t had that particular dream for quite a while. It was the one where he re-lived the moment he burst into the foyer of Roven Manor to see the darkness flinging his hand and Sophia flying through the air. Blood gushed out of Sophia’s chest as she slid across the floor gasping for her last breath as his niece Olivia ran to try and save her with her healing powers. Evan charged the creature, finding himself tossed away with gashes running down his chest, his life’s blood pouring from him as well, right as their friend Mari, Alston’s guardian, came flying in the door. He thought for sure he was dead, wished he had died, for that day he lost his mate and unborn child residing within her womb. After he’d awoke to find out that she hadn’t been saved, the moment he could get out of bed and walk, he handed the responsibilities of Alpha over to his brother Drake and left. He left behind everything he’d ever known and loved. He’d been too dead inside to stay and do his clan any good.

Flinging the sheets off him, he reached for his cell and called Winn, leaving a voice mail. “Hey, I’m going to Sanctuary for a few days. I think you were right about needing that run. ’Kay, bye.”

* * * *

Kasey smiled as she stepped into the coffee shop and Winn grinned at her from the other side of the counter. “Hey, Winn.”

“Hey girl, how are ya?”

“Oh, alright I guess.” Glancing around as Winn turned to make her coffee she didn’t see or hear Evan anywhere. “So, ah, where’s your helper?” Her gaze shot up to Winn’s grin as a cup suddenly appeared in front of her.
Damn. Caught.

“If you’re talking about Mr. Hot and Brooding, he’s taking a few days off.”

“Oh, I ah…”

Winn chuckled. “Oh girl, don’t worry, it has nothing to do with you. Oh ok maybe it does a little—ok a lot. No, now don’t go sad faced on me.”

“Well then, what are you trying to get at?”

“Evan has some things he needs to work out before he can let himself be involved again, so he went to Sanctuary for a few days.”

Kasey lowered her gaze glancing to the right. “Yeah, he mentioned something about that.”

“He did?” Winn asked as she leaned on the counter. “Like what?”

“Well, the night he helped me he-we…well, he kissed me and then jumped back saying he liked me…a lot, but he didn’t know if he wanted this again, and maybe not ever. I took it to mean he was in a bad relationship or he was hurting really bad.”

“You’re right.”

Kasey looked up meeting her gaze.

“Evan lost his wife and unborn child five years ago. It devastated him and he gave up everything he had, leaving everyone he loved behind when he found out they hadn’t survived.”

Kasey gasped, her hand going to her throat. “Oh my God, I didn’t realize it was something like that. No wonder he doesn’t want anything to do with me.”

“Oh honey, that’s just it.” Winn smiled. “He does want you. Forgive the pun, but whenever you’re near, he has to fight the beast from getting out and making you his, if you know what I mean.”