“We do need to talk though, honey.” Her dad glanced behind them at John’s looming form. His eyes were a stunning yellowly gold. They reminded her of the color of her mother’s hair—her hair.
“I know, Dad, but in the morning, okay. I’m tired and cold, and I just want to curl up into bed and sleep.”
“I can bunk in your room if you want, Ev? It will be like old times,” Zackary suggested.
Eva eyed John again, as did her brother; she was sure she’d heard him growl.
“I’ll be right back,” John mumbled, veering off in another direction.
Eva met her brother’s line of sight. “Did he just growl?”
Zackary laughed. “Sure did. I have never seen him lose his cool, like… ever.” His gaze turned serious. “Maybe I need to have a word with him.”
“Oh no, you don’t.” Eva gasped, grabbing his arm. “He’ll make mincemeat of you.”
Their father looked between them. “What are you talking about?”
“Nothing, just wolf things,” Eva replied.
“Brother things more like. I don’t care if he can kick my ass or not. You’re my sister, Ev.”
“Enough,” Eva implored. “He’ll hear you.”
Zackary’s smile turned sly. “So, you like him too, huh?”
“Like who?” her father questioned. “What am I missing here?”
“Nothing, Dad, you’re missing nothing.” Panic seized her; she had to distract her father. “And I’ve been thinking, if you want to sell our house, then fine, but I want to keep all of mom’s things.”
“Wait, what?” Zackary snapped, dragging them both to a stop. “You are not selling our home!” he yelled. “It’s our home. Mom’s home.”
Her father looked at her with a “help me” expression. “You didn’t tell him? You made this big major decision about building a house here, and you never told him?” She had no words. Her father had gone from letting her run the show and parent Zackary to taking over both their lives in two seconds flat.
“Well, I had to ask Bass first, and then I wanted to see what you thought, Eva, because I couldn’t imagine you living here and—”
“It’s our mom’s house,” Zackary repeated, voice laced with the sound of his wolf. He was panting, his fists clenched, his eyes angry and wild.
Eva took a step back. “Zac?”
“Zac, I’m sorry, okay,” her father pleaded, reaching out for him.
“Leave me alone,” Zackary snarled.
“Move back,” Bass called, racing up, John at his side.
John ran over and put himself in front of Eva and her father as Bass stepped in Zackary’s path.
“Breathe, come on, Zac. You can control this,” Bass urged. Even Eva could feel the weight of Bass’s power, yet his voice was as calm as she’d ever heard it. His posture was open, his hands splayed, expression caring. She’d always feared Bass a little, but seeing him like that made it hard to view him as the big bad wolf.
“I’m trying,” Zackary rasped. “I’m angry, okay. He wants to sell my home, and he wasn’t going to tell me.”
The wolf had nearly vanished from his tone. His hands were unclenched but still clawed. He was gaining control, but her father opened his big mouth and sent it all crashing down.
“I was going to tell you, but this is a perfect example of why I was hesitant to.”
“Dad, shut up!” Eva exclaimed as Zackary lunged.
Bass blocked his way, bracing his feet as they clashed. John had her up into his arms and well out of the way in seconds, somehow dragging her father by the back of his coat in the process.
“John,” she gasped. “Put me down.”
“Zac, come on, kid. Don’t make me do this,” Bass pleaded. But Zackary seemed to be nothing but rage and hate as he found their father’s gaze and snarled. “Zackary!” Bass boomed, giving him pause.
“Come on, little bro,” Eva begged. “You know Dad doesn’t think, and he puts his foot in things.”
Her brother was breathing hard; she could see the internal battle he was having, but her words were working. Zackary found her gaze, the rage draining to be replaced with grief—a grief they’d both not dealt with. Stepping around John, she glared as he tried to pull her back, and took a step toward her brother.
“Eva,” John warned, following closely.
Bass glanced her way.
“Zac won’t hurt me. Will you, Zac?” she answered. “He’s my brother. He’d never hurt me.” Zackary clenched his jaw, his gaze never leaving hers. “I love you, little bro,” she whispered. “Come back to me.”
All the energy drained out of him at once, the wolf fading from his eyes as his claws retracted. Bass caught him as Eva rushed over, taking her brother into her arms as he let out a sob.
“It’s our home, Ev,” he whimpered.
“I know.”
“We might not be there but….”
“I know, Zac. I know. We just thought it would always be there waiting for us.”
Holding him as he cried, Eva shed tears of her own, and when they pulled apart, it was to find themselves alone.
“I really lost it,” Zackary mumbled. “Bass is going to be so mad.”
“No, he’s not. You were upset. It’s understandable.”
“I went all rage wolf, Ev.”
She shrugged. “So what? I yelled and screamed and ran off into the forest and got lost. We just have different tantrums now.”
“John says I can’t afford to lose control now I have teeth and claws.”
“Says Mr. Growl For No Reason,” Eva joked.
“He’s got a thing for you, Eva. I can tell.”
They began to walk. “Wolf thing or brother thing?”
“Both.” He laughed. “I know I’m your little brother, Eva, but if you need me to kick his ass, say the word.”
“I think you are getting way ahead of yourself, Zac. There’s nothing going on.”
“Whatever you say,” he singsonged as they entered Eva’s cabin.
Their
