“My name’s Eva,” she snapped, even as her defiance wavered.
“Yes, short for Evaline. Your brother told me.” He entered her space and hoped to get a reaction from her body.
“No one calls me that… except for….” Her words trailed off, sadness coating her features.
My mother, he finished silently for her. “Shit, I’m sorry, baby.” Damn it, I’m a fool.
Wrapping her into his arms, John was happy when she willingly melted into him as he gave her comfort. “I have a habit of putting my foot in it. I’m sorry. I didn’t want to upset you.” He’d only meant to tease, to stir emotion between them, but not sorrow.
“What do you want, John?” she whispered.
“That’s a complicated question.”
Looking away, Eva rested her head against his chest for a moment before she seemed to realize what she was doing and pulled away. “Everything in life is complicated.”
Good. Your first instinct is to come to me. He internally smiled, his wolf pricking his ears with smugness. You’ll learn to give in.
“I guess it is,” he agreed, aching from the absence of her touch.
“I’ll stay here, but can you please knock before entering so I’m not startled? Wolves seem to move without sound.”
“Can’t catch prey by being noisy.” He smirked.
“I’m not your prey, John.”
Just wait and see, little lady. You’ve no idea how long I’ll hunt for. “I’ll knock. I promise.”
“And you stay out of my room.” Serious, she eyed him.
“What if you invite me in?” He raised a brow.
Shaking her head, Eva took a seat on the sofa and picked up the book she’d been reading when he’d walked in. “Not going to happen, John.”
We’ll see about that. Taking a seat opposite her, John sipped his beer, before talking, “Do you have everything you need?”
“Yeah, someone fetched my things from the motel, and Olivia invited me over for dinner later, but I know where the pack kitchen is if I get hungry.”
“There’s snacks and drinks in the fridge and cupboards, just help yourself, and if you want anything else, let me know, and I’ll happily go buy it.”
After a nod, Eva read a few more pages of her book before looking back up. “John, is it okay I’m here? I mean, no one is going to be angry I’m using pack resources, are they?”
“You are pack, Eva,” John answered, getting to his feet. “Zac’s one of us now, so that means you and your father are too. I’ve got a meeting to get to and then a late shift. I won’t be back until about 2:00 a.m., so if you hear me in the middle of the night, don’t panic.”
“Okay. Thanks for letting me know.”
Walking around the back of her sofa, John reached out, itching to run a hand through her corn-blonde hair, but at the last minute, he curled his fingers in on themselves and pulled back.
Easy, John. Nice and easy.
He had his woman in his territory, and all that was left was to convince her to stay. It would require more patience than John was sure he had. Lucky for him, he was always up for a challenge.
***
Arriving at the pavilion, John neared the wooden structure and eyed the group. Bass and Katalina were talking with Jackson and Cage, while Logan was propped up in the corner, Mia fussing over him.
“Am I the last to arrive?” he asked as he jumped up the two steps onto the decked floor of the meeting place.
“No, we’re waiting on Nico and William,” Bass answered.
John nodded at his alpha, smiled at Katalina, then acknowledged River Run’s alpha before walking over to Logan. “How are you, pal?”
“Pleased to be out of my bed,” Logan answered, before smiling up at Mia. “Someone would be happy if I never left it again.”
Mia narrowed her gaze, her lips thinning. “Oliver cleared you off bedrest yesterday, Logan. Excuse me for worrying about you.”
He rolled his eyes. “Precisely. I’ve been cleared to leave my bed.”
“Well, I just thought you’d maybe stick to wandering around the house for a few days, that’s all.”
John suppressed his amusement. It was good to see Logan up and about after almost losing him; they’d had too many incidents where pack members had almost died recently. Logan, while a Dark Shadow wolf, was currently staying with Mia, his mate, on River Run land until their house was renovated. Pack members were currently taking it in turns in between shifts to help finish the work Logan could not do due to being shot a few weeks earlier. They’d been keeping the renovations a secret in order to surprise the pair, and since Logan was now off bedrest, they’d have to get the job finished sharpish.
“Okay, we’re all here,” Jackson said, drawing everyone to attention as Nico and William arrived from different directions.
“We’re here to discuss the two attempted kidnappings, which occurred today,” Bass began. “I had the chance to talk to one of the perpetrators earlier.”
“Just one?” William questioned.
“The first attacker was a little too dead to talk. The van he drove was stolen and registered in Utah. We’ve gotten nothing further from it,” Bass explained.
John suppressed the sudden surge of anger and bit back the growl of his wolf. He’d have to get his feelings for Eva under control; his pack couldn’t afford for him to be less than perfect.
“But as I was saying, the second guy who attempted to take Cassady in the supermarket was questioned. It seems Castor is luring humans with the promise of being turned in exchange for information. They’ve been watching us for weeks, reporting back our routines and details of any vulnerable members. Cass is pregnant, so they presumed she’d be easy prey.”
“Idiot,” muttered Logan.
