Her eyes widened before she reached for her leg. “I was attacked. Why aren’t I dead?”
John wasn’t sure if he had the courage to say his next words, but denying them would only delay the inevitable. There was no changing Eva’s condition. “You’ve been turned like Zac, Eva. That’s why you’re alive. The shifter gene healed you like it did your brother when he was first turned.”
She nodded as if saying the words triggered memories she already had. “I remember. You were talking with Oliver, but I couldn’t wake up.” Alarm filled her gaze and she searched the room. “Wait, where’s Matty? Is he all right?”
John took her other hand, held tight. “He’s in the other room. My mother’s sleeping with him.”
Her hand flew from his hand to her mouth. “The baby, John, please tell me Cass’s baby is all right.”
Ignoring the bite of pain from his healing wound, John dragged Eva down into his arms as he laid back on the bed. “You saved her, Eva. Cass and Evan have been here every day wanting to thank you.”
“They’re safe? I thought after they attacked….” Tears pricked her eyes. “It was so awful, John. I’ve never been so frightened in my life.”
“It’s over now,” John said. “We won.”
She studied him, seemingly no different from the woman he’d left behind, but John wasn’t ready to breathe fully yet. He was too afraid to believe she’d accept being a shifter so calmly.
“How many died, John?” she whispered. He closed his eyes for a beat too long, fighting against the sorrow that clung to both packs. “That many?”
Meeting her tearful gaze, John took her face into his hands and pulled her down to his lips. A moment of pleasure to brace him against the horror. Then he relayed the names of all of their dead, including River Run’s. Names he knew Eva wouldn’t know all of, but there was one that had her in floods of tears above the rest. Tilly, the small feisty girl John had rescued from Indiana, her mother had also fallen in battle, the pair would now be reunited in the afterlife.
“The funerals are in the morning.”
“I want to go,” she said after the sobs had subsided. “She was such a good friend to Matty. He must be so sad.”
“He’s okay, I think. Worried about you. We’ll see how you feel in the morning about the funeral.”
“I feel fine, John. Even my back doesn’t hurt like it did.”
“It’s not your physical injuries I was worrying about,” John answered softly.
Realization dawned on her face. “You think I’m going to be a danger to others? Is that why Matty’s not in our bed?”
“No, Eva. No. But being around so many grieving people might be a bit much on your senses at first.”
“I feel the same, yet totally different,” she murmured, rolling away onto her back beside him. “The bond between us, John, it’s incredible, but it scares the hell out of me.”
Leaning up on his arm, John peered down at her. “What part of being mated to me is scary?” He wasn’t sure if he should be amused or hurt, then settled with a smirk.
“I’ve never been afraid of you, silly. But the intensity, the level of feelings we have for one another…. Maybe scary isn’t the right word. Overwhelming is better. I can feel just how much you love me, and as much as that fills me with joy, my human brain is screaming to slow down.”
“We’ve never had a chance for slow.” Anxiety wormed its way into his head. He kept waiting for her to run, even now.
“I know.” Her gaze narrowed. “Hey, stop worrying. I’m not going anywhere. Yes, our entire relationship has been in fast-forward, but my life has also been in fast-forward too. Losing my mom, trying to help Zac, it’s all been crazy, but I don’t regret a single action that’s led me to you and Matty.”
Her hand slipped into his hair, dragging his lips to hers, and Eva kissed all the anxiety from his veins. In return, she gave him pleasure and love, and for the first time since he’d left her to go fight for his home, John could breathe.
“I do have one question, though,” Eva asked, hours later as they lay naked and sweaty in each other’s arms. “When Zac first turned, he was uncontrollable. Why aren’t I like that?”
“I’m not sure if we’ll ever truly know, and you may still have problems yet, but Bass did have a theory that being mated to me would help keep you stable.”
“Like you balance me out?”
“Something like that.” He caressed her hip and pulled her closer to him. “We’ll take each day as it comes and deal with any problems if they occur.”
“Okay.” Placing a kiss to his chest, she snuggled further against him, when Matty came racing into the room and jumped onto the bed.
“Eva!” he breathed, smile wide.
Returning his smile, Eva opened her arms and his heart expanded with love. “I missed you, Matty.”
The little boy fell into Eva’s arms, John’s coming down over them both and hugging tight. As Eva kissed the top of his dark curls, tears threatened to spill from John’s eyes, and then she tipped up her head to meet his lips.
“John?” Eva whispered as they broke the kiss.
“Hmm?”
“I love you.” And as her words filled the air, her emotions pulsed down their bond.
“I love you too,” he replied tightly, overwhelmed with all they were.
They’d all lost so much, but in that moment, John had everything he could ever want. His mate. His life. The woman who made him whole.
Chapter 60
Bass
Bass was weary right down to his soul, taking one slow step
