And Eva was okay, and she could look after herself. It would just be nice to be more than okay for once and to have someone notice that maybe beneath all the crap of everyday life, Eva hid a ball of grief and pain. One she had no idea what to do with.
“Hey, come on in.” Olivia beamed as she swung the door wide.
Eva was instantly hit with the delicious aroma of freshly baked bread, and her tummy rumbled as her heart gave an uncomfortable squeeze. “You baked bread,” Eva murmured as she stepped inside.
“I did. It’s a hobby of mine.”
“My mom used to bake bread every Sunday,” she found herself sharing. “I miss waking to the smell of bread on a morning.”
Olivia’s hand brushed briefly over her back. “My mom died giving birth to me. It’s not the same, I know. I have no memories to miss, but I miss her all the same.”
The two women shared a sad smile. Eva hadn’t shared her mother with anyone since she’d died. She didn’t like talking about her because it hurt her father and brother, but it felt good to remember something before the cancer—the disease that stole her even before her death.
“There was no need to go to any trouble for me. I’d have been happy with grilled cheese.”
“Good God.” Olivia gasped, laughing. “You’ll soon learn I’m a feeder, and it will never be grilled cheese, unless that’s what you want, of course. Besides, I was making bread anyway, and the chicken stew didn’t take much preparation.”
“I can’t wait. I’m starving. John doesn’t stock his kitchen with much other than snacks and fruit.”
“They’d have fed you at the pack kitchen, Eva.”
Olivia led her into the main area. The cabins Eva’s father had built weren’t huge, but they also weren’t shacks either. As Eva took a seat on a barstool at the kitchen counter, she was reminded of a time she’d been skiing as a child and stayed in snow-covered cabins. The fire crackled in the hearth, the lighting low so that the whole room had a lovely cozy feel to it.
“I know they would have, and Zac brought me a muffin when he checked up on me earlier, but I just wasn’t in the mood for people to be honest. It’s been a long day.”
“I can imagine. How’s your face? The bruise isn’t going to look pretty come morning.”
“It’s my hip that hurts more. I think I must have jarred it when I planted my feet, trying to keep him from dragging me. It’s nothing major. I just ache all over.”
“Have you seen Oliver?”
“He came over earlier, but I said I was fine. I hope this doesn’t sound horrible, but I’m still getting used to this whole wolf thing, and I wasn’t feeling up to being prodded and poked by one.”
Olivia shook her head as she looked up from the pot she was stirring. “I can imagine. It’s totally normal to be freaked out. It’s not every day you learn myths are real. Now, this is just a suggestion, and feel free to say no, but if you’d like, I could take you over to River Run and have Karen look at you? She’s their healer, and she’s also a qualified doctor. Let’s just say her bedside manner is more approachable than Oliver’s.”
Laughing, Eva shook her head. “It’s honestly just some bruises. What I really need is a good soak in a hot bath with some lavender and salts.”
“That I can help you with.” Olivia smiled. Bringing a wooden spoon to her mouth, she blew on the stew before taking a sip. “Bit more salt and we’re good to go, though Kat isn’t here yet. I might just…. No, wait. Here she is.” Eva looked to the door, heard and saw nothing, and glanced back to Olivia with a frown. Olivia laughed. “Wolf hearing. Though it’s Arne I can hear, not Katalina.”
“I have noticed you guys seem to make no noise.”
Olivia shrugged. “Force of habit, though I’m not all that stealthy myself. I don’t train like Kat.”
“Oh,” Eva responded as the front door opened, and Katalina’s dog came bounding in, tail wagging.
“Hey, Kat,” Olivia called before the woman appeared. Olivia turned her focus back on Eva. “We’re not all made equal. We’ve all got different strengths. The dominant members of the pack protect us. The maternal members make the pack a home. That’s a simplified version of it anyway.”
“And then,” Katalina announced as she came into view, “you get those awkward wolves who are an equal mixture of both. I’ve learned to not try and wrap my head around it all, Eva. Saves giving yourself a headache.” After entering the kitchen, Katalina hugged Olivia. “Smells amazing as always. I left the door open a little too long to tease my guard prowling around outside.”
Shock ran through Eva. “We need guards even in your homes? Is it that dangerous being a shifter?”
Katalina shook her head as Olivia began to fill bowls with stew. “No… hmm, how do I explain this?”
“Kat’s important because she is the alpha’s mate and the River Run alpha’s daughter,” Olivia answered for her.
“So you’re like royalty?” Eva asked.
“Please don’t say that word. I’m not special in any way. I’m just me. I just happen to
