Moon Shine (Takhini Wolves) (22 page)

The struggle on the floor continued, but in the background his mate was fighting a different battle. Evan grabbed Mike by the back of the head so he could repeat the face slam into the floor. In the meantime, Amy continued to give the others hell, forcing them to make a decision which way their loyalties would lie. The exit doors refused to budge, and the windows were shatterproof.

He was a little busy with Mike, but still admiring the hell out of his mate’s evil sense of justice.

“You’re in charge. I swear I’ll follow you and Evan,” one of the rebels shouted. “Now, please, for God’s sake, let us out.”

One after the other they affirmed the decision. As the crackling sound of fire encroached, panic rose.

“I shouldn’t make you decide while you’re under such duress.” Amy clicked her tongue. “It’s not fair. Maybe you’re saying something you don’t mean. I need to think about this for a little while.”

“You’re so demanding,” Evan teased. He concentrated as Mike made one final attempt to rise. Evan squeezed harder, his biceps bulging as he closed the man’s airway as tightly as possible.

“You think?” Amy stepped beside him, squatting to tap his arm. “Hey, you used my move.”

“It seemed appropriate. And effective.”

She grinned. “He’s unconscious, by the way, so you can come and help me with these other guys.”

Evan dragged his arm free. “You seem to be doing fine on your own.”

She pulled his cell phone from her pocket and smiled past lips that were puffy and swollen. “If you escort the guys to the side door off the bar, I’ll unlock it. That’s the safest route.”

“You can open the rest of the doors,” Evan told her. “There’s a fire truck standing by.”

What followed was a rush of activity. The half-dozen men who had been with Mike, Toby and Lance raced from the building. Evan reached the door in time to see the Takhini pack, headed by Shaun, surround them and lead them off.

Which left Mike’s unconscious body to be dealt with. Evan whistled at his Beta. “Hey, come take out the trash for me.”

Shaun jogged over, patting Evan approvingly on the back as he slipped past. “Oh, look. Bad guy on the floor. Colour me shocked and dismayed.”

He slung the man over his shoulder with surprising ease, heading out to safety.

Evan held his hand to Amy, both of them rocking on their feet as another alarm went off directly overhead. “Come on, let’s get out here,” he shouted.

“Just a second. I can shut off the gas from the master control.”

And damn if she didn’t turn around and go back into the hotel.

Evan swore, pausing only long enough to gesture to the emergency crew standing on the sidewalk watching patiently. “Get everyone away from here.”

He twirled and headed for his office, yanking the door open. It was the work of seconds to drag her from the computer and scoop her over his shoulder.

“Wait, wait,” Amy protested. “There’re other things I can do. Stop it, you Neanderthal. Put me down.”

He was beyond waiting. Evan marched out of the room. Heat was already pouring through the doors on the front-hall side. “It’s not worth your life. It’s only a building.”

She relaxed, dragging her fingers up his back. “You just wanted an excuse to carry me around. Admit it.”

Evan didn’t stop until they were across the street and safely away from any further explosions. He lowered her to the ground and tucked her into his arms. “I’m glad you’re my mate.”

Her eyes shone, and that alone made everything perfect. “Looks as if you’re still in charge.”

“
We’re
in charge,” he emphasized.

Sirens joined the noise around them. The inn was definitely burning, smoke rising from the upper floors as the ambulance crew popped Mike into the ambulance. A police car waited to accompany them to the hospital. One of the pack who worked as an RCMP caught their attention then nodded. His chin dipped low as he affirmed his connection.

“Mike will be charged for kidnapping, and everything we can think of related to destroying the inn.” Evan turned to see Amy’s assistant, Sarah, standing with her clipboard in hand. She eyed the crowd nervously, but held her ground. “Evan will not be charged for assault or anything, obviously, since he was acting in self-defense and defending you.”

“Well done,” Amy praised her. “Anything else?”

Sarah pointed into the crowd. “The rebel wolves are in the care of Shaun and the Takhini pack. They’re probably the best ones to deal with that side of things. In the meantime, I’ve got a bunch of our people looking into insurance and researching contractors so we rebuild as soon as possible.”

Okay, that one came as a surprise to Evan. “You want to rebuild the Moonshine Inn?”

The woman blinked. “Of course. It’s a great source of revenue, plus it gives the Takhini hooligans something productive to do. Keeps them out of mischief.” Only she winked as she spoke, lowering her gaze respectfully before backing away.

It was too much to take in at once. Evan shook his head and nearly fell over. “Whoa.”

Amy snuggled under his arm and helped hold him up. “I think everybody seems to have the situation under control.”

Almost everything. “Take me home.”

Her smile lit up the area. “I thought you’d never ask.”

Chapter Twenty-Two

They slipped back into her house, and a million years might have passed since she’d been there last. Maybe in a way the sensation was right.

Her world had changed.

Evan crowded her all the way to the shower, pausing to turn on the water. By the time he’d finished stripping off her clothes, steam billowed around them.

The aches and pains were there, but every bit of the punishment she’d taken was worth it, especially when he slid in next to her. Nothing but naked skin, his biceps flexing powerfully as he grabbed her buff puff and the soap.

“Close your eyes, and let me take care of you.”

It seemed selfish to simply take. She closed her eyes as ordered, but reached out to slide her fingers over his body. Touching him while he scrubbed and cleaned, moving tenderly over the bruises and cuts she’d received.

“You’re not supposed to do that,” he breathed unsteadily, the words trembling as she traced her fingers over the delicious muscle between his thigh and abdomen.

“Try and stop me,” she whispered. “You need some tenderness as well.”

“What I need is to care for my mate. You were incredible back there.” With his lips pressed to her temple, he turned her, settling her against his chest. The circles with the soap continued, his hands rising from her waist to her breasts.

Amy arched into his touch. “We work together. Oh, yes, right there.”

He’d transferred the sponge to his opposite hand and was playing with her nipples. “Don’t scare me like that again. When I got into the office and realized where you were, I was ready to take them all out for hurting you.”

“It wasn’t my idea of a good time, but it had to be done.” Amy draped a hand around his neck, twisting her head to one side so their lips could meet for a slow, careful kiss. The taste of him sank into her very cells. “And you’re still the one who fought Mike.”

“I have every confidence if you had needed to, you would’ve handled him just as well.”

The warm water and the comfort of his body helped release the remaining tension. “We work together,” she repeated. “And while it’s sad it came down to having to face a rebellion, we should have expected it.”

He nuzzled her neck, the scruff of his chin like erotic sandpaper against sensitive nerves. “Stupid people always make the stupidest move, but I wish I hadn’t fallen down on the job in the first place.”

“I’m sorry about the Moonshine Inn.” Amy twisted in his arms, rubbing her fingers through his hair as she tugged him under the showerhead. “I’ll do everything I can to help make the new hotel construction go smoothly.”

Evan smiled as he settled his hands on her hips. “It sounds as if Canyon already has our back.”

“You’ll find there are a lot of things that will go much smoother with their skills behind you.”

His eyes burned brighter as he looked at her, ogling her body. “Same goes the other way around, but I think we’ve had enough pack discussion today. Don’t you agree?”

Amy hummed happily. “You look as if you have something else on your mind.”

He hoisted her upward, twisting far enough to pin her to the wall of the shower with his body. Slick heat and rising passion growing between them. “I’m about to have something on my cock.”

She laughed, and it felt so good to release the stress. To have a whole new type of tension spreading through her system, driving her mad with entangling sensual tendrils. Evan adjusted her so the heavy length of his shaft rested over her sex.

They’d been going slow up to this point, but it was time to move. Amy wrapped her legs around his hips. She dragged her nails up his back, enjoying the rough response as he thrust forward, knocking her clit and sending shivers up her spine.

Things kind of got a little crazy from that point. Between his mouth and his hands, there wasn’t a whole lot of her that wasn’t being teased to a hot, quivering mass. He caressed her ass, fingers floating sensually over the curves. He stroked under her thigh, lifting her knee to one side so he could slip his fingers into her. He pumped languidly at first, then with increasing speed until she dug her nails into his shoulders and gasped for air.

A satisfied rumble filled the shower stall. “My mate. Perfect for me, exactly what I need.”

Evan pulled his fingers free. Made one adjustment, and suddenly she was filled with the full, hard length of his cock. She rested her head back on the tiles and stared into his eyes. “You like this position, don’t you?”

He held her with one arm, the other braced on the wall beside her head. She clung to his biceps, scratching her free hand down his chest as she used her legs to help him pump deeper, harder, until they were both shaking, teetering on the edge.

Evan paused, and the mood changed. No longer desperate, but fully engaged. All she wanted at this point was to give to him. He deserved so much, and she was going to spend the rest of her life showing him that.

She kissed his chest as his touch became more possessive, the blinding sensation of pleasure rising, tension growing. Evan caught her chin, and there was no looking away as he moved within her, one long, languid stroke after another until she tumbled apart, satisfaction carrying away all emotional baggage. Every moment binding them closer.

Then she broke eye contact. Not to deny him the intimacy, but to finish this. To offer the final moment of trust. She put her teeth to his neck and bit hard enough to make him gasp. Accepting who he was to her. Giving him all of herself.

Fiery passion roared through her as he came. The taste of him in her mouth. The sensation of being joined and completed shooting in a mad rush through her veins.

She let him go after marking him, savouring the intoxicating connection. And when he returned the favour, marking her and making her his, Amy shouted his name. Shaking as she luxuriated in being whole.

“I’ll never let you be alone again.”

His voice in her head. Amy swallowed hard, shivering as Evan licked the mark on her neck and then continued upward, playfully tasting her.

“Am I your personal ice cream cone?”
Amy teased as delight swirled through her.

He pulled her to a vertical position, sheer joy on his face. “It’s true. You’re in my head and my heart, and it couldn’t be more perfect.”

Amy nodded. This was what she had always hoped for, but hadn’t dreamed possible. “I never want to do anything to make you doubt me. I will always choose you, I promise.”

They ended up on the bed, cuddling for the longest time. Evan stroked her hair and held her against him. It was the strangest of sensations, having given her heart, and yet it was the most right thing she’d ever experienced.
“I can sense you. What you’re feeling, what you’re hoping.”

Evan snickered. “Does this mean you know already what I plan to get you for a mating gift?”

“I would never dream of spoiling a surprise. I’ll stay out of those parts of your brain.” She pulled on an innocent face—the kind that usually meant someone was up to no good.

For a moment he looked absolutely horrified. “Oh God. Tell me this isn’t like a computer, and you know exactly how to break all the codes? Because I wouldn’t have a chance at keeping anything secret, not from you.”

Amy laughed, and in spite of her bruises and swollen lips and all the aches and pains, it felt so good. So good to leave behind the heavy weight she’d been burdened under, not just for the last month, but for a lifetime. “Don’t worry, if you break anything, I’m pretty sure I can figure out how to fix it.”

He rolled onto his back and collapsed, arms overhead as if he’d given up.
“I’m in so much trouble.”

Amy crawled over him, staring contentedly at the man who was her mate.
“Then we’ll be in trouble together. Because that’s what mates do.”

Epilogue

“No, no. Don’t put that there. It’ll end up in the picture. And you. You, over there. You need to stand closer.” The photographer shook his head in frustration at the lack of cooperation. He left his place behind the camera in an attempt to once more put everyone back into the proper position.

Evan tugged Amy closer to his side and waited for the rest of the pack to get their shit together.

She turned to smile up at him. “Happy?”

“Is this a trick question?” Evan squeezed her fingers. “Yes, I’m happy. I’ll be even happier once we get permission to leave the building site and go enjoy the party.”

She gave him a wink. “You know they couldn’t do the groundbreaking without you. The head contractor insisted. He didn’t care if Shaun, Gem or I were available, it was all about
you
.”

Over the last month Evan had found a special kinship developing he hadn’t expected with some of the quieter members of the joint Takhini-Canyon pack. “Yeah? Well, the party we’re headed to is all about you. Did you know…?”

He slapped a hand over his mouth, partly because he’d just about let a secret spill, but mostly to tease her.

Amy’s eyes narrowed. “Did I know what? What?”

She would have twisted to face him and demand more details, but Evan held her still. “Don’t move. We’re ready for the picture, and if you mess it up, you’ll be in big trouble.”

Amy laughed softly, but listened to his warning. They leaned on the shovel they’d been given, pretending to push it into the soil of the cleaned-up building site that by the summer would see the opening of the brand-new and expanded Moonshine Inn. Construction was due to start the following Monday.

Evan took hold of his mate’s hand and didn’t let go throughout the entire tour and the journey back to the pack house. He couldn’t get enough of touching her, and he didn’t think that sensation would ever go away.

They were barely through the door when he lost her to some of the more exuberant members of the pack.

“Look! Look what we got you.” They tugged Amy into the common room and promptly handed her a control.

Amy whistled, then broke into a celebratory dance, hands raised in the air, her hips shimmying from side to side as she took in the giant screen on the wall and the enormous Call of Duty logo filling the screen. “Sweet. Who wants to get their butt kicked first?”

That was it. Evan lay odds he wouldn’t see his mate for the next six hours as the pack took turns getting whomped. So far, the only person who had come close to beating Amy at any computer game was, surprisingly enough, Shaun.

Evan wandered over to where his Beta was holding up a wall, fingers wrapped around an oversized hamburger as he kept an eye on the festivities. “Good grief, how many patties did you put on that thing?” Evan asked.

Shaun swallowed his mouthful before eyeing the thick mass in his hand. “This one? It’s only a pound and a half. The chef-dude said it had to tide me over until the steaks are ready.”

“You’re lucky you’re a wolf. I would hate to see your cholesterol levels otherwise.”

“No doubt.” Shaun grinned. “But I am a wolf, therefore I have no worries about the twenty-four-ounce tenderloin I ordered with blue-cheese crumbles and extra fries.”

Evan’s mouth watered. “Damn, it’s good to be a wolf,” he agreed.

Shaun’s pleased expression only grew bigger as he nodded. “And yes, I did order you the same thing as me.”

“Good man.” Evan thumped him on the shoulder, then made his way farther into the room. He passed Justin, blinking for a moment at the man, who instead of his typical suit and tie was now attired in faded jeans and a flannel shirt. The mystery made him pause until he spotted Amanda shyly motioning the bear shifter forward, patting the open spot on the love seat beside her.

Oh,
really
? Amy had bet him something was on the horizon for those two, and he’d insisted she was crazy. Looked as if he owed her twenty bucks.

Everywhere he looked the pack was enjoying themselves. At least, the rowdy part of the pack. He observed for a moment, smiling happily, then slipped through the doors and into the back section of the pack house where Amy had instituted a few changes in the layout and house rules.

As he expected, there were a dozen wolves curled up in easy chairs, the seating arrangements organized to allow for privacy even while in the midst of a large crowd. People dipped their heads politely as he passed, gentle smiles and waves that warmed him as much as the enthusiastic thumps on the back he’d gotten earlier from other members.

Laney rose from her corner and offered a hug, and Evan had to force back the tightness in his throat. He held her gently, but the fact she didn’t pull away meant a whole lot.

He kissed the top of her head. “Are you having a good time?”

She nodded. “Dexter is playing with some of the other kids. He’s so happy, and I’m so grateful for everything you’ve done to make us feel welcome.”

“It’s what pack does. Thank you for being a part of it.”

She crawled back into her chair, pulling out her book and breathing a sigh of contentment as she fell back into the pages.

Evan had to move quickly before he ended up bursting into tears or some such bullshit. There were still moments when clashes were inevitable, but for the most part the combined packs were cooperating and finding ways to have fun, and those were the most important things.

It was neat to see the longer they worked together, the more often previous Takhini members went straight to Amy for help, while the Canyon folk slipped into Evan’s office for a quiet moment of conversation.

Evan’s phone rang about the same time a deafening cheer rose from the common room—Amy must have pulled off some wild and crazy move in the game, and the shouts of encouragement were loud enough to shake the walls. It amused him that some pack still called out
Sam
, some
Amy
. She didn’t seem to mind, simply answering to both names.

She would always be Amy to him, though.

He stepped onto the outside deck into the cold October weather to get some quiet. “Your dime, spill it.”

“Hey, boss. I talked to Amy earlier, and she told me to call you now. How’s the party going?” Caroline’s familiar voice on the line brought him nothing but a smile.

“Well, hello, world traveler. The party is going well, but I don’t suppose you know where we stored the beer mugs?” Evan teased.

“I’m so thrilled to tell you I have absolutely no idea.” Caroline’s joy was more than obvious. “We’re headed to Germany next, if you want me to send a few steins your way.”

Evan laughed. “Just a joke. Send a few mementos of your trip if you feel like it. I’m glad you’re having a good time. How’s that overstuffed teddy bear you married treating you?”

She sighed happily. “Oh. My. Word.”

That’s what he’d figured. “Enough said. No more details needed. You know that kind of discussion makes me uncomfortable.” Evan ignored her snort of disbelief. “You’re lucky you ended up with a shifter, because no one else on earth could keep up with you.”

“Yeah, you’re right.” She paused for a moment. “I was happy to hear from Amy. We must have talked for over an hour, catching up. She thinks you’re pretty incredible, by the way. Sounds as if you and her are a perfect match. And I’m so, so pleased for you. Really.”

“She’s my mate. That says it all.” Evan looked over Whitehorse, the hills to the east that were dusted white with snow. “How did we get so lucky, Caroline? How did we end up in the right place, at the right time to find the perfect people at our sides?”

“I have no idea, but I have no complaints whatsoever with what fate handed me.” A deep voice sounded in the background, and Caroline laughed. “Tyler says to say hello, and he hopes you’re behaving yourself. But that if you’re not behaving yourself, tough luck, I’m still not allowed to bail you out of trouble.”

Evan’s world was filled to the brim with people who cared for him and, as hokey as it was, people who he had to admit he absolutely adored. “Tell him I’m looking forward to the next time we fight, but in the meantime have a great time in Europe, and we’ll see you in the spring.”

He put his phone away, continuing to look over the city that had become his home. Running the merged Takhini-Canyon packs just made it that much brighter.

But the brightest part was having a pair of strong arms slip around his waist as Amy cuddled in tight. She was the absolutely perfect cherry on top.

“You looking for some alone time? Because I can come back and find you later.”

“Now is perfect.” He leaned his back against the railing and settled her between his legs. “There’s another thing I’ve learned from your pack. How to slow down and smell the roses.”

Amy caressed his face. “
Our
pack.”

Evan kissed her, ignoring the city and the pack members who trickled onto the deck before silently leaving to give them privacy.

When he pulled away, her face glowed with happiness, just the way he liked. “I thought I wouldn’t see you for days. Who’s playing the game?”

She tilted her head to one side, the result damn adorable. “I gave the control up to Shaun. Made him my master-at-arms, and told him I was relying on him to set a new record. He acted as if I’d knighted him or something. He might not be available to fly any sightseeing tours for the next week.”

“He’s eager to defend your honour.”

Amy made a rude noise. “He wanted to play, is all. Well, plus he hopes to impress me enough I’ll teach him the backdoor secrets on Halo so he can set a new high score.”

A burst of laughter escaped before he could stop it. “I’m glad you two are getting along.”

She draped her hands over his shoulders and leaned back slightly, swaying gently from side to side to some unheard music. “We got a call from Shelley and Chase. They wanted to let you know that come the spring, they plan to bring a couple dozen trees out from the bush. A contribution to the hotel. Shelley will send the details later so the designers can work them into the landscaping. It’s their gift to us. To the biggest pack in the North.”

More people who Evan cared about, and who he was glad to have in his life. As much as he needed to give to the pack, the fact
he
was personally loved in return brought him to his knees.

And yet… “I’d give it all up, you know.”

A crease appeared between her eyes even as she continued to stroke his shoulders. “Where did that come from?”

Evan shrugged. “Just had to be said. I love that we’ve established a strong, new pack, and there are a shit-ton of good people around Whitehorse, no matter if their party style is quiet or loud.”

“Or as it seems right now, quiet or ear-shattering.”

The cheers had grown shriller, and they grinned at each other. Contentment flooded his soul, but he didn’t want to miss making his point.

“But at the root of it all?” He cupped her chin, bending his knees until their eyes were on the same level. “At the center, and right here where it counts the most?” He pressed her fingers over his chest. “Right here is where you are. I don’t care if we’ve got the biggest pack in the North, or the smallest, as long as I’m with you.”

Her eyes sparkled. “Ditto.”

Evan pulled her against him, and they gazed over their domain. Hand in hand and heart to heart.

“I love you, Evan.”

Her words whispered through his head. The ultimate intimacy.

He looked into her eyes again and saw his world reflected there.
“I love you, Amy. And I always will.”

United. Whitehorse forever.