TerrIIItory (7 page)

“My mark on you isn’t even hours old.”  He nudged her plate forward.  “Eat.  Tonight, you’ll sleep.”  His lips curled in self-assurance.  “And in the morning, when you’re healed, you’ll know the truth.”

Hope sparked deep inside, and Bethany knew it shone in her eyes when Evander smiled and nodded.  It made sense.  Everything else took time; a mate mark would as well.

Eyeing her plate with a renewed sense of promise, Bethany grabbed her burger and took a healthy bite while Evander smiled his approval.

Minutes later, both their plates were clean and Evander eyed his watch.  “Let’s get you back to the house.  I think an early night is in order.  You’re going to need your rest.”

Butterflies flitted to life in her belly, and it suddenly felt like Christmas Eve.  If Evander’s theory were true, she’d wake and have proof that she was, in fact, his mate.  Nodding once, she eased from the booth and let him escort her back to his jeep.

Chapter 12

Back at the compound, Evander hurried around the jeep to open Bethany’s door.  She couldn’t help but smile at the romantic gesture.  He was lifting her out of the jeep when he stopped, holding her in mid-air.  “How about a quick walk before you turn in?”

She nodded and was rewarded with a smile as he lowered her to the ground and captured her hand.

They walked in silence for a while.  Bethany allowed him to lead her around the property as the forest around them settled in for the night.

“What do you do to relax?” he finally asked, breaking the silence.

“Umm, I like to write.”

“Really?”  He sounded genuinely interested.  “What do you write?”

“Poems, short stories, stuff nobody wants to read.”

He chuffed a laugh.  “Doubtful.  I bet you’re a great writer.”

“It really is pretty lame stuff.”

“You should let me read something you’ve written sometime.”

Bethany curled her nose and shook her head, countering with, “What do
you
do to relax?”

“I read.”

She giggled, but quickly silenced when she realized he wasn’t joking.  “Really?  Me too.  But I doubt you’re into the kind of gooey smut I’m into.”  She kicked at a rock.  “So what
do
you read?”

He was silent so long she didn’t think he’d answer when he finally recited in an even tone.  “Now this is the law of the jungle, as old and as true as the sky, and the wolf that shall keep it may prosper, but the wolf that shall break it must die.”

Bethany knew the poem well.  Rudyard Kipling’s ‘The Law for the Wolves’.  She finished the next line. “As the creeper that girdles the tree trunk, the law runneth forward and back; for the strength of the pack is the wolf, and the strength of the wolf is the pack.”

Kane smiled at her.  “You too?”

She shrugged. “Yeah, I guess. I assumed all shifters knew it.”

“You’d be surprised,” Kane scoffed.  “I once tried to make the pack memorize it.  It was going to be our pack mantra, our prayer.  Half of them couldn’t even tell you the title if you asked.”

She laughed, but it caught in her throat when he gripped her hips and swung her until she sat atop a wooden fence rail.  Evander insinuated his large body between her legs, letting his hands settle just above her ass as he turned to study the quickly setting sun as it filtered through the pine trees.  He inhaled deeply and leaned forward, pressing his hard body into hers as he rested his head on her shoulder.  Unsure what else to do, Bethany lifted a hand to cup the back of his neck.  He growled suddenly, and she tensed before her ears picked up approaching footsteps.

“What is it?”  Evander demanded without moving.

“Tracks near the creek.”

He straightened to scowl at Weston.  “Wolf?”

“Human, but none of ours. Unless,” Weston turned to eye Bethany.  “Have you gone down to the river’s edge at all?”

She opened her mouth to deny it, but Evander cut her off with a snarl.

“You’d have scented her there!”

Weston plowed a hand through his blond hair.  “That’s the problem.  There’s no scent.”

Evander waved him off.  “Probably old tracks.”

“They’re fresh, Kane.”

Annoyed, Evander wanted to get back to holding Bethany while enjoying the sunset.  “It’s probably just some fisherman or hunter.  Who gives a shit?  If it’s a threat, they’ve come to the wrong territory.”  He turned back to Bethany but spoke to Weston.  “Leave us.”

Weston huffed before walking away.

Alone again, Evander smiled up at her.  “Where were we?”

But Bethany’s attention was centered on Weston as he stalked back to the house.  “Shouldn’t you at least check on…”

“They’re grown wolves, Beth.  They don’t need me to come running every time a tree falls in the woods.”  He grabbed both her hands, changing the subject.  “Let’s watch the sunset before it’s time to get you tucked in.”

He pressed his head back to her shoulder, and she had to admit it felt really fucking right.  Still, the what-ifs wouldn’t relent.  “Evander, if tomorrow…”

He didn’t let her finish.  “Tomorrow, Beth.  When you wake, you’ll have the truth.  Tomorrow.”

Chapter 13

I am not his!  Oh God, no!  I’M NOT FUCKING HIS! 
She wasn’t Evander’s mate!  It hadn’t worked.  Bethany eyed her arms and then kicked off her blankets to eye her legs even as a whimper of denial escaped her parted lips, and panic set in. 
Why didn’t it work?  It should have worked if I were his…  But, I’m not.  I can’t be.  This proves it.

Hysterical, she hiked up her night shirt to eye her abdomen.  Nothing!  Not a single wound had healed.  She sprang from the bed, but in her haste she’d failed to free her legs of the mess of sheets and fell to the floor with a loud thud. 
Fuck!   That hurt!

Her palms stung, and her hipbone ached where it bore the brunt of her weight.

“Beth?”

She heard Evander’s voice and panicked even more.  How could she face him?

Heavy footfalls thundered up the stairs.  He must have heard the loud thump of her fall and was coming to check on her.

Unsure what to do, she swiped the tears from her cheeks and raced for the bathroom.

“Beth?”  Seconds later he was pounding on her door, just as she slammed the bathroom door and quickly locked it.  As if a lock would keep out her mate. 
He’s not mine! 
Another bought of fresh tears filled her eyes and she struggled to control her ragged breathing.  She was having a panic attack!

“Beth?”  Evander entered her room, and she heard him growl before he crossed to the bathroom door and pounded on it.  “What’s wrong?  Let me in!”

“No.  I’m…”  She’d been about to say ‘fine’ but that was clearly a lie.  Obviously, he’d scent her distress and tears.

“Beth!” he growled.

“I’m not.” Her voice was breathless as she attempted to tamp down her hysteria.  “I’m not…”

“What?  What is it, baby?”

The endearment coupled with the tenderness in his tone had her finishing the sentence on an all-out sob.  “I’m not
yours
!”

Shock was evident in his tone.  “What?”

Bethany was crying full out now.  “I’m not yours, Evander.  It didn’t work.”  She crossed to sit on the toilet, bending over and wrapping her arms around herself as she cursed herself for the fool she was.  She’d known better than to get her hopes up, but she’d done it anyway.

“Get away from the door.” Evander growled.  Bethany didn’t respond, and short seconds later the knob turned with a vicious click as the door jarred just barely open.

Evander slowly pushed the door the rest of the way open as if he were afraid she was on the other side.  When he found her on the toilet, he rushed the room.  “Baby?”  She was up in his arms before she could object.  She sobbed and fisted her hand into his shirt as tears wet the front of his shirt.

“I’m not yours.  It didn’t work.  I haven’t healed.”  She shook her head. “I told you.  My
stupid
fucking wolf!”

“Shhh,” he soothed, carrying her back into the bedroom and settling on the bed with her on his lap.

Weston and Clay rushed the room.  “Kane?”  Weston growled, looking for the threat.

“Leave us!” Evander snarled, and then thought better of it.  “Clay!  Stay.”

Weston bowed out of the room with true worry in his expression while Clay slowly approached.  “What is it?  What’s wrong?”

“She hasn’t fucking healed.” Evander was back to snarling.

“Oh, Bethany.”  Clay was contemplative a moment before he began. “Evander, maybe she’s not your…”

“SHE’S MINE!”

Bethany jerked in his arms, and he was back to murmuring softly to her.  “Shhh, baby.  I’ve got you.  I’m sorry.  I didn’t mean to startle you.  Everything is going to be fine.”  He looked up at Clay pointedly.  “Isn’t it Clay?”

The clear warning in his tone had Clay fidgeting before he pinched the end of his nose and studied Bethany.  “Maybe you should mark her again.”

Evander’s tone was full of impatience.  “What?”

“Yeah,” Clay nodded as if he liked the idea.  “What if we treat it like a series of antibiotics?  Perhaps she needs more than the one time.”

The scowl on Evander’s face showed he wasn’t buying it.  Locked in his displeased Alpha’s gaze, Clay shrugged and shook his head while silently mouthing, “I don’t know.”

For just a fraction of a second, Evander entertained the thought that Bethany wasn’t his, but his wolf lunged forward, snarling its discontent.  No, she
was
his.

Evander stood and gently placed Bethany on her feet.  “Get dressed, and then come down to the kitchen.  We’ll try again.”  He used a finger to tilt her chin up until mournful eyes met his.  He let the amber eyes of his wolf show through as he spoke, so she’d understand the seriousness.  “We’ll keep trying, Beth.  We’ll keep doing this until it works.”

She simply nodded, and it took all of Evander’s strength to walk away from her in that moment when what he wanted most was to crawl into her bed, pull her close, and kiss away her fears.

***

In the kitchen, Evander paced.  Clear agitation marred his brow.  “Why the fuck didn’t it work, Clay?”

“Well, there could be many reasons her wolf is still in hiding.”

Evander could tell by his pack healer’s tone that he didn’t buy it.  Clay believed that Bethany wasn’t his, and that once again Evander was attempting to force a mating where none existed.

“I was stricken!”  Evander snarled stopping to square off against his healer.

“I know you think that, but…”

Clay didn’t get to finish.  One second he was facing Evander, and the next he was pinned up against the wall.

“
Think?
” he snarled viciously.  “I know to the very depths of my fucking soul that She.  Is.  Mine.  I know it like I know my own name.”  He inched closer until his face was mere inches from Clay.  “I know it like I know the next wolf even
hinting
otherwise will be taken as a direct challenge.”

Bethany’s soft voice seized his attention and her mere presence eased his wolf.  “Let him go, Evander.”

Without hesitation, the Alpha did as she asked.

Clay straightened his shirt.  Grateful eyes landed on Bethany and Evander growled, not liking the other male’s attention on what was his.

“Go!”  Evander commanded.  “Contact Royce.  Tell him I need him.”

Clay dipped his head and exited the room, making sure to avoid any contact with Bethany—the Alpha’s unclaimed mate.

Evander took in the sight of her and something inside of him warmed.  She wasn’t wearing anything special.  He’d had Raina and Swan go to town to buy Bethany some clothes, and she wore them now.  Blue jeans, with a loose-knit gray sweater, made him want to squeeze her.  Her tiny feet were encased in hiking boots so small that he wondered if they’d been bought in the children’s section.  Her long, soft brown hair was pulled back into a loose ponytail. She looked so damn warm and inviting that he actually had to rub a palm against his thigh to fight the itch to touch her.

Bethany crossed to him and he could scent and sense her helplessness and defeat.

“It’s not Clay’s fault.  Please don’t take this out on the pack.”

Unable to speak, he simply shook his head.

Lips tilting, Bethany eyed the space.  “Why do we keep doing this in the kitchen?”

Clearing his throat, Evander found his voice.  “Because it’s the most communal place in the house.”

Delicate brows hiked as she eyed him in confusion.

“If we do this anywhere else, baby, I don’t think I’ll be able to stop myself from fully claiming you.”  He warmed at the blush that crept up on her as realization dawned.  He wanted to be inside her, and he wasn’t afraid to let both she and her wolf know.

Dropping her head, she looked anywhere but at him.  “So, how do we?”  Letting the words die, she fidgeted nervously, twisting her fingers together in uncertainty.

Evander stepped forward and lifted her.  She hadn’t expected it, but he was looking for any excuse to touch her and do it quickly.  His wolf needed the assurance that she wasn’t going to deny their mark, even though both she and Clay clearly didn’t believe she was theirs.

Shelving her ass, he hid a smile when her arms went around his neck and her legs settled around his hips.  She was a perfect fit, made just for him.  His dick stirred at her nearness and the press of her against him, but he fought down his arousal.  He didn’t want to scare her off.  He crossed to the counter and placed her on it.