Eva

PATRICK

I didn’t reach out to Max last night. After leaving Aunt Leslie’s, I headed straight home, took a shower, and hit the sack. I didn’t see or talk to anyone.

It wasn’t that I was in a bad mood or anything. The house just happened to be quiet when I got home.

And it wasn’t like I was ignoring Max. I knew if he needed me, he’d reach out. He’s not one for drama, so I figured it was best to give him some space to clear his head.

I woke up the next morning feeling surprisingly refreshed, despite everything. Estella’s family’s funeral was today, and Uncle Howie had mind-linked me the details.

I told my folks I was going and headed out. Not that they would’ve stopped me, but I didn’t need their permission. Since the funeral was in human territory, I decided to drive.

Shifting would’ve been a bad idea, and Max and I had done enough of that yesterday.

I was driving with the windows down, just outside our territory, when the scent of lilies hit me like a punch. It was so intoxicating I had to stop the car, get out, and follow it.

I’m embarrassed to admit that in that moment, I forgot about everything: Max, the funeral, poor little Estella…

All that mattered was finding the source of that amazing scent. The more I chased it, the more elusive it became, and the more I craved it.

When my wolf started howling, “Mate!” I already knew. I couldn’t tell who was more excited to see her, him or me.

I finally found a hidden spot in the woods, and her scent was everywhere. I took a deep breath.

Then I saw her, leaning lazily against a willow tree. I approached slowly, my heart pounding.

She stood up, sniffed the air, and looked confused. When her eyes met mine, I was hooked. She was the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen.

She was tall and slim, with a figure like a fairy. Her long, blue dress suited her perfectly.

Her jet-black hair fell to her mid-thighs, her fair skin seemed to glow, and her violet eyes made my head spin with desire.

Maybe it was blasphemous, but I was sure even the Moon Goddess herself couldn’t be as stunning as the girl she’d chosen to be my mate.

My wolf was screaming at me to claim her, and I was more than ready. I strode toward her, but she didn’t move.

When I reached her, I stopped and let her scent wash over me.

She stepped forward and, without touching me, sniffed my neck. Then she looked at me with love in her eyes. I cupped her face as she whispered, “Mate?”

“Patrick,” I whispered back.

“Eva,” she replied, then surprised me with a passionate kiss.

I responded by deepening the kiss and pushing her back against the willow tree.

She grabbed my neck, pulling me closer, clearly not wanting to let go. But I pulled away, and she looked shocked.

I knelt down and slid my hands under her dress, caressing her smooth legs.

She smiled down at me with a mischievous glint in her eyes, catching on quickly as she started to lift her dress.

I hooked my hands behind her knees, lifted her up, and without a word, she wrapped her legs around my waist.

I kissed her again as I pushed down the straps of her dress, baring her upper body.

At the same time, she was quickly removing my shirt.

I left her lips to suck on her neck, right where I was supposed to mark her. It took all my self-control not to do it right then and there.

She moaned as I teased her, then I moved on, kissing her collarbone and her breasts.

I saw her skin turning red where I’d kissed her, and I knew some of those spots would turn into hickeys later.

I chuckled at the thought and looked up, only to get lost in her glowing violet eyes.

She grabbed my hair, pulled me closer, and started kissing and biting my neck, driving me wild.

I put my hand on her neck, pulled her back, and crashed my lips onto hers, sliding my tongue into her mouth.

She kissed me back, clearly feeling the same hunger I felt for her.

We lost track of time, lost in each other, until we heard a whisper: “What are they doing, Max?”

I turned to see Max’s wolf with Estella on his back, and everything I’d forgotten in Eva’s kisses came rushing back.

I felt my face heat up as I scrambled to cover Eva, and she climbed down from me, her eyes on the ground in embarrassment.

I grabbed my shirt and started buttoning it up quickly while Max glared at me.

~“She’s my mate,”~ I said through the mind-link, trying to apologize. He just growled in response.

I didn’t expect him to care, and it was a pretty lame excuse anyway.

He let Estella down, took his clothes from her, and went behind a tree to shift back.

When he came back in human form, he hurried to Estella’s side, still glaring at me.

“Really, Patrick, there was no other place?” he scolded.

“I just found her, Max, and we both kind of lost it,” I admitted.

Before we could say anything else, Estella walked up to Eva, looking at her in awe. “You are soooo beautiful,” she said, and I couldn’t help but grin.

See? It wasn’t just me who thought she was gorgeous.

Eva smiled shyly and knelt down to be at eye level with Estella.

The little girl reached out, her fingers brushing my mate’s cheek with a look of pure astonishment in her wide eyes. But nothing could have prepared me for her next words. “Wow, your cheeks are still here!”

Eva and I exchanged a look of confusion before the girl’s explanation tumbled out.

“I thought Patrick ate your face like in the scary movies.”

I’m pretty sure neither Eva nor I could have blushed any deeper, and Max’s amused chuckle did nothing to ease our embarrassment.

EVA

My first thought was—she’s so cute! But then again, aren’t all kids? The only problem is they’re unpredictable. You never know what clever thing they’ll say next.

This was one of those moments.

She was so innocent, her hand gently stroking my face with such relief, completely oblivious to my flaming cheeks.

Behind her, the boy chuckled softly while my handsome mate shot him a glare. I ignored them both, focusing on the little girl.

“It was a kiss,” I clarified.

“Ew.” She scrunched up her nose in disgust. “Why would you do that?”

“You do it when you really like someone,” I explained.

“So, I can do it with Max?” she asked, her curiosity piqued.

Now it was the boy’s turn to blush, and I couldn’t help but laugh inwardly as his chuckle abruptly stopped. Served him right for laughing at our expense.

“Not yet. Kissing is usually something older people do. Maybe in a few years, if you want to,” I said, shooting the boy a glance.

Deciding it was best to change the subject, I introduced myself.

“My name is Eva Hawthorn. What’s yours, sweetheart?”

“Estella Graham.”

“That’s a beautiful name, honey. I’m really happy to meet you.”

And I was, despite the awkwardness of the situation. I knew I was going to meet them—the human girl and the boy. But I didn’t know when or how.

And then there was the surprise of finding Patrick, which had completely thrown me off. But when I saw the human girl riding the wolf, I started to suspect. And I was right.

Everything started to make sense. I stood up to greet the boy, letting him introduce himself as if I knew nothing about him.

“Max Kinsky,” he said simply, leaving out his future title.

He was modest, with a charming voice and stunning looks—dark brown hair and deep blue eyes. But my mate was even more attractive.

I had to say that to avoid any misunderstandings.

Maybe it was the mate bond talking, but I had never seen a more attractive guy. Patrick was tall and well-built, like all of our kind, especially those with the alpha gene.

He had light brown hair and gray-blue eyes, and the most delicious lips in the world (not that I had tried many others, but still). He smelled like cinnamon. I loved cinnamon.

The way he was looking at me made me want to kiss him over and over. Trying to keep my composure and push all inappropriate thoughts to the back of my mind, I walked over to him.

“Max is going to be our doctor soon,” he informed me.

“If Max is the soon-to-be pack doctor, that makes you…,” I started.

I already knew their identities, but I had to pretend I didn’t for now. I couldn’t freak out my mate just yet.

“The soon-to-be alpha of the Healing Moon Pack, Patrick Lester,” he confirmed. “And I’m happy that I found my beautiful luna. Which pack are you from?”

“My dad is the alpha of the Moonbeam Pack,” I said. “It’s not too far from yours. That’s why you found me here.”

He gave me a knowing look, and suddenly, I felt a tug on my dress. It was Estella, looking at me with a puzzled expression. I smiled at her.

“I know this is confusing, sweetie, but I promise you’ll understand in time.”

“Or maybe she won’t,” Max interjected.

I didn’t ask for clarification. I just nodded politely and changed the subject again.

We chatted about trivial things, and Patrick wanted to take me to his pack immediately, but I refused.

I explained that I needed to talk to my family first.

In many packs, it’s tradition for the alpha to take his mate away from her old pack immediately, but that’s not how it works in my family.

I had to go to them first, and they had to send me away after a special farewell ceremony.

He reluctantly agreed, but insisted on taking me at least as far as the borders of my pack. He promised to send an invitation to visit his pack so our families could meet properly.

On the way home, I had Estella sitting on my lap, playing with my hair and telling me how much she liked it. I was already fond of her.

Actually, I was fond of her before I even met her.

When they dropped me off, I ran straight home to find my mother. But before I could make the big announcement, she asked, “Who is he then?”

“Mom,” I whined, “stop doing that. It’s annoying. Can’t you pretend just for once?”

She laughed. “I can pretend now if you want,” she offered.

“No use. You spoiled it already.” I pouted.

She came over and hugged me gently. “Even if I didn’t have the power, your flushed cheeks would give you away, sweetheart.”

Great! And I thought I had managed to avoid kissing Patrick before I left.

“Now tell me who he is,” she gently demanded.

“Don’t you already know?”

“It doesn’t work that way, and you know it. I saw that he’s very handsome, but nothing beyond that.”

I didn’t argue with her, even though I was sure she wasn’t being entirely truthful. I just told her about Patrick, and I was glad she shared my happiness.

Soon everyone knew, and I found out that my father was thrilled. He had always respected Brian Lester.

He considered him a respectable alpha, and an alliance with him through my mating with his son was very much welcomed.

As promised by my mate, their invitation arrived before nightfall. Dinner at their pack the following evening.

I was already missing him, even though I knew I had to be patient. I was over the moon about finding my mate so soon after my eighteenth birthday. But not everyone was thrilled about it. My little brother, Caleb, was sulking in a corner, arms crossed, barely speaking to anyone.

He was only eight, but he was very attached to me. Plus, he was the future alpha of our pack, and alphas tend to be a bit possessive over everything, at least until they find their own mates.

I suggested we go for a walk, but Caleb just turned his face away, ignoring me. I didn’t have much of a choice. I picked him up, using minimal effort. I was ten years older and had some basic training. He squirmed a lot, but I managed to keep him relatively still.

I took him to his favorite spot and sat down on the grass, never letting him out of my arms.

“Let me go!” he yelled.

“Caleb,” I warned.

“Let me go, I said,” he repeated. “You’re leaving me anyway.”

Kids have a knack for breaking your heart. I practically raised Caleb. Not that our mother didn’t care—she did. But I loved him instantly and wanted to be there for him every day (as much as I could, anyway). Maybe it was an early onset of motherly instincts. Who knows? But my love for my little brother was unwavering. I loved Caleb so much that I couldn’t lie to him.

“I am leaving,” I admitted. “But I’ll never abandon you. Now that I’ve found my mate, I have to follow my destiny. You have to understand that.”

“Yeah, yeah,” he mocked, rolling his eyes. “You’re just chasing after some boy. You’re dumb, Eva.”

I tried to hide my laughter as I told him, “Your time will come sooner than you think, Caleb, and I’ll be more than happy to remind you of what you said today.”

“What does that mean?” He frowned.

“You’ll see,” I replied vaguely. “I just don’t want you to be mad at me, okay? I’m not going far, and I’m sure you’ll like Patrick.”

It took a bit more convincing to get my little brother to not hold a grudge against me. I finally managed it by promising to play whatever game he wanted and make his favorite dessert several times before I left for Patrick’s pack.

Later that night, lying in bed, I thought about how tomorrow seemed so far away. I was tempted to sneak out and meet Patrick when he texted me. We had exchanged numbers when he dropped me off earlier. It would have to do until we were fully mated.

I won’t go into detail about our texts, but they kept me up all night, thinking about him in every possible way. You can assume whatever you want…

But if your thoughts are leaning towards the naughtier side, you might be right on the money.