To Claim His Mate (9 page)

“Not that I’m not enjoying this, but
you
are my miracle, Eva. I never thought I’d find my mate. I’d pretty much given up hope then I saw you in the book aisle, and I was a goner. I wanted you so bad it actually scared me.”

“Well, now, you have me.” Eva stepped into his embrace. His arms surrounded her with a strength and security that had her melting against him.
I think I’m falling in love with the Big Bad Wolf.

Chapter Eight

Sunday was beautiful. The sun shone in a cloudless blue sky, as a gentle breeze kept the worst of the summer’s heat at bay. Adam’s family would arrive soon, and Eva couldn’t help her sudden case of nerves. She and Adam had spent the week in a whirlwind of activity. They were making steady progress on the tree house, took hikes daily, made love every chance they got and he was
attempting
to teach her to cook. The last was laughable.

Today, he’d made a trip into town to get more propane for the grill, leaving her with nothing to do but wait, so she rummaged through the cabinets until she located all the ingredients she would need for baking. She might not be able to prepare a whole meal, but she could make a mean cookie, and while he was out, she’d done just that.

She was placing the latest batch on cooling racks as the next sheet baked, when Adam walked in, his nose in the air, and a hopeful look on his handsome face.

“
Please
tell me my nose isn’t lying to me,” he practically whined, and she laughed.

“I made your favorite. Sugar cookies. And don’t worry. I can bake like nobody’s business. It’s the cooking that gets me.”

He reached for one and she tensed, awaiting his reaction.
Please let him like it.

Adam bit into the still-warm disc and his knees wobbled as it melted on his tongue. He leaned against the counter for support and reached for another. “These are to be hidden. If my brothers get a whiff of these, they’ll be gone in a split second.”

“Too late.” A deep, growling voice stopped Eva’s sweet laugh. “You holding out on us, Adam?”

“Aw, hell!” Adam grumbled.

“I’ll make you as much as you want later,” she promised.

“I’m going to hold you to that, sweetheart.” He kissed her until she was breathless, grabbed a handful of cookies and growled as his brother snagged one for himself.

“Oh my
lord
. That’s the best damn cookie I’ve ever tasted!” Erik drooled a bit as he spoke, and Adam threw a dishtowel at his head.

“Don’t slobber on my cookies!”

“Honey, my name is Erik, and if you’ll teach my wife how to bake these, I’ll be your slave.” He took her hand in both of his and kissed her knuckles. “You’re going to be a very welcome addition to this family.”

Adam watched as Eva blushed prettily and smiled back at his brother. Erik was a happily married man, but Adam’s wolf stilled snarled at the sight of him touching his mate.

“I’m Evangeline, but you can call me Eva, if you’d like.”

Adam took her hand from Erik’s and pulled her close to his side. “Is anyone else here yet?” he asked.

“Nah, I’m on my way to get Sarah. Just thought I’d stop by and see if you needed me to pick up anything for you.” His eyes twinkled when he smiled, and Adam knew his brother had been trying to rile him by kissing her hand. “I’ll make you a deal. I won’t mention the cookies if I get a few for the road.”

“Blackmailing bastard,” Adam chuckled. “Watch out for this one, Eva. Sarah doesn’t keep him on a short enough leash.” He wrapped several cookies in a napkin and handed them to Erik. “All right, now keep your yap shut and go.”

Erik laughed. “He’s a little territorial, sweetie. See if you can teach him to share.”

Eva just smiled. “I think he shares just fine. I’ll be sure to keep the things I need on hand to make cookies for all you guys.”

“Chocolate chip?” The hopeful look on Erik’s face reminded Adam of how they’d all enjoyed different cookies as children.

“Sure, I like to experiment a little, too.” She turned when the timer sounded and pulled more cookies from the oven. “Baking helps me relax.”

Both men looked around the kitchen and noticed the many containers already filled with cookies.

“What are you nervous about?” Adam asked.

“Meeting your family, I guess. It’s been a long time since I’ve been to a family activity.”

Erik looked confused but, before Adam could say anything, Eva explained, “My family has all passed away.”

“I’m so sorry. But don’t worry, we’re like a bunch of kids.” He looked between Adam and Eva. “You’re his soul mate, right?”

“Yes.”

“Then you’re family. You may get tired of us, but we’re here regardless.” Tears filled her eyes, and Erik looked totally panicked. “Oh, hell, don’t do that. What did I say? I’m sorry!”

Adam just laughed. “She’s not upset. She’s happy.”

“Happy?” Erik looked back to Eva. “She’s bawling her eyes out.”

“I just didn’t expect to be accepted so easily. I figured I’d have to prove myself, since I’m not a werewolf.”

Erik’s eyes almost bulged from his head. “She knows? Already?”

“Yeah, well, it’s kind of hard to keep it from her when she sees you shift.” Adam shrugged.

“And you’re all right with all of this? With him turning into a wolf?” Erik was stunned.

Eva wrapped her arms around Adam’s waist and smiled when his arm came around her shoulder. “I think it’s amazing. I’ve always loved to watch the wolves around the area, and now, I have my very own.”

“I can’t believe it. You’re the last one of us to find a mate, and you don’t even have to chase after her or anything.” He shook his head. “How did you guys meet anyway?”

Adam felt her stiffen next to him and knew she didn’t want to discuss that, so he decided to gloss over the details. “We met at the store, and I sort of followed her home.” She ducked her head and hugged him close, but he felt her relief through their link.

“Like a stray dog.” Erik laughed. “You better watch out. You keep cooking like this, and you’ll have your own pack of wolves to deal with.”

“Well, whenever I get tired of everyone, I’ll just fix dinner.” She smiled sweetly. “You guys are insured, right?”

Erik’s eyes went wide. “Hell. We’ve got to keep her from hanging out with the other women. She seems like she could only add to their mischief.”

“No doubt.” Adam laughed. “But it’s too late. Stephanie’s already planning a girls’ night.”

“Great, another night of drinking, dirty talk, bar fights and possibly bail.” Now, Eva’s eyes rounded. “Our ladies tend to ensure the men in the bars understand no means no.”

“Well, I can appreciate that.”

“Ever been hit by a werewolf?”

She shook her head and frowned.

Erik smiled. “We’re very strong, and my Sarah tends to talk with her hands. A lot of men don’t take kindly to a woman beating their ass. They fight back, and the cops are usually called.”

“But the guy asked for it! Why were the women charged?”

Adam felt Eva’s anger rising. She’d been harassed by her ex and threatened for a while now. Adam only wished he’d been there to strike back, so he understood her reaction more than his brother did.

“You’re angry. Why?” Erik’s eyes were trained on Eva, and Adam gave his head a subtle shake, trying to warn him off, but Erik just asked anyway. “Has a man ever hit you?”

Well, hell, that was a damn good question.

Her pink cheeks paled, but she nodded and took a sudden interest in her feet.

“Who?” Both men growled the question as one. A grown man striking a woman was unacceptable, but one as small as Eva? If he or his brothers found him, the bastard would die.

When she didn’t answer, Adam knew who it had been. “Shane,” he spat, and she nodded again. “Recently?”

“No. It was when I refused to marry him,” she whispered, still looking down.

He couldn’t stand not seeing her beautiful eyes and tilted her chin up. “No one will
ever
hurt you like that again. I promise if anyone lays a finger on you, they’ll answer to
me
.”

Adam had vowed to protect her already but hadn’t voiced that promise to her until now.

Erik looked at the two of them then zeroed in on Adam. “Walk me out, Adam. I’ve got to pick Sarah up soon, and I want to tell you something.”

“I’ll be right back.” Adam kissed Eva gently then walked out with Erik.

As soon as they were next to his truck, Erik turned. “What the fuck, man? Someone hit her?” The questions were spoken low, but his brother’s fury was evident.

“And tore up her house, blew up her car then burned her home to the ground.”

Erik cursed.

“Yeah. The guys responsible are MIA right now. The sheriff is looking for them, but I’m not sure when those goons might show back up. They tried to kill her, Erik, I know it.” Adam raked his hand through his hair. “She’s practically been a prisoner in my home for the last week.”

“Damn. She seems strong, though,” Erik observed.

“She’s had to be. All of her family is dead, and the bastard isolated her from all of her friends. She’s been facing this alone for months.”

“Well, she has family now, and we’re a damn sight more protection than the police can come up with.”

Adam’s sigh was one of relief, and he wasn’t surprised when Erik guessed why.

“You didn’t want to ask for help, did you?” Erik asked.

“We’re all alphas, Erik. That means we don’t take orders; we give them.”

“But this is
your
mate, so that makes it your call…unless you aren’t in the right state of mind.” If Adam became too distracted, someone else would need to take over.

“I can understand that.” And he did. If his head wasn’t clear, he was of no use and nothing more than a hazard.

“You should talk to Abraham about this. Shit, with his SEAL training along with his natural ability, he’s one scary bastard when he’s on the hunt.”

“Yeah, he’d be sure to get her out safely if anything happened. I still can’t believe Stephanie managed to tame his ass.” Adam smiled, shaking his head. “Any other person who tried to scold him or just pick on him would end up on their ass, but she just does it and walks off like it’s perfectly natural.”

“Tell me about it.” None of the family could believe Abraham had settled down. “I’ll see you in a little while. Take care of her, man.”

“Oh, I will.”

Chapter Nine

The barbeque had gone better than Eva had expected. She’d been introduced to everyone. The women were amazingly nice, and she’d enjoyed a girls’-night-in with them on Thursday, where they watched movies and talked while sitting around the biggest pile of junk food she’d ever seen.

She’d been given the lowdown on Adam’s rather uneventful love life and had even revealed her equally sad past.

A few weeks later, with no sign of Shane, Adam agreed to let Eva venture out with the other women to shop for “girl stuff”.

Eva was so excited! She’d been stuck at the house for weeks—almost four, to be exact—and was ready to climb the walls. The tree house was finished, but she insisted on getting some outdoor rugs to put on the floor. Splinters sucked! After a fun little romp they had up there, she’d ended up with one in her rear, much to Adam’s amusement.
Butthead
.

“Do you need anything while I’m in town?” Wow, now
that
felt rather domestic. Like something a wife would ask a husband.

“Not that I can think of. Just keep your phone on, and I’ll call if anything comes to mind.” He smiled, cupped her face in his hands and kissed her sweetly. “Be careful.”

“I will. I’m with a werewolf, a physician’s assistant and an off-duty cop. I think I’ll be fine,” she laughed, but at the same time, she was very happy to have someone who cared.

“I know. It’s just that Shane’s been gone so long I expect him to jump out at any moment.” Adam sighed. “I want you safe.”

“I will be, but if it makes you feel any better, let Gus know we’ll be wandering around town today.” At his sheepish look, she smiled. “You already did, didn’t you?”

“He’ll just keep an eye out—” he began, but Eva waved it away.

“It’s all right. I’m not mad,” she assured him. “I know you’re only doing this to keep me safe, and I appreciate it.” Eva ran her fingers through his hair, loving the way he leaned into her touch.

“I can’t lose you, Eva,” Adam whispered. “You’re a part of me now.” Not the declaration of love that she’d hoped for but nice.

* * * *

Lacy, an unimaginably beautiful woman, was doubled over cursing her menstrual cramps and drawing giggles from Stephanie and Sarah. It turned out Lacy had accepted a job offer with the local law enforcement but was taking a couple more weeks before starting officially. She’d taken a bullet to her shoulder a few months prior and wanted to be in top form when she returned to duty. Additionally, she’d just gotten married to Adam’s brother, Ethan, a month ago. No doubt, they were still in their honeymoon phase.

Sarah was a werewolf and worked with her husband, growing fruits and vegetables on their land, while Stephanie was human and the physician’s assistant at the clinic in town.

Lacy was steadily cursing her reproductive system when Eva suddenly realized
she’d
missed
her
cycle. She’d been so wrapped up in Adam and his family she’d completely forgotten. She wasn’t exactly a regular girl by any means, but …

Shit! This can’t be happening.

“Hey, I can hit the drugstore next door and get you something for the cramps,” Eva offered. “I could use some Tums myself.” Mainly because her nerves had her stomach doing a series of nauseating flips now.

“And chocolate, please.” Lacy’s violet eyes seemed to brighten at the prospect of the sweet treat.

“You got it. I’ve gotta hit the bathroom, too, so I’ll be back in a few.” Eva turned to leave but didn’t make it more than a few steps.

“I’ll go with you,” Sarah offered.