“I would make it hurt,” he says, as the same thoughts run through his head, and he adjusts his pants which are growing tighter.
“And April?” I ask.
He growls, sending a shiver up my spine. I’m not game enough to ask again. I know whatever he has done must have made her suffer. I am surprised he actually let her live. None of us could understand Evelyn’s empathy toward the woman. She is too kind-hearted; she doesn’t want to hurt Lana even though the bitch deserves nothing but death in my eyes.
Humans are odd things to try and understand.
Walking out, I find Evelyn on the couch with Orion; she is sitting on his lap while he traces circles with his fingers on the skin of her thigh. He seems calm enough.
I have never felt anger like this from him before. Orion is always level-headed, but I have broken his trust. Sitting in the armchair away from her, Thaddeus sits beside her and Orion. I turn the news on to fill the silence.
Thaddeus runs his hand up her leg, and she shivers, resting her head on Orion’s shoulder, and I watch as he kisses her temple. She is exhausted and needs sleep.
“Sleep, Evelyn,” Thaddeus tells her, but she shakes her head. Evelyn is unsure.
“What’s wrong?” I ask her, confused when she tries to fight against it. She is completely exhausted, yet refuses to close her eyes; we can go longer without sleep, but Evelyn not so much.
“You’re worried I am going to leave?” Thaddeus asks, her eyes dart to him, and she nods. “I’m not going anywhere, little one; not after today,” he tells her. His hand runs up the inside of her thigh, and she shivers. Thaddeus’ lips turn up in a smirk. His eyes sparkle as he watches her reaction to him. “Want me to help you sleep?” he asks, gripping her hips and pulling her on his lap.
* * *
Evelyn
Thaddeus pulls me on his lap. My legs are straddling him, his hands run up the outside of my thighs. I grip his face, my palms on his cheeks, running my thumb underneath his eyes as they darken; veins sliver under my touch. I trace the lines of his face and down his neck. Thaddeus is letting me touch him. My fingers brush his neck when I notice where I bit him had healed, and my mark is gone.
“Where I bit you, it healed?” I ask, confused.
“Yes, you’re human, Evelyn. You can still mark us, but it will only stay temporarily until we change you,” he says, and I pull back.
Change me? Change me how? Turn me into one of them? The thought alone is enough to make my heart skip a beat. I don’t want to live forever or feed on people, and I sure as hell don’t want to turn into a furry creature and howl at the moon and shit.
“But…” I glance toward Ryland and Orion.
“It will happen eventually, Evelyn,” Orion tells me.
“So, I don’t get a choice? I don’t want to live forever,” I tell them, and Thaddeus’ grip tightens.
“No one said right now, Evelyn. When you decide,” Ryland tells me.
“No, I won’t. It’s not natural; I don’t want to be a monster,” I tell them before I realize what I have said. “I didn’t mean….”
“It’s fine, Evelyn. No offense taken,” Thaddeus says, brushing my cheek with his thumb. “You still have plenty of time; no one will do anything until you say so,” he says.
“What if I never want to change?” I ask, and I see Thaddeus’ eyes darken.
His jaw clenches. “Then I will make a choice for you.”
I shake my head and try to climb off his lap. “No. I won’t agree to this, Thaddeus. You don’t get to decide that for me,” I argue, but his eyes go completely black as I am ripped off his lap. Thaddeus growls, and a shiver runs up my spine as I lean further away from him.
“And why the fuck not, Evelyn? Clearly, you can’t make decisions for yourself,” he snaps as he turns to glare at me. I know he is talking about me nearly getting myself killed, but he can’t blame that on me. How am I supposed to know what others’ intentions are?
“Because I don’t want this life, I want a normal human life,” I tell him, and he laughs.
“That went out the window the day you met us, Evelyn,” he tells me.
“When you say human life, what do you mean?” Ryland asks, sitting forward and staring at me.
Thaddeus’ head snaps toward him. “Don’t even entertain the idea, Ryland,” Thaddeus tells him, but I answer anyway.
“I don’t know, just normal.”
“You want kids?” Ryland asks, and Thaddeus and Orion both growl at him. Do I want kids? I’m not sure, but I don’t want them now; I know that much.
“Maybe,” I tell him, not knowing how I actually feel about that particular question. Ryland sits back, resting his head on the back of the armchair, looking up at the ceiling. “Why?” I ask.
“Because that’s not possible,” Thaddeus answers, though I can tell he is irritated that Ryland mentioned it.
“What do you mean?”
More Kickass Werewolf Reads
Dive into our collection of free werewolf romance novels—where fierce Alphas, daring heroines, and heart-stopping twists await. Every story burns with forbidden desire, loyalty, and destiny. Don’t wait—here’s a world where love bites hard and nothing is stronger than the call of the mate.
Leave a Reply