OH MAN GUYS!

Love you all. Seriously.

Song of the chapter is, "Work Song," by Hozier.

Remember to comment and vote!

-----------------

I stay that night at Lander's because sleeping at home is torture. All my beast does at night is howl and whine for her. I've only tasted her lips once and it's enough to drive me mad in my dreams throughout the night.

How has she already engrained herself so deep in my mind? How has she already made herself impossible to be without, when all I've had is time with her that has slipped through my fingers like grains of sand?

The night is long and spent mostly in and out of sleep for me. I can hear Lander wake a few times before he tries to sleep. Like my father, he paces when he's angry or anxious. Can't sit still, his bones dictate that he moves.

I wish I could do more than lay on this couch and wonder if she truly meant what she said when she said that she wanted to be with me. Was it just clever wording like her clever brother who now I am supposed to befriend? I hope he doesn't hold the black eye I gave him against me. I don't give a shit actually, bastard deserved that.

But Chris is clever in a way that I underestimate. My beast agrees while my father's words run through my brain. I have an itch that I know what they mean, but those words are something I rather see played out—they're worth the wait, like her.

In the morning I run routes along the border with Bowie. Mostly I'm making sure our patrols don't do anything stupid. While I'm not one to ward against a little teasing, right now with her on my heart, teasing is not what we need. We can't afford to provoke Emmett, not when she's involved. Not when the solstice is so close that I want to charge over there for her.

Days pass and I give up on waiting for her. I try to link her but it's just me talking to a blank tunnel. I try to link Chris but it's blank as well.

The bond twists and turns in anger and hurt at this. It's a hole that's digging deeper into my soul. All I can think about it her safety and the worst that could happen, but I know the absolute worst is her denying me and choosing another. That is my worst fear.

My father forbids me from going over the line for her. My father only has two sons and at the end of the day, he is no alpha, he is our father and we, his sons. We are the only legacy he has and he can't watch one of us walk to our potential doom. He can't do that to the pack, or to my mother.

I try to argue with him; it turns to claws that has me regretting ever trying to spar with him. One day I'll be able to best him, but he's still the alpha for a reason. All the spar leaves me with is new things for Claire to stitch up and a twisted bond that whiskey can't even fix.

What has she done to me?

On the seventh day before the solstice, I'm hunting with Lander near a spot by my cabin. There's a large pond that caribou like to drink at. I don't know why they keep coming here when they know we wait in the trees for them. Sometimes I wonder if they're suicidal, other times I wonder if they do it just to see how lucky they are.

Lander's itching for blood again and I've been itching all night. I'm trying to get her off my mind but every sound the forest makes reminds me of her and how easily she moved through it—sweet like a summer lullaby.

My beast is agitated. He wants to turn and go after his mate but we can't force her to come—we won't do that. Either she'll come or she won't, it's not my choice. I don't want something if I have to force it to be; I want something that wants me. Love is only pain if it's not out of free will.

Lander nudges his chin when the caribou lean their heads down to drink, thinking that the coast is clear. I lick my lips then creep forward, my legs ready to spring towards them on instant notice.

"Levi!"

I skid to a stop, almost stumbling; scaring the deer off. Chris' voice sounds foreign in my head. Immediately my legs start to walk towards his line.

"It's been a while, Chris," I say, half bitter but mostly pissed off. I almost hope he wants a rematch. My beast and I are thirsting for blood, and now that our kill is gone, it's him we turn our attention to.

"Come to the line."

"Didn't think you'd ever ask me for a beating, but I'm happy to oblige you."

"Jesus Christ Levi," he growls. "I'm bringing her to you. Come to the damn line."

I'm frozen.

Lander's yipping at me, pawing at the dirt in frustration. I snap at him as the thoughts over the last few days swirl in my head.

"Is she safe?"

"She will be."

"Why hasn't she linked me?! I've been trying!"

"Just come to the damn line. By the creek where you gave me the black eye."

I snap again at Lander who's pawing at me. He pauses and eyes me. "What the hell?! I'm hungry!"

"Chris is bringing her to the line. Something's wrong. Go get David and Bowie and meet me there—the creek."

I dart off and leave Lander behind. I don't have time for his questions when I have a thousand of my own weighing me down.

My beast runs furiously through the forest, not stopping once—we have no time to stop. Bowie catches me and tells me that David and Lander are not but a few minutes back. I pray this isn't a trap—I swear to God if it is then I'm going to skin Chris' pelt and hang it on the line. I already have the perfect place in mind too.

Bowie breaks off from me, turning and darting through the trees that look like they are bending out of his way. "Scouting the perimeter. It could be a trap, Levi."

"What choice do I have?"

There's none and I know it. I keep going until I can smell them, smell her. She's here and if they are using her as bait then there will be more than hell to pay. I'll burn their pack and make them watch before I have my way with them. My beast growls in agreement. We're patient monsters when it comes to vengeance.

I slow down and sniff around the area, double checking that it's only the two Everette children's scents that I smell. "Bowie?"

"Just the two, and one other. It's the one that Lander tore into that day, I think—ya it is."

I jog over to a burrow, my skin taking over while my bones crack back into place. Quickly, I dig out a pair of pants and a shirt and pull them on. My hands pull back the limbs of trees, eyes looking around for danger.

I can smell Lander a few feet away with David. He trots up to me and stops at my side. I give his neck a scratch before he and David dart of, probably to stake out positions in case I'm walking into a bomb.

Chris walks towards me when I come out from the trees, his hands are up and his eyes are pleading. I can't see her but something's wrong. It's very wrong.

"She's fine, all right?"

"What about on the line the other day?" I ask, trying to stall because if this is a trap I'm giving them time to show themselves so Lander and the others can take them out. "What was that about?"

"The future is more important," he answes quickly. "We can't always fight with our fists, not with him, with him, for now, I have my words."

For now.

"Chris we need to go," Thomas says. "They're going to know she's gone. We need to throw her scent off."

Chris nods. "Go, take her out of here. Don't bring her to the line."

I step past him towards her scent that's blanketing me. Thomas walks to me, carefully, his eyes looking around like he's ready for someone to jump out at him. "We need her dress after she shifts. We can use it to throw the trackers off of her scent."

I nod to him and step around him towards the arching rocks where I first met her. She has her back facing me, the sunlight is streaming through her strands that I want to run my fingers through. "Eve?"

She says nothing at first.

My beast is pacing because the fire isn't there blasting around her like it should be. I step to the side then carefully pull her so she's facing me.

Tears are running down her cheeks, shame rolling down in a liquid that can't be mistaken. Her eyes are red like she hasn't slept for days, the exhaustion is heavy on her, rolling to me. But that's not what stuns me. She's got a shiner on her cheek, fading, but it's screaming at me.

"He found out," she said. "He found out that I was coming here. That I saw you."

"Why didn't you tell me? When did this happen?"

"Days ago," she says, her voice cracking. "He had me locked in my room. I didn't want to worry you—I thought I could handle it. But he—he was—he told me—" she sucks in a breath, more tears rolling down her eyes. "I told him that he was no father of mine if he forced me to go to Jeremiah. I told him the moon would spite him, curse him. And he—" she paused and shook her head. "I just—I'm so ashamed and—the longer I didn't tell you the worse it got and the harder it was—I'm so—" she pauses and sucks in another breath, shaking her head. "I'm sorry."

Chris is standing at the entrance of the cave. His eyes tired, as exhausted as hers. "I had to wait until I could get her out without being noticed. The last thing we needed was for you to come storming into our pack—it would have been the end of you and probably her."

"Did you know about that?" I tell him, nudging my chin to her cheek.

He looks like he wants to tell me more, his eyes say that he has more to give but his lips don't move. "You need to go. You need to take her."

"Chris."

"Another day. Keep my sister safe."

"What will you do when he finds out it was you that helped her?"

His lips turn up again, a smile pulling at them. "Take her Levi. Emmett can do what he wants, I almost hope he does," he says, laughing at a joke that I am not in on.

"Ok," she says, picking up the single bag next to her. "Let's go."

"They need that dress," I say. "I'll wait over there."

She nods but before I step away I pull her to me. Anger is raging in me. I want nothing more than to go down to her pack and put a royal beating on her father, but right now my beast and I know better. She needs me and besides, I rather watch my father have his way with Emmett.

"Is this what you want?" I ask, because I hate thinking that she feels pushed into a corner. That this is just another corner she's been shoved into.

"I feel like I'm quitting them."

"You know that's not true," I answer and pick up her bag for her before I step away and walk out of the cave so I can change. It's not the answer I want but I can't help but feel proud to have a female who's so fiercely loyal to her pack, to the ones she loves.

Lander steps out from the trees with David. He looks at Thomas, eyes growing darker—teasing, before looking at me. "Bowie is ready whenever you are. It's clear on the way home. Want me to tell Luca?"

"Ya, let's get her across the line first," I answer.

Eve trots out, bright red fur that has my lips smiling. Chris walks to her and whispers something into her ears. She licks his cheek before he hugs her neck, whispering something again before he steps back with a smile on his mouth. "I'll see you," he tells me before he walks to the cave where her dress is.

I walk around to the burrow and put the pants back into it before shifting to my fur. My beast picks up her bags with his mouth before we trot back to her. She's shifty on her feet, still not looking at me and I hate it. It's not her fault; no male should treat a woman that way, it's disgraceful.

My beast nudges her with his head before he rubs his cheek against hers— sliding his neck against hers, coating her with our scent. She sighs and leans into us, red fur that looks almost dreamlike. I've never seen anything like it. I turn and walk to her then jog into the forest with her next to me.

Lander is up ahead of us as our easy jog turns into a full run. I need to get her across the line where our pack can protect her. She picks up speed and soon I'm trying to keep up with her with this damn bag in my mouth; it feels like she put bricks in here. I wonder if she did just to piss me off.

Females.

Regardless, while she's running for a moment she looks weightless—the forest breathing life back into her. I'd carry bags and bags of bricks for her just to see her run through this domain that belongs to her, bends to her.

Lander and the others run across the line, past the trees with the silver lines on them. I run past them but she skids to a stop.

My beast whips around and jogs to her, worry blooming in my mind that she may turn back.

"He'll come for me," she says.

"He can try," I tell her.

"He can't do anything if I'm already mated."

It's a good thing I'm not in my skin, otherwise, my cheeks would give all my emotion away. "He'll try to kill me."

"Me too."

"Is this what you want?"

She sighs and steps towards me, her cheek rubbing against mine as something vibrates off of her before she runs after Lander, across the line towards home.

She's going to kill me, I swear to the moon she's going to kill me or drive me mad.

I shake my head then pick up her bag and run after her. Lander yips at us before he tears off towards my parent's house. I run past her then start to head towards my home—our home now. I only can hope that she likes a lot of carrots because that's all that's growing right now.

There's a fire going in the house, smoke crawling out of the chimney when we trot up. I quickly run inside then shift to my skin, dropping her bag on the couch before I dig through my trunk of clothes for some pants. I pick a shirt for her then jog back outside where she has her nose to the ground, her beast taking in the scents around her before she jogs over to the greenhouse.

She walks inside and I can't help but be entranced by the way her fur moves with the wind. I walk up to her, my fingers snaking through her fur before they reach her neck that leans into my touch. I can't believe she's here. So many nights I've dreamt of her being here and now she's here leaning into my touch. If it is a dream I want to stay in it forever, the alternative is too excruciating.

I hold out the shirt for her. "This is for you."

I hold it open, eyes looking away while her bones crack back as her skin rolls over her body. I'm trying to keep my hands from trembling, trying to calm my heart because I'm sure that even the plants can hear it pounding.

"There's only carrots taking right now. Hopefully, the other plants will grow. Carrots were never my favorite."

It's quiet. The wind is blowing and stirring up a wind chime that Derek hung in here. I feel her take the shirt from me before a hand turns my cheek towards her, the shirt falling from her hand leaving just the sunlight to dance along her bare curves.

"I could have gone anywhere. Plenty of packs offered to take me, but I want this. I want you," she says, words I almost thought I imagined until her lips are pressing to mine along with the rest of her that my hands pull tighter to me.

She pulls away, only for a second her forehead leaning on mine. "I don't want to do this next to the carrots, though."

A laugh fumbles out of my restless lips before they're kissing her again. My hands pull her up so her legs are around me before we stumble our way into the house, the fire in her spreading to me that creates a frenzy of love brewed together with the sound of her lips whispering her need for me, the feeling that spreads over me when she sinks her fangs into my neck, and the way her love tastes to my soul when I sink my fangs into hers.

The fire is crackling in the wood burning stove while the fire in her still crackles over her skin that's glued to mine, her eyes drifting in and out of sleep as night takes the place of day. She lifts up her lips and pressed them to my neck, to the place she claimed as her's, her tongue darting out to lick the wound and I'm a bliss that's too good to be real—but it is.

It is and I realize in that moment that my heaven is here, with her.

She opens her eyes a little more. They look around before she lays her head on my chest. "Did you build all of this?"

"With help," I answer. "We'll have running water soon."

"Lies," she teases.

"Truths," I answer back. Her eyes look to me, one brow arched. "The vampires, don't ask how, they just are," I say before my fingers comb back through her hair. "Is that ok?"

"They told us stories of vampires. Many of one named Steven others of another called Dominic that can make you stop breathing with just a single word. How do you know these ones are trustworthy?"

My fingers are rubbing her scalp, her skin vibrating like she's half-purring next to me. "Leo isn't like Steven, nothing like those at all."

"Leo?"

"He's one of the ancients," I say. "Very old. He has a progeny that frequents us out here, Derek—sometimes Derek brings his mate, Elliot. I forget their vampires honestly."

"Why?"

"Because they seem so human," I find myself saying. "From what I have seen, Leo seems to be a fair man. He wants peace between us—"

"A happy dream."

"Maybe," I say with a shrug. "I would rather have a world where we're not trying to kill each other for pups to live in than the alternative."

I feel her skin flush before she looks back to me, green eyes half hypnotizing in the darkness.

"What would running water do?"

"The sink—we wouldn't have a pump. We could get rid of the outhouse, but we still would need something for everything to flush to."

"Why are we talking about shit?"

I breathe out a laugh through my nose. "You asked Little Red."

"Not about shit asshole." She turns and looks at me with a smile I want to taste. My lips press to hers and we're lost in each other again, falling in and out of love and sleep while rain starts to patter on the roof.

It's late when I wake in our bed. She's laying with her back to my chest, eyes looking out the window like she's waiting for something to come.

"What's the matter?"

"Where do they live?"

"Who?"

"Them."

I rub my eyes while my mind tries to wake up. "Little Red, who are you talking about?"

"The vampires." She turns while I groggily try to comprehend what she's asking. "Do they live close?"

I lay my head back on the pillow and study her face as she turns to face me. There's a worry hiding behind her eyes, the same worry that had her looking out the window. In that moment, the realization hit me.

"You've never seen one, have you?"

She shook her head. "Father would have put them on a stake."

"I didn't—" I feel like an asshole because now I realize why she worries. They are the monsters that filled her bedtime stories, the ones she hid from under the covers. It's amazing that she's as brave as she is now, to lay here while the monsters she most fears could easily be outside.

But she'll have to face them eventually. Leo is a close friend of my father's, of our family's. We can't hide her from them, not when she's to lead the pack with me one day.

But I won't force her, doing that will only push her away—sour her.

"They don't have a cabin, there's an empty one near my father's home they usually stay in. It's a ways from here." She nods, her fingers toying with the sheets. "They won't come if told so," I also add. "They won't take offense and neither will I."

"They're the only ones that come here?"

"My father will eat his own tongue before he let vampires like Stephen or his kind come here," I answer. "Just like he wouldn't let someone like Jeremiah Black walk across the line—you're safe here."

"I'm afraid—of what will happen to Chris."

I let out a tired laugh. "I think your brother is much more capable than he lets on."

"Father said that a war is brewing," she muses. "Do you think there will be?"

"The humans are already engulfed in one," I answer. "Tensions are bad between us, we're lucky we're insulated here but who knows?"

"Father says the vampires are helping them in Europe but for a price." I arch a brow, my beast crawling forward to listen. "He says they've been taking whatever humans they want, usually the half-dead soldiers, and keeping them for God knows what."

My mouth slightly drops. "Derek said they were working to help end it."

"Do you really think that they are so benevolent to humans? All of them?" she answers. "Not saying that Derek is a liar, but maybe he is more optimistic about his kind than he should be."

"How many humans?" I rush out.

She shrugs. "Father says some of the packs lost count. There have been outbreaks of fighting there between the vampires and wolves. It's spread to the states as well. They risk exposing us."

"How—does he keep in touch with packs over there?"

She nods. "He has his connections and we have relatives, very distant, that he does talk to. They asked recently if they could send some of their younger wolves here. They're afraid."

"The vampires didn't—" I pause. Derek wouldn't lie to us. Why would he? Leo—how could he not know this? If there's anything I know, it's that Eve is right. Derek has too much hope in his own kind, hates the politics of the vampire court which is why he spends more time out here. I wonder if Leo withheld information from him, or if Derek withheld from us, but shouldn't my father know?

"There are bad eggs all around, even in our kind," she says, her fingers tracing a scar along my shoulder.

"I told your brother he could come here. He still can."

"He won't leave the pack. It's his to take, and he won't abandon them." She stops her tracing then looks to me. "Would you leave if you were him?"

"No," I say, concrete in my answer.

"So running water?"

"Mhmm," I hum as she scoots closer to me, her head laying on my arm. "The vampires said we need to be more civilized."

"I like being a heathen."

My lips curl into a smile before they press to her crown. I lay back while the sound of rain starts to carry us away into a deep sleep; I sleep so well that I half-wonder if everything I've experienced is real.

But when I wake up she's laying next to me, her red hair flowing behind her like a fiery flag. She starts to stir as I slip out of bed, her hand catches mine as a cranky growl rolls off of her. "Where are you going?"

"You'll be hungry soon," I say before I let go of her hand.

Before walking to the greenhouse I go to the outhouse that I'll be happy to rid from my home once we have this "magic" running water.

A pair of pants of mine of laying on a chair in the greenhouse; I slip them on then look around. We're not having carrots for breakfast, instead, I decided to go find the eggs in the root cellar that Claire brought over.

I toss a few logs into the stove then wait for the top of it to heat up. She's still half asleep in the bedroom, but I leave her to her thoughts this morning while our conversation from the night toils with my mind—with the things I thought I was so certain of.

I'm about to crack an egg when I smell them. The two of them looking smug as hell as they stride over my lawn. "Shit."

"Oh hello, there old boy!" Elliot calls out. "See you have a pretty knew mark on your neck, well come here and give us a look, yeah?"

"Look he's blushing," Derek snickers out. "Honestly Levi, it looks good! You seem less—less—"

"Cantankerous," Elliot says.

"Ah yes, less of that," Derek adds, waving his hand in a circle towards me. "It's a good look—good Lord I hope you have fed her more than carrots! You know I churned all that butter the other day!"

"I think he's been eating more than carrots, love."

Derek laughs as a growl rips through to them. "What? Come on now, we just wanted to congratulate you, bit of fun."

"Listen—" I pause and suck back a growl. "Both of you, you need to—"

"Levi?" the hair on the back of my neck raises and I'm cursing the moon for this poor timing.

I turn to see Eve in the doorway, wearing one of my shirts, her beast close as she paces behind her eyes. I'm more worried that she'll rip their heads off if they keep up their banter more than anything else.

"They just showed up, I'm sorry, I can send—"

"Another ginger!" Elliot zips over to her. "My God you are a lovely creature. How lucky for you Levi, honestly, I didn't think the moon would favor you so."

Eve's eyes are wide, her body rigid as she takes Elliot in. Derek's face slightly falls as the situation sinks in. Elliot's smile fades into one that's almost sad. "Oh child I won't bite, you're not even my type. Your hair's not dark and your eyes too green. Wrong sex I might add too."

I'm pinching my brown while Derek walks awkwardly over to Elliot. "Maybe we should come back after she's had a chance to settle in, yeah?"

Eve's saying nothing still. Her nails slightly look like claws and worry flares in me. I walk to her as she sucks in a deep breath, her claws receding back until they're just her fingers that I press to my lips. "Come on," I say, pulling her in the house.

"Wait," she answers, pulling away from me and looking towards the vampires walking down the stairs. "Do you—" she pauses, her teeth biting her lip. "Do you like—food?"

Derek's lips turn into a coy smile. "Much better than the flesh of humans."

"Jesus," I hiss from under my breath before I shoot him a scowl.

"Oh come on then." Elliot swats Derek then looks to Eve. "Of course! I mean look at his waistline, you think he got that on an all liquid diet?"

Eve actually laughs through her nose before she nods to them. "So you like breakfast?"

"I like making it better," Derek answers.

"Good," she says with a nod. "I don't even think he knows how to make the carrots."

Both the vampires roar in laughter before they trot back up the stairs. Elliot holds his hand out to her. "Well, I'm Elliot. His mate, fellow ginger—honestly it's so nice—they don't know how we suffer."

Eve is cautious but she places her hand in his, letting him shake it before Derek smiles at her. "I'm Derek, Leo's youngest progeny, his full-time babysitter," he snickers out to me. "Now, if I were to tell you that I could make a cake for breakfast with carrots, what would you say?"

"That you are full of lies," she answers before she steps towards me.

I pull her to me, her skin shaking but she's so strong my little red. "They can go, it's all right."

"No, they're staying," she asserts, the fire in her voice that I love.

"I may be full of a lot of things, but I am not a liar. Now sit," he says before he looks around. "Levi didn't even put the kettle on. I swear—before we weeded that greenhouse, there was just jerky and whiskey in this house. Honestly, I was almost afraid for you."

"I like whiskey," she says quietly to me. "And jerky."

I laugh and press my lips to her shoulder. "And I like you," I reply.

"Good," she answers. "Because you're stuck with me forever."

-----------------------------

*Sighs*

Thoughts?!