41. Evelyn
41
Evelyn
T he next morning, I woke to find myself in bed with Chad, the events of the previous night flooding back in a rush of heated memories. I stretched, feeling a pleasant ache. My wings had thankfully retracted sometime during the night.
Alister was nowhere to be seen, and Chad was still asleep beside me. Feeling in need of a shower, I slipped out of bed quietly.
As I was finishing up, the shower door opened, and Chad popped his head in. “May I join you?”
“Yes, of course.” I laughed.
He stepped into the shower, washing himself while I enjoyed the view. Once we were both clean, he grabbed a towel and gently dried me off.
“Thanks, puppy,” I said, leaning in for a kiss.
“You are so delectable,” Chad whispered in my ear, sending a shiver of goosebumps across my skin.
“So what are you going to do about it?” I teased, raising an eyebrow.
Chad grinned mischievously. “Well, since you asked…” His hands slid down my sides, his touch light but full of promise.
He scooped me up effortlessly and carried me to the bed, laying me down gently. “I’m going to kiss every inch of your gorgeous body until you’re trembling with need, then I’m going to make love to you,” he promised.
Then he made good on his promise.
My breathing grew ragged as Chad’s hands and mouth explored my body, teasing and caressing. Just as I was about to beg for more, he pulled back with a playful wink, leaving me breathless and wanting.
“Hmm, I think you’re ready for the main event now, little witch.” His voice was husky with want. “I want to make you mine,” he said softly.
“I am yours, Chad,” I replied.
“I want to claim you and add my mark on you,” he amended.
I smiled. “I want that too.”
I wasn’t sure exactly what that entailed, but I was eager to find out.
Chad’s eyes gleamed with a mix of desire and something deeper, more primal. He leaned in close, his breath hot against my ear. “This might hurt a little, but I promise it’ll be worth it.”
I nodded, my heart racing with anticipation. “I trust you.”
He lined up his cock at my entrance and paused, his eyes searching mine for any hesitation. But there was none—only the raw need to feel him completely, to merge in a way that words couldn’t describe.
With a low growl, Chad plunged into me, filling me completely. I cried out as he hit deep. Initially, his thrust and movements were slow and deliberate but quickly became more frantic.
I wrapped my legs around his waist, urging him deeper. He groaned, his fingers digging into my hips as he pounded into me.
“Damn, you feel so good,” he growled, his teeth elongating.
I felt a sharp pain at the junction of my neck and shoulder when his fangs sank into my flesh. I gasped, more from surprise than discomfort, as a rush of pleasure coursed through my body. It was as if every nerve ending had suddenly come alive, hyper-aware of Chad’s touch, scent, and body weight against mine. I could feel my orgasm building, my body trembling with need.
“Come for me, little witch,” Chad growled. “I want to feel that sweet pussy tighten around my cock.”
My orgasm crashed over me like a wave. I cried out his name, my body convulsing as he continued to thrust into me.
With a final roar, Chad came, his cock pulsing inside me.
After a few minutes of us regaining our breath, he pulled back, his eyes glowing with joy. “You’re mine now, little witch,” he said, his voice husky. “And I’m yours.”
I reached up to touch the spot where he’d bitten me, feeling the raised edges of what I knew would become a permanent mark. “What does this mean, exactly?”
Chad’s expression softened. “It’s a shifter thing. By marking you, I’ve claimed you as my mate. It’s a bond that goes beyond just the physical. It’s spiritual and emotional. We’re connected now.”
“So, like we’re shifter married now?” I teased, even as I felt the weight of what had just happened.
He laughed, the sound rumbling through his chest. “Something like that. Though I prefer to think of it as ‘puppy wedded’.”
I rolled my eyes, but couldn’t suppress my smile.
His expression turned serious again. “You should know, this isn’t something we take lightly. It’s a lifelong commitment. Are you okay with that?”
A lifelong commitment. As I looked into Chad’s eyes, seeing the love and devotion there, I felt a sense of rightness settle over me.
“I’m more than okay with it,” I whispered. “I love you Chad.”
His face lit up with a happiness so pure it made my heart ache. “I love you too, little witch. More than you could ever know.”
He pulled me close, and we lay there in comfortable silence for a while. Eventually, we got up, and I pulled on a tee. Catching sight of myself in the mirror, I noticed the mark on my neck. It was already healing, leaving behind a silvery scar in the shape of Chad’s bite mark.
I looked at my wrist, seeing the crescent mark Alister had made all those years ago. Now, this new one felt just as right.
The smell of coffee wafted through the air, drawing me out. I padded downstairs, hand in hand with Chad.
In the kitchen, Ryker was back, seated at the island, sipping his coffee. His nostrils flared, and I cringed.
Would he be mad?
Alister was nowhere to be seen, but I could hear his voice from another room, likely on a phone call.
Chad started gathering ingredients to make pancakes.
“Hope you’re hungry. I’m making enough to feed an army,” he said cheerily.
I smiled, sliding onto a stool next to Ryker. “Starving.”
Ryker wordlessly pushed a mug of coffee towards me, his eyes focused on the bite mark before meeting mine over the rim of his cup. There was a softness there that I hadn’t seen before, sending a wave of happiness through me.
“Thanks,” I murmured, wrapping my hands around the steaming mug.
“How are you feeling?” he whispered, his deep voice rumbling through me.
I felt a blush creep up my cheeks. “I’m good.”
He nodded, a hint of a smile tugging at his lips.
We sat in silence, enjoying our coffee and watching Chad trying to cook.
He bounded over a little later, placing a towering stack of slightly burnt pancakes in front of me.
“Bon appétit!” he declared proudly.
I laughed, reaching for the syrup. “Thanks, Chad. It looks… interesting.”
He pouted playfully. “Hey, I’ll have you know these are gourmet pancakes. Slightly charred for that authentic flavor.”
Just then, Alister walked in, ending his phone call. He paused, taking in the scene before him, his features softening into a smile.
“Good morning, little phoenix,” he said, coming to stand behind me and placing a gentle kiss on the top of my head.
I leaned back into him, savoring the moment of peace.
As we ate, conversation flowed easily, punctuated by Chad’s terrible jokes and Ryker’s occasional grunts while Alister sipped his liquid.
But reality had a way of creeping in. As we were cleaning up, Alister’s phone rang. His face grew serious as he listened to whoever was on the other end.
“I understand,” he said grimly. “We’ll be there as soon as possible.”
He hung up and turned to us. “That was Lucien. He’s been monitoring the civilians who attacked us at the warehouse since his last date with Clarissa.”
“What happened?” I asked.
“She mentioned the town, and now there’s suspicious activity in their village. He wants us to investigate.”
The peaceful bubble we’d been existing in for the past few hours burst instantly. We all sprang into action, the easy camaraderie of breakfast replaced by grim determination.
As I hurried to get dressed in my flame-resistant clothes and a comfortable hoodie, my mind raced with thoughts of what we might encounter.
* * *
We met an hour later inside the garage, where Lucien and Rafe were already waiting for us.
Lucien handed out more vials for us to keep and use if we needed.
Alister had insisted on getting Lucien a new car, and despite Lucien’s protests, here we were all seated in a brand new luxurious minivan. I could tell Lucien was still a bit sore about it by the way he gripped the steering wheel.
“I’m riding in a minivan and wearing a fanny pack,” Chad quipped. “This is seriously lowering my cool factor.”
“I read that minivans are what humans buy after having a family. We’re a family now, thus the minivan,” Alister enlightened us.
I didn’t know what was funnier, Alister’s stern face when he said it, or the incredulous looks on everyone as they gaped at him.
The drive to the village was tense, with a silent understanding that something major was about to happen. As we stepped out of the minivan, my stomach churned with dread, a feeling all too similar to the night Theo died.
The quaint village streets stretched before us, eerily quiet despite the midday hour.
Something was very wrong here.
“Remember, be careful,” Lucien warned as we gathered on the sidewalk. “We don’t know exactly what we’re dealing with.”
Chad bounced on his toes, barely containing his nervous energy. “So, what’s the plan? Sneak around? Ask questions. Maybe I could shift and do some recon!”
“Let’s start with observation,” Alister suggested. “We need to get a feel for what’s really going on here.”
We split into pairs, agreeing to meet back at the minivan in an hour. I ended up with Ryker, his silent presence oddly comforting as we made our way down the main street. Rafe teamed with Chad while Lucien and Alister scoured another part of the village.
The few people we passed moved like zombies, their eyes unfocused and movements jerky. A chill ran down my spine as I realized how familiar their energy felt.
“They are being siphoned,” I whispered to Ryker. “But worse somehow.”
We hurried back to the rendezvous point, finding the others already there, faces grim.
“Coffee shop,” Lucien muttered, jerking his head towards a nearby cafe. “We need to talk.”
Inside, the eerie atmosphere intensified.
A child sat motionless at a table, staring blankly at a melting ice cream. The barista moved like a puppet on strings, mechanically preparing drinks.
Chad’s eyes darted around nervously. “What the hell is going on here?”
We settled at a corner table, tension thick in the air. A waitress shuffled over, notepad in hand, but eyes unfocused.
“Six coffees, please,” Alister ordered smoothly.
When the drinks arrived, Lucien and I looked at each other in horror.
“Don’t drink that,” I said, pushing my cup away.
Lucien stood and approached the counter with deliberate casualness. “Excuse me, may I get some water?” The server blinked at him, then wandered away.
Lucien glanced around before slipping behind the counter to turn on the tap. When he returned, his expression was stunned.
“It’s in the water,” he muttered.
I felt the blood drain from my face. “Like the elixir, I used to take, but…”
“Much more powerful and on a much larger scale,” Rafe finished, brows furrowed. “They’ve spelled the entire water supply.”
“If that’s true,” Alister mused, pulling out his phone, “there must be a central location. A treatment plant, perhaps?” He pulled up a map, pointing to a spot near the creek. “There. Half a mile away.”
We looked at the map.
“There also seems to be an old factory right beside the facility. It might be where they are making the elixir,” he added
Rafe’s brow furrowed. “It’s worth checking out. But we need to be careful. If this is where their operation is or whatever’s affecting everyone, it’s likely to be heavily guarded.”
“Okay,” I said. “So what’s the plan?”
Alister suggested, “Since it’s not far, we can walk there. But, for safety, Chad could shift first and do a perimeter check to see what kind of security we’re dealing with. Lucien, you and Rafe focus on magical protections. Once we get there, the rest of us will look for a way in.”
Everyone nodded, determination written across their faces.
We left the coffee shop and followed the directions to the warehouse.
The closer we got, the more I worried about what we might find. But we had no choice. An entire town was depending on us, whether they knew it or not.