Eva Gibson’s pov Continuing through the forest I thought about Austin and sighed. “You find him attractive but think that he's a fuck boy,” my wolf echoed in my mind and I narrowed my eyes and exhaled sharply. “I'm guilty on all counts,” I muttered then saw the man up ahead waiting at the clearing where the sketchy watering hole had been built. “Are you coming, slowpoke?!” He shouted out. “Why does he get on my last nerve,” I growled as I picked up my pace. “Probably because he is your mate, and you're jealous of your sister,” Lana whined, and I stopped in my tracks. “Bite your tongue, wolf! There's no way in hell that he is my fated mate; he is a pig,” I scoffed, and Lana tsked at me in return. “Austin is in love with my sister and he's cursed to not have a mate,” I spat as I continued up the trail. “He must learn what real love is and not just the act of it, plus receive real love in return,” Lana sighed and I rolled my eyes. “I'm not sure if I'm the one capable
Eva Gibson’s pov Seeing Austin stop ahead and stare at the sunset, I went to his side and glanced up at him, frowning. His eyes were glistening, and I chewed on my bottom lip, feeling awful for him. “You know staring at the sun is bad for our eyes,” I commented and he grumbled something under his breath. “Are we still going to run our wolves together?” I asked him curiously and was surprised when he nodded briskly. “Yeah, I made a promise to…yeah, we can,” he mumbled, and I gritted my molars. Curious about how close he and my sister had actually been I narrowed my eyes and kicked at the ground at my feet. “Maybe you're fixated on the wrong sister,” I murmured, then walked past him toward his house feeling his eyes following me. “That was ballsy of you,” Lana snickered in my head and I told her that I just didn't like him being sad. “It hurts my heart,” I admitted to her. Reaching his house, I was glad that the guard training was over, so I didn't have to deal with
Eva Gibson’s pov Growing impatient I headed toward the front of Austin's house to see if he had returned yet. Scanning the treeline I tilted my head to hear better and only could hear the night insects. “I shouldn't have run away like a child,” I sighed, and my wolf stayed quiet. Turning around to head back, I didn't react quickly enough, and Austin’s hand fell on my shoulder, scaring me. “What the Fuck!” I screeched as I jumped up in fright. The back of my head hit his nose and he cursed as he released me. “How did you sneak up on me? Your scent is gone! Do all you men do that?!” I snapped with my heart racing from past memories of Curtis doing the same damn thing to me before the incident. I closed my mouth and hissed at Austin holding his nose and blood running down his face. Concerned for him, I reached up to see if I had broken his nose. “You have a hard head,” he mumbled, and I growled sourly, “Don't sneak up on me like that, stupid! You're lucky I wasn't hol
Eva Gibson’s pov Hearing a loud crash, I sat up quickly, startled by the sound. Scurrying out of the bed I went to the hallway to see what had caused the commotion. The only light present was coming from underneath Austin's closed bedroom door so I knocked lightly on it and asked if he was alright. Pressing my ear on the door I heard a muffled groan and quickly opened the door to see a large wooden shelf toppled onto Austin with books scattered everywhere. “Oh shit!” I gasped and rushed to lift the heavy wood he was pinned under. “I can't lift this completely!” I hissed, but he winced, telling me to just hold it up enough so he could shimmy out from underneath it. Gritting my molars as I strained my muscles I held it up about a foot and watched his naked body come scooting out from under the shelves. When his lower abs and man V came into view, I glanced over at his bed, causing my eyes to widen at the picture frame on his nightstand. “Seriously? You have a picture o
Eva Gibson’s pov Jace brought me a Styrofoam cup of hot coffee, and after thanking him, I took a sip and asked him what time it was. “It's almost 4.m.,” he answered and I asked him if we should contact the Alpha. Shaking his head he said, “I will after I get word from the doctor. He might contact the Alpha if he discovers any severe injuries on Austin.” Let's go sit in the waiting room,” he added, gesturing to the chairs and small couch near the clinic's swinging doors. “Thanks for the coffee,” I told him as I raised my cup. Smiling, he nodded his head and then asked me if I liked Austin. Surprised by his forward question, I shrugged and said, “My sister is his friend, and I didn't think highly of him at first, but I discovered that he has many redeeming qualities. Plus I found out recently that he is my mate.” “I see. Austin has a reputation as a lady's man and dare I say, he has been around, and we all assumed that Olivia was his,” Jace commented. “I know and I als
Eva Gibson’s pov Feeling like I had failed miserably with Austin I sighed as I got into the passenger seat of Jace’s truck. Determined to succeed with the guards training I put my thoughts on that instead of focusing on Mister Belmont. “Don't mind Austin; he is still loopy from getting put under,” Jace asserted to me in reassurance. Giving him a slight smile I nodded and asked him what I had to study. “The books that fell on top of Austin. They must be ready in order so they make sense, but most of it you should have learned in pack school,” he explained, and my lip curled up because I excelled in school. “I think I will do well. I heard a ringing coming from my pocket and pulled out the flip cell phone Olivia had given me to see if she was calling me. “I need to get this,” I told Jace and he nodded. “Hey, sis,” I answered, and she squealed excitedly into my ear, “I found MY MATE, and it's the sexy man I am working with! Can you believe that? We are marked and mated!”
Eva Gibson’s pov “Seriously, your bare ass is going to sit on my seat, fuck Austin,” Jace complained. Ignoring them I went over what the Alpha had told me regarding Olivia and her schooling getting paid for by him over a contract. I had always thought my parents had paid and I was just overlooked and unworthy in their eyes due to my late shift. My sister had lied to me and it didn't sit well with me. Especially since she had always been their golden child, with perfect looks, grades, and snow-white hair. She was beautiful and I was the ugly duckling of the family. Frowning as I stared out the backseat window, I was oblivious to Austin, watching me in the side mirror as we headed to his home. Once we arrived back at his house he grabbed my arm once I exited after him and Jace. “Sorry, I interrupted your private time with Jace.” “Unbelievable,” I muttered and yanked my arm away from him “You're implying that you are ignorant, Austin, and extremely frustrating,” I mut
Eva Gibson’s pov “BRAKE!!” Austin shouted as he reached for the wheel and turned it suddenly. The vehicle started to slide off the gravel road into the ditch. I glanced at him in disbelief. “I was going along just fine. The house is just right there,” I retorted with my finger pointing up the road. Soon, though, I was hanging sideways with him, groaning in regret since we flipped on our side into the ditch. Unbuckling myself, I fell against him, and he gasped a painful ouch. “Sorry,” I mumbled softly looking up at his face near mine. Narrowing his eyes at me I saw mischief dancing within his irises. My eyes widened in disbelief as he pecked my cheek and my abdomen fluttered a little. Scrambling to the other side I simply slide back against his chest with him grinning like a madman. “You owed me for crashing my vehicle,” he chuckled and I grimaced. “You crashed us by turning the wheel,” I argued and gave him a glare. His arms threaded around my waist as he rested
Eva Gibson's pov Looking at me, Austin's corner of his lip curled up as he told me to finish eating. Smiling at him I nodded and lifted my fork. Sneaking peeks at him, I studied his chiseled features and the smooth lines of his sparse facial hair, curious if it would give me whisker burns on my inner thighs if he ate my kitty. I crossed my legs as my thoughts were getting my panties slightly damp and cringed when Austin sniffed the air and his narrow eyes glanced over the table at me. “Why is his nose so in tune with my lust,” I thought and Lana snickered. “He is your mate and he can detect the slightest change in your pheromones. It's a good indication that he's indeed yours,” she explained and I swallowed uncomfortably at the fluttering in my abdomen. Finished with my breakfast I excused myself and brought it to the kitchen sink and began filling it with hot sudsy water. “Bring me your dishes and I will wash them,” I called out over my shoulder. Jace slid his dirty dish int
Eva Gibson's pov I awoke in a panic and looked at my alarm clock, seeing it was eight-thirty. Scrambling out of bed I quickly got dressed and brushed my hair. Grabbing my house keys I locked the door and ran toward the training center. Once I got there I went inside of the building and the classroom that was partially filled with other trainees. The middle-aged instructor gestured for me to come to his desk and asked me for my name. Still breathing heavily from running I said, “Eva Gibson.” “And your sponsor?” “Aus…no, it's Jace McDermott,” I replied, and he nodded as he wrote down the information. “Go take a seat, there's coffee and donuts on the side table if you want anything,” he said kindly, and I thanked him. “You are?” I asked. “I'm Master at Arms, Stephen Jacob, and everyone just calls me Steve,” he answered, and I nodded as I headed to the coffee pot. After getting a cup, I glanced at the trainees who were sitting at the desks and saw an old female classma
Eva Gibson's pov Mortified at having to explain to the head guardsman that I was requesting to switch sponsors because Austin was my mate. I covered my face in embarrassment. My cheeks burned when the man said that it was wise of me to do so, so there weren't any accusations of favoritism. “It's better to be honest, Eva. Hell, Sirius might help you get back with Austin,” Jace asserted and I eyed him in disbelief. “I didn't want to air my personal business, especially when we both refused to be mates,” I huffed as I got into the passenger seat. “Well, let's get you back to your house, and I will give you a practice test later that the other guards get before the test tomorrow so you know what to expect,” he said chipperly, and I muttered an unexciting, okay. Pulling up to my home I asked him if he wanted to come inside now to give me the test. He eyed me oddly and shrugged. “I can,” he replied and I explained that I just wanted to get it done. “Maybe you can tell me abou
Eva Gibson's pov Frustrated beyond belief, I rose up with my empty bottle, went to the trash, dropped it inside, and then stopped before Austin. “I don't even like you and have always thought you were nothing but a womanizing asshat. The only reason I agreed to this was because I had no other choice. Just recently I have begun to tolerate you. You see, Austin, I don't trust men because of what Curtis did to me so this was a new experience for me…thanks for proving that men are jerks. I don't want you to be my mate, so I refuse it!” I asserted and turned away to collect my things. Gobsmacked Austin stood there with his mouth gaping as I walked away. I fought the emotions building up in my throat. “Well, that sucks,” Lana whined, and I huffed bitterly. “I'm not going to beat a dead horse wolf; he is too damn stubborn,” I murmured as I shoved my belongings into my duffle bag. Grabbing my dad's blade I grasped it in determination. “I will pass guard training and continue livi
Eva Gibson's pov Going to Jace's truck I glanced at Austin and exhaled deeply. Jace went to the driver's side and unlocked his door to get inside. Austin was about to jump in, and I placed my hand on his arm, stopping him. He huffed and turned to face me in annoyance. “I will marry you if it helps the pack. I don't want your uncle to take it over,” I said softly and his eyes narrowed down at me. “I will never love you, Eva. I won't suffer like that again,” he said coldly and I gritted my molars and glared at him. “We ARE mates, Austin and I never mentioned anything about love. I'm offering a partnership so that you can become Alpha,” I asserted and he shook his head and got into the truck. Before he shut the door he said, “I don't know you well enough.” I stood there gobsmacked, not believing the pack male whore was telling me that he didn't know me well enough. “Bet he would fuck me without knowing what my likes were,” I muttered as I got in the backseat. “He prob
Eva Gibson's pov Seeing the confused pain in Austin's features, I eyed my sister, returning with no remorse whatsoever. “You could have been kinder, Sis. He really loved you,” I muttered and she shook her head. “He needed a reality check. His fantasy was getting ridiculous, and I love my true mate, Landon,” Olivia stressed, punching her palm with each syllable. Backing off her I glanced back at Austin and groaned as I headed to him. “Let's go eat, Austin. A full stomach helps with the heartache; well, I assume it does,” I said softly as I grabbed his hand. “Can we wait a bit? I am falling apart internally,” he muttered, and I noticed that he was getting teary-eyed. Opening my arms to him I wasn't surprised by him burying his face into the groove of my neck and beginning to weep as he hugged me. Rubbing his back in a circular motion I told him to let it out. “Go ahead and get it all out,” I murmured and saw Jace raising his hands wondering what was happening. Waving my
Austin Belmont’s pov I watched Eva scurry quickly into my room like a frightened mouse and chuckled at the sight. Believing that if I pressed her enough she'd get the notion of her being my mate wiped out of her lovely head. There was no fucking way that she was the cure to my mate's curse. Eva Gibson wasn't the soft-spoken and timid female that I was interested in. Hell no, she was crass and a little bit perverted and behaved more like a guard man than a dainty, sophisticated woman. “She did go into heat and smelled very enticing. Plus her wolf is playful,” Nero growled in my head. I rubbed the side of my shaft as the thought of her scent brought the memory back. Frowning at my thoughts I huffed, “She was spending time with Jace. He must have brought her heat on.” Rubbing my eyes I thought briefly about the dinner with Olivia and Landon. I should have known that he would be the one to foil my perfect solution and planned to dress to impress my once-contracted fiancé.
Eva Gibson’s pov Slicing tomatoes while standing at the kitchen counter, Austin stepped up behind me to grab the slices and purposely pressed against my ass, causing me confusion. When he did it after I sliced the onion as well I turned to face him with my brow raised. Seeing his eyes dancing in merriment I grinned. “Did you want half of my sub?” He asked, looking at my mouth. Sticking my tongue out, I giggled at seeing his eyes rise to mine. “I'd love half of your sandwich,” I responded, and he nodded, turned, grabbed the knife I was using, and cut the huge sandwich he had created in half. Hearing a ringing, Austin went quickly to his room for his cell phone, so I grabbed both halves, put them on plates, and brought them to the table for us to eat. When he came out he was finishing up with the call with his brow furrowed. “You want a beer?” Nodding, I told him sure. Standing with his fridge door open, he hummed and then glanced at me. “I only have one bottle
Eva Gibson’s pov “BRAKE!!” Austin shouted as he reached for the wheel and turned it suddenly. The vehicle started to slide off the gravel road into the ditch. I glanced at him in disbelief. “I was going along just fine. The house is just right there,” I retorted with my finger pointing up the road. Soon, though, I was hanging sideways with him, groaning in regret since we flipped on our side into the ditch. Unbuckling myself, I fell against him, and he gasped a painful ouch. “Sorry,” I mumbled softly looking up at his face near mine. Narrowing his eyes at me I saw mischief dancing within his irises. My eyes widened in disbelief as he pecked my cheek and my abdomen fluttered a little. Scrambling to the other side I simply slide back against his chest with him grinning like a madman. “You owed me for crashing my vehicle,” he chuckled and I grimaced. “You crashed us by turning the wheel,” I argued and gave him a glare. His arms threaded around my waist as he rested