Chapter 4

(Euan’s P.O.V)

            Fucking rogues had to ruin everything, again. I can feel Junie shaking in my arms, my t-shirt was wet from where she had her face buried into my chest.

“Calm down baby, we are almost there,” I say, seeing the safe house in front of me.

Euan, where are you!? My mother shouts in the mind link.

I’m with Juniper, we are right in front of the safe house. I reply as I get to the door.

Oh, thank the Goddesses above. She responds.

            I cut the mind link as I put my thumb on the scanner and the door clicks open, I slip inside before I close the door and bolt it. Juniper’s breathing is coming in short, shallow pants and I know she’s on the verge of having a panic attack. I make my way through the living area and down to the underground bunker where the rest of the pack who aren’t warriors and who can’t shift are. I find a quiet corner and sit on the ground, holding her in my lap.

“Breathe Junie, follow my breathing. In. One. Two. Out. One. Two.” I say.

            She follows along and I repeat my instructions to her over and over again until her breathing calms. I pull her head from my chest and look into her eyes, and I can see she is thousands of miles away. Probably reliving the attack from four years ago. I do the only thing I can think of, I ground her.

“Junie bear. Come back to me.”

            She doesn’t answer, which I’m not surprised about.

“What can you feel Junie?” I ask as I place my hand over my heart.

“Your heart.” She whispers.

“What can you smell?” I ask as I move her head so that it’s in the crook of my neck.

“You.” She murmurs, and her breath brushes over my marking spot, sending a shiver through me.

“What can you hear?” I whisper directly in her ear.

“You.”

“Good girl, princess. I got you.” I whisper.

            She stays like that for several minutes, just breathing deeply as she continues to ground herself as I rub her back in slow and smooth circles. Finally, she pulls her head away from my neck and looks at me. Her eyes are red and puffy, her face is blotchy from crying, and she couldn’t look any more beautiful if she tried. She shifts away from me a little when she realizes where we are.

“Thank you.” She signs to me.

            I couldn’t help the twinge of disappointment that she signed her thanks to me when she was just talking but I understand that she’s now aware of what is going on and the fact that there are pack members and kingdom members here in the safe house. No one will bully her while I’m with her, but I know that she doesn’t want them to have any more “ammo”, as she puts it, to tease her.

“You’re welcome,” I say before I lean in and kiss her forehead.

            After what feels like hours, the door to the safe house is opened and I smell my mother coming into the house.

“It’s over everyone. The rogues have left. We’ve taken several prisoners, but the rest are either dead or managed to escape back to the Rogue Lands.”

“Luna Queen, how many warriors did we lose?” One woman asks as she holds her trembling child in her arms.

“Surprisingly, we didn’t lose any. Our warriors were just injured, which is not like the rogues to leave people alive.”

“Oh, thank the Goddess.” Someone murmurs.

            There were sighs of relief going around the bunker, as everyone begins to get up from where they were sitting with their children and friends. I stand up, with Junie still in my arms, as I walk out of the bunker and up into the living room of the safe house.

“Junie bug!?” I hear Killian shout.

“She’s right here, Uncle Killian,” I shout back.

            I see him pushing his way through the crowd, his face pale, and eyes wide with worry for his daughter.

“Are you okay?” He asks, checking her over in my arms.

“We made it to the safe house before rogues could engage us. They surrounded my car when we were driving back, but I was able to run some off the road and the others fell back.”

“Thank the Goddess. I’m taking her home.” Killian says as he grabs Juniper out of my arms.

            This made me bristle with indignation and possessiveness, wanting to keep hold of her, enjoying the feel of her being so close to me.

Woah, where the hell did that come from? I think to myself.

           Killian gets Juniper out of my arms and starts to walk off in the direction of their house, leaving me to make my way home by myself. I couldn’t wait for Juniper’s birthday in 2 days. Hell, I couldn’t wait for my 18th birthday, which is in 5 days! I’ve never given much thought to my mate, but right now, I’m praying to the Moon Goddess that I find my mate soon after turning 18. I don’t want to be waiting forever like my dad had to. I walk up the house's front step before hearing my father calling my name.

“Euan! I want you down in the dungeons with me tomorrow.”

“Rian! I don’t think that’s appropriate!” My mother says, coming up behind him.

“He needs to learn how to interrogate prisoners some time, and there’s no time like the present. It won’t happen today because there’s too much going on right now. So tomorrow first thing after breakfast, we’ll head to the dungeons together.”

“Sure dad,” I say, wrinkling my nose at the smell of rogue and blood coming off him.

“Don’t wrinkle your nose at me, young man, soon enough you’ll be fighting in battles of your own and you’ll come back smelling like shit.” He growls, before walking into the house.

“He really does smell like shit.” My mother giggles.

“I HEARD THAT!” He shouts back from somewhere in the house.

            I throw my head back, laughing. I couldn’t wait to find my mate so I could have a relationship like this with her.