Page 105 of Power Shift
We walked out of the forest nude and bloody, Evangeline’s arm wrapped around my waist, her touch proprietary, claiming. The wolf inside me preened at her possessiveness.
Her dark hair flowed down her back, azure eyes glowing with mixed power, a goddess in her own right.
One who belonged to me.
Finally.
I’d known what she was for a while or suspected at least. There were too many coincidences for her not to be Chimera, not with Finn’s presence and Rhona’s arrival.
At first, I’d cared and wondered what it might do to my rule, my grip on power in this place. But Evie proved difficult to resist.
We still had secrets between us. Big ones. The fallout of this night would echo for years to come, and Evangeline would have to come to terms with what she’d become, what she might yet become when the ramifications of the seed came home to roost.
And I had no doubt they would.
Cernunnos was her father, the fucking fae king. I still couldn’t wrap my head around that one.
And her mother was a raging bitch who’d disappeared as soon as Evie sent Rhona up in flames, though I was satisfied to see Cliona’s bone white, horrified expression when Evie had risen from the ground in legendary Chimera form.
I’d be a fool to believe the battle between them was over. There was a long way to go before their war was resolved.
Evie didn’t hesitate at the edge of the forest. She walked by my side, up to the place where she’d revealed her heritage. Hundreds of wolves sat on their haunches, silently waiting.
They’d all felt the claiming, by both of us. And another curious claiming I’d need to investigate later. My territory boundaries had expanded, and I knew the Lords would lose their shit over it when they realized.
Well, everyone but Donovan. He lay quite dead at the edge of the forest. One useless fucker down, and no one would mourn his loss.
As much as I wanted to take Evie to my bed and claim her again, we had one more important thing to face.
My shifters sat quietly, expectant, their glowing eyes trained on Evie.
We might not be officially mated,yet, but she was their Lady now, and as such, her word was their law.
Moira sucked in a breath and shrugged her cardigan off, hurrying over to Evie. She wrapped it around her friend’s shoulders, frowning as Evie let it slip and fall. “There’s probably something to wear in the house if you want me to find it,” Moira whispered.
Evie shook her head and gripped Moira’s hand tightly. The vampire swallowed hard, knowing things had changed forever tonight. Tears swam in her eyes as she stepped back and bowed her head.
Ash came forward and went to his knees. He gripped both of Evie’s hands in his.
“I knew you’d claim your heritage.” Not caring about her blood-soaked hands, he kissed the back of her palms.
Evie touched the top of his head. “Let’s never talk about the fact that you’ve seen me naked, okay?”
Ash let out a broken laugh. “Glad to see you haven’t lost yourself.” He rose and dragged her in for a hug.
My jaw tightened and jealousy reared its ugly head as Ash put his hands on her, and I had to take a deep, steadying breath before I swiped the dryad with a claw-tipped paw. I’d be an angry, jealous wreck for the next few weeks until the claiming settled.
And Evie would be, too.
Tess floated over. She reached a pale hand up and touched Evie’s face. “Don’t forget about those two weddings we booked. We’re going to be busy as hell.”
A laugh bubbled from Evie’s chest. “I won’t.”
Tess offered a faint smile and floated over to Ash’s side.
Cernunnos leaned against a tree, not interfering. Yet.
I swept my gaze across my people. “We were betrayed tonight,” I began
