Page 106 of Power Shift
A few wolves shifted. I made a mental note of who they were.
“If you don’t want to be in this Pack, drop a request to Simone within the next twelve hours. I will make arrangements for your release or transfer. If you choose not to transfer and prefer to act as a lone shifter, you must be out of the Keep and out of the boundaries of my territory within twenty-four hours.”
Evie’s hand tightened around my waist.
“I know none of you missed what happened a little while ago.” Cool hands pressed a large towel into my hands.
Evie’s attention snapped to Simone, eyes flashing bright red. A snarl curled her upper lip as her gaze locked on the woman who’d given it to me.
Pride at Evie’s possessiveness burst in my chest as Simone held her hands up and slowly backed away. “A towel, Evie. That’s all.”
Evie hadn’t bothered putting on the cardigan, so I didn’t bother with the towel. Having her stand with me, regal and covered in her enemies’ blood, hair streaming down her back and eyes shimmering with power, I’d never felt so raw, so real.
Soalive.
The Floromancer watched my Omega until she disappeared into the crowd, her teeth pulling away from her lips in a silent snarl.
Creepy, violent, and possessive, just how I liked my Lady.
“Some of you have met Evangeline Quinn. Many of you have talked about her. She is a Floromancer and a Chimera.” I left out the goddess part. It was neither here nor there, and my wolves had seen quite enough tonight. “And she is mine.”
My eyes swept the crowd. “If anyone would like to challenge me for her, you are more than welcome.”
Evie shifted and glanced at me. “Do I have to kill them?” She stretched her neck. “I’m a little tired but I could be persuaded.”
She was going to be so embarrassed when she came down off her blood high. “No,” I murmured. “I get to this time.”
“Ah. Cool.” Evie gave an unnerving smile to the other wolves. “But I get to watch?”
I laughed. “All you want, flower girl.”
Evie closed her eyes and inhaled. “We did something to this land tonight,” she murmured in a voice for my ears only. “Should I be worried about it?”
“No. You did what you were born to do.”
A screech high in the air sounded, a flash of orange and purple streaking above, and Fee circled around, landing on Evie’s shoulder. Poe followed behind, landing on mine.
A few more wolves shifted uncomfortably. A small part of me understood. We were shifters, born under a full moon, and born to run. Freedom ran in our blood, but Evie was different. She claimed land and healed wherever she went. Home was wherever Evie chose to put down roots, literal and metaphorical.
But tonight, we’d all seen another side of her. A violent predator lived within her, one who thirsted for the blood of those who wronged her. Rhona and Finn were dead. Cliona would think twice before she tangled with Evie again, but Cernunnos still stood there, arms crossed over his chest. He hadn’t once taken his eyes off Evie.
And that was beginning to make my blood stir. He wanted something from her.
Donovan was dead, slain by my hands. I hadn’t violated the law, but I was one of the few Lords who kept to his territory and rarely caused issues. I wasn’t known for being a hothead.
The other Lord’s death would cause a firestorm of political upheaval.
His land was directly above mine. I stilled. Had Evie and I claimed it during our tryst in the woods after his death?
Satisfaction roared through my blood. It would serve him right if we had. Evie would know, but now wasn’t the time to ask.
When no one challenged me, I sent out a small pulse of power letting the wolves know I still reigned supreme over this land. I was still their Alpha, but there was someone new who commanded their loyalty as much as I.
Evie tilted her head back and inhaled, her breasts tilted toward the sky, her throat bare. She was the picture of earth, of life.
Mine.
As we watched, flowers sprouted under her feet, the destroyed trees healed and rose higher in the sky, forming a thick canopy above us, allowing only a sliver of moonlight to peek through. Vines stretched around those trees, blooming with purple and white flowers, the heady scent of tropical blossoms sweeping across the property.
