-Evelyn's POV
Waking up next to the alpha was terrifying and so was hearing about the hunters that were closing in on us, but then the pain took over. The excruciating pain of so many broken bones, a punctured lung and concussion.
I could better ask myself the question what wasn't wrong with me, but that wouldn't make my injuries hurt any less. All I could do was try to endure it while holding in my screams by burying my face in Hayden's chest.
Hayden, the alpha who holds me in his arms and starts to stroke my back. It's soothing and his touch actually makes the pain bearable. Talking through mind link also helped. Hearing his voice calmed me down and then the bone that punctured my lung is being pushed out.
Pushed out and put back into place with a loud snap. Instantly my breathing improves, but I wasn't ready for the pain. I was going to scream while the hunters were still near us and I could only think of one thing to do.
I smashed my lips against the alpha's and it worked! I'm able to fight through the pain and to hold in my screams, but I'm not ready for the strange sensation that overwhelmed me.
Tingling, sparks and a beyond understanding need to be close to Hayden. Like I couldn't be without him, what was ridiculous of course! I always have been fine on my own, but experiencing this sensation intrigued me.
That's why I tried again, only more gentle this time. It felt nice, but then Hayden starts to kiss me back. Waves of that strange sensation rush through my body and a moan escapes my lips.
I freeze for a moment and pull away. I never heard myself make a sound like that, never! Kissing a man was nothing new to me, plenty of experience in that area. Most of the time it felt just fine, sometimes it felt good and sometimes it made me puke.
A shiver runs down my spine when I think about my worst kiss.
''Is kissing me really that bad?'' Hayden asks and I can hear the tension in his voice.
''No, I was just thinking about someone else,'' I answer and it might be dark in the cave, but thanks to my heightened senses I could still see the hurt expression on the Hayden's face.
I let my head rest again on his chest and I sigh deeply.
''The guy tried to drown me with his saliva and he had to audacity to be upset with me because had to throw up.''
''Kissing me made you think about that?'' the alpha asks stunned.
A sharp pain in my head makes me wince and almost instantly the alpha starts to stroke my back again. It helps a little, but the sharp pain isn't going away. I'm starting to feel sick and I can't stop shivering.
''I used to come here with my parents and brother. We would come here to swim or to fish and we usually had a picnic. Then my brother Grey would dare my father to wrestle with him and always ended up losing.''
It all sounds so normal and that last thing reminded me of my brothers. Emmet would also always dare Jake to a wrestling match and he always lost spectacularly.
''I forget my bait one day and Grey went back to get it. My father waited for him while my mother and I looked for a good place to fish. Out of nowhere a lot of hunters appeared and my mother started to scream. My father was shot multiple times and dead before his body hit the ground.''
The alpha stays quiet for a little bit while I try to wipe away the tears that are rolling down my cheeks.
''My mother grabbed me and we ran, but they were closing in on us. My mother brought me here and she told me to hide. She promised that she would get me when it was safe, but she never came back. She was shot three times when she tried to lead the hunters away from me.''
Hayden caresses my face and he wipes away a tear with his thumb.
''It's okay, Evelyn. It happened a very long time ago and this place holds my worst memories, but I still have a lot of good ones too. This is where we came to spend a time as a family and did you know that my parents actually met here?''
I shake my head as I'm trying to get it together again.
''My mother was the daughter of a beta from another pack. They were visiting and she was exploring the territory. She decided to go for a swim, but she underestimated the current of the river. She got dragged through the water and literally bumped into my dad. He was fishing and since then he always said that my mother was his best catch.''
I'm now smiling and crying at the same time, but Hayden simply keeps wiping them away. He keeps talking and comforting me, doing everything he can to make the pain bearable for me.
Again I feel that strange sensation rushing through my body and I don't know what to do. My instincts tell me to completely give in, while my mind tells me to stop. I'm a lone wolf. I'm not looking for a mate, chosen or not. I'm not even looking to have some fun, because there was no such thing.
Call it having fun or friends with benefits, I don't care. It would always end messy and complicated, the two things I tried to avoid at any cost. Besides it wouldn't be a smart move to have fun with the man that hired my brothers to do a very important job and the fact that we basically lived in the same house didn't helped either.
There were so many reasons that I shouldn't let this go any further. I can't and then my eyes lock with his.
I stop thinking and I kiss Hayden. Softly and then I open my mouth. My tongue finds Hayden's and another moan escapes my lips. Although this time I couldn't care less.
I wanted him and I wanted him now!
''I'm sorry for this,'' I suddenly hear my wolf say.
I'm relieved to finally hear Sybil's voice again, but I'm also confused. What was she going to...
A dull pain is spreading through my body and everything turns dark.
''I will always protect you, Evelyn.''