“Still, that’s really tough.” Lisa rubbed Eve’s shoulder.
“At least I survived. I was a few months old when she died. I went directly into foster care. Mei Chen, Oliver’s mate had it really rough. She was abandoned in a public park. A little boy found her, umbilical cord and placenta still attached, all of it wrapped in bloody newspapers. Authorities never were able to locate her mother and she was raised in foster home care, too. That’s how we met.”
“Where was that?” Tala leaned against her sister.
“Tampa, Florida.”
“You’re kidding.” Lisa glanced at Tala, then back at Eve. “That’s where we’re from. We were raised in a little town east of Tampa.”
“Small world,” Eve said. “You guys, me…Mei Chen, all of us from the same place.” They sat there quietly for a moment. Eve figured they were all lost in their own childhood memories. She found herself studying the two women much closer. How come so many of this small group had come from that one community?
Tala’s voice dragged her back to the present. “What’s the significance of today’s flowers, Tia? Is it your mom’s birthday.”
“Nope.” Tia grinned and shook her head. Her long, dark blond hair curled in every direction and her beautiful amber eyes glittered with laughter and emotion.
“Well?” Exasperated, Lisa leaned forward as if she might be able to squeeze the secret out of her packmate.
“Well. Hmm…deep subject.” Tia giggled and slapped her hand over her mouth.
Tala pretended to swat her.
“Okay. I’ll tell. I wanted my very best friends…” she touched Lisa and Tala’s hands, “and my newest friend here when I told Mom my news.” She smiled at Eve. “Luc and I are expecting a baby. Sometime at the end of April, maybe early May. I can’t believe it happened the first time we tried to conceive.”
She was covered in hugs and kisses from Tala and Lisa. Eve grabbed Tia’s hands and squeezed. “Congratulations. You must be absolutely thrilled.”
“Well, yes and no.” Tia laughed, but at the same time, she ran her fingers lovingly over the marble stone. “My dad got a message from my mom, after she died. She said I’d have two daughters. Two little girls with her sass and attitude. Dad’s always interpreted her message as meaning I’d have twins. I’m hoping like hell he’s wrong!”
“How many eggs did you pop out?” Tala leaned forward as if Tia’s answer meant a lot to her. Of course, Eve thought, with two hunky males making love to her at the same time, Tala might be more concerned about that sort of thing.
“I think just one, but I’m new at this.” Tia patted Tala’s hand. “Why? Are you planning two at a time to keep the boys happy?”
Tala laughed. “That, my love, is my worst nightmare. Can you imagine short little me pregnant with twins? Especially from those two bruisers?”
Lisa hugged her sister. “You’re all of five feet nothing and Mik and AJ both over six and a half feet? You’d be preggers from your toes to your nose.”
“Thank you for that image.” Tala glared at her sister, then burst into giggles.
Laughing along with the others, Eve suddenly felt her skin prickle. She glanced over her left shoulder. Two men seemed to be watching them. She looked at Tia, Lisa, and Tala and realized they’d not noticed anything.
When Eve glanced back again, she saw that the men had moved closer. They were now barely twenty feet away. She smiled brightly and turned back to the others, silently mindtalking. Don’t be obvious. Keep talking or laughing, but you need to know we’re being watched. Two men to my left. They’re slowly getting closer to us.
You’re right. Tia smiled and giggled, as if she’d just heard a funny joke. They’re acting like they’re not watching us, but they’re definitely moving our way. Stand up, girls. It’s time to leave.
Lisa and Tala hopped to their feet. Eve stood as well and held out a hand to Tia. The four of them stood together as if meditating over the small marble plaque covered in red and white roses.
Start walking back toward the lake. We’ll cut around it to Nineteenth Ave. See if they follow. Tia led the way, chattering about the weather as if there were nothing at all on her mind.
They’ve changed direction and they’re following us. We need to let the guys know. Tala walked at Tia’s right, Lisa was on her left. Eve took the rear with the realization they were all subtly protecting the one among them who carried young. She wondered if that was typical wolven behavior.
There was so much to learn of this new reality, especially how to stay safe. She hadn’t been a shapeshifter for all that long, but she knew she would protect Tia and her unborn child with her life.
Eve sensed the men drawing closer without even looking their way. She opened her mind and called out to Adam. He answered immediately.
I’m coming, he answered. Luc’s with me. AJ, Mik, and Tinker are already at the park boundary near Nineteenth. Watch for them.
Tala noticed a group of three men ahead, blocking the trail. It looks like our guys have friends up ahead, or am I just being a total neurotic?
I think I’m sharing your neurosis. Lisa drew closer to Tia.
We’re sisters. We’re supposed to share things. They’re watching us. Tala laughed, but Eve noticed a distinct lack of humor.
Do you want to cut through the bushes? Tia smiled at the others and nodded her head toward the thick undergrowth to her left. The two men behind them were only about thirty feet away and the women were drawing much too close to the group ahead.
Aren’t we better off here in public, where people can see us? Eve’s heart hammered in her throat. Fear seemed to clamp down on her windpipe until she could barely breathe.
Suddenly the three men up ahead turned and came at them. The sound of pounding feet behind made the decision to run an easy one. The four women ducked into the thick shrubs along the trail and took off, twisting and dodging through the tangled bushes.
I see them! Adam’s voice echoed in Eve’s head. Run, Eve. They’re right behind you. We’re coming!
Tala stumbled. Lisa grabbed her left arm and Eve caught the right. They practically carried her through the thick shrubbery, following close behind Tia. She ran like a rabbit, cutting back and forth along unseen trails, finding clear spots in the thick greenery where no one else could see. Behind them, Eve heard cursing and the crash of branches.
A cacophony of snarling and growling, punctuated by angry shouts and the loud thrashing of someone fighting in the thick brush ended in a scream of pain. The women stopped their headlong rush and crouched down, breathing hard. They were hidden from their pursuers by the thick bushes, though not that far away.
Two loud reports. Gunfire! Tala grabbed Eve’s hand.
The noise and commotion moved beyond them, and away, until all Eve heard was the rush of their labored breathing and the cry of seagulls overhead.
Lisa grabbed her temples and cried out. “Tinker’s down. He’s been hit.” She turned away from them and raced back the way they’d come, in search of her wounded mate. Tala, Tia, and Eve followed.
He wasn’t far away, and thankfully, didn’t appear to be hurt too badly. Their attackers were nowhere to be seen. Tinker, AJ, and Mik were huddled together in a tiny gap between the shrubs, totally hidden from anyone in the park. The three of them were naked.
Eve realized they’d just shifted from their wolf to human forms. Tinker lay calmly on the ground, leaning against AJ’s muscular chest while Mik inspected a bloody slash running across the top of Tink’s right shoulder. Blood dripped from the deep slice, shining brilliant