Taken by my mate
Chapter ten

Evadiene

“You weren’t wearing this last night,” Covyn murmured in my hair, jostling my bracelet.

I shook my head, subsequently rubbing it against his face. “I keep it in my bra at my night job.”

He nodded against my head. “And what about your day job, where is that?”

I shrugged. “Pretty sure I’m fired now. I’ve missed three shifts this year because I slept through my alarm. Those plus today is four no call no show write ups; three strikes and a last chance.” I jumped as my bare feet hit the gravel path and he pulled me up into him so our faces were inches apart.

I blushed as I caught his gaze. “I waitressed, at a diner…kind of.” He held my eyes and I couldn’t lie. “It was Benjamin’s.”

I heard the weird gasps and one eye closed with embarrassment.

“That super bouje brunch place for the socialites?” Spencer asked.

Ellion whistled. “I’ve been trying to get a table there for over a year.”

I nodded. “I could get you one if you like. Just give me a date.”

“How does an employee who’s just been fired have enough pull for that?” Spencer asked with a laugh,, clearly thinking I was pulling his leg.

I looked at them, and then at Covyn. “You didn’t tell them my name?”

We were inside now, moving into a small side kitchen and Covyn sat me on a stool. He looked between us all.

“I didn’t tell them I was looking for you. When I found you in the club it was by complete accident.” He began gathering ingredients and I watched with curiosity.

He looked up at me with the same curiosity. “Is that.. important?”

I giggled and looked at them, popping my head on my hand above my elbow. “I’m Evadiene Vesper-,“ as their mouths fell open I turned back to Covyn. “My dad owns the restaurant.”

I was feeling generous with my mate and wanted to see if I could make his jaw hit the floor. “I worked in the kitchen under a name my dad wouldn’t recognize right away. I sent a recommendation letter under the name the staff would know me by, after I left my last job.”

Spencer bit his lip. “You were your own reference?” When I nodded he burst into laughter and I laughed too.

—

Covyn

It was a good sound and I hoped she would laugh more.

“A terrible one apparently,” she continued to laugh.

I started chopping onions for the scrambled eggs when I asked, “What about your mom.”

When I looked up her face looked the same but I could feel pain in her chest through our bond. At the same time I remembered that I hadn’t told her about sharing emotions because I couldn’t go to her without embarrassing her by revealing this.

“She’s with the Goddess now,” she replied instead of revealing her pain.

They looked sad, and though I was sorry I asked, I wanted to know the real reason she was sad.

“People die, it’s okay. She is in a better place now.” Her smile to this was genuine, and it made me want to hold her all the more.

I folded a bit of paper towel around two sandwiches and handed her one, then sliding a plate of toast, eggs and the condiment rack towards my boys. “And for you two, some assembly is required.”

I wrapped my arm around Evadiene’s waist and pulled her off the chair to walk with me to my truck.

“Don’t take off out the bathroom window!” Spencer called after us.

“He’ll make us drive out to help replace you!” Ellion added, but I wasn’t sure if it was a warning or a plea.

Evadiene didn’t say anything as we walked, an eagerness just radiating off her. She ate her sandwich rather quickly, and then was holding my arm around her and leaning against my chest.

I had finished my sandwich before we got to the car, and opened the door for her first before getting in the drivers side. When I closed the door behind me Evadiene closed the space between us and straddled my lap, smooshing her lips into mine.

“Evadiene?” I questioned, not unhappily, tasting her on my lips while she moved to kissing my neck.

“Did you really think making love to my neck earlier wouldn’t have side effects?” She groaned into my shoulder, nipping and licking the skin like I had done to her.

I groaned out loud, feeling my pants already tightening beneath her. “I wasn’t making love to your neck. I was taking care of our mark like a good mate should.. ugh.”

She really was torturing me now, grinding up against me while she sucked on my neck. I wanted to take her in the truck right then when I could smell that her body wanted more.

“Evadiene, what about your cat?” I teased and she did stop, leaving a delightful popping sound when her lips pulled away.

“Can I drive?” She asked suddenly and I startled.

“My truck?” She nodded and I hesitated. “Can you drive a truck?”

She scoffed. “If I can drive a five ton moving truck, your pickup will be fine.” When I didn’t answer she smirked. “I also get car sick, and it’s a three hour drive.”

“Yes, fine, sure.” I stammered as she continued to grind against me and I was afraid I would lose it and blow my load right there.

I slid over to the middle seat and she eased into the driver’s spot. She excitedly adjusted all of the seat and mirror settings before starting the truck.

She typed on the screen, looking for her playlist and a large part of me was excited to be in the car with her for her performance. She selected a playlist, her’s on a public platform, called ‘every song I loved before you’ and put the car in drive.

She didn’t scream the songs as loud as she did when she was alone in traffic, but with every window in my car down her hair dried quickly and she put on a wonderful show.

There were many I knew, and a few that brought back memories of the club. Nothing could spoil this moment.

Her eyes lit up when she was driving with her songs, and every part of her seemed more alive and ready to live the day to it’s fullest. I could see why she started dancing, she did like the attention, I could tell every time she looked over at me, but she also loved music.

Another driver honked and whistled at her vibing, and I was about to growl when she smiled at them, but she reached for my hand. She squeezed it and then after they passed she didn’t let go.

I could have stayed in that moment all day, but an hour later she wiggled her fingers free as we entered the city. She looked at me and sighed as she parked behind an apartment building.

“Well I guess I’m stuck with you. This is the last place you wouldn’t know where to replace me. Home sweet home.” She looked over the building and climbed out.

I exited and went around to meet her quickly, pulling her back to my chest and inhaling the scent of her hair that now smelt a little like the forest we had been driving through most of the drive. “You were always stuck with me. I’ll never let you go.”

She both warmed into the words and seemed to shrink with them.

“Evangeline dear is that you?” An older woman came out of a side door and looked over at her.

I looked at her curiously. “She’s been saying it wrong for a while and I haven’t the heart to correct her anymore,” she whispered before returning, “yes Mrs. Macloy it’s me. Is Ms. Dewberry home? She has my spare keys.”

“I’m not sure,” slight tremors ran through the old woman’s body and her bony fingers that were covered in costume rings clicked together. “You’re welcome to check. Oh but actually, dear follow me, I have your purse.”

“You have my purse?” Evadiene returned in genuine surprise.

“Yes, yes, that nice officer brought it over. Said you left it at work.”

We followed the woman inside and Evadiene was handed a bag, more of a small black backpack than a purse. She glanced inside, closed the bag and quickly thanked the woman before running up the stairs to her suite.

I was climbing slowly behind her, enjoying the view of her ass like I had at the club, and getting distracted, when I heard her whisper, “fuck.”

I ran to catch up to her, seeing her standing in front of an open apartment door that had clearly been kicked in.

“Evadiene wait!” I called, darting after her as she entered the apartment.

“Sequoia! Coy! Where are you?” I heard a whimper in her throat. “Sequoia!” She called again.

The neighbour across the hall cautiously opened her door and looked out, catching eyes with me first before calling, “Eva?”

“Sally!” Evadiene called back and ran to her.

Sally looked relieved and opened the door fully, handing her a rather large cat that I was sure belonged in the wild and not an apartment.

“Thank the Goddess, Sequoia. I thought they wacked you.” Evadiene cooed and the cat literally leaped across the gap between the two to warm into her chest and migrate to lay around her shoulders like a scarf.

“They came this morning around 6, but when you didn’t come home last night I brought Sequoia to my place and fed her.” Sally whispered.

Evadiene threw her arms around the other girl. “Thank you so so much. Now please go back inside. You never saw me, I was never here and Sequoia escaped when they came. Do not involve yourself in any of this,” she urged.

Sally began backing up even as she asked. “Are you going to be okay?” Then whispered, “are you in some sort of trouble?”

She shook her head. “The less you know the better, but I didn’t do anything, I promise you I didn’t.”

Sally nodded. “Be safe Eva.”