Taken by my mate
Chapter thirty-eight

Covyn

A figure ran by us off to the side. It was larger than our average forest animals but smaller than a wolven. I caught the shadow as it shrank, and then saw it dash out onto the road, in range of the headlights.

“Seq…” I meant to call the cat, first questioning why she was out here but then not wanting her to see Evadiene like that.

As the cat approached the car we all saw the familiar sight of bones shifting and changing. Sequoia had morphed from a cat into a very slender woman in a leopard print dress running barefoot toward the truck.

“Evadiene!” Sequoia, possibly, called out running to the door.

She tore the steering wheel from the car with one hand in a motion that I thought would break her chopstick arms. She grabbed Evadiene and pulled her carefully out, bringing her to the ground and laying her over her lap. We all began cautiously moving in but the woman looked up at us and began hissing.

“Stay away, none of you can help her like I can,” she commanded, brushing the bloodied hair out Evadiene’s face. “I’m here, it’s safe now, I’ll protect you,” she whispered to Evadiene’s body.

Evadiene’s eyes opened for a moment, saw the woman, and closed. The woman set her on the ground and move back a little before Evadiene burst into flame. All of us gasped but the woman just watched with consideration and hissed when we tried to get closer or speak. In a matter of minutes all that was left was a pile of ash that seemed to fold in on itself as the fire went on to leave the pile where her chest had been.

“What did you do?” I demanded quietly, slowly. “Who are you?”

“Wow so many question big guy, how will I ever keep track of them all,” the former cat said sarcastically. “I did nothing except what I’m supposed to do, and I am Sequoia. We met several days ago now, keep up.”

“Is she going to be alright?” Spencer asked wearily.

What is he thinking about? She just literally reduce my to ash before out eyes. What a question.

Sequoia.. nodded. “It just depends how much energy she has.” She looked around and sniffed the air. “Did someone die tonight?” I shook my head. “Then why does it smell like death and grave dirt?”

“The pack that came to pick up Garrett brought a body in. There was an accident along that way,” Spencer informed, taking a couple steps forward, but I was too still too stunned to tell them what happened after Spencer left.

Sequoia’s eyes grew wide. “We need to get her inside, I need a towel or… too late.”

The pile of ash began to move. It pulsed and thrummed like there was a heart beat inside of it. We crept closer, Sequoia hissing again. The pile continued to move and a moment later I could swear I saw a finger in the ash.

“If you can not keep what you are about to see a secret I suggest you close your eyes and turn away. I bind you to keep this secret on fear of pain every time you so much as think of your betrayal!” Sequoia commanded, but not one of us turned away.

As the pile of ash moved I was l sure I saw fingers. The pile became red, like warm embers, and the fingers stretched outward into hands. The hands became arms, moving and stretching from the warm ash, and as the form grew the pile of soot got smaller.

Sequoia eventually moved around what was happening to stand between us and the growing form. We all stood in disbelief as a body emerged bit by bit, stretching up from the pile like they were waking up, until the ash was gone, shaped and molded to form the body of Evadiene. She stood their naked, yawning and stretching like she did indeed just wake up, but not like she had slept well.

Sequoia stood as well and threw her arms around her, making loud purring sounds as Evadiene’s arms joined their embrace.

“I’m okay Coy,” Evadiene whispered, not seeing us as she closed her eyes to hug the cat-person tighter.

“She’s a phoenix!” Daley gasped and that brought Evadiene’s attention to us.

She looked up, surveyed the three of us, and then looked over to the truck and groaned. “That wasn’t supposed to happen.”

Spencer took off his shirt and quickly tossed it to her. She stretch out one more time before putting it on and looking at us critically. All of her injuries were gone, and her skin was even more flawless now than when I had first seen her in that club. None of us had moved much since the cat had changed into a person, but now Ellion was moving Daley behind him.

Evadiene smirked and laughed with her lips closed. “Scared of me? Sequoia did you..”

“I did,” she interrupted, moving her arms to hold Evadiene against her again as the purring sound returned. “None of them looked away.”

Evadiene made a face like she had known this much already. “She meant what she said,” she began, “because you have seen me you are bound by the same magic I am. If you tell anyone about me, every time you remember breaking your promise you will be in unbelievable pain. This curse tends to get worse over time, as the pain reminds you of what you did, you could be trapped in a never ending cycle of anguish.” She smirked more ironically now. “Welcome to the club, we don’t have T-shirts but the club is small so-“ she shrugged, “- at least you know everyone in it.”

“We are the only ones who have seen your secret?” Daley asked questionably.

“The only ones living,” Sequoia snapped. “Don’t think yourselves so favoured.”

“Coy,” Evadiene reprimanded and the other woman shrunk her head back behind Evadiene’s shoulder.

"We need to get inside," Sequoia whispered to her. "A body was brought inside the barrier."

Evadiene stiffened considerable. "Okay Coy, let's go."

The woman placed both hands on one of Evadiene's shoulders, smoothly shifting back into the small cat and climbing over the shoulder. Evadiene brought her into her arms and pet her gently, whispering soft, kind words to her.

"Evadiene..." I began but her head snapped up to me.

"Not here. There are ears everywhere. If anyone is out here now they will be bound to the same curse you are, but that only goes for what I am, anything else is best said in private." She informed, moving to the car and sliding into the front seat.

We all stood for a stupidly long minute not moving until Evadiene honked the horn and motioned for us to hurry up. Following her lead we piled into the car, Spencer, Daley and Ellion squeezing into the back.

“Luna…” Spencer began but Sequoia hissed.

“Not right, please, can we wait until we’re inside?” Evadiene whispered, being more gentle to him than she had me, and then Sequoia growled a rolling sort of sound. “Yes Sequoia, I know I need to eat.”

The rest of the drive back was silent. Evadiene didn’t so much as look at any of us the whole time, and I found myself driving slower than necessary to use the time to gather my thoughts.

My Evadiene isn’t human. my mate is human. I thought.

All of the times I had said something and she never mentioned that she wasn’t human. I gripped the steering wheel tighter, feeling the foam crease under my hands.

A phoenix. What does that even mean?

I caught sight of Evadiene turning towards me, probably hearing my grip on the wheel and feeling my emotions. I pulled into the garage and parked the car, throwing on the emergency break harder than necessary and hearing the vehicle groan in protest before I turned it off. I looked to the spot where my truck should be and the image of it crumpling like an accordion with her inside returned.

“Covyn?” She asked, tone firm despite how I could feel her worry. “Am I safe here?”

The question shattered what composure I had left and I smashed the wheel, setting off the air bag. She leapt out of the car so fast she almost fell with the seatbelt catching her foot. Backing away from the car she pressed her body against the vehicle next to us and stared at me.

I clawed the airbag to shreds to get it out of my way, never taking my eyes away from her. Her own eyes were full of fear but also fight. She was determined.

Sequoia hissed at me, her growls getting deeper than that of a house cat, and Spencer had already gotten out of the back seat to place himself between me and her. I opened my own door and my arm was quickly caught by Ellion who was waiting for me.

“Covyn, you need to calm down.” He urged but that wasn’t about to help and only encouraged my wolf coming to the surface.

“Please Alpha, stop this,” it was Daley’s small voice that brought me back.

She never called me Alpha. The word brought her so much fear, and she only said it by accident when she was terrified. Navi started to calm down and we looked to our Beta and his Mate. His mate clung to him, holding his arm desperately for comfort and protection. My mate stood on the other side of the car, behind another man looking like she was preparing to replace a crowbar to defend herself… against me.

I sighed and shook my head, pinching the bridge of my nose between my fingers. “Yes Evadiene, I would never hurt you.” She relaxed slightly and I nodded my head toward the door. “Come on, let’s grab some dinner. My bedroom is sound proof now. We can gather there.”

I led the way, followed by Evadiene and Spencer with Ellion and Daley silently at the back. Evadiene was the only one of us who looked natural but her emotions were a different state. I stopped suddenly, almost causing everyone else to collide with each other behind me.

I turned around and looked Evadiene up and down. “You can’t walk around like that. I’ll get your food, you can go straight to the room.”

She gave a slight nod, watching me with her eyes carefully. “I need to go to your office first.”

I waved my hand dismissively and handed her the key. “Then go.”

She nodded very slightly again and I felt the pain in her chest. I was hurting her acting the way I was, and the worst part was that I didn’t care. I felt betrayed by the one that was supposed to make my life worth living and watched her die all in one evening.

She didn’t wait for anything else, letting me drop the key into her hand and turning to go. I groaned at the part of me that searched for the lower curve of her ass under the shirt that wasn’t long enough. She would always be the most beautiful woman I had ever met, but I was starting to wonder why the Goddess matched us together.