Evangeline A True Warrior

Evangeline

      Once, what feels like a long time ago now. I wasn’t so serious, I looked forward to going out with my friends or meeting new people for that matter. Like I said, that might as well be a lifetime ago. That’s also why I’m currently out with a bunch of girls from my pack not enjoying myself and watching people a little to closely. Sighing loudly and looking away from yet another person I’ve made uncomfortable I look around for someone familiar. I see Alora first, at almost six feet she’s hard to miss on a dance floor. She was lost in the music, not noticing the line of men waiting for her to open her perfect topaz eyes. With the trim body and baby blues she caught everyone’s attention. Tonight especially, I don’t know what’s gotten into her lately but she seems more confident in her body, her dress tonight was a red halter that swayed around her thighs. The red standing out against her fair skin and even fairer hair. One girl found, four to go, the twins Hadlee and Keegan stood at the bar talking with their heads close together.  They never were very far from one another, if I couldn’t see the individual souls of the girls I would never be able to tell them apart. With insanely colored grey eyes and dark skin tones the girls could be in every magazine if they wanted to. Hadlee tonight had on flared white wash jeans paired with a long sleeve white crop top, the outfit complimenting her dark complexion. Her hair an almost black hung straight just below her ears. Keegan on the other hand wore a tight dark blue sweater dress with thigh high black boots, her dreads nearly down to her ass. The pair would be very intimidating to walk up to, it never stopped anyone from approaching though, as if on cue two brave men stepped up to them. I watched long enough to see the girls weren’t uncomfortable and continued scanning the crowded bar for the last two girls I was here with. 

      Next I spotted Florence, fondly known as Flossy, she sat at a table with a group of girls. It looked like she was flirting.. I think my eyebrows touched my hair line. I hadn’t ever considered she may prefer the same gender, it looked like she could take the whole group home with her, no, more like they would happily follow her home. Invited or not. She was dressed in black skinny jeans and a white silk dress shirt. Her brunette hair looked shiny and soft much like her light brown eyes. I’ll have to ask her later what her preferences were as far as s****l partners. Not for any reason in particular, just perverted curiosity. Now to find my best friend, KC was here somewhere, I could feel her soul close by. Just then someone bumped into me from the left but when I looked no one was there.

“BOO!!” KC yells from the right. “Don’t fall over boss man, don’t want that stick up your ass to nick anything vital” she says with a wink 

Still trying to calm down from the sudden adrenaline rush I just stared at her. She lifted her perfect eyebrows at me in question. 

“Do you think Flossy is gay?” I don’t know why I asked, my brain decided on its own the most important thing to say first. 

“What? Flossy? I guess I didn’t think about it..” She slowly turns around scanning the bar around us. When she gets to the table Flossy is the star of, her eyebrows reach higher than I thought possible. “Damn Eve, I wouldn’t say it’s a think scenario anymore! Look at those girls, swooning over our Floss.”

I had to laugh at her shortened name, Flossy was pretty new to the pack so it was always nice to hear that she was already in my closest friends hearts. The rest of the night KC kept me laughing with her wild jokes about patrons in the bar like always and we danced until our thighs burned. She still looked flawless by the end of the night her long red hair in a high ponytail. She wore a little black dress that hugged her from shoulder to the tops of her legs. Her eyes a vibrant and playful green. Around one o’clock we all decided to head home and shuffled for the front door. Before we even made it across the parking lot I knew someone was in serious distress.  I slowed a little falling behind some of the drunk giggling girls in our group and looked around the ally next to the bar. A pack stood near the opening, watching us. The one that I could feel distress from wasn’t who caught my eye first, or the second for that matter. 

“Evangeline? Is that you?” It was my youngest brother Sebastian. I was so shocked I just walked toward him. My pack had noticed by now and seemed to have sobered up. KC stayed right next to me as I walked toward the unfamiliar group. Keegan and Hadlee flanked my right and Alora and Flossy on my left. Silent in their approach behind me. 

“Sebastian? I had no idea you were anywhere near Washington. I haven’t seen you in so long..” We reached each other and I hugged him as hard as I could. He laughed and hugged me off my feet, spinning me around. I couldn’t help but giggle.

“Sebastian” that was the second man that caught my attention. I didn’t want to look at his face though. His soul told me who he was to me from across the parking lot. 

Mate.

“Who is this girl? We’re here for a reason.” His voice, gave me chills. He would destroy all that I had built for myself and for my pack. I knew he would cause chaos and destruction to my carefully laid out life. It didn’t matter how strong I was in that moment, I had worked my whole life for endless strength and it did nothing for me. I dragged my eyes away from the black top to his boots, up his strong legs, his wide chest. Finally I saw his beard and his firm perfectly bowed lips. His nose was straight and masculine. His hair fell lazily around his eyes, in need of a trim. His eyes demanded my attention.. caught me up like some kid of trap, Proteus himself would be ashamed I’d been caught so easily. The lightest blue I had ever seen almost white. He didn’t break eye contact. He stared right at me and I wondered.. was he as strong as me? Could he truly see what I see? It had been so long since I’d met someone similar to me. 

“Alpha, this is my sister Evangeline and a trusted few from her pack. Evangeline, this is my alpha Atlas and some of my closest friends. We traveled here to help someone we all love dearly. I didn’t think to reach out,  but since you’re here I would like to ask for your help.”

“Bastion.. we don’t know her. We can’t bring her around a cub.” One of the men behind my brother pointed out. Next to him was the woman in distress. I payed the man no mind. Atlas still had all of my attention and it seemed I had all of his still to. I would address him from now on. 

“I’m so glad to see Sebastian has a family that belongs to him. I can see he loves you all and needs you in his life. I would be glad to help in anyway I can, I’m helpful in most situations.” God, I sounded so conceited. Atlas’s focus was making it hard to think straight.

“Evangeline” Atlas finally addressed me and I almost cried out from the rush of emotions and warmth surging to my limbs. “I would like your help and I believe you could help. I just have two questions that need answered.” I nodded my agreement and he continued.

“Why is it that you all seem human? Bastion included, shifters can sense each other but I can’t with you all. It’s the wildest thing, you all smell completely human.” His question had caught me off guard. I almost laughed thinking if he wasn’t similar in strength his brain were at least similar to mine, saying random things all the time. 

“I have very powerful enemies unfortunately. I guess I don’t know how to play nice.” One corner of Atlas’s mouth lifted and I lost my train of thought. Did anyone else feel it? The electricity? “When I first formed my pack I let everyone know they would be hidden from the shifter world, Sebastian included. I couldn’t let people from my past find the ones I love. It’s an easy trick to learn and comes in handy when your pack needs to be hidden. I could teach you if you’d like.” I have no idea what just came over me. If he agrees I could potentially be alone with him.. what if he realizes he’s my mate? I won’t give up my life, I just won’t, not even for a mate.

“Interesting” Atlas says coming toward me in two long, lethal steps. “Last question, do you know who you are to me?” I think my mouth hit the ground. I REALLY hadn’t expected him to say that. Who was this guy?! What kind of person just throws that out for everyone around us to hear.

I wasn’t the only one shocked, I could feel it, rippling off of people, flowing around my feet like I was standing in a rain puddle. My mate. What did he want me to say? 

“Who what? I’m sorry crazy mountain man, but didn’t we just establish none of you, Sebastian excluded, knew my alpha. So, how could she be anything to you?” As I turned to look at KC I saw the realization creep into her eyes. I saw when she comprehend what was going on and she locked eyes with me. “I am with you always, no matter what. No matter the mate. You are my alpha and nothing will change that.” She knew. Of course she knew, she knew I worried a man would diminish all I had worked for, she knew what my fears were. The ones I kept to myself. She didn’t have to say she had my back, she always had. KC said the word mate and I could feel the energy, the buzz of possibilities from both packs. I turned to face Atlas.

“You are my mate” I said it and a riot of emotion hit me. Someone was angry at this news. Unfortunately I only wanted to help the child, I didn’t think about the anger once it diminished with the rest of the emotions. 

Atlas actually growled, low in his chest and Flossy whistled from my left “I have to learn that, the bosses knees almost went weak. I bet the ladies love that” So I guess one question from tonight is answered. 

“Can I see this suffering child now? I would like to go home sometime tonight.” I was growing impatient of standing around accomplishing nothing. 

“And if I wanted you in my home tonight?” Atlas asked with the menacing growl still in his voice and an even more scary step in my direction. It was some weird four play, all these people around witnessing the chemistry between the two of us. Did I want to go home with him? Did I want to be tied down? 

“Ask me again when this is all over.” I definitely shocked more than myself with that statement. 

“Deal” Atlas smiled a full blown smile at me and I knew my answer. I couldn’t tell him no.