Mate's Appeal

The ladies finished the last round of drinks while Eve finished telling her story and then called it a night. Emotions were strung tight as Eve’s tale, mixed with the destruction of her cabin, still reverberated in everyone’s minds. Lainie swore to do a deep dive into Kyle, promising to come up with something they could use against him, and Adira said she would stop by tomorrow with the wards for Eve’s cabin, the cabin Alanna refused to let the smaller woman sleep in that night. The redhead followed Eve back to her cabin to gather what she needed for the night and the next day, insistent that Eve not be alone. They didn’t know where Kyle went after the bouncer had tossed him out on his ass, and she didn’t want to find out tomorrow that he had hid at the cabin for Eve. Eve didn’t argue. The attack on her cabin had been a violation that left her feeling dirty, and seeing Kyle had only compounded things. She needed time to think over her next move. And then there was Arlin. He had shown up at the right time, keeping her from pulling her knife and attempting to plant it in Kyle’s chest. And they danced. She could still feel his hardness pressed against her, feel his hot breath on her face as they talked, and she had to admit that, even with the chaos of the evening, she would have loved to feel his lips on hers. Where he would fit into things in the future, if at all, she had no idea, but she was sure it would be an adventure. There was just something about him, his strength, his caring nature, the way he looked at her as if he wanted to devour her. She felt terrible for sending him off, but she owed her friends the story before she owed a stranger. Besides, the three women feeling sorry for her was bad enough. She didn’t need anyone else giving her that pitiful look. It wasn’t a long drive to her cabin, the night quiet and the traffic light, but it was long enough to set Eve’s nerves once more on edge. She didn’t look forward to seeing her cabin trashed again, the damage Kyle inflicted, a reminder that her past had returned. Sheriff Einstein had not permitted her to clean up anything until his crime scene unit processed the place, which would probably leave behind more of a mess for her to clean and fix. Now it was too dark to see the disaster Kyle made of her home enough to clean it up, at least on the outside, even if she had the stomach for it, which she didn’t. Alanna was right. Eve needed to sleep somewhere else because her place wasn’t secure. Not just from prowlers tempted by broken locks, but also from nocturnal critters that weren’t the shifter variety, as well as bugs, mosquitoes being the worst. She dreaded the cleanup job ahead of her and was more than willing to put it off one more night. She was about to make herself sick just thinking about it when she pulled into her driveway, prepared to witness the nightmare all over again. Yet, what confronted her was not what she expected. Her jaw dropped as she stared at her cabin, confusion furrowing her brow. What the…? Someone had boarded the windows up, plywood covering the broken glass. They then swept the front porch, all the fractured pots picked up and thrown away, while they swept the dirt and ripped up plants from sight. They even planted some plants in the ground around the front of her cabin in a quick effort to save them. Someone had even tried to wash away the words Kyle spray painted on the front of her cabin, the spot now a dull smear of red. Who would do this? Stunned, she turned her car off as she opened her driver’s door; her face still a mask of bewilderment. Stepping out into the night air, she turned as Alanna pulled in behind her; her face also a mask of confusion. As soon as her friend stepped out of her own car, Eve asked, “Did you know someone was doing this?” Alanna shook her head. “Nope. I didn’t expect Chet and his team to be done with it in time to do anything to it tonight.” Together, they entered the cabin through the front door, which whoever had cleaned up had also repaired, the lock replaced and secure, or as secure as it could be in the door’s condition. Eve could only stand in the doorway, barely making room for Alanna to enter as well. They had picked up everything and a feeble attempt at order made. Anything broken was cleaned up and thrown away, and the place swept, the glass inside the house picked up and tossed into the trash, which they had even carried off. New curtains even replaced the old, shredded ones, offering an illusion that nothing tragic had happened here just a few hours ago. Except for the boarded windows, it almost looked as if the break-in never happened. “I don’t understand,” Eve whispered. “Don’t look to me for answers,” Alanna said with a shake of her head, confusion pinching her brows. “I’m just as surprised as you are. You’re still not staying here, though. Even though you could lock the door, those windows are not secure. Put a bag together for tonight, and we’ll head to my place. We’ll come back in the morning and give it a once over when Adira finishes those wards. Until we do something about your ex, you’re not safe.” Eve nodded, still dumbfounded, as she trudged her way through her cabin to her bedroom, trying to make sense of the scene around her. Who would have done this? Not the Crime Scene Unit. They destroy in their quest to investigate, not clean up. Who else would have known they finished their investigation? She froze. Kyle would have known if he watched the place. She shook the thought from her mind. Kyle wouldn’t waste his time fixing his mess. He’d want her to deal with the aftermath of his chaos like he always did, a reminder of his power, his rage, as well as her place in life, his life. So, who then? She didn’t have a clue. Alanna remained in the living room while Eve went to her bedroom to gather her things for the night. Moving over to her dresser, she opened her drawers, and just as she was about to pull out some shirts, she spotted a small wooden box tucked into the corner of the drawer. She placed her hand on her heart as a tear pooled in her eye, and with a languid motion, she reached for the box, rubbing her thumb over the lid as she lifted it. Inside was a small wooden disc her father had carved for her just before he passed away. Running her fingers lightly over the etched words, she read, “To my Eve. You are smarter than you think, braver than you know, and stronger than you feel. But more than those, you are loved beyond measure. Dad.” She swiped at her nose with the back of her hand, sniffling as she tried to keep the sob from bursting past her lips. “I miss you, Daddy. I wish you were here with me now.” With a deep breath in through her nose, she closed the box and put it inside her bag. There was no way she would risk losing it to Kyle’s vendetta. It didn’t take long for her to put an overnight bag together. She only grabbed the bare necessities, something to sleep in, a change of clothes, and her toiletries, eager to be out of the cabin and away from the memory of Kyle and his vandalism. Alanna followed her out as they made sure the place was as secure as possible, considering its condition, before heading to their cars. As Eve opened the driver’s door, she paused a moment, looking around the place one more time. Movement in the woods to the east of her place snagged her attention, and she squinted, trying to make out what—or who—lurked there, at first worried that Kyle watched her. However, what she saw surprised her even more than if it had been her ex. Standing at the edge of the tree line stood the biggest tiger she could imagine, bigger even than the ones she saw in the Orlando Zoo. He didn’t move, but rather, just stood there, watching her, his golden eyes blinking once as he dipped his head in her direction as if bowing. She stared for a moment longer, a small smile turning up the corners of her mouth. Not sure what to do, she collapsed into the driver’s seat and started her car. Nathan, the only tiger shifter she knew of in Bull Creek, was gone, so that left his intrusive brother as the only other tiger in the area. But why would he be watching her cabin? And why is he hiding in the woods? She sighed, wishing she had stayed hidden as well. Now that Kyle knew where she was, her life took a downward spiral. Glancing one more time at the woods, wondering why Arlin would have cleaned her cabin. She had no doubt it was him. But why? Why him? Why her? She sighed. And why now? Arlin heard the voices from the front of the cabin as he neared a massive oak right at the edge of Eve’s property line and instinctively slowed his pace, not wanting to be heard. He arrived just as both ladies left their vehicles. Through golden eyes, he stared as Eve stood there, staring at his hard work on her behalf, her face a mask of shock and surprise. But not fear. Worry that she might misconstrue the intentions behind the good deed, thinking it more of an intrusion than a helping hand, filled him, causing his heart to hammer in his chest. He watched as the two ladies went inside, each of Eve’s steps tentative. He moved slightly, hoping to get a better angle for when she exited the cabin, praying Alanna tagged along to whisk her away from the chaos and give her some place safe to sleep for the night. He didn’t have to wait long before he heard footsteps on the front porch again. Turning his attention back to the cabin, he watched both ladies exit, Eve with a bag in her hand. He let out a sigh of relief. She’s staying at her friend’s place. Good. Keeping his gaze riveted on her, he watched as Eve neared her car, opened the door, and threw her bag in the front seat. Then she froze, her back straightening, and slowly turned her gaze to where he stood, as if she could sense him there. He braced himself, ready to run if she should scream out. Their eyes locked, it seemed, even though he couldn’t tell if she could see him in the dark. He stood to his full height, his legs planted, back straight, just in case she could see him, and then he gave her a small bow of his head. She stared for a moment longer, her face unreadable, before smiling and getting into her car. Arlin remained still until her taillights vanished, and only then did he make his way back to his place, pride at the knowledge that he pleased her with his work puffing out his chest. At least she hadn’t wanted to kill him for his intrusion. Perhaps there was hope for this mating yet.