Fever by Selina Brinkmann (readict TXT) 📕

Watching the kids being brought back in when it started to rain he impatiently waited for the return of Keith and Evy. Almost three hours had passed since the call to Roxanne and he didn’t want to imagine what could have all happened. Picking up laughter from the border of the forest he still had to wait some minutes until he could finally make them out.

Keith had his arm drabbed over her shoulder and Evy had her head turned towards his as he kept on telling her a story. Not being aware of his presence Evy threw her head back and laughed out loud. The rain drops flowed down her face and Roan gaze followed them running down her throat and disappearing in her top.

A few meters before the entrance Keith was stopped as Evy hugged him thankfully. “I had an amazing day. But I really doubt that looking after plants is the right thing for me. I still feel so sorry about the rose you gave me!”

Roan snarled when he heard her whispering to Keith.

“I think you had the worse part. And I hope that all of the thorns are out of your bum now. But really if you get flowers again remember where you put them and don’t sit on them!”

Evy giggled and hugged him harder. “Thanks for this good advice. But next time give it to me earlier.” Keith just shrugged and when he looked up he saw Roan watching them. The normal dark eyes of his leader were pitch black and the tensed composure didn’t promise anything good.

Roan’s beast roared when he saw the two and came back with full force. Gritting his teeth he narrowed his eyes at Keith and jerked his head.

- Back of young one. She’s mine.

Keith released Evy instantly and rubbed his temples. The call from the beast had reached him and he knew that Roan had staked his claim. And as though Evy has sensed the presence of him she turned around and saw him watching them.

“What do you want Roan?”

- She wouldn’t be ashamed of what she dreamed. Evy reasoned with herself. And there is no reason to look so pissed, she added.

He took a few steps closer to them but didn’t say a word.

“Is there anything I can do?” Evy whipped back and for. His presence unsettled her. Her feelings were all over the place and her strategy of staying calm didn’t really work out.

“We have to find out what you remember. I don’t want to put New Terra at a risk just because Roxanne and the others think you are not helping the mors.”

She paled when he looked at her pointingly as though he thought that she would betray them.

“I don’t know what is wrong with you but I haven’t done anything since I came here. Well yes, you didn’t allow anybody in but official you are a sanctuary so it’s not like I got the address incorrect.”

Roan just lifted one eyebrow. “Just be in my office ten sharp tomorrow morning.” Evy stifled a cry and stomped off. Turning at the door she avoided Roan’s look and told Keith.

“Sorry for that. We can catch up later!” And with that she run inside and left the two men standing in the rain.

Roan waited until he couldn’t hear her any more than turned to Keith. Keith just lifted his hands and took a step back.

“I didn’t do anything if that is the reason you are so pissed. Roxanne asked me to show Evy around and we had fun today!”

“What kind fun!” Roan came closer “If you had laid hand on her I will castrate you.”

Keith gulped but then decided to stand his ground. “Evy is a really cool woman. And just because you have got a problem with her doesn’t mean everybody has to be such a dickhead towards her.”

Roan closed the gap between them and hissed, “She is mine. And if I see you being all over each other again I promise to kill you!” The beast in him growled satisfied when he staked his claim aloud.

“Then let me give you an advice” Keith pointed at Roan. “If you behave like a caveman you will never get her. She won’t fall head over heels for a guy who is ordering her around and acting like he doesn’t trust her.”

Roan backed down when he heard the other man’s opinion. He had been acting irrational the last few days. He didn’t know where he made decisions and where he had led the beast in him do them. He knew that Evy was something special. Roan couldn’t say why it was just in his blood, in his mind.

“I am sorry Keith. I trust your word and I don’t know what came over me. Just don’t,” he asked the man, “tell Evy. I have to work out some stuff on my own and every time I see Evy with someone who ain’t me, especially with guys I tick off.”

Keith frowned. “I never thought I would say that especially to you but have you considered that you and Evy might be” he paused, “mates?”

“I have no clue but it also crossed my mind. I have sensed mixed emotions and I doubt that they all came from me so it is an option. However I just want you to let know and that you tell the others as long as I haven’t worked that out – hands off from Evy!”

Having decided to not bother Roxanne Evy found her way to Roan’s office the next morning by asking the people she met on her way. More than once she was greeted by people she had talked to over the last two days. When Evy passed some of the kids Samantha decided to tag along until she got side-tracked. After their catch up Evy was pretty sure that the names of her toys had changed again but deciding that she would visit the healer’s wing later she might ask Hannan just to annoy Karla a bit.

Coming to a halt Evy examined the door. It was a plain black one and she doubted that the interior would be any more inviting. Raising her hand to knock she gulped but before her hand touched the surface his voice interrupted her.

“Just come in.”

- How did he know I was here. That’s just creepy.

Bringing her arms closer around her body she pushed the door opened and stepped into his office. Sitting behind a massive dark desk Roan took up most of the space of the office.

- And yes I have been so right. I think the black door was more inviting then him.

Taking a step closer he sighed and pointed at the chair facing him. “Sit down.”

Evy slowly sat down and moved in the chair to find a comfortable posture. It wasn’t possible. Settling down in a position were only her back was pressed against the hard wood she finally met his eyes.

Noticing her trembling Roan stated: “You know that I won’t kill you. I just want some answers.”

Evy nodded but lowered her gaze again. The heat in his eyes startled her. It didn’t look like he hated her. It was too intense. However not knowing what it meant with him she decided to use strategy one - avoiding him as much as possible.

Roan didn’t like it one bit when he noticed her avoiding his gaze. The beast in him had anticipated her arrival eagerly. It had known when she had stopped in front of his door and pushed him to ask for her entrance. Upon seeing her it had calmed down and had let Roan take over once more.

Sitting opposite of each other not being consumed by anger or fear both of them had time to study each other close for the first time.

His black hair was up to his chin and a strand had fallen into his eyes distracting Evy and making it hard on her to not use her hand and push it away. Being this close she could also see that his eyes were dark brown, nearly black. Small golden dots surrounded the iris and with him not having a snarl on his face it made him look softer. His jaw was strong and covered in light stubbles.

“Did you shaved this morning or is it just growing that fast because you are a shape shifter?” she blurred out and pressed a hand on her mouth as she started to blush.

He blinked and she could see how how the animalistic side in him came closer to the surface. The black of his iris grew consuming the golden dots and his features seemed harsher than normal.

“Sorry didn’t mean to say that out loud.” Evy mumbled.

Roan didn’t answer for a second but then broke out into a laugh. His beast was pleased that she had studied him that close and he would have never guessed that this had been on her mind. Having been intrigued by her blue eyes and brown hair - an unusual combination - he had felt the impulse to feel how fair it was and see if it smelled as sweet as the rest of her body. However remembering her threat of their first encounter he doubted that it would have gone well.

“It might have something to do with the shifting but honestly I don’t know.”

“Oh ok.” Evy accepted his answer with a small nod of her head.

“So I heard that you have left the hospital wing. Did Charleen give you a nice room?” Roan liked their peaceful together. It was a vast improvement from their last time together. And yes he knew that it had been mainly down to him. Now knowing that nobody of his man would try something with her had given him a bit of peace and made it possible for him to stop behaving like an ogre towards her. At least he hoped so.

“Yes. I really like it. However my neighbour is quite annoying.” Seeing him lifting his eyebrow questiongly she added, “He comes home quite late and then thinks turning on the shower when normal people are asleep is a proper thing to do.”

Roan grinned this person sounded an awful lot like him. He was glad that he didn’t have a neighbour. However remembering the purpose behind this meeting he leaned forward.

“I totally understand if you don’t want to answer some of the questions but I really need to know about your past. If you are not feeling comfortable just tell me and we will stop.”

Reluctantly nodding Evy tried to calm herself. It wasn’t like he would ask her about Michael or even worse Rick.

“Do you remember when you were captured?” Evy nodded.

“It was three years ago. The fever just reached New Mexico. I remember that my family was afraid. They heard about all the death but didn’t want to leave.”

“I remember New Mexico. As far as I know it had been one of the areas hit the hardest.” Roan rubbed his temples and Evy nodded.

“When the news arrived about Santa Fe my parents started to pack. I had just been home for Thanksgiving you know.” she leaned a bit forward. “I had been in my third year in uni. Didn’t like my subject so it wasn’t all too bad!” Evy smiled sadly.

“I had no clue that something happened. Our neighbourhood had always been a quite one. I didn’t realize that something was wrong until I went inside and saw my little brother. He was only ten. I remember that I didn’t let go off him when people arrived. They went off to get help” she shook her head.

“I now know that they never brought back help. They had been kind to me but after I told them about the wind they put me in a cage.”

Roan suppressed a growl when he heard about her being forced into a cage.

“Do you know where this place was?”

“I don’t recall. But I am pretty sure that