All for Connor: The Lone Wolf Defenders Book 3 Read online

  "I want you dead," he said. "You and your family. You're the last witness …"

  Shit! Connor was in trouble. That bastard probably had Jackson, Lily, and Austin, too. But what could she do? She wasn’t a Lycan or a witch. She wasn’t even trained to fight. She couldn’t just go in there. But she couldn’t watch and do nothing, either.

  Wait.

  She couldn’t rescue them, but she could call for help. She grabbed her phone from the pocket of her jeans and dialed Meredith’s number.

  “Hello?” the sleepy voice on the other end said.

  "Meredith, it's Evie," she whispered. "Connor's in trouble. The man—the ringleader—he's here, and he's got them."

  “Wha—oh fucknuts! Where are you?”

  “We’re in Shenandoah. At the farm. Can you come right away? Daric can bring you, right?”

  "Hold on …" There was whispering in the background and Evie could hear a masculine voice talking. Daric, probably. "Shit, you're right!" Meredith said to her husband. "Evie," Meredith began. "Daric can't transport us because he's never been there or seen the place. But, we're gonna go to Quinn's now so he can show us satellite photos. We'll bring the cavalry if we have to. Please hold on."

  "Please hurry! I don't know what to do! I think … it's bad. He's threatening to kill them all. He brought other Lycans here, too. I’m not sure how many."

  “Just a couple of minutes. Distract them or something.”

  “Distract them? I can’t do that!” she said in a hysterical voice.

  “Evie ….” Meredith let out a breath. “Daric made me promise not to tell you, but you’re Connor’s True Mate.”

  “I’m what?”

  “Surely you’ve realized it by now? Connor smells really good to you? Tell me you haven’t been eating a lot and maybe throwing up?”

  Evie's hand went to her stomach, but she stayed silent.

  "Ding ding ding! Congratulations, you've won the True Mate bingo," Meredith said in a wry voice. "If he hasn't been wrapping up his willy while you do the horizontal mambo, then you know you're riding the baby train! And guess what, honey? You're invincible. Nothing can harm you. Not bullets, not poison, not animal bites. Your basically Superman. Er, Supergirl? Anyway, you know what I mean. Now, I just need two minutes! We're already at Quinn's loft, and we're hauling him out of bed to track your phone. Go and save your man, okay? Quinn! Selena! Cover your bits, we're coming in!" The line went dead.

  Evie stood there, the information sinking in. She was pregnant? Shit, she knew Lycans didn't always reproduce easily, which was why she never worried about protection. Damn Connor and his super True Mate sperm. Or did she have super True Mate eggs? Uterus?

  A scream tore through the air, jolting her out of her inner monologue. It sounded like Lily.

  “Don’t kill him! He’s just a boy!”

  “Shut up, bitch!”

  Fuck! “Austin,” she whispered. She had to go in there. One minute, forty-five seconds. That’s all Meredith needed now.

  “Don’t!” she shouted, running around to the back porch. “Don’t hurt him.”

  The red-haired man turned in her direction. "Well, what do we have here? Did you bring your bitch, boy?"

  "Evie!" Connor growled. "I told you to stay put in the truck!"

  “Get her!”

  One of his goons strode to her and grabbed her by the arm, yanking her up to the porch. She saw Jackson and Lily to one side, Connor by the back door, and Austin kneeling in the center. Another Lycan had a gun in his hand and was pointing it at Austin.

  “Austin!” she cried as she wrenched herself away from the goon and stumbled toward the young boy. She wrapped her arms around him protectively.

  “I’m brave,” he said in a small voice, then let out a sniffle. “I’m brave like my grandpa. Like Grams, and Dad and Uncle Connor.”

  "That's right," she said, running her hand down his back. "You're a brave boy, and I won't let anything happen to you."

  “You let them go now,” Connor yelled. “Or I swear to God …”

  “You’ll what?” The red-haired man laughed. He strode forward, grabbed the gun from his henchman, and pointed the barrel at Evie and Austin. “Say goodbye.”

  “No!”

  The sound of the gunshot sounded so loud to Evie's ears. Pain ripped through her shoulder, and her grip on Austin loosened. The bullet tore straight through her and left a streak of blood flowing down her arm. She slumped over Austin and heard him calling her name.

  When her ears stopped ringing, she could make out loud growls, ripping clothes and paws landing with a loud thud. More footsteps. Voices. Screams. She blinked and sat up.

  “Aunt Evie,” Austin cried as she sat up. “You’re not dead!”

  "No, I'm not." A quick glance at her shoulder told her there was no more wound or flowing blood. She looked at Austin, tears staining his cheeks and eyes wide with terror. At his age, Lycan healing abilities wouldn't have kicked in yet. She had to get him to safety. She picked him up and put him on his feet, then moved him toward the back door.

  There was a loud snarl behind her, and she could feel the wolf's hot, moist breath right at her ear. With a final shove, she pushed Austin through the door and shut it just as the gigantic Lycan with red fur pounced on her.

  Claws slashed at her back, ripping her skin through her shirt. The pain this time was unbearable; she thought she'd pass out. She staggered back. "Motherfucker!" she cried. Meredith said she was invincible but never told her it would hurt like the dickens. It was a good thing she could already feel the wound sealing up.

  The red wolf made another lunge at her, and she braced herself. But he never came. A large, light gray blur knocked him down.

  “Connor!”

  The two wolves tangled on the porch, breaking through the banisters, and landing with a loud crash on the ground below. Evie scrambled forward to get a better view of what was happening around her.

  There were Lycans everywhere in full-wolf form, fighting and ripping at each other. She saw a white wolf cornered by two large ones, and a black wolf running to the rescue. A brown wolf fought alongside two gray ones. A flash of blond hair to the left caught her attention, and she saw Daric as he waved his hand, sending one of the wolves crashing against a tree.

  Evie ran to where the two wolves had fallen earlier and looked below. They were now circling each other slowly and carefully. She gasped. Connor's feral-looking wolf was massive, probably the largest she'd ever seen. It was eight feet tall on its hind legs with light gray, mottled fur and giant paws with razor-sharp claws. Its large maw opened up, baring fangs that could rip into bone, as saliva foamed at its lips. The wolf had the same scar down its eye and cheek as Connor.

  Fear gripped her heart. This was it. Please, she thought. Fight Connor. She wanted him to win so he could put his demons aside. This was what he needed. What his wolf needed.

  The red wolf gnashed its teeth at Connor, goading it. But Connor didn’t take the bait. Good. "Give up!" she screamed. "You've already lost!" The red wolf looked around itself, seeing the other Lycans quickly being defeated by Connor's family. It let out a fierce growl and looked up at her, its dark eyes filled with fury. While it was distracted, the gray wolf lunged at the red one, tackling it to the ground. They rolled around, but Connor's wolf ended up on top. The feral wolf opened its jaws and went straight for the throat.

  Evie turned around and fell to her knees. She buried her face in her hands as tears of relief sprang from her eyes. She could hear the ripping of flesh and crunching of bones, a cry, and a sickening gurgle. Then silence.

  She wasn't sure how long she had been sitting there with her hands over her eyes, slumped down on her shins. Heavy footsteps came close to her and, slowly, she put her hands down, but kept her eyes on the floor. Two large feet came into view, and she looked up.

  "Connor," she said with a relieved sigh. He was naked, and there were streaks of blood on his forehead and chest, but he looked like he had wiped off most o
f the carnage. She reached up to him, and he bent down and pulled her into his arms. He wrapped her in a fierce hug before setting her down.

  “I thought I lost you … what’s going on?” He had a confused look on his face as he examined her bloody, ripped clothes. “Are you …”

  She nodded. “Yes. I’m pregnant. With your baby.”

  His face went white, and, for a moment, she felt dread. But when his mouth curled into a smile, her heart nearly burst. "I love you so much," he whispered into her ear as he put her in another crushing hug.

  "I love you, too." She pulled away and looked up at him. "But how did you get back? I thought you said you couldn't just shift back right away?"

  "When I saw you hurt, I lost it," he said. "The feral wolf ripped out of me, and I wanted nothing more than to kill the ringleader. But, when I shifted this time, it was different. I could actually see what was happening. I wasn't blacked out. The wolf shared our body. It didn't push me down. For the first time, I was in control."

  “So, how does it feel?”

  “How does what feel?’

  “Revenge.”

  Connor shrugged. "It's not like I thought."

  “How so?”

  “I’ve imagined it lots of times, you know. What it would be like. I thought I’d feel satisfied. Or even happy.”

  “But now?”

  “I just feel relieved,” he confessed. “That you and my family won’t be in danger anymore. And I’m glad because I know I have so much to live for now.”

  “You do,” she said, placing his hand over her belly. “So much.”

  "Hey lovebirds!" Meredith called as she bounded over to them. "Oh. My. Freakin'. God. Another baby on the way!" She was smiling, but tears were also forming in her eyes. "I'm so happy for you guys!" She hugged both Evie and Connor. Behind her, Daric walked up to them.

  “You knew, didn’t you?” Connor asked the warlock.

  “Yes,” Daric said with a nod. “I’d seen Evie in my visions for a while now. Both her and Selena and even Luna. You were all destined to find your mates. I’m sorry I couldn’t tell you. But the journey has been worth it, I hope?”

  Connor looked down at Evie, his hand still on her stomach. “Definitely worth it.”

  Epilogue

  Six months later…

  “Connor, seriously, I’m fine,” Evie grumbled as they walked down Broadway and crossed 79th Street. “Do you want to carry me? Is that it?”

  “I just want to make sure you’re not tired,” he growled.

  "Magical baby, remember? I'm feeling fine. Better than fine. I'm not even tired, and I'm not even doing eight shows a week. The only reason I quit the show a month ago was that I couldn't fit into the costume when I popped."

  “You’ll tell me if you want to go back to the hotel, right?” he said, placing a hand over her bulging belly.

  "I will, now stop hovering! I want to get to the ice cream place sometime today."

  The continued to walk down the street, making their way to the trendy new ice cream shop that had just opened up in the neighborhood. It was a beautiful fall day in New York. There was a crisp chill in the air and, frankly, Evie was so glad for the cooler weather. Autumn was the best time of the year, and it also meant she was close to her due date. Of course, while she was enjoying being pregnant, Connor was nearly tearing his hair out with worry. He never left her side, unless he had to go overseas for an op, and even then he tried not to be gone for too long. He was always asking her what she needed, never even letting her lift a finger. It was sweet at first, but it was starting to get on her nerves.

  Still, she was happy. A part of her was a little sad at having to leave Love and Regrets in the middle of its successful run. The cast, crew, and fans (she still couldn’t believe she had fans) were sad, too, but they all understood. Steven, Jane, and Annie said she'd be welcome to come back anytime, especially since they were expecting the show to run for a long time. Being in the show had been exhilarating, but she figured there would be time enough to go back to work. For now, she'd enjoy the time alone with Connor and then being a mother. Besides, there were tons of other things she wanted to do. Maybe writing her own show? She had lots of idle time now, and ideas were constantly popping in her head. She even bought a keyboard so she could start writing down some music. Connor said he believed in her and that she could do anything she wanted if she put her mind to it.

  "Hey, are you sure this is the way?" Evie frowned when she realized Connor had led them off the main drag. They were in the middle of a residential area, lined with beautiful, turn-of-the-century brownstone buildings.

  “This is a shortcut,” he said curtly, tugging her down the street. “Oh, look at that.”

  “Huh?” She followed his gaze to one of the houses, which had a big red “For Sale” sign out front. She looked up. The ornate and elegant brownstone was three stories high with large bay windows. The stoop steps led up to the door. “Oh, wow. Nice.”

  Connor walked up to the steps and cocked his head. “Let’s go.”

  “Huh?” Her brows wrinkled. “Connor, we can’t go in. That’s someone’s house!”

  "If it's for sale, then don't they expect people to go in and take a look?"

  She laughed. “That’s not how it works.”

  “C’mon.” He jogged up the steps and opened the door. “See? It’s not locked.”

  "Connor!" she called when he disappeared into the brownstone. Oh shit, they were going to get arrested for trespassing.

  She followed him inside, and, as soon as she stepped through the door, she gasped. It must have been fully renovated because it still had that smell of fresh paint and cement. The main foyer was done entirely in white, including the sconces and the moldings, which were probably original. On the right was a set of steps that led to the upstairs.

  Where was Connor?

  "In here," he called as if reading her mind.

  Evie walked over the shiny hardwood floors and through the entryway on the left. Connor was standing by the large window, his back to her. This room was huge and airy with high ceilings. It was fully furnished, though, with a large, L-shaped couch, coffee table, a plant in the corner, and a 60-inch flat screen TV on one wall. There was even enough space for a baby grand piano in the corner.

  "We shouldn't be in here," she said wryly when she approached him. "What are we—" Connor turned around, and she gasped. In his hand was a velvet box and nestled inside was a sparkly diamond ring. "Oh …"

  "Evie … I'm not the best with words, but let me try. I thought I was broken and lost, and all I wanted was revenge. My wolf was broken, too. But since I've met you, you've turned my world upside down. In a good way, I mean. You've given me something to live for. So … will you marry me?"

  She still couldn’t believe what she was seeing. She looked up at him. “Yes, of course, I’ll marry you.”

  Connor took the ring from the box, and she could have sworn his hand shook a little as he slid it onto her finger.

  “I love you,” he said as he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close.

  “I love you, too.”

  He bent down for a kiss. By now, he must have kissed her a thousand times, but, still, each one felt just as thrilling as the first. She moaned into his mouth, and she felt his hands move lower to cup her ass. Something hard poked at her hip. Oh wow. Here? Really … well … She slid her palms over the bulge in the front of his pants and began to unzip the fly.

  "Evie, er … sorry, I couldn't help it, but no …" he said.

  “Huh?” Oh right. “Sorry. The owners won’t be happy if they catch us doing the nasty on their couch.”

  “It’s not that … you see …”

  “Surprise!”

  Huh?

  Evie turned around. Standing in the doorway was everyone. Seriously, everyone. Meredith was in the middle, lifting a big "SOLD" sign, and beside her was Daric, holding their son in his arms. Killian was there, one arm slung around Luna and a baby carrier in t
he other. Quinn and Selena were smiling at them, and, behind them, was Jackson, Lily, and Austin. But there were more people coming through the doorway, too.

  "Oh, my … dad? Stephanie? Arthur? Mom!" She gasped. Even her family was here? "What are you all doing here?"

  “Well, we couldn’t miss this, could we?” Amelia said as she embraced her.

  "Yeah, we couldn't miss you finally making an honest woman of my daughter," Charlie said wryly at Connor.

  “Sorry sir,” Connor said, rubbing the back of his head with his palm. “I was waiting for the right time.”

  “The right time was before you got her pregnant,” Charlie grumbled.

  “Oh, come now,” Stephanie said. “She was destined to have this baby.” About a month ago, Evie told her stepmom and brother about Connor and Amelia being a Lycan. It seemed only right, since not only was Amelia trying to be part of their lives, but soon, they were going to be related to even more Lycans. They were shocked, of course, but they had come to accept it. Arthur, of course, thought it was pretty cool.

  "Sorry, were we a little late?" Meredith said as she came forward. She shook the sign. "I had to hide this, so we didn't ruin the surprise."

  “I don’t understand …”

  “Connor bought the house.”

  “The house?”

  “This house, silly.”

  "What?" Her jaw practically dropped to the floor. "This … house?" She looked at Connor, and he nodded. "You bought …"

  “Yes,” he said with a nod.

  Tears rushed to her eyes. Evie had never asked Connor about renting an apartment or even moving out of the W Hotel. She figured they could sort it out when the time came. She understood the feral wolf's restless nature and that it couldn't stay in one place. "But this house … what if you want to move? What if the wolf—"

  “I won’t,” he said. “And I think the wolf wants to settle. It wants to be with you. With our pup.”