Page 34 of Engaging Evelyn (Blissful Bets)

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Evelyn stirred, and her eyelids fluttered opened. Fear came rushing back at the intense agony she had just endured. “Stephen, oh God, Stephen, it was horrible. Please don’t take the mark off again. We don’t have to be together, but don’t take it off.” Evelyn sobbed, getting to her knees on the bed to become level with his chest.

She knew she shouldn’t do it, but she didn’t care. Her fingers clutched the dark shirt he wore. Resting her head against his chest, she took in the smell of him. A wave of comfort settled throughout her body. There was no way she’d be happy again if he wasn’t near her. Deep down, she knew that.

“Don’t worry. I’ll never take it off. I marked you as my mate and that’s what you will always be to me.” Stephen lowered himself to the bed so they could be eye level “Evelyn, there’s something I have to tell you... Sheila and I…”

“She’s my sister, and he was taking care of her, nothing more.”

Startled, she looked toward the doorway. Evelyn stared in amazement at the gorgeous man accompanied by a woman and another jaw-dropping man. Where had they come from?”

“I’m sorry. Who are you?” Evelyn lifted her torn dress.

The woman stepped around the dark-haired man. Evelyn couldn’t help but gasp. The stranger resembled Evelyn to the extent that she couldn’t break her stare.

“I’m Nicole, Ayden and Trevor’s mate. This”—she pointed to the dark-haired man in a police uniform—“is Ayden. He’s alpha to the pack. This gorgeous man over here is my other mate, Trevor. ”

“Thank you for the introductions, love,” Ayden said and kissed Nicole’s forehead. “Evelyn, Stephen called me and told me what happened when I ordered him to watch over my sister. You see, Sheila is a werewolf too. It was an accident, but she blames me. I put Stephen in charge to watch over her after I noticed that she wasn’t taking to the change as well as I hoped. Ever since she shifted for the first time, she’s avoided me. She hates me.

“I never knew Stephen had claimed a mate or I would have never asked this of him. Why he didn’t tell me, I don’t know.” Ayden glared at Stephen. “But rest assured that Sheila is better now and you can both pick up where you left off. You must have been through hell. For that, I’m sorry. Being away from one’s mate even for a day can be torture. Please accept my apologies and know that if you ever need anything you can contact me or Nicole, whoever you feel more comfortable with.”

Evelyn looked over at Stephen, shocked. “Why didn’t you tell me? I would have understood. You made me believe you were in love with another woman. Why?”

It had been so much easier thinking that he had fallen in love instead of thinking she had been completely passed over for a duty. That hurt.

Stephen looked down. “I was trying to protect you from finding out the truth, Evelyn. Sheila took what she’d become so hard, I thought your witnessing her actions would drive you away from me. If there was one thing I couldn’t bear, it was having you fear me. I thought maybe by giving you more time, it would be easier.”

“More time…more time!” Evelyn screamed. “Stephen, I would have done anything for you at the drop of a dime. You could have told me anything and I would have believed and obeyed. Yet, you took my car, my home…you took away the love of my life!”

The room spun, but Evelyn refused to get sick or pass out. This needed to come out.

Everything needed to be settled tonight.

“I’m sorry, Evelyn. I really thought things would work out. I figured we’d pick up where we left off, that I could say things didn’t work out between Sheila and me, and we would get back together. I never thought you’d mix with vampires and I’d have to come and save the day. I’m just glad it happened at a convenient time.”

“Yes, Stephen, it was just so fucking convenient. I’m glad I could help you out with the timing. Where is Brandon?” Evelyn looked around. She needed comfort. Brandon did that for her.

He appeared through the doorway. “Ayden, Trevor, Nicole, good to see you again.”

They shook hands, and Evelyn watched in awe, taking in all the hot men in her room. Lucky Nicole got two of them. Maybe she would do something like that. Two was always better than one.

Evelyn held her hand out to Brandon, who came to her. “Thank you,” she said, pulling him on the bed next to her.

“For what?” Brandon asked, confused.

“For being here even though you don’t have to be. My gosh, what you must think of this situation. Why you hang around still, I’ll never know.”

Ayden’s voice cut through angrily. “Tell her.”

Brandon paled considerably. Evelyn’s heart rate increased. She tilted her head to look into Brandon’s downcast face.

“What is he talking about, Brandon? Is there something you need to tell me?”

Golden eyes, so pained she could almost feel that stabbing again, almost but not quite, looked into hers.

“We didn’t meet on accident. I’m not here for spring break.” Brandon cut his eyes to Ayden and then turned back to her. “Taylor was one of your bets. He’s my friend. When he couldn’t get you to…be with him again, he called in a favor to me.

“I was sent here to get you to fall for me, and then I was to leave you. It was supposed to be payback. When I found out why you were cold, as he put it, I explained the situation to him, telling him you were marked. I told him I couldn’t fulfill his favor.”

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