She was tall and willowy, had a massive amount of curly ginger hair springing about her head like an out-of-control jack-in-the-box, and green eyes the color of a jadeite stone. I’d met her over twenty years ago when she wandered onto my lands, disoriented and wounded. Right away, I knew what she was, but I allowed her to heal and recover emotionally before I offered her a permanent home. Even after all these years, she was still recovering and would carry the reminder of what happened to her on the side of her face for all eternity. Sometimes wounds were too grievous to fully recover from, even for shifters. If she were human, her wounds would have been mortal. As it was,a thin white scar ran from the top of her left temple, crossed her cheek, and stopped at the corner of her lips. I’d called my best healers over the years, and none had been able to erase the evidence of her attack.
Evie stepped up and held her hand out. “Pleasure to meet you. Do you know Simone?”
My Omega grinned. “Everyone knows Simone and her ever-trusty tablet,” she drawled as they shook hands. “I’m happy to finally meet you. Our illustrious leader has told us a lot about you, and we’ve heard a lot of things through the grapevine.”
Evie grimaced. “Including the most recent shenanigans?”
“Oh yes,” Hope said. “You had us all quivering in our boots.”
Evie blinked at Hope’s droll tone, gauging whether the Omega was serious before bursting into a laugh. “You aren’t terrified of me?”
Hope snickered. “Should we be?”
Evie laid a hand over her chest and blinked a few times, a suspicious wetness in her eyes. “No. Never,” she said vehemently.
Hope’s lips parted. “Oh no. I was kidding about being terrified. I promise we aren’t. Rowan never would have brought you onto Keep grounds if you were a threat.”
Evie shook her head. “I’m happy to meet someone who doesn’t automatically believe I’m a monster.”
Hope’s eyes softened. “Why would I? I’m well aware of what I see when I look in the mirror every day even though I know I am more than the sum of my parts. It helps having people around who don’t let you sink too far into the quagmire.”
Evie lifted her hand, her fingers trembling. I went still, and Hope’s brow furrowed. “I—I know we just met, and I don’t know your story, and I’m probably overstepping, but I have a…” She sighed. “I hesitate to call it a gift because it could very well get me killed one day, but I can heal things even powerful healerscannot. I’m due back to Joy Springs in a few days, but if you want, and if Rowan approves, I can come back and we can see about that scar. The only reason I’m asking is because many scars have underlying issues, and you might still feel pain from the wound you sustained. I can help address those issues and force even the oldest injuries to heal like they should have in the beginning.”
Hope swallowed, tears filling her eyes. She brushed her fingers over her cheek. “No one has been able to erase this. And you’re right, I still have pain in my jaw every time I eat.”
Grief filled me. She’d never said a word, and I never noticed. What kind of leader was I to have left her in pain all these years?
“I can’t make any promises,” Evie said, “but the Lord of Texas and his former Second are smooth as a baby’s bottom after I got a hold of them.”
Hope let out a wet laugh. She looked at me. I tilted my head. My Omega knew she didn’t need my permission. She’d always struggled with her appearance and rarely left the Keep unless it was for official business. Hope had yet to understand her scars did not define her. There were many men here who’d fallen head over heels for her and were merely waiting for a signal from her. But Hope saw the evidence in the mirror every day and still thought she wasn’t good enough.
“Before you say anything,” Evie added, “I hope you’re not claustrophobic. You might have to spend some time in the dirt with me.”
Hope grinned. “Good thing I like the dirt.” She squared her shoulders. “Let me think about this, okay? I’ve worn these scars for so long I’m not sure what I’d do without them.”
She’d never shown me the others, though I could only assume if the one on her face was still there, she had others on her body.
“Of course. And I’m sorry if I overstepped or overwhelmed you. You’re a total hot tamale just the way you are, so I don’t want you to think anything other than this as a sincere offer. I’m more concerned about the pain you must be in.” Evie smiled. “And if you decide to keep your scars, I can still help with the pain.”
Hope’s eyes widened. “I think we’re going to be the best of friends, Miss Quinn.”
Evie smiled back. “I certainly hope so.”
A giant of a man walked out from the back, his eyes trained on Hope.
“Declan,” I said to my Second. “This is Evie Quinn.”
Evie went still. Seeing Declan in the flesh gave most people pause. Where most shifters were lean but muscled, Declan looked like a grizzly in human form. He was close to seven-foot tall, tipped two hundred and eighty pounds, and had arms like tree trunks, though I’d never seen the man lift a gym weight in his entire life.
If he never spoke, you’d automatically discard him as a gym rat. Women found him unbearably handsome, and I’d had to turn many heartbroken girls away at the front of the Keep when he refused to go out with them. But he wasn’t a use ’em and lose ’em kind of guy. Like me, he rarely dated, and when he did, I’d never seen him go out for more than two dates with the same woman.
The reason stood right in front of us grinning like a fiend at Evie.
Declan inclined his head. “It’s a pleasure, ma’am.”
Evie’s lips twitched. “Just Evie, but if you see my mother around, you should definitely call her ma’am. She loves it.”
Declan chuckled. “I’ve seen her. You favor her.”
