Intuition

Eve sat in the SUV with only Flint's coat covering her naked body. The taste of blood in her mouth was sickening and she couldn't stop her mind from drifting back to what she had done.

He threatened us. Our mate. Our pup. The she-beast reasoned.

He was protecting his wife. We killed him. We never would have done that before. Eve's thoughts were sluggish and numb.

Memories again filled her mind. Flint took his time calming her until she was able to transform back. Once she faced the devastation with her human eyes, her body began to shake.

She was afraid. Not of getting caught by the human authorities, or of how her mate would see her now. No. Eve was afraid of herself. For the first time in her life, she feared the power of her inner animal. And as her child was growing in her womb, the beast's strength was growing as well.

"I need a MA crew in Summerville." Flint stated into the phone as Eve hugged the jacket close to her.

She had yet to be able to look away from Randy's vacant eyes. Her mate gave someone the address of the shop before taking Eve to the passenger seat of the car, where she now found herself.

Flint had walked over to a car as it pulled into the parking lot. He spoke to someone through the driver's side window before climbing into the driver's seat beside his mate. He started the car but didn't drive away.

Instead, he turned to look Eve over again. Upon his initial inspection of her after the attack, she was unharmed. After her assured himself she was still healthy, he took her face in his palms and pulled her to meet his gaze.

"It's okay, baby. It's being handled." His thumbs caressed her cheeks tenderly.

"I couldn't stop it. My wolf couldn't either. We-" She sighed tiredly as she cut herself off.

"I understand." Flint nodded sincerely.

"I don't. I-I don't understand. The power..." Eve inhaled a shaky breath. "I'm a murderer."

"You defended yourself and our pup in there, baby. You didn't murder anyone." He tried to reassure her.

"They're still dead because of me." She pulled away from him and stared at the floor mat.

The electricity of his touch was soothing and she didn't want to be soothed. Eve felt so overwhelmed, she was emotionally numb. It seemed to her that she needed to feel this way, especially after what she had just done.

"Let's go back to the pack house. I'll take care of you there." Flint touched her head for a moment before he backed out of the parking lot.

The car ride was silent. The kind of silence that drowns out all thought, leaving only tension.

"What about the bodies?" Eve eventually asked the question plaguing her.

"I called it in. They'll be placed at a campground on our territory. An elder will 'find them' and call in the incident to the humans. The deaths will be ruled accidental." He explained reluctantly.

"What's MA stand for? I heard you ask for an MA crew." She spoke slowly in a quiet tone.

"Eve..." Flint breathed.

"Just tell me." She looked at him.

"Mauling attack." He replied in a hushed voice.

"How long before the pack knows?" Eve asked another nearly silent question.

"They won't." Flint shook his head.

"What?" She was even more confused than before.

"I told the specialist waiting for the crew that I did it. This kind of thing is expected of me." He replied simply.

"No. Everyone already thinks your unnecessarily violent. They'll think so even more if you take the fall for this." Eve rubbed her eyes.

"I don't care what they think. I'm Alpha because I'm the strongest. Their opinions of my personality are moot." Flint shrugged.

"I think something is wrong with me..." The Luna eventually admitted.

"Are you feeling okay?" He looked her over intently.

"I feel out of control." Eve answered.

"You have an Alpha wolf growing inside you. I've always had mine and I still have to forcibly hold him back." Flint explained slowly. "The Alpha power is strong, sometimes too strong."

"So what do I do?" She fidgeted with her fingers.

"For now? Rest, baby. We'll figure something out. I promise." He placed his warm palm on her knee.

The rest of the drive was silent. There was nothing left to say. Eve kept thinking over the feeling coursing through her when she turned into her wolf form. It felt like a tidal wave of power; one so strong that it threatened to tear her apart. Until it literally did.

Even her inner wolf was in awe of this feeling, though she gave into it much more easily than her human half. Unlike Eve, the she-beast craved that power and had decided in the moment to allow it to lead. Now, in retrospect, this had been an unwise decision.

Flint parked in front of the pack house and escorted his mate upstairs. Anna didn't ask any questions upon seeing their conditions. The specialist simply watched as the couple made their way upstairs to their room.

Eve stood stiffly in the room, too deep in thought to function. Flint disappeared into the bathroom. She wasn't sure how much time passed before he returned and removed his jacket from her shoulders. The Alpha cradled her against his chest and carried her into the next room.

Eve realized what Flint had been doing. He had drawn a bath for her and he was now lowering her into the hot water. Eve watched him quietly as Flint stripped his clothes and calmly sat behind her. He pulled her back to rest against his torso.

"You're okay, Eve. I'm right here." He breathed onto the crown of her head.

Tears stung her eyes. His warmth was seeping into her wary muscles, easing the shock from her mind.

"I'm not going anywhere." Flint held her waist so she wouldn't slip into the water.

"How do you live with it?" She whispered in a weak voice. "The guilt?"

He paused. Eve knew her question would surprise him but she needed the answer. If the simple task of asking was painful to them both.

"I remind myself that nothing I do is for me. It's all for the pack." Flint eventually answered. "Now it's for you and our pup."

"I don't like feeling out of control." Eve sighed.

"I know. I know..." He placed a kiss on her head.