‘It’s not enough,’ he said.
‘Of course it isn’t. But it’s more than I imagined. More than any other vision gives us by a long way.’
‘But the children, they’re so scared.’
She turned to him, gripped his other hand. ‘I know. But they’re alive. And we can find a way to make sure they are kept safe beyond our time with them. Your mother is there.’ She pointed at one of the dark figures who arrived to fight the attackers who’d made the car crash. ‘And your father.’
He stared at the image. ‘But they’re dead.’
‘Not according to this.’
He nodded slowly. ‘I’ve never had a vision that showed me her before, but I knew …’ He clenched his fist over his chest. ‘Knew in here that no matter what Aunt Iris said, my parents weren’t dead. Knew she still had some significant role to play in my future. I could never stop thinking about her. Maybe this is why.’
‘Maybe you’re right.’ She put her hand over his fist, stroking his fingers until they uncurled from the fist he’d made and twined with hers. ‘When we study this vision to help us figure out what is happening and how we can help our children survive this inevitability, we might learn what happened to your parents all those years ago.’
‘Maybe.’ He met her gaze and stroked her hair back, his eyes starting to fill with bright hope. ‘Although, the important thing is to make certain our children are prepared in every way possible to cope with this future without burdening them with it.’
‘Yes. And we have twenty years to do it. Twenty years together. Ten of them raising our beautiful boy and girl. A Were and a witch. Both of them the hope for the future. I’m more than happy with that, my love. Are you?’
He stared into her eyes for long moments before placing a sweet kiss on her lips. ‘Yes. I am.’
‘Then what do we need to do to make certain this future is ours?’
He cycled back along the thread, too fast to see much more than the sense that despite times of worry and doubt, they had happiness, laughter and love as they explored their relationship and built their little family, surrounded by family, pack and friendships that only strengthened through the years.
Then he came to the moment that would set them along this path. It was as simple as starting their mating in the Goddess’s place under the tree of memories she’d made for them. Then make love again under the moon and the stars on their hill in their timeline.
‘Are you ready, my love?’
‘Always,’ she said.
Chapter 13
He took her up and out of the vision place.
They opened their eyes, and smiled at each other.
The golden and amber leaves chimed a song of joy above their heads as they clasped hands and murmured, ‘I accept you. You are mine.’
Paul bent his head as Ivy reached up for him. Their lips met and light flared, vibrant gold and silver, fracturing into all the colours of the spectrum as it hit the leaves above them and the grass under their feet. The light wrapped around them, lifting them up, then laying them down, not on the grass, but on a soft bed that had suddenly appeared for them.
Ivy pulled back from the kiss to laugh her delight. ‘Magical.’
‘Yes. You are,’ he said, then kissed her again.
As he did, the broken threads of their mating bond uncurled, reaching out for each other, snapping into place one after the other as she wound her arms around his neck, returning his kiss. He pulled her closer, needing to feel her with every part of himself.
She furrowed her fingers into his hair, tightened her hold, then rolled over so she was on top of him, her body sliding along his. ‘You’re mine,’ she growled, biting his lip.
He laughed with delight at her play, pulling back to see the wolf in her eyes. ‘I love you too,’ he said to her wolf and he could have sworn the wolf smiled back at him. Then she was kissing him again, her lips moving from his mouth, across his chin and down his neck, licking and sucking and biting.
It felt so good. It felt so right. Better than anything he’d ever felt before. Their touch, their closeness, mended what he had broken.
One by one, as hands pushed aside clothing and fingers ran over bare skin, the threads of the mating bond fluttered open from where they’d been curled, dead and almost lifeless inside him, inside her. They uncurled and straightened and reached, connecting, getting stronger and stronger with every touch, every kiss, every breath.
He flipped her over onto her back, drinking in her laugh and returned her playful growl. ‘My turn,’ he said. He ran his hand over her breast and a strand clicked into place, strengthening with every moan of encouragement she gave him. He bent down and replaced his hand with his lips, sucking her nipple into his mouth and swirling with his tongue. Her fingers dug into the muscles on his back, fingernails digging in, making him growl against her skin. Heat flooded across her skin and into him and another bond clicked into place.
He gave his attention to her other breast filling himself with her sounds and moans, the way her fingers scrabbled at his back, gripping tight. He didn’t think he’d ever been this turned on, his cock so thick and tight it was almost painful. But he wasn’t done with her yet. He needed to touch and taste all of her, bring her to orgasm with his hands and mouth before he had his fill.
He made his way down her stomach, hands and lips stroking over silky skin, fingers delving into the curls at the juncture of her legs.
‘Paul,’ she gasped. ‘Please.’
He smiled a wicked smile he’d never felt on his lips before, then parting her, licked her long and hard. She was so sweet, so wet, her honey and spice taste coating his tongue, the spicy scent of her musk winding around him, a spell all of its own.
Her fingers scrabbled at his shoulders, moved into his hair, tightening in the curls as he licked and sucked and pushed two fingers deep inside her.
She cried out, a bell-peal in the floral scented air. The leaves above them picked up her cry and returned it to them in a musical peel. Her fingers in his hair, her desperate pants and moans, the way her body writhed under his merciless onslaught, drove him on. He didn’t know how he knew to do this, what she would most like, but he was doing it and it filled him with such power, such strength of purpose, such confidence, that it felt like he was a master of making love to her. It didn’t matter that he was a virgin—his responsibility to pack and his gift always coming between him and anyone he’d ever thought to be romantically interested in—he instinctively knew what would bring her pleasure, what to do, how far to push and he gave it his all.
Her back bowed and she gasped in a deep breath before crying out, her body vibrating and pulsing around his fingers, over and over. More threads of their bond clicked into place.
‘Take me, take me now,’ she said, panting hard as her body stopped vibrating and she fell back to the bed.
He rose over her. ‘Are you certain?’ Like him, she was a virgin too and he didn’t wish to hurt her. He was so thick. So hard.
Her arms wound around him and she flipped him over and onto his back, her eyes full of vibrant passion, love and laughter. ‘I have always been certain. I want you inside me, now. I need you inside me, now. Don’t make me wait, my love.’ And as she lowered herself on him, stretching around to accommodate him, he gripped her hips and pushed up into her slick, wet heat.
Bliss. Heaven. Peace. Happiness.
It surrounded him as she surrounded him. It was in her eyes as she looked into his. Their hands clasped; their breaths mingled. She stiffened as he broke through her barrier, holding still for a moment, but then she relaxed and moved on him. His eyes rolled into his head at the sensation, the friction, his balls tightening so much it was almost excruciating. He thought he was going to lose it, but her hands squeezed his and he forced himself to come back to her, looking into her eyes as she took him and he took her.
Together, they moved, creating a rhythm that was theirs, that echoed and vibrated on the air around them, causing t
he leaves to chime a new tune—their tune. One of happiness and completion.
‘One. One. We are one,’ they seemed to sing.
‘You are mine,’ she whispered as she moved over him, her body sinuous, strong.
‘You are mine,’ he whispered as he pushed into her, his body alive and stronger than it had ever been.
‘Together.’
‘Forever.’
Their pace quickened and sensation rose, magic prickling in the air around them, lifting them off the bed as they drove each other to completion.
Crying out, they shouted their joy to the sky, falling, falling …
To land in the tall thick grass of his hill and complete their mating in their world and take those inexorable steps along the thread of fate they’d chosen.
Ivy was worried when they returned to the pack that their mating would horrify everyone. Paul had not been meant for her, but Fate had other ideas. She also wasn’t certain which timeline everyone else would remember. How had their meddling with time and fate changed the world around them?
She shouldn’t have worried. Nobody remembered what had occurred that day. Nobody remembered her illness. Time had returned to normal and the only ones with any memory of the change Paul had tried to make, were her and her mate.
Although, Iris and Abby looked at her in a way that made her think maybe they had a clue. They said nothing though, other than to give their approval to the mating that had occurred unexpectedly.
They were led to the Dance for the formal acceptance. The stones stood sentinel around them, holding the weight of ancient power—having been brought here by the McVale Coven when they’d first arrived from Europe to claim this beautiful piece of land in the Peninsula near Red Hill, and make it their own. That power hummed around them, stroking over their skin, giving its own blessing to a union that the Fates had decreed, while they waited for the words of blessing and acceptance from their Alpha and their Coven Leader.
David McVale stared at them solemnly and Ivy trembled. Was her Alpha going to deny them a place in the pack as mates? It was unheard of for an Alpha to reject a mating, but she knew he had such plans for Paul and the strength Mariella would have brought to their pack. She wished she could tell him about Skye and River, but she and Paul had discussed it after completing their private mating, before heading back, hand in hand, to their families. They could not tell anyone else what lay ahead because the pack would try to stop it from happening and it couldn’t be stopped. Couldn’t be changed in any significant way. They also couldn’t have their future children feel anything but the love and support of their pack—if the pack were worried about their future, they wouldn’t be able to hide that worry from the children. It would affect everything, and they could not allow that to happen.
Skye and River must remember how much they were loved and feel the strength of connection and support if they were to get through what was ahead.
So, nobody could know how she and Paul would birth the future for their pack. And if David refused to welcome them as mates, then they would just have to live on the outskirts of the pack until the twins were born and they could show everyone the blessing their union brought.
She firmed herself against her Alpha’s rejection, steeling herself for the hurt it would bring.
Then he smiled and held out his hands.
She took a breath for the first time since stepping into the circle and took his hand.
He placed Paul’s hand over hers then encased them in both of his.
‘Paul and Ivy have come to us today, once separate, now one. Bonded as mates, heart and body, soul and mind, they are one. I accept their bonding into Pack McVale. May the strength of their mating strengthen our pack. From now and for all time.’
‘From now and for all time,’ the pack intoned.
‘You are bonded before the Goddess and you are bonded before the pack. Let love fill your life and laughter fill your ears. May your arguments be short and your loving endless.’ A few younger Were tittered at this part of the ceremony as they always did and there were the usual shushings and laughter. Ivy darted a glance to Paul and saw him sharing her smile. All nervousness was gone.
‘May your love be eternal.’
‘And may you find your eternal love,’ the pack intoned, touching brow, lip and heart.
David beamed, lifting their hands. ‘Ivy and Paul. Paul and Ivy. May you always be one.’
‘One!" the pack shouted, their jubilation lifting on the air.
Paul grabbed Ivy up into a fierce hug, then met her seeking lips with his own. The heat of his kiss shot through her, making her tingle and fly up and up and up, but she wasn’t lost, wasn’t alone.
The pack drew them apart and into the celebration that seemed had been waiting for them. She danced with her mate then with her parents—they couldn’t stop beaming at her, telling her that they’d always known she was the one to calm and settle Paul and make him happy. She danced with Stellan and Luke and Jackson. They teased her and she laughed, not even caring when Luke wondered when Poison Ivy had turned into Hot Ivy as Paul whisked her away from his mate, unable to stay away and keep his hands, and lips, off her. Which was fine with her.
She danced with Siobhan and Chloe, then laughed with everyone through Siobhan’s speech, followed by Luke’s as Paul’s best man. Then Iris spoke followed by her parents and Stellan—she had no idea her brother had so many lovely things to say about her.
Then she danced with Paul again, her body plastered against his, moving as one.
The celebration raged around them, but every part of her was focused on one thing—Paul. Her wolf lolled inside her, blissful and content. But she suddenly needed to be alone with her mate.
One glance in his eyes had him nodding and taking her hand. They walked away from the circle and towards the cottage that would temporarily be theirs until a larger one had been built—the Pack Warlock must have the ability to entertain his pack, so a small cottage would not do.
But for now, it was perfect in every way.
Someone must have been in there earlier setting it up for the newly-mated couple. There was champagne chilling in a bucket on the table, and flowers everywhere. They walked upstairs and into the bedroom, which had been turned into the perfect lovers’ bower—the king-sized bed covered with rose petals and plush pillows, gauzy curtains at the windows fluttering in the breeze coming up from the sea and everything done in her favourite colours—those she saw when she looked into Paul’s brilliant blue eyes with their flecks of silver and green.
She reached for him as he reached for her. Their clothing melted away and then they were on the bed, skin sliding against skin, hands touching, desire rising, mouths tasting and teasing. Then she rose up, Paul with her and slid down onto the thick length of him. Breaths mingling, gazes tangled, they moved together, rising up and up until they both shouted their joy and jubilation to the sky, her wolf joining their happiness with a howl of pure joy in their minds.
They were accepted by their pack.
They were together as one.
They had time. They would have children.
They were blessed in so many ways. She looked into his eyes as they came down from the heights, smiling the wicked smile she would only ever smile for him and said, ‘I am looking forward to our future.’
He returned her wicked smile. ‘Me too, my love. Me too.’
Then he kissed her and showed her how much.
Chapter 14
‘I told you she would find a way.’ Arianrhod turned to Morghanna as the ghost of the ancient witch came to stand beside her.
The Goddess nodded at her partner in this war she was fighting against the Darkness. ‘It seems your faith in her was right.’
Morghanna smiled. ‘Blood will out. She has much of Alistair in her. My love was always so strong.’
‘And he has both you and your sister in him. It could have been a recipe for disaster trusting in them to find the way.’
Morghanna look
ed up at Arianrhod. ‘Your worry surprised me, I have to say. I thought this path was one of the things you were certain about.’
Arianrhod turned from the shimmering pool in front of her, swiping her hand across the image of Paul and Ivy and their loving. ‘It was the path I wanted them to choose. The path that needed to be chosen. But it was by no means certain they would choose it.’
‘Then why did you let Paul try to change his fate?’
Arianrhod sighed. ‘Because their choices make them stronger, as your choices made you stronger. I need strong soldiers for the fight ahead.’
‘It’s close now, isn’t it?’ Morghanna asked.
Arianrhod stared into the distance, across the sea she had created to look so much like the one Pack McVale’s lands bounded. The choice to have them move across the ocean to this place so many years ago seemed so clear, but now so much of the path ahead was dark to her. Even so, she knew the end was closing in. She felt it in her bones. ‘It is.’
‘You still cannot see the outcome?’
‘No. It is not something I can see.’ Not something she wanted to see. She was not strong enough to see a future where she possibly didn’t prevail against her old enemy.
It was strange to realise she wasn’t as strong as the Were, witches and warlocks she’d worked with and manipulated down through the centuries, starting with Morghanna and down the generations to these two whose role was so important in what was to come.
This Were and warlock who were so special, they looked their deaths in the face and saw life and hope for the future.
It was remarkable. They were remarkable. ‘Morghanna, I make a vow.’
‘Yes?’ Her friend, her servant, her partner, turned to her, brow raised.
‘I vow as I did for you and your Alistair, to find a way to make certain Ivy and Paul’s souls find a full life of love and commitment with each other in the future. When we win against the Darkness, I will make sure they are awarded this gift for their sacrifice.’
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