Prophecy Fulfilled: Prime Prophecy Series Book 3

by Tamar Sloan

  All of a sudden, her face lights up. “Wait here.”

  Eden spins around, her mahogany hair furling out like a sail as she heads back inside. My Were hearing picks up her next words.

  “Willow, did you say that your step-dad is a second-hand car dealer?”

  Chapter Twenty

  The drive home starts off silently. I think we’re both conscious that Avery is sitting in the backseat after he insisted on it, and I sure as heck don’t know what to say in this type of situation. So much has happened, but the dad who Eden has never met is in the car with us. There’s so much to say, and no idea where to start.

  But the awesome thing is that Eden and I don’t need words. She tucks in close and curls around me as we settle for the drive, our connection doing all the talking. The love we’ve been carrying, held tight for when we’re back together now flows freely, giving and receiving and recharging. This must be the plus side of being separated—the backlog of emotion that you get to revel in. Although it’s not too long before I’m wishing we’re anywhere but on a highway heading home to one mother of a talk. Looking and holding hands has never been enough when it comes to Eden.

  Soon though, a sound fills the cab. Avery’s rattly breathing rasps across the small space and we both turn back to look at him, only to find him asleep. Pale skin almost translucent as his head lolls to the side, the King of the Fae is looking less and less regal every day.

  “He’s pretty sick, isn’t he?” Eden keeps her voice low as she turns back to me.

  I sigh. “He hasn’t said as much, but yeah, it looks like it.”

  “How did you find him?”

  I rub my thumb over her palm as I watch the road. “Well, I was following Kurt, who it seems was following Avery.”

  Eden leans back into the seat a little. “That’s how Daniel and Dana knew.”

  My eyes pop open. “Daniel and Dana?”

  Eden smiles. “Who wants to start first?”

  We spend the next forty minutes catching up on our little excursions. I’m not sure who has more to digest.

  Kurt knows of the Fae.

  The Glade is for sale.

  Changelings are dotted around the country.

  Eden turned Seth back to Were.

  Avery has been following her all her life.

  Eden is pregnant.

  That final bombshell which still needs to be processed detonates just as we turn onto the drive. I slow as I approach the house. Avery has stayed asleep the whole trip home, only confirming how much everything is taking its toll on him. My family is inside waiting for us seeing as Eden texted Tara to let us know we’re on our way.

  But I want just a few minutes alone with my girl before the decisions we’re going to face come at us.

  As I stop the car in the driveway I turn to Eden. Nothing has changed and yet everything is moving, shifting, going who knows where.

  Her eyes shine as that sweet smile of hers tips up. “Grandfather Douglas?”

  I grin. Man, I love this girl.

  We slip out of the truck, not bothering to shut the doors so we don’t wake Avery. Sneaking out like two teens who don’t have a Prophecy hanging over their heads, we head straight to the ancient pine that has born witness to so many of our moments.

  Grandfather Douglas’ branches wrap us up in shade as we find each other again. This time the kiss isn’t about hello, it’s about ‘no matter what, we’re in this together.’ Pretty soon it’s about ‘we’ve been apart too long and man, this passion burns hot!’.

  Mouths roam as hands seek, hearts reconnect as souls meld. The passion that we’ve barely had time to lose ourselves in explodes. Eden’s hands are in my hair as my own skim down her back. I pull her in close, knowing how high this can go and getting ready to leap. But as all of her molds to all of me like two perfect halves, I feel the difference. My body and mind have memorized every inch of this girl, and they notice that there’s something new. Eden’s belly pushes gently into mine in a way it never has.

  My heart soars as something even stronger than passion propels it. Eden is carrying my child.

  I pull back and rest my forehead on hers. Our breathing matches the other, a little fast, a lot excited.

  “Do you think it’s a boy or a girl?”

  Eden’s eyes widen. “I don’t know. I haven’t let myself think about this, not until we’ve spoken. We never planned this, Noah.” She glances down at her stomach, like it’s hitting her for the first time too.

  I arch a brow. “Story of our life, huh?”

  Despite the curveballs that the Prophecy has thrown at us, Eden smiles. “It sure is.”

  “Well, we’ve spoken. Boy or a girl?”

  Eden’s hands come up to the gentle swell as she looks down. “Maybe a boy, blond and determined like his father?”

  My hands cover hers. “Or a girl, green eyed and brave like her mother.”

  Eden twines her fingers through mine. “A child who will be loved and surrounded by family.”

  This kiss is gentle, two sets of lips full of promise. We pull back and simply hold each other, our excitement and wonder shifting beneath the canopy.

  I know we’re not supposed to feel like this. We’re eighteen, for Pete’s sake. We have years of college ahead of us and life’s countless secrets and responsibilities.

  But those numbers don’t matter. Nothing like that has from the beginning.

  From the moment we met in the hall and she ran. To the moment when she was almost attacked and I finally changed. To discovering she’s the Changeling daughter of the King of the Fae. To discovering the Prophecy and the greed that wants it all. To our Bonding and now our child.

  Our paths have been destined by a Prophecy that we keep thinking we understand, only to find out we really don’t.

  And as scary as that is, it’s given me something that I never want to lose.

  It’s given me Eden.

  She pulls back a little, placing a butterfly kiss on my chin. “Shall we go in?”

  “I suppose so.” I agree as I release her. There’s a lot that needs to be discussed. “We have to introduce your dad to my dad.”

  Eden blinks. “This is going to be interesting.”

  We head back to the truck to find Avery awake and waiting. He’s standing by the car, that serene Fae expression pasted on his face.

  “That sleep looks like it did you well.” Eden voices what I notice. Avery looks like he has more color to his face, maybe even standing a little straighter.

  “Being here is healing.”

  Flashes of little Hazel fly through my mind. My theory that Fae need nature to be well is gaining more traction. “Good thing, because you’re about to meet my family.”

  Avery nods, that serene look staying put. “I look forward to it.”

  Eden opens her mouth like she’s going to say more, and I pause. She’s barely spoken to her father, which I get. Where do you start? How will it end? But instead she turns and heads to the house. I glance at Avery before I follow. His serene face looks like it just got punched by the hand of regret.

  The moment we open the door and step in, Typhoon Tara engulfs us. Although my hug is hard but short, there’s enough time for me to register how much her belly has grown. It makes me realize that Eden will probably follow the same trajectory seeing as our child carries Were blood. My next thought surprises me as I realize how fast her body has changed in just a few days. Holy heck—or will it be quicker?

  Tara moves onto Eden, squealing somewhere in the eardrum-bursting range. She pulls Eden in, jumping up and down, her bouncing belly looking just as jolly as her. But it all stops in a second as she gasps and pulls back, looking at Eden in shock. “Holy shit.”

  “Tara!” My mother’s horrified voice is sucked in on her own gasp. She just realized why Tara probably used her first curse word ever.

  Mom’s hand flies to her mouth as her eyes well up. “You’re…?”

  Eden nods, smiling although I can feel her uncert
ainty. She’s about to find out how many times my mother hinted to me at how ready she is to raise a house full of Weres again.

  It’s Mom’s turn to squeal as she pulls Eden in for a hug, then pulls back, then brings her back in. “I’m going to be a double grandmother!”

  Mitch’s gaze grabs mine and I let him absorb how I feel about this. I remember his pride when we discovered Tara was pregnant. I’m pretty sure that same expression is now permanently stamped on my face. Mitch nods just once. Gotta love the twin bond.

  Dad looks like he’s going to burst a chest balloon or something. In that moment, I realize that Avery probably didn’t know either. I turn to the man beside me to find his serene expression wiped off his face.

  “My daughter is with child?”

  My child. “Yes.”

  I could be wrong, but I’d swear that Avery’s eyes fill with moisture. He swallows, those Fae eyes of his on no one other than his daughter. “This is a good thing, Noah.”

  I nod at the understatement. “It sure is.”

  As I watch the moving mass of love surrounding Eden, one that includes a German Shepherd and a Labrador bouncing like basketballs, I realize why she went away. We just saw what she would have known—you can’t hide a pregnancy from Weres. But she also knew this changes everything, and with my impromptu solo trip, she decided to take this game-changer out of the equation. She knew I would have come rushing back.

  My brave, self-sacrificing mate.

  Mom seems to be having trouble letting Eden go. She keeps drawing her in for another tearful hug. I incline my head toward Avery. “She’s well loved.”

  He glances at me, and yep, his eyes are definitely moist. “I can see that.” He looks back as Tara turns to stand beside Eden, comparing the size of their bellies. “It warms my heart.”

  I nod again, no longer feeling the resentment I did at Avery leaving Eden. I’m not sure if it’s because he’s sick or because Eden now lives with more love than she knows what to do with. Maybe it’s because Avery thought he was doing the right thing, and I’m starting to understand how easy that is to assume.

  Mom smiles when she sees Avery standing beside me. “I see you’ve brought a—” Her mouth sags open, now too slack to form words. She looks from Avery to Eden and then back again, taking in the similarities. “Well then.”

  Dad is much quicker to recover. He steps forward, hand outstretched. “Welcome. My name is Adam Phelan. Any, ah, friend of Eden’s is welcome here.”

  Avery smiles that Fae smile of his as he returns the handshake. “It is a pleasure and a privilege to meet the Phelan Alpha.”

  Dad’s brows shoot up, but he takes it well. It’s plausible that Eden has told Avery of the existence of Weres.

  “I am Avery, King of the Fae. I thank you for your care of my daughter.”

  Dad’s brows power back down. His frowning face seeks mine and I freeze. I’ve kept a secret from my father, from most of my pack. I wish I could tell him how much I wanted to share this revelation with him.

  Dad’s hand comes up to stroke his bottom lip. “It seems you’ve had to make some decisions as the Prime Alpha.”

  I arch a you-have-no-idea brow. “A guy told me once that a leader has to make some tough choices.” I shrug a little. “I decided to listen seeing as he’s my role model.”

  Dad grunts as he fights a smile. “You get your smarts from your mother’s side.”

  I grin. “And my good looks.”

  Dad rolls his eyes before turning back to Avery. His face turns serious again. “I’m thinking we need to talk.”

  Avery nods. “I agree. Your son has made me realize the importance of your kind and mine working together.”

  Eden comes back to my side, the pride in her smile making my heart swell. At least she’s almost as impressed with me as I am with her. I grasp her hand and I can’t help myself, I drop a quick kiss on her lips.

  I turn to the people around us. “I think we all need to do a little planning.”

  Mom claps her hands. “And I just baked some chocolate chip biscuits too.”

  We all look away except for Avery. “Sounds wonderful.”

  Poor dude. Oh well, partaking of my mother’s cooking is kind of a rite of passage for anyone entering this house. “Let’s move to the dining room.”

  We all move through and take a seat. I look around, liking how the space is filling and the number of people growing. Our pack is expanding in ways I could never have imagined.

  Dad leans forward, his arms crossed on the table. “Although there’s a lot going on right now, I think the Glade being sold is first in the order of proceedings.”

  Tara frowns. “The Prime Prophecy won’t be anything if the Glade is lost.”

  Eden shifts forward in her seat. “Maybe fighting for the Glade is what the Prime Prophecy is all about.”

  I’m there beside her in a second, excited that we’ve barely spoken about this and yet we’re on the same page. “Exactly. Maybe Were and Fae working together is what United We Conquer really means.”

  Dad is rubbing his lower lip again. “This is about more than just Weres.”

  Eden and I glance at each other before looking back at our families. “Yes,” we say in unison.

  Everyone digests this. Avery is the one who looks least surprised, but then again, he knew Weres existed. We never knew that Fae were around, let alone what their existence could mean.

  Mitch nods like he’s reached a conclusion. “So we need to win the Glade at auction.”

  Eden frowns. “Alexis knows that she has competition.”

  “The Fae will provide their support, financial and in any other way we can.”

  Eden looks at her father, startled. “Thank you.”

  Avery holds her gaze as he nods. It might be just me, but I think he’s telling his daughter she has any support she needs.

  Eden swallows and looks away. Tara looks at me, brow furrowed just enough to tell me she noticed it too. I try to send her ‘patience, grasshopper’ vibes. Eden will get there.

  Mitch looks at us both. “How much have you raised?”

  I look at Eden. Whilst I brought the Fae contingent to the table, this is what she’s been busy with the past few days.

  “Well, with the sale of the truck, we’re at over seven hundred thousand dollars.”

  Mitch lets out a low whistle as Tara lets out a whoop and punches the air. “We’re gonna own this thing.” She grins at us all. “Quite literally.”

  I squeeze Eden’s hand. “That’s the plan.”

  Dad nods. “Okay. So with Were and Fae working together, we’ll conquer the threat to the Glade.”

  Avery copies the action. “United in a way we have never been, we will create a strength we have never known.”

  I feel the hope pouring from Eden and realize that the feeling is even bigger than the two of us. It fills the room and lights up every face around us. For the first time since the final Precept arrived, I feel like we’re getting a handle on what we need to do.

  And that we’re going to be able to achieve it.

  Dad’s phone rings and he glances at the screen, frowning. He’s probably on call and not happy that our talk has to be cut short. He stands so he can take it in the lounge, turning to Avery in the doorway. “I’d love to sit down and learn more about the Fae.”

  Avery nods and smiles. “That’s why I’m here.”

  Dad disappears into the next room and Avery’s smile fades. His face tenses as a round of coughs shakes his body.

  Eden stands. “First thing in the morning, I think.”

  Mom is up with her. “Good thing we always have the guest room set up. You just never know when a friendly face is going to stop by.”

  Avery puts his hands up in objection. “No need, I have family in the area.”

  Oh yes, Orin. What is Mister Statue going to say about all of this? Is he even back?

  But Mom is already bustling. “No problem at all. This way we can finish our plans in
the morning. We have money to raise and supernatural beings to unite.”

  Mom disappears down the hall as Avery watches her, eyebrows raised. It seems Avery just learned not even a king can win against the force that is my mother.

  Avery looks at Eden, obviously checking how the one person who has yet to welcome him feels about this.

  Eden’s hand tenses in mine and I wonder if I should offer to drive Avery to Orin’s. I don’t get a chance because Eden moves away from the table.

  “I’ll give Beth a hand.”

  My eye catches Tara’s, telling her I-told-you-so across the table. She sits back, her hand rubbing her belly, satisfaction spreading across her face. I almost sag with relief. Tara-the-Meddler has been appeased.

  Before Eden can leave, Dad is back, and he has his serious face on as he looks at us. “That was Joe from the land titles office. I asked him to keep me up to date about the land sale.”

  There’s no way a phone call from Joe at this time of the afternoon can be a good thing. “And?”

  “They’re moving the auction forward.”

  Mitch’s chair scrapes back as he shoots up. “What? They can’t do that.”

  “From the sounds of things, it wasn’t done above board. He wanted me to know but has sworn me to secrecy.”

  Eden gasps. “Alexis knows she has competition.”

  My mouth thins. She’s also worked in this industry long enough to know who she can persuade with her bucket of money.

  Eden is very still beside me as I ask the question I don’t really want to ask. “How long have we got?”

  Dad’s hand looks like it’s about to crush his phone. “The auction is in three days time.”

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Three days wasn’t long enough to contact as many Weres and Fae as we’d like. Our pot of money has grown, but that sense of confidence that we’ve got this evaporated the moment Dad told us of our new deadline.

  We’ve all worked hard, everyone’s phone dialing overtime. There isn’t a Were pack who hasn’t heard of what’s happening, that hasn’t been willing to help.