Destiny Disgraced

by Carrie Ann Ryan

  She did the same, but knew she was no match for these two. Healthy, she might have been able to take them since she was more dominant, but she was far from okay right then.

  When they jumped toward her, growling, she shifted to the side, tears streaming down her face as she tried to ignore the fiery pain radiating through her body. She slashed one of the guys down the side with her claws, but the other, who had fully shifted, bit her leg.

  She screamed, trying to fight them both off, but knew it was useless.

  Once more, she pushed at the bonds within her, begging someone for help. She would go down fighting, but unless someone came for her, she would go down.

  As soon as she touched the bond with Mitchell, she knew.

  He stormed through the door, breaking it off its hinges as he landed on the ground. Max was by his side and jumped on the back of one of the wolves coming at her. Dawn crawled out of the way, but kept her claws out, ready to fight, but as soon as the Brentwoods entered the small cabin, it was over.

  The two wolves who scented of no Pack and hadn’t spoken a single word to her were no match for the Talons. There were sounds of fighting outside that told her she’d missed a few guards when she tried to scent them and couldn’t help but be grateful for whoever had come to help Mitchell.

  She leaned with her back against the wall and tried to take in deep breaths, only she couldn’t. She was fading fast, but couldn’t help but be grateful for all the training she’d had. She hadn’t backed down, hadn’t stopped trying to save herself.

  Only it seemed she was too late.

  Knowing she needed to conserve her energy, she closed her eyes, only to be startled awake as Mitchell held her in his arms on his lap.

  “Dawn? Baby? Don’t close your eyes. I need you to look at me.” Tears filled his eyes, and his wolf was at the surface since he had a gold rim around his irises. “Walker’s right here, but he can’t Heal you. We can patch you up medically, but…” His voice cracked.

  “It won’t be enough,” Walker continued, speaking for the man she loved. “I can only Heal you if you’re a Talon.”

  And she could only be a Talon if the Alpha brought her in…and since he wasn’t near, and she didn’t know how that would work anyway since she’d basically just become a Central and Pack bonds were tricky, there was only one other thing she could do.

  Accept a mating bond with Mitchell.

  Something he hadn’t wanted before this and now would be forced into.

  Goddess…

  How had it come to this? How had all of their agonizing and denials come down to a decision that no one should be forced to make?

  “Baby? I can’t take this choice from you…”

  At Mitchell’s words, it hit her how similar this situation must be for him. He’d been forced to let one mate die because he couldn’t force her shift, not that he’d known whether it would work in the first place.

  She tried to open her mouth to tell him that she loved him, that she wanted to be his mate, only she couldn’t speak.

  Mitchell let out an agonized snarl and took a deep breath. “Baby, please.”

  In answer, she tilted her head to the side and, using the last of her energy, put her hand over his heart, her palm bloody and scorched. Her fingers dug into his chest as she tried to pull him toward her, but she didn’t have the strength.

  “Damn it,” he growled. “I love you too much to let you go. Forgive me,” he whispered. “Forgive me.” Then he brought her closer and bit into her shoulder, his fangs sliding into the flesh of her neck.

  Her wolf raised her head and howled…the bond that brought two souls together cementing in a cascade of sparks and light. Kameron and Max surrounded them, their wolves in their eyes as they howled for her, as well. This was supposed to be a private moment, an intimate matter, but right then, all Dawn could think of was Mitchell.

  There was nothing to forgive, and she prayed he understood.

  She could feel him within her, their souls blending as one before settling into their own skins. At the same time, the bond between her and the Centrals broke, a slingshot of pain before she landed safely within the Talon’s embrace. She could sense Gideon holding onto her for dear life, his massive paw wrapped around the bond that now connected her to his Pack as he kept her steady enough for Walker.

  And through it all, Mitchell held her close, lapping up the wound on her neck as he made her his.

  They’d already connected their human halves, and now their wolves had done the same.

  Walker used his powers to Heal her, though she couldn’t feel him, she could only focus on Mitchell.

  Her mate.

  Her love.

  Her future.

  The man who loved her as much as she loved him.

  The one man who she thought would always be too far away, too broken for her to bare witness.

  And now, he was hers.

  Warmly wrapped in her lover’s embrace, she let the Talons bring her into the fold, knowing this was only the beginning. They still needed to find out who had hurt her, and she had more questions than answers, but for now, she knew she would have the time to ask them.

  For now, she wasn’t just Dawn, a woman in need of saving. She had fought to save herself and had then given in when others offered to help. That was far more than she’d ever done before. She could see now that she would have a purpose, a new life with her new Pack and the man she loved.

  And she’d do everything in her power to ensure that no one in this room or out of it regretted the decisions made.

  She was no longer the daughter of the daughter of the daughter of disgrace.

  She was Dawn. Former Central. New Talon.

  And mated.

  A title she could live with…as long as she could live.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Dawn took a deep breath and looked down at her hands, stretching her fingers and joints, trying to remember exactly how she’d come to be here. She wore Mitchell’s shirt that went halfway down her thighs and covered the worst of her healing burns and cuts. The witch had left her pants alone mostly except for a few tears on her calves, so other than the dirt on her face and the shell-shocked expression, she didn’t look too bad.

  Mitchell turned off the engine once they pulled up near the Central wards before lifting her up into his arms and settling her onto his lap. He was oh so careful not to hurt her, and she couldn’t help but relish the warmth that spread through her at his touch.

  He was her mate.

  She’d known for so long that they had the potential, but she’d never known what it truly meant until she opened herself up to him and he wrapped his soul around hers, a comforting blanket of warmth and protection.

  And while that was true, she knew her soul was doing the same to him. He would always be more dominant than her in terms of their wolves, but they were equal in every other way. They complemented each other like they would with no other person in the world.

  They were mates.

  And at that thought, her heart sped up even as she wiped away a tear. Her heart was so full, yet it hurt for what she’d lost…what she’d almost lost.

  “Are you hurting? We can go right back to the den and see Walker. You should be resting, my mate.” His lips brushed along her skin, and she sank into him.

  “My body’s fine, and my soul touches yours, but my heart?” She wiped away a tear. “Sam.” The tears fell freely at her pack mate’s name. “I can’t believe he’s gone. He was my friend, and he’s gone because of me.”

  He’d never find his mate, never come to know his wolf and the strength he’d hidden for so long. No one would ever know if he would have become a full Omega or learn some new power that would show the world whom he truly was.

  Sam never had an unkind word for anyone, and yet they’d stolen his life from him.

  His future.

  His hope.

  Had he screamed for her? Had he felt any pain?

  He’d been alone…and she
hadn’t been fast enough to save him. She’d been so in her head with her own worries that she hadn’t known he was missing.

  No one had.

  Mitchell’s chest rumbled with a deep growl, and her wolf pressed into her skin, needing to be closer. “It wasn’t your fault. It was that witch and those she worked with.” He growled low, his fangs brushing along her skin along with his breath. “We’ll find them and figure out why they did what they did. I’ll rip the witch limb from limb for daring to touch you. For daring to take Sam.” He growled. “For daring to cross the boundaries.”

  “How…I know Sam wasn’t the same as Heather in terms of what he was to me, but how can you get through so much loss? You’ve lost so much, and I don’t know how you do it.” If she hadn’t been able to feel his soul through hers, she’d never have asked the question, but she knew there would be no secrets between them.

  “You breathe through it and know that it will take time.” He shook his head. “I spent so long pushing away so much of what I could feel because I was afraid to let that hurt happen again. Whatever you need to do in order to grieve your friend, know I’m here for you.”

  They were quiet for a moment before she nuzzled into him. “I know you said Kameron and Walker called my brother to tell him you found me and Sam,” she shuddered, swallowing hard, “but did you say anything else?”

  “Walker is taking care of Sam’s body,” he whispered, and she sucked in a sob. “He’ll make sure Sam is ready to be seen by his family since you don’t have a Healer yet. I didn’t talk to your brother personally, but he had to have felt you leave the Centrals and come to the Talons when we bonded.” He paused and ran a hand through her hair. “He’d have felt when he lost a Pack member, though not to the degree he’d have felt losing Sam. We’ll make sure that he knows we’re all here for him if he needs to figure out how to deal with knowing that bond and honoring that memory.”

  Before she could say anything, though, she caught her family’s scent on the wind, and she sat up, wincing as the movement pulled at her healing wounds. “They know we’re here.”

  Mitchell kissed her temple. “Of course, they do. They’ve known since we first drove up. Their sentries are getting better with their training.”

  Another reminder of how she’d met Mitchell and how far her Pack had come in such a short time.

  They stepped out of the vehicle, and her parents held out their arms. She ran into their embrace, tears falling freely again, along with theirs, even though they were careful not to squeeze too hard. Though she wasn’t part of their Pack anymore and she could no longer feel even the slightest bonds, they would always be her parents. She just hoped they’d understand why she was leaving so soon after their formation.

  “Mona. Rand.” Mitchell’s voice brought her out of her thoughts, and she looked up to see him standing by her brother. “I’m sorry I wasn’t fast enough to get her out without harm.”

  “Mitchell,” Dawn put it in. “You just finished telling me that it wasn’t my fault, so you can’t go on and blame yourself for the same thing.”

  He narrowed his eyes at her. “It wasn’t your fault, but you are my mate. I should protect you.”

  She gave the healing gash on his arm a pointed look. “You could also say the same for me.”

  Her father let out a soft chuckle. “I see you two are well matched.” Her dad hugged her close before letting her go and walking over to Mitchell with his hand out. “Welcome to the family, son.”

  Mitchell’s eyes widened fractionally, but she wasn’t sure anyone else caught it as he gripped her father’s hand and shook it. “

  “You’ll always be a Central, sis,” Cole said with a sad smile. “I know you’re a Talon now, but we’re yours, too. Bond or no bond.”

  Dawn’s heart once again warmed. “I know…I know I haven’t always acted like it.”

  “Honey, that’s not true,” her mother put in. “You put our people first every day of your life. You worked in a place you didn’t love and one that hurt your wolf because you couldn’t be with children or help others because you knew our Pack needed to be close and grow. You did all of that because you love us.”

  Dawn shook her head. “You say that, yet once the bonds came, I never truly fit in, did I? I felt so childish in that I felt as if the moon goddess owed me something.” She closed her eyes, a small smile playing on her face despite the seriousness of the conversation around her. “It seemed she knew my purpose had another path other than to be part of the Centrals.”

  Mitchell held out his arm, and she sank into him. “You’re the Beta’s mate, and I believe you will one day be lead maternal dominant if Gwen has anything to say about it. You always had a purpose, even if it was a little cloudy for a while.”

  Cole came forward and brushed his lips along her forehead. “You will always be family. Always be my baby sister.” He grinned. “And before I force you to sit down inside the house so you can rest and talk some more, there are three other people who have been chomping at the bit to see you.”

  Dawn froze then turned as Cheyenne, Dhani, and Aimee came running toward her, mixtures of worry, relief, and tenderness on their faces.

  Soon, she found herself in the arms of her three best friends, whom she’d forced into this wolf life of hers, and yet she knew there was a reason for that. What, she didn’t know, but she had a feeling there would be more to come with her friends and this new world of theirs.

  Mitchell stood at her back, her friends surrounding her, and her family with her as well, and she knew she wasn’t alone. Even through the pain and loss of the past few hours, she had her hope, her future.

  Her path.

  Finally.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Mitchell paced Gideon’s living room, his wolf growling at him, when a soft yet strong hand reached out and grasped his wrist.

  “Sit down, you’re making me dizzy.”

  As it was his mate who ordered him to do so, he did it without question. He ignored the knowing looks on his family’s faces and sat down on the couch next to Dawn before picking her up and gently placing her on his lap.

  “I didn’t mean that I needed to sit here,” she said softly, blushing.

  He kissed the mating mark he’d placed on her shoulder three days prior and let out a soft growl. “Here is just fine.”

  Walker chuckled under his breath from the other side of the couch, but Mitchell once again ignored him. He was still riding the mating dance, and the high that came from creating that bond. He still couldn’t believe that he and his wolf had taken this long to get their act together.

  He would always miss Heather and, yes, she’d have a part of his soul until his dying breath, but she was also part of his past—something Dawn understood. It was why she’d stood back for so long while he was a freaking idiot, trying to heal something that wasn’t his to heal.

  “Mitchell?” his mate whispered. She leaned toward him so only he could hear her in a room full of shifters with superior hearing. “Everything okay?”

  He rested his forehead on hers as he forced himself to calm down. Even his wolf paced beneath his skin as it reached out to be near Dawn. He’d almost lost her, not only to the witch and wolves who dared to take her from him, but he almost lost her and this bond because of his fear.

  Never again, he reminded himself. Never again would he allow himself to be driven by fear alone.

  “I’m good.” He kissed her temple, then cleared his throat as his family stared at him. “Okay, I’d be better if we knew who the fuck thinks they can mess with this Pack again.”

  Kameron issued a growl from the back of his throat. “The wolves that were at that cabin scented of nothing.”

  “That doesn’t make any sense,” Ryder added. “Lone wolves don’t group themselves, they don’t form a Pack. Hence the lone part.”

  “These particular ones didn’t seem too organized,” Walker put in. “Yes, the overall attacks, if pieced together, were organized, but each indiv
idual one? Not so much. Someone is controlling these wolves.”

  Dawn shivered in Mitchell’s hold, and he held her closer. “There’s also the witch. Whoever is trying to get at the Centrals or the Talons or both has a very powerful witch on their side.”

  Leah, Ryder’s mate and a water witch herself, sighed. “And if she’s as powerful as I felt when I walked the land she scorched, she’s much older than a mere mortal.” She met the others’ gazes before continuing. “My lifespan increases to match Ryder’s, the same as any witch in a shifter Pack.”

  Mitchell cursed. “Meaning the witch is mated to a wolf to grow in power?”

  “That or she was born with the power, but I’m not so sure of that,” Leah added.

  The others in the room began to add their theories, and Mitchell paid attention but he couldn’t help thinking of the way the wolves targeted Dawn so completely.

  “Whoever came at us wanted to take out Dawn,” Mitchell put in, and the others quieted. “That wolf in the alley kept bypassing me and her human friends to go at her specifically. And she was the one taken by the witch and those wolves.”

  His arms tightened around her, and he forced himself to loosen his grip.

  “Those others came for you, though,” Gideon said, his hand over Brie’s as he frowned.

  Dawn cleared her throat and ducked her head when everyone looked over at her. She wasn’t used to being the center of attention, and now that she was a Talon, he knew she had a lot to get used to. He’d help her any way he could, and he already know that Gwen and Brie had decided to take her under their wings.

  She’d always have her connection to her family and be an honorary Central member, but now she had more of a Pack to help her wolf. And that meant that no matter what, Mitchell would make sure her former Pack was also taken care of. He never wanted her to regret leaving the Centrals.

  “I think that whoever came at us—and I mean us—did so because of something greater.” She let out a breath, and Mitchell rubbed the small of her back, letting her know he was there. “They took Sam as practice I think. I don’t think they had him for long so I think whatever they did to him had to be fast.” Her voice cracked, and he wanted to growl for her. “At least…I hope it was fast.” She trailed off and he held her closer.