Threads of Destiny t-4

by N. J. Walters

  Kathryn, Logan and Tienan were all waiting for him. He marched through the long hall with them at his side. He looked neither to the right nor to the left. And he never looked back.

  He climbed the stairs for the very last time and led them to the room where they’d first appeared. Walking to the window, he stared out over the land for one final time, imprinting the picture on his heart and soul.

  The door closed and he turned to face the group behind him. “I’m going with you.” Kathryn couldn’t believe her ears. “What are you talking about?” Surely he didn’t mean what she thought.

  His eyes narrowed and he stared at her, resolve written on every line of his face. “I am returning to Earth with you when you go.”

  “That’s ridiculous,” she sputtered. “What’s going on there is not your fight. Your life is here. Your family is here.”

  He strode to her, grabbed her shoulders in his big hands and shook her lightly.

  “Not my fight?” The tension from his hands radiated down her torso and legs until it enveloped her.

  He was so much larger than her but she wasn’t the slightest bit afraid of him. “No, it’s not.” There was no way she would let him leave his wonderful home and loving family. What he had here was everything she’d ever wanted. She bit her lip to keep from begging him to go with her. She loved him enough to want the best for him.

  Marc lowered his face until their noses were almost touching, anger glowing in his eyes. “You are my life.” He said each word slowly, spacing them apart. “You are the very air I breathe, the reason my heart beats. I will be by your side.” Her heart pounded so hard she feared it might explode from her chest. His words vibrated in her very soul. Never had anyone said such things to her. She’d wanted this kind of love her entire life, had longed for it, craved it. But now that it was being offered to her, she had to turn away from it.

  “No. I won’t let you do it.”

  He straightened slowly. “You cannot stop me.”

  Tears of anger and worry pricked her eyes and she swiped at them as she turned to the men standing silently behind her. “Talk to him. I’m going to get changed.” Stalking off, she headed to the bathing room, slamming the door behind her.

  Christina had told her earlier that her original clothing was all cleaned and waiting for her. Neither woman was sure if the clothing from Javara would make it through the transfer. Marc had arrived fully clothed but he wasn’t from Earth and she wasn’t about to take any chances.

  Stripping off her pants and boots, she tossed them aside. She yanked the tunic over her head and added it to the pile. Had it only been two days since she’d been plucked from her bedroom and brought here? It seemed impossible, yet it had happened.

  She tugged on her clean underwear and pulled on her pants, tugging up the zipper and doing up the single button. Her socks and shoes were next. She had no blouse, as that had been sacrificed as a bandage for Tienan. Christina had left a waist-length tunic for her to wear. It was better than nothing and hopefully she wouldn’t lose it in the transition back home.

  Even her purse was there, so she dug into the bag and pulled out her brush, then yanked it through her hair. When she was done, she quickly plaited the mass and tied the end off with an elastic from her bag. She tossed the brush back inside and looked around. There was nothing else left for her to do. She was ready.

  She’d taken her tweezers downstairs earlier and given them to Mara, who would make sure her brother, the blacksmith, got them. Kathryn wished she’d be around to see how the man did with copying them and the other medical implements she’d drawn. Everything else she’d brought with her, including the leather journal, was tucked safely in her purse.

  Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes. There was no escaping her destiny, no matter what she wanted.

  Are you certain you know what your destiny is?

  The voice seemed to echo inside her brain, yet it wasn’t hers. “Of course I’m certain? I have to go back.” Great, now she was talking to herself. She had to get a grip.

  Your destiny is not the same as Tienan’s and Logan’s. They have their path to walk and you have yours. Remember, child, the tapestry always knows what it is doing. It takes women who are out of place in their own time and brings them here, where they have the ability to thrive and make a difference.

  The hairs on the back of her neck stood on end and goose bumps raced down her arms. She knew that voice. It was Sarainta, the sorceress. “I don’t understand. It’s logical for me to go back. This is not my time and place. Besides, I owe it to my people to go back and fight my father and the General.” She turned in a circle, searching for the other woman. Her voice seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere in particular.

  Sometimes you must push logic aside. Sometimes you must think with your heart.

  “But logic is all I’ve ever known. It’s how I’ve lived my entire life.” Kathryn rubbed her hands over her arms, trying to drive back the chill that was slowly creeping through her.

  Maybe it is time for your life to change. Maybe it is time for you to face your fears and claim your destiny.

  “What fears? I’m trying to go back and face my father and General Caruthers. I’m trying to face my fears.”

  Are you really? The voice questioned kindly. Or are you running from your biggest fear? The fear that you aren’t really lovable, the fear that no one could truly love you for who you are.

  A lone tear seeped from the corner of her eye to trail down her face. “That’s not fair,” she whispered.

  Life is seldom fair. But there are times when the scales can be balanced. This is one of those times. The choice is ultimately yours. Believe, Kathryn. Believe in yourself. The world you’ve known will get along, or not, without you. It doesn’t need you. But this world…

  A soft wind touched her face, drying her tear and then it was gone and she was left alone, Sarainta’s final words left hanging in the air around her. Her thoughts tumbled over one another in her confusion. She had to go back. Didn’t she? Was the voice right?

  Was she really running, out of fear, from her one chance at love?

  The men all shouted her name at once and she raced back to the bedroom. She barely noticed that Tienan and Logan were dressed in their original clothing. Her attention was riveted on the bed. The tapestry sat on the end of the mattress, the threads glowing as the pattern swirled and changed.

  The time had come.

  Marc stalked to the bed and grabbed the tapestry. “I am going with you if the tapestry will take me.” His voice was low and even.

  She realized then that for him there was no other choice. He believed in love and was willing to do whatever it took for them to be together. He would sacrifice his home, his family and his friends to be with her, even knowing they were walking into certain death at the hands of her father and their government.

  And what was she giving up? A chance to have a home and a family of her own. A place where she was accepted and her skills valued. A chance to spend the rest of her days beside a man who loved her more than life itself.

  And what was she going back to? A world where she didn’t belong. Where people belittled her and berated her. A lonely place with only two friends and no one to truly love her the way she needed them to.

  “No.” She whispered the word and Marc glared at her. She knew he’d misinterpreted what she meant.

  Tienan strode to Marc’s side and pulled the tapestry from his grip. “Logan and I are returning to fight.” He turned to Kathryn. “There are rumors that some of the other alphas escaped termination. If that is so, we can start building an army, a resistance force outside the Gate to fight the government. Maybe band together with the people living there.”

  “Why didn’t you tell me about that?” She was shocked that they’d kept this from her but pleased that some of the other men might have escaped.

  “Because this is not your fight.” His face was impassive as he looked at her. “Your presence would weake
n us, give the General something to exploit.” Kathryn winced. His logic was irrefutable but it hurt nonetheless.

  Logan came to her side and pulled her into his arms. “You are too good for that world of intrigue and ugliness. It is killing you. You belong here.” She wrapped her arms around him, hugging him tightly. “I don’t want you to go.

  Not without me.”

  Logan kissed the top of her head. “We must go for now but perhaps this is not the end, perhaps we shall see each other again.” He released her and she rushed to Tienan’s side.

  She flung herself at Tienan and he hugged her, the tapestry he gripped in his hands was warm against her back. “What about your shoulder?” Tienan chuckled, although it sounded strained. “I am almost healed. Mara checked the wound and changed the bandage for me earlier.”

  “I should have done it,” she whispered.

  “No. You’ve done enough. Sacrificed enough. You have magic,” he whispered in her ear. “You can bring the tapestry back to you and maybe someday we will return to visit you. It is best for all concerned if you remain here.” Tears coursed down her face unchecked as she turned to Marc. He waited patiently for her to make her decision. How could she pull him away from all that he’d known, all he loved and valued, to fight in a war that was not his?

  The answer came to her in a blinding moment of clarity. She could not.

  Her heart swelled in her chest as a love so huge it was almost too much to handle washed through her. She loved Marc with all her being. She loved him enough to leave her world behind, to send her friends back alone and to give up the fight against the forces of evil she’d left behind. She loved him enough to forego logic and to listen to her heart instead of her brain.

  Deep in her soul, she wanted to stay. She was tired of fighting. Her entire life had been one long battle and she was weary of it. She’d done what she could by freeing Tienan and Logan to fight. Her part in that drama was done. The only thing she would do by returning would be to slow down both men in their battle for justice. And Tienan was right. She would be their Achilles heel, a weakness to be exploited by her father and The General.

  It was all so clear now.

  Logan went to stand beside Tienan, his hand on the tapestry so that it was gripped between the two of them. They both had swords strapped to their sides and daggers tucked into their boots. She prayed the weapons would make it back with them so they wouldn’t be totally defenseless.

  She almost snorted at her foolishness. Even without their swords and daggers, they were far from defenseless. Still, she worried for them and not just for their safety but for their mental and emotional wellbeing.

  “I love you both.” They nodded as one, neither of them speaking. But she could see the unspoken words in their eyes.

  She turned to Marc and held out her hand. He took it in his much larger one, wrapping his fingers around hers and holding it securely. It would always be like that.

  Marc would always put himself between her and danger, keeping her safe.

  Now she would do the same for him.

  “I love you more than anything else in the world.” She cupped his jaw with her free hand, loving the rough feel of the stubble against her palm. Marc was so vital, so alive.

  “Are you ready to go home, my love?” He turned his face to kiss her palm as he wrapped his free arm around her waist.

  “I’m already home,” she whispered.

  A brilliant light flashed through the room. Kathryn gasped, turning toward Logan and Tienan, desperate for one final glimpse of them. They both raised their hands in a silent salute.

  Then they were gone.

  Huge sobs erupted from her as she doubled over in pain. They were truly gone.

  Marc pulled her into his arms, almost crushing her in his embrace. She let the tears flow freely then for the first time in her life. She cried for her painful childhood. She cried for the world she’d left behind. But mostly, she cried for the loss of the only two friends she’d ever known in her world.

  “I don’t understand,” he said when her tears finally subsided. He released her, shoving her hair from her face, his actions almost rough. “Why didn’t you go with them?”

  She looked at his beloved face and offered him a smile. “Because you belong here and I belong with you.”

  The door to the bedroom banged against the wall as it was shoved open and Jarek burst inside. He gave a cry of gladness as he rushed toward them, pulling first his brother and then her into his arms. It took her a moment to make out his words. She froze as she realized that Jarek had known of Marc’s intentions to leave with her.

  “Thank you. Thank you. Thank you,” he murmured over and over. All she could do was hug him back, knowing that Marc was by her side and she was standing where she was meant to be.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Marc lay on his side, his elbow bent and his face propped on his palm. Kathryn slept beside him, her lips slightly parted. Every now and then she would emit a slight snore. He smiled at the soft sound.

  The covers were tucked under her arms as she lay on her side facing him, her legs curled slightly. There were dark circles beneath her eyes but they would disappear once she started sleeping and eating on a regular basis. He planned to take very good care of Kathryn, coddling her until he felt she was back to peak health. These past days and weeks before he’d met her had obviously taken their toll.

  He hadn’t slept much last night, had been almost too afraid to shut his eyes, fearing that it all had been a dream. Instead, he’d been content to hold Kathryn in his arms through the dark hours of the night until the dawn.

  The entire castle had been in an uproar last evening. Once they’d realized that Kathryn had stayed, a spontaneous celebration had broken out below in the great hall.

  The people were thrilled that another tapestry bride would live among them. Add to that the fact that Kathryn was a great healer with a touch of magic and they couldn’t contain their joy. Their voices, raised in song and cheer, had rung through the stone castle for several hours.

  But the joy had been tempered by the fact that Logan and Tienan were gone. Jarek and Christina had spent a short time with them before retiring below. Neither Marc nor Kathryn had joined the celebration. He knew that she was hurting at the loss of her friends.

  Instead, he’d stripped her naked and tucked her into bed before removing his own clothing and crawling in beside her. He’d held her as she shed copious tears, each one a knife thrust to his heart.

  Reaching out, he traced a long strand of reddish hair that fell over her creamy white shoulder and onto her collarbone. He ran his finger across the delicate bone, once again marveling at her resilience and strength. To give up all one had ever known for love was an amazing thing and he would spend the rest of his life making sure that she never regretted it. Her love was a gift he would cherish every day of his life.

  “Hey.” Her soft voice drifted over his skin like the lightest of touches.

  He raised his gaze from her collarbone to her face. She blinked and smothered a yawn as she watched him. Her eyes were soft and warm, still filled with sleep. The cover shifted slightly, giving him a glimpse of a firm, white breast. His body tightened as his cock twitched to life. Last night had been about comfort. This morning, he wanted to claim her with his body. He wanted to pleasure her until she cried out her release.

  Taking a calming breath, he slowly released it. There was time for that later. Right now she was awake and would need reassuring. “Good morning.” Sadness descended over her features as she sat up beside him, tugging the furs to cover her nakedness. “It really happened then. They’re gone.” His gut clenched. Did she regret her choice? He didn’t think he could bear it if she did. “Yes. They’re gone.”

  She nodded, her green eyes luminous with unshed tears. She was so pale, her few freckles stood out on her heart-shaped face. Sighing, she rubbed her fingers over the thick fur on the bed. Marc’s skin prickled as if it were his skin she stroked.
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  “Are you sorry I stayed?”

  “Never!” He sat up beside her. “How can you even ask that?” She shrugged and glanced away. Reaching out, he cupped her jaw, tipping her chin upward until she was looking at him again. “Don’t ever be afraid to ask me anything, Kathryn.” He caressed the side of her jaw with his thumb. Her skin was so soft and smooth. “You are my heart and that will never change, no matter how many years we both live.”

  She searched his face. He wasn’t sure what she was seeking but she seemed to find it there. “I love you too.”

  Unable to bear the separation between them, he pulled her into his arms. Burying his face in her neck, he breathed in her essence. Her words seemed to heal a rift in his heart and soul that had been there for more years than he could remember. He was no longer alone. For as long as he lived, Kathryn would be by his side. His woman.

  She flattened her hands on his chest, pushing him away. “Lie back.” He did as she asked, stretching out on the mattress with her seated above him. In the morning light, she resembled a nymph from legend with her long red hair twining around her body and her green eyes alight with pleasure. Her nipples peeked out from between strands of hair and he couldn’t resist stroking them with his thumbs.

  Moaning, she arched back, thrusting her breasts toward him. The motion brought the moist, damp folds of her sex down on his rock-hard cock. Marc rumbled with pleasure. If he shifted her the slightest bit, he could easily slide inside her waiting heat.

  He wanted her to do it.

  “Take me inside you. Claim me as your own,” he urged, tugging gently on her nipples. Other than that, he remained motionless. He wanted her to do it.

  Heat pulsed through Kathryn’s body. It felt strange, yet right to wake up with Marc propped up in bed beside her, watching her. For a second, she’d wondered if it had all been a dream but reality had quickly descended. Tienan and Logan were gone and she might never know what became of them. She could only pray for their safety and hope that they found some peace and happiness in the world they’d chosen.