Eternal Mourning

by Carrie Ann Ryan

  Her mate kissed the top of her head, and she let out a breath, knowing that she belonged.

  Finally.

  KAMERON

  It wasn’t supposed to happen to him. That much Kameron knew. Of all his siblings, he was the one who hated change the most. While the others leaned into their histories as fate unfolded, he’d been the cold one, the steadfast one who was forced to search in all directions for what could happen if their destinies altered the very fabric and safety of their lives.

  His brother, Walker, had been so focused on how to fix what was wrong with the mating bonds that he hadn’t thought of what would happen when suddenly, a wolf could feel what could be his after being numb to it for so long.

  As the others around him went over how Aimee could have possibly heard the little girl from so far away and went into detail talking about her abilities, Kameron only had eyes for one woman as she made her way toward them.

  Dhanielle, Dhani for short, pushed past grown wolves who were far taller and stronger than she was, with Cheyenne right on her tail as they made their way to Aimee.

  “Next time you decide to play hero and run away from us, don’t leave us with a bunch of wolves who won’t let us go anywhere,” Dhani snapped before hugging her friend close. There were tears in her eyes even as there was anger and worry in her tone. He’d never known such a difficult woman, and he wasn’t sure he wanted to get to know her more.

  Of course, if his wolf had anything to say about it, he wouldn’t have a choice.

  Gideon came up to him then and whispered in his ear. “One of the scouts just got back. We need to talk about Blade.”

  Kameron nodded, his attention still on Dhani, though he didn’t want it to be. What he needed to focus on was the Alpha of the Aspens. He needed to know why the wolf had a stick up his ass when it came to the Talons and why he was gunning for Parker and the rest of them so hard. He didn’t think it was a coincidence that so many attacks had come in the past year even if they seemed unconnected. He didn’t believe in coincidences. It was his duty to protect the Pack from outside forces, and he would stop at nothing to make that happen—even if that meant focusing only on what came at them rather than who could be in front of him.

  He pulled his gaze from Dhani as she turned to him and faced Gideon instead. He needed to protect his Alpha, his people, his den. He didn’t have time to look at a woman who could change everything.

  Because Walker had been right. Brandon had been right. What they’d seen on the field as Adam and Ben found each other and realized they were mates had been an omen.

  The mating bonds were coming back in full force.

  And Kameron’s wolf knew who could be his.

  But he had no idea what the hell he was going to do about it.

  DHANI

  A woman stood in front of her, her long, white gown billowing in the breeze. Dhani didn’t recognize her, but there was something just familiar enough that it intrigued her. She didn’t know where she was either. It seemed as if she stood in the middle of a dark cavern with no other lights except the ones that illuminated the woman in front of her, but she had no idea how she’d gotten there or why she was there at all.

  The woman stared at her, her eyes a pale gray that seemed to shine without any light making them do so.

  “Your time is almost here,” the woman said, her voice taking on an airy quality that made her sound as if she were all around Dhani instead of just in front of her.

  “What are you talking about?”

  “You will have to be strong, Dhanielle. Stronger than you know. But the dreams do not lie. The time has come. When the last star falls, and the connection burns, you will find your place among them, and all that has been forgotten will be revealed.”

  And with that, the woman threw her head back and screamed, smoke and white flames enveloping her as she faded away, leaving Dhani standing alone, shaking.

  “What…what was that?”

  And before anyone—anything—could answer her, Dhani woke up in her bed, drenched with sweat yet shaking with cold. Her sheets were a tangled mess around her legs, and her hands shook as she swiped at her wet hair that clung to her face.

  Had it all been a dream?

  It hadn’t felt like a dream at the time, and even as she sat in her bed, her heart racing as if she’d run a mile at full sprint, she wasn’t sure she could quite believe it hadn’t been real.

  “It was just a nightmare,” she whispered to herself, her voice sounding loud in the quiet room void of all other sounds. “Just a dream.”

  But even as she tried to settle back to sleep, she worried that it had been something more. Something dangerous. Her body fell into rest as the last worries slid through her mind, making her wonder what could be coming, and perhaps, what was already here.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Walker had no idea why he was nervous, but then again, he’d never cooked a full meal with his mate so they could have their date inside their house and act like a normal couple instead of mythically connected shifters who seemed to be surrounded by constant change and threats.

  Aimee was back in the bedroom—their bedroom—finishing her makeup since they’d wanted to do a full date and not just a random dinner in sweats. Though come to think of it, he enjoyed their meals in sweats followed by cuddling on the couch, but they hadn’t had much of that lately, and honestly, had moved so fast into mating that they were going backwards in terms of this dance of theirs. For two shifters who had grown up knowing how mating worked and how the bond would cement their relationship, that wasn’t a bad thing. For a human, however, especially one who had been thrust into the paranormal world without her knowledge even before she knew about Dawn’s true identity, mating bonds and their lack of true dating and time was an actual issue.

  Or at least, he thought it was.

  Aimee hadn’t complained, but he also wanted to make sure she experienced the human part of what they were, as well—not just the magical pieces. She hadn’t asked for any of this but hadn’t backed down when their worlds changed.

  So, he’d do what he could to make sure she had everything she wanted. Or at least, he’d be sure to give her everything that was within his power.

  And that included him making her dinner before they watched a movie while sitting on his couch. It wasn’t as if they could go out into the real world at this point and date like normal people. First, they were anything but normal, even if he tried to pretend that they were for a few moments. Secondly, they had to hide Aimee’s connection to the Pack as long as they could so others wouldn’t find how that she’d not only been changed, but into something different than a wolf.

  So a night in at home where they didn’t talk about Pack issues or what the Aspen Pack might be planning would have to suffice as a date where they could actually get to know one another better.

  Aimee’s scent drifted toward him before she entered the room. His wolf perked up as if he’d been taking a nap and was suddenly eager to see who held the delicious scent. When Walker turned to her, she smiled at him, her eyes hesitant, but only for a moment. Then she moved toward him, and he held out an arm.

  When she settled against his side, his wolf pressed into him, wanting more contact. And as much as Walker wanted nothing more than to strip his mate down and have his way with her, he knew she needed time to adjust to this new part of her. She’d almost died in his arms, and him fucking her hard against the counter like he wanted to didn’t reflect the calm and cool Walker he tried so hard to be.

  “So, what are we making again?” She peered around him and looked at the wok on the stove.

  He let out a curse, then turned back to the meal, using the wooden spoon to scrape the veggies and chicken off the bottom of the pan before they burned.

  “Stir-fry. Not good stir-fry, mind you. You’d think after all these years on this planet I’d find a way to be a better cook, but sadly, I’m a failure.”

  Aimee’s eyes danced, and she took the other spoo
n to fluff the rice he’d already cooked but had on a warmer. “I’ll help you learn if you want.”

  He froze for a moment, then leaned down to kiss the back of her neck. “Oh, yeah? I think I like that.” What he really liked was the fact that she was talking about something long-term in their future. They’d gone about their relationship in an unusual way, but they were finding their path.

  Together, they finished dinner, then took their plates to the table where they sat side by side next to candles and talked about nothing and everything. There was no talk of wars, curses, or battles taking place when it was just the two of them. He knew things would be different soon, and in the morning they’d have to go back to the real world, but for this night, they could pretend and just…be.

  “So, you’re really a reincarnated wolf, just like your brothers?” Aimee asked, her nose scrunched. “I mean…how on earth did you find that out, and what does it even mean?”

  He snorted, shaking his head before taking a sip of his drink. “Brandon figured it out when he was in the middle of his mating heat with Parker and Avery. Apparently, while Parker is a descendent of the first hunter, the three of us, Brandon, Kameron and I, are the reincarnated souls of the first three the hunter made into wolves.”

  Aimee’s eyes grew round, and Walker couldn’t help but laugh.

  “I know, I know. It sounds crazy.”

  “I was cursed by a witch we haven’t been able to find and am now a shifter mated to another shifter who isn’t going to be the same animal as I am. I think we passed crazy long ago.”

  “True enough. So, as for what all this means, the best we can figure out, is that it connects us to our wolves more. It helped Brandon, like I said before, when it came to the wards, which were failing after years of neglect, but the idea that my soul was already on this earth once hasn’t really affected me much. I don’t know about Kameron, though.” And knowing how tight-lipped his brother was about anything personal, he wasn’t sure his triplet even cared.

  “That’s…okay, that’s something to get used to.” Aimee said after a moment. They’d cleared their plates and were now sitting on the couch in the living room, pressed tightly into one another and just…talking. He liked it and hated the fact that they didn’t have a lot of time for nights like this anymore. “What did you mean about neglect before?” she asked, her voice low as if she knew it was a difficult subject.

  And hell, it was, but she needed to know everything. It was a large part of their Pack’s history, and she needed to know everything.

  “The Alpha before Gideon was our father. He…well, let’s just say he was a sadistic bastard who made Blade look like a puppy.” When she slid her hand into his, he was able to continue. Their mating bond pulsed, and he could breathe. “He became insular and refused to let the Talons help any other Pack or even become their allies. We didn’t connect with the Redwoods until much later.” He paused. “Until it was almost too late for them, actually.”

  That had been a long war for the Redwoods, one they all remembered vividly even though it had been over thirty years. He’d tell her that story soon so she could know it all.

  “The moon goddess even turned away from us. My father…well, he not only beat us down physically and emotionally, he destroyed anyone that went against him and thought they could try to save our Pack.” He swallowed hard. “He killed our mother, his mate. Or had her killed. I don’t really know. Only Gideon does, and he refuses to tell us. Frankly, I don’t think any of us have actually asked.”

  “Oh, Walker.” She climbed into his lap, and he held her close. “I’m so sorry.”

  He kissed the top of her head, his wolf settling down to rest at her touch. “My uncles, the former hierarchy, were just as bad. The one uncle we thought was on our side ended up being the worst.” It had been Leo who revealed them to the humans when they thought all was lost. He’d had so many killed for his own greed, yet there was nothing they could do. The wolf was long dead, dust in the wind.

  “When Gideon was able to fight back, somehow, we all found the strength to help. The old guard was gone, our family broken, yet the new generation rose up and tried to make our Pack better. It’s taken years, but we’re finally at a place where we are strong.”

  He was trying to say they could protect her.

  “I’m only sad that he’s gone so I can’t kill him for you,” Aimee growled then froze, her eyes going wide. “Whoa.”

  He kissed the tip of her nose, aware that her cat was now out to play, even though she was still learning control. “Your cat is bloodthirsty. I like it.”

  “It’s weird.”

  He kissed her again and held her close. “We’re pretty weird ourselves, so that works.” When he let out a sigh, she snuggled in close. “That’s not the best conversation to have for date night, is it?”

  “We’re learning more about each other,” she whispered. “It seems like the perfect conversation.”

  And as they continued, he settled onto the couch, relaxing for the first time in ages. He had his mate, his future, the one woman he was connected to in all the world.

  He was falling in love with her, or really, had already done so, but he’d wait to tell her until they were both ready. It was all just a little too much, too soon, but when the time came, he’d tell her his soul, his heart. And hope she felt the same. In the end, if anyone tried to destroy what they had, he’d end them.

  Healer or no.

  ULTIMATUM

  Plans should be kept and then made better as things got in the way. Blade was sure there were other sayings out there that probably made sense, but he didn’t care right then. He was pissed and had to deal with Pack bullshit before he went about fixing everything that hadn’t turned out the way it should have.

  His wolves needed time with their Alpha, and he was nothing if not a benevolent leader. But they were now starting to worry that they hadn’t seen their Beta in a while. Not that Blade actually gave a flying fuck since it was his Beta’s fault that they were in some of this position to begin with.

  Audrey had betrayed them, and that would not be tolerated.

  And if the others in the Pack didn’t start backing down from questioning him about Audrey, he was going to share with them that she had betrayed them all by telling the Talons about the existence of others within the Pack. He’d saved them by keeping all of that a secret as he knew other wolves would want to eradicate them once they knew—and he made sure he told his people that often. But he’d felt it through the Pack bonds when Audrey changed another into a lion. Oh, the newly changed might not have ended up in his Pack, but Audrey had smelled of Talon far too often lately for his liking, so he had put two and two together.

  She would pay for what she’d done, and pay for it slowly. Day by day until she regretted ever defying her Alpha and putting him in a position where he was forced to punish her. It was her fault that she was hurting, her fault he’d been forced to torture her.

  Her fault.

  Always.

  “You’re growling again,” Scarlett whined from her perch on one of the stools in his office. “What are you thinking about this time? Audrey? Or that damn wolf who won’t die?” She was the one to growl this time, even if she wasn’t a shifter.

  “Fucking Parker,” he spat. “How did he survive your spell?”

  “Because that damn Healer was too close, that’s how.” She slid from the stool and began to pace around his office. “Walker.” She said the name like a curse, and Blade agreed with her on that.

  “He Healed the wolf, and now they know someone is coming after them. Someone with a fire witch, with your power.”

  Scarlett turned on him. “Your Beta probably told them, if they hadn’t already guessed. And they would have known I was connected to you, or at least what was coming at them anyway from when I killed that other wolf and took the Central wolf who’s now mated into the Talons. I’ve sacrificed a lot for this cause, and I’ll be damned if I let some little Healer wolf mess ever
ything up for us.”

  Blade liked the sound of her anger because it meant she wasn’t going to back down and would stay on his side. As much as he hated relying on others, he needed the fire witch to do some of the footwork for him while he stayed in the shadows. His plans were almost ready, and what he’d been working on for decades would come into the light soon. But for now, he would use the witch until there was nothing left. It was what he did.

  “Then we’ll get rid of Walker.” He shrugged as if it meant nothing, but he knew getting at the wolf wouldn’t be easy, not with everyone working so hard to try and figure out who was coming for them.

  Scarlett’s eyes lit up. “I have an idea about that. He just mated that human, or rather, I suppose she’s a cat now, isn’t she?”

  He nodded, his wolf growling. His spies had been able to tell him that much, but he didn’t know much about the woman. “We can take her out, too. It would solve the problem of the Talons now having something they shouldn’t.”

  The witch smiled. “And I know how we can make it worth it. I have a…shall we say, friend. Someone who is beyond angry right now because she lost the human. She’ll be glad to have her back—in whatever state she can have her.”

  This time, Blade perked up. “What do you mean? What friend?”

  Scarlett waved him off. “An air witch who’s been using that family for generations to stay alive or something. I don’t know the magic. It’s not my kind of curse, and since I’m mated to a shifter, I haven’t needed anything like that, but now that, somehow—and I bet it was the Healer—they broke the curse, my friend isn’t happy.”

  “So, call her. We’ll use her and make sure Walker and his new mate regret standing in our way.”

  Scarlett smiled, and he saw flames dance in her eyes. That used to worry him, the amount of power she held, but not anymore. He used her magic for himself, and with the intensity of it, they couldn’t lose.