by T. S. Joyce
It was full dark in Harper’s Mountains, but the glow of 1010’s lights beckoned, welcoming them home.
Avery slid from his truck like she was boneless. She looked exhausted. All Weston wanted to do was bury himself inside of her and make her forget the horrors of the past couple days. He wanted to empty himself inside her and banish how close they’d come to losing each other. But Avery looked wrecked, and he wouldn’t relieve his needs on her when she was so raw.
She stumbled, but he was there, picking her up and cradling her against his chest as he made his way into 1010. With a soft sound, she slipped her arms around his neck and buried her face against his chest. “I don’t want you to leave tonight.”
“I won’t leave, Ave. I won’t hide from you anymore. I know you can handle me after the visions now.” Little phoenix. He wished she could have seen herself in action tonight. She’d been a beautiful, relentless weapon. She’d bought him time, but also time for his parents, Rowan, and the Bloodrunner’s to reach them. Da had dreamed of circling ravens and Benjamin swinging the ax at Weston’s back, but nothing more. Nothing to tell him the fate of his son was sealed. He’d brought Ma and Rowan with him for back-up. Weston had told the Bloodrunners to stay back while Avery was in The Box. He thought they would draw too much attention while his raven would blend in. Weston had been ambushed, though, as if the ravens had known exactly where he would be waiting for her.
If the ravens had succeeded in killing him, Rowan and the others would’ve laid waste to the entire shifter species to avenge his death. The inhabitants of The Hollow didn’t realize it, but by Avery saving him, she’d saved them as well.
He carried his mate inside and readied for bed with her, watching her out of the corner of his eye. He was so fucking worried about her. What if she had bad dreams tonight? What if she’d been scarred even more on her insides? What if she started crying and he couldn’t help her to stop?
But she didn’t. His brave little phoenix crawled under the covers and lifted the comforter up for him to slide into bed with her. She didn’t cry or moon over what had happened. Instead, she told him, “Tomorrow I’ll give you my letters, and you can see all of me. And tonight, if you have a vision, you can wake me up and tell me about it, and I will love you even more.”
And after she laid her cheek on his chest against his drumming heartbeat, her breathing evened out and she fell asleep. Weston sighed and looked up at the dark exposed rafters of the bedroom and sent up a silent prayer that he would have no visions tonight. Because he wouldn’t hide from her anymore. He would tell her about every vision, the good and the bad, because she deserved to see all of him, even the dark parts.
If the Fates could let him rest easy tonight, Avery would be able to sleep peacefully beside him. And after everything she’d gone through, his Avery deserved peace.
****
Weston flinched under her, and Avery’s eyes flew open in the dark. Every muscle in Weston’s body was tensed. He felt like a stone under her searching hands.
“What’s wrong?” she asked, sitting up in bed.
His heart was pounding hard under the palm of her hand, and his chest heaved with each breath. In the dim light of the bedroom, Weston’s eyes were wide and shocked.
“Is it a vision?” she asked, panicked. God, what if he’d sustained more injuries than she’d thought. His body was covered in cuts and gashes now from the raven war. What if he’d been damaged internally? “Weston, say something. Are you okay?”
“I’m fine,” he huffed out on a breath. He grabbed her hand and brought it to his lips. “It was a good one.”
Avery sighed with relief and sagged against his side. Slowly, she straddled him and locked her arms against his chest. “What was it about?”
“You,” he uttered in his deep, sexy sleep voice. “It was short, just a small glimpse of a bigger scene. You and I were dancing, and you were smiling so big. You were so fucking beautiful and happy, I couldn’t keep my eyes off your face.” Weston swallowed hard and brushed her long hair off her shoulder to expose her claiming mark. “You were wearing white.”
Avery didn’t want him to see her tear up at that beautiful vision, so she curled her arms under her and cuddled against his strong, warm chest. “Maybe ten-ten really is magic, like you said.”
Weston rubbed gentle circles against her spine. “What do you mean?”
“Ten-ten gave you a good vision for our first whole night together. It might not always be like this, but it gave us a gift.”
Weston chuckled, the deep sound vibrating against her cheek. God, she adored that sound. Feeling emboldened by his vision, Avery sat up and arched her back, rocked her hips against his.
Weston groaned and gripped her hips so desperately, his fingers dug into her skin. His dick was hardening by the second under her so she offered him a wicked grin. She loved that he was sensitive to her touch, always ready for intimacy in seconds. Leaning forward, Avery sucked on his nipple, flicking her tongue against his piercing. His body turned to water, rolling against her like a wave. She lifted up just enough to pull his briefs down his powerful hips. His bright white smile flashed in the dim lighting as she pulled her sleep shirt off and tossed it to the ground.
Cupping the back of her head, Weston pulled her down to him, pushed his tongue past her lips immediately, then sucked hard on her bottom lip. He stroked into her mouth, setting a fast, hard rhythm that had her rubbing against him. He dragged his rough kisses down her neck and grabbed her breast. He sucked on one nipple hard as he bucked his hips against hers.
She let off a long, helpless moan and arched her back, giving him better access. Weston laved his tongue over and over her sensitive skin to the pace he set with his hips, and she was getting closer, the pressure building until she was right on the edge.
As if he could tell how close she was, Weston grabbed her hips and pulled her forward until she was hovering just above his face. Before she could balk, he pushed his tongue deep inside of her.
Avery was already gone. All she could do was grip the headboard and roll her hips to meet his deep thrusts. She cried out as he plunged into her time and time again. Orgasm pulsed through her, but he didn’t stop. He ate her until every aftershock was done. Until she was twitching and bucking erratically against his mouth. Until her grip on the headboard was weak and shaky and she was panting his name mindlessly.
Oh, they weren’t done yet, but she needed to buy her body some recovery time. She locked her gaze on his and then worked her way down until her breasts brushed his dick. It throbbed between her cleavage, and he let off another sexy sound, lifted his hips to her. Weston rolled her over on her back so fast her stomach dipped. He gripped her hair and straddled her chest, shoved his huge dick between her breasts. How was this so fucking sexy? Dominant brawler man burying himself over and over between her boobs. This should do nothing for her, but she was getting wetter and wetter. Avery moaned and arched against the mattress, shoving her tits together to make it tighter for him.
“Fffuuuuuck,” Weston moaned, smoothing out his thrusts, making them shallower. “How do you want me to come,” he gritted out. “Tell me quick.”
She was desperate for him to touch her. To bury himself balls deep inside of her and make her come again. His dick was so hard against her, so tempting. “In me,” she gasped out.
Weston pulled away from her breasts and positioned himself between her legs. He wasn’t gentle or slow. He slammed into her wet heat, his eyes riveted on their connection. She could see it, too, his wet dick sliding in and out of her, pounding her. His abs flexed every time he pumped his powerful hips. So fucking sexy.
“Ooooh, right there,” she groaned as her release built up hard.
Weston dropped down to her, wrapped his arm around her ass and hit her deep, kept it there with shallow thrusts, hitting her clit over and over, so fast. He gritted out her name, slammed into her, and froze. As her orgasm exploded through her, his dick pulsed inside of her, shooting heat straigh
t to her middle. Avery sank her nails into his back as he pushed into her erratically, his shaft throbbing, filling her as he rammed her up the bed.
His lips went to her neck, sucking hard as he grunted and pushed into her again. He drew out slowly, then rammed into her. Over and over, he did that until both of their aftershocks were through.
Weston rubbed his cheek against hers, his short stubble scratching her. Rough mate. He held her hands over her head as he worked his lips up her throat along her jaw to her mouth. Affectionate mate. He ran his fingers down her ribs and massaged her breast as he kissed her gently. Perfect mate.
He adored her until her body buzzed. Until her eyelids grew heavy and her chest hummed with the heat of their unbreakable bond. Happy and satisfied down to her marrow, Avery nipped his neck possessively. “Mine,” she growled.
He chuckled deep in his throat and rolled them over, squeezed her against his impossibly strong chest. “Possessive little beasty,” he accused.
“Damn straight,” Avery murmured. She nuzzled his throat, inhaling his scent.
Weston brushed her hair off her cheek. In the dim, dawn light, his expression turned to one of surprise. “You make me happy.”
He said it so tenderly her heart thumped faster in her chest, and the butterflies in her stomach beat their wings double-time.
With her fingertips, she traced the sharp lines of his jaw and whispered, “Good.”
“Just good?” he asked, eyebrows arched high. He tickled her ribs until she squirmed and laughed.
“I mean you make me happy, too. You make me happy, too!”
He released her, but her giggling trilled on. This complicated, incredible man had her whole heart. As she settled on her side, facing him, Weston drew his arm under his cheek.
His smile reached all the way to his eyes when he said, “I can tell you’re happy here.”
“How?”
Weston brushed his fingertips over her cheek, as though he was memorizing her face. “Because when you first came here, your eyes were hollow and scared. You smelled sad, and when you walked, you looked like you had the weight of the world on your shoulders.”
“And now?” she asked.
“And now you look like you’re free.”
And she was. Avery kissed Weston’s palm and pressed it against her cheek. He was right. She was different now. She’d felt it for a while, but she’d undergone massive growth since she’d come to Harper’s Mountains and dared to give her heart to the Novak Raven.
She’d always thought freedom meant being away from her people and on her own.
But freedom wasn’t being alone as she’d assumed.
Freedom existed in moments like these that she shared with the man who protected her heart.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Avery wiped the fog off the mirror and studied the angry, red gash right beside her claiming mark. Raven shifters didn’t heal as fast as predator shifters, but already it was halfway sealed and hurt a lot less. Her culture encouraged perfect skin with no scars. A couple months ago, this new adornment on her body would’ve devastated her because it would’ve made her even more different from the ravens she had so desperately tried to fit in with.
But today, she stood a little straighter, lifted her chin a little higher, and was proud of the scars she now bore. She was mate of a former Gray Back, mate of a Bloodrunner. She was Bloodrunner, and scars were a part of this life. Her they were brush strokes on the canvas of her body, showing that she’d lived. Showing that she’d endured. The claiming mark would always be her coveted scar, but the other she’d gotten saving herself, and then fighting for Weston.
She’d earned these.
When she’d awoken late, Weston had already left, and his side of the bed had been cold. She missed him, even though she would see him at work in a couple hours. It was early to get ready, but as she fixed her hair and put on her make-up, she already planned on showing up to Big Flight early, just to see Weston sooner.
Avery wrapped her towel tighter around her and padded into the bedroom to get dressed.
On the bed, resting on the shorts and tank top she’d laid out, there was a pocket knife, neatly folded, the handle a rich walnut woodgrain and polished. Avery lifted it gently in her fingers and read the inscription Weston had carved onto it. W + A. She smiled, deeply touched at his gift. He’d told her he would make her a knife and teach her to use it. She opened it carefully, and the blade gleamed in the soft light streaming through the window. It was beautifully crafted. She would carry it in her pocket always.
Full of emotion, she closed the blade and picked up the folded letter that had been resting under the knife.
Ave,
I hope you like it. I made this out of a wood that reminds me of you. It’s pliable where it needs to compromise, but it’s strong, just like you. I have put together something for you today. Don’t freak out, it’ll be fun. I hope. I told you I would write you a lot of letters, and this is the beginning of that promise. Today you will get a couple. This is the first clue of a little scavenger hunt. Come find me, little phoenix. I’m waiting for you where you first saw me, back when we didn’t trust each other yet. Things are different now, and I trust you with my life, but come find me at the beginning.
Later gator,
Weston
A scavenger hunt? This was awesome! Avery hurried to dress, shoved the knife deep into her pocket, shoved her feet into her hiking boots, and barely bothered to tie them up before she bolted outside and climbed into her Civic. She took the shortcut through Harper’s mountains to reach Big Flight and skidded to a stop in front of the shop.
Weston was sitting on a bench, elbows resting on his knees and a slow, stunning smile for her. He’d shaved his jaw, and his dimple showed easily. That was just for her. He wore his favorite camouflage baseball cap and a black T-shirt under a red and black plaid shirt with the sleeves rolled up his muscular forearms. He wore dark wash jeans over his work boots. Why was he so dressed up? They had a tour starting in an hour.
With a confused frown, she jogged up the porch stairs and said breathlessly, “I got the knife. I got it, and I love it so much.”
“God, you look beautiful,” he murmured in that deep, rich timbre she adored.
“Thank you,” she said softly.
He pulled her hips until she was standing close to him on the bench, and then he looked up at her and said, “Do you remember the vision I had last night?”
She nodded, confused. “It was a good one, right?”
“It was the best one. But I didn’t tell you part of it.”
“What happened?”
He smiled and traced the scar from the glass on her shoulder. “This mark wasn’t yet healed. It was red and angry, just as it looks right now.”
“I don’t understand,” she whispered, shaking her head.
Weston sank down to one knee on the porch, right in front of her. In his hand was the turquoise ring she’d been admiring in the shop.
“Weston,” she whispered, shocked.
“You deserve more, and I’ll get it as soon as I can afford it. I’ll get you whatever ring you want, but this one felt right for some reason. I kept looking at it, thinking about it. About how pretty it would be on your finger. About how pretty it would go with your eyes.”
“I love it, I love it,” she said, her eyes filling with tears.
Weston licked his bottom lip and slid his palm against her left one. “I bonded to you when we were kids. I clung to your letters and fell in love with your voice through them. I didn’t want other girlfriends after you because all I wanted was what we’d had. Your people convinced you that you were flawed, but to me you are perfect.”
Avery’s face crumpled, and her shoulders shook. How those words filled her heart. How she’d longed to hear that she was good. That she was okay. “You’re perfect to me, too,” she forced out past her tight throat.
He smiled up at her, the morning sunlight highlighting his chiseled jaw and t
hat dimple that said he was happy. “I choose you. For now, for always, I want you to be the one I wake up to. I want you to be the one I share my visions with, and hold, and laugh with. and struggle with, and grow old with.”
“I’ll protect you always,” she whispered.
“I know.” Weston’s voice broke on the last word, and his eyes rimmed with moisture. He laughed and looked away. Over and over, he swallowed, shaking his head like he was trying to gain control of himself again. In a steadier voice he said, “I know you will. And I’ll protect you for always, too. My body is yours. My heart is yours. It has been for a long time. Avery, you are my match. I’ve claimed you, and you already feel like mine, but you said once that claiming marks aren’t recognized by ravens. And I want you in every way. Ave, will you marry me?”
She was already nodding because she wanted nothing more than to bind herself to him completely. His eyes full, he slid the ring onto her finger. Clenching her fist around the new weight, Avery fell to her knees in front of him and hugged him up. A long sob wracked her body as he rocked her back and forth, back and forth. Weston eased away and kissed her. Clinging to him hard, she kissed him back, tears streaming down her cheeks. She didn’t know how long they sat like that on the porch of Big Flight. Maybe it was only minutes, but it could’ve been hours. Time had never made sense when she got lost in his arms like this. Mate, mate, mate. He’d chosen her. How had she gotten so lucky? Their story was long and winding, and so much had conspired to keep them apart, but look what had happened?
Love had won.
Weston leaned back and cupped her cheeks, wiped away her tears. “You’re not through.”
“What?” she squeaked out.
He laid another peck on her lips and pulled something out of his back pocket. It was another letter. She unfolded it and read it aloud as best as her shaking voice would allow.
“Ave, I love you. I wanted to say that first before anything else because you should hear it all the time. You deserve to know how I feel about you, and never have to question it.” Her voice hitched, and she had to clear her throat before she continued. “This is the second clue to your scavenger hunt. This is going to be one of the biggest days of our lives, so enjoy this. Take stock of every moment. I want you to go to the lair of the dragon. And no questions. I know you’ll have a million. I won’t answer them. Just play the game. Later gator.” She looked up at him. “I have to go now?” she asked, wanting to spend more time with her newly betrothed.
