Mel gave a watery smile. “Okay, we have that down. Let’s get to work.” She looked over the field where they stood, and Cailin knew that none of them wanted to do this bloody work, but they all had to.
It took hours, but with the help of the Talons and every Redwood available, they buried each and every body they found. They marked the graves of the wolves that Ellie knew on sight—the pain on the woman’s face would haunt Cailin for years to come—and put a prayer on the ones they couldn’t mark.
Once they were done, they were even dirtier and weary than they had been before, but this time was different. Now, instead of going home to pick up the pieces and pray for peace…now they had it.
She could go home with Logan and think of a future with the child in her womb without the worry of a war.
Cailin honestly didn’t know if she ever thought that would happen, not with the way things had turned over the past few years.
The absence of threats, the idea of peace and tranquility, made her life seem stark.
Barren.
What was she going to do now?
Logan cupped her cheek, bringing her out of her thoughts. “Whatever you’re thinking about, stop it.”
“I’m stressing over the lack of stress. I think I need a nap.”
Her mate leaned down and kissed her softly. “You need more than a nap, princess. And we have to rebuild the Pack and learn to grow with this new life of ours. Nothing is completely restful, completely over, but we’re well on our way. Just put one foot in front of the other and know that you’re never alone.”
“I love you, Logan.”
“Love you too, princess. Now let’s get back to the den, sink into the bath, then sleep.” He grinned. “And when I wake you up in the middle of the night by sinking my cock into that pretty cunt of yours, you’ll remember exactly who you belong to…and who belongs to you.”
“Sounds like a plan.”
They made their way back to the group, their bodies ready to crash.
“If you ever need anything, anything, you come to us,” Kade said. “I know you’re rebuilding your Pack, and we’re in our own tough shape, but we can’t let another century go by with our two Packs side by side and not doing anything about it.”
Gideon shook Kade’s hand and nodded. “We’ll talk more. We’re not going to let this line of communication fall.”
“Yeah, you can’t get rid of us,” Walker joked, and Cailin smiled.
“What about the Central land?” Ellie asked the question on everyone’s mind.
Kade met Gideon’s gaze, and the two Alphas seemed to have their own conversation in that look. “We’ll let it become neutral land for now,” her brother answered. “We still have a lot of rebuilding and cleaning up to do. Once we do that together, we can talk about what to do with what’s left of the Central den. For now, between both of our wards, we can hide everything from the humans.”
“Yes, we’ll help with that,” Gideon said. “I don’t know if there are any Centrals left considering what Caym did with the Pack bonds at the end.”
Cailin held back a shudder at the memory.
“When, and if, we find them, we will deal with them. Together.”
At Kade’s words, a new treaty between the Redwoods and Talons was formed, solidified over blood, pain, and loss. Cailin knew that wasn’t the last time they’d hear from their neighbors. Not by a long shot.
Cailin rested her head on Logan’s shoulders as Kade danced Mel around the living room, their children following them in a line of giggles and shouts. Happiness spread through her even at the bittersweet moment of having a family dinner at the new Alpha’s home, rather than the home where she’d grown up.
It had been four weeks since the final battle where Caym had lost it all and her family had come out on top for once. Four weeks of cleanup, grief, and coming home.
Four weeks of peace.
Finn, Gina, and Mark each took turns jumping on Kade’s back as he dipped Mel in their dance. The playful family fell to the floor in a heap of limbs, Kade taking the brunt. Cailin wasn’t worried for their safety considering the group of them was laughing too hard to be truly hurt.
Jasper had Brie on his shoulders, doing a dance to the music Kade had put on for the family as Willow tried to get their daughter to stay still enough for a photo, a total lost cause for that little girl. Even Brie’s pigtails were askew as she wiggled on Jasper’s shoulders, pumping her fists to the beat.
Hannah stood between Josh and Reed, shaking her hips to the music, making her babies laugh. Josh held Kaylee in his arms, the big tough man looking adorable holding a child covered in pink. Reed had Conner in his arms and couldn’t stop laughing as his son kept reaching out to play with Hannah’s hair. The love of messing with the witch’s tousled curls seemed to be a guy thing in their family.
Adam had Micah in his arms, the little boy resting his head on her brother’s shoulders. Both of Bay’s men were getting over man colds—as much of a cold as a wolf could get considering their immune systems. Bay leaned against her mate, a drink in her hand as she smiled at the dancing families.
Maddox sat on one of the couches, Ellie in his lap, as they had eyes only for each other, their hands on each other’s faces as they communicated through their bond. Charlotte came up and knelt beside them on the couch, a smile on her little face. Cailin gave a happy sigh at the sight. It had been too long since that little girl had truly been joyous. Maddox grinned down at his daughter then pulled her close, providing the perfect photo op for Willow and her camera.
North and Parker were playing chess in the corner with Lexi helping North by telling him what moves their son made. Her brother really seemed to be getting used to his blindness—not that he was giving up. Far from it. Cailin had a feeling between her brother, Noah, and Emeline, they’d find a way to cure him.
There was always hope.
“Ready to eat?” Logan asked, his breath on her neck. She’d been feeling poorly for the past couple of weeks thanks to morning sickness, and it had been a bear to actually keep food down.
Right then though, she was famished. “I’m starving.”
“Good. You need to keep your strength up.” From the knowing gleam in his eyes, she knew exactly what he meant by that. Dirty, dirty wolf.
“Did someone say food?” Adam asked. He, too, hadn’t been hungry until recently.
“Dinner’s ready, just on the warmers,” Mel added. “Come on all. I’m starving too.”
Everyone went to the dining room table that had just been put in that morning. Cailin traced her fingers on the familiar table and sighed. At least she didn’t cry this time.
No one spoke as they each sat down, getting the children set up in their chairs, but plates remained empty.
Kade cleared his throat. “I know we’re eating here from now on, but it felt right to move Mom and Dad’s table in here. It fit all of us before and…and, well, I didn’t want to say goodbye to it.”
Cailin smiled, a sense of peace washing over her. She’d never fully get over the loss of her parents, but now it wasn’t a full-time ache every time she heard their names or anything about them.
“They would have wanted that, Kade,” Cailin said. “Same as you making their home into the enforcer’s den. That way the single men who are just becoming part of your crew can learn to work together. I don’t think any of us could ever live there, you know? What you’re doing is working .”
Everyone agreed, and after a moment of silence for what had been lost, they began filling their plates and started eating.
“I forgot to tell you,” Kade said after they’d all been eating for a few minutes. “Mel and I were talking to Emeline about Finn and his new Heir powers, and she found a few things that might interest us.”
Jasper perked up. “Really? What is it?”
“Usually, as you know, powers are given over after the Alpha is ready to move on. But since…but since it happened the way it did, we had to change quickly. Si
nce Finn is so young, it changed how things will probably work out. Our next son or daughter will become the Beta when they reach a certain age, and then the other powers will show up either in our family or at least within our Pack around that time too. It will be a little weird since we’ll have two generations of powers in one Pack, but it will work out.”
“Meaning when it’s time, I won’t be the Omega anymore, but have the memories to help whoever becomes the next one,” Maddox said.
Kade nodded. “That could happen in twenty years or a hundred. Sometimes Packs even skip a generation or two in changeovers since we’re all so long-lived.”
“The Talons are doing something like that right now too, right?” Cailin asked.
Kade frowned but nodded. “Something like that.”
He didn’t elaborate, but Cailin didn’t pressure him. Some things said between Alphas needed to remain between Alphas.
“So we’ll move on eventually,” Adam said. “Things will change, but no matter what, we’ll be a family.”
Logan squeezed her hand. “No matter what.”
Cailin looked at each of her family members and took them in. They had all fought bravely in one way or another. They’d each lost something close, sometimes even more than they thought they could handle. The adults had bathed in blood and had been reborn into something stronger, something more cohesive even among the fractions.
They were healed. They were whole.
They were the Redwood Pack.
The End
Coming Next in the Redwood Pack World:
Maddox and Ellie have another story in Loving the Omega and Emeline and Noah find their happy ending in the Dark Fates Anthology.
Then…
The Talon Pack
A Note from Carrie Ann
Thank you so much for reading Fighting Fate. I do hope if you liked this story, that you would please leave a review. Not only does a review spread the word to other readers, they let us authors know if you’d like to see more stories like this from us. I love hearing from readers and talking to them when I can. If you want to make sure you know what’s coming next from me, you can sign up for my newsletter at www.CarrieAnnRyan.com; follow me on twitter at @CarrieAnnRyan, or like my Facebook page. I also have a Facebook Fan Club where we have trivia, chats, and other goodies. You guys are the reason I get to do what I do and I thank you.
Make sure you’re signed up for my MAILING LIST so you can know when the next releases are available as well as find giveaways and FREE READS.
This book was a labor of love. Each time I tried to write a certain scene, I broke down. I’ve known what would happen to the Redwoods since I first started A Taste for a Mate and looked into Edward and Pat’s eyes. I knew their children would need to one day become where they were born to be and become leaders in truth. While it hurt to write, I hope you know that this was not a decision that was made lightly. I was up unable to sleep for nights as I wrote this book. In fact, I did the same when I was hinting at what would happen in the previous books. The Jamensons will heal. I hopefully will heal as well. The Redwoods are like my best friends and it is difficult to part with them.
I’m not leaving the Redwoods yet, however. In July, Loving the Omega, will be out in the world. Maddox and Ellie have one more story in them that revolves around Charlotte. It was nice to go back and see how this family is working. There are a few surprises in store as well. Coming in August, I will be in the Dark Fates Anthology with my story called The Hunted Heart. This is Emeline and Noah’s story. You saw hints of them here, but now you get to see where they are now.
I’m also not leaving this world completely. You’ve met some of the Talons and because I fell for Gideon the first time he walked on the page to help the Redwoods, I knew I had to tell his story. I also knew I wanted to write some of the Redwood Pack children’s stories. Rather than write two full series where I wasn’t sure how they would work together, I’m doing one better. The Talon Pack series will be out in early 2015. It is set thirty years in the future and will revolve around the Talon Pack and how they are interacting in the world and with the Redwoods. Because it’s set thirty years in the future, I get to write about a few of the Redwood Pack children finding their mates.
The first novel will be about the Talon Alpha Gideon and….Brie, Jasper and Willow’s daughter thirty years from now.
If you don’t want to wait that long, I also have my Dante’s Circle and Montgomery Ink series going in full swing now so there’s always a Carrie Ann book on the horizon!
Thank you so much for going on this journey with me and I do hope you enjoyed this final full book in the Redwood Pack series. Without you readers, I wouldn’t be where I am today.
Thank you again for reading and I do hope to see you again.
Carrie Ann
About this Author
USA Today Bestselling Author Carrie Ann Ryan never thought she’d be a writer. Not really. No, she loved math and science and even went on to graduate school in chemistry. Yes, she read as a kid and devoured teen fiction and Harry Potter, but it wasn’t until someone handed her a romance book in her late teens that she realized that there was something out there just for her. When another author suggested she use the voices in her head for good and not evil, The Redwood Pack and all her other stories were born.
Carrie Ann is a bestselling author of over twenty novels and novellas and has so much more on her mind (and on her spreadsheets *grins*) that she isn’t planning on giving up her dream anytime soon.
www.CarrieAnnRyan.com
Also from this Author
Now Available:
Redwood Pack Series:
An Alpha’s Path
A Taste for a Mate
Trinity Bound
A Night Away
Enforcer’s Redemption
Blurred Expectations
Forgiveness
Shattered Emotions
Hidden Destiny
A Beta’s Haven
Fighting Fate
Holiday, Montana Series:
Charmed Spirits
Santa’s Executive
Finding Abigail
Her Lucky Love
Dreams of Ivory
Dante’s Circle Series:
Dust of My Wings
Her Warriors’ Three Wishes
An Unlucky Moon
Ever After
Tangled Innocence
Montgomery Ink:
Ink Inspired
Ink Reunited
Coming Soon:
Redwood Pack
Loving the Omega
Dark Fates
Dante’s Circle:
Fierce Enchantment
Montgomery Ink:
Delicate Ink
Did you enjoy this selection? Why not try another romance from Fated Desires?
From USA Today Bestselling Author Carrie Ann Ryan’s Dante’s Circle Series
Tangled Innocence
“I’m done with men.”
Nadie Morgan barely resisted the urge to roll her eyes at her friend Faith’s proclamation. She was pretty sure the woman had said something similar before in the exact same exasperated tone. Faith usually said things like that, considering she was trying to find a man to match who she was and who she wanted to be.
Not an easy thing when Nadie wasn’t sure Faith knew who she wanted to be in the first place. Well, Nadie probably shouldn’t be casting stones, considering she stood in an eerily parallel place.
Faith ran a hand through her blunt black bangs, leaving them in their perpetual disorder, then curled her lip up in a snarl.
“Don’t you roll your eyes at me, Nadie Morgan. If you’d ever get off your virgin ass and actually tell him you want him, maybe you wouldn’t be in the same predicament as me.”
Nadie froze, the sounds of the bar slowly faded away so she couldn’t hear her friends’ reactions—if there were reactions. An odd numbness settled in, tunneling her vision so all she saw was Faith and her wide eyes set in
a pale face.
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the rest of their friends stiffen as well, then turn toward Faith, their mouths opening, most likely to defend Nadie where they thought she would never be able to defend herself.
In most cases, they’d have been right.
“Well, that was blunt,” Nadie finally said, her throat dry. What else was she supposed to say? She was surprised she could speak at all. It wasn’t as if Faith was saying anything untrue or far from Nadie’s mind. It just hurt to hear it in the first place.
She’d rather have buried it forever and not looked back, but she knew that would have been weak.
Weaker than she’d been acting already.
“Oh crap, I’m so sorry, honey.” Tears filled the normally strong-willed woman’s eyes, and Nadie immediately forgave her. There hadn’t been any true damage, and all Faith had done was tell the truth.
“It’s okay.” She raised her hands at her friends, and they quieted whatever words they were about to say. “No, really. You just got dumped. It sucks, so you lashed out, and I’m a pretty good target at the moment.”
Faith shook her head then got up and walked around the circular table where they always sat when they came to Dante’s Circle. Normally, it was a place that had become a sort of home to them, and right then, it was nice to have that familiarity. Faith wrapped her arms around Nadie and Nadie hugged her back. Hard. “No, it’s not freaking okay. I’m hurt and in a pissy mood, but that doesn’t give me the right to act like a cruel bitch.”
“Just a normal bitch then,” Becca, deadpanned, then flipped her fiery red curls over her shoulders.
“Hey, don’t call Faith a bitch,” Lily added in then came up to wrap her arms around Nadie’s other side. “Well, she might be one, but we’re trying to change that. And Nadie honey, I love you. Don’t listen to what Faith said.”
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