by Bianca D'Arc
Gaining confidence as she began to roll her hips, feeling him in her most intimate places, she closed her eyes for a long moment, just enjoying the sensations. When Ray’s hands went to her hips, guiding her movements, she opened her eyes, gazing down at him and melting a little inside at the indulgent look of utter love on his face.
As much as she might look the aggressor here, she knew that he was allowing her this time on top. He was giving her wolf—and her woman side—what they needed. Him. In whatever way she wanted him.
She’d thought she couldn’t love him any more than she already did, but then, he went and did something like this, and she found there was still another tiny, little, previously unknown part of her heart he hadn’t managed to claim yet. Who was she kidding? Her heart was his. Totally and completely. And had been for a very long time.
There was no sense in thinking anything else. Ray might’ve been missing in action for the past twenty years, but never once, in all that time, had she given up on him. Or given up loving him with everything that was in her.
He was hers. It was just that simple. And she was his.
That was the last coherent thought she had for some time as she bounced up and down on his dick, feeding the need of her body for the pleasure that could only be gained from his. She was feeding the need in her soul at the same time—the need for the closeness sharing their bodies with each other created.
Their magic sparked and swirled around the cabin as usual, but she supposed she was getting used to it at this point, and it didn’t distract her. In fact, the pulsing light show helped regulate her movements. As the sparkling intensity increased, so did her movements until, finally, she blew apart, even as the light culminated in an explosion of fireworks visible only to them, within the safe confines of their little love nest.
Ray climaxed with her, she knew. Both from the physical evidence of his body tensing under hers and from the way their magic exploded together in a magical storm of symmetry.
Exhausted on the physical, mental, and magical planes, Evie lowered herself to lay over her lover—a warm, living blanket. She thought about moving off him, but his arms anchored her in place, and she didn’t have the energy to argue. She felt Ray tug a blanket over them both a few minutes later, and then, warmed by her mate under her and a soft blanket over her, she slept the sleep of the well-pleasured and weary.
Hours later, Ray woke before both Evie and the sun. It was the still dark hour before dawn when he opened his eyes and took stock of his situation. Evie was warm and naked in his arms. He loved that. Loved being with her after all that time apart.
The wards—what was left of them—were quiet. He sent his magical senses out, a tendril of his consciousness testing the air currents around the cabin in all directions. All was secure. It had snowed a little more overnight, though nothing like the blizzard of their first day here. In the fresh snow, only the prints of small animals and those creatures that were native to this land shone. All was well.
On an internal level, Ray’s magic was restored. It wasn’t one hundred percent yet. That would take a while, still. But it was much, much better. They could go back and face the music in Pennsylvania today. He was definitely strong enough to port them both there quickly and as quietly as possible.
The question was—did he really want to leave their honeymoon cabin on the edge of the res? Out here, he could almost make himself believe that not much time had passed since they’d last been together. He could almost forget the years of torture and imprisonment in the fey realm. He could almost—just almost—forget that he had a grown son he’d never really met.
That burned when he thought about it. He’d missed so much. His son’s entire life to this point. Although it sounded like Josh had turned out to be a man any father would be proud of, Ray was devastated by the thought that he hadn’t been there for him, or for Evie. He’d let his mate down in the worst possible way.
The only thing that would have been worse, was if he’d left them of his own volition. If he’d run out on them, he would have counted himself the worst sort of slime. As it was, he questioned his actions back then that had led to his imprisonment. Had he been too much of a glory hound, thinking himself invincible and taking risks that he should never have taken? Had he been responsible—in the final analysis—for his own entrapment and the horrid circumstances that had left his mate and his unborn son all alone out in the wild?
He hated to think that might just be the case.
He would have to work for the rest of his long life to earn Evie’s and Josh’s forgiveness. That Evie had already forgiven him didn’t matter. He would still work to be worthy of her love for the rest of his days. He could do no less.
Walking away from her—even if he believed it would be the best thing to do—wasn’t an option. Ray was just selfish enough to want to continue to be with her, no matter that he didn’t really deserve her. Or the overwhelming joy and happiness she brought to his life.
Evie stretched in his arms and made those soft little sounds that were a prelude to her waking. He loved watching her wake up, opening her eyes and then smiling at him. How he’d missed that all those years apart. The simple acts of being together. The day-to-day intimacies.
“Mmm. Good morning,” she murmured, stretching even more in his arms. Her eyes were little slits as she woke up gradually.
“It snowed a little more overnight,” he told her gently.
She made no comment, still waking up, that kittenish look doing things to his heart. She was really the most incredibly beautiful woman, in all her guises.
“I was thinking…” He paused, unsure, now that the moment was upon him, about ending their time together all alone out here in North Dakota. He wasn’t sure he wanted to go back and share Evie with anyone just yet. Even their grown son and his new mate.
“Yeah?” Evie prompted. “Come on, Ray. You know you can tell me anything.”
He sighed and shook his head. “Well, I was thinking that we should probably go back and see Josh and Deena now that my magic is mostly restored. Before the magical eddies settle too much. Just in case anyone is still out there watching this area.”
She looked at him with a rapidly changing expression. She went from joy to sadness, then resolution and pride. He thought he understood. She wanted to see Josh, but then, she probably thought—like Ray had—about ending their alone time. But it had to be done. They had to face their son at some point, and sooner would probably be better than later.
She probably had also figured out how much Ray feared what Josh might have to say to him after all these years, despite Duncan’s assertions that Josh understood. There was no way around the fact that Ray had been absent through his son’s entire life up to this point. There was no easy way to jump into the role of father now. And Ray suspected there would be at least some resentment on Josh’s part. Who could blame him? It must’ve been hard growing up without a dad.
Ray had so much regret. The fact that Ray’s absence hadn’t been deliberate didn’t really count for much to Ray’s way of thinking. His choices had led to his imprisonment. His choice to serve the Lady and to fight Her enemies had led to the trap that had kept him from his mate and son. There was no way around it. If Ray were in Josh’s place, he’d be harboring a whole lot of anger against his absentee dad.
Maybe that’s why Evie was looking at him with pride in her pretty brown eyes. Maybe she was proud that he was willing to face the music, instead of hiding out here at the cabin even longer.
“As long as you think you can get us there in one piece, I think it’s a good idea,” she told him, smiling gently, though eagerness to be on their way shone in her sparkling eyes. He remembered how much the wolf inside her liked going places.
“All right.” He took a deep breath, already thinking of what they’d have to do to prepare for their journey. “We can go after we tidy up the cabin and put things back to rights.”
Plan firmly in mind, they ate breakfast then began c
leaning the cabin in earnest. Evie instructed him in the proper way to prep the place to sit empty for a while. It was just possible that they wouldn’t get back here this season, so everything had to be shut down and winterized—as they had found it when they ported in.
Ray turned off the generator and followed Evie’s instructions on how to leave everything in the little shed that housed the machine. He found the stock of antifreeze and did as she told him with that, as well, in the plumbing. They worked together to make certain no food was left out where rodents could get at it, and that all containers were shut tight and put away behind closed cabinet doors.
When everything was secure, Ray and Evie went outside to lock the door and board things up against any of the more persistent wildlife that might wander out this way. Once that was done and everything was as prepared as they could make it, Ray took Evie by the hand and led her a short distance from the cabin.
She had phoned Josh earlier to tell him of their plans, and Ray had talked briefly with Deena about his intention to use the stone circle on her land as the terminus for his port. She had agreed that it was the safest place to avoid detection by anyone who might be watching for energy ripples.
Then, as the afternoon sun shone down on them and they faced the cabin that had been their honeymoon home, Ray took Evie in his arms and called on his magic. A moment later, the cabin faded, and an altar of living rock stood before them, surrounded by standing stones that embraced his energies and redirected any leftover eddies of magical current down into the earth. Perfect.
With any luck, nobody would be able to detect their arrival through magical means.
Ray released Evie from his tight hold and let her go. She immediately went over to the perimeter of the circle to greet the tall man and much shorter woman who waited just outside. Josh and Deena.
Ray would make his hellos soon, but just for a moment, he needed a chance to regroup. He hadn’t been in the mortal world in a while, and the flow of magic was different here than in faerie. Plus, his magic was enough to get them here, but the expenditure of power at this stage in his healing from all those years of being drained left him a little light-headed.
All that, plus the fact that he was just grateful to be alive and with his mate once more—and now, his son… The moment was a bit harrowing emotionally.
Ray sank to one knee before the altar stone and lifted up a prayer of thanks to the Mother of All. He had a lot to be grateful for.
He shut his eyes, taking the moment he needed to gather his strength—magical, physical and emotional. Taking a deep breath, he opened his eyes and stood. It was time to face his son.
Ray turned and walked toward the small group at the edge of the circle of standing stones. Evie was there, tears in her eyes as she smiled, looking between Ray and their son, an eager sort of anticipation on her expressive face. The other woman looked happy, too, though Ray could see the wetness shining in her eyes even as she smiled. This must be Deena, the priestess his son had mated.
And the man… The child was forever lost to Ray, but the man looking back at him had his mother’s eyes. The same wild wolf that lived in Evie’s pure soul also inhabited Josh’s. But he was as tall as Ray was, and his muscular shape looked very much like what Ray saw in a mirror when he cared to look. Tall, broad of shoulder, arms that could heft a sword, a lithe build that meant he could move well when called upon to fight.
Yes, this was familiar to Ray. Josh could very well be a chip off the old block, but Ray knew whatever his son had achieved, it had been through no help from Ray. He’d been absent his son’s whole life, which wasn’t fair to either of them.
Ray walked up to Josh, facing him, like mirror images, only one was half-werewolf and one was fully fey. They had a lot in common, but it was their differences that would be the most interesting to Ray—if Josh gave his sire a chance to get to know him.
“Joshua,” Ray said simply, trying very hard not to let his voice crack with emotion.
“Father,” Josh acknowledged, in a harsh tone that made Ray want to flinch.
“You have every right to hate me. I wasn’t there for you or your mother, but we cannot change the past, no matter how much I wish it possible. Can you ever forgive me?”
Josh stepped a little closer, his posture less severe. “There is nothing to forgive,” he said in a strained tone.
Ray had chosen not to speak to Josh by phone while he and Evie had been in North Dakota. He’d left the communicating to Evie, preferring to speak to his son for the first time face to face. Josh had felt the same, Evie had told him.
Ray was glad they’d waited now. Context was everything, and body language spoke volumes. What he read from Josh’s face, words and stance was better than anything he could have hoped for. It was just possible that his son didn’t hate him, after all, though Ray really wouldn’t have blamed him if he had.
“Thank you both for freeing me,” Ray said, including Deena in his words.
Deena stepped forward, aligning herself with her mate. “I’m so glad to finally meet you,” Deena said, moving forward to hug Ray.
He returned the hug, grateful his son had found a woman with such a big heart. If she was willing to accept him so easily, perhaps his son would come to find a similar ease with him in time.
When Deena stepped back, she put her arm around Josh’s waist, urging him forward. “My mate has been looking forward to talking to you about his new calling.”
“It fills my heart with joy and pride to know that the Mother of All has chosen you to serve, Josh,” Ray admitted.
It seemed the right thing to say. Josh moved a step closer.
“I was angry with you for a long time,” Josh admitted. “But I understand now. You couldn’t do anything other than what you did. You were serving your calling. You didn’t leave us on purpose. And Deena seems to think…” His voice had dropped lower with each word, and he hesitated, looking at his mate, as if for reassurance. She nodded, urging him on as strong emotion rolled off Josh in waves so palpable, even Ray could feel them. “Deena thinks everything happened this way by the Goddess’s design. Though I can’t imagine why putting Mom through so much pain and uncertainty was something the Lady wanted.”
“Josh!” Evie chastised him, but not angrily. She was sniffling now, but not sad. More just overcome by the moment. “The past is behind us. The future is always uncertain. We need to just enjoy the moments we have now—finally being together as a family. The rest is all superfluous.”
Ray put his right arm around Evie’s waist, pulling her to his side and placing a kiss on top of her head. She had grown incredibly wise in the years they’d been kept apart.
“You’re so right,” Deena agreed with Evie’s words.
Evie reached out with her free hand to their son, and Josh came to her. Deena then reached out to Ray, and he took her hand, completing the circle. It was the women who would bind them all together, who would break the barriers that men sometimes found hard to overcome. Evie drew Josh in as Deena did the same, and they were suddenly in a sort of huddle, linked together by each having an arm around two others’ waists. A family of four powerful beings, communing silently as a unit, though the bonds of blood and love were strong.
Then, Deena and Evie drew away, leaving just Josh and Ray, facing each other, closer than they’d ever been. Ray opened his arms, hoping his son would embrace him, but unwilling to push Josh any further than he was prepared to go right now. Too many years apart had damaged the relationship they should have had. Ray would take whatever Josh was willing to give him. That he’d even come this far was a huge thing to Ray.
But Josh didn’t hesitate. He embraced his father for the first time, bringing tears to Ray’s eyes and a momentary clash of magic as their energies—both powerful and strong—got used to each other. The flavor of Josh’s magic was familiar but completely unique in the combination of werewolf and fey that comprised his son’s true nature.
Ray laughed between the tears. This
was his son. His son!
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Long moments later, after Ray had gotten a handle on his emotions somewhat, they broke apart. Josh’s eyes were wet, too, and his smile was just as shaky as Ray’s. It looked like his son was just as uncomfortable with the mushy stuff, as Evie would call it, as Ray was.
“Your magic is really wild and free, isn’t it?” Ray observed, shaking his head as his grin became steadier.
“It was even worse before,” Josh admitted, also seeming to regain some of his composure as time rolled on. “Deena has been a huge help there.”
“Your mother tells me the fey magic just came upon you suddenly a few months back. I’m sorrier than I can say that you had to deal with that all on your own. It must’ve been quite the surprise.”
“Yeah, you could say that.” Josh shot a teasing look at his mother. “Especially considering Mom never mentioned that my father was fey.”
“She what?” Ray looked at Evie, truly surprised.
“I, uh…” Evie began, looking a bit sheepish—which was hard for a werewolf. “I found it really difficult to talk about you, Ray.”
Ray’s heart contracted a bit, realizing the depth of the pain his absence must have caused her. Had she been so deep in grief that she couldn’t even tell their son about his father?
When he considered the fact that many shifters didn’t survive the loss of a mate, he guessed he shouldn’t have been surprised. In fact, Evie had done remarkably well to raise their son all on her own and continue to live her life—even when she thought her mate was gone from this world.
He knew that many shifters chose to follow their mates into death, regardless of the circumstances or who they left behind. If Evie had chosen that route, not only might Josh never have been born, but Ray wouldn’t have been on the other side of the veil, waiting for her. He’d been trapped in faerie, not dead.
