by Bethany Shaw
“Really?” Haven drawled out. She put her hand on Essex’s chest. “I don’t know what your problem is with Essex, but he’s my mate and I... I love him, so you’re going to have to deal with it.” The words surprised even her. She inhaled, realizing how true they were, and met her father’s eyes, daring him to challenge her.
Alistair bowed his head. “I would never do anything to harm you, even if that means I must let him live.”
“Why don’t you like him, anyway? He was just a boy when all this happened. He’s done nothing to you,” Haven continued. Whatever had happened in the past had nothing to do with Essex, and she wasn’t going to let this man who claimed to be her father say or do anything to him because of something someone else did.
Alistair opened his mouth and then closed it. “The Montrose family has been at war with the Bakers for many generations. Montroses and Bakers have been dueling to the death for generations when they ran into each other. It’s just our way of life. If you’d been raised a Montrose, you would have killed him on sight. Demons aren’t known for letting grudges go easily, but you are right, Haven. The fight is not ours.” He held his hand out to Essex. “I’m willing to settle the blood feud if you are.”
Essex cleared his throat and held out his arm, clasping Alistair’s hand tightly. They bobbed their hands up and down and then Essex said, “As am I.”
Haven licked her lips as she thought about what Alistair had said. “So, why did The Hags go after my family then. Why didn’t you raise me?”
Alistair clasped his hands together. “Once The Hags realized the power they got from wiping out a bloodline, they didn’t want to stop. They went after the Goodes because they were a small family, smaller than all the other surviving families. Most pure-blood families are small nowadays. That’s why we’ve begun doing arranged marriages with other pure-blood families.” He nodded at the two of them. “Not everyone is a true match as you two are, though. Consider yourselves fortunate.”
“But I would have been a baby. My parents weren’t killed until I was five.” Haven shook her head and narrowed her eyes. Something wasn’t adding up.
Alistair let out a long breath. “The parents that were murdered when you were five weren’t your real parents. They were your first set of adoptive parents.”
“What?” Haven asked with a frown.
Alistair nodded and reached out to touch her, but she shrank away, not sure she wanted anyone to comfort her but Essex. He dropped his hand to his side. “You were just an infant when all this happened. Your real mother and Edmond were murdered when you were a little over a month old.”
Essex scrubbed a hand over his face. “That would explain why we couldn’t match up the timelines earlier today.”
Alistair nodded. “After Rosa and Edmond were murdered, MYTHS stepped in and decided you’d be safest living with a MYTHS family. I never thought you were safe, which is why I was never too far away from you. I saved your life the night your adoptive parents were attacked. I tried to save them, but they sacrificed themselves for you.” He sighed heavily. “I wanted to take you home with me, but my parents refused. Montroses aren’t true Montroses unless they are pure Montrose. I didn’t have the friends I do now. It would’ve been impossible for me to protect you on my own, and I didn’t have the skills or the friends to help me hide.” He motioned to the men and women who stood around the room. “I was forced to give you back to MYTHS, and they put you with Stephen and erased all your memories of the previous five years.”
Haven closed her eyes and licked her lips. It was almost too much for her to take. Tears pricked her eyes.
“I’ve been looking after you for your entire life. I helped you the night your apartment was attacked. There were much more than two vampires. I had hoped to catch up with you – to talk to you and protect you, but you got away, and Stephen brought you here.”
“And in the woods?” Haven asked.
“I followed The Hags here. Emerick isn’t an easy place to find. I was about to attack the vampire when you teleported away from him. I followed you, but that didn’t go as planned, so I waited until I could help you.” He lifted his hands up. “And here I am.”
Haven looked around, taking in the men and women for the first time. They were all dressed in black leather and had weapons that would make any normal person cringe.
“Are The Hags gone?” she asked glancing back to him.
“If there are any left, they will be in hiding. I have no doubt they will be easy to find without their leader. Any one who wasn’t here should be easily detained and taken care of.” Alistair walked over to the first demon that had seemed to be the leader and kicked him. “Their leader is dead.”
“So, Essex and I are safe now? We can live our lives?” Haven asked. She squeezed Essex’s hand and smiled.
He returned her smile with a grin of his own.
“Yes,” Alistair said. “Though I’m sure Emerick is going to be your home, I do hope you’ll visit me and Lydia. I would like to have a relationship with you – to get to know my daughter. You have several half-siblings who would love to get to know you as well.” A woman with long blonde hair and gray eyes took a step forward, as did a boy and girl that appeared to be in their late teens or early twenties.
After so many years, she finally had some honest answers, and she had a chance to know her biological father, stepmother, and half-siblings. A smile tugged at the corners of her lips. “I’d like that.”
Not only had she found the man of her dreams, but also, she finally had places that she could call home and people she could call family. All of her dreams had been answered.
Epilogue
Essex took Haven’s hand as they walked down the walkway from the jet and into the airport. For the first time in over two decades, he was home in England. The feeling was surreal, and he couldn’t wait to step outside into the fresh air. Would it still smell like he remembered?
“Are you excited?” Haven asked, even though he was sure she already knew the answer. “I am.” She grasped his hand a little tighter.
He peered out the window of the walkway. Light snow had started to fall, and the ground was already sprinkled with white flakes. Christmas music played from the airport, and a happy feeling settled in the pit of his stomach.
Being Beta of the Emerick pack was still something he loved and would continue to do, but it was nice to be able to travel and get out. This was his and Haven’s first Christmas together. They were ringing it in with a bang, and meeting both Stephen and Alistair at the old Baker homestead. MYTHS had kept the property for him, saying it wouldn’t be right to sell it while an heir was still alive.
Part of him wondered if it would still be like he remembered, or if it would be completely different. After all these years, he was finally home. He and Haven had both found their happily ever afters and gained their freedom. He wouldn’t want anything more than that.
“Hey, you coming?” Haven asked, tugging on his arm, and he realized he’d stopped walking to stare at the snow. “Everything okay?”
“I was just thinking about how lucky I am,” he said. He closed the distance and captured her lips. “I love you,” he murmured between kisses.
“I love you, too.” She kissed him hard on the lips before flicking her tongue into his mouth.
Essex truly was the luckiest man on Earth. It wasn’t every day you found your soul mate.
Also by Bethany Shaw
A Hunted Novel
Purrfect Match
Sanctuary
Off Limits
Pursued
Rainier Pack
Shimmers in the Dark
The Invasion Series
Phoenix Rising
Phoenix Under Siege
Wayward Wolves
In the Arms of an Enemy
On the Run
Bitten”
“Midnight Run
Healing Christmas
Werewolf Wars
Out of the Shadows
>
Into the Unknown
Finding Our Way
Lost and Found
Forbidden Hope
The Werewolf Wars Complete Series
Zodiac Shifters
Fated Souls (A Zodiac Shifters Paranormal Romance: Aquarius )
Cursed in Love: A Zodiac Shifters Paranormal Romance: Cancer (Coming Soon)
Standalone
The Best Mistake
Rescued by the Bear
Claiming his Mate
Lucky In Love
The Beta's Mate
Watch for more at Bethany Shaw’s site.
