Woven Fates

by Brandy L Rivers

  Woven Fates

  Others of Edenton: Book 11

  Brandy L Rivers

  Copyright 2018 Brandy L Rivers

  Edited by Emily A. Lawrence

  Cover Design by Brandy L Rivers

  All rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, brands, media, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of various products referenced in this work of fiction, which have been used without permission. The publication/use of these trademarks is not authorized, associated with, or sponsored by the trademark owners.

  Also by Brandy L Rivers

  Others of Edenton

  New Beginnings

  In Too Deep

  Shadows Fall

  Shadows of the Past

  Fated Love

  Falling Into Place

  Breaking Free

  Mending Scars

  Labor of Love

  Light in Darkness

  Blissful Agony

  Deep Trouble

  Entangled Darkness

  Blood Bound

  Woven Fates

  Others of Seattle

  Nights Embrace

  Storm Mistress

  Accepting Fate

  Red Queen

  Seductive Solutions

  Changing Destiny

  Coming Together

  Storm Wrath

  Twisted Bonds

  Darkness Binds

  Untitled (coming 2019)

  Nights Embrace Spin Off

  Summer Rhythm

  Branches of Emrys

  Sleepwalker

  Dreams of Change

  Finding Hawk

  Chasing Dove

  Untitled (coming 2019)

  Pine Barrens Pack Co-Written with Rebecca Brooke

  Cursed Vengeance

  Vengeance Unraveled

  Shifted Vengeance (Coming 2019)

  Combustible

  Heart on Fire

  Falling Star

  Sweet Tooth

  Backburn

  Love Behind the Scenes

  The Callback

  The Long Shot

  To keep up with upcoming releases and news visit me at my

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  Table of Contents

  Prologue

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Chapter 34

  Chapter 35

  Chapter 36

  About Brandy L Rivers

  Also by Brandy L Rivers

  Dedication

  Alan, I love you more every day.

  Prologue

  Fifteen months ago…

  Driving usually calmed Mark’s nerves, but the trip threatened to land him in the loony bin. Gina had been through hell no one should ever have to go through. Luckily, she couldn’t remember anything but her old Alpha’s dark eyes.

  Mark’s presence calmed her. And he couldn’t resist her sweet smile or those big sky-blue eyes. Her blond cap of hair curled at the ends. Such ethereal beauty that if he didn’t know better, he would assume she was an angel.

  Gina had been his closest friend’s girlfriend a lifetime ago. They’d been teenagers. Clint had been changed by a werewolf bitch who wanted a toy. And he managed to keep Gina a secret from his Alpha and everyone for two years. Then Clint grew too bold, refusing orders, and his alpha ordered Clint to attack her. Hoping to grant her mercy, he attempted to kill Gina instead and believed he had succeeded before escaping. He learned differently a few days ago, when Axel and Ava came back to claim the werewolf who escaped.

  Clint had found her on his porch, naked, a silver chain wrapped around her neck, and the word remember carved into her back with a silver blade. Her skull had been damaged when Clint tried to grant her mercy, attempting to kill her. The change took hold, healing most of the damage. However, the fragments of bone from her skull had floated around in the tissue, erasing the memories of the hell she’d lived in for sixteen long years.

  Her memories were unrecoverable, but Emily had managed to make her whole. And now Gina was attempting to find herself again. Only two days had passed since Axel’s death and Ava’s escape with the rest of the pack. They were down in Florida, about as far as you could get from Edenton, Washington, and still be in the States.

  And now, Mark was on his way to the Silver Council Healing Unit at the Seattle headquarters. He was scared to death because Slater asked him to invite Gina into his home. Exactly where he wanted her, but how long was he going to resist mating her? She was his mate, there was no doubt in his mind. From the very first time their eyes locked, he knew.

  The conversation with Slater had been eye-opening.

  The day after her old Alpha came to try to claim Clint and slaughter Slater, Mark had been sitting on his deck, enjoying his morning tea.

  Slater walked up the driveway, a smile on his face. Just the day before his face had been nearly melted off, but Emily had once again managed to heal the impossible.

  “We need to talk,” Slater stated, his gray eyes unwavering.

  “About?” Mark inquired.

  “Gina. I want you to take her in. She trusts you. And you and I both know where it’s going.”

  His brow pinched as he set the cup down. “I bring her home and you know what’s going to happen.”

  Slater nodded. “We don’t choose our mate, Mark. That happens naturally. And I know you will never hurt her. Clint does too. In fact, he’s the one who suggested she live here, with you.”

  “Damn it, Slater, what if I relapse back to those days when I woke up shifting, trying to claw through everything?”

  “You won’t. Not with her by your side. Because as much as you calm her, she calms you. I’ve seen it. You’ll be good for her.”

  He let out a breath and nodded slowly. “I hope you’re right.”

  Slater winked. “I am. So why don’t you get everything ready? You’re scheduled to pick her up tomorrow. I know it’s what you want. Stop trying to be a perfect gentleman. She doesn’t need that. She needs a strong wolf who wants to make her happy.”

  “Yeah, that’s me,” Mark admitted. And still, he was terrified he could somehow hurt her.

  Returning to the present, Mark thought, Slater better be right. He pulled into the parking lot and parked. The walk into the building and to her room drew out his nerves.
He shoved his shaking hands into his pockets and attempted to relax.

  He stopped at Gina’s door and it opened before he could knock. She stared up at him with the most beautiful smile he’d ever seen. “I’m going home.”

  “You sure you want to go home with me?”

  “You want me there.” Such innocent truth from her lips. Did she have any idea why? God, he hoped so. Maybe he wouldn’t feel like such an asshole for wanting to bury himself inside her until they became one.

  * * * *

  Mark was everything Gina needed. She understood that fact better than anything else. He was hers. She was his. Simple as that. They weren’t whole without the other.

  And he was terrified, even though he knew they were meant to be mates.

  Why so afraid of something so perfect?

  “I trust you completely, with everything.” She wanted to say more but worried he would run at those words. Her beast longed for his as much as she wanted to feel him all over and inside her.

  She needed that connection, that perfect happiness that would come when the bond forged strong. And it would.

  “Why?”

  “You calm the chaos in my head. You fill me with joy just to have you near.”

  His mouth curved into that gorgeous smile and he looked past her into the room. “Anything you want to take?”

  She shook her head. “Jess and Jamie already promised to ensure I had everything I need at your place.”

  Emily came down the hall with a smile. “I’ve already sent everything, but she refused to leave without you.”

  He nodded slowly, confusion on his face.

  She had a request, though, one that wouldn’t be the same with anyone else. And she wanted to talk to him, without everyone constantly around. Some of the mages scared her. They were very nice, but they sometimes heard things they shouldn’t.

  Didn’t matter. She hoped never to go back. But while Axel was still alive and a threat, they wanted her safe. And now he was dead and gone.

  No one was coming for her. And her sweet Clint had moved on. For the best. Clint wasn’t meant to be with her. He was meant for Emily, the pretty green-eyed mage who healed Gina’s broken head.

  She wasn’t jealous. In fact, she was happy for him. He was where he belonged. And now, Gina was with who she belonged.

  He led her out of the center, in a direction she hadn’t been allowed to go yet, and to a truck. It was a bit dusty, but clean. And she had to wonder if it was a work truck.

  Mark opened the door and caught her around the waist, easily lifting her into the seat. She covered his hands with her own. “Can you take me to the forest?”

  His eyes lit up. “Sure, behind my house.”

  She shook her head slowly. “Before there. Where we won’t run into any other wolves. I want to run.”

  He smiled. “You’ll stay with me?”

  She nodded, grinning from ear to ear.

  “I don’t see a problem with that.” He shut the door and pulled his phone out as he walked around the truck.

  He was checking in.

  They were both adults. Why did he need to call anyone? No one seemed to believe she understood everything that was going on around her. And she did, probably better than they did.

  Sure, her worlds got jumbled, but she saw things no one else could. She felt them too. And right now, she needed to prove she knew exactly what she wanted.

  Her mate to accept her completely.

  Mark climbed into the seat and set the phone on the console before reaching over and buckling her in. She caught his chin and pulled his eyes to hers. “Relax, Mark. I trust you completely.”

  “I don’t.” Shaking his head, he moved back. “It’s been a long time since I felt even a fraction of what I feel for you, and I’m afraid I’ll do something wrong.”

  She held his gaze. “Nothing you do will be wrong.” Unless he continued to deny her. Couldn’t he feel it? He had to. The connection practically pulsed between them.

  He watched her for a long moment before finally nodding. “I know the perfect spot.”

  She hoped he would go along with her plan. She had noticed it was harder to keep his hands to himself after running with her in the small area they let them run for the full moon.

  Now, she wanted the call of nature to guide them. Not strange magic that expanded a space farther than it truly went. She had been disoriented each time she’d been allowed to shift.

  “I hope you like the house.”

  “I will,” she answered. All she wanted was Mark under the same roof. Well, that and to seal the bond that grew every time he visited.

  “And your room.”

  She sighed, staring out the window.

  He cleared his throat, his hands gripping the wheel harder. “What do you think will happen with us?”

  “Hopefully, you realize what we are to each other, and you stop treating me like I’m broken.”

  He gulped. “You understand the concept of mating?”

  “I’m not a virgin, Mark. And I don’t believe I’ve enjoyed sex since—well, for a very long time. But I want you.”

  “Damn it, this was not what I expected,” he muttered.

  “Don’t you want me?” She knew the answer but needed to hear it.

  “I don’t want to ever hurt or scare you, Gina. You’ve been through so damned much.”

  “None of which I can remember,” she pointed out.

  “And what if you flashback, or have some kind of anxiety attack while I’m on top of you?”

  “I won’t. And you would never hurt me. Unless you don’t seal this bond.”

  His head whipped toward her before refocusing on the road. A heavy sigh escaped his lips. “We come back to Edenton with you bound to me and Clint will kill me.”

  She shook her head. “I know you believe that, but he trusts you with me. And I think once you and I are mated, he’ll stop worrying about me.”

  “How do you know that?”

  “He smiled when I asked if he thought you would be a good mate for me. And not like I’m going to kill him, but like that’s the best possible outcome.”

  Mark rubbed at his head. “He’s threatened bodily harm if I hurt you.”

  “Mark, can you honestly say it doesn’t hurt to resist this draw?”

  He stared at the road, trying to come up with something to say.

  She changed the subject. “Just run with me. Let me hunt. We’ll figure the rest out later.”

  He glanced over. “This is what you want? Me?”

  “The only thing I want, Mark. Don’t deny me.”

  His shoulders rose and fell. “Don’t think I can.”

  “Everyone expects it to happen. Stop worrying. No one is opposed to us. Clint and Slater wouldn’t have suggested I move in with you, if they didn’t think it would happen.”

  “I really hope you’re right,” Mark muttered.

  “I am.”

  There were so many reasons she wanted to seal the bond. Something was coming that threatened everyone and everything, and she knew she needed him, and vice versa.

  Mark pulled to a stop at the end of a dirt road and climbed out. “You like waterfalls?” he asked sheepishly.

  She couldn’t remember ever seeing one, but she knew what would come if they did this. “Yes.”

  He climbed out of the truck and she joined him, peeling the shorts and T-shirt off as she went. Then she shifted as he came around the truck with a shake of his head.

  “Stay with me, okay?” He bent to rub her head.

  She licked his face and he chuckled.

  “I’ll take that as a yes.” He turned and got rid of his clothes.

  Gina wanted to see and trotted around him to take in his beautiful body. Long, lean muscle, golden skin, a dusting of golden hair. She could stare at him all day.

  He shifted fast, rolling his eyes, but didn’t comment.

  She knew he wor
ried about how she would react, but she wanted Mark more than she wanted her next breath.

  Mark walked into the woods, not following a trail, but easily made his way. She stayed with him, excited to see where he would bring her.

  The forest was exactly what she craved. Beauty at every turn. He came to a stop and she moved beside him to find the sun glinting off a waterfall that fell into a large pool with a river down at the other side.

  She shifted back and walked to the water, stepping in.

  Mark huffed, but she turned back and found him standing there, already changed, watching her. “You are so beautiful, I swear you must be an angel.”

  She giggled. “No angel, just me. And you…” She didn’t have the words. “Come here.”

  “You know how mating works, right?”

  She nodded. “I remember sex, Mark. I remember it being good. Whatever happened in that pack—I’m glad those memories are gone.”

  “Promise me I won’t scare you, that I won’t hurt you.”

  She smiled brightly. “You will never hurt me. Now come here and make me yours. Mark me. I want you in all ways.”

  “Shit, I can’t even think when you talk like that,” he muttered.

  “No thinking, just doing. Come here.”

  He closed the distance and caught her face in his hands. His lips pressed to hers in a gentle kiss, but she needed more.

  Gina sank her teeth into his bottom lip and he groaned.

  “Don’t want to hurt you, Gina. Let me take my time.”

  “No. I’ve craved you too long.”

  He picked her up, his eyes deepening as he carried her back to the soft grass. “This is what you want?”

  “Don’t make me wait,” she pleaded.

  He laid her down and propped himself over her. “What are you doing to me?”

  “Seducing you.” She trailed her fingers down his torso. “This is what I want.”

  Mark kissed her lips, her jaw, her throat, down her collarbone, to one budded nipple.

  She sighed as he caressed the other breast. Sweet, gentle, and not nearly enough.