Woven Fates

by Brandy L Rivers

  Regret filled her, but she had to force it down and pretend nothing was wrong. It wasn’t as easy, but Gerard needed to believe. So did Anthony, and the rest of them.

  “Now what?” she asked.

  “We convince Valen to check out Edenton. We want him to look around, find out who lives there, what types of Others. Numbers, and what the town looks like. He can’t know the whole story, so if someone suspects him, he has nothing incriminating to tell.”

  Nodding slowly, an idea started to form. But she had to ask. “What about Cora? Seems the person checking out the house was from Edenton. Perhaps Anders has figured something out and he’s now looking for us, and for a way to stop you.”

  “Stop us,” Gerard countered.

  “Us,” she repeated. Though now that her head was clearing, she wanted to pull away from Gerard, even if it cost her life. She couldn’t let that monster destroy Anders again. And she wouldn’t lose her son when he changed into something else. Not to mention the coven. She wouldn’t be responsible for the death of all of them.

  To change the subject, she asked, “Hungry?”

  “Starving,” Gerard answered.

  * * * *

  Robert watched Gina and Mark leave. Then he turned to Druciela. “You should both stay in Liz’s cabin. It’s isolated from the rest of the world. You will be untrackable.”

  “I’ll go with them,” Morrigan offered. “Besides, I have a feeling Druciela will be able to help when Gina is ready to give birth. There are things she’ll need to know first.”

  Cora shook her head. “You make it sound like that might only be days away.”

  “It will be days away,” Morrigan answered. “This isn’t a normal pregnancy. She is not just a werewolf, but this birth will make her whole again.”

  “I don’t understand,” Cora answered.

  “You don’t need to, but perhaps you can learn with Druciela?”

  “You can call me Dru,” she offered.

  Cora smiled sadly. “Will she let me help? Gina?”

  Dru nodded. “She will. And she’ll accept you more quickly than you’d think. She just needs a bit of time. That’s all.”

  Cora glanced away. “I should have listened to him all those years ago.”

  “But you were afraid?” Dru asked.

  “Yeah, I was.”

  Morrigan smiled. “So prove to them both you not only believe Mark, but you want to be there to help when things get strange for both of them. Because things will be.”

  “What are you talking about?” Dru asked.

  “I can’t give the future away. I can only help you prepare for it,” Morrigan answered.

  Robert held out his arms. “Touch me and we can go. You’ll both be safe, and Morrigan can teach you what you need to know.” Though he seemed perplexed.

  Chapter 15

  Mark closed the door and stood there. There were a million thoughts banging around his head.

  Gina pulled him toward the couch. “Come on, baby, be here with me.”

  Something in her voice pulled him out of his thoughts. He turned to her and caught her face, stopping her movement. “Are you okay? How are you feeling?”

  “Hungry, but I want you first. I want to know you’re with me.”

  “You know I’m with you. And if you’re hungry, with a baby growing, you should eat first.”

  Her nose wrinkled. Then she sighed. “Yeah, we should eat.”

  “Just need ten minutes.” He guided her into the chair and kissed her lips. “I love you. Now relax.”

  He left her there and went to the kitchen, pulling out a package of steak he planned to sear and serve. He turned the stove on before dialing Slater.

  The Alpha answered after a single ring. “Mark, everything okay?”

  “No, and Robert may be able to explain everything better. But remember why I came here?”

  “Sure, but what does that have to do with anything?”

  He sighed. “Because, the coven is still around, and the doppelgangers are looking for me now that they know I’m alive. Apparently the one who took on my persona wants me now.”

  “Okay,” Slater said slowly.

  “Thing is, most of the witches have no clue there are imposters among them. There’s a witch I used to know who’s with Robert. She wants to help, if she can.”

  And they’re looking for you? Possibly her?”

  “He’s going to take her where no one will find her.”

  “How did you find her?”

  “Druciela did. She went to check Brightwater Bay while we tried to figure out what’s going on with Gina.”

  “What’s going on with Gina?”

  “Uh, she’s having a baby, sort of…”

  “That’s not possible,” Slater Balked

  “It’s a long story. In a nutshell, she’s pregnant, but the pregnancy should go ridiculously fast, and the baby will grow quickly.”

  “What?”

  Gina took the phone from his hand and walked out of the room. He shook his head.

  She pressed speaker. “Just know that everything will be all right, and I’ll be more than just a werewolf after this.”

  “You’re not making sense,” Slater protested.

  “Know anything about Morrigan, Badb, or Macha?”

  “Tales of the Morrigan? Sure, I know a little.”

  She let out a breath. “Morrigan is in Edenton. Badb was killed by the same creature who tried to kill Mark back when he was a witch. She was also there when Amelia destroyed the creature that wanted into this world. Only Badb wound up in me. And now, I’m going to give birth to her.”

  “Whoa, what?” Slater demanded.

  “It’s a long story. It’s fine. But there is a good chance I’ll have children after this.”

  “That’s…I don’t know what to say.”

  Mark sighed. “Neither do I. But relax. Robert has plenty of backup on this, and Morrigan is here. Maybe call Robert?”

  “Yeah, I’ll see what he has to say. Are you okay, Gina? Should we be worried about what happened?”

  “I don’t believe so. But I guess we’ll know soon.”

  Mark went back to the kitchen and flipped the steaks. It wouldn’t take much longer to finish.

  “I’ll talk to Robert after this, but if there is anything you need from us, call.”

  “We will,” Gina assured.

  Though, Mark had another idea. Maybe Fallon could talk to Gina. She dealt with an unusual pregnancy.

  He plated the food and brought it to the table as Gina ended the call and moved to the table. “Thank you.”

  “Eat. I know I’m hungry. And I plan to make you hungry all over again.”

  Her lips curved into a smile. “You always do. And have I mentioned that I love you?”

  “You have, and I love you.”

  * * * *

  After eating, Gina took Mark’s plate to the sink and started for the bedroom. She didn’t care about anything but Mark in that moment.

  Mark swept her off her feet and carried her to the room, where he tossed her on the bed and opened her pants. “Oh, that feels better,” she murmured.

  His hands covered her stomach as he stared down at her, unmoving, his eyes wide.

  “What?” she glanced down and noticed the slight bump. “Oh my God!”

  “I think I’m okay with her not being ours,” Mark said.

  “What’s that supposed to mean?” Gina demanded.

  His mouth curved in a grin as he met her gaze. “Just that with our baby, we’ll have months to prepare. You’re already showing, that doesn’t usually happen until the second trimester, Gina. This is moving fast.”

  She sat up, pulling his hands from her tummy. “Tell me you want my child.”

  “More than I can express. I want to be a dad. I just gave up on that when I became a wolf.”

  “Why?” she whispered.

  He shook his head. “
My wife broke my heart. I didn’t look for love after that. But then I found you.” He scooped her up and sat on the bed, her in his lap. “Everything changed when I looked into your eyes. I knew in that moment you were my everything.”

  “Why did you want to fight me?”

  Mark laughed sadly. “You know why. I was worried I would scare you, maybe hurt you.”

  “I knew you wouldn’t.”

  He smiled. “Because you knew I would do anything for you.”

  Gina kissed him, trailing her fingers down his chest.

  Rolling her over, Mark looked into her eyes. “If I do anything that makes you uncomfortable—”

  She covered his mouth and shook her head. “I’ll tell you. Now stop thinking and love my body.”

  “I love every part of you, Gina.” He moved back, taking her jeans and underwear with him. He stood and got rid of his clothes before climbing between her thighs and bending down to lick and tease her.

  Gina speared her fingers through his hair as he focused on her clit. Sensation rocked through her body and she flew toward release. Magic broke loose and flowed through her with climax.

  Mark moved up, his thighs under hers as he angled her hips and slid into her. He held her there with one hand while caressing up her ribs to cup her breast.

  She locked her feet behind his back and gave herself over to his power and love.

  * * * *

  The growing baby bump worried Mark for a moment, but as soon as Gina promised to tell him if anything was wrong, all that went away.

  She stared up at him with those big blue eyes so full of hope and love. How could he do anything but love her? She was made for him.

  He pumped into her, while she caressed up his arms. Magic rolled from Gina, through him, calling to something deep inside. It wasn’t her wolf, it wasn’t Badb. It was Gina’s magic.

  She pulled him down and rolled to rock over him, pressing tight against him. She kissed his lips, his jaw, to his ear. “I love you, Mark.”

  “Oh, Gina.” He sucked her earlobe as their bodies moved together. He ran his hands down her back to grip her ass, guiding her up and down his shaft. “Love you more…and more…every day.”

  Her fingers speared into his hair and she devoured his mouth. Pricks of light twinkled through the room as she brought him over the edge. She threw her head back and cried his name.

  Love, he felt it radiating between them while magic sank into his body, down to his bones, maybe to his very soul, waking everything up that had long been dormant.

  He held Gina tighter, rolling to the side to look into her eyes.

  She blinked wide. “Your wolf is still there.”

  He nodded. He could feel it. Only now, the wolf seemed more a part of him than a separate entity.

  “Your magic is coming back.”

  “I don’t understand but as long as I have you, I don’t care.”

  “She said I’d be more whole. That all the parts of me would merge. I think it’s happening to you too.”

  “We’ll figure it out.” He laid his head down and pulled her close. “I’m starting to believe that everything is going to be all right.”

  Chapter 16

  Cora sat on the back deck of the cabin, drinking coffee she made a short time before. Morrigan hadn’t come down yet. She wanted to call her friends, find out what was going on with the coven. She couldn’t trust anyone with her whereabouts. She needed a way to convince them what was really going on.

  Hopefully the people working on a solution came up with one before the coven died. Actually died. Would Kindra still be willing to go along with Gerard if she knew everyone was going to fade away and die? Of course, Kindra was selfish enough that she would if she thought that was the only way to live.

  And she had to wonder why Anthony hadn’t managed to change her thoughts, or why Gerard couldn’t change Mark’s. Why was Kindra susceptible and they weren’t?

  “You okay?” Druciela asked as she sat down next to her with a cup of coffee.

  Cora shook her head. “I wish I’d had Mark’s courage. As witches, most of us are taught not to trust Others. Only ourselves. I should have reached out to someone else, like he did. In fact, when he told me what he planned, I told him not to. I warned him the Silver Council would sweep in and destroy all of us for being so stupid to let someone infiltrate us.”

  Druciela let out a laugh. “Honestly, some of them would have back then. He’s lucky Robert, Preston, Liz, and Tremaine were out there. Tremaine got him to safety, and Robert and the rest of them did what they could to find the doppelgangers, but I would imagine they simply didn’t have the means to find them at that time.”

  “Why would they now?”

  Druciela looked away. “They’ve all learned or accepted new things. But as long as I’ve known all of them, they have been good, and willing to fight for all Others.”

  “Wish less of us were so isolated.”

  “Maybe you should spend some time in Edenton. See if it’s your kind of place. Maybe you need a fresh start.”

  “I don’t know where to begin.”

  “I could help,” Druciela offered. “I left my coven early, but I found my place in Edenton. Doesn’t mean you will, but you could try something new. Besides, by the sounds of it, Brightwater Bay isn’t going to survive. The people can, but the land will need time to bounce back, if it’s not too late.”

  “I hope it’s not. We’ve been there for generations.”

  “Sure, but when did it stop feeling like home? Was it when a creature came in and took your husband’s place?”

  She nodded. “I haven’t felt at home there since the beginning of this mess. Mark tried to get me to go to the Council with him, but I wouldn’t. God, this is as much my fault as it is Kindra’s.”

  “No, you didn’t trust an organization you were trained not to. Mark said his parents weren’t the same as everyone else in the coven. They didn’t teach him to fear the mages or anyone else. He came here and took to the werewolves without any trouble. He makes friends with everyone.”

  “He always did. But then the coven turned against him when he tried to warn us what was happening. He didn’t know exactly what was going on, only that it was bad. And now we’re falling apart over something we should have stopped fifty years ago.”

  “May I?” Morrigan asked, pointing to an empty seat.

  Cora nodded.

  Morrigan took a seat. “It’s not your fault. Even if you talked to everyone, most wouldn’t have believed. It’s hard to believe in creatures coming in to take another person’s place in their lives.”

  “His parents would have believed him. They should have been our high priest and priestess, but neither of them wanted power. They just wanted to help us.” Cora rubbed at her face.

  “What happened to them?” Druciela asked.

  “There was an accident. No one understands what happened. The car malfunctioned, but there was nothing wrong with the engine, brakes, or anything else.” Cora took another drink. “Someone had them killed, but I don’t know why.”

  Morrigan sat forward. “Probably whoever let the doppelgangers into your coven.”

  “That doesn’t make sense.”

  “Who would stand to gain from the doppelgangers taking power?”

  She shook her head.

  “There you go, trying to come up with an argument instead of realizing that someone could have gained from a change in leadership. This is why the doppelgangers succeed,” Morrigan explained. “They find someone desperate to rise in ranks and move up from there. Usually an individual or couple who expect to go up the hierarchy who don’t have the means on their own.”

  “Kindra or her parents. But her parents died.”

  “How?” Morrigan asked.

  Cora shook her head. “No one can figure that out. One day, they were just dead. There were no apparent injuries, or health issues. They were just dead one day, out in their gard
en. They weren’t drained, they weren’t hurt. It was weird.”

  “Perhaps they asked too much or pushed the wrong doppelganger. Maybe all of them,” Morrigan answered.

  “True. I know they pushed Kindra into pursuing Anders. I mean Mark.” She rubbed at her neck. “It’s so weird how much different he is, but at the same time, I see so many similarities.

  “Only a handful of us knew where he came from. He adapted immediately,” Druciela admitted. “At first, I didn’t think he understood what he’d been, but I’ve realized since then, that he’s not confined to the role he was born into. He became a wolf, embraced it, and has made a good life.”

  “I hope he can forgive me,” Cora admitted.

  “If he hasn’t, he will. He’s not one to hold a grudge. Well, probably against Kindra and Gerard, but if there is a way to save Kindra, he will. But he will never choose her over Gina.”

  “They’re mated. Even I can see that, and I had never met a werewolf before,” Cora said.

  “Do Others bother you? Besides mages?” Druciela asked.

  She shook her head. “Well, not in theory, but I’ve never been around any,” Cora admitted.

  Morrigan laughed softly. “Well, I’m Fae, and probably nothing you would have imagined.”

  She shook her head. “I don’t know much about the Fae.”

  One corner of Morrigan’s mouth tipped up. “There are many different kinds.”

  Druciela nodded. “We have several Fae in Edenton, all different. We have witches, vampires, werewolves, a couple werecats, druids, shaman, mages, and a leprechaun.”

  “Leprechaun?” Cora asked.

  “Yes, my son’s mate. He’s a werewolf. He never had magic. And his mate is half leprechaun.”

  “Why?”

  “His father was human. My daughter is half Fae.”

  “Wow,” Cora answered.

  “And she’s having Preston’s baby,” Druciela answered.

  Morrigan smiled. “And Preston happens to be my grandson.”

  Druciela tipped her head. “That makes us family, huh?”