by Bethany Shaw
Daniel pulled back and tucked a stray piece of hair behind her ear. “I’ll always come back for you, Nora. No matter what.”
Daniel leaned forward, capturing her lips with his. Nora melted into his embrace as their mouths moved together in perfect sync. This was exactly where she wanted to be.
***
Daniel closed his eyes and bowed his head as Gene began reading off the names of everyone that had perished in the attack tonight and in New Mexico. The packs had decided that tonight, regardless of the late hour, they would honor their dead, and tomorrow, they would move forward and celebrate Lark and Devon’s mating.
Nora’s hand squeezed his tightly as Gene read off Vincent’s name. Daniel inhaled sharply and closed his eyes. It still didn’t seem real. His carefree, jokester of a brother was gone. Regret filled him, causing his heart to clench painfully in his chest. If he could go back, he would change so many things.
His eyes drifted to Devon. The alpha’s arm was draped protectively around Lark. The blonde buried her face into Devon’s shoulder, her quiet sobs visible by the rise and fall of her back. To think Vincent hadn’t thought he was fit for protecting Sarah, and yet, he’d given his life to try to save hers. Vincent had more courage and strength than he had realized—than their father had realized. It was a shame that Vincent himself had never seen it.
Gene cleared his throat as he read the last name off the list. “We have lost many wonderful people. Our friends, brothers, sisters, our family, we honor their sacrifice by continuing to fight for our cause. As long as we live honorably and stand for what is right and just, then their deaths are not in vain. May peace be with them always.”
Gene reached out, grabbed a handful of dirt, and dropped it into one of the open graves.
Daniel took Nora’s hand and led her to the shallow, empty grave that had been dug out for Vincent. He stared into the earth as tears of anger pricked his eyes. They didn’t even have a body to bury. God only knew what the Luna’s had done to Sarah and Vincent’s remains. The Luna’s had even gone so far as to showcase their disrespect by texting photos of their captives mutilated bodies. He could only hope that wherever they were, they were at peace.
A sob tore through the air and Daniel looked up to see his mother. Tears streamed down her face as she dropped to her knees and ran her fingers through the dirt mound. Emily crouched down next to her, trying to soothe her through her own tears.
“No parent should ever outlive their children,” Claire whispered, bowing her head down. Violent sobs racked through her body as she rocked back and forth.
Daniel was about to go to her when Emily and Marcus stooped down and helped her up. Emily whispered something and Claire nodded, allowing the couple to escort her back to the house. Devon looked after their mother as she left, but stayed by Lark’s side at Sarah’s gravesite.
“Did you want to say something?” Nora asked quietly. “Or do you need a minute alone?”
Daniel shook his head and gripped her hand tighter. “Stay.” He didn’t know what to say—or do, he just hoped that wherever his brother was he could see how much he really did care.
Nora rested her head on his shoulder. “Of course.”
Chapter Twenty-four
Nora smiled as she watched the ceremony. Lark and Devon spoke in Latin, or so she’d been told that was the language. It didn’t matter that she had no idea what they were saying, she could see the love they had for each other. Their smiles were bright and Lark’s eyes shone with unshed tears.
Lark’s white, one-shoulder gown had intricate beadwork throughout the dress. Her hair was down and fell in soft ringlets around her face. She looked beautiful.
Her eyebrow rose up in interest as Gene gently pricked both of their hands and then entwined them over a bowl.
“What are they doing?” Nora asked curiously. She’d never seen anything like that before. Of course, she’d never been to a werewolf wedding before either.
“It’s a blood bond. By holding the hands that are cut together, their blood mixes into each other’s bodies. It leaves a residual scent on each other, marking them as each other’s mate,” Daniel explained in a hushed voice.
“Scent?”
Daniel nodded. “Everyone has a personal scent. For us, it’s much more noticeable. By sharing the blood they are marking each other with that scent and it lingers on the other in their blood stream.”
“All that from a tiny prick?” Nora asked skeptically. It wasn’t as if they were bleeding them dry.
“We have pretty sensitive noses. Trust me, it doesn’t take much,” Daniel grinned.
“I’ll keep that in mind the next time I bleed on you,” Nora murmured.
Daniel chuckled to himself. “When it’s someone you love, it doesn’t matter.”
“So, you don’t mind smelling like me?” Nora wondered.
“No, I rather enjoy it.”
The benches screeched against the floor as people began stand. Gene said something else in Latin before motioning for Devon and Lark to walk down the aisle way.
A slow, steady clap broke out through the crowd as Devon kissed Lark and then escorted her down the row. Claire, Emily, and Marcus left the bench first and she and Daniel followed behind them.
Claire pulled the couple into a tight embrace and whispered something to them. After a long moment, she pulled back and went to stand next to Lark. Emily and Marcus offered their congratulations next before Daniel and her stood before the newly mated couple.
Devon swallowed and then reached out his hand to Daniel. Daniel seemed to hesitate for a moment before accepting his brother’s hand. Nora smiled and met Lark’s eyes as the two shook hands.
“I just wanted to thank you again,” Devon started. “If you hadn’t of stepped in the other day, we might not all be here today.” Devon was quiet for a long moment, but his hand still clasped Daniel’s. “After everything calms down, I wanted to speak to you about coming to live at the farmhouse. I have a room that I think would be accommodating and a little more private for the two of you. We’re family and I should have offered you a place in my pack and in my home to begin with.”
Daniel gaped at his brother unsure if he’d heard him correctly. Is he really offering me a place in his pack?
“Think about it,” Devon said.
“I will,” he answered, still not believing his ears.
Devon released his hand and he guided Nora down the line and out of the barn. A weight lifted off his shoulders and he looked up at the bright sun. It might have taken him a while, but he’d finally found his way here.
“Sounds like the two of you need to think about living arrangements?” April called as she caught up to them.
“It gives us something to talk about,” Nora agreed.
“Well, if you don’t have anything to talk about, then you might have some problems,” April teased. She peered at something over Nora’s shoulder. “I got to go. Jackson and Emma are waiting for me.” April reached out and clung to Nora. “We are so talking soon, though.”
“Absolutely,” Nora grinned.
Daniel took Nora’s hand in his and led her to the fences by the horses. “You know the farmhouse would be quieter and a little more homey, but are you happy here? In Texas? I know you want to finish school, but what do you want to do after that? I don’t want to tie you down,” he said quietly.
Nora smiled at him as she leaned forward giving him a chaste kiss. “Well, I have to finish school before I can do anything career wise. After that, I can find a job in town; there are a couple of museums I could look into. You are my home. I don’t care where we stay as long as we are together.”
Daniel captured her lips with his, winding his hand in her copper hair. Their tongues met and she sighed happily into his mouth. How had he gotten so lucky to find her? “I love you,” he mumbled against her lips.
“I love you too.”
***
Daniel swallowed hard as he and Nora approached the farmhouse. Nora’
s hand rested in his, her grasp tightening slightly as they stopped in front of the wooden steps.
A part of him wondered if Devon had really intended on him to take him up on his offer to join his pack. Even if he did, were either of them ready for it? There was so much bad blood between them.
“Come on,” Nora whispered, stepping onto the first step.
Daniel gave her a smile as his eyes traveled to the large oak door. The door burst open and Emily came bounding down the steps.
“You came,” she grinned, throwing her arms around his neck and pulling him into a hug. “Hi, Nora.” Emily pulled back before enveloping Nora in a tight embrace too.
“Hey, Em,” Daniel greeted. He had always gotten along with her better than the rest of his siblings, but she’d never been this enthusiastic before. A part of him wondered if it had to do with Vincent’s death, if the loss of their brother had brought both his siblings around to seeing they needed to repair the broken familial bonds between them.
“Hi, thanks so much for coming,” Lark said from the doorway.
“Thanks for having us,” Nora spoke up.
“Of course,” Lark grinned. “Come on in.”
Daniel followed the women into the home. The farmhouse was larger than he expected. The ceilings were vaulted and the hallway seemed to stretch endlessly. A large staircase was to their right and he could see a second staircase leading to the third floor.
The floorboards creaked and Daniel looked up as Devon approached.
“I’m going to go get dinner finished up,” Lark said, excusing herself. She kissed Devon’s cheek as she brushed past him.
“I’ll help,” Emily said, following behind her.
The entry grew quiet as Lark and Emily’s footsteps faded away. Devon cleared his throat but didn’t say anything.
“Hi,” Nora said, breaking the awkward silence.
“Thanks for coming,” Devon finally spoke. “I have something I wanted to show you. This way.” He motioned for them to follow him.
Devon led the way as Daniel and Nora followed him up the creaking steps. They got off the stairs on the second floor and his brother led them down a long hallway. As they passed by a room, Daniel caught a whiff of pine and musk. Vincent. He turned to look at the closed door and sighed heavily.
“I haven’t been in Vincent’s room yet,” Devon murmured. “I thought I’d wait a few more days before venturing in there. I’m not ready to go through it yet and I know mom most definitely isn’t.”
Daniel nodded as they continued down the hall. They stopped in front of a closed door.
The alpha twisted the doorknob open and the door creaked open. He walked into the spacious bedroom and then turned to them.
“I meant what I said about joining the pack. If you choose to, this would be your room. It’s unfurnished but Lark figured the two of you would probably want to select that stuff yourselves. It’s just Em and Marcus, and myself and Lark on this level. The third floor is for the twelve men who also reside here.”
Daniel looked around the large room. A king size bed and several pieces of furniture would easily fit in it. The wall was long enough that he could hang a TV on it too.
“There is an attached bathroom in the corner that would be just for the two of you,” Devon added.
“This is really nice,” Nora said, pulling away from Daniel as she walked around the room.
“It’s yours if the two of you want it.” Devon turned to Daniel. “I don’t expect things will be easy between the two of us for some time. But maybe that will change. You’re a good fighter and my brother and I would like to have you here. I’ll give the two of you a few minutes alone.” Devon took a step back and left.
Nora padded toward the bathroom and disappeared inside. She emerged a few moments later a smile on her face.
“You like it?” Daniel asked, watching as she opened the closest door.
“You don’t?” she asked, turning to him.
“I do,” he said quickly. “Are you okay with this? Moving in here? Together?”
Nora smiled and walked toward him, grasping his hand in hers. “I’m sure that I want to be with you. If you don’t want to be here, then we’ll stay at Gene’s.”
“No, I think this would be nice for us. We’d have our own space and we wouldn’t be around a lot of sensitive ears,” Daniel said. He and Devon would work things out. His brother was making a gesture and it wasn’t something he could ignore. “Are you sure you want to leave April?”
Nora shook her head. “She’s with Jackson and I’m with you. I doubt we’ll be sharing a room again anytime soon. We’ll still be close together. But if you don’t want to-“
“I do,” he repeated. “I just want to make sure that you are okay with this. We haven’t been together for very long and living together is kind of a big step.”
“I’m sure I want to live with you. I love you.” Nora kissed his lips softly.
“I love you too,” he murmured against her mouth.
Coming in October 2014
Lost and Found, Werewolf Wars #4
New Mexico
Sarah stumbled over a rock, falling to her knees on the abrasive ground. The tumble jarred her burning thighs, pain shot through her knee and down to her toes, causing her vision to blur. A part of her wanted to give up, let their enemies capture them—kill them. The other part knew she had to fight to avenge Preston, and make it back home to Lark.
Her body was numb and tingly and though her limbs still moved, they were weighted and rubbery. Quitting seemed like an easy option, but she couldn’t, and she never would. Her arms trembled as she pushed herself up from the ground. A sob tore through her throat as her right elbow gave out and she collapsed back to the ground.
Hunger gnawed at her stomach and fatigue had set in so long ago she couldn’t even think straight. Two days. They’d been running for two days straight. It was a miracle they’d escaped the Luna’s to begin with. If that propane tank hadn’t of exploded, who knows what would have happened to them. Her skin was still singed and red from the heat of the blast. They’d been just barely far enough away to not receive serious injuries.
“Sarah.” Vincent jogged back to her.
Vincent’s warm hand wrapped around her torso, his fingers curled in one of her belt loops as he hoisted her up. “Sarah, we have to keep moving. They are right behind us,” he panted.
Sarah forced a breath into her screaming lungs as her jello feet continued forward. Vincent supported most of her weight as they moved across the uneven forest terrain.
“I can’t keep doing this,” she croaked out. Her lips were dry and cracked from dehydration and her whole body shook uncontrollably from exertion. Howls echoed off the forest wall. The wolves were getting closer.
“You can,” Vincent urged. He draped one of her arms around his shoulders, supporting even more of her weight.
Sarah pushed her feet to keep moving. He couldn’t go much longer, especially not if he were carrying most of her weight too. “You should change into a wolf and run, I’m slowing you down. There’s no point in us both getting caught,” she argued breathlessly. Her foot caught in a vine and she pitched forward.
Vincent yanked her up by her belt loop, helping to right her. He gave her a grim look and shook his head. “I can’t. I’m too weak. It’s been too long since I last ate or slept. It would be dangerous for me to shift now. I’m not even sure I could.”
“Oh,” Sarah murmured.
“We’ve made it this far, we just have to keep moving,” he encouraged.
The ground sloped below them and before either of them could find their footing, they were tumbling. Sarah screamed as her feet flew out from under her. Her right arm hit the ground hard and her body slid uncontrollably down the hill. Stones and branches jumped out at her scratching and clawing at her skin and hair. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Vincent just ahead of her. His face contorted in pain as they continued their rapid descent down the embankment.
“Sarah,” Vincent groaned as he army crawled toward her.
“I’m okay,” she sighed, closing her eyes as she drew in deep breaths.
“Come on, you have to get up.” Vincent looked down at the rapids swirling downstream. “I have an idea, but no idea if it will work or not.”
“Anything’s better than sitting here waiting for them to find us,” she exhaled, sitting up. A sharp spasm sliced through her head and Sarah clamped a hand over her mouth to keep from crying out. The numbness had left her body and had been replaced with white-hot pain. It hurt everywhere.
Vincent took off his shoes and threw them into the river. “Give me your jacket,” he instructed as he finally reached her. Without waiting for her reply, he ripped it down the center sending the buttons flying into the mud.
“Hey,” she gasped, reeling back. He pulled back and she quickly slid her arms out of the sleeves.
Vincent grasped her jacket in his hands and launched it into the raging rapids. He then grabbed her hand and tugged her to her feet.
Sarah stumbled on the uneven, wet ground. “What...” she started as he drug her into the water.
The air whooshed out of her lungs as the icy water surrounded her. Goosebumps rose up on her flesh and she clenched her mouth shut to keep her teeth from chattering.
Vincent grasped onto a rock as he led them through the waist deep water. Sarah clutched his hand tightly, using her free hand to hold onto a log. The water pushed and pulled her in every direction, and she knew if he let go, she’d go careening down the river bank.