And if he had fate to thank for that, then, well, he’d just have to find a way to make that happen—as long as he had Aimee by his side in the end.
UP NEXT:
Find out what happens between Kameron and Dhani in
STRENGTH ENDURING
A Note from Carrie Ann
Thank you so much for reading ETERNAL MOURNING. I do hope if you liked this story, that you would please leave a review! Reviews help authors and readers.
I hope you loved Walker and Aimee’s story. They helped me through so much and their story was much sweeter than most Talons but it suited them perfectly!
Next up is Kameron and Dhani and oh my, you guys, just wait until you see what happens between the two of them. I don’t know if I’m prepared with what’s going to happen, but I better batten down the hatches and get it done!
Of course, if you’re doing the math, you know the last book is about our dear Max.
And his story?
Just wait.
If you want to make sure you know what’s coming next from me, you can sign up for my newsletter at www.CarrieAnnRyan.com; follow me on twitter at @CarrieAnnRyan, or like my Facebook page. I also have a Facebook Fan Club where we have trivia, chats, and other goodies. You guys are the reason I get to do what I do and I thank you.
Make sure you’re signed up for my MAILING LIST so you can know when the next releases are available as well as find giveaways and FREE READS.
Happy Reading!
The Talon Pack:
Book 1: Tattered Loyalties
Book 2: An Alpha’s Choice
Book 3: Mated in Mist
Book 4: Wolf Betrayed
Book 5: Fractured Silence
Book 6: Destiny Disgraced
Book 7: Eternal Mourning
Book 8: Strength Enduring (Coming July 2018)
Book 9: Forever Broken (Coming Jan 2019)
About Carrie Ann
Carrie Ann Ryan is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of contemporary and paranormal romance. Her works include the Montgomery Ink, Redwood Pack, Talon Pack, and Gallagher Brothers series, which have sold over 2.0 million books worldwide. She started writing while in graduate school for her advanced degree in chemistry and hasn’t stopped since. Carrie Ann has written over fifty novels and novellas with more in the works. When she’s not writing about bearded tattooed men or alpha wolves that need to find their mates, she’s reading as much as she can and exploring the world of baking and gourmet cooking.
www.CarrieAnnRyan.com
More from Carrie Ann
Montgomery Ink: Colorado Springs
Book 1: Fallen Ink (Coming Apr 2018)
Book 2: Restless Ink (Coming Aug 2018)
Book 3: Jagged Ink (Coming in 2019)
The Whiskey and Lies Series:
A Montgomery Ink Spin Off Series
Book 1: Whiskey Secrets
Book 2: Whiskey Reveals (Coming June 2018)
Book 3: Whiskey Undone (Coming Oct 2018)
The Talon Pack:
Book 1: Tattered Loyalties
Book 2: An Alpha’s Choice
Book 3: Mated in Mist
Book 4: Wolf Betrayed
Book 5: Fractured Silence
Book 6: Destiny Disgraced
Book 7: Eternal Mourning
Book 8: Strength Enduring (Coming July 2018)
Book 9: Forever Broken (Coming Jan 2019)
Montgomery Ink:
Book 0.5: Ink Inspired
Book 0.6: Ink Reunited
Book 1: Delicate Ink
Book 1.5: Forever Ink
Book 2: Tempting Boundaries
Book 3: Harder than Words
Book 4: Written in Ink
Book 4.5: Hidden Ink
Book 5: Ink Enduring
Book 6: Ink Exposed
Book 6.5: Adoring Ink
Book 6.6: Love, Honor, & Ink
Book 7: Inked Expressions
Book 7.3: Dropout
Book 7.5: Executive Ink
Book 8: Inked Memories
Book 8.5: Inked Nights (Coming Jun 2018)
The Gallagher Brothers Series:
A Montgomery Ink Spin Off Series
Book 1: Love Restored
Book 2: Passion Restored
Book 3: Hope Restored
Redwood Pack Series:
Prequel: An Alpha’s Path
Book 1: A Taste for a Mate
Book 2: Trinity Bound
Book 2.5: A Night Away
Book 3: Enforcer’s Redemption
Book 3.5: Blurred Expectations
Book 3.7: Forgiveness
Book 4: Shattered Emotions
Book 5: Hidden Destiny
Book 5.5: A Beta’s Haven
Book 6: Fighting Fate
Book 6.5: Loving the Omega
Book 6.7: The Hunted Heart
Book 7: Wicked Wolf
The Complete Redwood Pack Box Set (Contains Books 1-7.7)
The Branded Pack Series:
(Written with Alexandra Ivy)
Book 1: Stolen and Forgiven
Book 2: Abandoned and Unseen
Book 3: Buried and Shadowed
Dante’s Circle Series:
Book 1: Dust of My Wings
Book 2: Her Warriors’ Three Wishes
Book 3: An Unlucky Moon
Book 3.5: His Choice
Book 4: Tangled Innocence
Book 5: Fierce Enchantment
Book 6: An Immortal’s Song
Book 7: Prowled Darkness
The Complete Dante’s Circle Series (Contains Books 1-7)
Holiday, Montana Series:
Book 1: Charmed Spirits
Book 2: Santa’s Executive
Book 3: Finding Abigail
Book 4: Her Lucky Love
Book 5: Dreams of Ivory
The Complete Holiday, Montana Box Set (Contains Books 1-5)
Stand Alone Romances:
Finally Found You
Flame and Ink
Ink Ever After
Tattered Loyalties
He really needed to kill this bastard.
Gideon Brentwood rolled his neck, enjoying the slight crack that came when he stretched it just right. He had enough tension in his shoulders to make him feel as though the world rested on his shoulders. He didn’t feel like killing today, although the prospect of the fight slid through his veins and pumped adrenaline into his system.
His wolf craved the fight, the dominance.
The man just wanted this to end so he could get on with his day.
He was so freaking tired of doing this over and over again. They never seemed to learn.
The lone wolf in front of him had tried to lay claim to the Talon land and had challenged Gideon’s role as Alpha.
Stupid wolf.
The moon goddess gave him his title, but he had been fighting to keep it every day since.
The slice on his chest burned, but he shrugged it off. He was the Alpha, and this lone wolf couldn’t hurt him if Gideon put his head in the game. The fact that his head wasn’t in the game told him how tired he was of all the challenges.
He smelled the rotten odor coming from his opponent and heard his labored breathing. The wolf had been rangy and dying before he’d set his first paw on Talon land, and Gideon would be forced to end his life if the intruder didn’t back down. Goddess, he hated his duty, hated this role he’d been forced to take, but if he didn’t do it, who else would?
His cousin Mitchell and his brother Ryder stood back, their gazes on the fight. They wouldn’t be jumping in and helping unless the lone wolf pulled a trick or dark magic out of the air. He didn’t need them there and this wasn’t their fight, but his wolf appreciated their presence anyway.
The taste of blood was seconds away, and he knew, without a doubt, that he could either kill or maim the intruder—challenge or no, this wolf was a coward—in front of him.
The first possibility weighed heavily on his mind.
“Yield,” Gideon growled, low, deadly.
The wolf yipped at him but didn’t lower his head fully, nor did he meet Gideon’s eyes or challenge him in that respect. Gideon wasn’t sure the wolf had enough energy to do so in the first place.
He let out a breath. “If you don’t yield, I’m going to have to kill you. You get that, right? You’re not strong enough to beat me, and I can’t let a wolf who challenges me go without punishment. You know our ways. If you yield, I won’t have to kill you.” It was a technicality, but one he’d greedily use if he needed to.
He was tired of the death, the pain, and the loss of the little parts of his soul that were stripped away with each kill, each justified death. He’d killed the one man who should have protected him, and now he had to deal with the day-to-day responsibilities and consequences that came from that one decision.
It haunted him with each breath, each step he took, even though thirty years had passed since he killed the wolf who’d tried to kill them all.
Now Gideon was once again faced with a decision that might ultimately take the last piece of his soul away. It wasn’t as if he truly needed it. He was Alpha. He could function and rule without those facets of his psyche he’d once relied on and had thought were the most important parts of him.
Through absolute necessity, he had become a man who would not hesitate to kill and would make any sacrifice in order to keep his people safe.
The wolf in front of him growled again, and Gideon sighed.
There would be no retribution this day. No healing and forgiveness. He would do what he had to do in order to protect his family and his Pack.
He’d deal with the consequences later.
He always did.
The lone wolf leaped at him, and Gideon rolled out of the way, coming to his feet in a swift movement. He didn’t need to shift fully into his wolf form. One: That would take too long. He might be the Alpha and able to shift faster than any of his other wolves, but that didn’t mean he had the time to spare right then. Two: He was dominant enough that he could partially shift his hands into claws and keep them there without losing control like so many other wolves did.
He let his wolf come to the surface, fully aware it was begging for a fight. In the twilight hour, he could see the glow from the rim of gold around his irises, reflected on the fur of his opponent. Gideon’s eyes only lit up when he was ready to fight or fuck. And since it had been way too fucking long since he’d had a woman, he knew the fighting was the reason. He needed this to end soon though, or his pent up aggression from the lack of the former would roll over and he’d be screwed. He couldn’t waste any more time on this lone wolf, sad as it was.
The wolf struck again, this time swiping along Gideon’s side. Two lucky shots from the bastard. He was going to win—that was never in doubt. The question was how much he’d get hurt in the process. Now he just had to see how long he’d need to draw the process out. At this point, he was merely tiring out the bastard. Yeah, the lone wolf was getting a few hits in, but that was because Gideon was off his game.
Though that would be one way to do it, he didn’t want to prolong the fight. It wasn’t fair to the wolf to make him suffer any more than he had already. He didn’t know this wolf, didn’t know why he was without a Pack and trying to fight the Talons. It didn’t matter. Gideon would protect what was his no matter what.
He growled softly then bent at the knees, letting the wolf think he had the advantage. The lone wolf pounced again, his large, menacing teeth bared. Gideon struck the other wolf with his claws around the neck, piercing its flesh. It let out a small whine then went limp when Gideon twisted.
The wolf had been as good as dead before he stepped on Talon land.
Gideon knew this.
It didn’t make the kill any easier.
“That was the second lone wolf in as many months,” Mitchell, his cousin and Beta, remarked casually as he made his way to Gideon’s side. Mitchell and his brother, Max, had been raised with Gideon and his brothers, so he was practically a brother.
“I don’t like how close he got to hurting you,” Ryder, his Heir and brother, said softly. Ryder always spoke softly, unless there was something that needed to be growled, though Gideon wasn’t sure why. It was just the way his brother worked.
Gideon looked down at the two gashes on his side and chest and shrugged. “They’ll heal well enough. He didn’t get too deep.”
“I don’t know why you let him get that close to begin with,” Mitchell snapped. His brother squatted down near the lone wolf’s body and let out a sigh. “Why the hell did he challenge you? It makes no sense. From the smell of him, he clearly wasn’t healthy or strong enough to fight even our weaker dominants. Why fight our Alpha?”
Gideon raised his hand to run it over his face then paused. Shit, he still had blood on his hands—literally and figuratively. He needed to go home and shower to try to wash away some of this piss-poor day.
Piss-poor decade it seemed like.
“I don’t know, Mitchell,” Gideon finally answered. “Could be lots of things. Maybe he wanted to go out fighting an Alpha. Maybe his wolf took over and had to challenge. Maybe someone made him do it. I just don’t fucking know anymore.”
Ryder knelt down by the body and let out a breath. “I’ll bury him. I don’t like the fact that we don’t know who he is or if he has family somewhere. He might be lone, but that doesn’t mean he’s alone.”
That made a twisted sort of sense. Just because a wolf didn’t have a Pack didn’t mean he didn’t live with a family. Packs were there to protect, nourish, and comfort. The bonds made between members, as well as the Alpha and the other members of the hierarchy, helped not only control the wolf inside but also formed a unit that spoke of something more than friendship and family.
Sometimes wolves were born outside of the den or left over the years for one reason or another—banished or not—and ended up Packless. Gideon wasn’t too fond of the numbers being so vague, but the world was shifting faster than he could blink. It wouldn’t be long before they couldn’t hide their existence anymore, and the fact that there were wolves out there not under the protection and rule of an Alpha worried him.
A lot worried him these days.
“I’ll help you bury him,” Gideon finally said to Ryder. “I took his life. I’ll help lay him to rest.”
Mitchell and Ryder gave him long looks then nodded. It didn’t matter if they said he couldn’t help. He was Alpha, and this was his responsibility in more ways than one.
They dug the hole deep enough that no critters could find the body and said a prayer to the moon goddess. The wolf might have challenged Gideon, but that didn’t mean he deserved eternal damnation. Gideon wasn’t conceited enough to think he had the right to judge.
“I’m going to go get cleaned up,” he said once they finished their work.
Mitchell pulled out his phone. “I’ll make sure Walker is there for you when you show up.”
Gideon closed his eyes and let out a curse. “I don’t need the Healer. I’m fine. Don’t make him waste his powers and energy on these superficial cuts.”
Ryder raised a brow. “Walker’s your brother, our brother, so yeah, he’s going want to make sure you’re okay. Plus, the Redwoods are coming to the den for our meeting. You forget that? You don’t want to smell of blood and weakness in front of another Alpha and his Pack. It doesn’t matter that Kade and the rest of them are our friends. They aren’t Talons.”
Gideon looked up at the sky and prayed for just a moment’s rest. Was that really too much to ask for?
“Did you forget about the meeting?” Mitchell asked from behind him.
Gideon sighed. “No.” Yes. “Let’s get this over with so I can go make nice with the others,” he growled.
“I thought Kade was your friend,” Ryder added as they made their way through the forest to the center of the den. His brother kept looking over his
shoulder, as if he was afraid Gideon was going to keel over any minute. He might be the eldest brother, but he wasn’t weak. Ryder, though, tended to worry about those close to him more than he cared about himself. Luckily, his brother was also a wolf and turned away from Gideon in time to make sure he didn’t trip on their way through the den.
The Talon Pack den was located in central Oregon with their territory reaching into northern California. Most of the Packs across the United States were far older than the country itself, so their boundaries had to do with landmarks rather than arbitrary lines. They shared a neutral territory with the Redwoods, who lived in western Oregon. Thanks to the humans’ national initiatives, the wolves’ forests had been untouched and safe from human eyes for centuries. The den might have been surrounded by wards infused with wolf and witch magic so humans were repelled from the area, but without the trees and the ability to hide from prying eyes, they wouldn’t be as safe as they were.
Or at least as safe as they used to be.
That was one reason they were meeting with Kade and the other Redwoods in their den today. It used to be that only the right people knew about the fact that shifters existed. Now, though, far too many people knew and some were…searching. Human patrols were getting too close to their den as well as the Redwoods’ den, and no amount of magic would save them if technology found them. The majority of the population might not know about shifters, but those who did and weren’t on the wolves’ side, were on a hunt. Those military and even civilian patrols hid themselves as well, so normal humans remained unaware of a potential war on and within their borders.
As it was, too many of the wrong people knew about the existence of wolves. The military had long since known about them and had even used them as soldiers when they could. Some higher-ups in the government knew about them, but not everyone. If certain factions ever found out…well, Gideon didn’t want to think about that. He knew he would be forced to face it eventually—sooner rather than later if the feeling in his gut was any indication—but he wasn’t sure how his people were going to remain safe once the secret was out.
Eternal Mourning Page 19