She runs to the edge of the porch, jumping into Royce’s open arms. He sets her down and she turns toward Cap who softly tosses her a little basketball.
She catches it and off she runs.
Maddoc swiftly kisses my cheek, then jogs for his brothers.
Royce jumps on Cap’s back playfully, making the other two laugh as he slips off, falling onto his ass, but jumps up just as quick.
They smile at each other, tethering their arms around one another’s shoulders and off they go, following the little blonde who has no idea how deep they love her, and how far they’ll go to protect her.
Rolland looks my way, a smile I’ve never seen from him taking over every inch of his face, and a heavy exhale leaves me as he turns and heads back in the house.
The crunch of gravel sounds behind me and I spin to find Maybell walking up, an ease on her face she doesn’t usually show.
“You made it home.”
I look to the house, nodding as I move my eyes back to hers. “I did.”
She steps up, and her eyes grow thoughtful. She pulls a small journal from behind her, holding it close to her chest.
I look from it to her with a frown.
She holds it out, and slowly I take it.
“Your mother’s,” she whispers.
My chest grows tight with uncertainty.
“The last entry was the day she found out she was pregnant with you. I thought you might like to read it. Maybe the rest too,” she whispers. “Get to know the real her.”
“There’s no such thing as the real someone, Maybell,” I breathe. “There’s only who we were and what we become.”
“That’s true, child. No matter.” She nods her head at the notebook. “It belongs in your hands, not mine. You don’t have to read it, but maybe one day you’ll want to.”
I swallow, nodding. “Yeah, maybe.”
She smiles, steps in for a hug, then turns and heads back for the Bray house.
I look to the expensive leather, running my fingers across the impression on the cover, a deep crease forming between my brows.
Brayshaw Wolves...
My head snaps around, but Maybell is already to the treeline.
I look back to the item.
On the ride to the cabins, the night before the wedding, the boys told me about the story Maybell shared with Maddoc when he was young. A story about how a raven only mates once, finds a home and protects it all her life, leading her wolves along the way.
I made them Google the raven and the wolves, and it turned out it wasn’t just some bedtime story spun with hidden meaning, it was true. It was nature working in weird ways.
It was inevitable.
According to them, Maybell believes my mother named me Raven on purpose, for this reason. To lead me home. To lead me to them.
I wouldn’t go that far.
“Raven!”
I look to Captain when he calls my name, nodding when he waves me over.
He winks, turning his attention to the others.
My eyes move across each one and I pull in a lungful of air.
Three brothers, none related by blood, all by choice.
Smiling, happy, ready to take on the world.
And we will.
Together, we’ll reign all of Brayshaw.
The knuckle against the door frame has my eyes popping open.
Maybell stands there, the frown on her face growing the farther into the room she steps. She taps the foot of my roommate’s bed. “Nira, why don’t you take a walk?”
Nira looks from her to me, rolls her eyes and walks out.
Maybell scoffs as she drops beside me. “All these girls, they’ll be the death of me.”
“Yeah, but would you walk away if you could?”
“Oh, trust me, child.” She grins. “I could go if I wanted, but to answer your question, no. I wouldn’t.” She’s quiet a second before adding, “Would like to help care for the next generation, though, while I’ve still got it in me.”
Next generation.
Right.
I swallow, looking to her.
“You put it off long enough, girl.” Her eyes grow serious, but there’s still a softness in them I’ve only just discovered. “Go on, Tor. The sooner it happens, the sooner it’s out.”
“The sooner they send me packing.”
“The faster they can forgive,” she counters.
A humorless laugh escapes and I drop my head back to look at the ceiling. “Uh-huh, yeah.” I force myself to my feet. “’Cause they’re known to forgive outsiders.”
“You’re not an outsider.”
“I’m not her, either.” I look to Maybell. “I might not be just the blonde from the group home anymore, but I’m not her. They don’t... they won’t understand.”
“She will,” Maybell says. “And slowly, they’ll follow.”
“What if she doesn’t?”
Maybell stands, stepping right in front of me. “Then you make her.”
Make her. Uh-huh.
‘Cause people are able to make her do things.
Yeah right.
With a deep breath, I step into the hall, out the front door and onto the dirt path that leads to the Brayshaw mansion.
The last few weeks, I’ve left for school earlier than necessary, and locked myself in the Bray house the second I get back, all to avoid the Brayshaws who I knew were home.
Mostly Captain.
Okay, only Captain. I didn’t really care if I ran into Royce. Who knows, he might not even acknowledge me without one of them at his side, not that I had to worry about it. Neither of them has been to school since before Captain was shot.
So I’ve reverted back to watching, hiding in plain sight, like before.
But Raven is home now, and she’s very unlike Captain. Captain is subtle when he looks for me as he passes, or at least that’s what I like to think he’s doing when his eyes scan the yard as he passes the girls’ home. Raven, though, makes sure she sees me even if it means dragging my ass out the door herself.
My cheeks fill with air as I attempt to calm my nerves.
Out of everything – knowing who attacked Raven, being there when it happened, the truth about Donley, Ravina, and everything in between – this is where my real fear lies.
This is the part I’ve dreaded the most, them coming home.
It’s not that I don’t want to see her, because I do, but it’s complicated.
“Standing in the shadows again?”
I yelp, spinning around with my hand at my chest.
My eyes shoot wide, my heartbeat erratic.
Captain.
He steps closer.
My spine straightens, and I move back until my shoulder blades meet a tree, allowing no room for an escape if I needed one.
“Hi,” I manage to force out.
The corner of his mouth lifts slowly, his stare roaming across my face. “Hi. Why you hiding in my orchards?”
“Maybell told me Raven was home.”
He nods, his face pinching in humor. “She tell you this today, or a week ago?”
“What?” I croak.
Captain chuckles, and then his chest pushes against mine. “You thought I didn’t notice?” he whispers. “That I’d let you keep hiding in the shadows, watching?”
Shit.
Captain’s eyes fall to my lips when my tongue sneaks out to wet them.
“You’ve been avoiding me,” he says. “Why?”
“I haven’t.”
“You’re lying.”
“Captain,” I whisper, quickly cutting off when he jerks closer, his lips now only a breath away from mine.
“You laid in my bed, touched me in your sleep,” he rasps, the blue in his eyes darkening. “Dreamt out loud.” A slow smirk appears. “That was my favorite part.”
I swallow, my body growing lax against the tree.
I should push him away.
“This is the part where you tell me to kiss you, sleeping beaut
y.”
I frown, my hands flying to his chest to shove, but my body betrays me, my hands not doing as I ask and instead pulling him closer.
His lips hit mine and I forget how wrong it is, my mouth opening when his tongue demands it. His teeth lightly scrape my bottom lip, forcing a low groan from him, and he pulls back before even getting started.
Captain chuckles, tilting his head to the side. “I knew it,” he rasps.
“Knew what?”
“You want me,” he says, drawing back, but only by an inch, and his knuckles skim down my neck. “Same way I want you.” His eyes find mine again. “Say it.”
Reality slams back into place and I tense.
What did I just do?
We’ve had a simmering attraction for weeks, months even. He’s never said it, but I catch him staring, not that he tries to hide it. We’ve talked, but not about anything outside of what we’ve needed to. We’ve hung out, but never alone, except for the night Raven married Maddoc.
Neither of us could sleep, and we both ended up out on the balcony looking up at the stars. It was comfortable, the silence we sat in, so when he said he was going to watch a movie, I took that as an invitation and followed him to his room.
I did sleep in his bed.
I didn’t realize I touched him, and while I have been known to talk in my sleep, he never mentioned it. Not that he had a chance.
Like he said, I’d been avoiding him, but not for the reasons he’s thinking.
I swallow, shaking my head as I answer his question in a copout way.
“I hardly know you,” I admit. “And you don’t know me at all.”
“But you want to know me, like I need to know you.”
My skin heats at his words.
Like he needs...
“You won’t like what you find.”
“I like enough already, and I’m not asking you to tell me all your secrets, even though you already know about my biggest one.”
Fuck.
“You’ve been out here every day, beauty. You’ve seen her, my daughter.”
My jaw clenches tight and I consider lying for the hell of it, but he saw me, right?
I give a jerky nod.
“You want to meet her?”
My brows slam together, the hope in his eyes causing my stomach to grow tight.
He’s gonna hate me.
“Come on.” He steps back, while I remain frozen in place. “I was only supposed to be grabbing her ball from my car. Let’s not make her come looking for me.”
“Too. Fucking. late.” Raven’s chuckled words float from behind me and I tense. “We found you.”
We? Oh no.
“Daddy!”
No, no, no.
Not like this.
Captain’s eyes instantly cut behind me and he backs up even more, beaming at the little girl I know is just behind me.
He bends down, and as he does, two more sets of footsteps grow closer.
They’re all here.
“Come here, Zo.” He crooks his finger at her. “Come meet our friend.”
My chest starts to ache, moisture building in my eyes and I force a deep breath.
I catch Raven’s eyes a moment and she frowns at my demeanor.
She takes a half step toward me, but then Zoey bursts past her and her eyes follow the little blonde who throws herself against her daddy’s chest. “Find you, find you!” She laughs.
Cap’s smile bounces to me, but his eyes tighten at the sight. He keeps his grin on for Zoey, reluctantly pulling his eyes back to her.
“Zoey.” He spins her around, and her eyes hit mine. “This is—”
Her eyes widen with her smile and she tugs free from him, running right for me.
I drop to my knees quickly and she wraps her little arms around my neck.
“Rora!”
I hug her back, my eyes rising to Cap as he pushes to his feet, in slow, methodical movements.
Royce and Maddoc step closer, while Raven stands frozen, eyes stuck on me.
Zoey pulls back, smiling at me. “I miss you, Rora!”
I swallow, forcing a smile, while tension threatens to knock me over. “I miss you, too, ZoZo.”
She laughs and pulls away.
“Hey, Zoey Bear,” Royce calls her. “Let’s go get some ice cream, huh?”
“Ice cream!” she shouts and runs away, but not before pausing and running back to rub her nose across mine. “Eskimo kisses!”
I force the tears in my eyes to stay right where they are. “And butterfly hugs.”
She laughs and runs away. “So much, Rora!”
So much, ZoZo.
Captain’s jaw clenches and he takes a step back.
My hands lift and slowly, I push to stand, my eyes bouncing between the three.
Maddoc’s glare is locked on me, while Raven continues to look from where Zoey ran off to me.
Cap though, he doesn’t look away. His eyes turn to glaciers, the sharp edges of his jaw growing more profound as he drops his chin closer to his chest.
“I’m sorry,” I whisper, looking between the two. “There was no right time to tell.”
“My daughter knows who you are,” Captain rumbles. “How?”
I look to Raven and back to him. “Maria,” I whisper. “She’s my mother.”
Raven’s brows snap together. “You knew?”
“I told you.” My face contorts. “Discovering secrets was my purpose, remember?”
“How long,” Captain snaps.
My eyes snap his way.
When I don’t respond he pushes closer.
“How. Long. Have you known about her?” he forces past clenched teeth.
I swallow, admitting, “Long before you.”
You’d think I slapped him. I’d go as far as to say he was hoping for a different answer, that maybe there was one that wouldn’t build a wall between us, not that an us existed.
“What does so much mean?” he asks, now completely detached, no emotion to be found, not even anger.
“Exactly what you think,” I whisper. “It’s... how she tells me she...” I trail off, unable to say it.
It’s how she tells me she loves me.
She’s the only person that ever has.
“I’m sorry,” I tell them, my shoulders falling. “I don’t know what else to say.” I turn to Raven. “Don’t hate me, please. I’ll go, I won’t bother you guys.” My eyes cut to Captain and back to her. “But just... don’t hate me.”
“Go,” Raven says, her eyes slicing to Captain. Something passes between them before she looks back to me. “And make it quick, Victoria.”
With a slight nod and a heavy heart, I back away, unable to meet Captain’s eyes. “I expected this, so bags are already packed,” I admit. “I’ll only be minutes.”
I get a few feet before Captain says, “Well in that case, we’ll send someone to get them.”
My eyes cut over my shoulder, and I frown.
“You’ll be moved in, in less than an hour,” Raven tells me as she reaches for Maddoc’s hand.
I spin to face them once more. “You want me to stay?”
She looks from Cap to me. “I’m telling you to.”
Maddoc and Captain share a look, and then he and Raven walk away, leaving me and Captain alone.
“I’m sorry, Cap—”
“Don’t,” he cuts me off, stepping into my face, but I don’t cower.
He looks ready to say something, but I couldn’t guess as to what. His eyes give nothing away. The second the ice within them starts to thaw he jerks away, stepping from the trees before turning to look at me once more.
“Welcome home, beauty.” He spreads his arms out wide, the mansion taunting me in the distance behind him. “Might wanna sleep with one eye open.”
My forehead tightens as my pulse spikes.
Does this make me the enemy?
The tautness of his eyes screams the answer is no, he doesn’t want me to be.
S
till, in the next moment, I consider running, disappearing, only the thought is gone as soon as it hits, because the cost of leaving this place is too high.
I’d lose everything I never had and always wanted.
I’d risk having the only people who’d ever made me feel like being myself was enough hating me forever. Allowing them to push me away when I’ve only just grown closer?
I don’t fucking think so.
They pulled me from my hiding places, and I’m glad.
I’m tired of dark corners, tired of the background.
Tired of losing before I’ve even won.
Raven is my sister, this is my new home.
I’m ready to fight for everything that comes with it.
If I’m lucky, a blond Brayshaw included.
Quick Note From The Author
Deep breath...and exhale!
Guuyss!!! We made it through!
Never in a million years did I imagine this world would take ours by storm. You guys have been so amazing, so down for this crew, it blows my mind! THANK YOU so much for coming back for more!
I am so so SO sad Maddoc and Raven’s ride is over, but I leave them with a smile because their little life is only beginning! This isn’t to say we won’t see them again, but I can promise you this...their HEA is FOREVER!!
*
SO WHAT NOW???
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Reign of Brayshaw (Brayshaw High #3) Page 31