Novak Raven (Harper's Mountains #4)(41)

She squealed and struggled, but Weston was much stronger than her, so she gave up quickly. He headed back for the clearing, and Avery arched her back so she could see the others. Lexi was riding Ryder piggy-back style, Alana and Aaron were picking up a pair of water pistols off the ground with lovey smiles on their faces, and Harper and Wyatt were making out by a pine tree.

Avery’s face hurt from smiling so much. The shifters of Raven’s Hollow didn’t show affection like this. There had always been a coldness, a distance that had made her uncomfortable, but here, it was accepted to hug, kiss, and show adoration.

Up at the shop, Weston disappeared inside and brought her a dry T-shirt in the right size. Her shorts were soaking still, but they would dry soon enough. The Bloodrunners changed into dry shirts without a single care about nudity, but when Avery hesitated, Weston pulled her to the other side of the truck and told her, “It’s okay, you can change over here.”

Relieved, she peeled off her wet tank top and slipped her T-shirt over her head. And when she peeked through the neck hole, she snorted. Weston was staring wide-eyed at her bra-clad boobs.

Busted, he offered her a wicked grin and said, “I was staring at your heartbeat.”

Avery’s shoes squished with every step as she walked beside Weston toward the garage, but even though she was a little uncomfortable, nothing could ruin this moment. While the others loaded up on ATV’s and strapped coolers and supplies to the backs of the biggest ones with bungie cords, Weston showed her how to turn her camo print ATV on and get it into gear. Apparently they would be riding in “high” to get where they were going.

A rush of nervousness took her, but Weston rested his hands over hers on the handlebars. “You’ll do fine. Follow in my tracks. I’ll take the easiest way. And look”—he jerked his chin toward Alana, who was receiving a similar lesson from Aaron—“you aren’t the only first-timer.”

Well, that did make her feel better.

When Ryder arced his ATV in a wide circle, the others followed. Avery hit the throttle too hard and her quad lurched forward, scaring her. She skidded to a stop with the handlebar brakes. Alana had done the same thing in front of her, except she was laughing and her mate, Aaron, was looking at her like she was the cutest thing he’d ever seen. Okay, making mistakes wasn’t so serious. Not with this crew.

Avery tried again, easing her thumb onto the throttle slower this time. She moved forward at a good, smooth clip, and when Weston tossed a glance over his shoulder at her, he winked and gave her that crooked smile. And her butterflies fluttered on. Grinning, she eased her quad right after his. Harper was behind her, and any other day, it would’ve bothered her to no end to expose her neck to a dominant dragon shifter like this. But she and Harper had just had a water fight, had even fought together some, and she’d never made Avery feel like she was in danger. Plus, it was really hard to see Harper as a threat when the alpha was giggling and joking with Wyatt, who was pulling up the rear.

For the next fifteen minutes, all she heard was her own giggling and the roar of her ATV motor as they sped up and down trails. Sometimes they would ride along a cliff edge adorned with towering trees, and she would have to remind herself she was a flight shifter. If the ATV rolled, she could Change. Her raven made her braver, where before, her inner animal would have burrowed deep inside of her in the face of fear.

She’d done that to her animal—trained it to be frightened and hide.

Avery made a silent oath to take better care of her raven, and herself.

She wasn’t as fast as the others, but Weston never pulled too far ahead, and Harper and Wyatt seemed perfectly content with the speed she kept them at, so she didn’t get overwhelmed like she usually would’ve. Up and up they climbed the rocky trails until they reached a flat part with a wide loop of trail around a single sourwood tree. There was a rocky ledge overlooking miles of shallow hills with buildings dotting the distant green. It was beautiful, so Avery snapped a picture with her phone while the boys unloaded the backs of the four-wheelers. She would print this photo out and write the date on the back so she could always remember today. She would keep it in the box with Weston’s letters.

The Bloodrunners built a fire in a pit that had obviously been used before, and Lexi heated up giant pancakes on an iron griddle over the flames. Ryder had been right about the booze being a substantial amount. Weston scooped a red plastic cup through a blue cooler full of a fragrant fruity concoction Ryder called Clinton’s Trashcan Punch.

One sip, and Avery’s eyes watered from the burn. “Holy moly,” she choked out as the crew laughed at her. “That’s potent.”

“Weston pulled her down onto his lap in a bag chair and took a long drink of his own. “Look,” he said, pointing up the steep hill through the trees.

“What?”

“Wait. Just watch.”

A tiny blinking light flickered through the woods. Avery gasped. “Fireflies?”

Weston kissed her shoulder, bit it gently, and nodded.

“You know,” she said, relaxing back against him. “We don’t have fireflies in Raven’s Hollow. And when I first moved here a month and a half ago, I would see them through the woods when I drove at night, or when I was sleeping in my car.” She pointed excitedly as another firefly sparked to the right.

“Mmm hmm,” Weston said in a happy, deep murmur.