Novak Raven (Harper's Mountains #4)(66)

“She’s mine!” Caden screamed, jamming a finger at Aviana. “And she’s mine.” He pointed to Avery.

Beaston’s bear snarled and circled his mate tightly, his glowing green eyes promising death to Caden. Weston set Avery down and held her protectively behind him as he backed her toward the safety of the crew. Weston’s voice came out a feral snarl. “My mother was never yours. My mate was never yours. You’ll let them go for good, or your last breath will belong to me.”

Caden was alone in the clearing now, his countenance enraged, his thick crop of silver hair disheveled, his chest heaving, fists clenched at his sides. His council was on the run, his protégé was dead, and his War Birds had abandoned him, yet still he faced the Bloodrunners, insanity in his dark eyes. And in a flash, his glare on Weston, he leapt into the air and burst into a raven.

Weston took two steps, jumped and morphed into his raven in an instant. He hit Caden full in the chest, locked his talons onto his and flew them up higher and higher.

Heart in her throat, Avery moved to Change, but Harper was there, hand resting on her forearm. “Let him end this,” she murmured, power in her words.

And her animal wanted to listen. She wanted to obey Harper, not because she was bullying her into submission like the ravens had done. She wanted to listen to Harper because her words were wise. Weston needed to defend Avery, to end her hurt because that’s what real mates did. She’d had the same instinct, to protect him from everything. But also Harper’s words had fused with some deep instinct to expose her neck and obey for the good of Weston. For the good of the crew. She’d always wanted to fight submission to the ravens, but this felt so right. So important.

Harper was Avery’s alpha now.

Lifting her eyes to the sky, she squeezed Harper’s hand as hard as she could and watched her mate avenge her. And when the birds tumbled from the clouds, locked in war, beating their wings and slamming their beaks into each other, she didn’t run to fix this herself. Weston was good at battle. He was capable. Avery winced when they reached the ground, but with a booming thud, one raven lay limp near the fire, and the other, the biggest raven of all, spread his wings, arched upward, and ghosted the ground before lifting up on the air currents victorious.

Caden and Benjamin were gone, and never again would Avery have to fear The Box.

Never again would she have to fear anything.





Chapter Twenty-Five


Weston glanced over at Avery again, just to make sure she was okay for the hundredth time. She was huddled into herself, staring out the window as the Smoky Mountains blurred by.

“We’re almost home,” he murmured, wishing he could take her pain away.

She rolled her head across the seat and gave him a tired smile. There were ghosts in her eyes, though.

Today had been hell. She’d gone to battle with the flock, been hurt escaping The Box and defending him, and then she’d spent the entire day in the Damascus Police Department, making her statement and answering questions.

She’d done so f*cking good getting the video. On it, Benjamin had admitted so much, not only for himself, but he’d unknowingly testified against Caden, too.

She was a phoenix now, just like he’d always known she would be.

“What will happen to the ravens?” she asked in a hoarse voice.

“Caden and Benjamin are gone, and the council has been arrested for their involvement in what happened, not only when you were growing up, but in the calculated manipulation of law enforcement and the attack on both of us. The leadership of The Hollow has been dissolved, and the raven shifters have a real shot at changing their ways. They can grow, join modern times, and respect their women, or they can fail and fall back into darkness. The choice is theirs, Avery, but at least they have a choice now. You gave them that.”

“My mom said she’s proud of me,” she murmured. “She said she hopes that someday she can be strong like me.” Avery sniffed and wiped her cheek on her bandaged shoulder. “I never thought she would say something like that to me.”

Weston slid his hand over her thigh and squeezed. Avery didn’t see her worth, but he did. She had so many layers to her. She was sweet and sensitive, caring to a fault, but when it had come time to let her inner raven loose, she had no fear. She’d viciously fought her own people to protect him. She’d willingly gone into The Box to protect the crew. She didn’t realize how tough she was yet, but she would someday, and he was so damn proud that he got the chance to watch her rise up from the ashes of her past. He was so damn proud she had chosen him to hold onto all these years. So proud she’d chosen him as her mate.

He pulled to a stop in front of 1010 and gave a two-fingered wave at the truck that passed carrying the other Bloodrunners.

It was full dark in Harper’s Mountains, but the glow of 1010’s lights beckoned, welcoming them home.

Avery slid from his truck like she was boneless. She looked exhausted. All Weston wanted to do was bury himself inside of her and make her forget the horrors of the past couple days. He wanted to empty himself inside her and banish how close they’d come to losing each other. But Avery looked wrecked, and he wouldn’t relieve his needs on her when she was so raw.

She stumbled, but he was there, picking her up and cradling her against his chest as he made his way into 1010. With a soft sound, she slipped her arms around his neck and buried her face against his chest. “I don’t want you to leave tonight.”