Novak Raven (Harper's Mountains Book 4) (23 page)

Avery wiped the fog off the mirror and studied the angry, red gash right beside her claiming mark. Raven shifters didn’t heal as fast as predator shifters, but already it was halfway sealed and hurt a lot less. Her culture encouraged perfect skin with no scars. A couple months ago, this new adornment on her body would’ve devastated her because it would’ve made her even more different from the ravens she had so desperately tried to fit in with.

But today, she stood a little straighter, lifted her chin a little higher, and was proud of the scars she now bore. She was mate of a former Gray Back, mate of a Bloodrunner.
She
was Bloodrunner, and scars were a part of this life. Her they were brush strokes on the canvas of her body, showing that she’d lived. Showing that she’d endured. The claiming mark would always be her coveted scar, but the other she’d gotten saving herself, and then fighting for Weston.

She’d earned these.

When she’d awoken late, Weston had already left, and his side of the bed had been cold. She missed him, even though she would see him at work in a couple hours. It was early to get ready, but as she fixed her hair and put on her make-up, she already planned on showing up to Big Flight early, just to see Weston sooner.

Avery wrapped her towel tighter around her and padded into the bedroom to get dressed.

On the bed, resting on the shorts and tank top she’d laid out, there was a pocket knife, neatly folded, the handle a rich walnut woodgrain and polished. Avery lifted it gently in her fingers and read the inscription Weston had carved onto it.
W + A
. She smiled, deeply touched at his gift. He’d told her he would make her a knife and teach her to use it. She opened it carefully, and the blade gleamed in the soft light streaming through the window. It was beautifully crafted. She would carry it in her pocket always.

Full of emotion, she closed the blade and picked up the folded letter that had been resting under the knife.

Ave,

I hope you like it. I made this out of a wood that reminds me of you. It’s pliable where it needs to compromise, but it’s strong, just like you. I have put together something for you today. Don’t freak out, it’ll be fun. I hope. I told you I would write you a lot of letters, and this is the beginning of that promise. Today you will get a couple. This is the first clue of a little scavenger hunt. Come find me, little phoenix. I’m waiting for you where you first saw me, back when we didn’t trust each other yet. Things are different now, and I trust you with my life, but come find me at the beginning.

Later gator,

Weston

A scavenger hunt? This was awesome! Avery hurried to dress, shoved the knife deep into her pocket, shoved her feet into her hiking boots, and barely bothered to tie them up before she bolted outside and climbed into her Civic. She took the shortcut through Harper’s mountains to reach Big Flight and skidded to a stop in front of the shop.

Weston was sitting on a bench, elbows resting on his knees and a slow, stunning smile for her. He’d shaved his jaw, and his dimple showed easily. That was just for her. He wore his favorite camouflage baseball cap and a black T-shirt under a red and black plaid shirt with the sleeves rolled up his muscular forearms. He wore dark wash jeans over his work boots. Why was he so dressed up? They had a tour starting in an hour.

With a confused frown, she jogged up the porch stairs and said breathlessly, “I got the knife. I got it, and I love it so much.”

“God, you look beautiful,” he murmured in that deep, rich timbre she adored.

“Thank you,” she said softly.

He pulled her hips until she was standing close to him on the bench, and then he looked up at her and said, “Do you remember the vision I had last night?”

She nodded, confused. “It was a good one, right?”

“It was the best one. But I didn’t tell you part of it.”

“What happened?”

He smiled and traced the scar from the glass on her shoulder. “This mark wasn’t yet healed. It was red and angry, just as it looks right now.”

“I don’t understand,” she whispered, shaking her head.

Weston sank down to one knee on the porch, right in front of her. In his hand was the turquoise ring she’d been admiring in the shop.

“Weston,” she whispered, shocked.

“You deserve more, and I’ll get it as soon as I can afford it. I’ll get you whatever ring you want, but this one felt right for some reason. I kept looking at it, thinking about it. About how pretty it would be on your finger. About how pretty it would go with your eyes.”

“I love it, I love it,” she said, her eyes filling with tears.

Weston licked his bottom lip and slid his palm against her left one. “I bonded to you when we were kids. I clung to your letters and fell in love with your voice through them. I didn’t want other girlfriends after you because all I wanted was what we’d had. Your people convinced you that you were flawed, but to me you are
perfect
.”

Avery’s face crumpled, and her shoulders shook. How those words filled her heart. How she’d longed to hear that she was good. That she was okay. “You’re perfect to me, too,” she forced out past her tight throat.

He smiled up at her, the morning sunlight highlighting his chiseled jaw and that dimple that said he was happy. “I choose you. For now, for always, I want you to be the one I wake up to. I want you to be the one I share my visions with, and hold, and laugh with. and struggle with, and grow old with.”

“I’ll protect you always,” she whispered.

“I know.” Weston’s voice broke on the last word, and his eyes rimmed with moisture. He laughed and looked away. Over and over, he swallowed, shaking his head like he was trying to gain control of himself again. In a steadier voice he said, “I know you will. And I’ll protect you for always, too. My body is yours. My heart is yours. It has been for a long time. Avery, you are my match. I’ve claimed you, and you already feel like mine, but you said once that claiming marks aren’t recognized by ravens. And I want you in every way. Ave, will you marry me?”

She was already nodding because she wanted nothing more than to bind herself to him completely. His eyes full, he slid the ring onto her finger. Clenching her fist around the new weight, Avery fell to her knees in front of him and hugged him up. A long sob wracked her body as he rocked her back and forth, back and forth. Weston eased away and kissed her. Clinging to him hard, she kissed him back, tears streaming down her cheeks. She didn’t know how long they sat like that on the porch of Big Flight. Maybe it was only minutes, but it could’ve been hours. Time had never made sense when she got lost in his arms like this. Mate, mate, mate. He’d chosen her. How had she gotten so lucky? Their story was long and winding, and so much had conspired to keep them apart, but look what had happened?

Love had won.

Weston leaned back and cupped her cheeks, wiped away her tears. “You’re not through.”

“What?” she squeaked out.

He laid another peck on her lips and pulled something out of his back pocket. It was another letter. She unfolded it and read it aloud as best as her shaking voice would allow.

“Ave, I love you. I wanted to say that first before anything else because you should hear it all the time. You deserve to know how I feel about you, and never have to question it.” Her voice hitched, and she had to clear her throat before she continued. “This is the second clue to your scavenger hunt. This is going to be one of the biggest days of our lives, so enjoy this. Take stock of every moment. I want you to go to the lair of the dragon. And no questions. I know you’ll have a million. I won’t answer them. Just play the game. Later gator.” She looked up at him. “I have to go now?” she asked, wanting to spend more time with her newly betrothed.

Weston chuckled and said, “Trust me. You’ll want to do it now.”

“Okay,” she said, wiping her damp cheeks. It was then that she saw Ryder. He was holding a big camera and taking pictures of them. Ryder was giving them a gift—pictures of their engagement that she could treasure for always.

Avery kissed Weston once more, and when she disengaged, he held her hand, admired the ring on her finger. It fit perfectly. With a boyish grin, he helped her up and swatted her firmly on the ass. “Go on now, or you’ll be late.”

“Late for what?”

Weston shook his head, denying her answers just like his letter promised. With a giddy laugh, she bolted down the steps, the clue clutched in her hand. She wrapped Ryder up in a big hug.

“Selfie proof that I was here for my first best friend’s big moment,” he said and turned the camera on them.

Avery cheesed so big. She’d taken a dozen selfies with Ryder for his social media over the weeks, but this was the best one.

“Oh!” he said as she ran off. “I got you something!”

She ran back as he dug in his pocket. Ryder pulled out a purple bear paw beer bottle opener, just like his and Weston’s. And now as Avery held out her hand for it, the tears were back.

“It felt right that all three of us have matching ones. You make my best friend happier than I’ve ever seen him. You’re all right, Avery Foley.” The jokester ruffled her hair as she blew out a steadying breath and tried to hold herself together.

Ryder sent her on her way, and she jogged to her car, her hands full of some of the most important trinkets of her life. The keychain that said Weston’s best friend accepted her, the letter with the next scavenger hunt clue, and the most important thing she possessed—a ring that said Weston wanted her to be his everything.

Avery sped through the backroads of Harper’s Mountains, her heart soaring as she raced for the cabins. She drove past 1010, then past Aaron’s cabin and the double cabin Weston and Ryder shared. At the top of the hill near the cliffs, she parked her car and made her way onto the sprawling porch of Harper and Wyatt’s cabin. She’d never been inside the lair of the dragon before, but Lexi, Harper, and Alana were waiting for her at the open front door.

Lexi was crying, and for a moment, Avery hesitated, uncertain. “Are you okay?” she asked.

Lexi nodded and pulled her inside where a beautiful white dress adorned with sparkling beadwork hung against the log wall.

“It’s for you,” Alana said softly.

“What?” Avery asked, fingering the gorgeous material.

“Weston bought it from me this morning. It’s the extra dress I had for my wedding. He said you didn’t want much fuss for your big day. He told us you said you wanted a wedding that didn’t take away from my big day.” Alana’s dark cheeks turned rosy, and she ducked her gaze. A tear splatted against the wooden floor. “I can’t tell you how sweet that is, but you deserve a big day, too.”

“I-I don’t understand,” Avery stammered, looking from face to face. The women all had their make-up done and their hair in beautiful cascading curls. They wore sundresses in different pastel colors.

“If you want it to be,” Harper said, “today is your wedding day. Weston has planned everything.”

Avery put her hands over her mouth to control her sobbing. Her shoulders heaved as she took a few steps back and shook her head. This couldn’t be happening. Something this incredible didn’t happen to people like her. But it was, and now all the girls were tearing up. Harper hugged her up tight, and then others wrapped their arms around her, too.

Sniffling, Avery asked, “Will you be my bridesmaids? I want all of you to be up there with me.”

“Of course,” Harper answered. “We’re your crew. There is nowhere else we’d rather be. Now,” she murmured, easing away. “No more tears because your make-up will be shot to hell. Are we doing this?”

Avery laughed thickly and nodded her head. “Yeah, we’re doing this. Today is my wedding day.”

Avery’s hands were shaking so bad the bouquet of wild flowers in her hands made a rustling sound. She caught a glimpse of her reflection in the window of the Bryson City Town Hall. The final scavenger hunt clue had led her here.

The dress fit snugly, emphasizing her figure, and Harper had done a quick, temporary hem of the bottom so it wasn’t too long. It was fitted and flared out just below her thighs. Alana had done her hair in curls, pinned shining tresses with pearl clips, and Lexi had re-done her make-up.

Avery felt like a princess. She sighed and wondered what was taking so long. Harper had asked her to wait here for some cue to make her way through the doors. Maybe Weston hadn’t been able to secure the last-minute wedding license as he’d hoped.

The door behind her opened with a pretty
ding
of the bell. She turned and froze.

Weston’s fearsome father, Beaston, strode toward her, his bright, inhuman gaze locked on hers. For a moment, she seized in fear, but he smiled and took her empty hand in his rough, calloused palm.

“You don’t have no worthy daddy to walk you down the aisle,” he murmured. “Weston said you wanted a quiet wedding, just you and him, but I wanted more. My Ana wants to see her boy married.” Beaston shifted his weight and dropped his eyes to Avery’s flowers. “You smell scared, but you don’t have to be. I won’t hurt you. My boy loves you.” He lifted that terrifying gaze back to her, but he angled his face, giving her his neck. “I only have one raven boy, and he had my heart from the first second I laid eyes on him. My Ana gave me girls after Weston, all bears. So you see,” he said softly, “you will be my only raven girl. You can’t be the daughter of my blood, but you can be the daughter of my heart. You take good care of my boy. You will make him feel steady when the visions get bad, and you’ll keep Harper from putting him down. You’ll save him, and he’ll fix your inside scars. I don’t want you going down the aisle alone when you meet him. I want to be the one to walk you.”

Avery bit her lip hard so she wouldn’t lose it. She’d been terrified of Beaston and shifters like him all her life, and now he was telling her she was his girl. Her own flesh-and-blood father had never declared as much. Jerkily, she nodded, and slipped her hand into the crook of his strong arm. “I would be honored,” she whispered.

Beaston gave her a crooked smile, one that looked so much like Weston’s, and pushed the door open.

Her eyes locked on Weston, waiting in front of the Justice of the Peace in a dark suit, his smile stunned and taking up his whole face. Her lip trembled as Beaston led her past the tiny crowd. Mom was standing next to Aviana, tears in her eyes. She must’ve defied Dad to be here, and for that, Avery was so proud of her. On the other side, Officer Ryan and Officer Hammond stood out of uniform with their hands clasped in front of them, easy smiles on their faces. Kane stood leaned against the far wall, hands in his pockets, his sunglasses on, and a slight smile curving up his lips. He nodded a greeting, and she waved her flowers gently at him. Up front, the Bloodrunners stood for her and Weston, looking so proud, as though she was a welcome member.

Everything was perfect.

She kissed Beaston gently on the cheek before he left to stand by his mate, and then Avery handed Harper her bouquet of wildflowers. With a happy sigh, Avery slipped her hands into Weston’s. And as she looked up into his eyes, lost in how deeply she loved him, they repeated the simple vows, and each said their I do.

Weston kissed her for so long Ryder told them to “get a room.” Avery giggled against her mate’s lips when he lifted her off her feet and hugged her tightly. The others were clapping and whistling, and Avery had never been happier than in this moment.

They signed the certificate, Avery’s heart banging against her chest the entire time. She was married to the man of her dreams. No, neither one of them was perfect, but they were perfect for each other.

“I’m starving,” Weston said after a few pictures.

“I’m hungry, too, and it would be fun to go out to eat all dressed up,” Avery said.

“I could eat like…seven cows of steak,” Ryder announced, reviewing pictures on the camera.

“Gross,” Lexi teased from where she was hugging his waist.

“I have one last surprise,” Weston murmured against Avery’s ear.

“More surprises? Weston, you’ve already given me the best day of my life.”

“Best day of
our
lives, Ave.” He grabbed her hand and led her across the street, the others following and chattering happily. Up a few shops, he pulled her into a fancy looking restaurant on the corner called The Cork and Bean Bistro. It looked unassuming enough on the outside, but inside, it was beautiful. Rustic iron chandeliers hung from the ceiling, and the walls were paneled in polished wood. There was a bar along the back wall with three tall chairs in front of it, and chalkboards with drink specials and sprawling mirrors adorned the wooden walls. The tables looked hand-carved, and the chairs were all made of polished thick wooden branches. Avery would’ve never guessed this gem lay hidden in the heart of this quaint town.

A server was waiting for them and smiled brightly when she saw Weston. “Perfect timing. We just opened up the kitchen to serve dinner for your party. Right this way,” she murmured.

Weston led them into a back room where the tables had been pushed away from the center of the room and soft music played over the speakers. Two of the walls were covered in the same polished wood as the bar room, but one was made of exposed red brick. A huge iron chandelier hung above, and matching mirrors and sconces decorated the wall. The last wall was made of windows, and natural light streamed in, casting a beautiful glow on the wooden floors and tables.

“You have this room for three hours,” the server said to Avery with a beaming smile. “We don’t usually do private parties, but your man was very persuasive. You got yourself a good one.”

“He paid her to say that,” Ryder joked.

“Shut up,” Weston said, shoving his friend in the shoulder. He twirled Avery onto the dancefloor and chuckled, his eyes on her smiling lips. “It’s just like my dream.”

She laughed and slid her hands up around his neck, swaying side to side with him. “Well, I didn’t even have enough imagination to dream of something this amazing. You listened to me. You gave me the wedding I told you I wanted. And I didn’t have to plan or stress. I just had to get dressed and show up. You’re so fucking awesome. Best husband ever.” She squealed and repeated it. “Husband! You’re my husband. I can’t believe this. After everything we’ve been through…”

“Woman, you fought for me. You hung on when I wasn’t worth hanging onto. I’ll spend the rest of my life hanging on to you back.”

Avery lowered her voice and teased, “You keep talking like that, and I’ll let you fuck my boobs again.”

Weston arched his dark eyebrows high. “By the way, they look amazing in this dress.” His eyes glazed over as he stared. “All big and pushed up to your chin. Hide my boner.”

She cracked up as he pulled her closer and nipped her neck.

“Weston, Avery, what are you drinking?” Wyatt asked from beside the server.

“Champagne,” Avery said.

“Ew, no.” Wyatt scrunched up his face. “She’ll have a long island iced tea.”

“I’ll have the same,” Lexi and Alana said at the same time. Oh, it was going to be one of those parties.

Weston snorted, and Avery giggled. “This is so freaking perfect. It’s exactly how I would want it to be. Just me and you and the most important people in our lives.”

“Getting drunk,” Weston said, his eyes dancing. “We’ll be lucky if they don’t kick us out of this place.”

“Harper is drinking orange juice. She’ll keep us in line.” Avery hoped.

Their alpha pulled Wyatt onto the dance floor, and now they were slow dancing side-to-side next to Avery and Weston. Wyatt had his hand resting on the tiny swell of Harper’s stomach, and he was murmuring low against her ear. Harper had the sweetest smile on her lips as she hugged her mate closer.

Lexi and Ryder were dancing inappropriately, and Alana was grinning up at Aaron as they two-stepped, the scar on her lip stretching with how happy she looked. Beaston, Mom, and Aviana were sitting at a table, talking easily. She had a feeling Aviana would be a good support for mom in the coming months.

“I don’t know how I got so lucky,” Avery murmured.

Weston frowned at where Lexi was doing a shimmy dance with her butt against Ryder’s pelvis. “Yeah, super lucky.”

Avery swatted his shoulder. “You know what I mean.”

He ran his fingertip lightly over her claiming mark and then the scar from the glass below it. “So you don’t have any regrets?”

Avery shook her head and looked around, still in disbelief that this day was hers. Didn’t Weston see? She’d been hollow before. She’d been a shell, and he’d given her so much, filled her up with emotions she didn’t know existed. He’d given her himself, his heart, and then he’d gone and done even more. He’d given her friends who had come to her aid, no questions asked. He’d given her a place in the best damn crew in the entire world. He’d given her confidence and made her want to be stronger. He’d gone to battle for her, banished her ghosts, banished the ones who had hurt her.

He’d pulled her from the mud, cleaned her feathers, and told her to
rise up, little phoenix
.

And because of him, she had.

“Of course I have no regrets. I’m right where I belong.” She traced the silver claw mark scars on his neck. “We fought for each other, Weston. I love every mark on me and every mark on you. You laid your body over mine, under the swinging blade of an ax, just to make sure I lived. Just to save me from pain. Just to make sure I was okay. Every mark on our bodies is proof that we’re in this. No matter what comes now, we’ll face it together, for always.”

Her mother had used those words once when she’d admitted Avery was born to betray the Novak Raven. She’d hated them then, but now she was taking them back.

The ravens had failed.

Avery hadn’t been born to betray Weston.

She’d been born to love him.
For always
.

Weston leaned down and kissed her claiming mark, then kissed the mark from the shard of glass. And then he straightened, cupped her neck gently, and pressed his lips to hers.

Resting his forehead against Avery’s, he softly repeated her oath. “For always.”