Page 64 of Tangled Fates

The room cheered and clapped their hands as I coughed until I damn near choked on my own spit. I waved my hands around in the air, trying to find something that would help pull me up from the floor. I had to get to the guys. I had to figure out where in the hell Raven went. Was she has hurt as the rest of us?

I prayed she wasn’t.

“It’s okay. Hudson, it’s fine. Shh, shh, shh. Everything is a’okay.”

I opened my tired eyes and found her pressing against my shoulders. “Raven.”

She lowered me back to the floor. “Stop fighting and use your energy to stay awake. You can’t let the venom take control.”

A blinding light shone behind her as she hovered over me with the kindest smile upon her face. She looked like an angel, draped in raven black hair.

“Raven,” I whispered.

She took my hand within hers. “It’s good to see your eyes, Hudson.”

I searched her weary gaze. “Not as good as it is to see yours.”

Before I knew it, her face dipped down, and she captured my lips with hers. The warmth penetrated my shivering bones, filling the marrow of them with a heat that cascaded throughout my veins. I felt stronger with each stroke of her tongue. I felt like I could conquer the world so long as her lips stayed pressed to my skin.

And when she pulled back, I felt a renewed sense of vigor fill my chest cavity.

“How are Dean? A-a-and Levi?” I asked breathlessly.

Raven stroked her fingers through my hair. “They’re healing nicely. Took us a time to get the venom out of their system, but they’re on the mend and getting stronger by the second.”

“And now it’s your turn, Hudson!” Dean called out.

I heaved a heavy sigh. “What happened? How the hell did this happen?”

The room fell silent, and I got the distinct impression that all eyes were on Raven when I asked.

“We were attacked by bears that had their claws and teeth laced with that poisonous salve stuff. The second they dug into you guys, it was game over.”

I swallowed hard, my mouth feeling like cotton. “Then, how the hell did we end up back here?”

She snickered. “Your guess is as good as mine. I just… listened to my wolf and pushed all of my magic outward.”

I reached a trembling hand up and cupped her cheek. “You risked your life to save me. To save all of us.”

“Why wouldn’t I have? You’re my boys, and I’d do it again without question.”

I stroked my thumb against her cheek. “My Raven.”

She nuzzled into my palm. “My Hudson.”

“I’m just glad you’re okay.”

She turned her lips toward my palm and kissed it. “You guys are mine. You, Hudson, are mine. And no bullshit, smelly, fish-eating bear is going to take you guys from me. Ever. Not if I have anything to do about it.”

However, when the sincerity of her words hit my ears, something amazing happened. Instead of feeling like my energy was draining, it finally felt like my energies were returning. I felt like I was on top of the world, ready to conquer it at a moment’s notice.

“He’s healing!” someone exclaimed.

“We did it!” someone else shouted.

“Get him over here. He needs water and food. Come, come.”

And I’d never heard a more cacophonous symphony of sound in all my life as Raven helped me up from the floor.

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