Page 68 of Tangled Fates

I gripped her chin, forcing her to focus on me as she straddled my lap. “I’m falling for you, Raven. I’ve been falling for you ever since the moment you stepped back into Bend. And if you’ll have me as your mate, you’ve got me for life.”

“Even though I questioned it? Whether or not it was real?”

“Do you still believe that it isn’t?”

She shrugged. “I honestly don’t know. Everything about this world challenges everything my mother taught me growing up. And every time I found out something new, beautiful, and useful, I just get angry with her. I don’t want to be angry with her, Dean.”

I smoothed my thumb along her cheek. “Then, don’t be. But this is real. All of it is real. And if there’s anything I can do to?—”

She cupped her hand against mine. “I know it’s real.”

I paused. “You do?”

She nodded. “It’s a hard pill to swallow because it’s just… so outside of my normal. But I know it’s real.”

“So, does that mean you’ll have me?”

She gazed deeply into my eyes. “Dean, when I thought you were dead? When I thought all of you were dead? I wanted to lay down and die with you. There’s much more happening than just magic. There’s a greater bond here than just what binds us as shifters. When I was in that healing chalet? With you guys unable to heal? I felt the love that had grown for all of you deep down in the pit of my soul. I was ready to exchange my heartbeat for yours, and I wouldn’t have batted an eye if it would have saved you.”

I swallowed the knot growing in my throat. “So, what does that mean?”

She nodded behind her. “That vision? It only solidified how I feel about you. About all of you. I saw the love you guys had for me in that moment. The pride, the selflessness, and the protection. I saw it, Dean.”

I pulled her face closer to mine. “So, will you take me? Will you have me, Raven?”

She cupped the back of my head. “Yes, Dean. Of course, I’ll have you.”

And just as my lips reached out to touch hers…

“You guys up here!? We got a lot to talk… about… Raven?”

She whipped her gaze over to him before she scrambled out of my lap. “Hudson! Hey! You look—you look great. How are you feeling?”

Levi brought up the rear and stuck his head into the room. “Rise and shine, you two. Today is a bright and sunny day, and?—”

“Fuck this,” Hudson growled.

He stormed off, damn near knocking Levi off his feet in the process.

“What the hell’s gotten into him?” Levi murmured.

And as I shook my head, Raven took off after Hudson.

As he stormed down the stairs toward the front door.

23

HUDSON

Levi called out after me. “Hudson! Don’t leave!”

Dean groaned. “Hey man, just get back up here so we can talk. I’ve had another vision!”

“Fuck you and your visions!” I bellowed as I threw open the front door. “You all can go fuck yourselves!”

Raven called out after me. “Hudson, wait up! Hold on a second!”

I stormed out onto the porch and leapt down the stairs. This whole mating thing with Dean and Levi was bullshit. It’d never work. I mean, how in the absolute fuck was I supposed to share my woman with two other men? Two other men, for fuck’s sake! Was the universe trying to kill me?

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