Page 72 of Tangled Fates

“Yeah, I’m sure it does,” I murmured to myself.

As I watched Dean make his way into the house, I closed my eyes. The wind wrapped around me in a gentle breeze, kicking up the leaves at my feet as they swirled all the way up my body. I lifted my head toward the sky, enjoying the sensations as forced the tired voices in my head to shut the hell up.

And when I did, a revelation crossed my mind.

Just let it go.

Four simple words that held so much frustration and animosity. The voices in my head had nothing more for me than that? What the fuck? I had tried for so many years to get rid of the stench of Lila on my skin. It took months for her memory to fade into nothing but shadowed nightmares that cropped up every once in a while. Was I really going to let that stand in between me and the woman I had fallen for, though?

“Why is this so hard?” I whispered.

As I opened my eyes, I watched as rays of light poured down from the sky. The twinge of smoke in the air had long since passed, and in its wake was the smell of memories. Of times long gone. Of Raven and I rushing through breakfast just to get back into the woods so that we could go rock-jumping in the creek. Those thoughts made me smile. She had been so carefree back then.

However, so was I.

Time changes everything, if you allow it.

Raven’s voice echoed off the corners off my mind, and I turned back toward the house. I found her peering at me through one of the living room windows, and when she raised a hand to softly wave at me, I returned the favor.

You don’t have to protect yourself from me, she said.

I slid my hand back down to my side. I don’t know if I can be hurt like that again.

Then, give me a chance not to hurt you like that again.

I don’t know if I can.

Her face grew desperate. If you don’t want to be here, I won’t make you be here. But if you’re going to make the choice to do this, then at least give me the time necessary to show you that I’m not her. I’m not Lila, Hudson. She’s gone, and it’s her loss, as far as I’m concerned.

Her words warmed my heart. I’m sorry that I’m like this.

She tilted her head. I’m not. It’s who you are. It’s who the world has turned you into. And I care for you, no matter what.

Just care?

I saw the shadow of a grin form on her face. You’re not the only one who struggles with those words.

I smirked. Fair enough.

Now, are you going to come inside so we can figure this shit out with Brody? Because I’m pretty sure my father would want me to go after my cousin, dead or alive.

I made my way toward the front door. Brody is stubborn as hell. He’s absolutely alive somewhere, and he’ll probably annoy his captor to death before we can find him.

Her laughter welcomed me into the house. “You’re probably right on that one, but it never hurts to be prepared anyway.”

I held my arm out for her. “Come here, beautiful.”

She raced to me and pressed herself flush against my chest, wrapping both of her arms around me. I draped my strength around her, holding her close as she pressed her cheek into my heartbeat.

“Hey there, handsome,” she whispered.

As my lips graced the top of her head, I knew what I had to do. As our hearts beat in tandem with one another’s, I knew I’d never be able to let her go. She was my woman. My fated mate. My Alpha, and my lover. My perfect partner, no matter how many other partners she had, and I had to trust that the universe understood better than my anger did. Somehow, some way, I had to let go of Lila. I had to let go of the hard lessons that relationship had taught me so that I could learn new, productive, and healthy lessons in order to help my relationship with Raven prosper.

I owed it to her, if nothing else.

And one day, maybe I’d feel like I owed it to myself as well.

“Well, if the two of you are done kissing and making up,” Levi said as he came into the living room with a tray of coffees, “then we need to get to work.”

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