Page 76 of Tangled Fates

I allowed my eyes to slowly flutter open. “Every time I reach back out, though, all I seem to be met with is silence. And I hate that. I hate knowing that I had a part in seeing him, but I also have no idea how to replicate it. It’s like my body understands, but my brain doesn’t. It’s pissing me off.”

Levi nodded. “Yeah, that would piss me off, too.”

“I’m sorry, Raven.”

The sincerity of Hudson’s voice caught me off-guard, and I peeked up at him. “We’re past that. You don’t have to be sorry about it anymore.”

He shook his head as he tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. “Not about that.”

I quirked an eyebrow and he chuckled.

“Okay, yes about that, too. I’m terrible with controlling my impulses, but I’m working on it.”

I smiled softly. “No, you won’t, but it’s okay.”

He balked. “Hey, I can work on things. I know I’m not perfect. I know I could do better.”

I nodded and closed my eyes once more. “Well, if that is something you want for yourself, then I’ll do whatever I can to try and help you.”

Silence fell between us as the ghost of my memories haunted us within the specks of dust that found their death on our clothes. I let my eyes open, and I found three sets of twinkling, handsome, gorgeous stares looking back at me.

“How did I get so lucky?” I whispered.

Levi beamed with pride. “Because you’re just that awesome.”

Hudson rolled his eyes. “Suck up.”

Dean reached out and cupped my knee. “Just like you’re here for us, we’re here for you, too.”

I settled my hand on top of his. “You know that I care about you guys. I truly, genuinely care about all of you. Right?”

They all nodded their heads, but I wasn’t sure they understood.

“I mean, you guys make me better. You make me see things I’ve seen all my life, but simply refused to acknowledge. And I’m falling for all of you. Each of you. Individually.”

Their smiles were undeniable, and it brought me such great pride that I thought my chest would swell and burst from the happiness I felt having them surrounding me during such a tumultuous time in my life.

“But,” I said with a heavy sigh, “we’ve got more important things than that going on right now. So, now that you guys know how I feel, can we put this conversation to the side for the time being and figure out how in the hell we’re going to dig ourselves out of the hole that these bear fuckers have created for us?”

Dean stood to his feet. “Spoken like a true Alpha.”

Levi was next to hop up. “I’ll start over there with some of those boxes. They’re smaller, and then I’ll work my way this way toward the bigger boxes.”

Hudson crouched next to me. “I’ll help her sort through these things she’s already got pulled.”

Dean nodded. “I’m going to go downstairs, actually, and sift through those flash drives. There’s, like, seven of them down there. And I’m sure they hold something that could help us, even if it’s just to point us in the right—Raven!”

I heard his voice before my neck bent back at an awkward angle, and even as the pain soared down my spine, I was relieved to hear his voice.

Raven.

I choked on my own pain. “Brody. It’s—it’s Brody. I—I can hear him.”

Raven, I escaped the bears. I did it. I escaped.

“What is it?” Hudson asked as he cupped my head. “What is he saying?”

I smiled, even though tears of pain dripped down the sides of my face. “He’s—h-h-h-he—he escaped. He’s—Brody, where are you?”

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