Novak Raven (Harper's Mountains Book 4) (16 page)

As she explored his chest and the flexing mounds of his abs, she rolled her hips against his.

“How are you this fucking sexy?” he asked breathily.

He trailed kisses down her neck, sucking hard, biting, pleasure and pain before he eased back and popped her tits out of her bra, grabbed them hard, and lowered his lips to one of her nipples. Their bodies were like water, flowing and moving as he sucked.

She could absolutely come like this, even with his pants on. He was already working her close to release, so she unsnapped the button on his jeans. Weston pulled his lips from her skin just long enough to work his pants down his thighs, and then he unfastened her bra in back with a quick snap of his fingers. Rushing now, he yanked the cups from her shoulders and threw it on the ground. His hand slid down her belly into the front of her panties as he swallowed up the gasp that rose from her throat.

A curious shiver trembled up his back and landed in his shoulders when he dragged two fingers through the wetness he’d conjured between her legs. In a smooth movement, he lifted her just enough that she hovered over the swollen head of his cock. And in an instant, he moved her panties to the side and slid her down.

“Ooooh,” he groaned as she sheathed him slowly. His eyes rolled closed, and he gritted his teeth.

He filled her, stretched her, felt amazing inside of her. He was so long and thick he was almost too much, but she relaxed as much as she could and eased back up when he went too deep. And by the third stroke, the soreness had disappeared. In its place was core-deep pleasure and heat. She pressed her chest against his and hugged him tight, eased up and back down again. She was already too close. “I’m almost there,” she panted.
I’m sorry!

“Good. Come for me, Ave,” he growled against her ear.

She cried out softly on the next stroke, and again on the next, her fingernails digging into the back of his neck. His kiss was rough, and his teeth grazed her lips. Punishing him, she bit him back hard.

Weston’s reaction was instant. He bucked into her harder and let off a sexy sound.

Over and over, she slid onto him, and this felt better than anything ever had. Her chest was on fire, and her mind was completely fogged with the high. Slowly, she worked her biting kisses down, down until she reached the muscle right at the top of his peck. Testing, she bit him harder there and rolled her hips. But Weston didn’t try to escape her like he did last time. This time, he cupped the back of her head and dragged her closer, bucked into her deep.

“Do it,” he rasped.

Avery sank her teeth into his chest just as her body exploded with ecstasy. This was happening. Her life was changing for the better, right now, in this moment. Every instinct in her body screamed to do it right. To do it hard. To scar him so he would never be able to look in the mirror without thinking about her. Inside, Avery’s raven was crowing in triumph that she was claiming her mate. Avery had never heard of claiming marks for normal ravens, but she wasn’t normal, and Weston sure as hell wasn’t normal either. He was half grizzly shifter, raised in a crew of claiming monsters that made this moment feel so right.

Weston threw his head back and gritted out her name as his dick pulsed hard inside her. Heat flooded her in jets as he pushed into her again and again. Warmth flowed into her mouth, the taste of copper struck her tongue, and then it was done. Her mark was made.

Avery released his torn skin and writhed against him, arched her back, and closed her eyes when his lips landed on the base of her throat. The scrape of his teeth brought on another pounding aftershock from both of them. She was prepared to beg, but Weston didn’t ask, didn’t hesitate.

He bit down near the tip of her collar bone, right on her shoulder, and he bit to claim. It was hard, his teeth cutting straight to her bone. Pain blinded her for a moment before he relaxed his jaw and let her go. Both of their chests heaving, they hugged each other tightly, bodies crashing against each other as Weston drew every aftershock from her.

“I love you. I love you,” she panted. Those were the only three words that made sense right now. Her chest was hot, as if someone had poured lighter fluid down her throat and lit a match.

And just as the sensation got to be too much, too harsh, Weston winced away hard, putting inches between them when he grabbed his chest. And just like that, the burning was gone. It was as if someone had doused her fire with a bucket of cold water. The shock remained, but not the burn.

Weston started shaking hard, staring at her with wide, dark eyes. She understood. The adrenaline in her system was doing something strange to her body, too. His gaze ducked to her bite mark, and slowly…so slowly…a smile crooked his lips.

Streams of red were racing down his chest from where she’d bitten him. Yet another way they matched. They’d chosen each other.

Weston gently ran his hands down her hips to her knees, then lifted that dark, sexy gaze to hers. “Mate,” he murmured. “I love you, too.”

Mate.

It had been one week since Weston had called her that for the first time, but Avery still got a giddy feeling whenever she thought of that word.

She finished washing her hands in the bathroom sink of Big Flight and looked at her reflection in the mirror. She’d changed so much since she’d come here. No longer did she hunch or try to stay as small as she could. No longer did she stare at the ground or avoid gazes. No longer did her raven stay quiet and sad inside of her. Weston’s encouragement to own her inner badass made her stand taller. Her growing friendships with the Bloodrunners and her observations of the other strong women in the crew made her damn proud of the animal in her middle.

Avery’s skin was clear and glowing with her happiness. Her eyes were light teal and clear, her skin was tanner, and her hair lighter from working outside. Her hands were calloused, where they had been frail and easily blistered before. That was from Weston and Ryder insisting she come on some of the ATV tours to learn the trails. Even her arms were becoming more toned, and her body felt stronger, more capable of endurance. Raven’s Hollow hadn’t broken her like she’d thought. It had just weighed her down for a while.

No longer was she meant to stand in the shadows and look pretty. She used her body now. She was proud of it. She was even happy with her curves that had been so different from the other shifters of Raven’s Hollow.

Weston and the Bloodrunners, had helped to make her proud of who she was.

And the best part of her reflection was the healed circular scar Weston had given her.

She was the mate of the Novak Raven, and no one could ever take that away from her.

She wasn’t alone in the world anymore. She wasn’t invisible.

Avery adjusted the strap of her Big Flight tank top so it wouldn’t cover any of the claiming mark, then she dried her hands, and left the bathroom in search of Weston. He would be back from the last tour any second now.

This was her favorite time of day. Evenings in the mountains were gorgeous, but that wasn’t all of the magic here. She would get to spend the rest of the evening with her mate, riding in his truck, eating dinner—sometimes just them, sometimes with the Bloodrunners—and they would hold each other and love each other until she fell asleep in 1010. Not tonight, though. Tonight she was going to let Weston read all the letters she’d never sent him. She was ready. She was strong enough to sit beside him and answer his questions about the dark parts of Raven’s Hollow. And then she would ask him again to sleep beside her the whole night because she was strong enough to shoulder his burdens along with her own.

When the roar of ATV engines brushed her ears, Avery grinned, rushing to the front door to greet the tour.

Ryder held back to gas up the quads for the busy day tomorrow, while Weston strode toward her with the large family they’d taken out. His gaze collided with hers the second she opened the door, and his smile was breathtaking. God, she loved him.

The tour filed past her, murmuring their greetings, and Weston did what he did every time he returned from a tour. He leaned down and kissed the claiming mark he’d given her, brushed the pad of his finger over it gently, then kissed her lips. “Hey, little phoenix.”

And then he squeezed her ass hard. With a laugh for her shocked expression, he followed the others in. The butt-grab was new.

The next twenty minutes was a rush of getting surveys filled out, answering a late call to book a tour for next week, and getting all the returned helmets in order on the shelves in the gear room. Out in the shop, Weston rang up the souvenirs the family wanted. She loved the routine around here. She and Weston and Ryder had grown so comfortable with each other they were running Big Flight like a well-oiled machine already.

She said her goodbyes to the last tour, her hands on her back as they exited the shop. “So I’ve been thinking,” she said to Weston, who was closing down the cash register.

“Uh oh.”

Ignoring him, she said, “I think instead of doing the safety lesson each time, we should do a video, and set up a little screening room out back where the clients can watch it. Then it cuts out the smart alecks who want to joke through the lessons, and it saves you and Ryder’s voices. And you’ll have more time to prepare in between those back-to-back tours while the clients are watching the safety video. We could even make it funny if you want.”

Weston snorted. “Ryder would love that.” He closed the cash register and took the credit card receipts and cash to the office. “I think that’s a good idea. I’m tired of saying the same thing over and over.”

Avery fist pumped and gave a manly grunt, then called, “Can I shoot it? I watched videos on how to make videos.”

Weston laughed from the other room and said, “Sure.”

Ryder shoved open the door and sighed the word, “Margarita.”

She knew the drill, though, so she pointed to the counter where the frosty can of his favorite libation was waiting with a swirly straw already. “Guess what?”

“You got your period.”

“No! Well…yes, but that’s not what I’m talking about.”

Ryder slurped his drink. “You got invited to be one of Alana’s bridesmaids.”

“Nope.” Avery drew back. “Wait, is that going to happen?” Damn the excitement in her voice, and damn the smirk on Ryder’s face when he zipped his lips and pretended to throw away the key. Narrowing her eyes at him, she said, “Weston said yes to the video.”

“Oh, hell yeah,” Ryder crowed, giving her a high five that made her whole hand sting. She was still new at those. Ryder drank down the rest of the margarita and raised his hand like a schoolboy. “I already wrote the script. I call lead role!”

“You can have all the roles,” Weston muttered as he strode in from the office. “I don’t want to be in it. You ready to go home?” he asked Avery.

“To fuuuuuuck,” Ryder sang, using the tiny blue can as a microphone and pelvic thrusting. “Y’all are loud.”

“
We’re
loud?” Weston asked. “I literally heard you and Lexi role-playing a saloon girl and an outlaw last night. Every word, Ryder. I’m traumatized.”

“We had to hone our acting skills.”

“Did you have to yell every word in the front yard? I can’t get you saying, ‘Lemme stick my six-shooter in your cooter’ out of my brain. It’s on this puke-inducing endless loop.”

Ryder cocked his head like a proud rooster. “You’re welcome.”

Avery snickered as she made her way behind the counter to grab her purse.

She liked that the boys didn’t tame down their discussions around her. It showed they were comfortable with her. That she was accepted around here. Plus, she had broadened the colorful nature of her vocabulary greatly since she’d started working, and she didn’t know why that made her feel lucky, but it did.

For a moment, a shadow shielded the light from the front window.

Crap, a late tour?

But when she got a glimpse of the visitor through the other window on the porch, Avery froze in fear. It couldn’t be him. Not now, and not here.

Two more figures walked in front of the window, blocking out the pretty evening sunlight. Avery stumbled backward, then inched her way toward the corner, as far away from the door as she could get.

Maybe she’d imagined them.

“What’s wrong?” Weston asked, his eyes intensely trained on her. He was too close to the door. Too close to them.

The door swung wide and in stepped a man she’d never planned on seeing again.

Benjamin.

His eyes weren’t the blue they usually were, but instead were pitch black, matching his dark crop of hair.

Behind him was the head council member, Caden. Her own personal demon. His thick gray hair was disheveled on top of his head, and he looked different. He’d always been able to terrify her with a look, but today his cheeks were red, and his dark eyes sparked with a fury she didn’t understand. He was breathing too hard as he stared down Weston. Maybe he was sick. She couldn’t muster a single ounce of concern for his well-being though. He’d never cared about hers. Behind Caden, her father pulled up the rear and closed the door with a quiet, echoing
click
behind him.

“W-what are you doing here?” Avery stammered.

“We’re here to bring you back home,” Benjamin answered in a cold voice.

“She is home,” Weston murmured. “Who are you?”

Benjamin smiled. She’d always hated the way his face looked when he did that. He always wore an empty expression that didn’t reach his eyes and looked more like a snarl. His smiles were pretend.

“I’m Avery’s fiancé. Who are you?”

Weston went rigid, his back muscles freezing against his damp T-shirt. She couldn’t see his face, but from the scent of fury wafting from him, it probably looked terrifying. Avery cowered, wishing she could melt into the wall completely. She knew these men well. Caden had always been the one to put her in The Box. He didn’t mind breaking people. His eyes were empty, too, just like his soul, and now Dad wouldn’t look her in the face. He was here to ruin her life. He
should
be ashamed.

Weston crossed his arms and canted his head. In a bland voice, he said, “I think you probably know who I am. She ain’t leavin’ with you unless she wants to. Avery?” He looked at her over his shoulder and, oh, his eyes roiled with fury.

“I don’t want to leave here.” She forced trembling words past her lips. “Remember that boy I told you about? The boy who wouldn’t quit bullying me? The boy I beat up?” She dared a look at Benjamin. “That’s him.”

“Dude, you got your ass kicked by a girl?” Ryder asked. He laughed hard and too loud, but Avery didn’t miss it. He was inching his way behind the counter, closer to her.

“The lady made her choice,” Weston gritted out. “Kindly get the fuck off my property.”

Ryder pulled a long, serrated machete from below the cash register and slammed it onto the counter top. With a psychotic grin, he said, “Please?”

Caden stepped forward and spoke up. “Avery was taken from our care at Raven’s Hollow without permission, and the engagement between her and Benjamin was already in negotiations.” His leathery gray lips rimmed with white spittle as he talked.

“I didn’t sign any contract, and I’m not marrying—”

“Don’t speak!” Caden yelled, his dark eyes round and furious.

Weston was on him in an instant. There was a blur, and then Caden was up against the wall, his feet kicking three feet off the ground. “I fuckin’
dare
you to speak to her like that again.”

The other ravens surged toward Weston, but Ryder leapt gracefully over the counter with the machete in hand and put himself between them.

Caden wasn’t protecting his neck from the stranglehold. He was hitting Weston in the face and shoulders with his closed fist, and his eyes were full of a hatred Avery didn’t understand. He was turning blue, but still, he gave up his throat to try and hurt Weston.

Weston didn’t seem affected by the punches. He barely even reacted to them, like they didn’t hurt at all. Instead, he slammed Caden against the wall twice, hard enough that his head made sickly thuds against the logs, then he threw him in a crumpled heap and turned to the others.

“She isn’t going with you assholes. I know what you’ve done to her. I’ve seen it! You’ll have to pry her from my cold, lifeless talons.”

“Look at her. She’s terrified!” Caden choked out from the floor, his eyes flashing with rage that didn’t match the concern in his words.

“Dumbass, she’s scared of you,” Ryder muttered, looking like he wanted to kick the shit out of Caden’s ribs.

“Are you engaged to her?” Dad blurted out, eyes averted. He was holding a cell phone. He’d never cared about cell phones before. What the hell was happening?

Weston hesitated. He cast a quick glance to Avery, but she still couldn’t move. Terror had seized every muscle in her body.

“Are you engaged?” Dad yelled, enunciating each word.

“No.” Weston blinked slowly and stood to his full height, looked down on the others like they were nothing. “But she’s mine. I’m not letting her go. Come here again, and I’ll rip your intestines through your mouths and watch you choke on your own entrails. I know about The Box, you sadistic fucks. If I see you in these mountains again, if I even
feel
like you’re thinking about coming back for her, I’ll burn your entire fucking flock to the ground.” He licked his swollen, split lip and looked like he wanted to spit. “Get out.”

Ryder was grinning and bouncing on the balls of his feet as though this was the best day ever. “Yeah, what he said, mother fuckers. Get out!”

“Come on, honey,” Dad said, waving Avery to him. “You don’t have to stay here with this bad man.”

Avery stood there panting, frozen against the corner, wishing she was braver. Wishing she understood what was happening. What the hell was he talking about? He didn’t care about her. He didn’t care about anyone but himself, his precious rank, and a seat on the council. “You’re the bad man.” Avery forced herself out of the corner and scuffled her lead shoes across the wood floors until she reached Weston. She stopped beside him, absorbed the ready rage that was pressing from Weston against her body, and used it to fuel herself. He was as much a beast as a raven shifter could be—a true War Bird—and that made her braver. Weston would keep her safe. Safe, safe, safe. She was safe under his care. The council had no power here.