Inevitably Yours

After years of finding their way back to each other, Michael and Quinn have done it. They are marked and mated, and Michael has reclaimed the Alpha title for his bloodline. Their romance may have met its fairy tale ending, but life did not.

Michael and Quinn must face all new challenges of not only young love but running the pack. The mess left for them to clear up is no small feat, and Lawrence’s enemies don’t take his death lightly. As they both heal from their emotional wounds, they must lean on each other as they explore Quinn’s hidden heritage. Life isn’t always easy and it isn’t always pretty; will this mated pair be able to thrive or just survive?

~~~~~~

QUINN

My paws pounded the earth. I didn’t even need to look to run with him. Sapphire just knew where we were supposed to be. It was eery to be so connected to someone.

At our ceremony, something happened as Michael shifted. I could only describe it as magic. He launched himself into the air over the pack members from our tiny little platform. As he did, something shifted. His fur hit the late-day sun and changed. His dusty grey fur was brilliantly silver. It reflected the sun and almost looked like blue specs of glitter were coming from him.

“Go!” Nic screamed in my head as I watched him for too long. The crowd parted, and I ran after him, everyone following suit after me.

After the ceremony, we asked his father if this was part of my apparent Fae b***d. While he wasn’t certain, he did know that the changes M saw in his strength and wolf could be attributed to our bond.

I broke out of the cropping of trees and saw him ahead. Deja vu washed over me as I ran after his silver wolf. He didn’t turn his head back to me, so all I could see was his massive, powerful form running ahead.

I called out to him, and unlike in my dreams, he slowed, giving me the chance to catch him. I took the opportunity to pounce on his back, and we wrestled as we rolled into the brush. As always, he won the fight, licking my face victoriously. Our wolves were content, happy to spend so much time together. We shifted almost every morning before he trained with Nic.

“We don’t have time for playing if we are going to be ready for this ceremony tonight,” I reminded him. He whined. It was funny to watch such a big, scary werewolf give me puppy dog eyes. “I have to get to work early, or I can’t leave early.”

“You’re the Luna. I hate that you are still working at the ice cream shop,” he pouted as he stepped off of me. I got to my feet, nudging him.

“We need money, M. What you have won’t last forever, and we have to fix the packhouse. Plus, I promised I would stay until they could replace me. Without those Alpha interviews and with open borders, things are getting better,” I reminded him. I started to walk back toward the packhouse, hoping he got the hint to follow. He nipped at my hind legs before coming next to me.

“I know,” he sighed. “It just feels wrong.”

“Just a little while longer, M,” I promised him.

–

“Can’t we try this on something else? If I messed up your swords, I would hate myself forever,” I worried. Michael just shook his head.

“You’ll do it fine. You won’t mess them up. And I wouldn’t let you hate yourself forever. No one gets to hate the Alpha’s favorite person,” he said. I rolled my eyes.

“That really wasn’t the point,” I said. “Let me try on a training weapon or something. If something goes wrong….”

“No, Quinn. I want you to bless Saphir and Diagnè for me,” he said.

Sapphire was interested in this blessing he wanted me to perform; I was just nervous about the whole thing. Michael’s swords hung from his h**s as we walked. His dad said the ceremony was best performed on the Fae-blessed sacred grounds, so we were headed there. I had no idea where they were, but M seemed to.

He squeezed my hand as we walked. “I promise, if something goes wrong, I won’t be upset. I can replace some swords but not you. Just do your best for me,” he said more quietly.

“Okay,” I agreed. We walked along an overgrown but old path through the trees. I hadn’t ever been to this part of the woods covering half the pack land. The trees here were a beautiful mix. Birch and oak mixed with maples, ash, and sycamore. It lent to a very colorful fall each year that you couldn’t ever capture with just a picture.

The woods around us got quieter as we went deeper. “The animals and bugs give the place plenty of birth. The magic is too strong.”

“Am I supposed to feel that? The magic?” I linked back, looking around at our surroundings. Nothing felt different; I didn’t feel different.

“I’m not sure,” Michael admitted. “We couldn’t find concrete information on how it should all work. I doubt wolf-fae hybrids are common.”

We walked for a few more minutes before the path became blocked by uncharacteristically large leaves. M pushed them aside and revealed a tiny, hidden clearing. As we entered, I realized it was a perfect pentagon. An altar sat at the center with a wooden archway built over it. Various mosses and flowers were sprouting from the outside of the arch, but the alter and ground surrounding it were completely clear.

“My dad had to do some maintenance,” Michael told me as we approached the altar. Three stone bowls were set along it with different powders in two of them. A pestle sat beside the third. Some white fabric lay in front of them.

“Is your dad not coming? I thought he was teaching me how to do this?” I whispered, feeling like I needed to keep my voice down.

“No, we’re going to do it together,” Michael replied softly. His hands came to my waist, and he positioned me at the center of the altar. Then, he set his swords on it, handles facing opposite ways closest to me. Finally, he stood right behind me, resting his hands on my h**s.

“I know how to do this, and my dad gave me some things to try with you,” he said. Just being in his proximity like this sent goosebumps down my spine.

“No, Quinn. Focus. Swords. Blessing. Don’t f**k it up,” I reminded myself. I nodded, so M knew I was listening.

“I’ll give you the words to repeat. As you say each section, you will spread one of the ingredients across the blade and then the fabric. Then, I’m going to bite your mark and see if it helps pull the magic from inside you,” he instructed.

“What’s that one for?” I asked, pointing to the last empty bowl.

M reached his hand under my hair to the base of my neck. “This,” he said as he yanked. I yelped as he produced a few strands of hair. He set them in the final bowl. “Sorry. This part is a little worse.”

I rubbed the bottom of my hairline and frowned at him. He pecked my nose and grabbed my hand. He pulled out a knife from his back pocket, and fear ignited in me.

“What are you doing?” I almost shouted.

“Shhh. Just one fingertip. A little cut. It will heal quickly,” he admonished. He held my gaze, waiting for me to acknowledge it. I nodded slowly. M pressed the tip of the blade into my pointer finger, and b***d pooled on the surface. I squeezed my eyes shut as he turned my finger over and squeezed it over my hair.

When he was finished, he sucked my finger into his mouth, licking at the cut he made. It was already an angry pink line when he removed it. He grabbed the pestle and put it in my hand. “We can prepare the wraps separately, but we’ll do it all together today,” he said.

He guided my hand over to the bowl with my hair and b***d. “Mix them,” he instructed. I started to rub the pestle into the stone bowl and watched as my hair melted into the b***d. “M, what just happened?” I gasped.

“Magic,” he smiled behind me. “Can I ask you for one more thing?”

“What?”

“Another lock of hair,” he answered. “I want it to go within the handle wraps.”

“Are you trying to make me bald?” I automatically came back with. He just shook his head with an amused grin.

“Please, blue?” he asked again.

“Fine,” I sighed. He lifted my hair and placed a k**s on the back of my neck. I felt him start pulling a strand away. His knife came up and sliced through my hair. He set it on the table by the handle of Saphir. I guess it was better than yanking it out.

“Okay, you ready?” he asked.

“As I’ll ever be,” I told him. He rested his hands on me once again, giving me a reassuring squeeze.

“Alright,” he said. “I will link you what to say. As we speak the first part, take the powder in the first bowl and spread it over the blade. For the next part, spread it over the fabric. Then I’ll help you wrap the handles with your hair inside. Then during the last part, we will spill your b***d over the blade.”

“You know this is weird, right?” I muttered. He bit at my ear.

“Just be good and help me,” he said.

“Okay, serious, Quinn. Let’s do this,” I said, squaring my shoulders and taking a deep breath. M began feeding me what to say, and I repeated it as I spread the mystery ingredients over the swords and fabric.

“By the grace of the moon and her strength, let these blades cut through those that seek to bring harm….”

As the white powder hit the blade, it bounced off like pebbles falling to the ground. Amazingly, as the momentum was dispersed, the powder turned blue and lay along the blade. Color seeped into the blade, deepening the hue it already was.

“By the grace of the skies and her wisdom, let this binding protect those that seek justice….”

The wraps were next, and as I dropped the second powder over them, they began to shine like a moonstone. An iridescence seeped into the fabric.

“Wow,” M said behind me.

“How do I wrap them?” I asked. M walked me through wrapping the handle of each blade. The process was painstakingly slow as I tried to make it as perfect as possible so the handle of his sword would be comfortable; Michael patiently waited while I did this for him.

“Now the b***d,” he linked. I picked up the final bowl and started to pour it over both Saphir and Diagnè.

“By the grace of the earth and his mercy, let this blessing hold true and straight until the b***d of the Luna returns to him.”

The b***d began to move, migrating down the blade to the handles I had just wrapped. I couldn’t watch what was happening because M bit into his mark where my neck meets my shoulder, and my eyes rolled back. Blackness took over my vision, and my body felt like it was floating. I couldn’t feel Michael’s hands or teeth on me anymore. I felt like I should be panicking, but I couldn’t.

“Quinn, baby. Quinn, open your eyes,” I heard Michael’s voice. My body was shaking as I slowly regained feeling. I wasn’t standing anymore. “Quinn, Goddess, why did we do that?”

“M?” I whispered as my eyes came open.

“Oh, thank you. That wasn’t… I didn’t know you would just pass out on me!” Michael ranted. His face was horror-stricken. His eyes had that blue glow in them again, just like the night he marked me.

“Did it work?” I asked.

His eyebrows furrowed, and then he looked up. I realized he was kneeling on the ground, holding me. I must have fallen when he bit me. I tried to sit up to look. “Wow, it did work….”

“Let me see,” I said. Michael helped me up, then stood himself. His eyes were glued to his swords.

“Wow,” I breathed. They were glowing like someone had lit them up from the inside. Michael picked one up and swung it around in his hand. I watched him examine his sword for a minute. Worry was eating at me; I had no idea what this was supposed to look like.

“Did I mess it up?” I asked quietly.

“No, young lady. Far from it. That is the strongest this pack has ever seen,” Melvin said, emerging from the trees beyond the archway.