N. Walters - Threads of Destiny

“Why didn’t you tell me about that?” She was shocked that they’d kept this from her but pleased that some of the other men might have escaped.

“Because this is not your fight.” His face was impassive as he looked at her. “Your presence would weaken us, give the General something to exploit.” Kathryn winced. His logic was irrefutable but it hurt nonetheless.

Logan came to her side and pulled her into his arms. “You are too good for that world of intrigue and ugliness. It is killing you. You belong here.” She wrapped her arms around him, hugging him tightly. “I don’t want you to go.

Not without me.”

Logan kissed the top of her head. “We must go for now but perhaps this is not the end, perhaps we shall see each other again.” He released her and she rushed to Tienan’s side.

She flung herself at Tienan and he hugged her, the tapestry he gripped in his hands was warm against her back. “What about your shoulder?” Tienan chuckled, although it sounded strained. “I am almost healed. Mara checked the wound and changed the bandage for me earlier.”

“I should have done it,” she whispered.

“No. You’ve done enough. Sacrificed enough. You have magic,” he whispered in her ear. “You can bring the tapestry back to you and maybe someday we will return to visit you. It is best for all concerned if you remain here.” Tears coursed down her face unchecked as she turned to Marc. He waited patiently for her to make her decision. How could she pull him away from all that he’d known, all he loved and valued, to fight in a war that was not his?

The answer came to her in a blinding moment of clarity. She could not.

Her heart swelled in her chest as a love so huge it was almost too much to handle washed through her. She loved Marc with all her being. She loved him enough to leave her world behind, to send her friends back alone and to give up the fight against the forces of evil she’d left behind. She loved him enough to forego logic and to listen to her heart instead of her brain.

Deep in her soul, she wanted to stay. She was tired of fighting. Her entire life had been one long battle and she was weary of it. She’d done what she could by freeing Tienan and Logan to fight. Her part in that drama was done. The only thing she would do by returning would be to slow down both men in their battle for justice. And Tienan was right. She would be their Achilles heel, a weakness to be exploited by her father and The General.

It was all so clear now.

Logan went to stand beside Tienan, his hand on the tapestry so that it was gripped between the two of them. They both had swords strapped to their sides and daggers tucked into their boots. She prayed the weapons would make it back with them so they wouldn’t be totally defenseless.

She almost snorted at her foolishness. Even without their swords and daggers, they were far from defenseless. Still, she worried for them and not just for their safety but for their mental and emotional wellbeing.

“I love you both.” They nodded as one, neither of them speaking. But she could see the unspoken words in their eyes.

She turned to Marc and held out her hand. He took it in his much larger one, wrapping his fingers around hers and holding it securely. It would always be like that.

Marc would always put himself between her and danger, keeping her safe.

Now she would do the same for him.

“I love you more than anything else in the world.” She cupped his jaw with her free hand, loving the rough feel of the stubble against her palm. Marc was so vital, so alive.

“Are you ready to go home, my love?” He turned his face to kiss her palm as he wrapped his free arm around her waist.

“I’m already home,” she whispered.

A brilliant light flashed through the room. Kathryn gasped, turning toward Logan and Tienan, desperate for one final glimpse of them. They both raised their hands in a silent salute.

Then they were gone.

Huge sobs erupted from her as she doubled over in pain. They were truly gone.

Marc pulled her into his arms, almost crushing her in his embrace. She let the tears flow freely then for the first time in her life. She cried for her painful childhood. She cried for the world she’d left behind. But mostly, she cried for the loss of the only two friends she’d ever known in her world.

“I don’t understand,” he said when her tears finally subsided. He released her, shoving her hair from her face, his actions almost rough. “Why didn’t you go with them?”

She looked at his beloved face and offered him a smile. “Because you belong here and I belong with you.”

The door to the bedroom banged against the wall as it was shoved open and Jarek burst inside. He gave a cry of gladness as he rushed toward them, pulling first his brother and then her into his arms. It took her a moment to make out his words. She froze as she realized that Jarek had known of Marc’s intentions to leave with her.

“Thank you. Thank you. Thank you,” he murmured over and over. All she could do was hug him back, knowing that Marc was by her side and she was standing where she was meant to be.

Marc lay on his side, his elbow bent and his face propped on his palm. Kathryn slept beside him, her lips slightly parted. Every now and then she would emit a slight snore. He smiled at the soft sound.

The covers were tucked under her arms as she lay on her side facing him, her legs curled slightly. There were dark circles beneath her eyes but they would disappear once she started sleeping and eating on a regular basis. He planned to take very good care of Kathryn, coddling her until he felt she was back to peak health. These past days and weeks before he’d met her had obviously taken their toll.

He hadn’t slept much last night, had been almost too afraid to shut his eyes, fearing that it all had been a dream. Instead, he’d been content to hold Kathryn in his arms through the dark hours of the night until the dawn.

The entire castle had been in an uproar last evening. Once they’d realized that Kathryn had stayed, a spontaneous celebration had broken out below in the great hall.

The people were thrilled that another tapestry bride would live among them. Add to that the fact that Kathryn was a great healer with a touch of magic and they couldn’t contain their joy. Their voices, raised in song and cheer, had rung through the stone castle for several hours.

But the joy had been tempered by the fact that Logan and Tienan were gone. Jarek and Christina had spent a short time with them before retiring below. Neither Marc nor Kathryn had joined the celebration. He knew that she was hurting at the loss of her friends.

Instead, he’d stripped her naked and tucked her into bed before removing his own clothing and crawling in beside her. He’d held her as she shed copious tears, each one a knife thrust to his heart.

Reaching out, he traced a long strand of reddish hair that fell over her creamy white shoulder and onto her collarbone. He ran his finger across the delicate bone, once again marveling at her resilience and strength. To give up all one had ever known for love was an amazing thing and he would spend the rest of his life making sure that she never regretted it. Her love was a gift he would cherish every day of his life.

“Hey.” Her soft voice drifted over his skin like the lightest of touches.

He raised his gaze from her collarbone to her face. She blinked and smothered a yawn as she watched him. Her eyes were soft and warm, still filled with sleep. The cover shifted slightly, giving him a glimpse of a firm, white breast. His body tightened as his cock twitched to life. Last night had been about comfort. This morning, he wanted to claim her with his body. He wanted to pleasure her until she cried out her release.