Fated Hearts (Echoes of Darkness Prequel)

Epilogue

Ava

The happy trill of birdsong fills the air, and the sun radiates golden rays from a cloudless sky. It warms my face as I take in everyone in attendance. I couldn’t have asked for a more perfect spring day. Since coming back from Paris, I’ve been stressed to the max, trying to get everything ready for the opening of my bakery, Silver Moon Sweets, while obsessing over every single detail and driving Logan up the wall with my craziness. He’s been amazing through every single one of my mental breakdowns, and when I was too much to handle, he knew exactly how to calm me down.

Everyone from our pack is present. Chloe and Knox arrived a few days ago in Ashville, and surprisingly, my mother and her boyfriend Ben are here, too. Our relationship is not fully mended, but we have come to some sort of a truce, and she wants to be part of my life again.

A light breeze ruffles my hair, and goosebumps spread across my skin when I realize it carries a trace of Tony’s cologne. Somehow, I feel his presence and know he is here with me, supporting my dream. It’s the first time this has happened, but I know it’s him because his spirit envelops me like a warm embrace. My throat burns while I send my thoughts to him. I miss you so much . I take a deep breath in, trying to keep the tears threatening to spill from my eyes at bay.

Nervous energy blooms in my stomach, but it’s the good kind, even if my fingers tremble slightly on the scissors as my gaze flits to Logan, who’s standing a few feet to my right. I wanted him to be next to me, but he said that this is my day and that I deserve to be in the spotlight all by myself. He winks, making my pulse scatter. He looks incredible in a button-down and cigarette pants that fit him like a glove. As I look back at the scissors, a ray of sunshine catches the oval moonstone in my engagement ring, making it sparkle. The day Logan proposed to me was brilliantly bright.

“C’mon, sleepyhead, wake up. We have a plane to catch.”

I groan in frustration, placing the pillow over my head while mumbling profanities at Logan. The pastry final the day before, which was a theoretical exam, kicked my ass, and I’ve had so many sleepless nights trying to memorize everything that all I want today is to be a sloth.

He chuckles at my muffled protests, and before I realize what’s happening, I’m thrown over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. I yelp in surprise, and Logan smacks my ass lightly before he deposits me in the walk-in shower of our one-bedroom Parisian apartment that sits in a historical building in Montmartre.

We only have a few days left in Paris, and after I graduate and receive my diploma, we’ll go back home. We’ve made so many beautiful memories here, and though I’ll be sad to leave Europe, I miss the runs with our pack. I’ve only been back for the full moons, and my wolf hasn’t been too happy about that. I never thought I’d feel this way toward them, but the pack is like family to me now, and I’m proud to be their Luna.

“Where are we going?” I ask as I massage the shampoo into my hair and then start rinsing it.

Logan crosses his arms in front of his chest. His muscles bulge underneath the skin-tight T-shirt he is wearing, and an ember of heat kindles in my core at his masculine beauty. “It’s a surprise.” He props his hip in the door frame, his eyes running down my body slowly in a languid perusal, and I know we must be on a schedule because Logan would never pass an opportunity to ravage me, especially after our gazes lock. He can read the lust in mine and feel it through our bond.

With every day that passes, our bond strengthens. It’s as if we’re an extension of each other. It makes for the most intense sexual experiences, but at the same time, it’s a bitch when we fight because we involuntarily heighten each other’s emotions to the point where one of us either has to leave or we end up angry fucking.

As soon as I finish blow drying my hair, I do a light makeup look and step out of the bathroom. Logan hands me a bag with a chocolate croissant and a cappuccino in a to-go cup from the boulangerie across the street. I give him a peck and say a soft thank you before biting into the croissant. It’s still warm, and my taste buds do a little happy dance at the explosion of buttery flavor.

Logan rolls my carry-on alongside his to the door, then waits for me to grab my jacket before we descend the stairs and climb into the cab idling at the curb. Instead of taking the normal route to the airport, we arrive at a hangar where Kaiden’s jet is waiting for us. He was kind enough to lend us the jet throughout these months for trips between Ashville and here. Still, I wasn’t expecting to use it today since we flew commercial every time we’ve had the opportunity to escape to a new European country, usually on the weekends when Logan is here.

Two hours later, we land in Rome and check into our hotel near Fontana di Trevi. A stunning sundress waits for me on the bed alongside a pair of flat sandals. It has a camellia yellow flower print with a fitted bodice and a flowy maxi skirt with three layers of ruffles at the bottom. We both change our clothes, Logan opting for a pair of dark blue chinos and a linen shirt. My pulse spikes at the way the clothes cling to his chiseled body, and when he sees me lick my lips and ogle him, he winks at me with smoldering eyes, and tells me, “Later.”

It’s an abnormally hot day, even for the first week of March, and I’m happy Logan decided to surprise me with the clothes. After a delicious lunch on the hotel’s terrace overlooking the city, we take a private tour of the Colosseum and Palatine Hill.

The sun makes its lazy descent, casting a warm glow over the Roman Forum as we reach the top of the Palatine Hill. I have a sneaky suspicion something is going to happen since there are no other tourists when it should have been packed. I don’t dwell on it, though, and enjoy our private tour, soaking as much of the history as I can.

The moment we reach the balcony on the terrace at the top of the Palatine Hill, a string quartet suddenly appears around us and starts playing “Can’t Help Falling in Love” by Elvis Presley. With the Eternal City draped in fiery orange at his back, Logan drops on one knee in front of me, his eyes molten gold as he pulls out the most beautiful ring I have ever seen—an oval moonstone with delicate diamond accents on its sides, flanked by two crescent moons, set on a simple gold band.

His voice is gravelly, and his eyes glimmer with exhilaration. “Ava, I’ve never expected you to barge into my life and become the center of my universe, yet fate brought you to me, and even if I tried my hardest, I still couldn’t resist you. You’re everything to me, the other half of my soul. You complete me, and I have never known such happiness and peace as I feel when I’m with you. Will you do me the honor of being my wife?”

A sob escapes my throat. I kneel in front of Logan, not caring about the beautiful dress anymore. In my rush, I almost tackle him to the ground. Tears stream down my face as I say, “Yes! A thousand times, yes!” I tell him through our bond and then aloud when I can finally speak again.

I shake my head slightly as I drag my mind back into the present. With a smile that makes my cheeks hurt, I cut the ribbon and inaugurate the Silver Moon Sweets bakery. A cork of champagne pops, and applause from everyone in attendance ensue as my fiancé pulls me into his arms.

“I’m so proud of you.” He plants a warm kiss atop my head.

It’s in this moment I know that with Logan at my side, I’m capable of anything I set my mind to do, not because I need him to accomplish something, but because he supports me and my dreams and would do anything to make me happy. For the first time in my life, I feel like I have found my way. I no longer feel lost, adrift. I’m living life on my terms.

Logan

I ’m buttoning my suit jacket when a knock comes through my bedroom door.

“Come in,” I say and round the corner of my dressing room. Kaiden walks in and closes the door at his back.

He slides his hands into the pockets of his pants. “I know it’s not the best time to tell you this since you’re getting married today, but I also know you wouldn’t have wanted to wait to receive the news. I finally managed to trace the shell company that owns the hospital Ava received the heart transplant at. I just got the confirmation that it’s owned by the Kabal. The doctors, the staff, and everyone on the premises were working for them; that’s how Ava got an infected heart, and that’s why they disappeared and closed it down when we started to look into it.”

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.

It’s not like we weren’t expecting the Kabal to be behind the mysterious heart transplant and Hope’s kidnapping and death. But this is the first time we’ve found some form of tangible proof.

Panic punches a hole through my chest, and my wolf claws at my insides, demanding to get to her right this moment, unsettled by the possibility that someone might try and take our fated mate from us. I suck in a choppy breath and say, “Do you think they’ll come for her?”

“Well, they’ve had plenty of opportunities. Especially when she was vulnerable and in their care after the surgery. My best guess is that they wanted to see first if the heart transplant was a success and if she would actually shift. They must have noticed you two are together if they watched her progress closely. But our friendship is public knowledge within the dark creatures community, and I don’t think they would dare come close to me or us after what happened in the Vatican. Although, we already know how unhinged and thirsty the Kabal is for power.”

Kaiden’s words settle like battery acid in my stomach. They burn through all of my organs and still ring in my ears on a loop after he leaves the room. I tried my best not to worry Ava, but the Kabal’s implication has made me lose more sleep than I would like to admit in these past few months. When she was in Paris alone because I had to return to Ashville on pack matters, she had a security detail permanently on her without her knowledge. I didn’t want her to worry. Even if no one made a move to harm Ava in any way, I still needed to take all the safety precautions so that nothing would happen to my mate.

My legs are filled with lead as I pace the length of my bedroom floor, my wolf waging war on my emotions. I snap off my bowtie, but my shirt collar still constricts my every breath, and I barely harness the restraint not to rip it to pieces. With trembling fingers, I take my phone out of my pants and call Emily. She picks up, and I hear Ava saying something to Chloe in the background, causing my heart to rattle hard against its cage.

“I need to see Ava,” I choke out.

A door slams shut, and the hurried clicking sound made by heels against the hardwood floor travels through the phone. “What?” my sister asks in a hushed voice, probably trying to stay off the radar of Ava’s hearing. “Did something happen?”

I swallow the lump in my throat. “I need to see her. Now!” I demand again, the hard edge in my voice not leaving room for argument.

“You know I don’t care about bullshit wedding superstitions, but Ava does,” she hisses at me.

“I don’t give a flying fuck. It’s an order from your Alpha.”

“Wow, way to go being a dick, little bro.” She cusses me out under her breath and then starts speaking again. “Fine. I’ll make it happen. But you better remove that fucking stick out your ass before you see her because you’re going to ruin this day for her before it’s even started, and it’s supposed to be the best day of both your lives, you douche canoe.”

My eyes snap shut, and I run a hand over my face. “I’m sorry, Em. I didn’t mean to be a dick to you. I received some news, and my wolf is getting stir-crazy. I’m going to fucking shift and ruin this suit and then come for her.”

“Is it bad? Should we cancel the wedding?” she whispers, her tone laced with worry.

“No, we’re not canceling the wedding.”

“Okay. I’ll see what I can do. Don’t do anything stupid or rash; wait for my text.”

Fifteen minutes later, my sister ties a black scarf around my eyes and guides me into the room Ava got ready in at my mother’s house.

“Hey,” Ava says softly, and I feel her fumbling before she takes my hand in hers. We’re both blindfolded, and I make a mental note to thank my sister later for coming up with this brilliant idea. “Please don’t tell me you’re getting cold feet because my boobs look amazing in this dress, and it was a bitch to get on. I think I lost a rib or two in the process.” Her tone is casual. I don’t miss the anguish traveling through our bond, though.

I pull her to me and inhale her vanilla and caramel scent with a hint of wild violets. When I feel her in my arms, my wolf finally settles, and my lungs expand fully for the first time since Kaiden confirmed the Kabal’s implication. “No cold feet, baby. You know how much I waited for this day to finally come.”

“Oh yeah, I know. I swear to God, if I heard you one more time say ‘my fiancé’ or ‘future wife,’ I would have flung myself off the balcony,” she taunts, but I know she secretly loved itevery single time she heard me say it. Her fingers find my jaw, and she caresses the side of my face. “Are you sure everything’s okay?”

“Yeah. I just needed to see you. Well…feel you at least since I can’t actually see you.”

“I’m here.” Her breath ghosts my lips before she kisses me. It starts slow, innocent, but not before long, we start devouring each other with undisguised hunger as I hold her like a lifeline. Ava’s nails scrape against my scalp, and she moans loudly in my mouth. I swallow the sound and suck on her tongue while cupping her perfect ass.

“Don’t you dare hump each other and ruin Ava’s makeup and hair! Do you hear me, Logan? I’ll fucking castrate you if that happens. We have only half an hour to get to the cabin,” my sister shouts, barging into the room.

We break apart on a hearty laugh, and we’re both breathless as I place a kiss on her forehead. “See you on the other side?” I murmur.

“Yeah,” she says softly and squeezes my hand one last time before my sister pushes me out of the room.

Half an hour later, atop a high peak in the wild violet field near my cabin with the mountains as our backdrop, Ava makes her way toward me on the white carpet, wearing the most beautiful smile. My heart thunders in my chest when our gazes collide. Topaz green fire lights up my insides, and I forget how to breathe entirely. She looks like an angel and a temptress all at once. The lacy white dress hugs her curves perfectly as silky strands of her hair blow softly in the wind.

“Ava…I…” I choke on the words even through our mental link. “I…Fuck…” Taking a deep breath, I try again. “I’m the luckiest man alive. You’re so beautiful it hurts to look at you,” I tell her, even if I know these words are not enough to describe how I’m feeling right now. Words will never be enough.

Her eyes glimmer with emotion. “Ditto, mi amor. Are you ready for forever?”

“Never been more ready for anything in my entire life,” I say aloud as I take her hands in mine.

Iris’s and Kaiden’s story is coming Spring 2025

“A WICKED DANCE of OBSIDIAN and LIGHT”

Book 1 in the Echoes of Darkness Series

*Preorder will be available Soon*

It should have been another night on the job.

Hunt demons. Send them back to Hell. And go home.

Easy, right?

At least, I thought it was…

Until the sky tore open.

And demons I had never encountered before started chasing after me through the forest.

There was no question…I was going to die.

But then the unexpected happened…someone yanked me back from the clutches of death.

Only my mysterious savior is nothing I expected him to be and everything I should

stay away from.

Everywhere I go, he’s there—blurring the lines of my reality, between right and

wrong.

And it’s getting harder to resist the magnetic attraction we share.

To make matters worse, the boy I served my heart to on a silver platter five years ago,

only for him to crush it into a million pieces, is back.

He’s all man now and claims he only wants one thing.

Me

My life quickly becomes a tangled web of secrets, lies, and betrayal.

And I don’t know who I can trust anymore…