Betrothed

Chapter 27: Pieces Abide

Willow

My heart dropped suddenly as Brayden's eyes reached mine and consumed me. Was this even real? Could he really be in front of me right now in this moment? Suddenly his hands were reaching for my face gently placing them on both sides of my face and following with slowly bringing his lips closer to mine. I could not wait. I needed him. I missed his touch. His presence. His scent. Days felt like years. I went in full force crashing my lips into his and trying to live off of them not wanting my lips to ever depart from his. Time went by slowly as we stood there making out. My instincts started growing intensely. I needed this. I needed him. My mind was blank in that moment just wanting to continue this forever. That is until we both became out of breath and did not want to admit it until Brayden's hands slipped to my waist right on my hips. Brayden brought me closer to him. I wrapped my arms around him in a tight hug hoping to stay like this for a long while.  I felt his skin against my arms as I held him tight, and it made my wolf happy. This whole time we never spoke. We did not have to because we knew exactly what the other needed and it was this. The words could wait a little longer. 

I looked up at him and he looked down at me our eyes meeting. His eyes were bright with emotion the sun bouncing off of them giving them a golden hue. He pulled me as close as he could making our hug turn into a strong bear hug. I do not think I could take us being separated again. What even happened? Wait. Our eyes still locked in the others I started the much-needed conversation. "I needed this. I was going crazy without you. Romellow-" 

Brayden interrupted me, "Romellow, was an asshole that tortured me because he was so deluded on the fact that he thought he was meant to control you. He spat out all of these disturbing and barbaric ideas to me when he tortured me." It was then when I broke our eye contact to sure enough find him covered in bruises and scrapes. "I just wanted to be back with you."

I looked back up to him and gave him a small smile so he knew that I could feel exactly what he was telling me. "I know you did. I wanted to get to you no matter what but so many things happened. Bad things. Rare things. Even hard to believe things." I told him still looking at him. 

"Babe, you had me the moment you swung around with a fist. I am never leaving you again next time they will have to kill me because I will always come back to you. Always!" Brayden put his hand on my cheek and then let it drop to my shoulder. When he did, I let out a small wince and emotions ran through me fast helping me remember details I had forgotten possibly from blood loss the other half from finally having my mate back. "Are you hurt? I saw blood in the flowers when I was looking to see where you went." 

"I think I am okay. It's just. Where did he go?" I asked Brayden.

"Where did who go?" Brayden replied with a puzzled look on his face. "You don't mean that golden-brown wolf that was lurking around, do you?" Brayden looked at me quickly before returning his hand to my shoulder moving my shirt to the side so he could see my shoulder better. I watched him as he did. Then I saw it, the Wayland pack colors in Ash's mark on my shoulder the green was bright, and the gray was more silver colored. My eyes were in awe at how magnificent this rare experience was until Brayden backed away from me. 

"I can explain it is not what you think it is, Brayden! I promise you. You just have to trust me on this." Brayden's eyes were reflecting anguish and disbelief towards me. I knew how hard this was on him and how much harder it would be to explain to him. " Remember when I said rare things happened and even hard to believe things." 

"I do, but what does that have to do with this. Another wolf marked you after I did. You cannot have two marks. That is impossible! The first mark stays to attach you to your mate. The others become wounds and stay wounds." Brayden put his hands on his head and started to pace around in a circle. He was losing his mind and he was not wrong usually that is the case. "What about my mark? It is still there?" 

"It is and always will be still on my arm but now it is the colors of the Luster Pack." I pointed to my arm where the mark was still at, and the colors were better than they were before brightened. Brayden quickly came up to me and inspected the mark he gave me when I was unconscious.

"How? This is not normal!" Brayden then glanced back at the other mark that Ash gave me on my shoulder. He compared them. "Wayland? I thought that pack disappeared." He looked at me when he said it. 

"Yes, Wayland. I need to find Ash. The golden-brown wolf you saw earlier before you found me where did he go?" I watched as Brayden's face quickly gave a look that read 'oh, shit'. He sighed and turned around walking aways from me and I followed him. I smelled Ash's scent right before Brayden squatted down next to where Ash was laying on the ground unconscious. "What the hell! What happened?" 

Brayden looked over to me as I quickly crouched down checking Arashnic for a pulse. "Don't be mad but I had and still have no clue what the hell is going on and I might have punched him after he said something about how you were not just mine anymore." For fucks sake. Could Ash not have chosen better words to tell someone clueless who was being held against his will by my crazy twin brother. Geez. I felt a pulse finally and gave out a sigh of relief.  I did not know what to do in that moment other than just sitting next to Ash until he wakes up. "Can you tell me what this means for us? What is happening?" I heard Brayden speaking but I was in space. "Willow?"

I glanced back at him. Brayden was now sitting in the same spot where he was kneeled earlier. "It is very rare, but the Moon Goddess granted me two true mates. You and Arashnic are my true mates. After Romellow kidnapped us, Ash broke us out and well I was too weak to do much, and I guess after burning sensations that were getting worse, I blacked out. He then carried me to Wayland to see his friend from Wayland Leyna who, is a psychic, she then saw it and told me how to cure the sensations. I had to become marked by both of my true mates or they would have kept growing worse until my guess is me dying eventually. Ash and I were out here so he could mark me. He did just that but then your shirt on a tree and your scent and my bleeding too much and blacking out and now this." Brayden was fidgeting with his fingers taking in all my words knowing I haven't gotten to the one question about us yet. 

"And us? How is this going to work? I just have to share you now?" Brayden said getting upset at the word share that he just had spoken to me. 

"I honestly still have no clue this is the first time I have both of you in the same area. Brayden, I love you unconditionally, but the same feelings grow for Ash, and I can't help it. The Moon Goddess chose me for a reason and handpicked you and Ash for me. I do not have all of the answers, but I need both of you. I cannot live without both of you. I am both your mates and you both are mine. Over time we will figure it out. Until then I guess we take it day by day."  I told him as I dropped my gaze to Ash who was moving slightly. 

"Willow, I love you more than you will ever know, but just know that I cannot control the urge to keep you with me more than him and the Moon Goddess has made me upset with making me share you with another." Brayden got up and sat next to me putting his arm around me. I leaned my head onto Arashnic's chest. Keeping in a cry and a scream. I was sad for Brayden being upset and wanted to scream because no one had the answers. We were just going to have to figure them out on our own. 

Brayden rubbed my back as I laid there with my head on Ash's chest resting my eyes but eventually, I just faded into sleep.