Reclamation (Book 3 The Ravening Series) (24 page)

Bret was laughing as he lifted me off of my feet and spun me in a circle. I hugged him back before he dropped me to the ground and happily embraced Jenna. There was no time to steady myself before Lloyd grabbed hold of my arm. I studied the soldier while I waited to see what his reaction would be to me. His youthful face split into a broad grin as he bent down and scooped me up.

"I had my doubts about him and you, but I'm glad you both proved them wrong," he declared as he held me close. "Don't lie to me again though."

I took solace in the strength of his arms and the forgiveness that he finally gave. "I won't," I promised.

"We'll always be here for you."

"I know," I whispered. "I'll always be here for you too."

He hugged me again before dropping me down. Darnell scooped me up and pounded my back so forcefully that I could hear the hollow echo of it rolling from my mouth. "I'm sure glad we found that ragtag group of yours!" he shouted in my ear.

I chuckled as I hugged his thick neck. "Me too!"

The large soldier finally placed me back on my feet. I didn't have much time to stay on them though as Bishop embraced me next. "Thank you," I whispered before he could speak. "Thank you for sticking by me, for trying to help me, for being Aiden's friend. Thank you for everything Bishop."

He chuckled as he kissed my cheek. "Thank you for keeping me occupied all this time, even if it was on a wild goose chase. I think I would have driven myself crazy otherwise."

"I think you would have driven us
all
crazy otherwise," I replied laughingly.

"True!"

He hugged me again and finally lowered me to the ground. I took a staggering step back before I was grabbed by someone else. I was beginning to feel a little dizzy as I was passed from person to person through what remained of our group. Tears of joy and loss slid down my cheeks as I was spun around and hugged by someone else.

My body reacted as if it had been hit by a bolt of electricity. All of my cells felt like they were filled with renewed life as they seemed to surge to the front of my body. A strangled cry escaped me, my head tipped back, but I already knew who I would find holding me. Cade's beautiful onyx eyes blazed down at me. His singed black hair was standing on end, there were burn marks and blood on his clothes and skin, but he was the most wonderful thing I'd ever seen.

A smile tugged at his lips. "I'm gone for one day and you're hugging everyone else?"

I couldn't get any words out as I flung my arms around him. My hands rapidly ran over him as I fervently tried to reassure myself that he was real, that I hadn't fallen asleep or was having some sort of hallucination. "Please," I whispered.

"I'm real love." His breath was warm against my ear as he kissed me tenderly. "I'm real."

He was real, he
was
here. I kissed his neck, chin and cheek before his head bent to mine and he took hold of my mouth. My body tightened and my pulse quickened as heat flowed through me. I allowed myself to drift into the pleasure and bliss that only he could give me. My body melded to his and I tried to pull him even closer, but it could never be close enough and no matter how badly I wanted him to, he couldn't erase the tragedies of yesterday.

He reluctantly pulled away and wiped the tears from my cheeks with the pads of his thumbs. "What happened here?" he asked.

"They found us," I managed to get out. "It was... it was awful. Aiden..."

Words failed me as I shook my head. "Oh Bethy," he breathed as he pulled me against his chest and cradled my head.

My fingers curled into his back, I savored in this miracle I had been granted for a second time as he swayed me soothingly back and forth. So much had been lost yesterday and yet so much had been gained today. The emotions coursing through me were confusing and chaotic but for now I simply wanted to celebrate the freedom we had reclaimed and the feel of his warm, solid body against mine.

One year later,

There was much to celebrate on the one year anniversary of the aliens leaving Earth. Though there was a lot of rebuilding left to do with homes and the human population, progress had been made in reestablishing towns and new centers of government. Cade and Jessica had been elected amongst their people to rule in our small area of the world, and Bishop and Darnell had been elected amongst ours to lead with them.

Though contact had begun to be reestablished with other areas of the United States and foreign countries, the population was still too small to establish any permanent communication that didn't involve traveling long distances. None of us had been shocked to learn that there had been other joint Tintagelian and human communities established throughout the world even before The Ancients had been taken out.

Cars and boats were up and running again but it would be years before the highways were in good enough condition to travel with any speed or guarantee of safety. Bridges were still mostly in ruins and planes, electricity, the internet or even phone lines were still a long way from being reconnected and brought back into use.

I was surprised to find that I was ok with this. There was something almost peaceful about this simple life that had been established amongst us and I wanted some peace after everything we had gone through. Though I really wouldn't mind being able to text someone again, or even call. It was a little inconvenient to have to walk or drive somewhere just to ask a simple question, but I also knew almost every person within the surrounding towns now.

We had even managed to find a few Frozen Ones, and though the reawakening process was exceptionally painful for them, the venom did bring them back to life. Bishop was working on recreating and trying to produce medicine and antibiotics in bulk. He was also working on teaching people in the surrounding areas how to create and use that medicine.

What remained of the enemy Tintagelians and Seekers on our planet were steadily being hunted down, but there were still some out there. I wasn't concerned about them though. Their friends wouldn't be coming back, Rosemary and Cade were certain of that. They would never take the risk of returning to the planet, and the species, that had managed to destroy their Ancient leaders. We'd find all the straggling Tintagelians one day but we had established ourselves enough so that I didn't lose sleep over the idea that they would overrun us.

"How do I look?" I lifted my head from the cake I was decorating to look at Jenna. She stepped through the doorway and spun in a circle.

"You look beautiful," I told her honestly as the simple dress drifted down to settle around her ankles again. The white of the dress emphasized her creamy complexion, reddened cheeks, and silky strawberry hair. "Just beautiful."

Her gaze fell to the cake. "That looks amazing Bethy."

I grinned at her, put the pastry bag of icing down and wiped my hands on my apron. "Who would have thought that I would be able to decorate a cake?"

"Most certainly not me," she admitted with a laugh.

"Well thankfully you didn't bake it," Molly said as she swept into the room. I had to agree with Molly on that one. I had a steady hand, and an unexpected talent for decorating cakes, but my baking skills were as awful as I'd always suspected they would be. Tears bloomed in Molly's eyes as she took Jenna in. "You look beautiful Jenna."

"Thank you," Jenna replied with a smile that lit the room.

"Bret's a lucky man," I assured Jenna as I squeezed Molly's arm comfortingly. "And it's a perfect day for a wedding."

There had been more than a few weddings over the year. Mine and Cade's one year anniversary was coming up in a few weeks, but I was truly excited about seeing two of my best friends get married today. It was also a bittersweet day as Cade was standing in as Bret's best man, a position I knew Aiden would have held.

I pulled the apron off to reveal the lilac cotton dress that was identical to the one Molly was wearing. Molly smiled at me, but sadness lingered in her eyes as she turned toward the window. Molly was moving on, I was aware that she'd been spending a lot more time with Lloyd, but yesterday had been the one year anniversary of the attack on the compound, and Aiden's death. The scars of that anniversary were still fresh in all of our minds as we prepared for the celebration of the world's Reclamation day, and for Bret and Jenna's wedding.

In another room the small squall of a baby began to sound. "I've got him!" I had only a brief glimpse of another lilac dress as Abby zipped out of the living room and down the hall.

I shook my head and tossed the apron over the back of the chair. Molly carefully lifted the four tier cake and made her way out of the kitchen with it. Abby emerged from the bedroom down the hall of the small house Cade and I had made ours with a small bundle in her arms. She was cooing softly while she played with the tiny hand wrapped around her finger. My heart swelled with pride and love as she stopped before me and smiled radiantly.

"Isn't he just the cutest thing ever?" she gushed.

"He is," I agreed as she slid my son into my arms. At only two months old he was nearly the spitting image of his father with his black hair and similar features. But when he opened his eyes they were the beautiful mahogany color that my mother, Aiden and Abby had all shared. My heart swelled with love when I found those beautiful eyes peering up at me. The pregnancy had been a month shorter than the average human pregnancy, but there had been no complications from it. He was a healthy baby and thankfully he hadn't been covered in scales. "Aren't you Aiden?"

"He may be growing fast but I doubt he's ready to talk yet."

I glanced up to find Cade standing in the doorway grinning at me. My heart melted at the sight of him leaning casually against the frame looking unbelievably handsome. There was little left of the distant, cold man that had pulled me into that antique shop and threatened to leave Jenna in the dump. Now his smile lit his eyes and warmed a room. Love fairly burst from him as he smiled proudly at the two of us.

He made his way over to us and bent to brush a kiss across Aiden's forehead before rising to kiss my lips. My toes curled and my heart leapt as the heat of his kiss seared through me. A small sigh escaped as he took Aiden from my arms.

I'd been so enamored with Cade that I hadn't noticed that Arlene had entered the room behind him. "I'll keep him occupied during the ceremony," she promised as she took Aiden from Cade.

Aiden waved a fist at her and released a small cry. Arlene laughed and hurried from the house as a man in his forties stepped through the door. "Are you ready?" the man asked Jenna.

Jenna's face lit beautifully as she hurried forward and slipped her arm through her father's. One of the best things that had occurred, six months after the aliens leaving, was the discovery of Jenna's parents. They had been in a town twenty miles away, sheltered in a half collapsed hotel when Bret and Darnell had discovered them and brought them back.

Jenna and her father stepped aside to let Abby pass by them. Abby took hold of Darnell's arm and he led her down the steps of the house. Molly smiled sweetly as she took hold of Lloyd's arm and followed behind them. Cade held his arm out to me with a smile. "Are you ready Mrs. Marshall?" he inquired.

I slid my arm through his and leaned against his side. "I'm always ready Mr. Marshall," I assured him.

"You just remember that later," he told me with a wink.

A burst of laughter escaped me as we climbed down the stairs and around to the back of the house. An aisle and small trellis had been set up in front of the lake for the ceremony. Bret stood at the end, his shoulders thrust back proudly as he smiled at the two of us. Bishop stood beside him with his hands folded before him. The doctor had become the town magistrate of sorts and performed all of the wedding ceremonies for our area.

The two towns closest to us had joined us for the wedding, and the Reclamation celebration that was set to follow. There were a couple thousand people gathered within the field. I could feel the excitement in the air as Cade kissed my cheek and released my arm. Someone began to play a haunting melody on the violin as Jenna appeared at the end of the aisle with her father.

By the end of the ceremony I was wiping tears from my eyes but the festivities that followed quickly dried those tears. I found myself laughing and talking with everyone as I danced with Cade through the afternoon and into the night.

The aliens had taken a lot from us, but over the past year we had made a lot of valiant strides toward taking back all that they had robbed from us. We may never be able to reestablish the same kind of society that we'd once had, but as I kissed Abby goodnight, tucked my son into his crib, and crawled into bed with my husband I knew that, though so much had been taken from us, there were still many blessings and joys in our lives.

There was still so much hope and love.

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