A Wild Raven Book 2
Yazar
C. Swallow
Okur
147K
BölĂŒm
14
Raven's life takes a dramatic turn when she receives a call from a woman claiming to be her aunt, just as her relationship with the dominant and protective Coal faces new challenges. As Raven navigates her insecurities and the complexities of Coal's past, she finds herself drawn deeper into a world of love, dominance, and family secrets. Will she find her place in Coal's life, or will the shadows of their pasts tear them apart?
Chapter 1
Book 2
NEW YEARâS DAY
Coalâs boys are back for Christmas, and the week leading up to New Yearâs is filled with family time. Coal devotes every moment to Willem, Jonas, and River, taking them to visit old school friends. Meanwhile, I help care for an unexpected addition to our familyâa stray dog Annabelle found on the highway. We name the little Jack Russell Terrier, Vader.
Anna, Iza, Timothy, Haline, and I spend the entire week searching for Vaderâs owners around town. The young pup isnât chipped and we suspect he ran away. But no one steps forward to claim Vader. The tiny terrier is now a part of our ranch family.
Since his boys returned, Coal and I havenât had much time together. River, the youngest, insists on sleeping in the same bed as his father due to his nightmares. I understand the boys need time to adjust, so I donât mind.
Then New Yearâs Day arrives and several things happen that unsettle me.
Trish manages to get the local newspaper to publish a small column about how I chased down a thief for her. Now the town is calling me a hero. The story gets picked up by bigger news stations, leading to an unexpected phone call.
Ken answers it, then hands the phone to me.
The woman on the other end introduces herself, âHello. My name is Kai. Can I ask a personal question? Was your mother named Nita?â
Iâm taken aback. âY-yes, why?â I stutter, pacing down the hall of the homestead, toward the bedrooms.
âNitaâIâm your aunt. Iâve been searching for you.â
I pull the phone away from my ear in shock. âW-what?â I whisper. âI havenât gone by Nita since I was sixteen. I call myself Raven.â
âYour birth certificate says otherwise.â
âWhy are you calling?â
âI told you, Iâve been searching for you!â
âWhy havenât I heard from you before?â I ask, still unsure of this stranger who called the Devonshire Ranch.
âThe news story, your pictureâyou look just like your mother. We werenât close. I only recently found out she died of an overdoseâand that she had a daughter twenty-three years ago.â
âYouâre a little lateâŠ,â I whisper.
âLike I said, Nita and I werenât close.â
âWhat do you want from me?â
âTo meet you. I know your job is temporary and you donât have a homeâIâm offering you a home, Raven.â
âIâI donâtâIââ
âIâd love to meet you.â Kaiâs voice wavers with emotion. âPlease consider my offer. You have family. Will you think about it?â
âI have your number,â I respond mechanically, still in shock. âI guess Iâll think about it.â
I hang up, feeling a mix of curiosity and anger.
Why did Kaiâif she really is my auntâfall out with my mother? Why is she reaching out now? Is she lying to me?
But my thoughts are interrupted by the sight of Coal outside the window, climbing into the pickup truck alone, looking furious. Trish is yelling at him from the porch as he speeds off.
I rush over, peering out the window from Iza and Annaâs bedroom.
I crack the window open slightly to eavesdrop on the conversation between Trish and her sister Jean on the porch.
ââŠheâs gone, I couldnât stop him,â Trish snaps. âHeâs too hot-blooded!â
âOf course she comes to ruin the first day of the new year,â Jean murmurs back, clearly annoyed.
âHoney?â I hear Ken open the front door to the porch. âWhatâs happening? Where did Coal rush off to?â
âCatâs in townâshe demanded he come help her with something,â Trish snaps at Ken. âShe refuses to set foot on this ranch so now she wants Coal running around for her. She also demanded to see the kids, but I said noâitâs ridiculous they slipped out of her care and traveled across the world without her even knowing. She has no right to them now!â
âI know. Calm down, loveââ
âWhat if something had happened to them?â Trish starts to yell. âNow she comes back, acting like she cares? Our grandsons could have been kidnapped!â
âNothing happenedâtheyâre safe, in the barn playingââ Ken tries to reassure Trish, but sheâs not having it.
âYou okay?â I hear Izabella call to me. I turn from the window, slamming it shut, feeling guilty for eavesdropping. âWhat was that call about? And did you hear where Coal went?â Iza anxiously runs her fingers through her bleached blonde hair. âCatâs in town.â
âI heard, just now,â I answer. Iza quickly shuts the bedroom door when she notices my pale face.
I slide down the wall under the window, pulling my knees to my chest as I think.
âAre you okay?â Iza leans back against the door, sliding down to sit opposite me.
âI got a call fromâŠâfamilyââŠsupposedly,â I whisper, still in shock. âI donât know if I believe it, to be honest.â
âFamily? What family?â Iza asks, curious. âI thought you were an orphan?â
âExactly, I am⊠I donât understand right now.â I gulp, focusing on what I do know. âAlso, I have barely seen Coal all week and now heâs rushing off to his ex-wife.â
âI know.â Iza frowns. âDonât worry, Coal said he was going to take you on a date tonight, remember? New year, new start?â
âYeah, I know,â I say dismissively, thinking of how he said it. He meant it, in passing as we walked by each other in the kitchen at lunch yesterday. He kissed my cheek, promised to take me out. He meant every word.
I had been so happy.
I had also been completely understanding that Coal wanted to spend every waking minute with his three sons after not seeing them properly for over a year. It all made sense and felt right. No issues.
Until that phone callâand Coalâs reaction to Catâs visit.
Now my mind is filled with images of Coal approaching his ex-wife and succumbing to their past chemistry.
I go from having the best, most relaxed and secure week of my lifeâto feeling completely and utterly shattered with insecurity. Doubt. Fear. Terror. Of being alone again. It hits me hard and fast.
Iza spills the beans about Cat. âSheâs a drama queen. She canât stand this ranch. You wonât catch her dead here. You know Coal still has feelings for you, right? Raven, you look like youâre about to hurl. Are you okay?â
âWeâve only known each other for a week and weâve been on one date,â I confess, my voice barely above a whisper. My heart feels like itâs trying to escape, to avoid the impending heartbreak.
Why did I ever believe I belonged here?
Why did I think I could fit in anywhere?
No matter where I went, I never felt secure.
I wasnât the woman Coal had married or the mother of his childrenâI was just a pretty, penniless girl who showed up for a temporary job.
The honeymoon phase was over.
âDo you have your license?â I ask Iza.
âYes, why?â
âCan you drive me into town?â I ask.
âTo spy on Coal and his ex?â Iza asks, a grin spreading across her face.
Thatâs not the reason, but I lie.
I nod. âYes.â
âIâm in,â Iza says, jumping up. âCan I drive your truck?â
âSure,â I say, knowing soon itâll just be her truck, or maybe one of the Wildesâ.
It was a ridiculous gift, one I didnât deserve. As if I had a place here.
I start to pack my thingsâwhich could all fit into one measly backpack. Then I plan to grab the first bus out of here.
I no longer have my old, beat-up sedan and Iâm suddenly bitter about it.
My easy escape route was taken from me, and I would never accept Coalâs generous gift. I can make it on my own, even though it would be tough. I had survived on public transportation before.
Iâll make do with what I have.
Even if all I have is a few hundred dollars saved up.
I need to leave.
Before I realize I have no home and Iâm not as important as I thought I was.
Before the pain can set in.
I am leaving before I can get hurt.
