We pulled into a very well-lit street, with really high apartment blocks. There were a number of kids my age dancing to very loud music that drowned out as we drove past them. I stared after them, wondering if I would have had that life if I had made a different decision that first night I met Ash.
My life wasn’t one huge party then but it wasn’t bad either. I went clubbing like any other teenager, I tempted life and fate a few times too when I participated in extreme stuff. The shooting range was my third home after Luke’s diner and I raced cars and bikes with the best of them. Sure I wasn’t jumping out of planes but I believe being chased by a bloodthirsty vengeful wolf trumps that.
My sisters and I loved the adrenaline high; it was our way of running from our pasts. Probably why we dated wolves, one wrong move with them.... and we became a lot number in a cemetery.
“Damn it!” Ben cursed next to me as he brought the car to a
“You are Meri,” Maria said, kissing her ivory hand and then she walked up to me and took my son’s hand and kissed it, “And you are AJ, Ashat-Junior.”I shook my head, “I don’t think so.” My disapproval was met with dark slit eyes from Maria.“Why Meri?” Ben asked looking at me. I could tell from his rigid frame he was struggling to stay patient. I knew how it felt to be watched like a hawk, scared that any move I’d make would be misinterpreted as a challenge. I wished I could make him feel at ease but this was nothing compared to how defensive he would get when Ash came.“Lee’s full name is Merilee,” Maria explained stepping back to him her hands held under her chin. “I just took the first four letters. There is no reason for her not to be a junior too.”My eyes popped and I looked at Ann who had the same expression on her face but neither of us dar
That caught his attention. I was up off my feet and pressed against him, his lips ravaging mine. I heard three hisses in protest behind me which quickly faded out of my mind, Ash’s kiss completely intoxicating me, commanding the attention of all my senses. I felt paralyzed against him as his hunger fed on mine. I had missed him too, more than I knew. He broke the kiss and put me slowly back on my feet. I whined; I didn’t want to stop. His hot hand rested on my cheek and the heat stung a little but I didn’t jerk away. I opened my eyes and smiled when my hazels met his brown. “Hi.” He said his lips parting in a smile, my smile. I bit my lower lip and looked away shyly. It was amazing how giddy and weak this man still made me! “That’s it?” Josh signed in relief. Reluctantly I turned away from Ash to stare at him. He was on the couch, his hand on his chest fear and shock still written on his face. “For a minute there I thought we were all dead.” He chuckled nervously as he exhaled lou
“Oh no, next time you want to take off, I want to see it coming.” And he was serious. I felt a pang of guilt hit me as I stared into his sad eyes. I looked away and laid my head on his chest. I couldn’t look him in the eye anymore. I’d hurt him, and that was the last thing I wanted. If only he would understand.“So Ben,” Billy started taking a seat next to the couch Ben was on. He was clearly not happy about Maria and Ann sitting so close to him but Josh was in between Ann and Ben, which must've soothed him a bit.“Not yet,” Ash spoke before Ben, “Joe is going to want to hear this.” And in that second Joe appeared.“What’s up?” he asked Ash his eyes leveled on the hand Maria had on Ben’s head.“How did you?” Ben said amazed again.“Ben has a story to tell us, which will interest you very much.” Ash answered.Ann stood up to make space for Joe and sat on Billy’s waiting laps, which made him very happy.Ben sat up pulling Maria’s hand gently off his head with a grateful smile. “First,
“I caught Baku’s scent when I started searching for Lee’s. By then, Ben was gone and so was his scent until tonight when he stepped out of the car.” He chuckled, “You were clever to stand behind her.”“That was a chance I took, your reputation doesn’t do you justice.”“Is that a good or bad thing?” Maria asked.“Let’s just say if I’d gotten accurate references, I wouldn’t be here,” Ben laughed, “But you are also not as cold and heartless as they describe you.”“Of course he’s not. He can be sweet when he wants to be.” I was proud of Ash and I was glad people- and by people I mean wolves- thought twice before messing with us. If only Baku had the same mentality.“I think it’s time we went to bed,” Maria proposed standing up. “The twins are going to sleep in mine and Joe’s room. Ann and Billy you already know where you’re room is. Ben and Josh, you two will share the one next to us, don’t worry it has two single beds. Lee, your room is downstairs past the stair way down the corridor.”“
The image of me on my bed popped into my head. ‘Ann, don’t let them cut me open,’ I watched myself struggled to stay awake as I spoke and then I was out. At first, I thought I was asleep until I saw my body sag like I had been deflated. I saw Ash move over me. He pulled my shirt up and then he ran his sharp claw on my lower abdomen. He was cutting me open with his nails. ‘Stop that Ash!’ Ann yelled.‘What are you doing to her?’ I saw Maria run into the room. She stopped when she saw me terror written all over her face. ‘Is she dead?’ she cried.‘What!’ Ann exclaimed before she knelt next to my head. She placed her hand on my neck, ‘She’s so cold... why is she so cold?’‘Because her heart isn’t beating!’ Joe half yelled. He disappeared for a second then reappeared with another bag of blood. He moved quickly around me, putting the new IV in my neck. ‘Ash what’s taking you so long?’ He put his hand on my chest and began pumping.‘They won’t they let me open her up!’ He yelled cursing. ‘
I walked to the kitchen, feeling happy and complete again. I was together with my family again, but I’d prefer to be in our own home. Yes every wolf out there knew where we lived but I always thought we had home field advantage. No one knew those forests better than Ash, Joe and Billy. They had proved it time and time again, surviving every assault and depleting Baku’s army. And as beautiful as this house was, it was too small for nine people and it didn’t have a panic room and the forest wasn’t as big as the one back home. Hunting was going to be a challenge for the guys. “Should we be checking you for bruises?” Ann teased me. AJ sat on her lap entirely covered in his breakfast. “I’ll get the ice,” Maria added. Unlike AJ, Meri was spotless as she sat quietly on Maria’s laps. I kissed her perfectly brushed head of hair before I moved to her brother. “Very funny! Nothing happened.” I said picking him up, “Ann what are you doing to him?” I pulled off his bib an
“I’m fine,” I spoke sliding up the fridge slowly until I straightened out and as if on cue a sharp pain hit my lower back. I groaned hitting the fridge with my fists. “Please, give me a break!” I whispered through clamped teeth.Meri’s cry grew louder and AJ’s more urgent.“Why are they crying so much?” Maria asked walking around the kitchen as she rocked Meri.“Lee, I know you are in pain but we could really use your help right now,” Ann was getting desperate.“Give them to me,” I said taking a deep breath as the pain faded away. I took a step forward keeping my arms astride testing my rickety body. I was eighteen years old and my body felt ninety.“What if you get another pain?” Maria walked to me.“You want them to keep crying?” I asked and they responded with silence, “I didn’t think so.” Hesitantly, Maria placed Meri i
Ash blinked a few times, more in the present like he’d just woken up from a trace. “How do you feel?” He asked stepping closer to me.“No pain just a small ache.” I responded with a grateful smile.“You remember our talk about you being a bad lair?”I rolled my eyes. “Okay, it’s a throbbing big ache.”“Is she going to be alright?” Ben asked his face full of worry.“She’ll be fine,” Ash answered still smiling. I wasn’t sure exactly what was up with him. Precedence had taught me the smallest attention from a male who wasn’t in his pack was usually met with hostility. “She just needs to lie down.”“I’ll walk you.” Joe offered. And by walk, he meant lifting me to my room. He placed me gently on the bed, shifting the pillows around to make me comfortable. “Don’t worry,” he began with a smile, &ldquo