Ethan raised an eyebrow as they stopped at the fire ring. “I’m missing something.”
Ethan turned to Isaac.
Isaac shook his head.
Ethan turned back to me. “Um. Asher… We didn’t set up a joke. If we were going to bring Astrid and Ranulf in on a prank, it’d involve Ranulf picking you up as he flew and have him drop you in the lake.”
Ranulf pointed at Ethan. “That, I’d go along with.”
Astrid moved around the cement ring and sat on it in front of me. “Asher, I’m not fucking around. I felt your wolf the second I walked into camp yesterday.”
Now this was just getting annoying. “This isn’t funny anymore.”
Astrid scoffed. “Well, considering the full moon is two days away, and you’ll have no control over yourself… You’re right, it’s not fucking funny.” She looked at everyone else. “He would have killed at least one of you if not more.”
My stomach dropped. She really didn’t look like she was kidding. But a werewolf? No, no way…
“What would cause someone to turn into a werewolf?” Miles stepped up to my side and moved to the side of my chair.
Astrid shook her head. “Being born to wolf parents, or being bitten. It’s all about D.N.A.”
I relaxed and chuckled. “Well, I’ve never been attacked and my parents are human.”
“Asher.” Isaac’s face was serious as he got my attention. “You let a werewolf pup chew on your fingers last month in New Orleans. Remember?”
Astrid groaned and covered her face with her hands. “How old?”
“Not even two, I think.” Miles scratched his eyebrow.
Astrid cursed, dropped her hands and met my eyes. “When we’re that young, our teeth are as sharp as needles. You might not have felt it or even seen it but that kid had to have drawn blood.”
They all stood over me, looking at me in stunned silence. I didn’t like it, something about it… I got to my feet and stepped out from between all of them. “This is crazy.” I started out for the road.
“You’ve been moody, right?” Astrid’s question stopped me in my tracks.
I turned around. “So? It’s stress.” It had to be. Cause this was insane…
She got to her feet and walked out from between everyone. “Let me guess. You have so much energy you can’t sleep at night. You are running for hours but it’s still not enough. Something still tells you to run.”
I swallowed hard as my heart pounded against my ribs. But she wasn’t done.
“I’d bet everything I have that you’ve been more aggressive. Losing your temper more. Doing and saying things you normally wouldn’t. Fighting more?”
The blood drained from my face. “That could still be stress.” It couldn’t be true… No. It was crazy…
She shook her head, her eyes understanding. “A minute ago, you didn’t like anyone standing over you. Something about it was wrong but you can’t pinpoint it. Things like that have been happening more and more.”
Holy shit… but it couldn’t be… “Yeah. So? I’ve been on edge with this whole Ally thing.”
“Then there are the dreams.” Astrid met my eyes. “Running, the feel of dirt under your feet. A heartbeat gets your attention, a rabbit, deer or something runs out of nowhere. And you chase it. The taste of blood in your mouth is so real you can still taste it when you wake up.”
Bile rose in the back of my throat as something moved inside me.
She stepped closer. “That was your wolf. That weird shifting inside. I can tell because your wolf… you’re not bonded yet. You’re not in control. The bond will happen after you shift two nights from now. Until then, you’re dangerous.”
My pulse pounded in my ears… dangerous. Werewolf…. “Is there any way to tell for sure?”
Astrid’s eyes were understanding again before she turned to the others. “Anyone have any real silver?”
Ethan walked forward and pulled off the big silver ring Ally had given him a long time ago. Ranulf held his hand out. Ethan hesitated but still gave it to him.
Ranulf strode toward me with a somber face. “Hold out something you’re willing to scar.”
“What?” Scar? This couldn’t be happening…
“Silver burns and scars wolves.” Ranulf held the ring up to show it to me. “This will hurt if you’re a wolf. If not, you’re human and Astrid’s off her game.”
Small tremors shook my arm as I raised my forearm.
Ranulf pressed the silver ring into the meat of my am. The heat was scorching, I jerked away cursing just as he was lifting the ring away. I looked at my arm. A heavy weight settled on my chest. My skin stopped smoking. In my arm was a perfect burn mark of Ethan’s ring.
No. No, no, no. This wasn’t happening… I took a step back, and another. Something inside me snapped. I turned and ran.
Everyone shouted my name.
“Keep them here!” Astrid shouted. But I didn’t care. My arms pumped, my legs moved. I didn’t think. I didn’t know where I was going. I just ran.
Lexie
Astrid ran after Asher, faster than my eyes could follow. Werewolf. Asher was a werewolf.
Unable to process it, I turned to the others. Hades left Zeke and came to lean on my hip. My fingers automatically going to his fur. “What exactly happened in New Orleans?”
“Asher was bitten by a werewolf pup.” Miles said as he turned to the rest of us.
No… that wasn’t right. “He… he wasn’t hurt in New Orleans. When did this happen?”
I turned to the rest of the group, his face pale. “After we found the kids on our way back. He was carrying a two-year-old that shifted, she was anxious and scared…”
I closed my eyes. “Oh, fuck… He let her chew on him, didn’t he?” That was so Asher… Give anything you needed to make you feel better and not think about what it would cost. I loved it about him but… “Fuck!” I broke out in a cold sweat. It was all my fault. I took several deep breaths and tried to push my emotions back down. Asher. This was about Asher. I got control again and met Miles’ eyes.
“We need to go find him.” I couldn’t just sit here. His entire life was just… His fucking species… He had to be freaking the fuck out. I forced my stiff legs to move.
“Hold it, Lexie.” Ranulf got in front of me, forcing me to stop. “Right now, he’s scared and his wolf isn’t under control. It’s a bad combination. You guys need to stay here.”
My eyes grew hard as that solid feeling filled my chest. “He’s family.”
“I get it.” Ranulf sighed. “But the risk…”
The guys gathered around us. Hades pressed against my hip again.
I shook my head. “We… we can’t just sit here.”
Ranulf ran his eyes over all of us before meeting mine again. “Even if he hasn’t shifted, he can still tear each of you limb from limb without even working up a sweat.”
“He knows us, not you.” Zeke shifted on his feet.
Ranulf turned to him. “Right now, he’s not him. His wolf might be the one driving the bus. And that wolf doesn’t know any of you.”
My heart dropped. That wasn’t good… “We can’t just… Haven’t you ever had someone you cared about go missing? Would you be able to stand around and do nothing?”
The gargoyle took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “I have.” His voice was warm and understanding. “I’ve also seen what happens when a human thinks their family member’s wolf will know them when they haven’t met. It’s usually bloody and ends in the suicide of the werewolf.” Tension filled the silence. “So, unless you have experience dealing with wolves, you’re going to do more harm than good.”
“Alright.” Miles began tapping his leg. “We’ll stay here. It would destroy Asher to hurt any of us.”
Everyone mumbled an agreement. Ranulf relaxed.
I pretended to keep looking at the ground, tilted my head a little and met Zeke’s eyes out of the corner of my eye. He nodded, it was barely a movement bu
t it was enough. Everyone went to their chairs and sat down. Hades rested his big head on my knee as my stomach continue to knot and unknot. Ranulf pulled his phone out and stepped away.
“This is bullshit,” Isaac muttered.
“We don’t know what we’re dealing with.” Miles shook his head. “Astrid is a werewolf and Ranulf’s her husband. If he says it’s safer here and out of the way, then we’re safer here.”
I looked around the group. None of them looked okay with this. I eyed the distance between us and Ranulf. Deciding to go for it, I leaned over to Ethan.
He turned to me with worried eyes. “Beautiful?”
“We need a distraction,” I barely whispered.
A grin spread across his face as he glanced at Zeke then back to me. He raised an eyebrow. I nodded.
He smiled. “Oh, Beautiful.”
I smirked.
“Let’s see if I can get a head start.” Ethan watched as Ranulf turned away. He got to his feet, stretched drawing attention to himself, then ran for the trail.
“Ethan!” Miles shouted.
“I’m going to kill you!” Isaac got to his feet and glared after him.
Ranulf cursed and took off after Ethan.
When they were far enough away, Zeke got to his feet.
“Promise me you’ll bring him back.” It slipped out before I realized it.
Zeke’s face was hard as he met my gaze. “Promise.” He turned and took off at a run for the trail.
Isaac turned to me and smiled. “Sneaky, Red.”
I watched Zeke’s back disappear down the trail. “Let’s hope it’s not a huge mistake.”
Chapter 18
Ethan
It didn’t take long for Ranulf to catch me. But hopefully it was long enough for Zeke to get out of camp.
The big Scotsman had me by the back of the shirt and was marching me back toward camp when he stopped and let go.
“So, what happened to you?” Ranulf’s voice was gruff.
I adjusted my shirt as I stepped further away and looked up at the big guy. “Shouldn’t you be out with Asher or something?”
Ranulf’s gaze ran over me. “My mate is with him, so he’s as safe as he can be. What I’m worried about right now, is you.”
“What? Why?” Was it my back he was worried about?
“Because you’re not completely human anymore,” he snapped, his brow drawn down.
My world stopped. My pulse began to pound in my ears. “What the hell are you talking about?”
Ranulf surveyed me. “Something happened to you and changed you into… I don’t know what.”
“What do you mean, not human?” I swallowed hard as I started to spin my rings. This couldn’t fucking be happening… not to me too.
Ranulf shook his head. “I meant it exactly how it sounds. What the fuck happened?”
I gaped at him for at least a minute before I could even think. New Orleans… “I… the Witch’s Council took me and tortured me for, like… a day or so.”
His eyes narrowed on me. “What do you remember exactly?”
I crossed my arms over my chest. “Not much. Needles, some liquid they kept injecting me with, pain. A lot of fucking pain.”
“How have you felt since?”
“Fine. Great?” I shrugged. How the hell do you answer that? “What are you looking for?”
“Anything out of your usual routine.”
My throat went dry. “My back. I have two slipped disks and since…. “
“The pain is gone?” He shifted on his feet.
I nodded. “I haven’t had to take my meds in almost a month.”
“So, there’s some healing going on.” He ran his hand through his hair. “Anything else?”
I swallowed hard. “Lexie fell during the long climb. I was on a different route but around the same area.” I made myself look at him. “I pulled off a dyno today.”
He raised an eyebrow. “I don’t climb, what does that mean?”
“It means, I jumped up the cliff to another hand hold.” I took a breath and let it out. “This one was around four feet above me. And was barely big enough for the first joint of my fingertips.”
Both his eyebrows were up. “That’s not your usual?”
I shook my head. “I didn’t even realize I did it until I started climbing again.”
“So, you’re stronger, I’m going to say better reflexes, and coordination?”
I nodded. “I’m having some weird ass dreams.”
“What about your dreams?”
“That’s the thing, I can’t fucking remember.” I ran my hands through my hair and tugged on the ends. “I wake up and all I remember is that it was weird and freaky.”
“Did you come into contact with any shifters?” Ranulf asked, his brow drawn down.
“Yeah, but I didn’t let anyone gnaw on me.” Was this really happening?
“It was a long shot, you don’t smell like a shifter.” He eyed me again. “I’m 1800 years old, and I have no idea what you are. That worries me.”
I dropped my arms. “What the fuck do I do?”
He shook his head. “I’m going to talk to Evelyn and Atticus and figure it out.”
“Should I even be around people right now?” Was I going to hurt the guys? Lexie?
“Do you feel an increase in aggression?” He crossed his arms. “Are you having any mood swings?”
“No, just…” I shrugged. “I’m me…”
He shook his head. “You need to tell your friends and have them keep an eye out for new aggression, any behavior that’s out of your usual.”
Who the fuck could do that? Asher was a fucking werewolf and he needed more help than I did right now… I was going to have to tell Isaac. “I’ll take care of it.”
He nodded. “We’ll figure it out. It just might take some time.”
Take some time? Right. ‘Cause patience has always been a virtue of mine. I shook my head. One thing at a time. “Let’s head back to camp.”
Asher
My breathing was shaky as I rocked back and forth. Everything was too loud, too much, too bright. The tips of my toes and fingers burned, my jaw ached. Taking deep breaths, I tried to get through the next heartbeat. The next minute.
Werewolf… A fucking werewolf. All because a little girl was upset. You stupid son of a bitch!
I held my head in my hands and tried to breathe through the vise in my chest. Wolf…. Werewolf… Something kept moving inside me… but that couldn’t be real… could it?
“Asher?” Astrid called from her spot on the boulder outside the cave I had found. “It’s going to be alright. You are going to be alright.”
“Dangerous,” I muttered, my eyes burning. “You said I could have killed everyone.”
“Yeah, you could have. But you won’t now, I’ll be here when you shift and I’ll keep you from doing any damage.” Her voice was matter of fact. It helped. A little.
“My life is over.” My throat grew tighter.
“Your life isn’t over.” Astrid shifted on the rock. She kicked a pebble that bounced off another stone. I could tell because I couldn’t seem to stop hearing everything!
“How?” I bit out. “How is this going to be okay?”
“It’ll only be like this until tomorrow night.” Her voice was quiet. “Once you create the bond with your wolf, it’ll be easier. He’ll be able to communicate with you, he’ll work with you instead of against you like this.”
“It feels…” I swallowed hard. “It feels like something is moving in my chest.”
“That’s your wolf pacing. It’s weird the first month or so.” Her voice was still calm and soothing. “You’ll be able to control your hearing, your sight… It’s the last twenty-four hours that are the worst before your first shift. Being with your friends will help.”
I kept rocking back and forth. “I need to stay away. I’m dangerous.” Then it hit me. “Ally… shit…”
“Breathe, Asher.” Her voice ha
d an odd calming effect, it was new and not, all at the same time. “Talking helps.”
I shook my head. I didn’t know Astrid. “How dangerous is it for a werewolf to date a human?”
She sighed. “There are things you need to know before it’s a good idea. I’d suggest not dating a human until at least a year from conversion. To be safe.”
I closed my eyes and took a shaky breath. That was it. I couldn’t be with her…
“But if you have open and honest communication with your mentor then I can see them agreeing, as long as some rules are observed.”
“Mentor?”
“Yeah, it’s a werewolf that’s your teacher. Usually you stay with them for the month after your first shift. Work with them, live in their house. You know, the whole teacher and student thing.”
I shook my head… I couldn’t imagine it. I couldn’t imagine my future… Did I even have one?
“Asher! Astrid!” Zeke’s bellow was unmistakable. I closed my eyes and pressed my head back against the rock.
“Up here!” Astrid called.
Zeke’s path through the woods was loud and easy to hear. Well, maybe just for me… God, what the fuck was I going to do?
“Where is he?” Zeke bit out.
“He’s just inside the cave.” Astrid sighed. “What the hell are you doing here?”
“I have experience with wolves,” Zeke muttered. Zeke always did hate explaining himself to people.
“Okay, you can stay but I wouldn’t get any closer.”
The scent on Zeke reached me. Rosemary and engine oil. Ally… He had to have touched her today or been extremely close to her... A growl rolled out from between my lips. The urge to tear him apart tore through me.
“Don’t move,” Astrid ordered.
“Where’s Ally?” My voice was an octave deeper.
“Ranulf got her to stay in camp with the others.” Zeke leaned against the rock wall outside.
For several heartbeats I forgot about my life being in pieces on the ground. “How?” Ally wasn’t here? Knowing her, I thought she’d be running through the woods looking to yell at me.
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