Ashwood Falls Volume Two (Books 3, 3.5, and 4)

by Lia Davis

  “Fine.”

  She was lying. Hayden could feel her leopard. She was scared, alone, and hurting. He understood the grief, had even felt it himself for a short time after his father died. But the difference between him and Cora was she was a submissive who’d lost her only surviving family member. Her caretaker and brother, Jason, had been attacked and killed by a mutant several months before while on patrol.

  Cameron had found him while on a run in human form, something the female did often.

  “Have you been to see my mother?”

  Cora nodded. “We have lunch twice a week with Cam.”

  Good. Sometimes unmated submissive females would go into a deep depression if they were alone for too long, especially after a tragic event like losing their big brother and protector. Spending time with the Alpha and a dominant female or two helped. Yet, Hayden sensed that Cora was not healing like she should.

  “When was the last time you shifted?”

  Fear lit up her eyes. “I...can’t.”

  Hayden set his jaw and took even breaths to make sure he didn’t scare the skittish female any more than she already was. He scooted his chair back and tugged her to sit in his lap so she faced Christa and wrapped his arms around her to keep her from fleeing.

  Her wolf whimpered but relaxed a little. He pressed his cheek to hers. “Have you met my mate? This is Christa.”

  Christa shifted her gaze from him to Cora, but to his relief, she didn’t react negatively. That made him fall for her only more. She was so open and seemed to understand more about Pack life than he’d realized.

  Christa reached over and covered Cora’s hand. “Hello.”

  Cora relaxed and actually smiled. It had been months since he’d seen her smile. “Hi.”

  “I thought I told you about pawing my waitresses.”

  Hayden turned at Jasmine’s teasing tone. She had her curly brown hair pulled up in a high ponytail with a couple of ringlets left out to frame her round face. “Good evening, Jas.”

  Cora jerked to a stand. “Jasmine. I’m sorry...”

  Jasmine opened her arms. “Come here, you.” Cora walked over to the other female and allowed herself to be pulled into a hug. “There is no need to be sorry. I was teasing Hayden.” Jasmine kissed her on the cheek then whispered, “I saw Torin come in a few moments ago.”

  Cora’s cheeks turned pink, and she peered back at Hayden and Christa, then Jasmine.

  Jasmine gave her a gentle smile. “Go on, I’ll take their orders.”

  “Are you sure?”

  Taking Cora’s hand and giving it a gentle squeeze, Jasmine nodded. “Yes. Now go.”

  Cora’s ducked her head and walked back in the restaurant.

  Hayden raised a brow at Jasmine. “Torin?”

  Jasmine’s smile widened, and she nodded. “Yep. He’s been trying to court her for several weeks now. At first I thought he was trying to be just another comforting packmate.”

  “But now?”

  She shrugged. “He’s chasing her.”

  Hayden let out a soft growl. “He’s a little aggressive for her.”

  “I don’t know. He seems...different with her.”

  “I’m still going to have a talk with him.”

  Jasmine gave him a hard glare. “Now, Hayden...”

  He held up a hand. “I’ll just talk, not threaten him unless I see there is a need to.”

  Jasmine didn’t look too convinced, but she dropped it and took their orders and left them alone.

  Hayden met Christa’s stare and lifted a brow at her, drawing a smile from her. “Cora’s brother was killed by a mutant a couple of months ago.”

  A frown replaced her smile. “That’s awful.”

  He agreed. It also pissed him off that Onyx still manage to fuck everyone over and over. “Cora is lost right now, but she is a strong female.”

  Christa took his hand. “I see it. She’s hurting, but the love of the Pack helps.”

  They fell silent for several minutes, taking in the sounds of nature. Hayden didn’t mind. In fact he loved to just sit in outside and listen to the forest at night. There was something magickal about it.

  After a while, Hayden glanced back at Christa. He could see by the way she sat next to him, staring out into the dark with her head slightly tilted as if listening. He lifted his hand and ran the backs of his fingers down her cheek then slid them to cup the back of her head and tug her forward for a kiss. His female was amazing, strong and passionate. “Say yes, Christa. Say you’re mine,” he whispered on her lips.

  Before she could respond, Cora arrived with their dinner.

  They ate in silence, mostly. Christa had changed the subject of mating to talk about the twins and the challenges of raising a pair of wolf shifters. After dinner, Hayden took Christa for a walk.

  The forest was alive with the night animals scurrying about. The full moon cast silver beams of light through the trees, making the forest appear even more magickal than normal.

  “Why are you scared of the dark?”

  Christa missed a step at his question. He reached to steady her, but she waved him off. “I’m not afraid of the dark.”

  He grunted. “Try again.”

  “My parents were attacked at night, as was my sister.”

  Somehow that seemed like too easy of an answer. If it had been anyone else, he might have believed her. Christa was too strong to let the attack on her parents cripple her. There was something else she was hiding from him.

  He gripped her shoulders and turned her to face him. With his preternatural sight, he could see her expression. Under the blank, hard mask she wore in public were shadows of past demons that still haunted her.

  “Don’t hide from me. Open up. Let me in.”

  She tried to shrug him off, but he held firm. “The mutants...” She yanked free from him and turned away. He let her go and took a step closer to her, but didn’t touch her.

  “There were two of them. I had just broken up with my boyfriend. I was between jobs and staying at home. My parents were asleep, and I’d just gotten out of the shower. When I reached my bedroom, it was to find the two beasts going through my stuff.”

  She stopped speaking as if she needed to catch her breath. A shiver rippled through her body, making Hayden want to draw her into his arms. “What did you do?”

  She let out a bitter laugh. “I screamed. That was when the larger one grabbed me and started ripping at my robe.”

  Hayden growled. It echoed through the forest, silencing the creatures around them. The wind even seemed to stop blowing for a moment. “Tell me they didn’t.”

  She took a breath. “They didn’t get that far. I managed to get away from them and out to the living room. My intention was to get the creatures out of the house, but my parents came out of their bedroom. My mom freaked, and I shouted at her to run.”

  Hayden closed the small distance between and drew her to him. She wrapped her arms around his waist and continued. “I rushed back to my room and grabbed my gun from the nightstand. By the time I got back out there, my mom ran out the front door. A mutant chased her down and killed her. The other had bitten my dad.”

  “We’re going to stop the mutants and all the rogues with them.” It was the only thing he could think to say. Too much loss, too much pain surrounded them all.

  She lifted her head and stared into his eyes. “I want them all to pay for everything. Vance was right about one thing.”

  He lifted a brow.

  “The war between shifters is spilling over into the human world. However, it is Onyx and the mutants that are behind it. After being in the den, meeting the few people I have so far, I know now there is no way Ashwood could be responsible for the evil.”

  Hope bloomed in his heart. She was on his side, willing to fight with him in this war. Now all he had to do was convince her to be his bonded mate.

  Christa threaded her fingers through Hayden’s hair and pulled him down. He let her take control this once.


  She kissed him lightly on the lips before saying, “Take me home and make love to me.”

  Chapter 16

  Hayden kicked the door to his bedroom closed and carried Christa to his bed. Setting her on her feet, he removed her clothes with quick efficiency. When she was completely naked, he stepped back and raked his gaze over her.

  She was beautiful and his.

  “Get on the bed.” It came out as a husky demand.

  Her arousal reached out to him like a lover’s caress, making the wolf within growl with approval.

  She crawled up on the bed in a deliberately slow movement, teasing him. He growled and ripped his shirt over his head and let the cotton fall to the floor without a care. His focus was on the female in front of him, displayed on his bed.

  “Roll over onto your stomach.”

  She hesitated and narrowed her eyes slightly. He felt his lips twitch, but he refused to soften his expression. Christa needed to fully understand what it meant to be a wolf’s mate. “It’s all about trust, Christa. If you can’t do that, then you don’t belong in my bed.”

  She crawled to kneel in front him. Hooking a finger in the waistband of his jeans, she tugged him closer so her breasts pressed against his chest. “Trust is a two-way street.”

  He let one side of his mouth lift at the corner. “True, but today is about you.” He nipped at her lip. “Now, do as you’re told.”

  She lowered herself back on the bed and rolled to lie on her stomach. Leaving his jeans on for now, he crawled on the bed and sat beside her. Her muscles twitched. “Don’t move.”

  She let out a sigh of irritation. Good.

  He loved it when she was a little on edge.

  Leaning down, he pressed a kiss to the middle of her back. She sucked in a breath but didn’t move. Desire and anticipation rolled over her in a sweet and spicy wave. His dick hardened and pressed painfully against the zipper of his jeans.

  He let out a soft groan and licked the spot he’d kissed, drawing a moan from Christa. Moving down her body lightly, he grazed the skin just over her right hip with a fang. She did move then.

  She arched her ass up, offering him what he wanted. But he wouldn’t take it, not yet.

  He moved his mouth to the curve of one ass cheek and gently bit down. Christa let out a whimper as she squeezed her thighs together.

  Smiling in satisfaction, he ran his tongue up her spine to her shoulder, and then he nipped his way to her ear. “You like to be teased.”

  “No.” The one word came out on a breath.

  “I think you do.”

  He took her earlobe between his teeth and gave a gentle tug. “Would you like me to bite you, mark you?”

  He felt a shudder ripple through her. “Please.”

  “Rise up on your knees,” he whispered.

  When she did as he requested, he glided a hand up her side to cup her breast and then rolled the tight nipple between his thumb and forefinger. Christa moved her ass against him, drawing a groan from him. Releasing her breast, he slid his hand down her belly to her pussy. When he dipped his fingers into the slick folds, Christa jerked and let out a small cry of pleasure.

  He rubbed her clit in circular motions, slow at first then faster until she came, hard. Her body shuddered against him, pulling the wolf and he closer to the edge. He held her to his chest as he reined in his control.

  He was trying to seduce her, pet her, and bring her to orgasm multiple times. There was no doubt that she was his mate. The bond had started, whether she admitted it or not.

  Pressing a soft kiss to her shoulder, he bit down gently, not breaking the skin.

  She jerked against him then started rubbing her ass against his impossibly hard cock still contained within the damned jeans. He gripped her hips and squeezed. “Don’t move.”

  He released her and straightened to unbutton and unzip. His cock sprang free. He fisted the thing and guided it to Christa’s opening. She let out a soft whimper that sounded more like a plea. He smiled.

  His mate, so tough and commanding, was enjoying submitting to him. Yet, somehow he knew she’d most likely pay him back later. He looked forward to it.

  Bending over her, he kissed the middle of her back just below her shoulder blades. She arched her back and brought up one hand to fist in his hair. Unable to fight what his body craved, he slid into her and she gasped.

  Fuck.

  He wrapped an arm around her waist and moved in and out in slow, long thrusts. The movements brought him closer to the edge. He didn’t want to come right now. He wanted to make it last, yet his wolf was too close to the surface, nudging him to take her hard and fast.

  “Hayden.”

  The soft plea from Christa’s lips was too much for him to deny. He picked up the pace, each thrust harder and deeper. His balls tightened, and he felt his fangs extend. Unable to hold off the urge, he struck, biting down on the tender flesh where her shoulder and neck met.

  Christa screamed his name, and the walls of her pussy clenched around his cock. They orgasmed together in one violent wave of ecstasy.

  Hayden pulled out after the last wave rocked through him, dropped to the bed, and tugged Christa with him. She muttered something incoherent and snuggled into him. A smile tugged at his lips just as his heart opened to this female in his arms.

  There was no way he’d ever let her go. He just hoped she didn’t end up breaking him into tiny pieces.

  Squeezing her a little tighter, he kissed the top of her head. “Night, mate.”

  Chapter 17

  The next morning, Christa entered the medical center. Brenna and Bryce dragged their feet behind her. They didn’t want to do this anymore than she did.

  They didn’t want to see their father like this.

  Yet, Hayden was right.

  Rick was dying, and according to Danica, the leopard Healer, he was thinking clearly. He knew his name, what day it was, and what he’d done to his mate eight years before.

  They were halfway across the waiting area when Sasha stepped out of the room that Rick was in with a man Christa hadn’t met. The two of them were talking quietly.

  Sasha looked up and saw Christa and the twins and frowned. “Morning. This is Sven.” The wolf Healer motioned to the man next to her. “He’s a Healer from Birchwood. He’s also a geneticist. He’s here to see if he can help Gina.”

  Christa held out her hand, but the man didn’t take it. She lowered her hand and glanced at Sasha, who was shaking her head.

  Odd.

  “Hello, I’m Christa.”

  Sven peered into her face but didn’t make eye contract. He gave her a wide smile. “Hello. Don’t mind me. I had some time clear and came over a day early. I’m just here to research and discover.”

  Christa couldn’t help but smile. He was just so...odd. His blond hair stood almost on end, and it looked as though he didn’t know what to do with a brush. He had the most unusual silver-green eyes she’d ever seen. And he wore glasses.

  Did shifters have to wear glasses? She thought the gene that made them what they were kept their eyes at their peak.

  Sasha let out a small laugh, drawing Christa’s attention back to the female Healer. “Rick’s awake and expecting you.”

  Christa nodded. “Okay, thanks. It was nice meeting you, Sven.”

  He waved as he followed Sasha out the front door while looking at a tablet. Christa peered over at her nephew and niece and mouthed, “He’s a little odd.”

  They nodded in unison then darted their gazes to the room their father was in. Christa sighed. Might as well get it over with. She entered the room and instantly felt sick. It wasn’t out of disgust. No, it was the pain and anger she’d carried so long, the need for vengeance that she’d sworn to take for her parents, her beloved sister, and the twins she’d protected.

  There was also sadness and a sense of fatigue. The mixture of emotions was exhausting. They sat in the pit of her stomach like a rock, refusing to go away.

  Yet, as sh
e stood in the hospital room, face-to-face with the very monster responsible for taking Mary away, she couldn’t stop the hint of pity that rose up.

  Rick looked worse than he had at Hunter Ridge. A lot worse.

  The brown fur that covered his body had started to fall out, exposing his paper-white skin. His skin was so thin she could see the bone beneath.

  Rick watched them as they entered and stopped a few feet from the bed. He moved his gaze over Brenna and Bryce. Christa swore she saw a small tear roll out from the corner of one eye. He moved his gaze to hers and opened his mouth to speak, but coughed instead.

  Why was she doing this? Why the hell had she dragged the twins here?

  This wasn’t Rick.

  He reached out to her, and she involuntarily stepped back. Cursing herself, she forced herself to remain still and not run out the door.

  “Thank you...for coming.”

  She remained silent, and it was Bryce who asked the question she’d rolled round in her mind for the past eight years. “Why did you do it?”

  Rick flicked his gaze to Bryce then back to Christa. “There was a male who approached me on my walk home from work about two days before...”

  He cut himself off as if he was unable to say what he had done. Christa took a step forward then another. “What did the male look like?”

  Rick shook his head. “It’s not clear. Dark hair. He was a leopard.” He started to shake his head, and tears rolled down his cheek. “I’m not even sure what happened. I just remember not feeling well the next day. There were headaches. I became so angry.”

  He held her stare as he said the next statement. “The following day bloodlust hit me so hard I couldn’t control my wolf. Mary was home. She...Oh God.”

  His body started jerking, and he grabbed his throat as if fighting for air. Brenna screamed, “Dad!”

  Bryce grabbed his sister to keep her in place. A moment later Danica ran into the room. Without touching him, she placed a hand above his heart. Another moment later, Rick stopped moving, his whole body going limp.