“It’s a little infected I think,” she started, trying to make it sound as if it weren't as bad as it looked. “I just need to put some medicine on it.”
“Christ,” Cade drew out, moving in more closely to inspect it.
It looked as if a wolf had gotten hold of her fur in its maul and ripped it out along with the skin—definitely not pleasant, which he knew from personal experience—and it was unquestionably infected. No wonder she cringed when she hopped out of my truck.
“Only a little infected my ass,” he muttered. “If it were much worse, I’d take you to see a doctor.”
He reached over for the supplies, hearing her sigh as if she were either irritated, or maybe worried. But she said nothing and leaned against the counter with one hand, holding her shirt up with the other.
“What the hell would we tell them about what happened?”
“I’d take you to a pack doctor,” Cade replied. “We have a few around because we tend to get hurt on a regular basis, and can't always explain things to a human without stirring up trouble.”
As he began to apply the peroxide, she stiffened suddenly, gripping the counter more tightly, and her shirt. Cade hated that it hurt so much, but it had to be done.
“Fuck!” Ashley cussed. “It's throbbing like hell now.”
“Means it's working.”
“It's working really bad.”
She leaned forward as if holding herself up was becoming difficult to do with the pain she was in. When Cade poured more over it, she sucked in another breath and let out a line of swears.
“Sorry, Ashley,” he said gently, lightly dabbing the peroxide up after letting it work for a few minutes.
On a groan, she whimpered out sarcastically, “Oh no, please do it a few more times. It feels wonderful.”
Cade grinned while spreading some ointment over a gauze. “I bet.”
Gently, he pressed the gauze over the wound, then went for the tape. The whole time, he kept thinking about his anger, wanting to find and hurt the jackasses who'd done this to her.
But he forgot the thoughts when he caught sight of the uncomfortable expression on Ashley's face in the mirror. She wasn't crying, merely gritting her teeth against the ache she was enduring. That was when it hit him—Ashley was tough.
She had every reason in the world to curl up on the bed he'd offered her and cry herself to sleep. But she’d only shed a handful of tears since he'd met her, trying to deal with everything as best as she possibly could.
Ashley was stronger than she looked, and Cade was more convinced now that she'd been used as a game animal than before.
And yet again, he noticed her scent. It was much stronger now that she’d cleaned up, making it even more appealing. No matter how much he tried to deny it, she had a scent he felt like he could breath in deep and still not get enough. That's a bad sign.
As he finished his tasks, his instinct was nagging him to get better acquainted with her, and it was annoying. He pushed the thoughts away while Ashley tugged her shirt back down, then turned to face him.
She looked as if the cleaning still had her in pain while saying, “Thanks. Hopefully it won't be so bad next time.”
“Nah, it won't be. I have some painkillers in the cabinet if you need them.”
She turned to look, and when she found them, Cade recommended taking more than two because most lupines had a high tolerance to drugs—so Ashley took four.
Once the bottle was closed, he asked, “You don’t have any memory about where you were before?”
“No, I can't even remember faces very clearly.” When Cade gave her an unhappy look, Ashley asked, “Why? Do you wanna confront them?”
He nodded wordlessly.
She pursed her lips as if trying to drudge up anything she could, but then shook her head. “I just can't remember anything except that basement. But if I do, I’ll let you know right away, okay?”
“Okay,” Cade replied, and just when he was about to suggest she go ahead and get some rest, she suddenly slapped a hand over her mouth.
“What's wrong?”
Her eyes had gone wide, and she spoke as if relating a terrible secret, “Sometimes, I woke up with the taste of blood in my mouth, Cade. If I was turning into a wolf, do you think I might have been . . . killing people?”
She sounded absolutely horrified by the notion of it, and likewise, Cade didn't want her to get too unsettled. So he took her upper arms in a gentle hold and shook his head.
“No, I really doubt that.”
Yet even as he spoke, he couldn't convince himself that she hadn't done something very similar, only, killing other wolves that were being used like she was. So he added to make it more convincing, “We kill animals when we're wolves. If anything, it's probably that.”
Ashley started nodding, but the motion was made as if she desperately wanted to believe him simply because she needed to, not because she actually did. Her next question pointed to that being the case as well.
“Still, you wouldn't have any toothbrushes I could use, would you? Some mouthwash at least?”
Cade could only imagine how badly she would want to clean her mouth out, so he turned to check under the sink and then above it, locating a toothbrush still in the wrapper.
Ashley grabbed the mouthwash on the counter, thanking him after spitting into the sink and began to scrub away at her teeth twice in a row, followed by downing the aspirin she'd gotten out of the cabinet.
Cade couldn't help feeling bad for her, and knew now that telling her the truth about what she'd likely been used for would be upsetting enough to make her snap. He had no idea how many fights she'd been in, but he did know she'd been used long enough to kill a good handful of wolves.
Or doom by defeat in the very least.
When she was done brushing, he asked, “You gonna be okay?”
“Yeah,” she whispered softly. “I think I’m gonna head off to bed though. I’m really, really tired.”
Bidding him goodnight, she walked to the door. Once there, he spoke her name, then waited until she'd looked back at him.
“Don't hesitate to come get me if you need me.”
Ashley didn't smile, but her expression was appreciative, and she nodded before going to her room. He watched until she disappeared from sight, wondering how things were going to work out while hoping they went well.
Cade wanted her to get back on her feet after what she'd been through.
It wasn’t long before he went to lay down across his couch to get some sleep after he’d cleaned up and donned a pair of cotton pants and a tank top. He tried not to think about Ashley's situation, but it popped back into his head again and again.
If it turned out that the bastard he'd been looking for was one of the ones chasing the newborn, things were going to get complicated, and they were probably going to get there fast. Cade wanted his revenge. Killing Brady was one thing, but the lupine that led Henry to his death was still getting away with murder.
This could be his chance.
~*~*~*~
Ashley felt the morning light on her face, opening her eyes to see the room she’d been given drenched in clear daylight.
It took her a few moments to get her bearings after the hard sleep she’d fallen into the night before, and she rubbed her eyes before looking to see that the alarm clock on the night stand said it was ten in the morning.
Ashley got out of bed and went to the window, remembering how she’d been so curious to see what the place looked like during the daytime.
Surely enough, beyond the trees dotting the landscape was a body of water spanning the distance, and the colors from the autumn leaves looked like paint spatters on the lake. A few motor boats were sailing past casually, the tree branches swaying in a soft breeze, making for an inviting scene.
After two weeks spent in a dirty, stinking basement, it was more beautiful than anything she'd ever seen before. Ashley felt a spike of hope overcoming her, even stronger than when Leo found he
r on the bus.
She’d been given a chance, one she could really see now, putting her in high spirits. With a whole day ahead to work on it, she was eager to get started and see what else might change for the better.
Turning, she went to the door, and on the way out, the phone started ringing. By the time Ashley reached the stairs, it’d stopped, telling her that Cade was awake. Peering into the living room from the bottom of the steps, she saw him with the receiver to his ear, still waking from slumber while settling himself upward on his couch.
His hair was hanging wildly on his head, eyes half lidded, and his voice was gruff from sleep. The white tank top he wore showed off the contours of his defined arms, and Ashley considered that if the man was handsome when he was already up and about, then he was downright sexy when he was sleep mussed.
Is that even possible? She figured most people probably looked like ass when they first woke up—something she considered about herself at that moment. Her hair hadn't been brushed and she still had cuts and bruises. Beautiful wasn’t exactly the word she’d use to describe herself just then.
But not Cade. He just looked wildly sexy. Why isn't that surprising?
She found herself admiring the definition in his arms and chest, and the broad shape of his shoulders before she snapped herself out of it. But she didn't feel too ashamed for looking. After all, it was something any woman could appreciate.
Briefly, she wondered just how many women had appreciated it.
Why the thought had a surge of jealousy streaking through her, she had no idea. Cade's nice to look at, but not to want. Besides, she was trying to get her life together, so initiating something with someone was the last thing on her mind.
Not that she'd even know where to begin anyway. Ashley's experience with the opposite sex was limited at best. Never even been on a date before.
On top of it, she wasn’t exactly human anymore, and she definitely had no idea how things were done when it came to lupines. What if there was some way to go about it that she didn’t know of?
Until she learned, thoughts of companionship were best left by the wayside, and she listened to what Cade was saying on the phone without interrupting. It sounded like he was talking to someone in his family, saying he’d see them shortly before hanging up.
He noticed her in the process, rubbing his eyes while asking, “How’d you sleep?”
“Good, actually,” Ashley replied, then looked at the bunched up afghan he’d apparently used as a blanket and asked out of sheer curiosity, “Did you sleep in here all night?”
“Yeah,” Cade confirmed, standing and settling the afghan over the back of the couch again. “It's a bad habit I've gotten into.”
Once he was done straightening up, Ashley stepped further into the room and stopped near the end of the couch where she asked, “Do you have to be at work soon?”
“Not until this evening, why?”
“I was just curious what your plans might be.”
Cade shrugged his broad shoulders, turning to face her completely, his still sleepy blue eyes looking her over. Suddenly, she felt self conscious of the way she looked, having to remind herself that it didn't matter anyway.
She also wished his scent wasn't so attractive. Why the hell do I keep noticing that! Every time she picked it up, it seemed to start the same process all over again—she liked it, became interested, then had to remind herself that she actually wasn't. I'm stuck in a Catch 22.
Before she could get too uncomfortable over her inner musings, Cade thankfully distracted her by answering her question.
“Nothin' concrete except waiting for my sister to get here. She’s gonna bring some clothes over for you. I figured after that, we could go pick up some things you still need and get something to eat.”
Ashley gave him a thoughtful nod, guessing that was as good a plan as any. But his mention of getting something to eat made her glance toward the kitchen for just a moment.
She was dying to use it. Cooking always made her feel more at home, not to mention it’d save a little money instead of going out.
But then Cade mentioned something that distracted her from her thoughts completely.
“By the way, Leo found out from one of our wolves working for the police that there was a missing persons case opened on you.”
Ashley stared at Cade, honestly surprised. “Really? Did he say who reported me missing?”
“Just someone in North Carolina,” Cade returned. “When you never made it to Atlanta, they took notice, but never found you or anything belonging to you.”
“I wonder if my car's still in the woods then,” Ashley questioned aloud. It had her things in it, and if it was still there, she might be able to collect them.
But Cade didn't seem to think so.
“The lupines who turned you probably destroyed it to hide evidence.”
“True,” she grumbled. “They wouldn't have to try very hard to get to my stuff. All they'd need is the license plate.”
Depression struck her over the thought, but she pushed it away, wanting a day to go well for once.
Cade then asked pointedly, “Do you want to go back home? Or get to Atlanta?”
“I hadn't thought of it honestly,” Ashley admitted. “I couldn't go back home though. From the start, my focus was getting away from there. I had an opportunity in Atlanta, but I didn't care where it was. As long as I could start somewhere else, that's what I wanted most.”
“Well, we need to know what to officially say to get your case closed without any trouble,” Cade explained thoughtfully. “Would someone come looking to find you if they knew where you were?”
“Probably not. My dad would say I was to blame, and besides that, I didn't have much family. If anyone, it was Thomas who reported me missing to begin with.”
“Who's Thomas?”
“A friend from school, the same guy that recommended me for the job in Atlanta with some people he knew. But I have no idea what to say about why I didn't call for two weeks, or how I ended up here.”
“We'll think of something,” Cade promised. “There's still time. Besides, how bad was your car wreck?”
Ashley pursed her lips. “I was honestly surprised to come out of it alive if that tells you anything.”
“We might be able to say you had to go to a hospital then,” he suggested. “But for now, I'll wait to see what Leo learns. He knows your story, so he'll probably work something out that we can go along with.”
That seemed like the best idea. Still, Ashley had to ask, “Does this happen often? I mean, lupines on the police force covering up.”
“Has to,” Cade replied as he headed to the steps. “We can't be forthcoming about everything.”
Ashley supposed he was right. After all, it wasn't as if she would be able to report anyone chasing her to the police for what they'd done without raising so many questions it would just make her look like a lunatic in the end.
In any case, what she told Cade was the truth. No one would come looking. Thomas was a good person, and he'd probably be relieved to hear she was all right, but he wasn't what Ashley would call a close friend.
As for her father, he might call if he had a phone number, but she wouldn't want him to because he'd only end up belittling her for getting lost, and then request a hand out. Never fails.
The only person Ashley would care to hear from was her grandmother, but she'd passed away five years ago. Besides that, her friends had their own lives to lead, moving away over the years while she'd been stuck at home with a man who wanted to treat her like a commodity instead of a daughter.
So she really didn't care if she went to Atlanta or freaking Timbuktu. As long as she could get settled and have a life worth leading, she would be content.
Arkin City seemed like as good a place as any to start.
As a lupine though, Ashley would have to climb the ladder from a lower point to get to where she needed to be. But things could be worse. She could still be chained up and
wishing she was dead.
With that thought, she headed into the kitchen to see what she could cook for breakfast while counting her blessings, thinking it was time to get started on that climbing.
Here goes nothing.
Chapter 9
From clothes to an alibi, Ashley needed all kinds of essentials.
Cade had no idea what Leo might come up with to close her case, but he didn't doubt it would be feasible. On the other hand, if anyone could help Ashley with her wardrobe problem, it was Sara Hodgins.
Sara called that morning after she’d heard about Ashley from Leo's wife, wanting to come by and meet her. Cade thought it was a good idea, and asked her to bring some old clothes along if she had them. Sara was a self-professed clothes horse after all, complaining on occasion that she had too many things sitting in her closet that she never got to wear.
She’d also asked Cade if he was planning on keeping Ashley at his place or finding someone for her to stay with. The question wasn't surprising because he knew he didn’t have what someone might call a nurturing reputation.
But he did surprise himself—and his sister—when he told Sara that Ashley was staying put.
Still, Cade tried to think of anyone who might be more able to help Ashley, but every time he did, he found some reason why it wouldn't work. She could be useful in finding the pack he'd been hunting after all, so if anything, he needed to keep an eye on her himself.
Besides, maybe she’d actually end up liking him, who knew? She didn't seem very fond of him now anyway.
Cade went to get cleaned up and dressed with those thoughts in mind. During that time, he figured he could give Ashley a job at Blue Moon as a waitress, at least temporarily, so she could earn a little money for however long she stayed there.
Maybe she already had experience doing that kind of work as well. Either way, if she didn't prove to be too volatile after her abuse, they could use the extra help.
Cade dressed in a plain gray t-shirt with a pair of jeans and work boots when his shower was done, then grabbed his phone so he could try to contact Caleb and ask what he found last night. Sadly, he got a message from the operator stating the number was disconnected, meaning Caleb actually hadn't paid the bill.
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