Ashton Grove Werewolves (Boxed Set, Vol. 2)

by Jessica Coulter Smith

  “And this woman?”

  “We met when I returned to Ashton Grove. We haven’t known each other long, but I knew almost immediately that she was my mate,” Ramsey said.

  “I know you. There’s more to this.”

  “I love her, Deacon. And she’s pregnant.” He looked at his friend. “I can’t lose her. If the alpha won’t hand her over, I’ll take her back by force. I can’t live without her.”

  Deacon nodded. “Then we’ll get her back. And you know if I say I’m going to do something, I do it. No matter what it takes, we’ll bring her home.”

  “Thanks, Deacon. I can’t think of anyone I’d rather have by my side during all of this. I appreciate you coming out here.”

  “Truthfully, I’ve meant to come out for a visit for a while now. This just gave me a good excuse. If I’m completely honest, I’m looking for a new pack. Denver is getting too big and I’m tired of the politics.”

  “So, you’re thinking about coming to Ashton Grove?”

  “Well... you’re here, and it’s obvious they take care of their pack members. I like the fact that the pack is small. I’ve looked at a few others, but so far, none have felt right.”

  “You know I’d be happy to have you here. I think you’d like it, but finding a job might be hard. There probably isn’t a big need for an engineer in Ashton Grove.”

  Deacon grinned. “I already checked into it. There’s a position open in Spruce Hill.”

  “You’d drive half an hour to go to work?”

  “It’s more like forty-five minutes, but my commute in Denver is about the same.”

  Ramsey picked up the duffle bag packed for Harper. If Deacon wanted to move, he certain wasn’t going to argue with him. While he didn’t see the two of them hitting the bars anymore, it would still be nice to have his friend in town.

  “Let’s hit the road. I don’t know how long it takes to get to Charleston from here and I want to get there as soon as possible,” Ramsey said.

  Deacon nodded and followed him out of the room.

  ***

  Patrick paced in front of Harper. “I’m sure you can understand the awkward position in which Trent has placed me. As my friend, I owe him loyalty. But at the same time, he’s done something horribly wrong.”

  “Let Ramsey come claim me. He and Trent can work it out and leave you out of it,” Harper said.

  He shook his head. “I can’t let him in.”

  “What about his alpha? Surely you wouldn’t deny entrance to Gabriel or Connor.”

  “It would be difficult to deny them without breaking the peace, and technically Trent is still part of the Ashton Grove pack and therefore their responsibility. But at the same time, I don’t feel right just handing him over. Not that it matters. It’s doubtful anyone will find you. Trent said you’re leaving tomorrow afternoon.”

  Harper’s heart pounded in her chest. Would that be enough time for Ramsey to get here? Could he still save her? She had to keep hope alive. She couldn’t give up, not now.

  “You know this is wrong,” she told him. “How would you feel if someone ran away with Elise? What would you do to that person?”

  “I understand, Harper, but I can’t betray Trent.”

  “Did he even tell you about his mate? Or the fact that she’s expecting their child? He’s dishonoring them and running away from his responsibilities.”

  “Elise mentioned it after speaking with you this morning. I don’t agree with what he’s done, but he’s not a child I can take to task either. If he were part of my pack, I’d punish him. But he’s not. My hands are tied.”

  “You could do the right thing and call Ashton Grove, but you won’t. You could try talking to him, make him see reason. If you really are friends, he’ll listen to you.”

  “Trent doesn’t listen to anyone. Once he’s decided to do something, he does it, and he doesn’t let anyone stand in his way.”

  Harper shook her head. “I don’t care what I have to do. My baby is going to be born in Ashton Grove with Ramsey by my side. I’m not about to let Trent raise my child as his own.”

  Patrick sighed. “I tell you what. If someone comes looking for you, I’ll consider letting them in.”

  “I’ll take it!”

  “You seem awfully confident that your pack will find you.”

  “They won’t stop looking until they do. It’s not just my mate trying to find me. My brother is part of the pack, too.”

  Patrick cursed. “No wonder the whole pack is tracking you. Either way, how could they possibly know you’re in South Carolina?”

  “I told them. When Trent wasn’t paying attention in New Hope, I called Ramsey and told him we’d be travelling through South Carolina on our way to Jacksonville. So you see, sooner or later, he’s going to find me.”

  Patrick shook his head. “Trent has underestimated you. I should warn him that it’s only a matter of time before the pack catches up to him. But for your sake, I won’t. You’ve fought hard to be found and if you outsmart him, he deserves to lose you.”

  “Thank you, Patrick.”

  Chapter Eighteen

  Ramsey looked around the group of wolves. They’d gathered a block away from the alpha’s house to discuss their plans. Levi had scouted the area when they’d arrived and had counted the number of guards. There were five along the fence line and half a dozen more on the grounds that they could see. Ben had wanted to storm the gates, but Gabriel had suggested ringing the buzzer first.

  “Do you really think they’re going to let us in?” Ramsey asked. “If they were going to give her up so easily, wouldn’t have called already? It’s obvious they’re on Trent’s side.”

  “He’ll admit me onto his property because I’m an alpha,” Gabriel said. “But I guess that doesn’t mean he’ll hand her over. What he does have to do is surrender Trent to me.”

  “What’s the point in keeping Harper if Trent is gone?” Terrell asked.

  “He makes a good point,” said Finn, one of the Texas wolves.

  “So Gabriel goes in and gets both of them. Why are we here again?” asked Vaughn, the other Texas wolf.

  “Because the alpha is supposed to let me in. It doesn’t mean he will. He hasn’t followed the rules so far, so there’s no guarantee he’ll do so now. It’s still possible we’ll have to fight for Harper,” Gabriel said.

  The wolves nodded, appeased for the moment.

  “I’m going with you,” Ramsey said.

  Gabriel shook his head. “Not a good idea.”

  “I don’t care. That’s my mate in there and I have every right to go with you.”

  “Fine. Let’s go and get this out of the way.” Gabriel looked at the other wolves. “The rest of you wait at the coffee shop around the corner. We’ll either be back with Trent and Harper, or we’ll be back for reinforcements.”

  Everyone departed, with Ramsey and Gabriel heading toward the alpha’s house. When they approached the gate, they eyed the guards and rang the buzzer. It took several minutes for someone to respond.

  “May I help you?” a woman asked.

  “We’re here to see the alpha. My name is Gabriel Andrews and I’m the alpha in Ashton Grove, Georgia. I have Ramsey Tucker with me.”

  “Just a minute.”

  Ramsey glanced at Gabriel. “Well, it wasn’t an automatic dismissal.”

  Another minute or two went by before they heard from someone again. A man this time.

  “I’m sorry to keep you waiting. My name is Patrick and I’m the alpha here in Charleston. I understand you’re from Ashton Grove, Georgia.”

  “Yes,” Gabriel answered. “As I know you’re aware, one of our wolves abducted a woman, the mate of our enforcer. We have reason to believe she’s in your home.”

  “And if I tell you she isn’t?” the alpha asked.

  “I’m afraid we don’t believe you,” Ramsey replied. “I know for a fact Harper is in your house, and my phone records will prove it.”

  “Phone rec
ords?” the alpha asked, sounding confused.

  “She called me from your house yesterday and told me how to find her. So I know you’re lying. Now, give me my mate,” Ramsey growled.

  “I’m afraid I can’t do that. I hope you understand, but Trent has been my friend for a long time. I can’t just give him up.”

  “Then you’re declaring war with my pack,” Gabriel said.

  “No! Nothing like that.”

  “If you don’t release Harper to us, that’s exactly how it will be. We’ll come in and take her by force if necessary.”

  “One way or another I’m leaving here with my mate,” Ramsey told the alpha.

  “You’re welcome to try and take her, but the two of you won’t make it past my guards. For what it’s worth, my mate hopes you succeed.”

  Gabriel and Ramsey shared a look before walking away. If the alpha’s mate was on their side, maybe they could use that to their advantage once they were inside. But first, they had to find a way in. Obviously they weren’t going through the front gate. Perhaps over the wall? But it wouldn’t take long for the guards to converge on them. Unless...

  “What if we went over the wall? Not all in one place, but two or three of us to a section?” Ramsey suggested.

  “That could work. It’s obvious they’re only expecting the two of us so they’re going to be surprised when fourteen wolves break in. That should give us the advantage.”

  “So when are we going to do this?”

  “Within the hour. The sooner we hit them, the better. For one, we don’t know when Trent plans on leaving, and knowing we’re here may speed things along. I don’t want him to run before we have a chance to get Harper back.” Gabriel looked at him. “I know you want to see him punished, but we need to concentrate on your mate. If Trent slips past us, let him go.”

  Ramsey growled. “He won’t get past us. I’ll make sure Deacon keeps an eye out for him. That bastard isn’t getting away.”

  “Come on. Let’s fill everyone in on the plan and get moving.”

  Hunter, Ramsey and Deacon stood outside the wall around the alpha’s house. They were stationed on the side, where they hopefully wouldn’t be noticed. Gabriel and Cole were taking the front gate. Lucas, Finn and Ben were backing them up. Austin, Levi and James had taken the other side of the house, and the rest of the wolves were around back. Gabriel and Cole were going to lead the attack on the front fate, hopefully drawing the attention of all of the guards, or at least most of them.

  Ramsey couldn’t see what was going on, but he listened intently. He heard Gabriel talking to someone, and then he heard shouts. He waited a few minutes more, just to be safe, and then he vaulted over the fence with Deacon and Hunter following behind him.

  “Now what?” Hunter asked.

  “Now I sniff out Harper and you two keep an eye out for guards. If you see Trent, grab him. I have special plans for him and don’t want him to get away,” Ramsey said.

  Deacon grinned. “Consider it done. Just point him out and I’ll take care of the rest.”

  Ramsey nodded and the trio began to move through the trees toward the house. Halfway there, they spotted two guards. Before Ramsey could come up with a plan of attack, two wolves took them down. He recognized one as Terrell, but the other wasn’t familiar so he figured it was Vaughn. Once the coast was clear, they began moving again.

  Levi and Austin joined their small group as they neared the house. Entering the mansion through a side door, they found themselves in a library. Quietly, they moved through the room and cracked open the door. There was a guard in the hall, but he had his back toward them.

  Austin crept up behind the guy and grabbed him in a choke hold. The guard struggled, trying to knock Austin off balance, but in the end he lost the battle and sank into unconsciousness. After checking the hall for more guards, Austin motioned the others forward.

  “This place is huge. How are we going to find her?” Levi asked. “Even in your wolf form, you’d have trouble tracking her,” he told Ramsey.

  “I don’t know, but I didn’t make it this far to give up now,” Ramsey said. “My guess is that she’s being held in a bedroom, which means she’s on the second floor somewhere.”

  “Then let’s get moving. That’s still a lot of territory to cover,” Hunter said.

  They moved swiftly and quietly through the house, checking one room after another. Each and every one was not only empty, but didn’t hold a trace of Harper’s scent. Ramsey was getting more and more frustrated, and just a bit worried. Had Trent left with Harper without them knowing? Had he someone slipped past them?

  He continued opening door after door, hoping that he’d find her. When he was starting to believe the mansion was empty, he opened a door and discovered a woman seated in an armchair. She smiled at him, as if her home were invaded every day.

  “You must be Ramsey,” she said.

  “You have me at a disadvantage.”

  “My name is Elise. I’m the alpha’s mate.”

  He remembered the alpha’s words and relaxed marginally. “Then you’ll help me?”

  “Who do you want more? Trent or Harper?” she asked.

  Ramsey growled. “Trent must pay for what he’s done. I can’t let him get away.”

  “You’ll find him downstairs in my mate’s office. It’s the fifth door on the left down the hall to your right. Go after him if you wish.”

  Ramsey looked at Deacon, Levi and Austin. “You three go after him. Tie him up if you have to.” He turned back to Elise. “And Harper?”

  “She’s two doors down on the left. Once you have her, Patrick will stand down. He’s only kept you away out of some misplaced loyalty to Trent. I’m not even sure how they met or why they became friends.”

  “Thank you, Elise.”

  He hurried down the hall with Hunter on his heels. Throwing open the door, he rushed inside and found Harper curled up on the bed. When she saw him, she cried out and ran across the room, throwing herself into his arms.

  “You came for me,” she said with tears in her eyes. “I was starting to think you wouldn’t make it in time.”

  “Of course I came! We started gathering the troops the moment I knew you were missing. We even have wolves from other packs with us.”

  She held him tight. “I thought I’d never see you again.”

  “I wasn’t going to stop until I found you. Once you told me where you were, it was just a matter of time before I got here. I left within two hours of getting your call, and I would have left sooner if I wasn’t waiting on Gabriel and some wolves from Denver.”

  Harper burrowed into him. “Take me home, Ramsey.”

  “Just as soon as you say hi to someone else.” He motioned Hunter into the room.

  Harper hugged her brother and kisses his cheek. “It’s good to see you.”

  “It’s even better to see you,” he told her. “I’ve been worried sick about you.”

  She smiled. “Everyone can stop worrying now. My two favorite wolves have come to take me home.”

  Ramsey lifted her into his arms and carried her out of the room. Now that he had her back, he didn’t want to let her go. Even though he knew they weren’t free just yet, he was comforted by the feel of her in his arms.

  When they reached the bottom of the main staircase, they were met with a wondrous sight. The alpha, Patrick, and his guards were surrounded. Off to the side, Deacon had Trent in custody, the wolf’s hands bound behind his back. It seemed they had been victorious.

  He stopped in front of the alpha and stared at him a moment.

  “I told you I would be leaving here with my mate.”

  The alpha nodded. “So you did. And in the process, you’ve shown me that my security is a bit lax. I supposed I owe you for that.” He looked over at Trent and then back at Ramsey. “I see you’ve gotten what you came for on all counts.”

  “He’ll be punished accordingly.”

  “By whose laws?” the alpha asked.

  �
�Mine. He endangered my mate and unborn child. He’s going to pay a high price, one that he’ll never forget.”

  “Then go. Take your mate and your captive and go. Our business here is done.”

  Gabriel and Ramsey led the pack out of the mansion and off the alpha’s property. Patrick had been right. They had what they’d come for. Now it was time to go home.

  They’d been on the road for hours and were more than halfway home. So far the trip had been quiet. Harper had told Ramsey and Deacon about them abduction. When Ramsey heard about her being tied up for so long, he nearly pulled over and took a pound of flesh from Trent. Thankfully, Deacon was able to make him see reason. Trent had kept quiet the entire time, tense and warily watching Ramsey.

  Finally, he broke his silence. “What are you going to do with me?”

  “You’ll find out when the alphas do.”

  He looked surprised. “But Connor said the three of you had to agree on any punishment given.”

  “Not this time. You’re mine.”

  Trent paled and visibly swallowed. It was obvious Ramsey’s news had made him more than a little nervous. Ramsey didn’t care if Trent worried about his fate. It was the least he deserved. He could only imagine the wolf’s face when his punishment was announced. He hoped it would be a lesson not soon forgotten. And once justice had been served, Trent would be escorted to Luna’s side by the Denver wolves. Once he was safely in Colorado, Ramsey wouldn’t have to worry about him ever again. He knew the alpha would keep a close watch on Trent and make sure he stayed out of trouble.

  A few hours later, Ramsey pulled up in front of the Victorian, stopping behind Cole’s truck. He figured it would be safer for Trent to remain under lock and key at Gabriel’s house than his own. Ramsey didn’t trust himself to keep away from Trent.

  When they entered the Victorian, Gabriel looked surprised. “How am I supposed to keep him locked up?”

  “Deacon and Levi can take turns watching him until tomorrow. I want to get this out of the way as soon as possible.”

  Gabriel rubbed a hand across his jaw. “Don’t you think you should tell us what his punishment is first?”