Ashton Grove Werewolves (Boxed Set, Vol. 2)

by Jessica Coulter Smith

  “It might be better if you don’t know. I have a feeling you won’t approve of it.”

  Gabriel shook his head. “Connor already gave you permission to punish him how you see fit so I guess it doesn’t matter. Just keep in mind that anyone in the pack may witness the punishment.”

  “If you want them to toe the line, this will do it.”

  “All right. I can’t say that I like it, but I won’t argue with you. We’ll meet at noon tomorrow. The Denver wolves can leave directly after and take Trent with them.”

  Ramsey nodded. “Until tomorrow then.”

  He ushered Harper out of the house and assisted her into the Hummer. After being away from her for so long, he couldn’t wait to get her home. The house had felt too empty without her in it. He couldn’t begin to tell her how much he’d missed her. There were so many things he wanted to tell her, but he just couldn’t find the words. He’d told her he loved her when they’d spoken on the phone, but they hadn’t talked about it since then, there hadn’t been time.

  He pulled in the driveway at home and stopped next to her car. She looked at the smaller vehicle and frowned.

  “I feel like an idiot,” she said.

  He was taken aback. “Do what?”

  “I said, I feel like an idiot. If I had only listened to you, all of this could have been avoided. But in a moment of sheer stupidity, I defied your orders and went out alone.”

  “Kiera shouldn’t have asked you to leave the house by yourself. She knew better.” He sighed. “Or maybe I should have been home with you, or found someone to watch over you. I just thought you’d be safe with Kiera and Aislinn.”

  “Perhaps it’s no one’s fault but Trent’s. Maybe we should stop blaming ourselves.”

  He leaned over and kissed her, the first kiss they’d shared since she’s gained her freedom. It was sweet and didn’t last nearly long enough, but Ramsey wanted to be in the house before he gave her a proper kiss, knowing it would lead to other things.

  “I missed you,” she said softly.

  “I missed you, too. I was a bit of a wreck when I realized you were gone and there wasn’t a trail to follow.”

  “I tried to leave one, but Trent realized what I was going and picked me up. I fought him as hard as I could, but it wasn’t enough.”

  He smoothed her hair back from her face. “You did good, honey. I’m proud of you for finding a way to contact me. Without your phone calls, we might not have found you. And I can’t bear the thought of losing you.”

  “I wasn’t going to give up without a fight. I was determined to come home, to come back to you.”

  “Come on. Let’s go inside.”

  The moment they walked through the front door, Shakespeare launched himself at Harper. The little dog was practically vibrating in his excitement. Harper hugged him to her and kissed the top of his head.

  “I’m happy to see you, too,” she told Shakespeare before putting him down.

  Ramsey closed the door and pulled Harper into his arms. If he had this way, that’s where she’d stay for the next few days, but he had responsibilities that couldn’t be put off. He had to remind himself that they had the rest of their lives to be together. Now that Trent was in custody, Harper was safe. For now. He remembered the war hanging over their heads and it made him want to hold her even tighter.

  “I want to take a shower to wash away the past forty-eight hours.” She looked up at him. “Will you join me?”

  He grinned. “Nothing is going to keep me from your side. I’m yours until I have to go to Gabriel’s tomorrow.”

  “I want to go with you.”

  He shook his head. “I’d feel better if you stayed home. I don’t know how Trent is going to react tomorrow and I want you out of harm’s way.”

  “But, surely there will be enough wolves there to ensure my safety.”

  “You’re not going to let this go, are you?”

  She hugged him. “I need to be there. I need closure. Just because I’m home, doesn’t mean I feel safe. I need to see that he’s punished, and that he’s taken away. I don’t think I’ll feel truly safe until then.”

  Ramsey sighed. “All right. I’ll take you with me. But Finn, Vaughn, and Austin will guard you. I’ll make the calls tonight.”

  “Thank you.” She kissed him softly.

  Lifting her into his arms, he carried her down the hall to their bedroom. He kicked the door shut behind them before Shakespeare could follow them into the room. In the bathroom, he set Harper down on her feet. Gently cupping her face, he kissed her, savoring the sweet taste of her. His lips laid claim to hers, possessing her. Breaking the kiss, he lifted her shirt over her head and tossed it aside, anxious to feel her skin against his. Making quick work of the button and zipper on her jeans, he shoved them down her legs. She stepped out of them and he pulled her into his arms, holding her close as he kissed her again. He needed her with an intensity that scared him. He buried a hand in her long silky hair and pulled her even closer. There was no such thing as too close.

  When he released her kiss swollen lips, she tugged on his shirt, a silent plea for him to remove it. He tugged it over his head and dropped it on the floor. Knowing what her next request would be, he removed his jeans. Standing before her in nothing but his underwear, it was hard to hide his desire for her.

  “I want you,” he growled softly.

  “After my shower. I don’t feel clean right now.”

  He growled again, but nudged her toward the shower. He turned on the water and finished undressing. As Harper removed her bra and panties, Ramsey’s heated gaze devoured every creamy inch of her exposed skin. Remembering how good she tasted, he licked his lips. Gently, he nudged her into the shower and under the warm spray.

  He picked up her shampoo bottle and squirted a generous amount of cherry scented liquid into his palm. Putting the bottle back, he began to lather her hair, gently massaging her scalp and working the soap down through the ends. When he was finished, he rinsed the lather from the long tresses.

  Next, he grabbed her cherry blossom soap and poured some into his hand. Rubbing his hands together, he began gently soaping her throat.

  “I have a loofa,” she said.

  “I need to touch you,” he replied. “Need to know that you’re really here.”

  She reached up and caressed his cheek. “I’m not going anywhere ever again. The next time you tell me to do something, I promise I’ll listen.”

  His hands massaged her shoulders and slid down to cup her breasts. Caressing her, his thumbs stroked her nipples, making them pucker. Ramsey kissed her again as his hands moved down her ribcage to her hips. Pulling away, he knelt before her and softly kissed her stomach. With tender hands, he soaped her skin, reverently touching that part of her that would soon swell with their child.

  She threaded her fingers in his hair. “We’re fine, Ramsey. Nothing happened to either of us.”

  He touched the rope burns on her wrists.

  “Well, mostly fine,” she amended. “But my wrists will heal. No real damage was done to either of us.”

  He rose to his feet and kissed her again. Sliding his hand down between her thighs, he caressed her, stroking her sensitive clit. She gasped and thrust her hips forward. As he ravaged her mouth, he teased her clit, until she was bucking against his hand. He eased two fingers inside of her and felt her shatter.

  “Please, Ramsey. I need you.”

  “Not yet. I need to finish washing you first,” he said, using great restraint. He wanted nothing more than to bury himself inside of her, but he wanted to take his time.

  He gently turned her and began soaping her back. Using his thumbs, he tried to ease the tension from her muscles. He took his time washing her, and when he was finished, he helped her rinse.

  Turning off the water, he helped her out of the shower and dried her off. After drying himself, he carried her into the bedroom and laid her down on the bed.

  “You’re so beautiful,” he murmur
ed as he kissed the side of her neck. “I want this moment to last as long as possible.”

  “Make the next one last. Right now, I just want to feel you inside of me.”

  “Are you sure?”

  She nodded and wrapped her legs around his waist.

  Ramsey gathered her close and entered her with one thrust. Being inside of her felt like heaven. He had to fight for control, wanting nothing more than to lose himself in her, but he wasn’t going to disgrace himself by finishing in less than a minute, no matter how much he wanted her. He plunged into her again, harder and deeper than the first time, drawing a gasp from her. Bending his head to kiss her, he began thrusting into her with long slow strokes, until he thought he might go mad. As her first orgasm overtook her, she dug her nails into his shoulders, holding on. He began driving into her harder and faster, and before her first orgasm ended, a second one started. Unable to hold back any longer, he thrust one last time before coming inside of her.

  Afterward, he held her close, not wanting to let her go. Even now, he couldn’t stop touching her.

  “That was perfect,” she said softly.

  Ramsey kissed her in response.

  “I know it’s still early, but I could go to sleep right now,” she said.

  “Can we talk about something first?”

  She looked up at him. “It sounds serious.”

  “It is to me. It’s something that’s been bothering me for a while now. I promised myself I would talk to you about it once you were back home safe.”

  “Have I done something wrong?”

  “No, nothing like that. It’s just... I’m tired of referring to you as my mate.”

  She paled. “You’ve changed your mind about me?”

  “No! Hell. I’m screwing this up. The thing is, I think of you as more than my mate. I’ve found myself, more than once, almost calling you my wife. And the thing is I liked the feel of it. Calling you my wife, I mean. So, what I’m trying to say is that I’d like us to get married. I know you’re already my mate, but I want more.”

  Harper’s eyes were glassy with unshed tears. “You really want me to marry you?”

  “Yeah, I do.”

  “I’d like that. We can go to the Justice of...”

  “No. We’re going to do this the right way. It doesn’t have to be a big wedding, but we’re going to have a real one, complete with you in a wedding dress and me in a tux.”

  A tear slid down her cheek. “I can’t think of anything I’d like more. I love being your mate, but being your wife would be amazing.”

  “We’ll make the arrangements after Trent is taken care of. I don’t think it will take long to pull something together.”

  “Thank you.”

  “For what?” he asked in curiosity.

  “For making me so happy.”

  The next day, most of the pack gathered at the Victorian. Everyone was curious about Trent and what would become of him. Even the few wolves he’d befriended had turned their backs on him. By kidnapping Harper, he had ostracized himself.

  Trent stood in the center of the pack, waiting to be sentenced. He looked pale and nervous. Ramsey was content to let him sweat it out a while longer. Besides, he didn’t have much of a choice. His guest of honor hadn’t arrived yet.

  His gaze rested on Harper, who was surrounded by wolves sworn to protect her should Trent break free. He’d seated her toward the back of the crowd, as far from Trent as possible. He still wished she would have stayed home, but he understood why she felt the need to be present.

  The alphas approached him.

  “Are you going to begin soon?” Gabriel asked.

  “I’m waiting on someone.”

  “Who? Most of the pack is already here,” Connor said.

  “I’m waiting for...”

  A flash of light nearly blinded them. When they opened their eyes, the sorcerer stood in front of them.

  “I’m not late, am I?” Eric asked.

  “This is your missing person?” Connor asked incredulously. “What? I don’t see him enough around my own house, now he’s attending pack functions, too?”

  Ramsey shrugged. “I can’t proceed without him.”

  “Fine. He’s here now, so get on with it,” Gabriel said.

  Ramsey nodded and the four men walked toward Trent, stopping directly in front of him. The werewolf clenched his jaw and tipped his head back to look up at Ramsey. When Ramsey stared him down, Trent dropped his gaze to the ground.

  Ramsey turned to face the pack, his gaze briefly resting on Harper.

  “As you know, we’re gathered today because Trent broke pack law. He not only abandoned his own mate, but he abducted mine. To make matters worse, both women are pregnant.” He briefly met the gaze of everyone gathered. “Obviously this one is personal for me. Had Trent not taken my mate, he would have received a lighter sentence, but that’s not the case.”

  Ramsey turned to face Trent. “The laws you’ve broken are part of the foundation of our society. For these transgressions, the penalty will be severe. Are you ready to be sentenced?”

  Trent nodded.

  Ramsey motioned for Eric to step up beside him.

  “Trent Matthews, for a period of ten years you will not be allowed to shift into your wolf form. And to guarantee you don’t, the sorcerer is going to put a spell on you.”

  Trent’s eyes widened. “But...”

  “And if you ever come near my family again, I’ll do something much worse to you,” Ramsey growled.

  Trent snapped his mouth shut and nodded.

  Ramsey took a step back and yielded the floor to Eric. The sorcerer began weaving his magic. A soft green glow enveloped the accused, and a moment later, the sorcerer lowered his hands and nodded to Ramsey.

  “It’s done.”

  Ramsey removed Trent’s bonds and motioned to the Denver wolves. He would be sorry to see his friends go so soon, but he was anxious for Trent to reach Colorado. The sooner he was out of Ashton Grove, and away from Harper, the better.

  Eric shook Ramsey’s hand. “I’m tired of dealing with pack issues, but if you need me for anything, let me know. I don’t mind helping with things like this.”

  “Thanks again for coming. I had a back-up plan, but I don’t think it would have been as effective.”

  The sorcerer vanished the same way he’d appeared. Ramsey looked around and saw Trent being escorted off the property. He looked for the alphas and noticed they were heading his way.

  “You were right. I don’t like it,” Gabriel said. “The punishment was too severe.”

  “If Harper hadn’t called me, I never would have found her. The punishment wasn’t severe enough,” Ramsey said. “But I thought it would teach him a lesson, something he might remember the next time he thinks about defying our laws.”

  “I may not agree with it, but it was creative.” Connor grinned. “And you got the job done without beating him senseless. I’m impressed.”

  “Well, now that we have the unpleasant business out of the way, I have something good to share. Harper and I are going to get married.”

  Gabriel smiled. “I wondered how long it would take you to realize that having her as your mate wasn’t enough. So when’s the big day?”

  “We haven’t discussed it yet. I told her we’d make the arrangements once things with Trent were settled.”

  “You know, the women would probably like to help,” Connor said. “They could probably get something together in a few days. We’ve certainly worked with shorter time frames before.”

  “I’ll mention it to Harper. It might be a good bonding experience for all of them.” Ramsey smiled. “I honestly don’t care how long it takes as long as it ends with her walking down the aisle.”

  “I’ll have Aislinn call her tomorrow,” Connor said.

  Gabriel clapped him on the shoulder. “Bring her by tomorrow when you come to work. She can talk to Kiera and they can get started on a few things.”

  Ramsey nodded. “
Right now, I just want to get her out of here.”

  “Then go rescue her from her bodyguards and go home,” Connor said. “You don’t have to stick around.”

  “I’ll do that.” He shook their hands. “See you tomorrow, Gabriel.”

  Harper was still surrounded by wolves when he reached her side. Even though Trent was gone, they hadn’t abandoned their post. The Texas wolves were the last to go, stopping to share a few words with Ramsey.

  “We’ve enjoyed our time with your pack,” Vaughn said. “We were thinking that maybe it’s time for a change. Think your alphas would welcome us?”

  Ramsey grinned. “I’m sure they would, but you might want to talk to them first. Things around here are never quiet. You might change your mind.”

  “We’ll do that. Maybe we’ll see you around.”

  “Have a safe trip home.”

  After the wolves walked away, Harper wrapped her arms around Ramsey’s waist and leaned into him.

  “How are you feeling?” he asked.

  “Fine. I’m just glad Trent is gone. It’s hard to believe that it’s finally over.”

  “Are you ready to go home?”

  “Actually, I want to go shopping,” she said.

  “For the baby?”

  “No. For a wedding dress. I know we still have to sit down and plan the wedding, but I’m going to need a dress no matter when or where we have it.”

  “I don’t think I’m the right person to take you dress shopping.”

  “Well...”

  “I could take her,” Chloe said as she walked up behind Ramsey.

  Harper looked surprised. “You would do that?”

  “Sure.” She smiled. “It might be fun.”

  “Would you mind?” Harper asked Ramsey.

  He wasn’t sure how he felt about his ex-girlfriend taking his mate wedding dress shopping, but he figured they had to get to know one another sooner or later. Why not now?

  “If that’s what you want to do. I don’t have a problem with it. Just call me if you’re going to be out late so I won’t worry.”

  She hugged him tight and kissed him. “I’ll be home before too long. Promise.”

  Ramsey watched the women walk away with mixed emotions. He wanted Harper to fit in, but he worried about what they would talk about. He was the only thing they had in common, and he definitely didn’t want to be the subject of their discussion.