Her Wolf

Chapter Fifteen

Ashlee looked around the abyss she’d awoken to and tried to make sense of what she could remember. She had failed in her attempt to remove the spell, but Tristan had done the Alpha ceremony and become the leader of their pack, freeing himself from his father’s curse.

“I’ve been waiting to meet you for so long.” Ashlee whirled around. In front of her stood a woman who looked to be twenty years old, with chestnut brown hair and grey eyes. She grinned from ear to ear and she wore a long, floor length white dress.

Ashlee swallowed. “Am I dead?”

The woman laughed. “No, you passed out and I brought you here for a few moments, although I’m giving my son a bit of a heart attack at the moment.”

“Your son?” Realization dawned on Ashlee. “You’re Mary Jo? Tristan’s mother?”

Mary Jo nodded. “And you’re Ashlee, Tristan’s mate. I wish I could have lived to meet the children you will have.”

Ashlee opened her mouth to tell Mary Jo she wouldn’t be having any babies, but before she could, Mary Jo placed her hand on her belly.

“You can now.”

“What?” Ashlee was confused.

“The pain in your abdomen that keeps coming and going, it’s your wolf healing your reproductive organs. She’s fixed what was wrong.”

Tears welled up in Ashlee’s eyes. Babies? She could someday have children with Tristan? She swallowed hard and Mary Jo pulled her into her embrace. She stood like that for a moment, feeling content to let Tristan’s mother comfort her. Finally, when she felt foolish, she pulled back and wiped her eyes.

“What is this place?”

Ashlee watched Mary Jo glance around the room. “It’s where we wait for our mate to join us so we can go to the afterlife together. It was very crowded for a while, when I first moved on. A few days ago, my sisters-in-law finally met up with their husbands who had been waiting here with me. Now it’s quiet.”

Ashlee narrowed her eyes at Mary Jo. “You’re still waiting for Kendrick? Why would you do that after what he’s done?”

Mary Jo sighed. “He’s my mate, and whatever has happened to him to make him as sick as he is, to make him do the things he’s done, I will always love him, even if I can’t forgive him or even begin to understand.”

“So, it’s been lovely meeting you, really it has. You raised six wonderful men, and of course I’m rather fond of one in particular. But if I’m not dead, why am I here?” Ashlee wanted to get back to Tristan. He was finally healed, and she needed to see him.

“I want to tell you how to bring the women back.”

Ashlee grinned. “So, it’s safe then, from the curse? We can bring the other women back?”

Mary Jo nodded. “Yes, the shifters will no longer try to kill their mates. You removed the curse when you spilled the witch’s blood. And Tristan is strong; his magical connection to the pack will keep others from being able to do what the witch did.” Mary Jo approached Ashlee and placed her hands on her shoulders. “But the danger isn’t done, darling. It’s just beginning. The men will need their women in the battles that will come.

I don’t know how Kendrick can be stopped. If I did I would have stopped him thirty years ago. But I do know it will be mated couples who will be our salvation.”

“How do we find the women to bring them back?”

Mary Jo leaned over and kissed Ashlee on her cheek. Electricity shot through Ashlee’s body and her head pounded. She almost fell down, but Mary Jo held her up.

“Now you know what I know.” She kissed her other cheek. “Good luck.”

Tristan saw Ashlee’s head move back and forth on the pillow and he took a deep breath of relief. She’d been so still, almost not breathing, and it had terrified him. He wasn’t even clear why she’d been unconscious for twelve hours when physically she seemed so perfectly well.

“Ashlee, are you coming back?” He kneeled down next to the bed and stroked the hair off her forehead. He’d almost lost his precious gift. Silently, he promised himself he would never again come so close to losing her.

Her eyes still closed, she whispered, “I’m so sick of these women doing that to me.”

Women? “What are you talking about, little one?”

Ashlee opened her eyes and stared into his. His heart dropped into his stomach and he felt joy surge through his system. She was awake, and even if she wasn’t making any coherent sense, she talked. Ashlee threw her arms around him and squeezed him tight against her. He wrapped his arms around her as his body shook with unexpressed emotion and finally fear within him released.

She pulled back to speak. Her voice shook. He touched her face, gently stroking her features as he lowered her on the bed, sure that she must be still weak.

“The women in your family keeping knocking me on my ass to deliver knowledge to my brain. One of these days, I’m going to short circuit and then what good will I be?

Answer me that.” Ashlee tried to sit up again and Tristan leaned over to help her. She closed her eyes again like they pained her and Tristan moved to sit next to her on the bed.

He pulled her into his arms, needing to feel her warmth against him.

“I’m afraid you’re still not making any sense to me. Have I missed something?”

“When your Aunts wanted me to know how to do the spells to save you, they imported their lifetime of knowledge into me magically and knocked me unconscious for four hours. It hurt like hell.”

Tristan could imagine the scene, and it explained what had happened to his Aunts.

He was glad they were with their mates, but furious that they’d placed Ashlee in danger.

She never should have been left alone to face the mystics. It was far too early. He swallowed down his temper. Nothing he could do about it now.

“So who keeps doing it to you? My aunts?” He would get Ashlee to make sense.

“No, now it’s your mother.”

He narrowed his eyes to look at her before he massaged her neck. “Ashlee, I never saw you hit your head, but I think you must have. Maybe we should get your father back here to check you out again.” He had started to move when she grabbed his arm.

“Your mother is waiting for your father. She wanted me to know how to bring back the women, how to restore the pack, so she imparted the knowledge and it knocked me on my behind again.” Ashlee laughed, and the sound filled him up. “I’m going to have to start being careful when I let people touch me. It really hurts my head when they do that.”

He grinned at her. Her claim sounded impossible. His mother had been dead for years. Yet…why was it any less possible than all the other things they’d dealt with over the last thirty years? “Shall I enact a rule? No one wanting to dump information into Ashlee’s brain may touch her without permission?”

She lowered her eyes for a moment and then raised them as she reached up to touch the side of his face. His heart stopped for a moment before it started pounding again. Just the touch of her hand on his skin was enough to bring him to his knees.

“Your eyes are still wolf.” Her voice was little more than a whisper.

“They always will be now. It comes with the Alpha job.” He paused, unsure how to continue. “Do you hate it?”

Ashlee shook her head. “Just have to get used to it.”

“Do you hate me?” And there was the question he had to have answered. He’d been out of his mind, crazed. Could she ever forgive him?

“Of course not. None of this was your fault. What a ridiculous question.” Ashlee growled at him, loudly. He repressed the urge to crack up. His mate, who just a week ago hadn’t even known she was a wolf, now growled like a pro.

“I was worried.”

Ashlee leaned over to kiss him, and for a moment he stopped breathing, but as her lips pressed into his, he was reborn. Tentatively, he felt Ashlee’s tongue push into his mouth where he gladly welcomed her. He’d almost lost everything, and then he’d been given more than he ever imagined possible. Never again would she be disappointed or hurt.

She pulled back and looked at him. “Are you still worried?”

He shook his head and kissed her again, angling his body to push her down on the bed. Tristan tried to tell himself to slow down, she’d been injured and exhausted, but Ashlee seemed to want to move a frantic pace, and he was glad to oblige her. She pulled at his shirt and he threw it on the floor.

Feeling turnabout was fair play, he quickly took hers off too. She grinned at him.

“Wow, for being the big Alpha, you still take direction pretty well.” Her voice was teasing and he wanted to lick it up.

He kissed up and down her neck, stopping every once in a while to suck on a particularly sensitive area. “You called me Alpha out in the circle today. I don’t want you to do that again. I’m your mate, that’s how I want you to think of me.”

“You’re both, Tristan, and that’s how it’s supposed to be. In certain circumstances, I’m going to think of you as my Alpha. My wolf won’t have it any other way. And—oh, I can’t talk while you do that to me.” He’d obviously hit on a spot she liked, so he spent a little extra time nuzzling it.

She sighed, and he was done talking. He drew her closer, needing her heat, demanding the connection between them. Her mouth was heaven to him; each press of her lips or small noise she made sent waves of pleasure through his body until he thought he might explode from it.

It was different this time. The few days they’d spent away from each other had made Ashlee more confident, more sure of herself, and Tristan, who would have sworn he couldn’t have been more attracted to Ashlee than he already was, fell even more under her spell as his love for her furthered his protective instincts. She was his. She’d kiss only him for the rest of her life. He was Alpha now, responsible for everyone and everything that happened to his pack. He was powerful, but she owned him. With one look, she could destroy him, and yet the woman who had been gifted to him seemed willing to forgive him for the horrible things he had done. He cherished her. Because of Ashlee, he could live with his burdens, as long as she kept kissing him like this.

His chest pressed against hers, he fiddled with the closure of her bra until she finally took pity on him and undid it herself. At the sight of her freed breasts, his groin strained painfully against his pants, but he would not rush. He would make it last for both of them.

Ashlee’s mouth was so gentle beneath his, so soft. He worried the days-old growth of stubble on his face might irritate her soft skin, but when he tried to pull away, she pushed her face harder against him. Then all thoughts of gentleness faded. In the past when they had kissed, he had been able to differentiate the tastes of Ashlee, the flavors that made her who she was, but now his wolf roared inside of him that she tasted like his, like home, and Tristan had to agree.

Tristan pulled himself off his feeding frenzy on her mouth to kiss down her neck towards her stomach. His hands stroked the tender skin of her abdomen. He tongued her belly button and she laughed out loud.

He raised an eyebrow to look at her. “I’m amusing you?”

“Just ticklish.”

He slid her pants down her legs and looked at her panties. He inhaled, his wolf senses telling him that she was as turned on as he was. Tristan closed his eyes at the scent. When he opened them, Ashlee’s eyes had gone wolf.

“Think you’re the only one who can do that?”

She reached out and cupped him through his pants and he almost lost it right there.

He growled at her and pulled her panties down her legs.

She cocked an eyebrow at him as he leaned down to devour her soft, wet core. “Not that I’m complaining, Tristan, but I’m completely naked and you have your pants on.”

When his tongue tasted her sweetness, she cried out and her head fell back against the pillows. He loved the way she tasted and he was happy to devote himself to his task. Her orgasm overtook her and it was the most beautiful sight he’d ever witnessed.

He quickly shed his pants and his briefs, desperate to be inside of her heat. As the last tremors of her orgasm rocked her, he slid himself inside. It was heaven and for a moment, he closed his eyes and let himself enjoy the feel of being nestled inside of her.

Ashlee lifted her hips and he was lost. She arched and he plunged, enjoying the dance, loving the rhythm until he spent himself inside of her in a moment of pure bliss the likes of which he hadn’t known was possible.

Careful not to hurt her, he withdrew from her and lay down on the bed, pulling her into his arms. She shivered gently, but her face, eyes closed, her mouth relaxed in a contented smile, told him she was happy and not injured in any way. He leaned over to kiss the top of her head and inhaled the smell of their lovemaking.

Tristan let himself close his eyes and fall asleep.

Ashlee awoke later and judged from the angle of the sun that came through the window that it was morning. Where on earth was she? She looked around and decided that it had to be one of the abandoned cabins, based on the old wooden walls and the furniture that was clearly out of the 1970s, coupled with the orange shag rug. It made sense. Where else would they be, considering that Tristan had burned down the Institute?

She rolled over to look at him. His eyes closed, he looked peaceful and her heart jumped in delight. Tears filled her eyes. Perhaps she hadn’t been the one to rescue him—

he’d all but saved himself—but he was back and that was all that mattered.

He opened one eye to look at her. She swallowed hard. It was going to take some time to get used to the wolf eyes always being with her. And truthfully, she would miss the depths of Tristan’s human gaze.

She reached out to stroke his cheek. “We can’t take you off this island if you’re not wearing sunglasses.”

He smiled and she leaned over to kiss his lips. He cleared his throat. “I know.”

“Where are my parents?” She suddenly wondered if she should cover up in case they burst through the door.

Tristan sat up in bed, the lower half of his body covered by a thin sheet. Ashlee smiled, knowing quite well what hid beneath and thinking that in another moment she might grab him and start their fun again. “Well, Summer couldn’t get out of here fast enough. She left with your parents several hours ago. I don’t know how much you remember, but she is clearly Cullen’s mate.”

Ashlee’s mouth fell open in surprise. She hadn’t seen that coming. “Oh, poor Cullen.”

Tristan laughed out loud. “Your mother is somewhat freaked out because she has a rather difficult history with Cullen. She used to get in trouble all the time. She informed him in no uncertain terms that Summer will be finishing college over the next two years and he’s to leave her alone. Cullen is so freaked out about having a mate he doesn’t know which direction is up or down, and he has disappeared to wherever he goes. In the meantime, your sister, who is terrified about her first shift—it was rather dramatic—has announced that she’s not going to back to college, and that she intends to pursue a career in singing. This got your father all distraught and the three of them left in a huff about an hour before I moved you here, assured you would be fine.”

Ashlee shook her head in disbelief. “Wow. Singing, really? Summer was always the one they thought would take after Dad and go to medical school.”

“I’ve decided not to get involved in Cullen’s mating issues. It’s private; they will work it out eventually.”

“So do you want to hear how we’re going to bring back all the women?”

He nodded his head, “Absolutely.”

“You’re going to get really adept at using the architecture software.”

He raised one eyebrow, one of the top ten looks Tristan gave, Ashlee decided.

“I am?”

“Yes and you’re going to rebuild the Institute in the next six months.”

He shook his head. “That might be pushing things; winter’s coming.”

“You’ll get it done.” It wasn’t a question, she was sure he would.

He shrugged. “Okay.”

“Then you are going to consult with my parents about opening a resort on that island right over there.” She pointed at the island two over from Westervelt. Tristan got up and crossed to the window to look out at it. “You’re going to need to design and build that too.”

He whirled around to look at her. “A lot of building going on here.”

“It will be a huge success. My father will do surgeries there; we’ll market it as a high-class private getaway where people can recover from their nips and tucks, like a spa.

Dad’s pretty famous in his profession, so I know people will come.”

“Do you think we’re going to bring the female shifters, their children, and mates back with promises of plastic surgery?”

Wasn’t she being perfectly clear? Ashlee groaned. “Why would people who are eternally thirty need plastic surgery?”

Tristan choked on a laugh. “Being forever thirty does not guarantee beauty, little Ashlee.”

Ashlee put her hands on her hips. “Some might come for the surgery, some might come for a vacation, some might come to work at the resort, but humans and shifters alike will all come because I’m going to place a spell on the advertisement.”

“How can we be sure they’ll see it?”

“We’re going to run the ad everywhere and for a long time, and eventually everyone who needs to see it will see it.”

Tristan moved to her and put his hands on her shoulders. “This is a lot of building.

Are you sure this is going to work? Have you asked your father?”

“Yes to the first question, no to the second, but don’t worry, he’ll do it. I’m his Alpha’s mate and his oldest daughter.” Ashlee looked down for a second, not wanting to tell him the next part. “In the meantime, Gabriel and Michael can train the pack for the war that’s coming, a war that will be harder for your father to conduct in plain sight of a major functioning resort.”

Ashlee watched Tristan exhale his breath. “You think it’s going to come to that? We won’t get him before that happens?”

“I’m sorry Tristan, I blew our cover when I removed the witch from IPAG. There’s no way it will ever be that easy again.”

“We’ve placed your whole family in jeopardy, and your father is in the game now.”

Ashlee nodded but didn’t answer. She couldn’t; it made her too ill to think about.

“All right, little Ashlee, we’ll get this started right away.”

Ashlee shook her head and reached down to caress his groin. “Maybe not right away.”

One year later

Ashlee clutched Braden close to her chest to block the wind from hitting him. He made a small gurgling noise, and she pulled on his pumpkin costume to make sure it fit him snugly. Her eyes caught Tristan in the distance. She still automatically looked for him in a crowd. He stood, his dark sunglasses in place, and discussed the siding that the contractor was about to place on the Institute.

A cool wind blew behind them, and not a second later, Tristan raised his head to look at her. He must have caught her scent. She smiled at him and kissed the head of their baby. With the exception of Braden, who had come as a surprise to them, everything was going just the way she’d planned it.

Tristan nodded to the men he stood with and crossed down the hill toward Ashlee.

She grinned and raised her mouth for a kiss, which he gave her.

“Almost done?”

Tristan shrugged. “Another week, I think. Maybe two. How’s our little pup?”

Ashlee laughed. “Sleeping because it’s daytime. He’ll be up all night again.”

“I can stay up with him, if you want.”

“Thanks for offering, but that didn’t go so well last time.” Hearing nothing but commotion, Ashlee had arrived in Braden’s room to find Tristan covered in spit-up holding Braden at arm’s length as their son peed all over the wall.

“I’m a pro now; I’ve got a system.”

Ashlee laughed and pulled him into her free arm. Kendrick might attack any day and they still had to complete the resort to bring back the pack’s mates, but all of that would be worked out soon. Confidence filled her. She had her wolves. Both of them.

Mine.

No… Ours.

The End