I cleared my throat. "So, ummm... In my village, wolves can't shift. At least, not without... The Winter Stone. Or as you called it...?"
"The Wolf's Relic," Ashleigh added thoughtfully. "Go on?"
"Well, once every seven years, one person can break the chains and free their wolf. And this year, I was supposed to be that person. But then someone stole our Stone and now I'm trying to get it back. Somehow."
The group exchanged quick glances with each other, and even though I couldn't tune in, I just knew they were telepathically communicating. At least, the ones that were able to.
"What?" I asked, not particularly enjoying they could have secret conversations without me.
Danny broke the silence. "Who stole it?"
I rubbed the back of my neck. "Probably Coyotes. So - is why I'm on my way to the East..."
More glances. Damn it, why wouldn't they just speak out loud?
"Why only every seven years?" Darren suddenly asked, his head tilted to the side.
"Because... Because. That is just how it is," I stuttered, wondering why it mattered.
"Yes, but why?"
"I... Well... Just..." I squinted my eyes as I tried to find a good answer, but realised I was drawing a blank. "I... I don't know why..." I admitted, frowning my eyebrows as I racked my brains, wondering if my grandparents ever told me why.
"So it is just a random number?"
"No!" I defensively shouted, earning a weird glance from Darren. I shoved my hands underneath my legs and calmed myself. "I'm sure there is a good reason. I think the Winter Stone only works every seven years. Or something like that. I don't know."
Damn Darren and his smart questions.
"So what does that have to do with spring?" Danny asked, looking just as confused as Darren.
"The Stone only works during the winter. So if I don't get it back to my village before spring arrives, the magic inside won't work anymore and I'll never be able to free my wolf."
Darren and Danny exchanged glances again. "So... Does the Relic, I mean, Stone, only work back in your village?"
I scratched the back of my neck. "I guess? I mean, we have a special altar for it and everything."
"If it only works in your village, why would someone steal it?"
I shrugged. "Maybe just to mess with us?"
"I always thought the Relic worked everywhere," Ashleigh chimed in.
That did make sense. If the Stone was useless outside of our village, why would the Coyotes want it is so badly? I mean, sure, they hated us, but still, that seemed like a lot of effort just to piss us off. But what did it matter? I would never get the Stone back home in time anyway. I had already wasted too much time, caring for Aspen, getting trapped in a cave by a storm, almost getting killed, you know, all those time-consuming things.
Maybe I should just turn around and go back home. There were almost no young wolves left in our tribe, so the Winter Stone would be useless to us in a couple of years anyway. My whole family already thought I was a disappointment, they wouldn't be surprised to see me crawling back.
"You're not turning back," Ashleigh suddenly spoke as she rested her hand on my arm.
"How...?"
"I know a doubtful person when I see them. You're going to get your Stone."
A lump appeared in my throat. Why was she so kind? What had I done to deserve such kindness?
With a crack in my voice, I said: "I'll just have to hurry..."
I sighed, my head sinking into my chest. If I stopped stalling and just got on with my quest, I might make it on time. And even if I was too late, I could at least bring the Stone back. Or I could get killed by a Coyote and never see my family again. Either option was good.
At this point, all I could do was pray that somehow I'd make it on time or redeem myself by returning our sacred Stone.
"I can't afford to stall..." I muttered softly, the words cutting through me like a sharp knife. The dreaded moment had finally come. I needed to say farewell to Ashleigh and Aspen, leave the comfort of their pack, and go my own way.
"True, it'll be a long road ahead. No time to waste," Darren spoke, the group casually nodding in agreement. Danny was braiding her red hair while Regan was scribbling down notes on his map. Aspen was still brooding in his corner, while JP seemed to be playing a game with sticks by himself. And Ashleigh, Ashleigh just nodded and smiled.
So that was it? Woah, talk about cold... I mean, I know I hadn't been part of their little group for long, but I thought at least they'd be kind of sad to see me leave. I thought I had really clicked with JP and Danny. I felt like I had even connected with the robust Regan and the playful Darren. But it looked like they weren't too bothered I had to go. That wasn't what I had expected. Not at all. Especially not from Aspen, or Ashleigh.
How could my mates not care I was going away?
"So, what now? Hug goodbye?" I asked, forcing my voice to keep the cries inside. I didn't want them to know how painful it was to part ways. They didn't need to know how quickly I had imprinted on all of them. I'd just keep myself strong and weep like a baby once I was out of sight.
Danny quickly scanned the group. I don't think I was supposed to see her exchange glances with Ashleigh, but it was hard to miss.
"Goodbye? But we've decided to join you."
"What?" My mouth fell open in surprise. A happy feeling bubbled up in my gut, but I pushed it back down. This couldn't be real, could it? When did they even decide to join me?
"Aspen needs you right now and I don't think we'd get Ashleigh away from you either." Danny smiled, pointing at my blushing mate.
A lump appeared in my throat. "So you guys are coming with me to the East?"
A heavy arm was slung over my shoulder. "Of course we are. Can't let you have all the fun, can we?" Darren grinned, his eyes twinkling in excitement.
"And b-besides, who else is g-going to keep the t-twins in check?" JP stuttered, his face beaming happily as he gave me one of his wider smiles.
"You guys..." My voice cracked and tears welled up. A warmth spread from my gut to the rest of my body as I was filled with a foreign sensation. I'd never had anyone stick with me before and just knowing I wouldn't have to make this journey alone, was enough to make me cry like a baby.
I threw a grateful glance at Ashleigh, suspecting she was the one who had convinced the group and was met with a warm smile.
I wouldn't have to split up from my mates. I didn't have to choose between what I wanted to do and what I needed to do.
"So when are we leaving?" Darren grinned, heaving his satchel on his back, his head tilted to the side.
"Ummm..." Were they seriously all joining me? Just like that?
"We're ready to go whenever you’re," Danny added in, buttoning up her jacket.
"Right behind you," Ashleigh grinned, brushing a stray lock of hair from my shoulder.
Sharing
After days of sheltering, we finally left the cave and were back on the road. Well. There wasn't much road here in the forest. Back on the trail.
Darren was happily skipping through the forest, at least twenty meters ahead of us. Every now and then, he waved at Danny and showed her a stray flower or a rare plant.
Aspen seemed to be completely lost in his own thoughts. The only reason his body was moving? Autopilot. He was definitely slipping, but I didn't know what to do or how to help him. I wasn't sure anyone could.
I nudged Ashleigh, pulling her out of her daydreams and whispered. "Who's Em?"
I'd been wondering about that name all night and couldn't find any good reason why he'd use Em as a nickname for me. It was obviously someone else. But who?
Ashleigh bit her lip as she glanced at her brother in front of us. "Em was Aspen's first mate."
"His first mate?"
"Yes... It isn't my story to tell, but Aspen lost her a couple of years ago."
"Oh..." New questions flashed through my mind as I wondered about Aspen's past. Not just Aspen's. The whole group's, act
ually. They were far too cheery for their age and that usually meant one thing. They had a good reason to be.
"So... Will he be okay?"
Ashleigh waggled her head from side to side. "Ehhh, I don't know... He's had moments like this but never this intense..."
I remembered the dead girl on the ground, threw up a little bit in my mouth and with a hic-up, swallowed it again.
Hey, I was a lady! I wasn't going to throw up in front of Ashleigh. Again...
"So that, umm, this... Chesca thing... Is this unusual?" I asked carefully, not sure if I wanted the answer or not. What if I had unintentionally joined a travelling killer Carnival? That was hardly something you add in the letter home.
I could already imagine the tribe gossiping about it.
Silly Akira, thinking she could travel all by herself to Coyote Country, got snagged up by a killer circus and was murdered in the Aladwin Forest. But what else was to be expected of such a stupid girl anyway.
Ashleigh opened her mouth. "We..."
A long pause. That was never a good sign. Oh fuck, I really had joined a group of madmen. I should've left when I had the chance.
She scratched the side of her face as she stewed over the right words. Are there right words to tell someone you and your friends went on a killing spree?
"The life Aspen and I've lived isn't like the one you had in your tribe... It wasn't... Easy. Or Fun. Or you know, all that civilised, for that matter."
I waited as I gave the dark-haired woman more time to explain what she meant by that. Life in my tribe certainly hadn't been fun or easy, but that didn't mean I went around killing people. Even if said people were crazy Pumas trying to... Actually, what exactly had Cece been trying?
I suddenly realised she never gave me an explanation for why she had enchanted me. Or how she had done it. If I recalled correctly, Pumas should only have the power of invisibility. They shouldn't be able to enchant or bewitch anyone. So how did she...
"I need you to understand that the things we've done were necessary evils. I'm not proud of my past, but we did what we had to."
I swallowed a lump in my throat as I prepared for the worst. "And that's...?"
"Kill."
Oh my gods. I wasn't deluded. I really had joined a crazy killer gang. I really was going to die here in the forest. Or worse, they would try and turn me into a killer as well. Akira the killer. Well, if that wasn't just peachy.
I felt the blood rush through my head as panic spread throughout my body. Aspen, the guy who loved running around naked, was a killer. Danny, the cheery redhead that was always smiling, killer. Darren, the divine cook, killer. Regan, the tall and trustworthy man, killer. JP, the shy man who couldn't utter more than one sentence without stuttering, killer. And Ashleigh, my beautiful mate, my other half, my wolf's guide. Killer.
The metallic taste of blood filled my mouth as I realised I had bitten my own cheek. This was it. I was doomed. I really was only destined for bad things. My father had been right.
I forced myself to keep a straight face as I felt something stir inside of me. Even if my wolf was crying for hers, I couldn't be with a killer, could I?
Why couldn't my mate be a nice boy or girl from my hometown who liked pottery and music? Not two crazy twins on a killing journey.
"Please let me explain... Our hometown was small. Everyone knew everyone and we were all somehow related to each other. If not directly, indirectly to the Great Wolf. In the beginning, everything was fine. And then the Monoke Clan came."
I tried to swallow, but my dry mouth wouldn't let me. Was this really a story I needed to know? I had heard stories about Monoke. They were strongly devoted to the Ape spirit and it was rumoured they were possessed by a blood lust.
"They trampled our village. There is something utterly terrifying about seeing familiar sights disappear into smoke and flames. The store owned by Mrs. Foria where Aspen and I used to get our sweets. The altar where we went to pray. The swingset in our garden. Our parents."
Oh gods...
"My mother's screams will haunt me forever and I didn't even love her that much. I remember Aspen putting his hands over my ears, but it didn't help. Not much. My father, my hero, ran blindly into our house, his only thoughts with his dying wife. Neither of them made it out. Aspen and I were only fifteen."
At this point, I felt so guilty for even asking about it. With every step, Ashleigh was stomping her feet into the ground. Not from fear, but from anger. Rage was coursing through her veins. I could feel it. My wolf could feel it.
"That day, Aspen and I swore to always protect each other. We swore it next to the ashes of our childhood home and what remained of our parents. And then we ran. We ran for days."
Ashleigh's eyes were directed towards me, but she wasn't there. She looked right through me as she recalled the horrors of her childhood.
"We wound up in Danny's hometown. Aspen and I took refuge in an old, abandoned warehouse. It was an adjustment... We were used to soft couches and warm beds, but here we slept under ragged blankets and old linen. We used to have roasted game with an endless array of vegetables and sauces. Now we were lucky if we had a chunk of stale bread to share. It was a miserable time. We were orphaned, homeless, starving. But we had each other."
I followed her gaze to the cave as I came to understand a little bit more about their bond.
"We were great at pretending. We fooled this whole new town in believing we were well-adjusted civilians on a trip. Everyone bought it. Except for Danny."
A faint smile played around Ashleigh's lips. "She called me out on our bullshit two days after we met. She later admitted I had enraged her so much, she had followed me out for revenge and found out where Aspen and I lived."
A memory flashed through my head of Danny telling me about the hair cutting and I felt my lips curl up. I could imagine how that would piss someone off.
"Danny is the only daughter of the Orse family. One of the four pure bloodlines that possess the wolf in our country. She sensed the wolf in us and figured out we came from the destroyed town. She offered for us to stay at her mansion, but we declined. We were young and despite everything that had happened, we had far too much pride. Danny never got along well with other people. They envied her for her wolf, her status, her wealth. With us, she could just be Danny. I think it was around the time she met JP as well."
"What about Regan?" I asked, suddenly remembering he said he used to live next door to the twins.
Ashleigh bit her lip. "Regan had already left town before Monoke came. He never told us why, but one day he just said goodbye. The next day, he was gone. We didn't see him for another couple of years until we coincidentally ran into him. That was when he laid eyes on Danny and he hasn't left her side ever since."
"That is sweet."
She nodded. "It certainly was. Regan was always a bit stiff, so it was nice to see him become more playful after he met Danny."
I snorted. Regan, playful? We had different definitions of playful.
"Things quickly changed. The Monoke followed us and terrorised our new village. But this time, Aspen and I were no longer helpless children. This time, we were prepared. By the end of the rampage, Em, Danny, JP, and Regan were all living in our club house. We fought the invaders daily, cutting down their numbers one by one. If House Hystericia hadn't shown up when they did, I don't think we would have made it."
I felt my chest ache as I hadn't realised there were such disputes, no, wars, going on in the world.
"It was... I don't have the words for it. It is probably a story for another time. Just know we saw some horrible things. Aspen and I were prepared, but Danny, it shocked her. If it wasn't for Regan, she probably wouldn't have made it through. And JP would never have survived if it wasn't for Danny. And Darren, well, he would've been lost for good if he hadn't met all of us. In a way, we all saved each other. I know this might not be what you want to hear, but we are a package deal. It is all of us or none..." Ashleigh stated, her eyes
boring deep into mine as to gauge my reaction. "Aspen and I have shared all our lives. I mean, we aren't good at it. We bicker and we fight over everything. But we've always shared. From the smallest toy to our best friends, there is almost nothing we haven't done together."
I nodded. I already knew this pack was all or nothing. Now if only my wolf could find a way to want both my mates, instead of switching between the two of them, I might be able to make it work with the twins.
"The thing is..."
I perked up as I heard her crystal voice suddenly much closer to my ear.
"This time, I don't want to share. And neither does he," she whispered, her breath hot on my cheek. A shiver ran down my spine as I swallowed a lump in my throat. How was I supposed to react to that?
"I want you all to myself."
Ashleigh's piercing blue eyes bore deep into mine, the air around us suddenly crackling with electricity. I could swear I saw the sparks fly. If only we were on our own instead of surrounded by the pack and my other mate, we might just have a chance.
But with Aspen's Alpha lingering at the surface, my wolf seemed to be unsure of who to follow. Ashleigh's rare black wolf or Aspen's amber coloured eyes. It was an impossible choice.
I threw a concerned look at the man in front of me. Aspen was quiet. So quiet it was freaking me out. I got that after you've killed someone you don't throw glitters in the air and fart out unicorn dust, but still. It was spooky. He only seemed half there.
"So this has happened before? And he'll be alright?" I asked Ashleigh, whose concern was edged into her face.
She scrunched her nose. "Usually, he becomes gloomy and unresponsive for a couple of days, before returning to his usual self. But I have never seen him like this. It is like..."
"Like he isn't even there," I finished her sentence, earning me a grateful look.
She nodded, a sad smile playing around her lips. "Exactly..."
Shifters Gone Wild: A Shifter Romance Collection Page 46
