“Night.” Ash turned and walked away. Clover slipped into the bed with Patrick gripping her top. His white knuckles slowly gained back color as he loosened his grip.
“You’re safe, honey. Ash will keep us safe.” She rubbed his back while he pressed his head into her shoulder.
“Ash is a good fighter.” Patrick nodded which made Clover smile.
“Yes. He’ll protect us. He’s like the alpha, strong and protective.” Clover had a feeling if Ash really wanted his own pack he would be able to lead just a well as Raymand but their friendship seemed to keep him in place.
“Loyal and brave,” Patrick added.
“Go to sleep, honey. We can talk more about strong Ash tomorrow.” Clover kissed his head. The pup’s eyes slid closed and Clover fought to stay awake. With the warm little body next to her, she lost the battle and crashed. When she opened her eyes a few hours later, the light in the room had been turned off. Patrick had twisted around so his back pressed against Clover’s side and a light blanket covered both of them. Sweet Ash should be added to the list. The idea made her smirk. This time she didn’t fight the sleep which came easily with Ash filling her naughty dreams.
Chapter Five
Clover
Dreams of hot sex filled Clover’s mind but when she woke up, reality set in. Patrick still clung to her side and the smell of bacon filled her nose. Patrick’s head bounced up and he looked right at Clover.
“Bacon.” A smile brightened his face for the first time which totally warmed Clover’s heart.
“Should we go check it out?” Before Clover finished her question, Patrick jumped off the bed and ran out of the room. Clover pushed some of her hair out of her face and winced. Her curls were a mess and she didn’t have anything to hold them back. She tried to tame the puff ball on her head before inching toward the noise.
“Dang it, Patrick. You need to wait,” Ash growled low.
“But I’m hungry now,” he whimpered back.
“I know. I could hear your tummy rumbling from the other room, but it’s not done. Go sit at the table and wait.” Ash’s voice carried through the hall and Clover turned the corner to find Patrick with his arms folded and head down.
“What about some cartoons while we wait?” Clover jumped in trying to help him out. Taking care of kids wasn’t an easy task but she had enough experience to help Ash adjust with Patrick.
“I only have Netflix and basic cable.” Ash shook his head.
“Wonderful, Netflix has kid shows.” Clover smiled and grabbed Patrick, she was completely aware of her body and where Ash stood. She had no idea why her body craved him but she needed to stay firm. Even if all her naughty dreams told her to leap, her brain had the control now. Better get to know him before I even cross the bridge.
Patrick bounced on the couch while Clover turned on the TV.
“I want…” Patrick scanned the screen and pointed toward some bear and little girl show. “That one.”
“Sounds good.” She clicked on the show and in seconds the little pup giggled at the girl on the screen.
“Clover, where’s Mommy?” Patrick rocked from side to side on the couch, but his eyes stayed glued to the show.
“Umm…” Clover licked her lips. “Well…” She had no freaking clue how to answer the little guy’s question. To just say she’s dead seemed too harsh for such little ears.
“She’s with Grandpa Flick and Grandma Joanne,” Ash answered as he rounded the counter to put plates on the table.
“And Daddy?” Patrick turned toward Ash with sad eyes.
“With Mommy and Grandpa Flick and Grandma Joanne.” Ash nodded. He repeated the names and he stopped bouncing.
“But I want them here.” He stomped his foot on the couch.
“I know, buddy. We all wish they were back and you could be at your house.” Ash shrugged and walked into the kitchen then brought food back to the table. Well, I guess it’s a start. Clover bit her tongue trying not to add to what Ash said.
“Do I live here now?” Patrick rubbed the leather couch. Clover grabbed his hand and he met her gaze for a few moments before looking up at Ash.
“Yep. I’ll protect you now.” Ash gave him a tight smile and Clover wanted to know what he was thinking. He set some food on the table and Patrick let go of her hand. “Now get over here and eat.”
Patrick jumped off the couch and ran for the table while Clover followed close behind.
“Thank you for the save.” She might have said the wrong words and made it worse, which was the one thing she didn’t want.
“Don’t worry about it.” Ash nodded but didn’t meet her gaze. Clover took her seat next to Patrick and they ate in silence. Only the sounds from the TV show filled the house while Clover kept glancing at Ash.
She chewed on a piece of egg and forced it down. “When do you think I’ll be in the clear to go home?” she asked.
“Alpha said a week, then we can talk about it. If the hunters don’t think you have Patrick, then they should leave you alone.” Ash took his plate to the sink and sighed.
“What about my job?”
“Call in sick. I don’t have time to follow your ass everywhere. I need to find these fucking hunters.” Ash sat back down and turned toward Patrick. “I’m getting Patrick’s stuff today. If you leave me your key, I’ll grab some of your stuff for the week.”
“I can do it myself.” Clover really didn’t want him going through her stuff. She didn’t have secrets but the whole place was a big freaking mess.
“No, I need you to stay here with Patrick. They will try to get him again.” He pointed at the pup who tried to make himself look smaller.
“They’re gonna get me?” Patrick’s eyes widened with fear.
“No, honey. Remember, Ash is strong and protective. He’ll keep you safe.” Clover rubbed his chubby hand but it did nothing to calm him down. His legs bounced against the table.
“But he said…” Patrick looked toward Ash then back at Clover.
“He didn’t mean it. Finish your bacon.” Clover smiled trying to calm the little guy. He shoved half of the slice of bacon in his mouth. She felt Ash’s eyes on her, but she didn’t look up. What is it about this guy that has me all messed up? She peeked at his face to find him still staring. Heat crept up her face.
Instead of thinking about what he wanted from her, she returned her thoughts to the pup and how she could help keep him safe. With a sigh, she reached for her purse and snatched out the keys.
“Thank you for breakfast. Here are my keys.” Clover pulled up the key to her home and flashed it to Ash then set the key on the table. He gave a short nod before she stood to put her plate in the sink. Patrick jumped down and shifted into his wolf form, leaving a pile of shredded clothes on the ground. She’d seen Tara shift dozens of times but seeing a younger pup shift had a hint of magic to it.
“Patrick, those weren’t your clothes.” Ash shook his head. Patrick bowed his head and whimpered. Hints of anger flared through her body as she moved the chair to get closer to the little wolf.
“It’s okay. I can get some new ones.” She grabbed the fabric and rubbed Patrick’s head. “Go watch your show.” Clover winked, and Patrick ran for the couch.
“Don’t scratch up my couch,” Ash warned, and Patrick slowed his pace.
“You could calm down just a little bit. He’s only three.” She pointed at him but he glared back without flinching.
“Three and a half.”
“Wow, half a year. Do you expect him to tie his shoes and start school now? I mean, hey, if he’s almost four then that’s close enough to five so might as well round up.” Clover shook her head and walked away from Ash.
“Look, I don’t know how…” Ash scratched the back of his head.
“What? To talk to women?” Clover turned to face him while she raised an eyebrow. He froze and a smirk lifted his lips.
“Very funny. I know how to talk to women.” Ash shook his head and heat filled his gaze fo
r a moment.
“Look, I’m a big girl and I can get over whatever you say. However, he’ll probably remember everything. Just think about it, especially when it comes to curse words.” Clover didn’t want to reprimand a grown man, but he seemed to be completely lost on how to interact with Patrick. He only partially managed to say the right thing about his parents’ death but ended it terribly by verbally saying he wished the kid gone.
“I’m new to having children in my home.” He paused. “I don’t usually ask for help.” Pleading replaced the heat in his gaze.
“Is this your way of asking without actually asking?” Clover giggled while Ash stiffened. “This seems like an alpha mentality problem. Never admitting defeat or that you could be wrong.”
“I’m a strong wolf, admitting defeat shows my enemies weakness.” He puffed out his chest like he was about to win a medal for his words. She set the plates in the sink and adjusted her grip on the shredded fabric.
“Am I your enemy?” Clover folded her arms under her chest and his eyes bounced toward her tits. Maybe he likes what he sees. She wanted to smile but didn’t say anything. Wait, no I’m supposed to keep my distance from him, she reminded herself.
“No.” He snatched up Clover’s keys and walked out. The door clicked closed and the locks slid into place.
Clover sighed and covered her face with the fabric. “I think the universe took my request for excitement too literally. Oh goodness, what am I going to do with an alpha-type werewolf?”
Chapter Six
Ash
Ash sucked in a shaky breath as he entered Patrick’s old home. Barb and Patrick Sr’s scents still lingered through the house. He stood for a minute to let his mind settle on the fact that he was now a single parent to his cousin. Blood stained their wood floors near the stairs. Clover’s scent remained at the door and the steps, but fainter than the rest of the family.
“Damn.” Ash walked up the steps to Patrick’s room and sat on the pup’s bed. For a few minutes, he let himself cry as memories of Patrick Sr rolling around in the dirt filled his mind. All the times they bailed each other out of trouble and even the times they couldn’t scrape by his mother’s wrath were all good times in Ash’s mind. He shoved his hands through his hair and wiped away the tears, he didn’t have time to let the ache of loss consume him. The longer he stayed in their house the more exposed their son would be and he wanted to honor them by being the best guardian possible. Even if I suck at knowing what kids freaking need or even want.
The kid had one toy box and his clothes were more organized than Ash expected. It didn’t take him long to grab the toys and dresser with all the clothes and get it into his pick-up truck. Ash made a mental note to see if Patrick was in speech therapy since sometimes he sounded younger than three. He scratched the back of his head. That problem would have to be dealt with later.
“Ash?” Raymand’s voice hollered through the house while Ash considered whether to take the smaller bed for Patrick or not.
“Upstairs, first door on the right!” Ash yelled. The steps creaked from Raymand’s weight then he joined Ash in the small bedroom.
“How’s Patrick doing?” He rubbed his hands together.
“Adjusting. Would bringing his bed to him be a hindrance or helpful?” Ash glanced at Raymand then went back to staring at the bed with cars on the sheets.
“Uh, fuck if I know.” Raymand shook his head.
“How do you deal with being a freaking father?” Ash sat on the bed and looked at Raymand who started laughing.
“I’ll let you know when I figure that shit out. With Maple pregnant and Cora running around, my house has become all crazy.” He leaned against the door, a smile still on his lips.
“Shit.” Ash shoved his hands through his hair.
“How’s Clover?” Raymand’s question had Ash’s wolf perking up. The woman drove his beast lust-crazed.
“She’s good with Patrick.” He gave a short nod and sighed.
“Did you imprint?” He raised an eyebrow and this time Ash let go of a short laugh.
“We haven’t touched. She seems to be avoiding it. And I…well let’s just say shit’s complicated.” His wolf liked to chant mate when they were in the same room together. He didn’t know if imprinting with a human was a good idea. They were weak, and Clover already made it clear she didn’t fear trouble when she ran into the house to save Patrick. Werewolves had to be strong and bad-ass and he needed a strong werewolf female.
“Well, she’s good friends with Tara, the woman has to be strong to deal with that wolf.” Raymand tapped the side of his jeans and they laughed together.
“Is Tara still doing the races?”
“That’s a stupid question.” Raymand sighed. Ash had bailed Tara out a few times when it came to the street racing. “She says it helps with the heat.”
“Really? How can being around a ton of guys be good for the heat?” Ash tried to figure out the little wolf’s logic but nothing came to mind. Heat made females sex-crazed and having many guys around seemed like the worst thing a she-wolf could do.
“The adrenaline helps wear out her wolf.” Raymand shrugged. Ash considered the thought for a moment. “But back to Clover, you should go home and see if she’s your mate.”
“I don’t know. I have enough on my plate as it is Plus, she’s human and can’t really protect herself.” Ash needed to adjust to being a guardian before he added a mate into his life. He liked having a schedule and today everything was out of whack. Which, in turn, put him in a sour mood.
“Let me enlighten you. Women love kids and having Clover close with Patrick, it will work to your advantage if they’re bonding and you bond with Clover.” He rubbed his hands together.
“Are you saying the only reason I should see if we imprint is for Patrick?” Ash wrinkled his nose. That sounded like a horrible idea.
“No, it’s for your benefit. If I didn’t find Maple when Cora landed in my lap, I wouldn’t have her in my house.” He pointed at Ash.
“I see where you’re coming from, but I don’t know.” Ash scratched the back of his head.
“Just think about it.”
“Did Patrick’s parents die the same as Cora’s?” He changed the subject wanting to get the alpha off the topic of Clover.
“Almost. I think when Clover interrupted, they killed Barb quicker, unlike Lia and the other mothers.” Raymand growled low. The memory of the blood stain near the stairs filled Ash’s mind and his chest ached. When Patrick Sr. had imprinted, Ash had been the second person to know since they had been so close. Family life had pulled them away from each other but they still had dinner together every Christmas and Thanksgiving no matter what. They would both be missed when the holidays came around.
“What the hell are they doing with the kids?” Ash gripped the bed, he didn’t want anything to happen to Patrick and he had seen first-hand what the hunters did to Cora with the fucking collar around the pup’s neck. A young pup like Patrick might shift on accident and kill himself because of the silver collar. The whole thing had sharp silver points which dug into the flesh as a reminder of what happened if they fuck up.
“I don’t know, but we need to get a lead and sooner rather than later. They might be speeding up their timeline. Last time they waited a month to attack Rayne’s little girl, this was three weeks.” Raymand rubbed his hands up and down his legs.
“I’m trying to track them using the satellite images, but I ran into a snag.” Ash gritted his teeth. He knew if he found their fucking base of operation, the pack could kick some ass and stop them from taking more pups.
“What’s the snag?”
“The archive auto resets after three months. I’m saving as much as possible, but Catty’s leads were deleted a few weeks ago. Now I’m about to lose more.”
“You can’t get it changed?” Raymand asked.
“It’s a safety protocol to keep wolves safe in case the information gets into the wrong hands. I can’t do anythi
ng about it.” He threw up his hands. “I’ve been trying different ways to back it up but it’s more complicated than you can imagine. Like worse than shifting with a hard-on.” They both winced.
“Well, fuck me sideways.”
“It worries me though, if both Annmarie, Patrick, and Cora got away, do you think they’ll strike sooner?” Ash paused. “I mean, the last three attempts were all fucked over one way or another.”
“I hope not. Half the city is in a panic and the humans are getting wind of the problem. When they get worried, shit gets bad.” Raymand glared at the wall behind Ash.
“If you can help me load up my truck with Patrick’s bed, I’ll grab Clover’s stuff and go back to work.”
“If you get a lead, let me know right away.”
“I will.” Ash stood and handed the mattress to Raymand. They worked in silence which was fine with Ash. He used the time to think about Clover, Patrick, and the other missing kids. He hated that they already had two kids he couldn’t find.
Once they finished loading up Patrick’s stuff, Raymand tapped Ash’s truck. He glanced back at the house and his throat tightened up, signaling the tears would come unless he pulled his shit together. Ash let out a shaky breath keeping the raw emotions at bay.
“See you later. Don’t have too much fun tonight.” Raymand winked and walked away. While Ash drove over to Clover’s apartment, he debated on brushing his hand on her shoulder or something. A quick touch to see if they were mates. His wolf fucking loved the idea and pushed at the barrier to get home instead of stopping again.
One little touch could change his world all over again.
Clover's Destined Mate Page 3
