by Leite, Lynn
“Ash?” he choked and pulled back to look at her.
“I want you Bryce. All of you. It’s okay. I’m fine, really. Stop trying to be careful.”
“I’ll always be careful with you, Ash. I would never hurt you.”
“And I know that.”
“Just tell me when to stop.”
“I don’t want you to stop.”
Bryce reclaimed her lips again, taking time to learn every curve of her body as his hands skimmed over her naked form. His mate was not broken. She was strong, and she was his. The little moans she emitted were moans of pleasure, not fear or pain.
“You’re holding back, aren’t you?” Ashley asked feeling Bryce’s body shudder from restraint. She loved him. Her heart knew he was hers, and he was taking her feelings into consideration. That was the only thing Ashley needed to be sure this was right.
“Maybe,” Bryce grinned. “How did you know?”
“Well, for one you are still dressed.”
“I am finding it hard to control myself.” Bryce admitted the clothing was providing a reminder, a barrier so to speak.
“Bryce, I know you won’t hurt me. I need you, so let it go. If I have to rip those clothes off myself to prove it to you, I will.”
Bryce moved to the edge of the bed, taking the hem of his shirt to pull it over his head. The pants came next until he was naked as well. Sliding back in next to Ashley, he looked into his mate’s eyes to be sure her words reflected what she was feeling.
“How did I get so lucky?” he asked making her glow in response.
“Funny, I was just thinking the same thing.” Ashley took the initiative leaning into Bryce. His hard chest was smooth and warm as she ran her hands up and around his neck.
The kiss that followed was different. It wasn’t cautious. It was claiming. Bryce’s resolve had snapped, and Ashley couldn’t be happier. The feel of him against her, touching nipping, kissing, was pushing her toward a point she could only dream of in the past.
“Please,” she whimpered not really knowing exactly what she was pleading for.
“Forever Ash, I mean it,” Bryce groaned as he hovered above her. For one brief moment, Ashley’s breath caught in her throat. The trapped feeling she had felt pinned down by Richard Bane was rising. Snapping her eyes open, she forced herself to look at the man above her. Bryce, her mate. Her heart and her primal instincts both agreed, he was safe.
“Forever might not be long enough,” she managed to gasp as he slid inside her.
The Mate fever Ashley had experienced before this was nothing compared to the raw energy that joining with Bryce had caused. The fire churning in her blood seemed to be actually blending with him on a cellular level.
“You okay?” Bryce’s voice pierced the blissful haze.
“Good… so good,” Ashley muttered hoping the words were reaching the surface. If he stopped now, she thought she might die.
Ashley’s senses were on overload, and her body was moving in a rhythm with Bryce, as if they had been doing this for centuries. She felt an explosion coiling deep inside. Her wolf was jumping for joy, reveling in the domination of her mate.
“Now Bryce,” Ashley croaked, knowing he would hesitate in biting her. Instead of fearing the bite, she actually craved it. She needed the completion. Bryce bent pressing his lips to his mate’s throat. She wanted this, but he didn’t want to hurt her. The image of her throat practically torn off filled his mind. The skin was healed smooth and unmarked. It was Ashley’s inner scars he worried about.
Ashley recognized her mate’s hesitation. Again, he was thinking of her first. The emotions overwhelmed her. She needed his bite. She needed to be fully mated with this man that the universe had picked just for her.
Nothing was going to stand in her way at this point. So she did the only thing she could think of to drive him to act purely on instinct. She bit him first.
That did it. The slight scraping of his teeth changed as he clamped down on her shoulder just as they both hit their climax. The bite didn’t hurt. It was just the opposite. A warm liquid feeling filled her. This was the bond; the last thread pulled tightly, making them one.
Bryce fell to the side so that he didn’t crush her. He was scrambling to look at her face “Ashley?” His gaze wore a thousand questions.
“I’m fine, Bryce,” she said in response while kissing him to tell him what words could not. “Looks like you’re stuck with me.”
“I wouldn’t have it any other way,” Bryce breathed. He was finally able to relax. His mate was fine, she was there with him, and he wasn’t leaving her side for the foreseeable future. ‘Despite the problems still to come he was in heaven right now,’ he thought as Ashley slowly drifted off to sleep. He soon followed.
13
Shouting was not a normal occurrence in the pack house. The sound jarred Bryce from a deep sleep. His arms instinctively went to Ashley. Until his arms wrapped around her, he hadn’t been sure if the night before was a dream. It had been no dream. His mate had come to him and was still there waking alongside him. The emotions he felt were powerful as he looked down at her half-awake face.
“Is that yelling?” she moaned trying to pull the blankets over her head.
“I don’t know what it is. Stay here. I’ll check it out.”
“Bryce,” Ashley exclaimed sitting abruptly. “What if it’s Bane’s men?”
“Then they have some really big balls breaking into the pack house.”
“Don’t go!”
“I thought we weren’t hiding?” Bryce smiled at his mate. He doubted that anyone had gotten past the guards, and, even if they had, they wouldn’t be yelling about it.
There was a pounding on the door as Ashley scrambled to throw the clothes she had worn the night before on.
“Bryce, wake up! She’s gone!” Drew’s voice boomed.
“Who’s gone?” Ashley asked freezing as she tossed the shirt over her head. “Oh, he means me. Doesn’t he?”
“I’ll take care of it,” Bryce said swinging the door open.
Drew stood in the hall looking panicked as Bryce slipped out of the room.
“Relax, Drew. If you mean Ashley, she’s fine.”
“What? Where is she then? Her room is empty. I went to wake her and…”
“Calm down. She’s fine. She’s with me.”
“With you?”
“Yes.” Bryce waited a minute for Drew to catch up.
“You mean she’s in your room?”
“Yes, we should have told you last night. Drew, your niece, she’s my mate.”
“Your mate?” Bryce had never seen the Alpha so confused.
“Yes, she slept here last night.”
“Ashley?” he called to the slightly open doorway.
“I’m here Uncle Drew. Sorry to worry you.” Ashley came out to stand beside Bryce.
“I thought… good god. I have the guards looking all over the house.”
“I’m fine, better than fine.”
“So you are… I mean, you and Bryce?”
“Yes,” Ashley smiled.
“I don’t know whether to be thrilled or mad as hell. Why didn’t you say anything? When did this happen?”
“We figured it out when he took me to the clinic. I didn’t know the mate fever was actually real until he touched me. It’s been kind of overwhelming. We should have said something last night.”
“I should have listened to Julie. She said, ‘check with Bryce before you call out the guard’.”
“She did?” Ashley said wondering if her aunt had noticed the same as Bryce’s mother had.
“She did. No wonder you insisted on taking her to the lake house, Bryce. I guess I should have seen it.”
“The bottom line is she’s fine, Drew. I think we can call off the guards. Ash, you should pack. We are still going right?” Bryce looked at Drew. Who knew what had changed in the last few hours? The house could have come down around them and Bryce wouldn’t have been able to take
his eyes off his mate.
“Yes, your brothers were supposed to leave at eight this morning.”
Drew called off the guards. He was feeling a bit foolish for not listening to Julie and checking with Bryce before panicking. He was never going to live that one down. The big bad Alpha had been reduced to a quivering mess when he thought Ashley had somehow been taken by Bane’s men. It wasn’t just the thought that he had failed his niece and his sister; it was that another Alpha breaking into his pack house would have shown weakness to the pack.
Ashley was safe for now. He was having second thoughts about sending her out to the lake house in order to lure the men after her into a trap. He was putting her at risk, a risk she was determined to take.
“Bryce won’t let anything happen to her,” Julie said from the doorway. He hadn’t even noticed she was there until she spoke.
“Okay, go ahead. Say it.”
“Say what, dear?”
“I told you so.”
“I wouldn’t think of it. I could have been wrong about them.”
“But you weren’t. How did I not see it?”
“Men don’t look for the signs.”
“Signs?”
“Drew, the girl barely spoke a word to us. She was hiding, pulling in on herself. Then Bryce a stranger who was also male and Alpha walks in to meet her. I expected her to curl in a ball and cry. She didn’t. In fact, she spoke more to him than she had to the both of us combined. Then, when they started to argue and Bryce offered to go kill Bane, it was pretty clear that it was just a matter of time before they figured it out.”
“You are right. I didn’t see the signs,” Drew groaned “I suppose I should call my sister.”
“Yes,” Julie laughed as she hugged her still bewildered mate. “She might want to know her daughter is mated to your heir.”
Bryce was unusually quiet as he drove toward the lake house. He couldn’t be sure, but he had seen a car that seemed to be following them. That had been the plan, to openly transfer Ashley to the lake house and draw the Bane men sent to find her out of hiding. The tension rolled off him in waves. The trip to the house was the most dangerous part of the plan. They were out in the open with what he had to assume were at least two men following behind. If they decided to make a move Bryce would have to protect her from two men. One he could handle with ease. Two would be a bit more difficult
“Are you mad?” Ashley asked breaking the silence.
“What? No. Why would I be mad?”
“You seem like your about to crawl out of your skin. I know you didn’t like this plan.”
“I didn’t like it, but, if we are going to end this I suppose it makes sense. I just don’t like the idea of you being in danger.”
“I don’t love the idea either, but I don’t want to spend the rest of my life looking over my shoulder.”
“I’ll just feel better when we get to the lake house. If something happens on the way I’ll never forgive myself. There is a car that has been following us for the last half hour. If they decide to make a move, I want you to shift and run North. The lake house is on the North side of Reiner Mountain. My brothers are there already.”
“I’m not leaving you.”
“Ashley, I can take two weres on. I just can’t do it if I’m worried about your safety. Please, promise me you’ll run.”
“Just drive and we won’t have to worry about it. I’ll run if I have to Bryce.”
“Thank you.”
Ashley smiled. Bryce was thanking her for agreeing with him. This really was a different world from the one she grew up in.
Bryce breathed a sigh of relief when they pulled up to the lake house. The car that had been following them passed as they hit the long driveway that led to the home, but he had no doubt that these were the weres Ashley’s friend Yasmin had said were sent to get her. Hopefully, the ruse would work. If they thought Ashley was guarded only by him, they wouldn’t hesitate to make a move.
Bryce held Ashley’s hand tightly as they headed for the door. He was torn with emotion. He didn’t like the idea of his mate being used as bait. Every instinct he had told him to take her away, to keep her safe. What kind of life would that be for her and for him for that matter? His future was tied to the Reiner pack. He had to make sure his mate was by his side and safe. This was the only way he knew to have both. Even if he didn’t like it, he had to let her make the decision. She needed closure. He wasn’t delusional enough to think that meeting him had driven away all her demons.
Ashley’s breath caught in her throat as she entered the lake house. She had imagined a quaint cottage. This was nothing like that. The house rivaled the pack house in size. The row of windows at the back of the house let light in and opened out to a deck that led down to the lake.
“This is beautiful,” she said in a hush as she kept turning to take it all in.
“I always loved this house. We spent a lot of time here in the summers growing up.”
“Your Dad and Uncle Drew are close. I can see that.”
“Drew is like a second father to all of us.”
“Is that why he named you his heir?”
“As you know, he had no children. My brothers and Lexi became his family. Our parents are more than just close. My dad and Drew are like brothers. When Aiden and I were born Alpha, it was decided that one of us would take the Alpha position eventually.”
“Why you and not Aiden?”
“Aiden and I might look alike, but we are very different. “
“He’s the serious one,” Aiden said as he appeared in the doorway.
“I was wondering why it was so quiet. Thanks for this,” Bryce said clutching his brother in a man hug.
“Anything for Drew’s niece. Hey gorgeous.”
“Hey Aiden,” Ashley said shyly.
“Did I mention Aiden is also a ladies man? Listen brother, I love you, but don’t hit on my girl,”
“Your girl?” Aiden raised an eyebrow looking from Ashley to Bryce and back again.
“Yes. Where are the others?”
“Matt’s somewhere around here, and Brendan’s doing what he does best. He has the whole place wired. If anything bigger than a squirrel gets within two miles of the place, we will know about it.”
“Good. Ash, are you tired? Our room is at the top of the stairs. First door on the left.”
“Our room?” Aiden blurted.
“I am kind of tired. I’m sure you and Aiden have things to discuss.” Ashley said nervously. She could see that Aiden had about a thousand questions he wanted to ask his brother.
“I’ll wake you for dinner then.” Bryce said leaning down to kiss her.
Bryce watched as Ashley made her way up the stairs, turning back to Aiden only when she was out of sight.
“Okay, I knew you had the hots for her, but when did this happen?” Aiden said waving his hand in the air.
“Yesterday, after I took her to the clinic. When she got the call from her friend, she kind of had a meltdown.”
“I’ll bet she did, but that doesn’t answer how you’re now sharing a room.”
“I’m sharing everything, Aiden. Ashley is my mate.”
“Whoa, seriously?”
“Yes, seriously. Trust me when I tell you it’s intense. The moment I touched her, I knew.”
“Mate fever?”
“And then some.”
“Better you than me. Don’t get me wrong. She seems like a very nice girl. “
“Someday, brother, you’ll understand.”
“I don’t think I’ll ever understand, Bryce. I like playing the field. I can’t imagine the instant connection they say the mate fever causes.”
“I can’t say as I understand it either, but it’s real.”
“Well then it’s even more important that we take down Bane,” Aiden grinned
“I’m glad you understand. Nothing can happen to her Aiden. It would kill me.”
14
Ashley had been ready for a figh
t since she left the Bane pack. She had been expecting Warren to show up at any moment or for Dan and Julian to make a move to capture her. What she hadn’t expected was the waiting. The waiting was worse.
Brendan had set up monitors that showed the surrounding area. So far, the most excitement had been a family of deer that wandered through.
“What are they waiting for?” She breathed an exasperated breath. It had been three days since they arrived at the lake house. Although her mate and his brothers tried not to show it, they were going stir crazy as well. Other than Bryce and Aiden, none of the other men could shift and run without alerting whoever might be watching that there were more than just Ashley and Bryce there. The only reason Aiden even got to run was they were identical, even in wolf form.
“They are smart,” Matt said watching the monitors for any movement.
“Smart? You almost sound like you admire them?”
“No. not even close, Ashley. Making us wait is smart, even if they think they have not been detected. It is wise for them to give us time to get comfortable, lull the target into a false sense of security. Give them some rope, so to speak. The more relaxed you are, the easier it would be for them to surprise you. I have to think they don’t know we are on to them.”
“Maybe they aren’t even there?” Ashley groaned. If all this waiting had been for nothing, she was going to scream.
“Oh they are there. I’d say there are definitely more than one, and they are waiting on the North side.” Matt smiled.
“How can you tell? I mean, I haven’t seen a thing .”
“That’s what makes me say that they are there.”
“You lost me, Matt.”
