“Fine, whatever. Ain’t like I gotta like it, right?” Ashley replied saucily, and she briefly wondered where the words had come from. It certainly wasn't something she'd meant to say. Great, more impulse control issues.
“That makes two of us,” Cade agreed.
Ashley frowned over his blunt comment. “You’re not very pleasant, you know.”
In response, Cade let a sound that was something like an annoyed growl. “No, I'm not, and you’re not very respectful.”
The words made her temper flare. Ashley held his gaze evenly and shot out, “Well then I guess we both have something to work on.”
He actually smirked when she said that. “Maybe, but I don’t need to be pleasant when I’m trying to keep unruly pups in line. It’s better if I’m not.”
“Then maybe you should just let it go in one ear and out the other.”
“I'm better at that than you, so try not to let those new feelings of aggression you got overwhelm you.”
“As long as you try not to let that big, Alpha ego of yours do the same.” Okay Ashley, you really need to start biting your tongue now.
When Cade started shaking his head as if he could see they had a long way to go, Ashley sat back, her shoulders slumping with a groan. The man was inviting her into his home to help her, and she had no clue how things worked in a lupine community, but she kept snapping at him without thinking.
Controlling impulses? Rule #1: Bite tongue.
With the thought, she dejectedly looked down at her lap, saying before he could make a retort, “I'm sorry. I know I'm being unruly, but it seems like I just can’t help myself anymore.”
She risked glancing back up to see Cade's expression softening. “It’s all right,” he replied, his gentle tone surprising. “So if you’re done, we may as well get out of here. It's late and I know you're tired.”
When Cade noticed Leo was reaching into his pocket for his wallet, he asked the man, “What the hell are you doing?”
“Paying, what's it look like?”
Cade rolled his eyes. “I'll add it to your tab,” he remarked sarcastically, standing from his chair.
Leo followed him, and Ashley grabbed her drink, then asked where a trash can was. Cade pointed one out next to the desk, and she threw the box into it, then left, staying closer to Leo on the way out than the Alpha.
He was still imposing after all, and sadly, she got the feeling that they were going to end up getting into another spat before the night was over with.
She just hoped it wouldn't be severe.
Chapter 6
There was a four door pick up truck waiting in the parking lot, a newer model Chevy Silverado that Cade unlocked the doors to with the remote entry on his keys. Ashley headed toward the back door on the passenger's side, having a preference for riding in the back just then because sitting next to the Alpha wasn't her current cup of tea.
But before she could get there, Leo stepped in the way, giving her a smile as he motioned to the front.
“Go on,” he started, “I live pretty close, won’t take me so long as it will the two of you.”
Ashley pursed her lips, but decided to listen. No sense in arguing over something so trivial. So she opened the front door and looked up to notice that the seat was nearly level with her chest.
As Leo and Cade climbed inside without any trouble, Cade looked over when he heard a grunt, watching the short woman tugging herself inside by the handles over the door.
“Need to grow a few more inches?” Cade asked.
Casting him a sideways glance as she settled and shut the door, Ashley replied, “No, I’m scared of heights so I refused to grow any taller once I hit five foot four.”
Hearing a chuckle coming from Leo in the backseat, she grinned and fastened her seat belt. When she was done, she noticed the Alpha smiling while throwing his truck into gear before he backed out of the parking space. Surprise, surprise. He has a sense of humor after all.
They left the parking lot a moment later, and Leo was right about the car ride. It only took five minutes to reach his place from the bar. On the way, he mentioned to Cade that his son Mike was an anxious mess today because his mate, Nicole, may be pregnant.
Though Ashley was somewhat thrown by the use of the term ‘mate’, she decided not to say anything. When she was better rested, she’d be able to process more information on this whole situation. Besides, it was cute that Leo sounded so fond of the idea that he might become a grandfather.
When they reached his home, Ashley handed his jacket back and gave her gratitude, then wished him good luck in becoming a grandpa. Leo thanked her, promising they’d see each other again soon.
He headed toward his house, and Ashley noticed a woman opening the door up, but didn't see much of anything besides that after Leo went inside and Cade put his truck back into drive and traveled on.
She was now alone with the Alpha. This is gonna be a long ride.
The silence was nearly deafening as well, and despite how tired Ashley was, she was growing annoyed by the lack of conversation to offer a distraction. Not to mention there were a million questions in her head about everything going on, but where to start?
She didn’t really care to hear much more about lupines at that moment, but she was curious about the man who was driving the truck despite their earlier differences.
Maybe if she got to know him better, he wouldn't seem so imposing.
The only problem was the possibility that the conversation would go sour like it had at Blue Moon. Still, something inside of her was interested in learning more about him, specifically when she caught his scent.
Looking at the currently silent Alpha, she got started with a simple question.
“Where do you live?”
“Other side of town in a house my grandfather built.” Cade replied, glancing at her briefly before he elaborated. “It’s remote, so you won’t have to worry too much about loosing control, or hurting anyone if you did.”
When he'd glanced over, Ashley realized that his eyes had a strange sheen to them that showed up not long after a streetlamp passed overhead. She knew she could still detect the steel blue color in the dim light because her vision was better than before, but that sheen, like an animal's eyes, wasn't expected.
Had she been seeing things?
“What?” Cade asked, and Ashley realized she'd been staring.
Looking away, she replied, “Um, your eyes.”
“What about them?”
“They had a sheen when the light passed over.”
“Oh,” he started as if he knew what she meant. “It's because I'm a lupine.”
Ashley's brows drew together when she looked back over. “I've never noticed something like that before, even when I was human.”
“That's because you were human. To them, our eyes always look normal. But in the dark, they shine sometimes. You'll be able to see that now that you're one of us, even with yourself.”
“What? Why's that?” Ashley asked the question as she'd flipped the sun visor down to use the mirror on the back of it and test his statement's validity.
Cade shrugged as if nothing they were talking about was very exciting to him, offering a plain explanation while she took a look at her eyes.
“From the way I understand it, most humans don't see the supernatural because they can't see what they don't understand. Mystical stuff is what I call it. I guess a good example is that you've never seen anyone with pointed ears, have you?”
“Besides on television? Uh, no, not really,” she responded uncertainly while still looking in the mirror and waiting to see her eyes shine like his had. When a light passed overhead, and she didn't detect anything, she reached up to hold down the button that would turn off the mirror's light.
“Well trust me, you've probably passed a hundred people like that before without noticing it.”
The notion that humans couldn't see the supernatural because they didn't understand it or even know it was th
ere suddenly paled in comparison to seeing her eyes when the light passed over again, making her irises glint.
Cade was actually right. “Holy shit!”
She heard him snorting as if amused, but she couldn't get over it, watching them a second time when the sheen returned, telling of the fact that there was an animal inside of her waiting to get out.
She hadn't even looked at herself in a mirror in over two weeks now anyway, so it was a definite shocker—as was her black eye and the split on her lips.
With the reminder of what she'd been through that made her the way she was now, she shut the mirror quickly and put the visor back up. She looked terrible, and wasn't sure she felt much better.
Cade must have noticed her distress because he asked, “You okay?”
“I don't know,” she sighed. “It's just a lot to take in and I'm really tired.”
Ashley quietly stared ahead through the windshield, the wipers turning back and forth slowly in the light rain outside. She was trying to escape the thoughts of being a lupine, but it was nearly impossible not to think about.
Why the hell did she have to go through this? Become this? She hadn't asked for abilities and new impulses that she would have to learn to control in order to prevent herself from being dangerous. Could she even do it?
“You said it’s a punishable offense to turn someone without their permission?” Ashley inquired.
“It is. Packs might run separate, but we all follow the same set of rules to keep our kind safe. It's not just the human's permission we have to get, but the pack has to give approval too because the human needs to be trustworthy and loyal. Leo’s son Mike turned Nicole into a lupine two years ago when he got permission to.”
Hearing how long ago the woman had been turned, she asked, “And Nicole's fine now?”
“Yeah, got control of herself and goes out on her own like normal.”
“Then I’m not really a lost cause,” Ashley mused aloud. If this Nicole could do it, couldn't she?
“She had guidance from the get go, Ashley,” Cade countered. “The kind of violence you experienced so early on can keep a lupine unstable for the rest of their life. So I honestly don't know what to expect from you.”
“Well hell, at least my outlook’s better now than it was an hour ago.”
Cade let a low groan out that said he might have been getting a little agitated, but when he replied, his voice was level.
“I'm just saying you’re gonna have to be careful and pay attention to your feelings, otherwise you’ll have to be contained. So far, you haven't been very mindful of yourself.”
Defensively, Ashley shot back, “If I'm so hopeless, then why not just kill me? Or chain me up like those other backwoods freaks did.”
Cade had just given gas to the vehicle after turning a corner, but he suddenly stepped on the brake. Ashley pitched forward briefly, then looked at the Alpha quickly when the truck stilled.
In the silence following the sudden halt on the long stretch of empty road, Cade turned to face her, lifting an arm to settle on his steering wheel, his expression harsh.
Ashley suddenly realized how bad her comment sounded. Once again, she’d spit something out with very little forethought, and didn’t that just prove he was right about her? That she hadn't been in control?
Not to mention she was about to get chewed out for it, and she knew it. Way to go biting your tongue there, Ashley, just like he said.
With no lack of sincerity, he told her, “Let's get something straight, Ashley. I'm nothin’ like the shitheads who turned you, and it's a slap in the face to be compared to 'em, so don't ever do that again. Second, I’ve had to deal with pups bein’ unruly even before I was the Alpha, so if you don’t start at least trying to temper yourself, it won’t be anything for me to deal with you.”
She’d deserved that. Ashley knew she’d spoken out of anger and hadn’t exactly thought to censor her words—and it made her seem completely ungrateful for his help.
But at the same time, she had something about him in mind that she needed to point out.
“Okay, I get it, you’re taking in a newborn who has no concept of what she is now. It’s a pain in the ass for both of us. I’m more than appreciative that you’re helping me out, believe me. I’d rather gnaw my own arm off than go back to what I’d been through before tonight, and I'm sorry I keep snapping without thinking.”
Her voice had risen slightly, and even grew a little shaky with emotion as she finished her statement with, “But the least you could do is not act like I’m a lupine who knows the drill because I'm trying, so at least let me have some optimism that I might be able to lead a normal life again someday!”
She couldn’t help how she’d sounded, pissed and scared and just plain tired. They exchanged a long stare, during which Ashley fought the tears she could feel welling up in her eyes, hoping he would at least understand how lost and overwhelmed she felt.
As she watched, his expression suddenly changed to one of understanding, surprising her. With a nod, he turned to take the wheel again while saying, “Fair enough, I think we're both on the same page now.”
Ashley got the feeling he'd only just realized in entirety how bad things had been for her up until that moment, that he hadn’t really considered it when he’d told her of her chances at control. Now that he had, he seemed willing to forget their arguments and try to start off on the right foot.
So she decided to let it all go too. Instead of blaming Cade and being angry with him, she blamed her fatigue and crankiness. Suddenly the term ‘newborn’ took on a whole new meaning. You've certainly been acting like an infant, almost crying and throwing little fits. No wonder he hasn't been easy to get along with.
They just needed a change of subject. So she thought of the most idle thing she could ask in order to try to get to know him better.
“How old are you anyway?”
“Twenty six.”
Three years older than I am. Ashley wasn’t sure he looked his age either, but she wasn't one to talk. Most people thought she was still a teenager, so she decided not to mention it.
“Leo said you’re not married and don’t have any kids. You got any other family kicking around?”
“Yeah, my mom, and I have a younger sister and twin brothers, Sara, Caleb, and Conner. I also have an uncle, my dad’s brother, Travis, but he travels a lot.”
She nodded, and remembered seeing the plaque at Blue Moon that said his father had passed away somewhat recently. Curiously, she asked, “Was your dad the Alpha before you?”
“No,” Cade replied, his answer short as if he didn’t want to talk about it. Ashley could only figure that maybe he was still grieving, so she let the subject go.
A little silence followed the reply except for the sound of tires on slick pavement and the streak of the windshield wipers. Ashley thought while taking in the sounds, then asked in sheer curiosity, “Could a girl be the Alpha?”
He grinned in response, and she thought she might faint. It wasn’t the fact that the grin was good looking on him—which it was. Hell, she’d even go as far as to say it looked wolfish.
But with the stern way he'd acted so far, she hadn’t exactly thought he was capable of such a feat without breaking his face. She also couldn’t tell if he was about to tease her, or if he was actually thinking something like the question she’d asked was stupid, but she soon had her answer.
“Why? Got aspirations?”
Definitely teasing me.
“No,” Ashley replied pointedly, fighting a smile of her own. “I was just curious. If you hadn’t noticed, I don’t know a hell of a lot about lupines.”
He nodded, losing that picking quality in his tone when he spoke, “They can be, just depends. Men are physically stronger than most women, but a lot of women are smarter than most men, so it happens.”
Ashley couldn’t help smirking over the way he said that. “What about the pack? I mean, you’re living in a human city, so why bother with a
pack at all?”
“To keep things together. The pack gathers, stands up for one another, and keeps the territory protected. We live in human communities to hide ourselves because if we lived alone, we’d stand out a lot easier.”
Ashley hung on every word. It made a lot of sense. She didn’t have to guess to realize that if humans found out about lupines, it wouldn't be good, and being alone, they would stand out more easily.
It was also nice to know that their kind stood up for one another. Hopefully, she'd fit in with them, both because she didn't have a choice, as well as the fact that she didn't want to be alone when she was learning that there were things in the world she never would've guessed before.
Which reminded her of another question that she whispered because she was almost too afraid to know.
“What else is out there besides Werewolves? You mentioned pointed ears and stuff.”
“We’re not Werewolves, Ashley. They’re different. But there's a lot, maybe even everything you've ever heard of in a fairy tale and then some. Elves, fae, ghosts, vampires, demons,” he shrugged. “The list goes on a good ways.”
Ashley took a deep breath, realizing that the pack hunting her wasn’t the only thing out there that could've killed her. It made her regret leaving home, and wish she could just have the job she'd taken in Atlanta and remain oblivious to all of this.
On the other hand, it also made her feel even more fortunate to have found Leo and Cade when she did, even if Cade did seem stern and maybe a little aloof. At least he'd opened his doors to her, which she would have to show her gratitude for somehow.
With the thought in mind, Ashley resolved not to make herself needy at all. True, there would be no escaping it at some points, but she could manage.
If she was lucky, Cade wouldn’t even know she was there.
Chapter 7
Cade decided that having such strong instincts wasn't always a good thing, specifically concerning the woman sitting next to him.
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