Despite their argument and the following tension on the ride home, he was getting more and more curious about Ashley, and on the other hand—the bigger one—he wondered why she’d popped up now of all times.
It wasn't just the time of year that made him question it. Instead, it was Ashley's scent, the natural scent that no human would ever consciously notice, which was something lupines took note of, and most times they did it without thinking.
Just as a human could see traces of who a person was from the way they dressed and how they carried themselves, a lupine could catch their scent and learn about them in turn. This sense, if pleased properly, could trigger some heavy responses in lupines, including possessive interest and to a greater extent, bonding.
Ashley’s was light and airy, but because it was so rain washed and cloaked under her nervousness, it took Cade a bit longer than usual in order for him to really pick up on it.
But he finally did, and he liked it more than he wanted to.
Not to mention, she was fiery despite her size, which he also liked. In his office, he’d been amused by her arguments, especially the way she'd tried to demand that he move from her path. But he didn't let that show, and the more she'd said, the more surprised Cade became.
He thought she might start crying in reaction to the stern hand he was playing because of her riled instincts. But Ashley held her ground and told him what she felt.
A part of him wanted to smile when she'd refused to back down. Though she'd apologized for acting in response to impulses she hadn’t exactly gotten a good hold on yet, Cade was impressed. She'd been nervous, but she'd faced him, and that was admirable.
Regardless, Cade had to exert his authority to keep her in line for everyone’s own good. For that reason alone, he hadn’t cracked a smile at her and only kept that cold look in his eyes, asserting his dominance.
But over time he caught her scent, especially when they got into his truck, and it told him that despite her current moodiness, they could get along. Very well.
Sadly, it was making him interested.
With the full moon not too far off, as well as Henry's memorial coming up around the corner, and things being busy at Blue Moon this time of year, Cade knew the following week or two was going to be hectic. He didn't have the time or the inclination to be curious about a stray newborn who'd wandered into the territory.
So he'd have to pass this up.
Hell, he even wondered if he was really the right person to handle Ashley to begin with. He hadn’t even thoroughly realized that her entire life was taken from her and turned upside down until he saw her nearly crying when they'd exchanged a few heated words.
But Cade was never human. He was born a lupine, and shot her down when she honestly did need more positive reinforcement than she'd gotten. She'd probably been a normal girl who just wanted to be able to get a job and fit in like everyone else, not be locked away and never get to do anything she normally would've liked to.
Ashley wanted optimism, and he hadn't wanted to give her false hope. But seeing the fear in her eyes, hearing the desperation in her voice, he finally understood completely—her world had changed, turned upside down without a moment's notice
Just like his had when his father died.
He remembered that sensation all too well, spent the last year trying to forget the sense of loss and gut wrenching grief he'd felt with his father's passing. Cade would've done anything to change the story, and he knew Ashley would do anything to have her normal life back.
So he could relate to her, all too well, and maybe he was a good person to handle this.
While he thought about it, Cade’s truck turned onto a road that led through thick trees with a few gated driveways here and there in an upscale residential area. He idly watched his passenger to see how she might react when they got to the neighborhood.
The rains had all but stopped, and she cracked her window open, apparently having the nagging desire to get a good whiff of the scents outside now.
Besides the clean, rain scented air, he could pick up the earth and the foliage. It was refreshing, instead of smokey and stifling like the inner city could be, which was why his family had chosen a remote home—for the fresh air and the peace and quiet.
For the first time, he actually tried to imagine not being able to detect it, being a human and not having the welcoming scents of home hitting him whenever he drove back.
Something like that would drive him insane.
Cade eventually turned onto a driveway that went down an incline and around more trees to his two story house that was settled a ways from the shore of Arkin Lake. It had a well kept yard, though there weren’t any flowers planted. Cade's mother and sister used to keep up with the landscaping, but he hadn't had a mind for it, especially not since his father's death.
As he turned his truck off in the driveway, Ashley told him, “It’s really nice. Have you lived here all of your life?”
Cade nodded, tugging his keys from the ignition. “Yeah. My dad left it to me. His family built it, and Mom moved into her family’s home with my sister last year. Now it’s just me with a lot more space than I need and the taxes are murder.”
He got out and walked around to the front of the vehicle. Instead of going straight inside though, he waited for Ashley.
His curiosity was pricked when she pushed herself out and cringed after her feet hit the ground, like she'd just jarred an injury of some type.
“You okay?”
Her answer was a brief, “Yeah.”
Cade watched her suspiciously. Seeing the look, she added, “It's nothing. I just have some cuts on my back.”
“You sure?”
“I'm sure.”
He wasn't certain whether or not he should believe her, but for the moment, he merely replied, “Come on.” After all, it was better to get inside where it was warmer than push her physical condition in the cold night air.
A flood light with motion sensor came on when they got close enough to the steps leading up to the porch, illuminating everything. The home was built like a log cabin, complete with a large porch where a few rocking chairs were settled by a table before the front window.
Cade headed to the door and unlocked it, then did the gentlemanly thing and stepped to the side to let Ashley in first. But when he turned around to look, she wasn’t paying any attention.
Her back was facing him instead while she looked around the yard. It occurred to Cade that she was probably listening to everything, the scents and sounds drawing her in. Lupines innately did that to learn the normal ambiance of a new place so that if something happened, they would be alert to it.
Ashley was now staring off into space, the sounds she was picking up being crickets and frogs in the distance, as well as owls and other nocturnal birds, on top of things that she couldn’t recognize.
He had to clear his throat to try to get her attention, and when that didn't work, he smirked over how enthralled she was. Knowingly, he asked, “You wanna go sniff around before you head in?”
She jumped and stared at him with wide eyes as if she’d been a million miles away. When Cade glimpsed the look, he thought it was cute even despite her bruises. Big eyes and arched brows. As his mother would've put it, she looked as sweet as a cup of sugar.
“I’m not the only one who does that?” she asked uncertainly.
Cade scoffed, “Hell no. Just don’t wander too far, your nose might go into overload.”
Ashley stared for a moment as if glad to know she wasn't crazy, then quickly announced, “Be right back,” as she moved off of the steps at lightening speed.
Cade watched her going around the side of the house, unable to help a little lopsided smirk while muttering, “Just like a pup,” before he headed inside and let the storm door shut behind him.
Ashley found herself heading around the house, drawing in her breath through her nose much more eagerly than she ever had before. Knowing now that she wasn’t crazy for wanting to
learn the scent of things made all the difference in the world—even if a part of her did feel ridiculous.
But she also felt a kind of freedom to get used to what she’d become, one she hadn’t experienced yet. It was surprisingly invigorating.
The home was extremely nice too. Around the side she’d taken, she saw the living room light coming on in a window up above the bushes, the incline she’d traveled down leading to some garage doors and a set of steps going up to a deck where a patio table was settled.
In the distance, she could hear frogs croaking and the faint trickles of water, making Ashley wonder if there was a lake or a river nearby.
If so, she could imagine that the scenery would probably be lovely during the daytime.
As she moved, she declined going up the patio steps and headed around the deck on the ground level to see that there was a door on the wall beneath the wooden platform, but for what? She took in another breath through her nose.
Kerosene and paint. The scents were coming from behind the door, telling her that it must have been a storage room. Weird but . . . kinda cool actually.
Her curiosity appeased, she headed further around the house, intent on doing a full circle before going inside, picking up things here and there, some scents she recognized, some she newly learned.
Working her way back to the front of the house, Ashley cast one last glance up at the sky where a waxing moon peered through a break in the clouds for a moment before it was hidden again.
The moon wasn't full, but it was getting closer, and she could actually sense that it was waxing instead of waning. I guess it's like an internal clock for lupines.
While she considered it, the door opened up, and she looked over to see Cade stepping outside. Motioning at the sky, she asked, “Cade, do lupines have to change when the moon’s full?
He lifted an arm to lean against the column and looked up. “You will for a while, even after you get control of yourself,” he answered. “All of us do at first. But when we get older, we get control over it.”
Ashley took that in while simultaneously noticing how handsome Cade was. Leaning against the column without his jacket on, the gray shirt he wore gave a pretty good idea of the kind of physique he had beneath it.
He looked strong and rugged. Ashley found herself appreciating both qualities immensely, but she was also annoyed by the thought because she'd never been specifically good at handling herself around men she found attractive.
While the situation was far from being anything flirtatious, she knew that wouldn’t stop her from looking silly by shying away from him when having thoughts of how handsome he was.
Making it more difficult was the fact that she was staying with him for a while, so she definitely didn’t want to give off the impression that she was silly.
Maybe it wasn’t just her though. After all, his scent was somehow very appealing to her, earthy and completely male, and she was having trouble not noticing it. It told her that he had a good bit of fortitude, and even made her feel safe.
It also made her want to like him as a man when she wasn’t so sure he'd even be a good friend. But Ashley pushed those thoughts away and went inside, deciding that now just wasn't the time for them.
The living room was definitely comfortable, and she could tell a family had lived there before Cade inherited it due to some of the decorations not exactly being ones she’d think he'd use—such as crystal vases and floral paintings on the walls.
There was a navy blue sectional couch settled against the corner wall at the steps with a homemade afghan that hung over the back. Across from it was an entertainment center with a flat panel television set.
To the left of the room, the wall stopped at a short bar counter with three stools beneath it. The kitchen was just beyond with light gray tiles across the floor, and from what Ashley could see, it was a rather nicely sized kitchen to boot.
Ashley had to go look, thinking she might be able to cook him a decent meal as a thank you before stepping around, and wordlessly, fell in love.
There was an island in the center with a stove settled on the top and an overhang carrying several pots and pans above it. The counters were all a gray marble, and the appliances had that dark chrome finish, telling her they were new, but not too new.
On the far left wall was an oak table with sliding glass doors behind it that led out onto the deck she’d seen outside with the patio table on it. Near the refrigerator to the right of the room was another hallway.
She turned back to the living room to see Cade motioning to the right of the front door where there was an archway with three steps leading up to a landing and a larger set of stairs going up.
“Come on, I’ll show you the guestroom.”
Ashley followed him up the stairs while he mentioned, “The bathroom's at the end of the hall on the left. My room’s the first door here in case you need me. Then again I usually sleep on the couch.”
He took her to the second door on the left and opened it. Ashley walked inside to see the moderately sized guestroom, comfortable and inviting. A double bed sat to the left of the doorway and a set of large windows with white lace drapes encompassed the opposing wall. A closet door and a tall dresser next to it stood directly across from her.
The walls were a deep plum color, edged in white around the windows and door. The furniture in the room was all a part of a matching set make of oak, except for the vanity which looked vintage.
As she took it in, Cade spoke, “It’s not a big bed, but it’s clean and comfortable.”
“It’s perfect,” Ashley replied pointedly, her hazel eyes turning to him before adding sincerely, “Thank you.”
“It's no problem,” Cade returned before he looked her over. “How’d you manage to get those clothes anyway?”
Somewhat sheepishly, she replied, “Stole them from the backseat of a car. There was some money in the pocket. It's only twenty three dollars, but it came in handy for bus fare anyway.”
“Hang onto it. Tomorrow I’ll take you out to get some things. As for clothes, I have some of my sister's stuff that she leaves over here for spending the night. Hopefully it'll fit you.”
“You don't think she'll mind?”
Cade shook his head. “When she hears about you, she'll probably insist. So don't worry.”
Ashley bit her lips, saying softly, “Thank you again.”
“It's no trouble.” He sounded sincere about that, adding, “You wanna take a bath, right?”
“Oh god yes!” she nodded, having almost forgotten such a luxury existed.
Cade smiled over the reaction. “Okay, I'm gonna go call some people, and I'll leave some of Sara's things outside the bathroom door for you.”
Ashley nodded, and once he left, she headed to the bathroom, planning on having a long, hot bath that she knew would feel amazing.
The bathroom was just as nice as the rest of the house, with a large tub behind a glass door that had spa jets installed. Ashley tore her dirty clothing off, deciding that burning them would be a good idea, then filled the tub while locating a pack of unused razors in the cabinet above the sink.
She decided to snag one and pay for it with the money she'd taken, then climbed into the tub.
Ashley felt like royalty, having never considered how the simple pleasure of a bath was taken for granted so often. The relaxation found while settled in the warm water inside of the comfortable home nearly made her fall asleep.
She forced herself up though, definitely not wanting Cade to find her like that, or even worse, drown after all the trials she’d been made to endure for the past two weeks. Wouldn't that be just my luck though?
When she was done washing, Ashley donned the clean clothing Cade left outside the door—a white t-shirt and a light blue pair of pants that were only slightly baggy - then peered at herself in the mirror, or more specifically, at her cuts and bruises.
The claw marks on her throat were definitely getting better, but there was another wound
she had, one on her back, which needed help.
Ashley lifted her shirt and looked at what she could see of it. There was a large patch of skin missing on the left side, something new she found after awakening alone two days ago when she'd escaped. She wouldn't have worried over it, but it was extremely sore, making her think it was probably infected.
On a hunch, Ashley opened the medicine cabinet above the sink, and found a first aid kit that carried exactly what she needed. There was ointment and hydrogen peroxide inside which she tugged out, but then realized she had another problem.
Even taking her shirt off completely, she couldn’t exactly get to the wound without making a huge mess.
Grumbling, she put the medicine down and grabbed her dirty clothes. Looked like she'd need Cade's help after all.
Chapter 8
There was a missing persons case on Ashley Passmore.
Cade was on the phone when she came downstairs after her bath and inquired to know where a trashcan was for the dirty clothes she'd stolen. He covered the receiver with one hand and told her it was in the kitchen's pantry, then returned to his call.
He learned that a lupine working at the police station told Leo someone in North Carolina opened a case on Ashley when she never showed up in Atlanta for work.
Leo informed the officer that they'd found her in Arkin City as a stray newborn, so things were being taken care of discreetly.
Cade hung up the phone by the time Ashley walked back in. She looked a lot better in the clothes she had on now, and while he tried not to stare at her more visible curves, he realized she was fidgeting a bit, getting his mind off of what he was going to tell her.
“What’s wrong?”
“I,” she paused, “kind of need your help. It’d probably be better if I showed you, but I also don’t wanna.”
Cade wasn’t exactly sure what it could be, and headed upstairs with her to find out. As they entered the bathroom where he saw the medical kit, he realized she probably had a wound he didn’t know about, especially when she turned to lift her shirt up over her lower back.
Blue Moon Page 7
