Moonlight Keeper (Return of the Ashton Grove Werewolves Book 1)

by Jessica Coulter Smith

  “The right man wouldn’t care about your problems, Aria. He would gladly take them on just to have you by his side, in his life. I can vouch for every male in this pack. If you were to choose one of them, you’d never regret it.” His jaw firmed, and something flashed in his eyes.

  “What is it, Lucas? There’s something you aren’t saying.”

  “Now isn’t the time. You’re tired and need to rest. Gabriel was right. It looks like you haven’t been able to sleep for a while. While you’re taking a shower, I’ll call Cassie. She’s a witch that’s friends with the pack. She may be able to come up with a tonic to chase away the bad dreams. And I’ll call Connor’s mate, Aislinn, to come and heal you. I can only imagine how much pain you’ve been in today while we dragged you through the mall.”

  “I’m fine, Lucas. You’re right, I’m overtired, but it’s nothing a good night’s sleep won’t cure. I don’t think the pack will find me this soon so I can sleep one night without worrying about them. Tomorrow I’ll worry about what’s to be done about them.”

  “I’m sure Connor and Gabriel came up with some ideas to keep you safe,” Lucas said. “Trust in them, Aria. They’ll do everything in their power to make sure that other pack doesn’t get their hands on you again. We take abuse seriously in this pack. Anyone who harms a woman is given the harshest of punishments.”

  “They have no authority over my uncle. There’s only so much they can do. I can only hope, that maybe, they can buy my freedom, or that my uncle will decide going up against two alphas isn’t worth his time.”

  Lucas moved closer and brushed a loose strand of hair away from her face. “We’ll discuss it later, Aria. Right now I want you to take a long, hot shower, then take a nap. Your body needs rest more than anything else. I’ll ask Cassie and Aislinn to come by after dinner.”

  “Thank you, Lucas.” She took his hand in hers. “You’ve always been there for me, and I can’t thank you enough for being here for me now. If I had to face this alone, I don’t know that I wouldn’t have given up. I’m tired, in body and spirit. I didn’t realize how much I’d missed having the support of a pack. It’s been so long since I left home.”

  “I’ll check on you in the morning.”

  She nodded and watched him walk out, pulling the door shut behind him. Aria rummaged through the bags until she found a pair of panties and the shorts and tank pajamas Lucas had bought for her. She laid them out on the bed before stripping out of her clothes. In the bathroom, she unbraided her hair, ran her new brush through the long mass, then started the shower. The hot water felt like heaven, and she thought she’d never come out. It took washing her hair three times before she felt it was clean, and at least four times scrubbing her body before she felt the pack had been washed from her skin. She’d always feel their hands on her, but at least she’d cleaned their filth from her body.

  Aria got out and dried off, untangled her hair, and donned her pajamas before crawling between the sweetly scented sheets. Her head had barely hit the pillow before her eyes closed and exhaustion overtook her. Later, when she’d awakened, she wouldn’t even remember falling asleep.

  * * * *

  Lucas pulled his phone out as he exited the Victorian. He supposed, by calling Aislinn and Cassie, he was overstepping his bounds, especially since he hadn’t claimed Aria. If he’d mated her already, he’d have more say in what happened to her. He’d have to come clean with Gabriel and explain the situation. He only hoped his alpha wouldn’t ask Aria to mate someone before Lucas could make his intentions known. It had crossed his mind that the best way to keep her safe was to ensure she was mated to someone in the pack, giving the Ashton Grove pack leverage when Aria’s uncle showed up.

  A new paranormal council had been formed just the month before, and Lucas was fairly certain they would be interested in Aria’s treatment at the hands of her uncle. If all else failed, perhaps they could call on the council to intervene. Lucas would do anything to protect her, even if it meant asking a bunch of strangers for help. The council was formed of two werewolves, two non-wolf shapeshifters, two witches, two fae, and two vampires. Lucas would mention the council to Gabriel when he came back in the morning.

  He quickly dialed Cassie’s number and hoped he wasn’t taking her away from her family. With a house full of kids, she had her hands full and didn’t really need to be dragged into pack business again. They’d tried to stop calling Matt and her quite as frequently as they once had, but there were some instances when they just really needed a witch.

  “Hello,” Cassie answered, sounding breathless.

  “I’ve called at a bad time.”

  Cassie laughed. “Lucas, it’s always a bad time when you have five kids in the house. What can I do for you? Trouble in the pack?”

  “I guess you could say that. My mate showed up battered and bruised with another pack tailing her. I know she’s been through a lot in their hands and I was hoping you would be able to brew her a tonic to help with the nightmares she’s bound to have.”

  “Congratulations on finding your mate! And yes, I’d be happy to help.”

  “I’ve known Aria nearly all my life. Her mother married the alpha of my old pack when she was two, and I was five. We bonded almost instantly. By the time I was ten, I knew she was it for me, but like a coward, I never told her how I felt, and I left home without claiming her. If I’d only done the right thing, she never would have been harmed.”

  “Sounds like you need a tonic to ease your guilt. I’m sure she doesn’t blame you, Lucas. I know, if I were in her shoes, I wouldn’t. When are you claiming her?”

  “I don’t know. I haven’t told her yet that she’s my mate. If Gabriel thinks she needs to be claimed before the other pack shows up, I’ll claim her first chance I get. I doubt that her uncle will believe we went through a pack bonding ceremony, and there’s no time for a wedding, which means I’ll have to do things the old-fashioned way.”

  “You mean you’ll bite her.”

  “Yeah. I hate to cause her more pain, but I don’t see any other way of handling the situation.”

  “I’m sure you’ll do whatever is necessary to keep her safe, Lucas. She’s lucky to have you, and I’m sure she’ll realize that. Now, when would you like the tonic? It will take a few hours to brew as some of the ingredients have to soak in peppermint oil for an hour.”

  “She’s resting now. I thought maybe you could stop by after dinner.”

  “I’ll be there by seven. I look forward to meeting her.”

  “Thanks, Cassie. I appreciate this. I know it isn’t easy to get away from your family.”

  “Matt can handle the kids for a while. And if he can’t, my parents are always happy to babysit. For people who weren’t too thrilled I was pregnant that first time, they certainly made a fast turnaround once our first child was born.”

  “All of your kids are adorable. I can see how they’d fall in love with them.” He smiled, just thinking of the little mischief makers. The last time he’d been there, they’d begged him to change into a wolf so they could ride him around the house. Thankfully, Matt had intervened.

  “You wouldn’t say that if you had to babysit.”

  Lucas laughed. “Thanks again for doing this. I won’t be there tonight, but Gabriel and Autumn will be home.”

  “Good. I need to see Autumn anyway. I have a tonic brewed to help with her nausea. This pregnancy seems to be kicking her ass. I’ll send you a text after I’ve given Aria the tonic. You should see results immediately.”

  “Sounds good. I’ll talk to you soon.” Lucas disconnected the call and sent a quick text to Aislinn asking for her assistance. He didn’t think he could handle another phone call about Aria just then. The more he talked about her, the more he felt the pull to return to her side. Being around her every day, and not claiming her, was going to be hard.

  Aislinn sent a message back letting him she’d show up later that night to see what she could do for Aria, and Lucas turned and went back ins
ide the Victorian. He found Gabriel in the living room, his feet propped on the coffee table, watching the sports channel. The vacant look in his eyes told Lucas he wasn’t really paying attention to the TV and was probably thinking about Aria’s situation.

  “Got a minute?” Lucas asked.

  Gabriel motioned for him to come in. “Have a seat. I take it Aria is settled for the time being?”

  “I heard the shower start as I came down the stairs. Hopefully, she’s resting by now.”

  “I take it you want to know what we’re going to do about her situation. The way you watch her hasn’t escaped my notice. Anything you want to tell me?”

  “Yeah.” Lucas blew out a breath. “She’s my mate.”

  “And you haven’t claimed her yet?”

  “I didn’t feel worthy of her. She was the pack princess, and I was a nobody. Part of why I left was so I could make my way in the world and become someone she could be proud to call mate. I wanted to make something of myself before I went back for her; then I heard a few years ago that she’d left the pack and no one seemed to know where she was.”

  “Do you know how she found Amber?”

  “When she called to ask about joining the Ashton Grove pack, before the demon war, Ramsey put her in contact with Amber. He thought she might like to talk to a female in the pack before making her decision. But then things changed, and she wasn’t able to escape her uncle.”

  “But Amber told you where she was?”

  “Yes. She’s kept me apprised of what was going on with Aria. I wanted to go after her, but I knew I didn’t stand a chance taking on an entire pack by myself.”

  “Did you ever stop to think that we would have backed you? I wouldn’t have sent you off alone to claim your mate. You know very well how highly we covet our mates. We would have done anything necessary to bring the two of you together.”

  “I didn’t want to make it your problem. We were preparing for the war with the demons, and I didn’t think you’d have any wolves to spare.”

  “I’d have found some extra men if it meant bringing your mate safely home.” Gabriel shook his head. “What’s done is done. All we can do now is give her our support and hope she decides to stay. If it comes down to it, if it means keeping her safe, will you claim her?”

  “I’d claim her now if I thought that’s what she wanted. She’s been through so much, and I get the feeling I only know a small part of it. I called Cassie and Aislinn. They’re both coming to help her, after dinner. I thought Cassie could give her something to keep the nightmares away, and Aislinn could heal her physical ailments.”

  “You don’t think that decision should have gone through Connor or me?” Gabriel asked.

  Lucas nodded. “I know it should have, but she’s mine, Gabriel. It might not be official, but she’s mine in every way that counts, and I needed to do something to help her. All these years, I’ve never been able to save her, but maybe now I can give her the love and support she should have had all this time.”

  “Very well. I think she’s safer here than anywhere else right now. I’m going to set up a security detail for her, and I’m going to guess that you want to be on it.”

  “Yes. I won’t leave her side, although I may have to go back to work in a few days, if things drag out.”

  Gabriel waved a hand. “We’ll take care of you. Don’t worry about your rent or utilities. If you need help with groceries, the pack will pitch in. It’s more important that you keep Aria safe.”

  Lucas couldn’t exactly disagree with the alpha when all he wanted to do was stay by Aria’s side. And the only way he was going to be allowed to do that was as her mate or her guard. And since she had admitted she wasn’t looking for a mate right now, that left the position of guard. It wasn’t what he wanted, but he would do anything to keep her safe, even deny the intense pull he felt every time she was near.

  “Get some rest, Lucas, and come back tomorrow at dawn. I’ll have a few more pack members in place by then.”

  “Have you thought of contacting the council? I’m sure they’d want to know about her mistreatment. Maybe they would intervene and stop an all-out war from happening.”

  Gabriel nodded. “It’s a thought. It will either make them back off or piss them off enough they make their move a little sooner. Either way, I’m sure we can agree that the sooner we put this behind us, the better. You’ll be able to claim your mate, and Aria will finally feel safe.”

  “Would you…” Lucas shook his head.

  “Would I what?” Gabriel asked.

  “Would you put the word out that Aria is mine? I know I don’t have an official claim on her, but I don’t want to worry about other pack members sniffing around her right now either. I don’t think my wolf could handle it.”

  “Consider it done.”

  Lucas thanked him and let himself out. If he was going to protect Aria, he needed all the sleep he could get, and dawn came awfully damn early.

  Chapter Four

  Aria startled awake the next morning, her heart racing as she took in her surroundings. For a moment, she’d thought she was back in the cabin, waiting for more pain. Instead, she was in Ashton Grove with the pack, and in a different kind of pain. Lucas had been so close, and yet not close enough. She’d wanted to hold his hand, to reach out and hug him…she’d wanted to kiss him and beg him to make her his in every way possible. The moment she’d seen him again, all of the feelings she’d thought she’d buried came rising to the surface. Even after all these years, she still wanted him.

  The mating pull was almost more than she could bear. That it was obviously one-sided made her heart ache. If she couldn’t have Lucas, she wouldn’t take a mate, no matter how many wonderful wolves he said were in the pack. She didn’t want just him. She wanted her childhood friend, the guy she’d had a crush on since she was five, and the guy who had always been there for her. He was still there for her, even after all this time, but she was selfish and wanted more.

  Aria brushed her teeth and hair, splashed some water on her face, and got dressed in a pair of shorts and a short-sleeved shirt. She pulled her long hair over her shoulder and frowned at it. She’d always had long hair, but it had been a while since it had been cut. It had gone from beautiful to having split ends and looking unhealthy. She wondered how reasonable it would be to ask for a haircut in the midst of everything going on. Probably not. Her vanity would have to wait. Even if she was doing it for Lucas, in hopes he’d see her in a different light.

  As she went downstairs, she heard voices in the kitchen. Her eyes widened a little when she saw Lucas, the alpha, and two other large males gathered around the table while the alpha’s mate made breakfast. Aria hurried to her side, hoping she could be of some assistance.

  “Morning,” Autumn said. “Did you sleep well?”

  “Better than I’d thought I would. I guess the tonic Cassie brought over last night really helped.”

  Autumn reached over and ran a hand down Aria’s arm. “Looks like Aislinn’s healing worked too. You’re good as new.”

  If only. She doubted any amount of magic could ever make that happen again. Not that she was going to say so in front of the alpha’s mate. If the woman chose to think a little healing and a potion would make her whole again, she wasn’t going to argue. They’d done so much for her already; it would just be rude to snap that she would never be whole again.

  Well, maybe not never. But the only thing that would make her feel complete would be Lucas claiming her as his mate, and she didn’t think that would ever happen. Even if she did feel his gaze on her, she knew it was just concern. Friendship. And unfortunately, it was nothing more.

  She felt heat press against her back and turned. Nose to chest, she knew it was Lucas before she even looked up. She’d recognize his scent anywhere. Although, she didn’t remember his pecs ever being quite so large before. Or his biceps…or really any part of him. He’d grown a lot in the years they’d been apart, and she was more than aware that he
was a very capable wolf.

  “Morning, Aria.” His deep voice rumbled and sent goose bumps racing down her arms.

  “Morning, Lucas. Did you come to check on me before work?”

  He shook his head. “I’m part of your guard detail until things are settled with the other pack. Come sit and listen to what the alphas have planned. You’ll feel better if you know what’s going on.”

  She let him guide her over to the table, where all of the men stood. Gabriel gave a slight smile, and the other two gazed at her in curiosity. The largest of the two held out his hand.

  “I’m Ramsey, the pack recruiter, and enforcer.”

  Aria slipped her hand into his. “It’s nice to meet you.”

  The other unknown wolf cleared his throat. “My name’s Cain.”

  As she shook his hand, his scent rose, and she wrinkled her nose. “What are you?”

  He laughed a little. “Tiger shifter.”

  “And Cajun?” she asked.

  He nodded. “Cain Boudreaux. No relation to that nasty pack you’re running from, but I’ve heard of them. That’s a different line of Boudreaux’s, and they’re all a bunch of assholes.”

  It was Aria’s turn to smile. “I couldn’t agree more.”

  The men sat, and Lucas pulled her down onto his lap. She tried to hide her surprise and leaned into him, reveling in his strength. His arm curled around her waist, his hand splayed against her ribs. It felt so incredibly right, if only he could feel it too. She tried to focus on what was being said, and one word caught her attention.

  “Council? What council?”

  “There’s a paranormal council that convened last year. Two of each kind of supernatural being. If we put your case before them, they could put a leash on that pack that’s chasing you,” Ramsey said.

  “Or it could just seriously piss them off,” Gabriel said. “It’s hard to say which way they’ll go. They don’t sound like the law-abiding type.”