She’d overturned the cards that morning, fearing they would still be blank. The horror, the war was over and yet she still worried another nightmare loomed on the horizon. Yet, the cards revealed only happiness. They spoke of new foundations and promises. She should have been filled with a sense of peace.
“Are you going to be alright?” Joanna asked, placing a hand on her friend’s arm.
Ashe jumped, her head snapping up. Her heart thumped, and she let out a nervous laugh. “Oh, who? Me? I’ll be fine.”
Joanna gave her a look that said she didn’t believe her, but before she could press the matter further, the colorful Kaylee sidled up to them. She wore a cocktail dress buffeted with rainbow petticoats and had a crown of flowers weaved through her hair. She tucked one over Ashe’s head, arranging her hair so that they matched.
“As long as Gage doesn’t think he’s proposing today, everything is going to be alright.”
Joanna spun toward their new friend. “You don’t want to get married?”
Kaylee snorted. “We’re already close enough. Don’t you think? I don’t need a rock or a contract to force me to be closer to him.”
Ashe shook her head. Gage and Kaylee would always be the strangest of them, but they were the light they all needed. A very loud and sometimes lewd light. Ashe had noticed, and she wasn’t going to say anything to Joanna, the words Fuck Truck painted onto the back of Archer’s vehicle.
A faint music drifted toward them, the first sign that things were about to begin. Ashe sucked in a deep breath and glanced down the deep red carpet that’d been laid out. She could do this. It was nothing, just a simple walk.
A gentled push from behind propelled her forward. Stumbling at first, she found her feet and commanded control of her knees.
***
His mouth went dry. The world around him rocked to a sudden halt. All he could see was the woman standing beneath the arch of flowers, a sheepish look on her face. Ashe’s curves were accented by the burgundy wrap dress. It clung to her as she moved, promising the bountiful rise and fall of her body. His eyes roved up her body to land on her mouth. The dark color of her lips was like fine wine or forbidden pomegranates. A wreath of pink blossoms and dark green leaves crowned her head and made her seem ethereal. The urge to run toward her and scoop her up was overwhelming.
It took all he had to keep his feet rooted to the ground and not ruin his brother’s wedding by stealing away the maid of honor. His mind filled with ways he wanted to undress her, the slow and tormenting tug of the belt that held her dress closed, the greedy tug of the fabric away from her skin until she was free and wild before him. He would leave the crown on, too, and fuck her like the goddess she was.
He patted the pocket on his breast to make sure the box was there. He hadn’t lost it or misplaced it. It was necessary for the day. He’d kick himself if he lost it.
Ashe moved to stand on the other side of the altar, too far away from him if he had anything to say about it. He leaned back, glancing behind Gage to catch his mate’s eye. Ashe smiled, her dark cheeks growing darker.
Cohen smiled. The bear sat, happy with where life had led them. A single phone call had brought him back on track, away from a life that might have killed him. He knew, if he’d stayed solitary for much longer, he would have pushed himself to insanity. The only option at that point would have been death, but the people standing around him had brought him back from the brink.
To think, he once feared hurting them. Now, the beast stood protectively behind them, an Alpha to it’s core. It threw its head back and roared with pride.
Kaylee marched proudly down the aisle, her eyes sparkling as she looked at Gage. They shared a secretive smile before she split off to stand beside Ashe. That one was the most perfect match for his youngest brother. Cohen didn’t know if there was a wilder, sneakier, or more determined beast out there than Gage’s coyote shifter.
Then, Joanna appeared. Her dress fluttered around her legs. Cohen could see where her hips had grown ever so slightly wider. Ashe had been right in her guess. Joanna was pregnant, and she glowed with the beauty of it. Upon seeing her, Archer’s calm composure broke open.
His eyes watered, and a smile split his face from ear to ear. Cohen watched him swallow back his anxiety. It was now or never and there was no going back on a mate bond. The two of them would forever be bound to each other. What one felt, the other would feel. Where one faltered, the other would stand.
A priest officiated the marriage. When he was done, he looked to Cohen. As the new Alpha of the Pack, it was upon him to approve. He felt a strange stirring inside him as all eyes descended upon him. He could not stop true love, so he didn’t know why he had any say in the matter.
All he could do was nod. The gesture was all that had remained to approve the marriage; on cue, Archer grabbed his wife and bent her lower for a breath-taking kiss. Joanna’s eyes were dazed when he pulled away, a small, confused smile on her lips.
The crowd leapt from their seats and applauded, raucous cheers coming from Gage and Kaylee. The aura of the Pack had changed. Gone was the vicious griping and anger. It was replaced with newfound glee. The wedding couldn’t have come at a better time, most likely bolstering this new energy.
The wedding couple walked down the aisle together, arm in arm as they smiled happily up at each other. Gage and Kaylee slammed into one another, laughter erupting from them as if it was the only mode they knew. Ashe slowly approached him, her chin high and a defiant happiness in her eyes.
Tonight was going to be fun, he thought.
He held out his arm for her, the other hand still over the small box in his coat jacket. All eyes watched them move, the Alpha pair of the Vancourt Pack. They had taken three packs and consolidated them into one, a feat that took a fair amount of power and control to maintain.
Cohen could feel their emotions grating in his mind, the bond like a funnel that led toward him. They could offer power, but they also offered their problems. He knew there was a long road ahead of them. The happiness of the day could not last forever and there would always be bumps in any road.
Chapter Twenty-One
Cohen was acting strange. Ashe could see it. He kept patting his chest and pacing. All through the reception he acted strange. She could not feel what he did, the constant flux of emotions from his Pack. The adjustment must have been hard, and he was struggling. It was understandable.
She moved closer to him, placing her hands on his shoulders to steady him. He sunk his head low enough for her to claim his lips. He tasted like almond cake and buttercream, a flavor she eagerly lapped up, but he pulled away a moment too soon. She looked at him with concern in her eyes, but he flashed a smile. It was the kind he reserved only for her.
“Dance with me,” he whispered.
She looked at the dancefloor, not sure if she wanted to embarrass herself like that, but before she knew it Cohen was dragging her away. She squealed, trying half-heartedly to pull back. Really, she didn’t want to. She wanted to stay in his arms, soaking up the heat that wafted from his body and the scent that she couldn’t get enough of.
Cohen spun her in circles, carefully commanding their dance in a way that made her feel like a queen. He dipped her low and brought her back up again, her head spinning. A wide smile touched her lips. If anyone had asked her if she thought her future would be this happy, she would have scoffed and run away.
Now, she looked up at the nearly golden eyes that watched her and felt her heart swell. This was what she had dreamed of when she was a lonely and broken teenager searching for some kind of fairy tale to let her escape the torment that had been her reality. While it had been a long and hard road to get here, she knew her fairytale had come true.
Then, just as she’d realized her happiness, Cohen pulled away. She nearly cried out, already missing his warmth and wondering why he would leave her. Yet, her heart lurched into her throat as she watched him drop to one knee.
She slapped a hand over h
er mouth. Her knees gave up on her, and she fell to the floor in front of him. Inside an open velvet box was a single, faceted garnet on a thin band.
“You are the Persephone to my Hades,” he began, his voice trembling so lightly that only she could hear it. “I can’t imagine any kind of future without you and want to make sure you know my commitment is real. I would be a lost monster without you, without your brilliant kindness and huge heart. Hell, this Pack wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for you.
“If I could, I’d give you the sky and everything beneath it. You deserve all that and more, but what I can give you is this ring and a promise. I promise to forever stand beside you as long as you will have me.”
Ashe fought to speak through the tight feeling in her throat, the heart that had lodged itself there. “Is this… is this a proposal?”
He hadn’t exactly said the words. She didn’t know how to react. If this was only a gift and she said I do, she would look like a complete fool. Yet, if it was an actual proposal, he was completely dancing around the actual words.
He laughed, his cheeks becoming pink. It was an adorable and innocent look on a man who’d only recently worn shadows instead. “Yes, this is a proposal. Will you marry me, Ashe?”
She nodded, unable to speak as tears flooded her eyes. They raced down her cheeks. He wiped them away with rough thumbs and rose to kiss her cheek.
In the background they heard a single voice shout, “Don’t you fucking dare, Gage Vancourt.”
“Does it look like I was thinking about it?”
Together, Cohen and Ashe laughed.
Cohen plucked the ring from the box and slipped it over her finger. She held her breath, marveling at the dark gem against her pale skin.
JAX
Emilia Hartley
Chapter One
Clutching her paper coffee cup in one hand as she shoved the swinging door open, a guilty feeling churned in Sydney’s stomach. She glanced around the police department, eyes bouncing off dispatchers and beat cops before she saw the Chief’s office. If she was totally honest with herself, stopping for coffee had been her attempt at delaying the inevitable.
As if summoned by her thoughts, the door flew open, and the Chief appeared, eyes blazing. He gripped the doorway with white knuckles and used the other hand to summon Sydney forward. She let out a long sigh and ran a hand over her hair.
Trevor met her gaze, offering a sympathetic smile before ducking his head.
Inside the office, the Chief commanded her to close the door and pointed to a seat across from his desk. She sat on the edge of the chair, holding the coffee as if it might explode in her hands at any moment.
The Chief sank into his chair, the hot air leaving him deflated and tired. She could see the dark circles dragging his eyes down and the sprinkling of gray forming at his neatly cut temples. He was young for the job, but the pressure of it was quickly aging him.
“Why don’t you have any progress on the missing person's case I handed you?”
Because they all disappeared into thin air. Because none of them had anything in common. The thoughts rose to the front of Sydney’s mind, but she didn’t say them. That kind of sass could cost her rank, and she’d worked too hard to get above the toxic masculinity that presided over the department.
Instead, she sucked in a long breath through her nose, holding and exhaling before she spoke. “It’s not that I have no progress, but that progress is slow. I’ve spoken to all the families and cross-referenced their histories to see if any of them might have crossed the same paths.”
“And?” The Chief pressured her with expectant eyes.
Her jaw clenched. “And nothing. As far as I can tell these people didn’t know one another. They didn’t even shop at the same grocery store.”
He shook his head. “That isn’t what I wanted to hear. I have scared family members breathing down my neck. They want answers yesterday. Promise me you’ll have something to tell me by the end of the day.”
Sydney opened her mouth to argue and immediately snapped it shut again. As much as she wanted to, she couldn’t talk back to the Chief. Her shoulders slumped. What could she give him? What leads had she not looked at yet?
Sensing her hesitation, the Chief let out a dramatic sigh, one that turned into a groan of frustration. “You’re dismissed. Don’t come back to the station until you have something to tell me.”
Her heart flipped. She shot up from her seat, hot coffee sloshing out the hole in the lid. It burned her hand, but she did her best to ignore it. Nodding to her boss, she ducked out of the room.
Sydney lurched for her desk, feeling the ground waver beneath her feet. She had to close this case. If she didn’t, it might cost her job. If anything, they would demote her, and she’d worked too hard to get to where she was. She was a detective in a small town where there weren’t many. Working as hard as possible, harder than her male co-workers, she’d waited patiently for a position to open up. Her eyes were set on Lead Detective, and if this case didn’t go well, she might never get the position.
“They handed you this case because it’s impossible,” Trevor intoned.
Her head snapped up. “What did you say?”
He looked between her and the Chief’s closed door before speaking in a hushed tone. “I overheard one of the other detectives complaining about this case. He asked the Chief to hand it off to you because it was going to go nowhere.”
She slammed her coffee down onto her desk. Sydney was furious. From behind her golden bangs, she glared at the detectives across the room. Two men stood over their desks, coffee mugs in hand as they gossiped about women in town. They were doing nothing while she was floundering in this missing person’s case.
Her groan turned into a feral kind of growl. She had to get control of herself. Her job was at stake. If she wanted to be a lead detective someday, she needed to show them she was capable of anything.
Pulling her shoulders back, she turned a bright smile on Trevor. His eyes widened, and he leaned away from her. She knew the toothy grin was predatorial and loaded with vicious potential. Someday, there would be a time she wouldn’t have to prove herself. Until then, she would fight tooth and nail.
Sydney chugged her coffee and threw the paper cup into the trashcan. It rang like a gong, echoing through the room. The other detectives looked up, surprise on their faces. She offered them a smile, the same as she’d given Trevor. Their brows furrowed before they turned back to their gossiping conversation.
She gathered her files and notes. Chief had been clear; she wasn’t welcome at the station until she had an update. On her way out the door, she spun around and saluted the room. The dispatcher, a woman with dark auburn hair and laugh lines, narrowed her eyes at Sydney.
Outside, she climbed into her unmarked SUV and threw the files onto the ever-empty passenger seat. Flipping through one of the files, she wondered where to start. It wasn’t as if she hadn’t already exhausted her leads. Her eyes lighted on one of the missing person’s place of work.
Sunrise Peak Lodge
She’d talked to the employees once already, but it couldn’t hurt to try again. She could flash her badge and try to get access to the recent guest list. If that didn’t work, she could try to steal a glance at the guestbook near the parlor.
It was a start, she decided.
***
The wind whistled past Jax’s ears. He squeezed the throttle and let his head fall back. There was freedom ahead of him, the past unwinding behind him like the string of a sweater. If he didn’t look back, it wasn’t there.
After the Packs coalesced into one large pack under Cohen Vancourt, Jax couldn’t take it. There were too many people. Shadowed eyes looked at him from every angle, accusing him of the past few years. He tried to tell himself he’d done everything possible, he’d done what he could to ensure his Pack’s safety, but he was only lying to himself.
Jax knew the things he told himself were lies. He hadn’t done whatever he could. The
fact that he was still alive was proof enough. He should have died protecting his Alpha. He should have done more. Been more.
He twisted the handlebars and directed his motorcycle up a mountain path. Joanna had worn a grimace when he told her of his plans, but she’d nodded. She knew he had his demons to work through, even if he planned on running from them for a while. They both knew that’s what he was doing, though neither of them mentioned it.
Instead, she’d hugged him, her growing belly and all. Cohen had simply nodded. The man was still a towering beast, and he would do the new Vancourt Pack good. No one would dare tread on Cohen’s territory. Jax knew he was leaving the Pack in good hands.
The bike wound up the churning path. He avoided treacherous potholes and slowed to take in the scenery around him. Thick pines and firs stood proudly along the road while elms and oaks budded with new life. The further south he’d driven, the warmer the air had gotten.
He welcomed it. Jax left behind the damp spring of New York for the warmer air of Virginia. Something about the Blue Ridge mountains called to him. He couldn’t deny the serenity the road had offered for the hours he’d ridden there. Jax wanted to keep going. He wanted to ride across the world as if he might be able to outrun the ghosts haunting him.
But, he couldn’t run forever. As desperately as he wanted to, he wouldn’t. Instead, a hotel sized cabin appeared over the tops of the trees. He turned toward it, coasting down into a parking lot, past a sign that read:
Sunrise Peak Lodge
He would get a room, maybe have a drink at the bar, and hit the road in the morning. That was the plan. Jax kicked the stand and turned off the engine. The air smelled of exhaust and pine, but there was more lingering in the air. The scent of shifter was faint but present.
Outcast BoxSet Page 42
