Ashton Grove Werewolves (Boxed Set, Vol. 2)

by Jessica Coulter Smith

  Harper pushed his jacket off his shoulders. “You have on too many clothes.”

  He grinned and slowly undressed, watching her the entire time. If he hadn’t already been hard, the heat in her eyes would have done it. The hands fisted at her sides told him how much she wanted to touch him, every bit as much as he wanted to touch her.

  He reached for her and pulled her into his arms. As he caressed her soft skin, he thought about how lucky he was. Lucky that the amazing woman in front of him was his, by both human and werewolf laws. He could never tell her or show her just how much he loved her. Saying “I love you” just didn’t seem like enough. She meant the world to him – her and their unborn child.

  “Make love to me, Ramsey.”

  He brushed her hair back from her face, careful not to crush the roses. He finished undressing her and backed her toward the bed.

  “I want tonight to be special for you,” he said as he kissed the side of her neck.

  “Every night with you is special. Every time we’re together it’s wonderful and amazing.”

  With a soft growl, he nipped her. Changing direction, he backed her up against the wall. Maybe it was time for something new.

  “Wrap your legs around me,” he said as he lifted her.

  She did as he bade and gripped his shoulders. Slowly, he eased his cock inside of her, entering her fully. He bent his head to kiss her sweet lips and caressed her cheek. He plunged into her with long, deep strokes. Holding her hips, he thrust faster and harder, pushing both of them to the edge. As her orgasm crashed through her, Ramsey let go, coming deep inside of her.

  Lifting her into his arms, he carried her to the bed and laid her down, stretching out beside her. Harper cuddled up against him and he drew the sheet over their bodies before taking her in his arms. He looked down and saw that her eyes were drifting closed.

  “Good night, sweet wife.”

  She smiled. “Good night, my husband. I love you.”

  “Not half as much as I love you. I was nothing before I met you, Harper. Having you in my life makes me complete. You mean everything to me.”

  “You mean the world to me, too.”

  “I love you.”

  She smiled sleepily and drifted off to sleep.

  Ramsey watched her for the longest time, not ready to let go of such an important day. A month ago, if someone had told him he’d be so happy, so content; he would have laughed at them. No matter how long he lived, he could never thank Hunter enough for introducing him to Harper.

  Ramsey smiled. He might have saved her from Trent, but she had saved him in every way possible. She was his reason for living – her and her love. And he had the rest of his life to show her just how much she meant to him.

  Moonlight Warrior

  Prologue

  California

  Colin scrolled through his emails, looking for a message from his brother. They’d kept in constant contact since he’d left Ashton Grove and he always waited to see what had happened next. His nephew, Alisdair, was always getting into trouble. Connor was good about sending pictures several times a week. He wasn’t sure who was worse about documenting every waking moment of the child’s life, his brother or his sister-in-law.

  He found the message he wanted and opened it. He hadn’t spoken to Connor by phone in nearly a week and he wondered what was going on in Ashton Grove. So far, his emails for the week had only been about family things – mostly Alisdair. There had to be something going on, he just wasn’t sure what.

  He knew that Ramsey was back in town and had found his mate. Colin had been surprised to hear the werewolf had returned unattached. He knew that Gabriel had hoped that Ramsey and Luna would be mated to one another when they arrived in Ashton Grove, but it wasn’t meant to be. No, instead, the wolf had met Hunter’s sister and fallen head over heels.

  Connor had briefly told him some of the trouble that had caused, but he still didn’t have the full story. It was probably something he’d have to wait and hear after he returned home. Which was another thing Connor had avoided... his brother hadn’t once asked when he was returning home. Probably a good thing since he hadn’t really thought about it. He’d enjoyed his time in California, with their family. Granted, their cousins were starting to drive him crazy, but still...

  Someone tapped him on the shoulder and he looked up into Suzette’s smiling face.

  “We need to talk,” she said, walking around to settle herself into the chair facing his.

  He closed his laptop and set it aside. “Okay, so talk.”

  “It’s about your trip home. I know you’ve been dragging your feet, but it’s time for you to go. You need to leave next week.”

  “You’re kicking me out?”

  “Not exactly. I had a vision. If you don’t leave next Saturday, you’re going to miss out on something important in your life. I can’t tell you the specifics, you know that, but you have to trust me on this. You don’t want to screw around and not leave on time.”

  “All right. Anything else?”

  “You need to sell your motorcycle and buy a car. You’ll need it for your trip.”

  “Excuse me? You want me to do what?” He knew he had to have misheard her. There was no way he was selling his bike. He’d had it for years and it was like part of the family.

  “You can always buy another one later. But if you don’t have a car, there’s no point in you leaving early and you’re going to miss out on one of the biggest events of your life.”

  Colin grumbled. “Why do you always have to be so cryptic?”

  She smiled. “Because it wouldn’t be fair if I gave you all the answers. You have to work some things out for yourself. I merely point you in the right direction and then the rest is up to you. But if you screw this up, you’ll hate yourself forever.”

  “Great. No pressure or anything.” He sighed. “Fine. I’ll trade the bike in for a car. I’ll start looking tomorrow. I guess I’ll call Connor and tell him I’ll be home by Sunday or Monday.”

  Suzette shook her head. “I’m thinking longer term than that.”

  “Why would it take me longer than a few days to reach Ashton Grove? You know I drive fast.”

  “Because you’re going to be delayed. Now, stop asking so many questions. You know I’m not going to give you answers anyway.”

  Colin grinned. “Yeah, but it’s fun trying.”

  After Suzette left, he pulled up his email again and typed a quick note to his brother, letting him know about Suzette’s vision. It seemed he was going home after all.

  Chapter One

  Arizona

  Kendall leaned against her car and tried to get a signal on her phone. She was stranded in the middle of nowhere with no way to contact anyone. Her car had died and refused to start again. She fought the urge to smack her phone against the car. Not only did she not have any reception, her 4G was out as well. Not that the internet did her much good, but at least she could’ve emailed her friend and hoped he got the message. If it hadn’t been daylight, she would’ve just shifted and found the nearest town. Then again, she’d be naked when she shifted back so maybe that wasn’t such a great idea.

  Just when she was giving up hope, she heard a loud engine. Shading her eyes from the sun, she smiled when she saw a large truck rumbling her way. With any luck, the owner would be a guy. A guy knowledgeable about cars, she amended. Maybe she’d be on her way in no time!

  The truck pulled over to the side of the road just behind her car. But as the doors opened, she realized her mistake. She should’ve waited for them inside her car. Now she was in the open and exposed. She watched as five of the hardest looking men she’d ever seen got out of the vehicle. Despite the hot June weather, three of them wore black leather jackets. She had a really horrible feeling about this.

  The way they moved told her they were something other than human, but she wasn’t sure exactly what they could be. They didn’t smell like shifters. There was a foul, almost rancid, smell coming from th
em and it made her want to gag. She edged closer to the driver side door of her car, wondering if she could make it in time, but one look at the approaching men put a nix on that idea. They were too close and she had a feeling they were faster than they looked.

  They circled her, penning her in, making her feel like a trapped animal. Her other half, her animal half, yowled in protest. She could shift, but that would only make her more vulnerable. Sure, she’d get in a few good licks, but her cat was small and they would overtake her quickly. There was little doubt in her mind that the more she fought them, the more pain they would inflict. Now that they were closer, she could see the evil lurking in their coal black eyes. There was only one type of being with eyes like that – a demon. The skull and crossbones on the front of the leather jackets gave her a clue as to who she was dealing with.

  Fear snaked through her, seizing her. They tightened their circle, closing in until they were near enough to touch her. Her brain was telling her to flee, but her body was locked in place. A tremor ran down her spine, shaking her from head to toe as the leader reached out to touch her, running his fingers through her spiky red hair. Another ground against her from behind and she nearly wet herself. What were they going to do to her? Would she survive?

  “Tie her up,” the leader commanded.

  The demon behind her grabbed her hands, jerking them behind her back. Another produced a length of rope and tied them together, nearly cutting off her circulation. Next, they tied her feet and she was slung over someone’s shoulder and carried to the truck. Dumped in the bed of the truck, one of the demons launched himself into the back, presumably to keep an eye on her. As if she could escape like this! Bound as she was, it would be impossible for her to shift. Had they tied her on purpose, perhaps knowing she was a shapeshifter?

  She stayed silent, not voicing the multitude of questions she had, doubting that she would receive any answers and would most likely be punished for daring to speak. Her heart raced as the worst possible scenarios tumbled through her mind, one following the other in rapid succession. They hadn’t gagged her, which meant they didn’t care if she screamed, perhaps even wanted her to. She didn’t know a lot about demons, but what little knowledge she did have told her she didn’t have a prayer of escaping. They would torture her, and possibly kill her, but one thing was certain, she would not give up her soul. With there being five of them, chances were, they didn’t even want it. Which meant they’d captured her strictly for torture.

  Bile rose in the back of her throat and she forced it down. She didn’t want to show any signs of weakness, no more than she already had. They would try to break her, and if she gave in too soon, if they thought for one moment they’d already accomplished their task, her life would be forfeit. And she wanted to live! Oh how she wanted to live. There was so much she hadn’t done yet, so many places to see, people to meet. There weren’t many who would miss her if she were to disappear. She had one close friend at home, a guy that really fell into the “friends with benefits” category, but there was no love between them. She’d never been in love and the thought saddened her.

  She felt the truck bump along and looked up. The sky gave nothing away, but the position of the sun seemed off. Had they gone off-road? She broke out in a sweat at the thought of being taken further into the desert, where no one would hear her, no one would find her. They would be completely isolated, left to do to her whatever they pleased without interference. Not that a mere human could stop them even if they tried. No, maybe it was better this way. At least she would be the only one at their mercy.

  After what seemed like hours, but was surely only twenty minutes or so, the truck came to a stop. The demon beside her rose and hefted her over his shoulder. Once more, she was looking at the world upside down, mostly seeing his denim-clad rear. A sight that made her ill. After stepping around a cactus and a small rock formation, she was dropped, her bones rattling as she landed on the hard ground.

  Looking around, she resigned herself to her fate. They’d bolted manacles in the rocks, the perfect way to detain their prey, and an assortment of tools lay nearby. The sight of a branding iron made her flinch and she hoped and prayed that she either passed out before they used it, or that her life would cease before then. She didn’t think she could handle the pain of such torture. The other items didn’t look pleasant either, but they didn’t terrify her as much as the thought of her flesh burning, of being marked for all eternity as their plaything.

  One of the demons, whom she’d come to call demon 3 in her mind, cut the ropes binding her and dragged her over to the rock. Snapping the manacles in place, he ripped her shirt, dropping the shredded garment to the ground. Cutting her jeans from her body, he gave her a salacious look that made her skin crawl. Left bare except for her skimpy bra and panties, she shivered in anticipation of the atrocities yet to come.

  Demon 2 picked up a long whip, the kind she’d always associated with cattle drives and cowboys, and flicked it, making it snap. She flinched, unable to stop the involuntary motion. Demon 4 picked up a large knife that looked like it had been sharpened to within an inch of its life. The others settled in, obviously wanting to observe, and more than likely wait their turn. She didn’t doubt for one minute that this was only the beginning.

  The whip sang through the air, the crack making her tense, waiting for the pain to begin. The next flick sent it across her tender stomach, leaving a long red welt in its wake. Kendall clenched her teeth, determined not to utter a single whimper or cry of pain. The whip whistled through the air again, landing across her right breast. She ground her teeth and bit her tongue, each lashing making it harder and harder to keep quiet.

  The whip kissed her flesh again and again, harder each time until it drew blood. Demon 4 licked his lips and moved in closer. She knew the real pain was about to begin. The closest she’d ever come to pain was a broken ankle when she was a kid, courtesy of a trip off a trampoline, and a bad cut to her palm when she tried to stop her forward momentum by slamming her hand into a window pane. None of that compared to now. She wasn’t sure anything could have prepared her for this.

  The first cut was small, down the inside of her right arm, and made her hiss, despite her intent to remain silent. The demon grinned even bigger, his eyes growing even darker, if such a thing was possible. The blade of the knife caressed her breasts, but didn’t break the skin. He moved down her abdomen and made a vertical cut that stopped just shy of her navel.

  Silent screams echoed in her head, making her ears ring. The taste of blood filled her mouth from biting her tongue so hard. The knife moved down her body, sliding over her panties. She broke out in chills just thinking of the damage he could do to her there, but he moved on. Digging the tip of the knife into her upper thigh, he broke the skin and sliced downward, leaving a four-inch gash in her leg.

  Unable to stop herself, she whimpered and jerked at the manacles. The demon threw back his head and laughed before tossing the knife aside. She watched as he sat and another rose in his place. The leader brought her worst fears to life. Picking up the branding iron, he plunged the hard metal into an open flame nearby. She watched in absolute terror as the metal turned orange. When the demon was satisfied it was hot enough, he removed it from the fire and approached her, an unholy light in his eyes, his lips twisted in a sneer.

  “Not going to make any noise, are you?” he taunted. “We’ll just see about that.”

  Placing his meaty hand on her ribs, he held her still as he placed the red-hot iron against the skin of her hip. Kendall did the only thing she could. She screamed long and loud until the pain overtook her and she blacked out.

  Chapter Two

  Colin roared down the highway in his new car. The sun had set a while ago and the night air was cooler than the dry heat he’d faced all morning. The desert spread out around him, quiet and still. The moon was hidden behind clouds and his headlights were the only illumination in the inky black night.

  Rolling his shoulders to ease
the tension from driving all day, he looked down to change the radio station. Glancing back at the road, he slammed on the brakes. A lump was lying in the middle of the road, large enough to be something living.

  As the car rolled to a stop, he jumped out to investigate. He wasn’t worried about danger, being a werewolf put him at the top of the food chain. With a grimace, he remembered the vampire that had attacked his cousin Kiera and amended his thoughts to werewolves being near the top of the food chain. The creature had been unbelievably fast, and quite deadly.

  Approaching the pale lump, he realized it was a person. Not just any person, but a woman. Her red hair spiked in disarray from her head. Leaning down to investigate further, he noticed her pallor. He reached out and gently touched her, eliciting a groan from her full, sensual lips. Dressed in nothing more than her bra and panties, he wondered what misfortune had befallen her.

  “Shh, it’s okay,” he crooned, hoping to ease her fears should she awaken and find him crouched over her.

  He rolled her over and flinched at the sight before him. He’d never seen someone so ravaged before. Colin gently lifted her into his arms, startled by how light she was. Moving quickly, he set her down inside his car on the passenger’s side. The dome light revealed a delicate chin and a cute button nose. Her eyelashes lay dark against her pale cheeks.

  His gaze roamed over her, checking for any further injuries. Welts had formed on her breasts and stomach, blood trickled from an open gash on her leg and another on her stomach. As his gaze raked her from head to toe, he froze in horror at the skull branded into her tender skin.

  Looking her over more carefully, he noticed bruises on her wrists and arms.

  What has she been through? Colin wondered.

  Fastening her into the seatbelt, he quietly closed the car door and hurried around to the driver’s side. Sliding into the car, he closed the door and sped down the highway. The sooner he located a hotel, the sooner he could make sure she was safe.