Ashton Grove Werewolves (Boxed Set, Vol. 2)

by Jessica Coulter Smith

  Chapter Three

  The restaurant was crowded, which Colin figured was a good sign. It meant they’d picked a good place. Half an hour, and some light conversation later, they were seated.

  “So what do you do when you aren’t driving across the country following your whims?” he asked, hoping that she felt more at ease with him now. She seemed to be relaxing more and more around him.

  She smiled. “I’m an editor for a small press in New York. They email the files to me and I edit them electronically and send them back once it’s complete. I contact the authors while I’m working on the file if there are re-writes that need to be done.”

  “I guess that means you have a degree?”

  “A bachelors in English Literature with a minor in Creative Writing.”

  He felt a little uneasy. Why would she want to be mated to someone who’d dropped out of college? He’d studied architecture for two years before deciding that college just wasn’t for him.

  “And you live in San Francisco?”

  She nodded. “I have an apartment there. It’s just me and my cat.”

  “No boyfriend or husband?” he asked.

  “No, no one.” She grinned. “Is this a fishing expedition?”

  He cleared his throat. “Just curious.”

  “What about you? Where do you live?”

  “Ashton Grove, Georgia. I was actually heading home from visiting family outside of Los Angeles when I found you.”

  “Am I keeping you from returning to your job? I don’t want to delay you.”

  He shook his head. “No, you’re fine. I work for myself so I don’t have to answer to a boss.”

  “That must be nice. What do you do?”

  “I restore houses. Ashton Grove is small, but there are a lot of small towns surrounding it, and Atlanta isn’t too far away. There are a lot of old homes in the area. I actually just restored my own home not long ago. My cousins talked me into an old 1800’s small Victorian that needed a lot of TLC.”

  “Oh! I love those homes!”

  Well, that was a good sign, since he planned for her to live in it. “It was a lot of work, but it was worth it. I’m pleased with the results.”

  “The car looks new, did they talk you into that, too?” she asked.

  He shook his head. “A different cousin did that. I had a Harley when I came out here, but Suzette talked me into buying a car before I left. She gets these premonitions or whatever and said I’d need one. Guess she saw you coming.”

  Kendall smiled. “So she’s psychic?”

  “Yeah. She’s like an early warning system, but she likes to give cryptic messages. It drives me and my brother crazy.”

  “What’s your brother like?”

  “We’re twins, but he’s more reserved than I am. We’re almost identical in looks, but his hair is a little lighter than mine and his eyes are a different color.” He grinned. “But our faces look the same. We once thought of dying Connor’s hair and getting him contacts just so we could fool people.”

  “Isn’t that going a bit far for a prank?”

  “That’s what he decided in the end, too. Spoiled sport.”

  She laughed. “It sounds like the two of you have a lot of fun.”

  “We do when we aren’t dodging psychopaths or watching one of our cousins nearly screw up his life. It’s been an interesting year so far.”

  “So it seems,” she said with her eyes wide.

  “What about you? Any siblings?” he asked.

  She bit her lip. “I don’t keep in touch with my family, haven’t spoken to them in years in fact. It’s just me now. Well, me and my cat, Tink. A neighbor is watching her while I’m gone. But I guess, if I can get a tow truck lined up and you’ll take me back to my car, I’ll just head home tomorrow.”

  Wait, what? She couldn’t go home. Not now. “I don’t mind doing that, but I could take a look at the car for you.”

  “Really?”

  “Yeah. My brother and I are both good enough with cars that our cousin offered to let us work in his garage. I just decided I wanted to work on houses instead, and Connor bought a construction company that was going out of business.”

  “Well, if you’re sure it isn’t too much trouble...”

  “Not at all.”

  * * *

  The next morning, Colin took Kendall back to her car. After looking under the hood for half an hour, he shook his head.

  “I hate to tell you this, but your engine needs to be rebuilt.”

  “What?” she asked with wide eyes. “I know it’s an older car, but still.”

  “Sorry. Why don’t you get your things and we can load them in my trunk.”

  “You can’t take me back to San Francisco.”

  “No, but I can take you back to the motel with me for now. We can figure things out from there.”

  “I don’t want to be a burden.”

  “You’re not a burden, Kendall. Just let me help.”

  “Okay.” She opened her trunk and took out her bag.

  “I know this isn’t ideal for you, but we’ll work it out. I promise everything will be okay. Just be patient.”

  She grinned.

  “I’ll make sure that you won’t be stuck here.”

  “I guess I could always take a flight home and have my neighbor pick me up. I don’t think he’d mind.”

  “He?” She’d said no boyfriend, but he had a feeling the neighbor was more than just a neighbor.

  “Yeah. Sam helps me out from time to time. He watches Tink for me when I go out of town, helps me with large packages when they arrive, picks me up from the airport... stuff like that.”

  His hands tightened. “And is that all he helps you with?”

  Her eyes widened. “Well... no. We have an understanding of sorts. You know, when neither of us is dating anyone, if that’s what you mean.”

  Colin suddenly wanted to punch something. Just thinking of his mate with someone else made him want to growl. If he saw the guy, he’d rip him apart for daring to touch Kendall, even if it had been consensual.

  “I see. Well, ... perhaps you should call him so he won’t worry about you.”

  Colin’s phone rang, disrupting his thoughts.

  “Hello.”

  “Colin, I hope this isn’t a bad time. Connor told me you’d found your mate.”

  “Yeah well... We’ll see how that goes. Is everything okay, Aislinn?”

  “I guess that depends on what you mean by ‘okay.’ Eric had some bad news for us after you left. I know Connor should have told you when he spoke to you last time, but he said you hung up rather abruptly.”

  “What news? What’s wrong?”

  “Maybe I shouldn’t tell you.”

  “Honey, just spit it out.”

  Aislinn sighed. “I know you’re on your way home, but I was hoping you might be able to speed things up a little bit. We have another week to prepare for the war if what Eric says is true, and so far, he’s been accurate in all of his predictions. But I know that both Connor and Gabriel would feel better having the whole pack here before the time comes to fight.”

  “What are you talking about?” he asked with a frown.

  “Demons, remember? Eric said that the Skulls of Hell are coming to Ashton Grove. He said... he said if I don’t fight, I’m going to die.”

  Colin growled. “Like hell you’re going to die! I don’t care what we have to do, we’ll get them. No matter what it takes, the pack will defeat those bastards and they’ll never lay a hand on you.”

  “That’s pretty much what Connor said, too, but Eric said the battle can’t be won without me. I’m scared, Colin, but I’ll play my part. I just know that I’d feel better if everyone were home. Ramsey has been recruiting like crazy, so we have ten new wolves here. But I’d feel better if you were home, too.”

  “I’ll be there. I’m coming home as soon as possible. Don’t worry about anything.”

  “Thanks, Colin. I’ll see you soon.”
/>
  He hung up the phone and closed his eyes. He wanted more time with Kendall, time to convince her to stay with him, but this was more important. Aislinn wasn’t just the alpha’s mate, she was his sister-in-law. Hell, as far as he was concerned, she was his baby sister. He wasn’t about to let anything happen to her, or his town. If his pack needed him, if she needed him, then he’d be there, regardless of what it cost him.

  “Is everything okay?” Kendall asked.

  “No, not really. Aislinn needs my help so I need to get home as quick as I can.” He shook his head. “I know I promised to stay and help you, and I’ll make sure you have a hotel room for as long as you need it, but I have to get home. My family could be in serious trouble.”

  “And your girlfriend?” she asked softly.

  “My... No, Aislinn isn’t my girlfriend, she’s much more important than that.”

  Kendall’s eyes went wide. “You’re married?”

  “Aislinn is my sister. Well, by marriage. If she needs me, I have to go to her.”

  “No, I understand.” She bit her lip. “Would you... would you want more help? I mean, I don’t know what you’re facing or anything, but you’ve been so nice to help me... I’d like to repay you somehow.”

  “You’d come to Ashton Grove with me?”

  She nodded. “If you think it would help any...”

  “I don’t know what kind of help you could be to Aislinn, exactly, but I’m sure she’d appreciate having another woman around Although, there are some things we’ll have to talk about first, things that may make you change your mind.”

  “Then let’s go get your things.”

  “Slow down a little,” he said. “I don’t think one night at the motel will be so horrible. If you’re worried about sharing the bed, I can sleep in the chair. But I think we should rest before hitting the road again. As it is, we’ll be driving for more than thirty hours to get there. As much as I want to get there immediately, we’ll just have to plan to stop overnight at least once. Otherwise, I’ll be too tired to drive.”

  “I didn’t realize it was so far.”

  “Ashton Grove is on the other side of Atlanta.”

  “Then I guess we should go back to the motel and rest while we can. Maybe we can stop on the way and get a cooler so we can pick up ice and drinks in the morning. It would save us a few stops along the way. We could even grab snacks while we’re at the store.”

  He grinned. “That’s an excellent idea. And if you need more clothes, we can pick some things up for you.”

  “That’s okay. If you give me your address, I can just ask Sam to ship some stuff to me.”

  He tensed. “You’re going to ask him to go through your underwear drawer to mail stuff to you?”

  “You know, that’s the second time you’ve reacted that way when I’ve talked about him. Why do you have such a problem with him, or my relationship with him?”

  “Because you’re my mate,” he roared.

  Her eyes went wide and her mouth dropped open. “I’m what?”

  Colin stalked off and began pacing. This wasn’t going the way he’d planned. He hadn’t planned on screaming at her, and he hadn’t planned to tell her in the middle of the road either. So she’d been intimate with someone before meeting him, so what? He’d seen women, too. He knew it shouldn’t bother him, but the fact that the guy was still in her life on a daily basis pushed his buttons.

  “Colin, you can’t just drop that on me. Besides, wouldn’t I know if I was your mate?”

  “I hadn’t planned to tell you. At least, not yet. I was going to wait a while.”

  “Explain yourself.”

  “Do you believe in the supernatural?” he asked.

  “You mean like witches and fairies and stuff?”

  He nodded. “Yeah, exactly like that.”

  “I have a friend who’s a Wiccan, but I don’t know if I believe in fairies and vampires,” she hedged, not ready to divulge her secret just yet.

  “How do you feel about werewolves?”

  “Werewolves? Seriously?”

  “I know I sound crazy, but if you get in the car with me and go back to the motel, I promise I’ll explain everything.”

  She hesitated a moment. “You swear it?”

  He nodded.

  “Fine.” She got in the car. This she had to hear.

  Colin slid behind the wheel and started the car. Backing out of the space, he began the drive back to the hotel.

  * * *

  Kendall stared at him, her mouth dropped open. “You’re what?”

  “I’m a werewolf. I know, it sounds stupid and like I’ve escaped from the mental ward, but I swear it’s true.”

  She backed up a step. “Can you prove it?”

  “It requires me to strip naked, but yeah, I can prove it.”

  She blushed. “All right.”

  Colin slowly disrobed, watching her the entire time. When she dropped her gaze to the floor, he grinned. It seemed his mate was modest, despite their interesting beginning. Once he’d dropped the last of his clothes on the floor, he got her attention.

  “This works better if you’re watching me.”

  She looked up at him.

  In a flash of blinding light, he shifted into his wolf self. He stared up at her from all fours and whined.

  Her eyes went wide and she paled. “You’re... you’re... you’re...” Before she could say anything else, she slumped to the ground in a faint.

  Colin shifted back and pulled on his boxers before lifting Kendall into his arms. He gently laid her on the bed and smoothed her hair back from her face. After a moment, she began to stir.

  “Are you all right?” he asked.

  “You’re a werewolf.”

  He grinned. “Yeah, I am.”

  “And I’m your mate?”

  He nodded. “Do you still want to come with me?”

  She sat up and moved closer to him. “If anything, it gives me even more of a reason to help you, but there’s something you should know about me first. I haven’t been completely honest with you. I was a little surprised you’re a werewolf because I’ve never met one, even though I’ve heard about them before. But I’m something other than human myself.”

  His eyebrows rose. He’d thought there was a different smell to her, but he’d chalked it up to her being his mate. But if she wasn’t human, then she’d adapt to his life a whole lot quicker. It wouldn’t make him worry about her any less, especially with the Skulls of Hell heading toward Ashton Grove. They’d already gotten their hands on her once. What would they do to her a second time?

  “Are you familiar with shapeshifters, other than werewolves?” she asked.

  “My cousin is a fox. Well, technically she’s part fox and part fairy.”

  Her eyes widened. “Fairies are real?”

  He waved a hand dismissively. “Forget the fairies. What exactly are you?”

  “I’m a pallas, or a manul.”

  He frowned. “And that is what precisely?”

  She grinned. “I’m a small fuzzy cat. My origins are Central Asia, but my great-grandparents moved to the United States when my grandfather was small. Grandfather married a woman who was descended from a pallas and a mountain lion. The pallas was dominant when my father was born and he married my mother, a serval.”

  “And with that mixed heritage you still ended up a pallas?” he asked.

  She nodded. “I have a sister who’s a serval and a brother who’s a pallas. But I haven’t spoken to my family in a long time so I have no idea where any of them are right now. We had a falling out when I graduate high school and we haven’t spoken to one another since.”

  “Well, you’re going to have plenty of family now.” He studied her a moment. “Are you sure you’re okay with this? You seemed rather accepting of the whole mate thing.”

  “I’ve always known I had a mate out there somewhere. I just figured I was never going to meet him. Finding you, or rather, you saving me was nothing short
of a miracle. How could I not believe you when you tell me I’m your mate? Although, to be honest, I’d thought I’d recognize you when I met you. Shouldn’t there be a pull or something?”

  “Kiera didn’t recognize my cousin as her mate, either, but I’ve never seen a happier couple. I can’t explain why I recognized your scent but you don’t recognize mine.”

  He reached for her, his fingers caressing her cheek. She closed her eyes and leaned into his touch. She felt so warm and soft, so fragile. So his. How had his brother and cousins survived this intense need to claim their mates? He wanted to toss her on the bed and have her ten different ways, marking her as his. But after everything she’d been through, he held back. He knew he could heal her, if only he had a syringe. His blood would close her cuts, smooth her welts. The only thing it wouldn’t cure was the brand on her hip. Nothing short of magick would heal that, and only the sorcerer had that kind of power. He somehow doubted the man would bother with something so trivial, trivial to him anyway, monumental to Colin’s mate. The agony she must feel, knowing that she’d been marked forever by those demons, that scum. If he could take away her pain, he would.

  Kendall moved into his embrace, placing her hands on his waist. Her touch set him on fire and he wanted her even more. Staying the night with her in such close quarters was going to be torture. He mentally winced at his word choice. No, torture was what she’d been through. He was merely going to be uncomfortable – exceedingly uncomfortable. But it wasn’t anything he wouldn’t survive. Just the thought that he’d almost lost her before he found was sobering.

  “Will you kiss me?” she asked softly.

  “I’m afraid if I do I’ll want more, and you’re in no shape for anything more. I’m surprised you’re even upright.”

  “You’re a good doctor,” she said with a smile.

  “I want to heal you, but we need to get to Ashton Grove for that.” Or did they? If Aislinn could convince the sorcerer to help them, maybe he could materialize and heal Kendall. It was worth a shot. He pulled his phone from his pocket.

  “What are you doing?” she asked with a frown.

  “I’m calling for reinforcements. Have you ever heard of the sorcerer?”

  She shook her head.

  “Well, he’s all powerful and he’s on our side. My sister-in-law is being trained by him. I’m going to see if she’ll beg on our behalf for him to come and heal you.”