Ashton Grove Werewolves (Boxed Set, Vol. 2)

by Jessica Coulter Smith

  They gathered their things and stowed everything in the trunk of the car. Colin drove around to the front door and ran inside to check out. When he returned, he slid behind the wheel and looked at her expectantly.

  “What are you in the mood for?” he asked.

  “Anything is fine.”

  “I think I saw a McDonald’s on the way to the interstate. Will that work?”

  She nodded and settled back against the seat. Kendall honestly didn’t care what she ate, or when, just as long as they were on their way home. Home. What an odd thought, that Ashton Grove would be home to her, and yet that’s what it would be from this moment on, if everything went according to plan. Sliding a glance Colin’s way, she studied him from under her lashes. He looked so strong and confident, so in control. There was little doubt in her mind that he would protect her during the upcoming war, and any other time she found herself in trouble. They may not know one another, but that was one thing she did discern about him. He was loyal, as wolves tended to be, or so she’d heard.

  It was only a few minutes before they pulled into the parking lot of the small McDonald’s. Colin whipped into a parking space and killed the engine. He pulled off his sunglasses and dropped them onto the dash. Turning those soulful chocolate eyes of his toward her, he stared at her intently.

  “We’re going to go in and sit down to eat. And once we’re done, we’re hitting the road. I don’t plan to stop until you tell me you need a break for food or the bathroom. Enjoy this time while you have it, because it’s going to be a grueling trip home.”

  She reached for his hand. “I understand, Colin. I know you need to get home quickly, and I know I’m holding you up. Maybe it would be best if you went without me.”

  He growled low in his throat. “No. I’m not leaving you. You’re mine.”

  Had she been any other woman, his proprietary tone might have pissed her off, but it just made Kendall’s heart flutter. It’s what she’d always wanted – to belong. Being his sounded pretty wonderful to her.

  “Yes,” she said softly. “I’m yours. I’ll go with you if that’s what you want, Colin. I was only trying to make things easier for you.”

  He reached up and grasped her chin, pulling her closer. Lowering his mouth to hers, he kissed her like a starving man, his mouth possessive and hot, his tongue seeking hers. She slid her hands into his hair, wanting to hold him to her and never let go. She’d been kissed by men before, but never like this, never so completely. When they came up for air, she saw the desire blazing in his eyes and she wanted to answer the call, to tell him to claim her, to find someplace to make her his own.

  His voice was husky when he spoke and it sent shivers down her spine.

  “Let’s go inside before I forget everything but the need to claim you, to mark you, to make you mine in every way possible.”

  What could she possibly say to that? It sounded pretty wonderful to her. But she knew they needed to wait, that this wasn’t the time for something like that. Moving away from him, she reached for the door handle and got out. As they walked across the parking lot, he placed his hand at the small of her back and she tried her hardest not to arch into his touch and purr like the contented cat she was. His touch was exhilarating, making her every nerve sing. If she didn’t get hold of herself soon, she was going to do something embarrassing, like rub against him like a cat in heat. She grinned. And yet, that’s exactly what she was.

  * * *

  After being on the road for several hours, Kendall stretched and looked over at Colin. He had one arm braced on the door, his fingers drumming on the steering wheel, while he focused on the road. She’d heard him hum a few songs here and there, but otherwise he’d been silent. They’d talked for the first half hour and then she’d given up on light conversation and had stared out the window at the passing scenery. At some point, she’d fallen asleep. And now, she had no clue where they were. The clock in the dash told her she’d been asleep for three hours. Surely they were out of Arizona.

  She shifted in her seat, drawing his gaze.

  “Did you have a nice nap?” he asked.

  She nodded. “Where are we?”

  “We just left El Paso. We’ll be in Texas for a while, probably the rest of the day. I imagine we’ll stay in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area overnight. I don’t see any reason we can’t make Montgomery tomorrow.”

  “Alabama?”

  He smiled. “Yeah. We’ll take I-20 all the way in to Atlanta, then take I-85 to 441. If we make Montgomery tomorrow, I don’t see why we can’t be in Ashton Grove the day after that.”

  So soon? She was both excited and nervous.

  “Tell me about Ashton Grove,” she said.

  “Well, there isn’t much to tell. It’s a typical small Southern town. The town has no idea that werewolves live among them. We blend in as best we can. It’s a little harder for those who don’t own their own business, or who don’t work for another werewolf. Our pack has grown a lot over the past year. When my brother and I first came to Ashton Grove, it was just us and our cousins. Now, from what I’ve heard from my brother, we have over thirty males and a handful of unmated females in the pack. Only five of the males are mated. There were six, but that’s a long story that I’m still not real clear on myself.

  “Ramsey has been recruiting, trying to get our numbers up for the upcoming war. We know we’re going to lose people, there’s just no way to avoid casualties when it comes to war, but we’re hoping a larger number of wolves and shifters will give us an advantage. My sister-in-law has become a rather powerful sorceress and will be leading us, along with Eric. He’s supposed to stay out of it, but I think he’s decided to throw caution to the wind and take a stand for once.”

  “Does anyone know why the demons are descending on Ashton Grove? It seems a little out of their way, considering they were just in Arizona.”

  He frowned. “I don’t think anyone’s ever said. For that matter, I don’t know if anyone thought to ask. Eric simply told us what was coming and we began preparing.”

  “You don’t find that a little odd?” she prodded. “I mean, demons aren’t exactly common, and yet someone tells you that demons are coming to destroy you and no one asks why?”

  He glanced at her before returning his gaze to the road. “Maybe we need to do a little research.”

  “If they’re coming for something specific, maybe we can get it out of town before they arrive, redirect them. Unless... is there something special about your pack, something else that would draw their attention?”

  “Well, we have two alphas, but I highly doubt that would bother a demon.”

  “Maybe you should talk to your alphas and figure out what’s going on.”

  Colin reached for his phone. “Good idea.”

  He synced the phone to his car and quickly dialed Connor. When no one answered the home phone or cell phone, he called Gabriel. It didn’t really matter which alpha he spoke to, as long as he talked to one of them. He was a little surprised none of them had come to the same conclusion as Kendall before now.

  Gabriel answered almost immediately. “Colin? How’s your trip going?”

  “It’s fine. I have you on speaker phone and Kendall is with me.”

  “Hello, Kendall. Welcome to the pack,” Gabriel said.

  “Thank you, alpha. I’m looking forward to meeting you,” Kendall replied.

  Colin tapped his fingers on the steering wheel. “Listen, there’s a reason I’m calling. Kendall brought up a good point today, one you might’ve already thought about, but I figured it was worth mentioning.”

  “What is it?” Gabriel asked.

  “Eric said the demons were coming to Ashton Grove, that we didn’t have much time to prepare, but did he ever say why the demons were coming?”

  “No, I don’t think he did. Do you think there’s a specific reason they’re targeting us?”

  “Kendall brought up the point that Ashton Grove is a ways off from Arizona. Why go so far out of t
he way when there are so many other packs between the two locations, if any pack will do? Or is there more to it? Are they after something in particular?”

  “I can’t imagine what we would have that they could possibly want. We’re a small pack. It would make more sense for them to attack Los Angeles or New York, one of the bigger, richer packs. Some of us are barely scraping by,” Gabriel said.

  “Perhaps the sorcerer knows more than he’s letting on,” Kendall added. “Maybe someone could talk to him?”

  “He seems to like Aislinn. I’ll see if she can speak to him about it,” Gabriel said. “I’ll let you know if we learn anything.”

  Colin disconnected the call and reached for Kendall’s hand.

  “Do you really think the war can be avoided?” she asked.

  He shrugged. “Eric seemed fairly certain we’d have to fight. So far, he’s been right about everything. He just seems to know things before they happen, so I don’t really question him. But if he’s holding something back, we definitely need to know.”

  “What’s going to happen when we reach Ashton Grove?” she asked.

  “What do you mean?”

  “I mean, there are demons on their way to your town. We have more important things to deal with than me meeting everyone. Do you think we should skip the formal meeting?”

  “Formal meeting?”

  She looked at him in curiosity. “Don’t I have to be presented to your alphas, to be considered as a possible addition to your pack?”

  Colin threw back his head and laughed. “I don’t know where you get these ideas. Honey, you’re mine, my mate, the other half of my soul. There’s no formal meeting, no consideration. As far as everyone is concerned, you’re already part of the pack. Yes, you’ll need to meet everyone, but that’s just so you’ll know who’s who and they’ll know who you are.”

  “But what if they don’t accept me? I’m a cat shifter. It isn’t exactly common for cats and wolves to get together.”

  “My brother is mated to a woman from another reality who has turned into a sorceress. Two of my cousins are mated to humans and the third is mated to a half-fairy half-werefox. They aren’t going to care what you shift into, or that you shift at all. Stop worrying about being accepted.”

  “So that’s it? You tell them I’m your mate and everyone just accepts it?”

  “Pretty much. I’ll have my brother perform the mating ceremony after you’re settled.” He grinned at her. “There’s no way I’m letting you get away from me.”

  “Should that really be our focus, Colin? Wouldn’t it be better to wait until after the demon situation has been dealt with?”

  “Is that what you really want?”

  Kendall nodded. “I think it would be for the best.”

  “All right. If that’s what you want. But the moment the dust settles, the second the pack is clear of danger, I’m having Connor perform the ceremony.”

  She reached for his hand. “I’m your mate whether there’s a ceremony or not. I’m not going anywhere, Colin, not unless you send me away. I’ve waited for you every day of my life. The way we found each other might not be ideal, but how can I regret anything that brought me to you?”

  He lifted her hand to his lips and kissed her fingers.

  * * *

  Colin was lost in thought as he drove. Why had he never questioned the sorcerer when he’d said demons were coming to Ashton Grove? None of them had, they’d all just accepted his word and done what they could to prepare. It bothered him that everyone had just accepted their fates without wanting to know more. Eric had declared a war was coming and so they’d strengthened their numbers, something they never would’ve thought to do otherwise.

  He knew the pack didn’t own anything the demons would want, they were too poor for that. But what if it wasn’t a what but a who? It was after Aislinn’s arrival, and the sorcerer’s appearance in their lives that things changed. Colin knew Aislinn’s powers grew every day. Could they possibly be after her? To what purpose? And if not Aislinn, were they coming for the sorcerer himself and the pack was merely in the way? Any other additions to the pack had come after the knowledge of the demons, so surely that left everyone else out, didn’t it?

  Not knowing was going to drive him crazy. What if Kendall was right? What if there was a way to diffuse the situation, to end the war before it began? Just think of the lives they could save! He wasn’t just worried about his pack. How was he supposed to protect the town itself from the demons? They were sure to cause chaos and destruction, their evil spilling over onto the citizens of Ashton Grove. Innocent people, like Cassie’s parents, could be injured or worse, and for what?

  He glanced at Kendall and noticed she was asleep again. Disconnecting the Bluetooth on his phone, he called his cousin Suzette. She’d known about Kendall coming into his life, there had to be more she wasn’t telling him. The time for secrets was at an end.

  The phone barely rang once before she answered.

  “Colin, I was expecting your call.”

  “Then you know why I’m calling?”

  She sighed. “You know I can’t tell you everything I see. It would be an unfair advantage.”

  Colin growled. “My pack, my family, is in danger. Screw fair.”

  “What you’re asking isn’t simple. Yes, I know why the demons are going to Ashton Grove, or rather, what started them on their journey. But things change every day and those changes cause ripples. I don’t have just one answer for you, I have many.”

  “You’re speaking in riddles.”

  “The demons want Aislinn, but you’ve already figured that part out,” she said. “When the sorcerer shared his magick with her, when he changed her into what she is now, it sent out a signal of sorts. Until now, there’s only been the sorcerer. There have been thousands over the centuries who called themselves sorcerers or sorceresses, but they didn’t have true power, not like Aislinn and Eric. When Eric changed Aislinn, he tipped the scales.”

  “So, what? The demons are coming to right a wrong?”

  “No, they’re power hungry. They want to use her, take her as a captive and force her to do their bidding.”

  “You said there were many answers,” he prompted.

  “As I’m sure you noticed, they were taking their time. It wasn’t until recently that they started migrating your way. Your increase in numbers has garnered their attention. There’s nothing the Skulls like more than a good fight, except for a good torture session. So by preparing to fight them, you’ve drawn them closer.”

  “Anything else?” he asked, not sure he really wanted to know.

  “Not everyone is going to make it, Colin.”

  “I figured that part out already. After seeing what they did to Kendall, I knew we weren’t going to make it out of this in one piece.”

  “I wish I could prepare you, but if you know who’s going to die, you’ll focus on them during the fight and things will shift, the future will change. I can’t take that risk. As it is, you have to let Aislinn and Eric fight their own battle. Your sister-in-law is powerful enough to protect herself, especially with the sorcerer by her side. The wolves need to focus on protecting each other and the women and children. Some of the women can fight, but those who can’t will need your protection.”

  “I’ll have to tell Gabriel and Connor what I know.”

  “Your alphas are going to be tested, the whole pack will be. Just be safe, Colin, and take care of Kendall. They can’t get their hands on her again or they’ll kill her, and her death will not be an easy one. There’s one other thing you can do.”

  “What’s that?” he asked.

  “Pray. You’re fighting demons. Surely God will send help.”

  “I’ll start right this very minute.”

  “Bye, Colin. Call me if you need to talk again.”

  “Thanks, Suzette.”

  He ended the call and studied the horizon. She’d given him a lot to think about, too much. But she was right about one thing,
they needed to pray. He’d never been one for praying before and hoped God didn’t hold it against him now.

  Chapter Five

  They’d arrived in Ashton Grove less than a half hour ago and already the family had converged on Colin’s house. The women had taken Kendall off to another room, hopefully welcoming her to the family. His mate had been as nervous as a cat on a hot tin roof when they’d pulled into his driveway and nothing he’d said had reassured her in the slightest.

  Pulling his brother and cousins into his office, he closed the door and sank into his chair. He studied each of them, wondering if they would still be standing by him after the demons left town, or would they be casualties? He didn’t think so, not after analyzing Suzette’s words. She’d said the alphas would be tested, which made him think Gabriel and Connor would pull through just fine. But maybe something was going to happen that would test them in some way?

  He drummed his fingers on his desk and motioned for them to sit, knowing it wasn’t really his place to give orders to his alphas, but he had something to say and he wanted to get it out of the way. Using as few words as possible, he told them of his conversation with Suzette and the information she’d imparted. He watched his brother’s jaw tighten when he mentioned Aislinn and her role in the upcoming war and knew his twin was worried about his mate.

  “We need to double our training efforts,” Cole said. “If the demons are that close, it could be a matter of days, or less before they get here.”

  “Training?” Colin asked.

  “We’ve been doing a little combat training in the woods on the edge of town a few times a week. But I think Cole’s right, we need to step things up and train every day,” Gabriel said.

  Michael looked thoughtful. “Prayer?” he asked. “She said we should pray?”

  Colin nodded. “I figured it couldn’t hurt.”

  “I never really thought about it before, but if there are demons, then that means—“

  “Angels,” Connor interrupted. “If demons exist, so do angels.”

  “That’s what I was thinking,” Colin said. “The way Suzette said we should pray, it made me wonder... do you think we could really get help from honest to God angels?”