Outcast Box Set

by Emilia Hartley

  “Grover!” Ashe snapped once more. She dropped her hold on Cohen and turned her magic toward the mouthy black bear shifter.

  His eyes widened with shock when he realized he could no longer open his mouth.

  She turned to Cohen, calmer than he’d ever seen her before. “Command him back into a form that can speak. He said someone was coming and we need to know before we’re caught with our asses in our hands.”

  The bear nodded and turned on Killian. Wordlessly, he brought a paw down on the cat’s frozen shoulder. It grimaced and twisted, the form pulling back into that of a human. Moments passed before a naked Killian crouched before them, breathing hard. He looked up at Ashe with burning eyes.

  “Do you want your Pack to know what kind of a person you really are? Betrayer? Murderer?”

  An uproar passed through the crowd around them. Cohen spun and roared at them. Their cries quieted into a hush of whispers. Eyes still clung to Ashe, flicking to Cohen in fear. The bear knew they were not painting the most trustworthy picture, but they were being strong. Strength forged safety. Trust would just have to come after.

  He hoped.

  ***

  Ashe’s heart thundered inside her chest. She’d made a decision and was trying her damnedest to stick to it. Breaking up a challenge was a risky decision, one that would likely turn her Pack against her, but her thoughts needed to stay on the problem at hand, not the one ahead.

  Killian’s words had struck her. There’s been a kind of desperation in them that she’d never heard in his voice before. She snuck a look at Joanna, standing back from the fighting with a hand over her stomach. Her friend shook her head, answering the unspoken question.

  Killian had never mentioned any of this to her before.

  She crouched before the feline shifter, a massive bear at her back and a fluttering creature hiding beneath her own skin. “Tell me what you mean when you said they’re coming.”

  “Murderer,” Killian spat. “You poisoned Sampson Vancourt.”

  She sighed. She should have known he would turn to these kinds of tricks. Earlier, the thought had terrified her. It took her a long while to realize she cared more about the safety of her Pack than her own safety. They came first and if they were to turn on her… well, it wasn’t like she couldn’t defend herself.

  Her mother had been a weak witch. Ashe was far more than that woman had ever been. She just had to believe in herself.

  “What is Killian talking about?” Archer asked, voice wary.

  Cohen spun around and snarled at his brother. She reached up and laid a hand on his fur to settle the beast. Attacking family wouldn’t prove her innocence.

  If she challenged his accusations, the true killer could run. She ignored Killian’s words and turned back to what she needed to know. Behind her, she could hear the grunts and groans of another shift. She looked up, surprised that the bear would give Cohen his form back in a moment like this. His shadowed eyes pinned Killian as he spoke.

  “He mentioned running from someone bigger and scarier than him yesterday. He wants a Pack of his own, so he can feel safe.”

  She scowled. There were so many other ways of going about getting a Pack, not to mention he didn’t need to be the Alpha to find safety. It was no wonder someone was hunting him.

  Ashe stood. Feathers brushed the inside of her skin and made chills race down her spine. She shuddered before collecting herself. “So, we finish this challenge and tell whoever comes for him that it’s already over. That should appease them.”

  On the ground, Killian shook his head. He coughed, and she heard the snap of his jaw as it righted itself back into place. “It’s not going to be that easy. You think I’m running from what you might call the good guys, but what I’m running from is far scarier than me.”

  “Quite the melodramatic,” Cohen said.

  Killian looked up at him, still crouched over himself, and smiled. “I’m already a dead man. Aren’t I? Why should I listen to you?”

  Before Cohen could move, Ashe squatted in front of him. She let the force inside her rise and fill her eyes. Molten silver moved in, surrounded by the shadows Cohen patented. “Because you can die quickly, with us, or you can die at the hands of those you keep running from.”

  She watched Killian’s face drain of color. His skin turned dusty and his eyes dropped to the ground. She didn’t know how far her power extended. Could she force a response out of him? Could she make him speak the truth?

  “Just freaking tell us,” Cohen said, power flooding his voice.

  It shook through the circle. Ashe’s stomach rolled and the people around them staggered back.

  “A gang back home is looking for me,” Killian spat, breathless. He looked up at Cohen annoyed, even though he could not stop himself. “I accidentally killed the Alpha’s daughter. When I realized who she was, I took off. I didn’t even think about it. I just ran.”

  It sounded like he had it coming, Ashe thought. The pack hunting Killian had every right to call for retribution. Her heart broke for them.

  “But, I was weak and scared, so I stole a stash of money to get me across the border into Mexico. It was… a sizable chunk of money. People don’t get that kind of cash by doing nice things. These people… these shifters know how to kill someone and make it hurt. They get paid to do it.

  “And, if you kill me, they’ll accuse you of stealing their revenge. They’ll hunt you until there isn’t a soul left on your territory.”

  “Let me guess,” Cohen began. “You used to be a part of their pack. It’s a whole pack of Killians?”

  He shook his head. “I was part of their pack, but they’re so much worse than me. I don’t want to die by their hands. Not if I can help it.”

  She needed to remind herself that Killian was still the enemy while he shrunk in on himself. It was pathetic and sad. He’d been terrorizing their lives for years now, destroying everything they held dear, and in the face of his own fears he’d succumbed. A pang of cold sliced through her. If these shifters struck fear in him, they had something to worry about.

  “How do you know they’re coming?” Cohen asked, using the power in his voice to compel the man to obey. It struck Killian as if Cohen was part of the Pack, as if the fight had been won.

  “They’ve been sending me messages. Phone calls, letters, whatever they can to make sure I’m afraid.”

  “You should have run,” Cohen told him. Ashe agreed. “Archer gave you the chance to keep moving and you didn’t take it. That’s your fault.”

  She glanced back at Cohen. He nodded. The conversation was over.

  Chapter Thirteen

  “Alright,” Gage said, beer bottle swinging from between his fingertips. “We have an asshole tied up in the back yard and a pack of more assholes coming for us.”

  During the fight, Ashe and Cohen had forced Killian into telling the truth.

  “Sounds about right,” Joanna groaned, letting her head fall into her hands. Archer moved to stand behind her, rubbing her back and turning his body into a shield against the world.

  Cohen knew something was up between them, but he couldn’t quite place it. They were hiding a secret, one that had changed their dynamic. Cohen wanted to figure it out, but there were other matters at hand. Besides, who was he to throw stones for keeping secrets. He’d run away from them.

  Ashe stood by the back door, her arms crossed over her chest. Even if she looked like she was casually leaning against the wall, he could tell she was ready to run. She watched the room with wary eyes. He moved to stand near her and she offered him a weak smile.

  He couldn’t stop himself. There was no more hiding it. He moved closer, his fingers gently tugging at her chin. In moments, he claimed her mouth. Her arms unwound automatically. She grasped the front of his shirt as his tongue explored her mouth. When he pulled back, she was breathless.

  “About damn time,” Joanna grunted. “I know Cohen has a few years on you, but I have been waiting for this to happen since
before you assholes left.”

  Both Ashe and Cohen turned to stare at Joanna with wide eyes. Ashe still gripped the front of his shirt, as if he, too, belonged to her. Then, Ashe’s surprise fell away and her brows dropped into a hard line.

  “It won’t matter if they decide to burn me.”

  “For what?” Gage scoffed.

  “For doing exactly what they burned my mother for!”

  Gage shrugged. Archer surprised them by mimicking the gesture.

  “Do you really think we’ll let them do that to you?” Joanna challenged. The Alpha in her had risen to the top today. Her words were laced with determination.

  “Well…” Ashe fumbled for words.

  “Besides,” Gage said, stopping his words with a swig of beer. “We all know you wouldn’t kill the old man.”

  “You know that,” Ashe began. “But, does my Pack? They’ve been waiting my entire life for me to screw up. This is their chance. I intervened in a formal challenge and showed my true colors.”

  Cohen’s lip curled. He spun on her, taking her face in his hands. “Your true colors are brave and powerful. Don’t ever think they are anything but that.”

  She covered his hands with her own, tears welling in her eyes.

  “Gross, get a room!” Gage said before Kaylee entered and smacked him aside the head, saying something about not insulting their Alpha.

  Cohen ignored them, even as a smile slipped over his lips. They were his. The bear knew that and loved them for it. It would protect them, protect Ashe with it’s last dying breath. Cohen was starting to realize what Ashe had said was true.

  His strength lay in those around him. In his Pack.

  “I will fight my way to the top of the asshole ladder just to keep you safe,” he whispered, letting his forehead touch hers.

  “Right where you belong,” she whispered back.

  “Do I have to say it again,” Gage asked his mate, his voice hushed. She growled in response.

  “We will deal with our own Packs later,” Joanna said. “Right now, let’s focus on the threat coming toward us.”

  “Agreed,” they all said in unison.

  Cohen released Ashe, reluctantly letting her move about the kitchen. He wanted to wrap her in his arms and make sure she was safe against any threat that might come their way. He had to remind himself that she was strong, too. He didn’t have to hide her away from the world like a fragile being.

  While the family sat down at the cheap Formica table as if it were a war council, Ashe went about making food. Korean barbeque tacos with siracha coleslaw would sate their beasts and kept their minds sharp. After she finished serving, Cohen grabbed her and pulled her into his lap. He couldn’t bear being too far from her now that he knew.

  Mate, the bear growled. It explained why her presence had always calmed him, why he’d craved her even then. He was glad they discovered this now, not while she was still a young teen. He only wished she hadn’t been unprotected while he was gone. Guilt weighed heavy on him, but the bear knew it’d made her stronger. It’d turned her into the enchantress they loved. He gripped her waist and held her tight.

  ***

  Her life was quickly turning sideways, but Cohen held her steady. He kept her from falling down. Her Pack thought she’d killed their Alpha, and there was a pack of crazy shifters on their way to them. She didn’t know what she could do to make the world right again.

  She leaned her head back and tried to take deep steadying breaths. It’d taken everything she had to do what she had earlier. The desire to bend to Killian’s threats had been almost overwhelming, fear of her own Pack running deep. But, she’d fought it and won, if only for the moment. That small victory had given them the time they needed to prepare.

  In the kitchen of Vancourt house, they formed a patrol schedule. They would walk the borders of the territory at all times, running back at the first sign of the incoming shifters to warn the rest. They wouldn’t be caught off guard.

  If anything, they would try to reason with them first. They would give Killian back to the shifters. If that didn’t work, then Joanna promised her pack would help. They weren’t alone in the war that was coming.

  When the impromptu council disbanded, Ashe pulled Cohen aside. She glanced around, making sure no one could hear them.

  “Why are you being so shifty? Don’t tell my you’re going to confess that you actually killed Sampson. Don’t say it. I don’t care if you did.”

  She scowled at him. “I did not hurt him!”

  He licked his lips and nodded.

  “I was going to ask for your help. I want to… I want to help patrol.”

  “But you only have a human form.” Cohen touched her arms with concern in his eyes.

  “I think… I think there’s another form in me and it might be ready to come out. I know I always said there wasn’t but I’m starting to think it could have been tied to the power I wasn’t using. The more I use my mother’s magic, the stronger it gets. What if I have a form and I can help the patrol?”

  He scowled. She knew he wasn’t going to like the idea of putting herself in harm’s way. She could see the affection that pulled him toward her, a single world lurking in her mind. She batted it away and turned back to the conversation.

  “I think my animal is some kind of bird. I wouldn’t even be on the ground.”

  “I have never, in all my years, heard of a bird shifter.”

  “Well, thanks for your support and trust,” she scoffed.

  “I’m sorry, I just… I don’t know. It sounds farfetched. Even if there was a bird inside you, how long would it take for you to learn how to fly? It’s nothing like walking. It’s a whole new set of skills I know nothing about.”

  She growled in frustration. “What does it matter? Just help me do this!”

  “Calm down, woman. I will help you, but you have to promise me that you won’t try to use it until this is over. Promise me you won’t shift and find yourself stranded.”

  Ashe hesitated. She could promise that, but there was a desire inside her to fly. It craved the freedom of the open skies. She swallowed. It could wait. She’d waited twenty-four years to even find the shape of the creature lurking inside her. Flying could wait a little longer, too.

  “I promise,” she said.

  “Alright. Let’s get this started.”

  “Right now?”

  “Was there some other time you thought this would happen? It’s not like we have all the time in the world.”

  “You’re right. You’re right,” she said, following him outside.

  Archer’s truck was parked in the muddy lawn again, the word PUSSY halfheartedly scrubbed from the side. It made her smile. There was a life waiting for them on the other side of this. It was a life that could be filled with joy and laughter.

  She knew Joanna’s secret, just by looking at her. The way she held herself, the way she cringed at the smells Ashe’s cooking had left in the kitchen. The Alpha of the Bart Pack was very much pregnant. She just hadn’t told anyone other than her fiancé yet.

  Ashe didn’t worry about herself anymore. She had a lot more to worry about. Joanna had a small one on the way, a life that would demand stability. That wouldn’t be found until they’d rid their lives of the plague that was Killian.

  Behind them, the shifter grumbled and shouted through the fabric gag in his mouth. His hands and ankles were bound with the same silver wire he’d used on Gage and Cohen. It would keep the man out of trouble for a while.

  “We should move him to the shed, at least,” Ashe suggested. “I almost feel bad leaving him outside like this.”

  “We’ll do it when we get back.” Cohen waved her off and continued forward.

  She shrugged at Killian as if to say, what else could she do, and turned to run after her mate.

  Mate.

  That was what he was. He belonged to her, and she to him. It’d always been that way, no matter how near or far they’d been from each other. Their strengths m
ight not have been the same, but they both feared their own power. Together, they found a way to balance their power.

  She watched Cohen stalk ahead of her, enjoying the view of his round ass and the breadth of his shoulders. He prowled like a wild beast, his footfalls precise and his muscles screaming with power. It surprised her to think they were evenly matched for one another. She’d felt weak and submissive her whole life, not daring to look toward the clout that swirled through her.

  It seemed as if they’d both lived in fear of themselves. Cohen glanced over his shoulder. There was no more of that wary fear in his eyes. They burned like ice and sent chills up her spine, stopping at the smile that curled over her face.

  “Should you be walking through brush and mud in those dainty shoes?” Cohen asked.

  She looked down at her feet. The toes sticking out of her sandals were plastered with mud. She scowled at them, not once thinking about her shoes. There’d been too much going on. There was a war to prepare for.

  Cohen smirked and turned toward her, wrapping his arms around her waist. He hefted her off the ground as if she weighed nothing at all, when she knew that was very much not the situation. His hand covered her ample ass, squeezing a cheek.

  “Hey, now! I didn’t ask for a ride.”

  “It’s my pleasure,” he purred.

  They reached a clearing, probably the same one Gage and Kaylee had used while she learned to master her second form. Ashe would have to ask Kaylee for some pointers if they all lived through this.

  Cohen set her down and her gaze lifted to the sky above her, her heart soaring with excitement. Wings fluttered inside of her. She closed her eyes and reached inside, trying to coax the creature out. Feathers scraped along her skin, but nothing moved. The animal stayed stuck deep within.

  “What is it?”

  She hadn’t realized she’d been grinding her teeth. Forcing herself to let go of the tension, she sighed.

  “Did you really think it would work on the first try?”

  “Maybe?” she said, cracking open one eye to look at her mate.

  He tried to hold back his laughter, but failed, the sound bursting into reality. She scowled at him. Her mate wasn’t supposed to laugh at her. She needed this form if she was going to be of any help. If she could fly, she could be the first one to know when the dangerous pack arrived. She could give them the advantage they needed.