Temptation (Journal of the Wolves of Spruce Hollow)

by Tarrah Betts

  “What about the pack? The shop? Your responsibility to the Alpha, for fuck sakes! And what the hell are we supposed to tell Aspen? She’s going to be a mess. How are we supposed to fix that, Roan?” Caver shouted emphatically, waving his hands wildly in the air as he talked.

  “You think I want to leave? What the hell would you have me do, Caver? Rape a sixteen-year-old girl? This is Aspen we’re talking about here; she’s been like a little sister to you! How could I do that to her? Or maybe I should take my chances and possibly turn rogue, would that work out for you, cause it sure as hell doesn’t work for me!” I shouted back at him.

  “Caver, this is Roan’s decision and the pack will have to accept it, it’s as simple as that. We can’t feel his wolf’s resolve; we don’t know how far he’s capable or willing to go with this. Only Roan knows his wolf’s own heart and if he says that he needs to leave, then he needs to leave,” Griff said as he clapped his hand on my shoulder in a show of solidarity, “it’s just not worth the risk, Caver. It’s not worth the risk to Aspen and it’s not worth the risk of Roan going rogue on us.”

  We clamored into my truck, with the intention of heading over to the Alpha’s for the emergency meeting that had been called on my behalf. The air between Caver and I was tense, while Griff was more subdued and accepting of my decision. I wondered how the rest of the pack was going to take the news?

  I knew I was making the right choice; my wolf was desperate and circling as we spoke, looking for a toehold of weakness with which to begin his assault. My head was swimming as I closed my eyes and laid my forehead on the steering wheel.

  “Give me the keys, you can’t drive like this, buddy,” Caver said quietly as he stepped out of the truck and opened my door.

  Turning my head to look into his concerned blue eyes, I reluctantly passed over the keys and got out of the truck. Caver and I stood eye to eye, neither one of us speaking, with an imperceptible motion, Caver nodded his head and clapped his hand on my right shoulder. We were brothers and even though he didn’t like it and didn’t agree with my decision, I knew in that moment that Caver had my back and would look after Aspen in my absence.

  My wolf was furious and snarling over my decision to leave Spruce Hollow and amped up his efforts to wrest control from me. He was a strong willed beast but I was stronger still.

  Barely.

  “How dare you leave our mate? She needs us! She depends on us for protection and guidance. You cannot do this, Roan!” My wolf howled in rage as I threw a couple of things into a rucksack.

  The emergency meeting at the Alpha’s house hadn’t gone well at all. The pack was close knit and understandably upset at losing their current pack Beta and future pack Alpha. There was a lot of barely suppressed anger coming from the men and tears shed from the women.

  I worried that they would take out their grief and anger on Aspen once I had gone and threatened them with swift and complete retribution for any action taken against her. Although all assured me that they wouldn’t, I didn’t feel particularly comforted by the lost looks in their eyes.

  The Alpha had decided that I would still remain on as pack Beta and I reluctantly agreed. Even though I would out be living out of town, he reasoned that I could be called upon and to come back and help the pack, if needed.

  I felt deceitful in agreeing to stay on as Beta because I didn’t have the heart to tell him that I wouldn’t be coming back to Spruce Hollow for some time.

  I had formed a plan in my head to deal with my errant wolf that would force me to stay away from Aspen for quite some time and when I returned, she would be ready for me.

  In the morning, I was going to drive to Shawfield and pay a visit to the local military recruitment office.

  I had ran through a hundred different scenarios in my head, from moving in with Griff or Caver, living at the training camp or moving to Shawfield and none of them really solved anything.

  I would still have unsupervised access to Aspen at any time and would be too close by, incase my wolf succeeded in usurping power from me and went after her.

  I needed to be further away with no possibility of getting to her should things go horribly wrong.

  “Listen here, flea bag, it’s because of you that we’re leaving in the first fucking place! I can’t trust you now. And I certainly can’t trust you around Aspen. She deserves more than being forced to become my mate right now. She deserves to live, wolf! She deserves to acquaint herself with regular teenage experiences and a chance to live a normal human life for a while. I would be wrenching that away from her,” I said, misery in my voice.

  My wolf whined in despair but I got precious little comfort out of hearing him grieve. My wolf loved Aspen intensely and part of the problem was that Aspen spoiled him to death, it was no wonder he was gunning for a blood bond with her. She would bathe him, clip his nails, and rub and pet him for hours. He was like a cherished pet to her.

  My wolf was completely whipped by Aspen and would lay down his life for her. He adored her and she could do no wrong in his eyes. And because of that connection, I was going to have to stay away from Aspen until she was ready for me to claim her as my mate.

  As for Aspen? She was currently locked in a bedroom at Griff’s house, alternately fuming and crying her eyes out. I had sent him back to pick her up at Sorcha’s house and Caver went along too, in case she ran.

  They both sat in Caver’s truck and watched the house until dawn, when they spotted Aspen coming out the front door and taking off through the field towards the highway.

  I guess it was a real shit show, once they took off after her, with Aspen crying hysterically and trying to make a run for it once she realized they were coming after her.

  Apparently she hates me and I’m a no good jerk who broke her heart, at least that was Caver’s interpretation from Aspen’s intermittent bawling, screaming and quiet weeping.

  Apparently, I have my work cut out for me to win her over again when I come back to town. Somehow, I don't think that chocolate chip cookies and sitting on the couch watching cartoons for hours is going to cut it this time around.

  God, I was going to miss her. The thought of not seeing her everyday was like a knife deep inside my soul.

  I fished out my cell phone from my jeans pocket and called the Alpha and Rosie to let them know I was packed and on my way as I climbed into the truck and slammed the door shut.

  “Yeah, it’s me. I’m leaving now.”