by Tamara White
“You okay?”
“It’s nothing, I just wish I had that kind of relationship with my dad.”
Oh, I get that. From just witnessing the small interactions between Duncan and his sons, I know there’s not much room for honesty there. Hell, his own brothers were leaning toward killing him because of the influence their father has over them. I can’t imagine him going home and dropping the ‘I’m a wolf’ bomb.
“I’m sorry. For everything. If I was more alert tonight, that wolf wouldn’t have bit you. I promise, though, I will help you get through this. No matter what it takes.” I should have been more observant, but the argument and accusations between the guys caused me to let my guard down. It’s my fault he’s like this now.
“Don’t”
“Don’t what?”
“Don’t guilt trip yourself.” Ash smiles sadly when I lift my gaze to his. “It wasn’t your fault tonight. We all know the rules when it comes to hunting—keep quiet and downwind. We stayed downwind, but we were definitely anything but quiet. It’s our fault the wolves were attracted to the sound we made. Not yours. You saved me. Twice. First from that wolf, and then from my brothers. I owe you so much.”
In a split second, he has his arm wrapped around me, and a soft sob escapes him. I grip him tight, understanding his need for comfort in this moment. His whole life has changed. He’s no longer human, and now he has to learn to live with this other nature. It’s enough to make anyone breakdown.
I hold him as he cries, the reality of what he’s become settling in. I rub soothing circles on his back, murmuring that it’ll all be okay. I will make it okay. I don’t have a clue how, but I will help him with this new life because he deserves to live.
My dad’s truck pulls into the bus stop, and Ash pulls away, having heard it even at this distance. “Come on, let’s go home.”
I take his hand, and we weave through the last of the trees, appearing a few feet from the bus stop where my dad stands, his eyes filled with worry. “Are you okay?”
“Fine, Dad, just tired. It’ll be nice to crawl into bed and collapse for a day or two. Killing almost a dozen wolves takes it out of a person.” I could have found a subtler way to tell him all that occurred tonight, but I’m exhausted. Better to just spill my guts and get it over with.
Dad’s eyes widen in shock and his mouth moves, like he’s trying to find the words to speak. “Jesus, Elizabeth! I told you to steer clear! How the hell did that many of them find you?” His shoulders are tense, and his eyes are filled with anger and concern, but his scent is one of fear. Fear for me.
Dad glances at Ash, tamping down on his emotions, but his scent is still very much conveying how afraid he is. “Maybe we should discuss this at home. When we’re alone.” No doubt Dad is trying to point out the fact that I’m talking about wolves around Ash, but I hoped he would put two and two together. After all, he would have known I shifted. Unless he assumed I kept the shift from Ash.
“Don’t worry, Dad. Ash knows.” Dad’s eyes widen in shock. “We had started down the trail when Ash here decided to bring up wolves and how I like them, which caused Jay and Ty to turn distrustful and raise their voices. Then Ash was attacked and bitten, so we had to kill the wolf. I think all the gunshots summoned the rest of them. But I handled it. I think I’m getting stronger.”
After a moment of Dad working through everything I just laid out, he releases a relieved sigh. He shakes his head, his eyes expressing his frustration with me, but I also sense his happiness that I’m okay. “It wouldn’t surprise me if you were getting stronger. I’ve come across wolves of varying strengths. It’s only logical to believe with each year you age, you’ll get stronger.” Dad sighs and comes around the truck, encasing me in a hug. “I’m glad you’re safe, Liza. I hated leaving you at the fork in the trail.”
“I know, Dad. But I’m fine.”
He lets go of me, giving me a proud smile before turning to Ash. He rests his hand on his shoulder, giving him a small squeeze. “And how are you handling all this change? Are you doing alright?”
Ash looks at me with a mixture of fear and happiness. “I honestly don’t know how I feel. I’m scared because this means I may never get to go home. I’m worried because if my dad finds out he’ll kill me, he’ll have to. But I’m also glad. Being a wolf…” He shakes his head, his eyes glazing over. “It’s unlike anything I’ve ever felt before. Like I’m free to be whoever I want. I just wish my dad would give me the chance to show him I could be good. Maybe if Eliza told him the truth about her since she’s been a wolf for so long, then he’d welcome me with open arms.”
“Ashton, I know you and your father don’t have a good relationship, unlike the one I share with my daughter. It’s natural you want that too.” He leans in close to Ash, his mouth just a fraction of an inch from his ear. “But if you even think of telling another soul what my daughter is, I will rip out your tongue. Do you understand?”
Ash nods hurriedly, his fear coating the air. “Yes, sir.”
“Good.” Dad lets go of him and starts to walk back around his truck. “Now how about we get you guys back home. I think it’s time we all have a chat.” Dad climbs into the driver’s side. “Maybe we might pick someone up along the way.”
“Who?” Ash questions, his eyes filled with worry as he climbs into the back seat. I jump into the passenger side and open the window to help ease with assault of scents I’m getting from Ash. Excitement, lust, fear, anger, frustration and so much more. His body and mind are on overload with the changes that have happened.
Dad grins at Ash in the rearview mirror. “Your mother.”
Ash gulps, his face draining of color. “You know about her?”
“I was the one who let her live.”
“What?” Ash cries, his shock clear. “Why? Why did you let her live? Why didn’t you tell us? Why didn’t you tell my father?” He fires question after question, not giving my dad a chance to respond.
Dad glances over his shoulder. “Because I once loved your mother, and I knew she couldn’t be a killer. It just wasn’t in her blood. As to why I didn’t tell your father…” Dad faces forward, his hands gripping on the steering wheel. “I didn’t tell him because he was the one who ordered me to kill her.”
Ash is speechless, gaping at my father in astonishment.
Dad lets out a slow breath, like it’s a weight off his chest to tell another person of the true evil Duncan is capable of, even if it is his son. “I told her to run, to stay hidden so he could never find her. But now, in light of the circumstances, I think it’s time for her to come out of the shadows and become part of the world.”
A small happy smile crosses my lips. I’ve had to keep my identity secret from people most of my life. Maybe now with Ash being a wolf, and with his mother and me coming out of hiding, we can somehow start sowing the seeds of doubt about the hunters’ beliefs in how wolves are nothing but animals.
No longer will we have to remain unseen for fear of being hunted. We would be free to be who we are.
The thought of being able to be me is exhilarating. It causes an almost giddy tremble to run through my body. What I wouldn’t give to stop fearing for my life whenever I was around hunters. It would be the ultimate dream come true.
Dad starts the truck, his next words uttered under his breath. “No more staying hidden.”
Afterword
Thank you to everyone who gave this book a chance when I know you’re all waiting to follow ups in other series. I hit a severe case of writers block a couple of months back and no matter how hard I tried to crawl out of the pit of despair, nothing working. Until Eliza jumped into my life. Her story just screamed at me and I knew I needed to tell it. I had planned on just sidelining it but so many of you supported me to get it out into the world that I got it edited and now here we are.
There will be follow ups in her story. I am unsure where her story is going romantically. I would like to think she’ll end up with her very own harem but i
f she doesn’t, I’m okay with that too. I’m letting Eliza lead me on this one.
Her sequel won’t be out until 2021 as I have some other books to get to you but hopefully the wait won’t be long as she hasn’t quite let me push her all the way to the back of my mind. For now, she’s patiently waiting her turn but who knows when she gets tired of that and demands her story to continue.
Books By Tamara White
Blood Series
#1 False Blood – Out Now
#2 Silver Blood – Out Now
#3 Taken by Blood – Out Now
#4 Changed by Blood – Coming Soon
Elemental Series
#1 Fallen Elemental – Out Now
#2 Saved Elemental – Coming Soon
#3 Pure Elemental – Coming Soon
Hell Rising Series
#1 Daughter of Hell – Out Now
#2 Daughter of Utopia – Coming Soon
Sons of Zeus Series
#1 Untamed – Out Now
#2 Unleashed – Coming Soon
Wolf Trials Trilogy
#1 Her Mates – Out Now
#2 Her Protectors – Out Now
#3 Her Pack – Coming soon
Rising Goddess Series
#1 Show No Fear – Out Now
# Finding Anger – Coming Soon
Midnight Chronicles
#1 Midnight Guardian - Out Now
#2 Nochte Prison - Coming Soon
By Jaimi Wilson
(Tamara White pen name)
Saving the Supernaturals Trilogy
#1 The Order – Out Now
#2 The Curse – Out Now
#3 The Binding – Coming Soon
