Saving Ellie (Lycans Book 1)

by Whitney R. B.

  One is of him, Foster, and Russell. They each are smiling, Foster is in the middle with his arms around Ash and Russell’s shoulders. Do they worry about Ash and the reason he needs a barn?

  “Wait.” I spin around. “Your barn was unlocked.”

  He blinks a few times then nods. “Yes. I usually know when Zac is planning to roughen me up. I unlock the barn a day or two before in case I need to open it in wolf form. I can pull down a handle but not use a key.” He shrugs.

  “If you know when, why don’t you just run away?”

  He sighs. “Stupidity?”

  He doesn’t elaborate, so I turn back to the bookshelf and look at the next picture. It’s of a man with ebony hair laughing with a woman with golden locks who is lovingly gazing at him, and a young version of Ash watching them with a huge grin on his face. I’m mesmerized by the joy that encompasses his whole body. I want to see him like that. I want to be the one that causes it.

  Picking up the next picture, my brows rise as I find a younger Alice with a shy smile, along with Charlie that has an arm around her shoulders. My hands shake as I set the picture down. There’s a younger Zac at the very edge of the picture with a noticeable gap separating him from the other two.

  “Were you friends with Zac once?” I ask, peering over at him.

  His face shutters with emotions I can’t place. “No, but we used to be more civil to one another. It changed when my parents died and he stepped up to be the alpha.”

  “Oh.” I bite my lip, casting my eyes around the room, surveying it in greater depth. I note picture frames of certificates along the wall near the door.

  Curious, I make my way toward it. Finding land certificates and ownerships, along with awards, a bachelor’s and master’s degree in business, and a variety of certificates that all deal with real estate.

  “That’s what I do.”

  “What?” I whirl around to find him still sitting at his desk, but he’s leaning back in his chair now with his arms folded as he watches me.

  “Real estate.” He uncrosses an arm to gesture at the wall. “It’s how I make my money.”

  “Right. Because you’re rich.”

  He chuckles. “I guess you could say that.”

  “Everything you do is legal, right?”

  He arches a brow. “Everything I do is legal.”

  I give a short nod and say, “Good.” I make my way back to the couch and sit. “I’ve heard real estate can be iffy.”

  He gives me an amused smile. “Ah, but I’m sure they aren’t as old as I. My parents bought property and land when they were cheap almost a hundred years ago, and I took over their companies and made my own purchases when I came of age.”

  “Do you sell the land now?”

  “Some of it, but I mostly rent it out, or build then rent those out. I have rentals around the area as well as storefronts that can be rented for businesses. I use Russell’s construction company and Foster helps me with investments, which has also helped me make a profit.”

  “You’re really close to them, aren’t you?”

  He nods. “They are both like brothers to me. I’m sure they’d like to see you again, that is, if you don’t plan on skipping out on me.”

  I purse my lips. “Ash.”

  Ash sighs as he stands. “We can head to bed now.” He rounds the desk before offering a hand to help me up. He doesn’t move away though, leaving me no room. My body rubs against his as I stand. He’s solid and warm, towering over me, his chest in line with my face. My heart races, and it takes me too long to try to step away from him.

  My breath hitches as he grabs my biceps, keeping me in place. “Do you still plan on leaving?”

  My gaze jumps to his. “I-I can’t stay. You know that.” I know I told Jane I’d think about it, and I will, but tonight my mind still hasn’t changed.

  “You’d be safe with me.” His eyes grow so intense that I have to look away.

  “No one is safe with me.”

  “How do you know that for sure?” He nudges my chin up with a finger. “Ellie darling, I can protect you.”

  “But who would protect you?”

  He blanches. “What?”

  “I don’t want you getting hurt.”

  His eyes soften as his hand moves from my chin to cup the side of my face. “I’ll be okay. I heal fast.”

  “I don’t want you hurt, period.” His eyes track my movement as I cover his hand with mine. “Even if you can heal from it.”

  Gaze locking back on mine, he says, “I won’t be.”

  “That’s what I thought about my parents. I thought they’d always come back, no matter where they went or what happened.”

  I fight the impulse to smooth out the crease between his brows as he frowns. “Do you remember what happened?” he asks.

  Blink rapidly, I try to keep the memories at bay, but recite what first comes to mind. “They were in a car accident when I was eleven. Hit by a drunk driver, but I wasn’t there. I was too young to see their bodies.”

  “Who saw their bodies, then?”

  Closing my eyes for a moment, I allow my memories to rise. My stomach cramps as feelings and thoughts resurface. The turmoil I felt when I found out I was an orphan overwhelms me. I quickly shut those thoughts down and reopen my eyes. “I…I don’t actually know. The cops came that night with a social worker to take me to a temporary home. And when it was time for the funeral, they were in closed caskets.”

  He pulls me into a hug, trapping my shaking hands between us. “I’m so sorry.”

  “It’s okay. It was a long time ago,” I say into his chest.

  “Grief and heartache don’t stop just because it was a long time ago,” he says, holding me close.

  I rest my head on his chest as my heart pings, his words ringing true.

  “My parents.” He goes silent, but I don’t push. I know how hard it can be to speak about loved ones that are gone. It helps at times, but only when it’s on your own terms. “They were murdered,” he says.

  A chill runs through me. “W-what?” I clench his shirt between us, his arms the only thing holding me up. “How?” I peer up at him.

  His jaw ticks as he stares forward. “I don’t know. I found them drained of blood in their room after a run one day.”

  “Stryx?” My voice shakes.

  Just a small shake of his head answers my question as he peers down at me. “From what I could see, there weren’t any bite marks. But that doesn’t mean they weren’t involved.”

  I lightly push away to examine his face better. “Didn’t you just tell me lycans heal fast?”

  He gives me a soft smile, but it doesn’t reach his eyes. “Stryx bites are the one thing we can’t heal quickly from. They can infect us with poison.”

  My eyes widen. “That’s terrifying. Can your bites do that?”

  He shakes his head. “No, and stryxes are able to control the poisons.”

  “How different are these stryxes from the stories of vampires?” I ask.

  One of his hands comes up to tuck a hair behind my ear. “A lot about them are different, except that they do drink blood. They don’t need to drink blood to survive, but most do anyway. I’m not sure if it’s because their bodies have evolved to need it, or because it makes them stronger.”

  “Stronger?”

  He nods. “When a stryx drinks from a lycan or witch, they’re also drinking their essence, so while it’s in their system, they’re stronger.”

  “And a stryx might’ve drank your parents’ blood.”

  “It’s possible. Only explanation I can think of.”

  A knot forms in my gut. I’m digging for information when I should be comforting him. He doesn’t even have the closure of how they died. “Ash…I’m so sorry. I don’t even know what to say.”

  I’ve never been good at consoling someone.

  He takes a deep breath, his exhale ruffling a few strands of my hair. “You don’t need to say anything.”

  “Do
you know who killed them?”

  “I don’t.” My heart sinks as he caresses my back in a soothing manner. “I’ve had a few leads over the years, but never have had any signs until now.”

  “Until now?” I ask.

  “I think Marcus is connected somehow. His scent. It took me a while to piece it together, but his scent was there when I found my parents.”

  Fear grips like ice up my spine. “Ash!” I push at his chest. “You could be next.”

  “Ellie, I’ll be okay,” he says, pulling me tighter against him once more, one hand cupping the back of my head to his chest. “I don’t plan on taking action yet, nor have I actually found him.” He smooths the hair on the back of my head. “I need to know where he is and what his plans are. And when I act, it will be after precise planning. I’ve put some feelers out about Marcus. There haven’t been any sightings yet, but we’ll be the first to know if there are any.”

  I squeeze my eyes shut, gripping his shirt. “There’s no stopping you.”

  He pulls away to meet my gaze. “Just like you’re determined to leave, I’m determined to protect you. It’s not even because he’s probably involved with my parents’ murder. What he did to you is enough for me to want to kill him ten times over. His motivations may be more complicated than I realized, but mine have remained the same—you. You are my motivation. I’m going to protect you. If you’ll let me.”

  Jane’s words come back from earlier. That I need to rely on others more when they offer their help.

  She’s right. I can’t do this on my own. I’ve never been able to. I was able to escape, but I would’ve died without Jane’s help. I would’ve again if Ash hadn’t been there. Is staying really worth the possibility of him getting hurt, though?

  But if he’s determined to ‘take care’ of Marcus whether I’m around or not, maybe it’s okay to stay. And besides, I still have headaches that come and go. Am I really able to run when I still need to take naps during the day?

  “Okay.”

  His eyes widen. “Really? You’ll stay?”

  I nod.

  His face lights up and he crushes me to his chest. “Thank you, Ellie. I’ll protect you with everything I have.”

  But that’s what I’m afraid of.

  If there’s any chance of him dying, I’m gone.

  But for now, I’ll stay.

  Emma and Jane stayed for a few days before heading back to Tom’s yesterday.

  I briefly glance up from my drawing when I sense a presence near. “Hey.” I smile at Ash as he walks into the kitchen. I go back to sketching.

  His hand rests on my shoulder in greeting. “Is that me?”

  A grin plays across my face. “It is.” I lean away and move the paper so he can get a better look.

  He sits beside me at the table, hovering over the page, his fingers lightly touching the edge. “I look…” His brows furrow.

  “What?” I bite my lip. Does he hate it?

  “Intense.” He glances at me before his gaze returns to the drawing of him as a wolf. “I’ve never actually seen myself in wolf form before. Only reflections in windows or water.”

  I gape at him. “How is that possible?”

  He shrugs, but his eyes remain locked on his profile. After a moment, he leans away and gives me a hesitant smile. “I came in here to tell you I’ll be away for most of the day today.”

  I give him a blank look. He’s never left me here alone before. “Uh...okay.”

  He sighs, his shoulders slumping, his head hanging. “I challenged Zac to be alpha.”

  I set my pencil down, giving him my full attention. “I overheard Foster asking you about a challenge on Thanksgiving, but I don’t know what that means.”

  It can’t mean anything good, though, if he’s looking so forlorn about it.

  He gives me a slow nod as he contemplates something, drumming his fingers along the table. “I’ll have to fight Zac and either kill him or have him concede to me.”

  I blink. “Zac is Charlie’s son. Alice’s brother.”

  “I know.” He meets my eyes, and I can see the conflict swirling in them.

  “Why now? Why him?”

  A muscle in his jaw twitches. “He almost killed you, Ellie. You were so close to dying.”

  “It wasn’t him that hurt me, though. It was Marcus.”

  “I didn’t know that at the time, and besides, he didn’t stop it. He let Marcus almost kill you.”

  Seeing the fear and anguish in his eyes, I reach out to touch him. “But why today?”

  “When he attacked you, I challenged him. The law of a challenge is stated that it has to occur within a month. Today is the last day. It has to happen today.”

  “What will happen if you don’t?”

  “There is magic tied to the challenge. It will kill me, or I’d have to concede and change packs.”

  “What? Die?” Panic rises in my chest. “I…no, that can’t happen.” If he doesn’t fight—he’ll die. But if he does, he might? How does that make sense? How is that fair? My heart aches at the thought of him dying. I can’t lose him. “Will Zac concede to you?”

  “No, he won’t, he’s too proud. He will try to win.”

  “You can just change packs, then.”

  “Changing packs isn’t that simple. I’d have to find an alpha that would take me on before the challenge starts.”

  “Well, then just get an alpha to agree.”

  “That’s just it, Ellie,” he says, his eyes earnest. “No one wants a pureblood who just challenged an alpha. They’re worried that I’ll challenge them once I join their pack.”

  “You won’t know unless you try.”

  He grimaces. “I did.”

  “What? When?”

  “Whenever I needed to work, on the side of trying to find Marcus, I also contacted alphas around the states.”

  “Why didn’t you tell me?”

  “I didn’t want to give you false hope in case I didn’t find a way out.”

  “This is stupid. Why do you have to change packs, can’t you just not be in a pack? Why are the only viable other options dying or killing? Why can’t you just forfeit and stay in the same pack?”

  “Forfeiting or conceding without a pack would make me a lone wolf and vulnerable. It’s not something any lycan wants. Essence requires lycans to have a tie to others. As a pureblood, I’d slowly go insane and revert to my wolf form. If I didn’t have a lot of essence, then the magic would simply fade over time, but that isn’t the case. So, there’s no way for either of us to be in the same pack.”

  “Why?” I want to growl, instead I bang on the table. This is so unfair. “Wait—essence?” I remember him mentioning it once.

  “Uh, yes, sorry. I’ve been trying to keep it simple by calling everything magic. But essence is what we call magic in our blood.” Ash rests his hand on top of my closed fist. “I know this is a lot to take in. But it’s just the way the magic works. There are rules.”

  I look down at his hand on mine then at the drawing of him as a wolf. Both are him. I never thought much about it, but it makes sense that it’s only possible through magic. “Were you created from magic?”

  “In a way. But I was also born like you.” He sighs and squeezes my fist. “I’m sorry. I wish I could explain more, but I don’t have a lot of time.”

  My eyes snap to his, determination flowing through me. “You do, because I’m coming with you.”

  His face goes stone cold. “No, Ellie.”

  “Do you really think I wouldn’t come after you told me? Of course I’m coming. I care about you.”

  “And I care about you, which is why I don’t want you to come. I don’t want you getting hurt.”

  “That’s what you’re worried about?” I scoff. “Me getting hurt? You’re the one who is fighting.”

  “He could play dirty.”

  “More reason for me to come.”

  “No.” His face is hard and fierce, but I’m not going to back out.
/>   “Yes.”

  “Ellie,” he growls.

  “You could die, Ash.” I unclench my hand to tightly grip his. The pain of losing my parents and then watching Will die flares to life. How much worse would it be if Ash were to die?

  “I need to be there. I need to see you to make sure you stay alive. I can’t have you die on me. I need you.” Something breaks inside me at my words. I scoot to the edge of my chair to be closer to him and grab his other hand.

  He softens and pulls me onto his lap, embracing me. “If you stay here, I’ll know you’ll be okay,” he says into my hair as I rest my head on his shoulder.

  “Ash.” I hate to beg, but if it’s the only way to change his mind, I will.

  “It will be difficult to defeat Zac. I know he’ll play dirty and try to go after you. I don’t want to have to worry about your safety.” He smooths the hair at the back of my head. “Have more faith in me,” he says softly.

  “I’m still coming.” I lean away to glare at him.

  He sighs and briefly brushes his knuckles across my cheek. “My resolve is weak when it comes to you. Just promise me you’ll stay with Foster and Russell.”

  “I promise.”

  The pack house is huge. Mansion huge. That could easily sleep a hundred people.

  Ash opens my car door and helps me down. He interlocks our hands but pauses. Holding our joined hands up he asks, “Is this okay?”

  I nod. I love the way my small hand feels in his large one. His hand is solid and warm, bringing much-needed comfort to my anxious heart.

  Our feet crunch over the snow as he leads me around the pack house and onto a wide open field behind it. Already a group of people have gathered. Russell and Foster walk to us before we make it to the edge of the group.

  As they get closer, I realize how tall they actually are. I like to consider myself average height, but with them near, I feel small. Ash is tall, but I had gotten used to only having him tower over me. With all three of them near, I feel like an ant.

  Russell dips his chin in greeting.

  “Long time no see, Ellie,” Foster says with a smile, but today it doesn’t reach his eyes. “How are you feeling?” he asks Ash.

  Ash is stiff next to me, his hand tightly gripping mine. “Fine.”