Wolf's Bane (Shifted) (14 page)

“
You wouldn’t. Just hear me out. They don’t know she’s your mate. They don’t know we know they are there. So we wait until they are close and we know they are watching to see you leave.”

“I’m
not leaving her.”

“No
, I am.”

“I get it
. You leave, and they will think it’s Bryce.”

“Exactly
, Ash. There is some advantage to being twins. Bryce, you know as well as I do that most people can’t tell us apart. Hell, even Mom gets us mixed up sometimes. I leave as soon as we are sure they are close enough to see the house. They will think she’s alone.”

“
Then what?” Ashley asked

“
Then they will make their move, whatever that is.”

“We
have to keep the girls safe,” Matt chimed in.

“We will,
” the others said as one.

As soon as the group got close, Ashley’s pulse was racing. Her friends were in danger because of her. Her new family was in danger as well.  Even if they managed to stop this wave, and she had no doubt they would, she still had Bane after her.

  This minor attempt to capture her didn’t make sense. Even if he did want her alive
, why had he sent Frank? Why had the girls been made a pawn in this? She didn’t know what Bane had to gain by pursuing her the way he was. It didn’t make much sense. Sure, she had killed his son. The man had attacked her. The more she thought about that night, she was sure that Richard had no intention of claiming her as his father had said. She was sure, since he arrived in wolf form, that he had just meant to eliminate her.

Warren Ban
e had been so set on having Ashley’s bloodline mix with his that his sons feelings on the mating probably didn’t matter to him. So why send Frank? He had to know he was risking another son by sending him with Dan and Julian. Even if Bryce was the only protection, Bane had to know someone would get hurt.

“You’re
a million miles away,” Bryce whispered close to her ear as he slid his arms around Ashley’s waist.

“
It doesn’t make sense. I mean why send Frank? Why force Bri and Yas to come? I feel like I’m missing something important.”

“You
know the man better than we do, Ash. What do you think?”

“I
don’t know. I just know something is off.”

The sound of a ringing phone made everyone in the room jump. Bryce grabbed it on the second ring
“Woodland,” he said with an Alpha authority.

“
Bryce, your father asked me to call. Bane and his men are just outside the compound. Your father went to help.”

“Why
would he be there if he knows Ashley’s here?”

“I
don’t know. He just told me to warn you.”

“Shit
!”

“Bryce W
oodland, I taught you better,”

“Sorry
Mom. I’ll see what I can do from here. Keep us posted.”

Bryce
looked at the curious faces in the room. “Bane and his men are at the compound.”

“Shit
, it’s a trap. He probably knows we are all here and not at the compound. We have weakened our defenses by splitting up,” Matt said with a growl.

“Bane isn’t after me
, is he? He’s after the whole pack.”

“It
would seem he has bigger aspirations,” Bryce agreed. “Ashley, that doesn’t mean he’s not after you. If your uncle falls, then he thinks the pack will be his. It’s common knowledge that your uncle has no heirs. Only the pack knows about me.”

“So
, he thinks he’ll just take over the pack and, then what, I’ll fall in line?”

“I
still don’t know what he intends for you, but I can assure you it’s not pleasant.”

“Aiden
, we go with the original plan. You leave, let them see you, and then head straight home. I’ll call Maverick. We are going to need his help on this.  Matt, be ready. We are going on the offensive. I want Frank Bane alive. We need him for leverage.”

“What
do you want me to do?” Ashley asked her mate.

Bryce wanted to tell her to hide
, to keep low and let them handle it, but he knew her well enough to know she wouldn’t stay down for long. “I think being visible is enough. Please try and keep your head down.” Ashley nodded.

A few more moments of discussion and Ashley was dizzy
. Too much was happening at once. The thought of her aunt and uncle being in danger miles away didn’t help the situation. “We did this so they would be safe. Now they are not,” she mumbled.

“Hey A
sh don’t underestimate the troops we have. They kick ass,” Matt said proudly as if he already was one of them.

“Brendan
, how close?” Bryce asked looking to the youngest for his expertise.

“They
can see the house. They seem to be waiting for something.”

“Aiden
, go! We will give them what they are waiting for.”

“
And what might that be?” Aiden asked.

“Me
to leave. They were waiting for someone to call and let me know the pack was under attack. Any enforcer would rush to their aide. That has to be what they are counting on.”

“M
akes sense to me. I’m going to shift. Ashley, you hold the door. Let them see you.” Aiden said stripping his clothing off as he spoke.

“
Watch your back, brother.”

“Will
do. See you on the flip side.” Aiden shed the last of his clothes and shifted into his wolf form. Ashley held the door as the huge black wolf left the house, turning back once before bolting into the woods that surrounded the house. Ashley closed the door behind her making sure to engage the lock.

“
Okay boys, I suggest you hide,” she breathed slowly.

“Hide
?” Matt asked looking at his brothers.

“
Yes, they might still think I’m alone. At least we hope they do. The order was to bring me back alive, right? So, I will just let them in when they knock.” There was a note of sarcasm in her voice.

“I
know you’re kidding honey, but you might not be too far off. If it was me out there, I’d send the girls first. You’re sure to open the door for them.”

“Then shoo
, go hide. Even if they think there is another guard, they have no idea I have four males here. Maybe I can get the girls safely inside.”

Bryce nodded to the others. Ashley was right. His first instinct
, to just rush out the door and rip the three men to shreds, would put the girls in harm’s way.

“
Hold on. They are sending the girls out,” Brendan said. His eyes were glued to the monitor.

“We
can slip out back and take the men from behind,” Matt suggested.

“Go
!” Bryce ordered, seeing his brother was already half way to the door. “Brendan, can you tell if they have any weapons on them?”

“I
can’t see any.  No.”

“Cocky sons-of-bit
ches, aren’t they?” Colin smiled.

“They
think they have a lone woman cornered,” Ashley pointed out.

“Okay Ashley, open the door. Boys go!
”

17

Ashley opened the door
slowly while trying to keep her hands from shaking. She needed to get her friends inside. She watched as the women came into view. Resisting the urge to run to them, she just called to them.

“Yas
, Bri, in here. Hurry!”

Yasmin rushed forward. Brianna took off after her at a dead run. Ashley stepped out into the yard. She was trying to keep the men’s eyes on her so that the boys could surround them. She couldn’t see Dan, Julian, or Frank, but she knew they were there.

“Ash, n
o… don’t let her...” Brianna’s words fell off as Yasmin reached the first step. Ashley had meant to hug her friend but was surprised when Yas grabbed her arm and yanked her away from the door. The forward momentum caused by Yasmin’s surprise move had Ashley stumbling out into the yard.

“No
!” Brianna screamed as she slammed into Yasmin at top speed. “Run Ash! She’s with them. They are in the woods.”

Ashley took a second to process. This was what she had been missing.
Yasmin had said Dan and Julian had already left when she had called to warn her. So, how was it that she was there with him now?

The cold sting of
betrayal fueled her anger. This was too much.

“Brianna,
get in the house.” Ashley said as she pushed an advancing Yasmin to the ground so Brianna could pass. The truth was a hard pill to swallow. Only Brianna had been the bait. Yasmin had been in on it the whole time.

“
Why?” she snapped at Yasmin who was still in the process of getting up.

“Richard was mine
, you bitch.” Yasmin spat as she rushed her again.

“
Yours?” Ashley managed to ask as she twisted out of the way.

“
God, you are so stupid. Yes, mine, and you killed him.”

“Yasmin
, he was attacking me.” Realization dawned on her. Not only was Yasmin part of this attack, she was part of Richard’s assault as well. “You knew he would be there,” Ashley said seeing the smile on Yasmin’s face bloom. It was pure evil.

“You weren’t supposed to survive. With you gone, then I’d have him all to myself.”

“I
didn’t want him. You knew that.” Ashley growled. She could see the men emerging from the woods. Little did they know they were surrounded? “So what now?” Ashley asked. Yasmin had seen her notice the others. The best distraction was for Ashley to pretend she was defeated. Yasmin had stopped her advance as soon as the men had emerged from the woods.

“Now
, we finish what Richard started,” Yasmin laughed.

“You’re planning on raping me like he did?”

“He didn’t rape you, bitch. He was trying to kill you,” Yasmin spat.

“
That’s not what it felt like.” Ashley knew Yasmin well enough to know she was enraged. That’s what she was hoping for. “So, why are you here now? Even if you wanted Richard, although for the life of me I can’t imagine why, he is dead.”

“But
Frank isn’t, are you, honey?” Honey?

“
Not yet, he isn’t,” Ashley muttered slowly noticing one black wolf and three greys emerging from the woods behind the three men that were advancing with confidence.

Ashley knew the moment the other men noticed they weren’t alone. Taking advantage of the distraction, Ashley shifted. Scraps of clothes flew as she charged Yasmin.  Bryce would be furious that she didn’t get herself out of harm’s way, but Yasmin was hers. The shocked look on her former friend’s face was the last thing she saw before sinking her fangs into Yasmin’s throat.