Wolf's Bane (Shifted) (4 page)

“
She’s scared of everyone, and with good reason. Her reaction to you and your father was not what I had expected. Since the attack, the mere presence of a man other than Drew or her father terrified her.”

“I
don’t see how this was any different.”

“
It was. Believe me. In the last two days, Ashley has said maybe ten words all together. She didn’t speak at all on the way here. You she talked to.”

“
If you think it will help, sure, I’ll stop by. I was thinking of asking Lexi to come.”

“Perhaps
a woman would be even better to break her out of this shell she seems to be hiding in.”

“What
did the doctors say?”

“She
refused to see them. As I said, she wasn’t letting any men near her. She became hysterical. We thought it best to give her some time. The fact that she agreed to meet the both of you was a positive sign. Bryce, I know it’s asking a lot, but if she’s talking to you… you don’t understand what a positive sign that is.”

“I
want to help. I meant what I said. No one deserves the way she was treated.”

5

Ashley heard the conversation in the hallway. Her hearing was excellent, better even than some of the other shifters. Her Aunt Julie was right. She had spoken to Bryce more than she had anyone else since the attack. She had closed herself off purposely. Thinking about what happened just hurt too much. It was easier to close all her thoughts, remain numb. Somehow, Bryce had broken through that resolve. She knew she could trust him.

Listening to the rumble of
Bryce’s voice soothed her. She believed he truly wanted to help. She warmed at the thought that Bryce had offered to kill Warren for her, even if his offer confused her. Why would a man she had never met before offer to avenge her? It didn’t make sense. What was in it for him? He was Alpha. He already had the promise of being pack leader. Why would he offer to kill the Bane Alpha? Perhaps, it was to gain land and power, but he already would have that without risking his life.

If he did kill Bane
, she would be free. She was strong. She knew that, with time, she could get past the attack. She had done what she had to, and made no apologies for that.

Her fear stemmed more from Warren’s promise of retribution. Ashley had no doubt that her uncle’s pack would suffer if she remained there. She had to find a way to keep them safe. She didn’t want to be responsible for an attack on what appeared to be a gentle and benevolent pack of shifters.

She groaned
, feeling the pull of skin tear at her injuries as she stood. She was tired. Sleep would be the best way to heal. The wounds on her body were extensive. Just moving caused pain. The injuries would heal if she shifted, so why wasn’t she?

“
Because then you’ll forget,” she answered her own thought. She didn’t want to ever forget what happened to her. The scars would remind her, help to shield her in the future. If she let herself forget, then her guard would be let down. She wouldn’t be foolish enough to let some other man claim her as property. She had known turning Richard down would make waves. She had foolishly thought he was only claiming her to fulfill his father’s wishes. She knew better now.

Richard had been
obsessed with claiming her. Denying him had been a slap in his face. Looking back, she could have just agreed, pretended to go along with the marriage, then suddenly disappeared, or faked her death. Death would have been better than having to spend a lifetime with a man she detested. She’d rather be alone for eternity.

The way thing
s were looking, she’d get her wish. She would spend her life always looking over her shoulder. A partner or children wouldn’t factor into that future. Her heart broke at the thought of everything she had lost. No man would want her now. As a young woman, she had dared to dream of a loving relationship like her parents or aunt and uncle. Now, she had lost that as well. The thought of being intimate, letting a man get that close, have that kind of control, made her shutter. A brief flash of Bryce’s face flashed in her mind’s eye. He frightened her in a different way. He was large and imposing, and his anger was fierce, but, somehow, she doubted he could ever hurt her.

“
Now you’re fantasizing about strangers. You really have lost your mind,” she reprimanded herself. A man like Bryce wouldn’t want her knowing what he already knew. Even if she could get over her fear of being touched, she was damaged, tainted. The scars she would wear from not shifting would warn men away. It was for the best. No use dreaming about the gorgeous Alpha. It was just hormones, a physical reaction that any female would have to his looks.

“There
you are.” Julie rushed to the far window where her niece stood looking out into the darkness.

“I think I’ll go to bed
, Aunt Julie. If you don’t mind?” Ashley said clutching the blanket tighter.

“
Oh no dear, of course I don’t mind. Things will be better tomorrow. You’ll see.”

Ashley just nodded. She didn’t think things would ever really be better
, but there was no use telling her aunt that. Tomorrow she’d be better physically. Tomorrow she’d figure out where to go from here. The longer she stayed, the more danger the Reiner pack was in. She couldn’t have that on her conscience.

Bryce tried to concentrate on the paperwork that littered the Alpha desk. Who knew there was so much red tape being the leader of a pack? Requests for mating, declarations that a were had found his true mate, and requests to turn them.

Turning humans was serious business. A were claiming the mate fever didn’t always mean the human felt
it. If they didn’t, then turning them would be a disaster. Of course, denying a were his or her true mate meant that the were would go feral. That never ended well. He would have to speak to the human, make sure they knew what they were getting into, before sanctioning the turn.

A soft knock at the door drew his attention.

“Come in,” he called as he covered the papers in front of him. No one was supposed to be in the pack house today, but if one of the weres had slipped through the guard’s defenses, he didn’t want them nosing into Alpha business.

“I thought you might need some help,” Julie smiled
while eyeing the stacks of papers that now littered the office.

“I
had no idea there were so many forms. Request forms, acquisition forms, I can’t keep them straight,” Bryce huffed as he ran his fingers through his hair.

“Drew
can’t make heads or tails of it either. Here, let me,” she said starting to efficiently pile the forms into three neat stacks. “Your brothers arrived at the crack of dawn. Have you heard from Lexi?”

“I
haven’t called her yet. How is Ashley this morning?”

“She
seems the same. Although I wouldn’t know for sure. All she does is nod and try to smile when I speak to her.”

“She’s
not talking again?”

“
No, she sits and stares at the fire in the great room. I wish I knew what to do to help.”

“So do I
,” Bryce muttered.

“Do
you mean that? I mean, maybe she’d talk to you.”

“You
want me to check on her?”

“
Yes, please. I can take care of this. Give me an hour,” she said gesturing to the paper work.

“
An hour? That’s days’ worth of work.”

“
Men... always making a mountain out of a mole hill. Go, I’ll take care of this. See if you can get her talking. It’s not healthy to have her keep it all inside.”

“I’ll try Julie
. Thanks for the help.”

“
It’s no bother really.”

Ashley sat closer to the fire. It was dying down, making the chill fill her again. She felt empty. The warmth was the only thing that seemed to soothe the dark void that threatened to consume her. She didn’t sleep well the night before. She doubted she’d ever sleep well again. The images of Richard, his evil sneer, looming above her had awakened her causing her to scream until she realized where she was. He was dead, and, for the moment, she was safe.

Reaching down for another log
, the blanket she had wrapped herself in slipped from her shoulders. She hesitated to pull it back. It might catch on fire if she got too close. Straining to lift the log, she tossed it on the fire. Even that simple motion made her whole body ache.

Bryce watched as
Ashley bent to stoke the fire. He didn’t mean to spy, but the door had been open. The blanket slipped from her back revealing a petite figure. She was wearing sweatpants and a thin strapped tank top. Today her hair was pulled back away from her face, proving what he had thought the night before. Ashley Freeman was beautiful. His breath hitched, as she winced, picking up a log and kneeling in front of the fire. The flames brightened the shadows that surrounded her, illuminating the damage done to her in the attack. Huge red marks marred her shoulder, some still bleeding. Her back and arms revealed much the same.

“
Oh god Ashley, he bit you?” Bryce said without thinking.

Ashley
whirled around to find the man she had met just last night staring at her in horror.

Her idea that the scars would keep men from looking at her suddenly had backfired. She didn’t want Bryce to see them
. She wanted to hide her shame from the man who offered to go after Warren even after having just met her.

“Bryce
, please don’t look,” she said scrambling to get the blanket back around her.

“No
, don’t cover them. Ashley, you didn’t shift after the attack?”

“No
, I… I don’t want to.”

“You have to
… those bites…” Bryce winced at the thought of her being bitten. Torn to shreds was a better description of what he was seeing. “…Ashley, they will get infected. From the look of it, they already are.”

“I’ll put some cream on them.
Please don’t look at me that way.”

“Tell me why you
won’t shift,” he demanded stepping further into the room. Ashley slid back against the easy chair on her left. Bryce was angry. She wasn’t frightened exactly. She was mortified. “I won’t hurt you Ash. Please, just let me call a doctor?”

“
No, no doctors! I don’t want those men touching me.”

“Fine
, I understand that. I just don’t see why you can’t shift. Those bites will infect and poison your blood stream. They are bad, Ash. You could die.” Bryce hoped he was exaggerating, but the mark he saw on her shoulder was oozing either blood or something worse.

Ashley looked at Bryce who was keeping the couch in between them
. He really didn’t want to scare her, and for some reason he didn’t. She found herself imagining last night. What it would have been like to meet him before the attack. Would he be attracted to her? Now all she saw in his eyes was pity and anger.

She hadn’t thought about infection.
Infection would be a problem. Maybe he was right, and she should shift.

“I don’t want anyone to see me this way.”

“Well, sorry to inform you, I’ve already seen you. What is it you’re trying to prove? Being a martyr won’t change what happened.”

“Martyr
? That’s what you think I’m doing?” Okay, so it was exactly what she was doing, and yelling at an alpha male wasn’t sticking with her plan to avoid men indefinitely.