Wolf's Bane (Shifted) (6 page)

“What
exactly happened? Is she alright?”

“She’s
fine. I took her to meet the rest of the Woodlands, and, get this, she looked right at Aiden and said you’re not Bryce.”

“
Good lord, I can’t even tell them apart.”

“Apparently
, she can. Julie, I think perhaps Bryce’s approach is working better than ours. Maybe treating Ashley like a wounded child isn’t the best way to deal with this. She seems to have more fight in her when Bryce is there.”

“
She’ll need to fight if Bane comes after her. Drew, do you really think he will? I mean, it would be stupid to go against council to avenge his son. His son deserved what he got.”

“Bane, from
what Hannah told me, is not that stable. To answer your question, I don’t know. Ashley seems to think he will look for her, and I have to believe she knows better than we do what this man will do.”

Julie shook her head
. She didn’t know what to do for her niece. No one deserved to be treated the way she had, and to be running in fear. She couldn’t imagine what the girl was going through.

7

Bryce pulled into the clinic parking lot. Lexi had told him to meet her there after he had explained about Ashley. He just hoped that Lexis new sister-in-law, Faith, would help. Faith was a doctor, a female doctor. Ashley would probably never speak to him again, but he couldn’t live with himself if he did nothing. The girl was attacked. She wasn’t in her right mind. She had to shift, or at least, get the bites treated. Maybe Lexi and Faith could talk some sense into her.

Lexi greeted him at the door.
“We’re all set. I told Maverick what was happening and he said to take Faith and Gwen.”

“Gwen
?”

“
Yeah, she will be very helpful. She can read minds,” Lexi stage whispered.

“I
can’t read minds, Lexi. Hi I’m Gwen. We met when they brought Gage in.”

“
Yes. What is this about reading minds?”

“I
can sometimes hear thoughts that are strong or are directed to me.”

“And
how will this help?” he asked Lexi.

“
You said she was refusing to shift. If we knew why, we might be able to talk her out of it.”

“Fine
. Anything to help.”

“You
like this girl, huh?” Lexi taunted.

“
Yes. She’s very nice, and stubborn, and hurt. Can we just go?”

“
Sure. Faith, Bryce is here.”

Faith
, the blond mated to Gage’s brother, Knight, came out of the back room carrying a box of supplies. “Hi Bryce. I think I have everything. You say she was bitten.”

“Yes
, more than once.”

“Ouch
, how many times would you say she was bitten?”

“Ten
. Maybe more,” Bryce winced at the picture that formed in his head of Ashley’s neck and shoulders.

“
Good god, was the attacker feral?”

“No
, I don’t think so. Does that matter?”

“N
o, I’ve just never heard of anything like this. Let’s go.”

“Thank
you for coming. I didn’t know what else to do.”

“We’ll
take care of her. It will be alright.” Faith patted Bryce on the shoulder as they walked to the car.

Bryce led the girls through the pack house to the great room where he had left Ashley. If she wasn’t there, he would find her. Opening the door that was slightly ajar, he saw her sleeping, curled on the couch in front of the fire. He regretted the harsh words he had with her. She seemed so small and frail. No one deserved what she had been through.

“
She’s asleep,” he whispered. “I don’t want to frighten her.”

“
You’d better let her know we are here. I think waking up to strangers would be bad.” Lexi whispered back. Bryce nodded in agreement.

“
Ashley, Ashley, wake up,” he called from the doorway. He had the urge to go to her and gently shake her but knew she’d be frightened at a man’s touch.  “Ashley, are you awake?” he called a little louder.

“Bryce
?” she groaned sleepily while stretching. She recognized Bryce’s voice. Although she though she might be dreaming.

“
Ash, I brought my sister and some of her friends.”

“What
?” Ashley said more awake now. Bryce was back and he brought who?

“Ash
, this is Lexi, my sister, and this is Gwen and Faith.”

Ashley
groaned as she sat up. Her body not only hurt. It was stiff, and the bites pulled at her skin.

“Hi,
I’m sorry. I must have fallen asleep,” she apologized to her unexpected guests as she pulled the blanket up around her.

“Lexi
, she’s going to hate me.” Bryce muttered, seeing the confused look on Ashley’s face.

“Maybe
so, but you’re doing the right thing.”

“Ash
, I’m sorry, but I had to do something. Faith is a doctor. I brought her to look at your bites.”

“
A doctor?”

“Yes
,” Faith said calmly as she stepped forward into the room. “I heard what happened. Can I take a look?”

“You’re
a doctor?”

“Yes
. Why is that so hard to believe? Women can be doctors you know?”

“
We just don’t have any women doctors in the pack I grew up in.”

“You’re
Bane?” Gwen asked even though she already knew the answer.

“
Yes I am, or I was. I’m nothing now.”

Ashley’s
words made Bryce’s stomach turn. Did she really think she was nothing? He got the feeling she meant more than commenting on her pack affiliation. “Ash, don’t say that.”

“I
didn’t mean anything by it, Bryce. Why did you bring them here?” She was angry. He could see the look of betrayal in her eyes.

“To
help you. You have to shift, and if you won’t, then at least let Faith treat the bites.”

“
Why won’t you let this go? Do you have some sort of hero complex? Save the poor wretched girl from herself. I told you I didn’t need your help,” Ashley snapped with tears pooling.

“I tend not to listen when I know people are wrong.” Bryce
stiffened by crossing his arms.

“
Look, I’m sorry he brought you here. I’m fine really.” Bryce was about to say something when Lexi put a hand on his arm to calm him.

“Bryce
, why don’t you wait outside?”

“
Fine,” he snapped glaring at Ashley. He wanted to shake her, hold her down, and force her to let Faith treat her. His protective nature was on high alert, and the girl was refusing help.

Lexi waited until the door shut to turn back to Ashley.
“Bryce can be harsh when he’s frustrated.”

“
So sorry to hear my condition frustrates him. I really don’t understand why he even cares.”

“
He just does. There’s no explaining it. So, are you going to let Faith take a look? Bryce thought you would be more comfortable with a woman doctor.”

“Bryce
needs to mind his own business.”

“
I’ve known him all his life. That’s not going to happen.”

Gwen looked at the
fragile girl on the couch. The thoughts spiraling in her head were mostly based on fear. Fear of a man named Warren. “Who is Warren?” she asked. Ashley froze looking at the small blonde.

“
I’m sure Bryce told you.”

“He
told us you were attacked. That’s all. Was this Warren the one that attacked you?”

“No
, it was his son. Where did you get the name Warren from if Bryce didn’t tell you?”

“Gwen
can hear strong thought,” Lexi told Ashley the truth. Deceiving the girl wouldn’t help to build trust.

“
You can tell what I’m thinking?”

“
Only some of it. There is the name Warren and fear.” Gwen smiled and continued. “Then there’s Bryce and how you can’t decide if you want to slap him or...”

“Enough
! Okay, you made your point. So I suppose the only way to get you three to leave is to let Faith look at me. Fine look!” Ashley let the blanket slide from her shoulders. The girls tried not to react to what they were seeing. Bryce had said it was bad. No wonder Bryce was so driven. The girls shoulder looked like raw meat.

“
Okay, I’m with Bryce on this one. Faith is going to have to look at that,” Lexi gave Ashley a look that said just try and defy me.

“Fine
. To be honest they really hurt.”

“I’ll
bet they do. Why didn’t you shift?” Faith said gently as she approached the girl.

“I don’t know,” Ashley replied
shyly.

“She
didn’t shift because there were always men in the room. She thought she’d keep the scars and that men wouldn’t think she was attractive anymore. She thought that if she was ugly, she’d be safe.” Gwen spouted.

“I
didn’t … I … you know, that’s really annoying.” Ashley growled. There was no way she could deny the truth when this woman was pulling the thoughts right out of her head.

“
Sorry,” Gwen shrugged her shoulders.

“Ashley
, right now, the attack is new. Believe me, I know how twisted your thoughts can be.”

“
Your dad said something about you being attacked recently?”

“
Yeah. He tried to kill me. I was lucky but I still have nightmares,” Lexi confirmed quietly. No one but Gage knew about the nightmares

“
I’m suggesting you turn, Ashley. There is a lot of damage here. There are no men in the room. You can turn safely.” Faith said surveying the damage done to the girl