Chapter 8. The storm
"It is freaking cold in this rotten cave," Danny grumbled as she threw another stick on the ridiculously small fire we had going.
We all nodded in agreement. Our fire was barely heating up our cave and even as wolves, we were feeling the nasty bite of the cold.
I glanced at the entrance of the cave. I could barely see the treeline, as almost everything was obscured by the storm of snow raging by. Even if the cave was cold and quite wet, it was by far better than getting caught outside in the weather.
JP turned to me. "W-Where are you headed?" he stuttered, but I couldn't tell if it was from the shivering or just his nervous self. He was already draped in Regan's massive coat and was wearing an extra pair of gloves on his feet, but the poor boy couldn't stop shaking. I guess humans have a harder time staying warm.
"Poor baby," Danny cooed as she cosily curled up next to him, her head resting on his shoulder as she tried to warm him.
"Yeah, where are you headed?" Aspen chimed in as he curiously leant forward, resting his chin in his hands.
"You've been with her for days and haven't bothered to ask what she is doing in the middle of freaking nowhere?" Ashleigh asked, looking at her brother in astonishment as she shook her head in disbelief. "What did you guys talk about?"
The rascal threw her a dirty grin. "Maybe we didn't do much talking, at all."
I quickly cleared my throat, pulling the attention back towards me before the siblings could start their all too familiar bickering. Regan threw me a grateful look while Danny winked at me. How they managed to keep up with all the fighting, was a freaking miracle.
I briefly contemplated I should just lie, but as I felt five pairs of eyes on me, all genuinely wondering where I was going, I figured telling them couldn't hurt.
"I’m actually headed for the East."
"Coyote Country?" Danny frowned. Ashleigh cocked her head to the side as Aspen scratched the back of his head.
"What business could you have there?" Regan asked as he suspiciously eyed me, probably wondering what kind of wolf would voluntarily travel into enemy territory.
"I, ehmm..." Should I tell them? I mean, Ashleigh already knew. But that didn't mean I should tell the rest. The fewer people who knew about it, the better.
"They stole something from our tribe and I need to get it back." There, that wasn't exactly a lie.
"Something important?" Danny inquired, her voice empathic. Of course, she would sympathise with me.
"Very important." I nodded, hoping they wouldn't ask more details. Our Winter Stone was a well-kept secret, the fewer people knew about it, the better.
"Damn Coyotes!" Darren growled as he slammed his fist into the wall of the cave. Okay? Nobody liked Coyotes, but that was a bit over the top. Angry much?
"You okay there?" I asked, looking around in the group as I wondered if him getting angry was a big deal or not. Should I worry here?
But instead of him blowing up like all of them seemed to do, he calmed himself down, put on his pouting face and crawled up to Danny's other side. She caringly wrapped her arm around him as he hid himself in her shirt. It was definitely confusing, a bit weird, and kind of cute.
I wondered what that was about, but nobody in the group seemed to really react to his outburst, so I figured it was probably better to let it slide.
"So, how old are you, Akira?" Danny asked, her two men cuddled up against her. I smiled gratefully at her. They all seemed to have quite a temper and I honestly believed this cave was too small for an all-out fight between either of them.
"Probably around Darren's age? I am... "
"I’m a lot older than I look," Darren interrupted me as he puffed up his chest and loudly exhaled through his nose.
"O-kay?" I slowly said, wondering what had brought on this.
"How old do you think I am?" he smirked, his eyes lighting up as he seemed to have found a fun new game to play. Torture Akira. Yaay.
I groaned. I hated guessing age, not because people got offended, what did I care. No, I hated it because I was terrible at it.
"Do we really have to?" I reluctantly asked, hoping only Darren wanted to play this stupid game. But with the rest of the group's eyes on me and their encouraging smiles, I realised there was no escaping.
"Umm... I don't know, twenty-... six?" I guessed for Darren, already pushing it. If he told me he was twenty-three, I would still believe him.
A loud laugh echoed through the cave. I slowly turned around, rather disturbed, as I started at an unusual sight. Regan could laugh? His face knew how to do that?
"Him? Twenty-six? He wishes," Regan chuckled, as this was apparently the funniest thing that had been said the entire time I had been with them.
Darren threw a little rock against Regan's head, but it just bounced off of him like a pebble against a mountain. I don't even know he felt it.
"I’m twenty-six," Darren proudly said, as he puffed up his chest.
Another snort was heard.
"Twenty-six? More like twenty-five," Aspen joined in, his eyes bright in amusement as apparently Darren's age was a running joke between all of them.
The shaggy boy grumbled. "Twenty-five and three-quarters."
I patted him on his arm. "Don't feel bad, I’m only twenty-one. The grandmas and grandpas are just jealous," I grinned.
As the group collectively groaned in disagreement, another voice quipped in.
"Wait, you’re only twenty-one?" Ashleigh cut in, her eyes filled with disbelief.
"Yup. Something wrong with that?"
The blue-eyed beauty shook her head, her curls shaking with her. "No, not at all... Just... Surprised."
"Wait, how old did you think I was?" I asked, a smirk appearing on my lips. Two could play this game.
"I dunno..." she muttered, but I could just tell from her facial expression that she was shocked.
"Ashleighhhh?"
This time it was Aspen who threw a little twig at his sister. "Yes, tell her Ashleigh, what did you think?" he added, his face oddly smug.
I cocked my head to the side as I wordlessly asked her with my eyes. She glared back at me for a second, before her gaze softened and the frown disappeared from her forehead.
"I don't know, maybe twenty-four," she admitted, her voice strained.
"So why is twenty-one such a big deal?" There wasn't much of a difference with twenty-four. Wait, how old was Ashleigh? And Aspen? Well, obviously they were the same age, they were twins. "Wait, how old are you two?"
"Thirty-one!" Aspen happily chirped as he puffed up his chest as well. "But even if I do say so myself, I’m looking mighty fine for my age."
Thirty-one? A wave of shock and nausea washed over me. Both my mates were ten years older than me? Ashleigh, my beautiful Ashleigh, was almost as old as my oldest brother?
"What?" I softly uttered, still not sure how I was supposed to react to that.
I felt my hands grow clammy as sweat threatened to break through my forehead. They had both cuddled up to me. I had even been fanning over Aspen's muscled chest. Hell, I had almost kissed Ashleigh.
Thirty-one? Jeez... How could that even be? Weren't people of that age supposed to be grown-up and serious? And not chase your naked brother and spank him with a pine tree serious?
A soft hand landed on my upper thigh. And even though my wolf purred from Ashleigh's touch, a little shiver ran through my body. And not the good kind. Ten years?
Ashleigh threw the same stick back at her brother, hitting him square between the eyes. "Shut up, jackass. We are only twenty-seven and our birthdays have already passed. He is just yanking your chain."
As if my body suddenly became pounds lighter, I felt the oxygen return to my lungs. Fucking Aspen, why would he do that to me? Cheeky bastard. I quickly counted the years in my head, calculating that their birthday had already passed and I would turn twenty-two at the end of the year. So that made them only five years older than me. Not ten.
Ooof...
As if Danny had noticed the turmoil inside me, she shook her head in disappointment at the cheeky wolf and gave me one of her kindest smiles. "You shouldn't take anything he says too seriously, Akira. He doesn't know when to stop."
"No, it's fine..." I murmured, my heart still pounding in my ears. As much as I felt drawn to Ashleigh, I wasn't sure if I would ever be okay with such an age difference.
I felt a gentle squeeze and as I followed the arm attached to the hand, I ended up staring in Ashleigh's bright blue eyes. She was looking at me intensely and I could tell she noticed I was a bit shaken up. Worry flashed through her eyes and wordlessly, I knew she was asking me if I was okay.
As I stared into the glaciers, any doubt I previously had, melted like the last snow of winter under the first rays of spring's sun.
I softly squeezed her hand back, as I nodded almost unnoticeable.
Turns out I didn't care after all. I let out a sigh. "I don't like this game."
Aspen chuckled, while Ashleigh threw another rock at his head. At this rate, we would run out of rocks to throw as they all ended up in Aspen's corner.
"So what do we do then? We are stuck in this freaking cave until God knows when," Darren groaned as he threw another rock against the wall.
More rock throwing?
Regan threw him a confused look, looking quite happy with his little stick house, not sure why his companion didn't like the cave.
"We can play another game?" I suggested, feeling the group quirk up.
"What kind of game?" Darren asked, his eyes shining with enthusiasm. He really was a kid sometimes. No wonder I thought him to be younger than he was.
Yeah, what kind of game... Good question... With three sets of expectant eyes staring at me, I felt heat creep up to my cheeks. Why can't you just think before saying things, Akira?
"What if... One of us makes three statements. Two of them have to be true, one of them is a lie. And then the others just guess which one it is?"
Ashleigh scratched the side of her head in confusion. "But we all know each other really well. How would that work?"
"Pssh, please, you don't know all my secrets," Aspen next to her huffed.
"You think I don't know everything about you?" she challenged him, making him puff up his chest.
"Nah."
"No? Alright, bring it on," my dark-haired mate growled, never able to resist her brother riling her up.
"Why don't I start?" I quickly intervened, hoping that this would calm down the war threatening to break out. "Okay, three things about myself... Ehmmm..." Again, I mentally hit myself over the head. Think before you speak, Akira! Damn it!
As the twins and Darren curiously stared at me, I racked my brains for some weird things about myself. Things that might be questionable.
"Aha. Okay, I got some! Number one. I got my head stuck in a pumpkin once. Number two. When I was little, I fell in horseshit. Number three. I tripped my sister during an official ceremony. Two are true, but which one is the lie?"
"Wait, only one of them is a lie?" Ashleigh asked as she furrowed her brows, thinking lines appearing on her forehead. She was so cute.
"I wish all of them were true," Darren dreamily sighed, staring at me with a new-found admiration.
I chuckled. Only he would hope that. "Only two happened."
Aspen narrowed his eyes. "I do think you'd trip your sister, but I want the others to be true... So I'll pick the sister tripping."
"Darren?"
He cocked his head to the side, studying my face. "I pick the horseshit... If that was true, you wouldn't have told us," he reasoned, looking quite smug with his answer.
"I believe the pumpkin. Your head isn't small enough to fit in one," Ashleigh argued, making the wolf in my chest whimper. See, this is why she was our mate.
But before I could confirm which one was the lie, a loud bang was heard from outside the cave. Like rabbits, we all jumped up and ran towards the entrance. A warm hand grabbed my upper arm, catching me mid-way.
"Don't go outside..." Ashleigh warned me, as she stuck her nose in the air. Behind her, Aspen and the rest caught up as well.
"Incoming!" Aspen loudly whispered into the group, as they all stopped dead in our tracks.
"What?" I bewilderedly asked, looking around at my companions.
"Ssssh,' Ashleigh hushed me, pulling me closer to her.
"What?" I asked again, a lot quieter this time.
"Coyotes. And a lot of them," Danny whispered from the other side of me, as she slowly unbuttoned her coat and dropped it on the ground. On her other side, Darren was pulling off his pants as Regan suddenly lost his shirt.
Was this really the appropriate response to Coyotes? Stripping? What was it with this group, couldn't they just keep on their freaking clothes? I thought they were cold?
"JP is going to stay with you, guard our bags, please?" Ashleigh whispered in my ear as I forced myself not to look down at her bare shoulders and the rest of her curves. There was obviously something going on here and I almost knew what, but I couldn't put my finger on it.
"What is going on?"
"I-I-I'll explain, just be q-quiet for a moment," JP stuttered as he collected the scattered clothes from off the ground and stuffed them in a small bag.
Come on brain, you can figure this out. Coyotes, and a lot of stripping... Could this mean?
"Wait!"
"Shhhh!"
I lowered my voice again. "Wait, does this mean what I think it means? Are you all going to shift?" They seriously weren't all going to run out into the storm, right? That was just madness.
"Right on the money," Darren grinned as he demonstratively unbuckled his belt.
"Why?"
"We'll tell you in a bit," Danny muttered as she shed her shirt and was now only wearing a set of panties and a bra. She wasn't going to take those off, was she?
A stern, deep, voice suddenly caught my attention. "Let's do this quickly and smoothly. We don't want any unnecessary complications. Usual formation. Regan, you’re in the lead. Darren and Danny, from the flanks. Ash, you and I will back up Regan."
I stared at astonishment at Aspen, as his commands send shivers down my spine. Was this really the goofy guy I shared my camp with?
"Let's get it done, alright."
His voice was huskier than usual, his biceps flexing under his shirt as he directed the rest of the group.
I felt my wolf stir inside my chest as she was drawn to Aspen once again and I was overcome with a strange desire for him.
"Let's move!" he commanded the group, and as they all nodded his head in agreement, I suddenly realised what was going on.
Alpha.
The group jogged towards the entrance of the cave. Regan seemed to inspect the sky, and with a nod, he seemed to approve whatever it was that needed approving.
I turned back to Ashleigh, still not sure what exactly was going on. Before I could speak to her, the cave was suddenly filled with a noise I would recognise in my wildest nightmares.
The shift.
The nauseating sound of joints popping and bones cracking made me cringe and buckle down into the ground. I covered my ears with my hands, but it wasn't nearly enough to keep the muffled groans and cries out as my new friends were in hellish pain.
I managed to glance at JP, wondering how he was taking the living nightmare, but he looked surprisingly unfazed. He was just staring at Danny, his eyes glazed over a little. I wasn't sure he was even here.
He must've felt my eyes prickle on his back, as he turned his focus from the redhead to me. A meek smile appeared on his face as he gently touched my hand.
"You'll get used to it," he said, with a remarkably clear voice. "I always count down from hundred in intervals of seven. It helps me stay calm."
I frowned my forehead, not exactly sure what he meant.
"Like this. Hundred. Ninety-three. Eight-six. Seventy-nine. Seventy-two. You should try it."
That was an odd technique. I looked at JP again, wondering if he was yanking my chain, but he encouragingly nodded his head. Couldn't hurt to try, right?
"Sixty-five... Fifty-eight. Fifty-one. Ehmm... Forty-four... Thirty-seven. Thirty. Twenty-three.."
"See, that is better, no?" he smiled, as he counted along with me.
I nodded in relief, my stomach no longer threatening to return all of Darren's food back to mother Earth.
"Yeah, it helped... How did you come up with that technique?" I asked him, wondering where the nervous, stuttering man went.
"It's just a coping mechanism I developed over the years. You can use other numbers as well, but I like seven."
"Seven is good."
"It is. Look, they are all done," he pointed out, nudging with his head towards the entrance of the cave. I followed his line of sight and felt my breath hitch in my throat. It did help. In the time it took me to count down, their transformation had completed.
My new companions had disappeared and five beautiful wolves had taken their place. I immediately recognised Aspen's form by his amber-coloured eyes and his grey fur. His hind leg had completely healed and he stood much more proudly than before, now that he was surrounded by his family.
The other grey wolf of the pack must've been Darren's form. He was slightly smaller than Aspen and his fur was quite shaggy. There was a darker patch around his snout that made it look like he was permanently grinning. Definitely Darren.
The smaller wolf with the reddish fur was obviously Danny. She was counting into the ground with her paws, looking rather happy about being in her wolf form. She affectionately nudged the shaggy wolf next to her and shook her head playfully. Yes, that was Danny.
The giant wolf towering over the rest with broad shoulders and big paws was without a single doubt, Regan. Just like his human body, he was massive. But whereas he seemed gentle and calm in person, his wolf radiated power and strength. I wouldn't want to get in his way, that was for sure.
And then there she was. The only black wolf in the middle of the pack. She was rather small, but her fur was long and darker than a raven. She was sniffing the ground, her tail wagging against the leg of her brother. As if she felt the pull from the wolf inside my chest, she suddenly looked in my direction. Piercing blue eyes found mine. Ashleigh.
"Hi," I whispered as I walked over to her, my hand gliding through her fur as she playfully nipped at my ankle. “You’re beautiful."
JP joined me with the wolves. "I-I-I've seen them shift m-many times, but they s-s-still amaze me."
So the stuttery, rather twitchy man was back. Interesting.
"I have never seen a black wolf," I admitted as I admired the dark fur of my mate. It matched the colour of her hair perfectly.
"M-M-Me neither. She is the o-only one so f-far," JP spoke as he then patted Danny between her ears. She happily licked his open palm and curled her snout against his hand. I couldn't be anything but impressed that even in her wolf form, she responded to JP with such kindness and love. Especially since her first mate was standing right next to her, shifted and all. Their love must run much deeper than I expected it to be.
A short bark suddenly drew the attention of Ashleigh and Danny away. It was Aspen calling for them. And even with my wolf locked in my chest, I could feel her stirring as she longed to answer that call. Disobeying any natural Alpha was a hard task, but resisting the call of your Alpha mate, even if it was only your second, was even harder. Especially as my wolf was torn between him and the beautiful female wolf standing next to him.
Why did this have to happen to me? What was I supposed to do now?
Another low growl was uttered by Aspen as the rest of the pack nudged their heads down. Regan dug his paws into the frozen ground, shards of frozen earth flying about as he effortlessly broke through the hard floor. He shook his head and with his whole body flexed, he sprinted out of the cave. The two twins immediately raced behind him, while Danny and Darren lingered for another moment. She gave him an affectionate lick on his snout and snatched the bag out of JP's hand. With a cheerful bark, they both darted out of sight, disappearing into the stormy night.
The cave suddenly felt much colder and scarier without them. Why did they have to leave?
"D-Don't worry... They always come b-b-back," JP stuttered from behind me, his clammy hand finding my shoulder as he urged me to step away from the entrance.
"You sure about that? Last time, I found Aspen hurt and trapped in a metal clasp," I asked, staring into the night hesitantly. What if someone else had found him?
"T-T-That was just b-bad luck. A-Aspen was scouting and got t-trapped. If he hadn't t-t-told us he was being taken c-care off, w-we would've come m-much, much sooner," JP explained as he strung together what was probably the longest sentence I had ever heard him speak.
"Wait, hang on. He told you? How?"
"They can c-c-communicate telepathically. At l-least, A-Aspen can talk to Ash and D-Danny with R-Regan. H-Has to do something with the b-blood bond?"
I nodded as the explanation made sense. If they knew how to release their wolves, I shouldn't be surprised they also knew how to communicate with immediate family and their designated mates. As a pair of twins, Ashleigh and Aspen should have very clear communication between them. And Danny and Regan, as first mates, would have the same bond.
With that thought, I jealously glared into the night as I wished my wolf could freely talk to them. To Aspen or Ashleigh, it didn't even matter. Just one of them to talk to would be a welcome change from my wolf whispering small words now and then.
I needed to set her free so I could run with the pack. With this pack. With my pack.
Even though I hadn't known them for very long, this was where I belonged. In the midst of Aspen and Ashleigh, my two mates, my promised family. But not just them, I had grown quite fond of Danny, Regan, JP, and even Darren. There was just something about them that made me feel safe and welcome. Like they had always expected me to arrive, and now I was here, I effortlessly fit into their puzzle. I was their lost puzzle piece. Yes, this was where I was supposed to be.
And even though I knew that at some point, I'd have to separate from them for my own quest, I knew I would always return to them. To him. To her. To Aspen. To Ashleigh...
A hollow ache formed inside my chest as I dreaded the moment I'd have to split apart from the pack.
"Y-You don't need to worry. You will always find your w-way back to them," JP softly spoke from behind me, like he had read my mind.
I rapidly blinked a tear away and cleared the lump in my throat before I turned towards him. "How... How did you know?"
"Y-You have the same look on your face when-whenever Regan has to go somewhere w-without Danny," he smiled, but from his glazed over eyes, I knew he was no stranger to that look himself.
It must've been hard for him that he couldn't follow Danny in her wolf form like Darren and Regan could.
"Do you ever feel..." How do I phrase this delicately? "Less because you’re human?" I cringed as soon as the words left my mouth. That wasn't delicate at all. Shit, I hope I didn't just insult the man who had so graciously comforted me.
A light chuckle escaped from his thin lips as he didn't seem to be too offended. "N-N-Not anymore... It was a b-bit difficult in the beginning, b-b-but Danny and I w-were so solid, we h-had to make it work. So we m-made it work.
"I don't think I could ever share my lover," I chipped in, wondering how it would feel to share Aspen with another woman. Or Ashleigh. My God, no.
JP chuckled as he polished his spectacles. "I d-d-don't share Danny, but I can see how you would t-think that."
I tilted my head to the side, wondering what he was on about. "What do you mean, you don't share? You, Darren, and Regan are all her boyfriends, right?"
"T-Technically, we are her l-l-life partners. B-But no. Sharing implies that we o-only get a p-p-part of Danny. W-We don't. She always gives her everything, no matter if it is me, or Darren, or Regan. W-We always get e-everything she has." he said, the smile on his face making him suddenly much more handsome. "W-We share her time, we share the space a-around her. But we d-don't share her."
I nodded at his explanation. That made perfect sense and I was glad I could talk to JP about it. He was always so calm and understanding. "I get it, no sharing Danny. You’re sharing her time."
JP grinned. "Y-Yes. Which is basically s-something you always do when it comes to people and h-healthy relationships. R-Right now, you’re sharing some of your time with me."
"Huh... I guess you’re right." That was certainly an interesting way of looking at things.
"A-And regardless of how much I love Danny, or she loves me, we d-don't want to share a-all our time. She c-can share time w-with Regan and Darren if she wants, she isn't sharing her l-love. She loves us, all of us equally. And always with everything she's got."
He spoke that last sentence with such confidence, it made me almost jealous. I wanted that. A bond so strong you didn't feel jealous of them spending time with other people. To be so confident in how much your partner loves you. I wanted it.
"Thank you for explaining it to me. I think I understand your situation a bit better now," I thanked him, very grateful he didn't mind me prying into his love life like that.
"No p-problem. B-But in my humble opinion, I don't think you'll have to s-share time with someone. I t-think your time will be the one s-shared."
I squinted my eyes at him, wondering if that was a smirk around the corner of his lips. What was he getting at?
"What do you mean?"
A soft chuckle escaped his lips that he quickly tried to mask with a cough. So it was a smirk before.
"I've seen w-what has been going on b-between you and the t-twins."
I felt my cheeks heat up as he said so. Oh no, was I that glaringly obvious? Had the gang been discussing how I had been fawning over Ashleigh as a love sick puppy or had been admiring Aspen's abs every chance I got?
"D-Don't be embarrassed. It is only n-natural. They are your m-mates."
I briefly wondered if JP would be able to see the sweat pooling in my armpits and why this freaking cave had gotten so warm all of a sudden.
"I don't know what you’re talking about," I stubbornly denied, pretending like I didn't know what he was talking about.
"I-I remember the first time I met Danny. S-She was beautiful, fearless. She w-walked past me with s-such confidence, it made a young boy l-like me even m-more nervous than I a-already was." He grinned as he wiped his forehead. Guess I wasn't the only one sweating here. "A-And you know h-how nervous I get."
I nodded as I held my lips firmly shut, wanting to know more about how outgoing and vibrant Danny and nervous, shy JP had found each other. If they made it work, there was no reason why I couldn't pursue any of my mates, right?
"I-I watched her from afar, every day. I s-saw all sorts of guys hitting on her and she a-always turned them down. T-They were all taller than me, s-stronger than me, more handsome than m-me. So I t-thought, if they don't have a shot w-with this girl, why, why would I?"
"So what happened?" Oops, opened my mouth after all. Shhh, Akira.
"O-One day, I just s-said to myself: "W-Well, she obviously doesn't w-want a big, s-strong guy w-who has it all." So I g-gathered all my courage and just w-walked over to her and said hello."
"And?"
He smiled. "A-And that was it."
"Just hello?"
JP nodded as he nervously played with one of the strings from his backpack. "She liked that I just a-approached her as a p-person. W-We hit it off r-right away."
I answered his smile with one of my own. That was adorable. Even though it happened so far back in the past and I had only known JP for a little while, I couldn't help but feel proud of him. Walking up to someone you like and just put yourself out there is freaking scary. Especially if the person you’re walking up to is a gorgeous perfect being like Aspen or Ashleigh.
Ugh, why did they have to be so perfect?
"When do you think they'll be back?" I asked JP as I stared at the entrance of the cave. It was already getting dark again and I had no idea of what they were actually doing.
"D-Depends if Chesca is with them or not."
"Chesca?" I asked, tilting my head to the side. I didn't know who Chesca was. But then again, I actually didn't know a thing about what was going on. I got derailed with JP's love life, but I still wanted to know what this sudden shift had brought on.
"L-L-Let me explain. W-When we left, w-we were followed by a handful of Coyotes. I-I can't tell you why, that's n-not my story to tell. But e-ever since then, they have been t-trying to attack us. Or the other way around. I-It always ends in a draw, unless C-Chesca is with them."
"So what is so special about this Chesca?"
JP visibly shuddered. "S-She is crazy. Evil. I-I think she might be the devil incarnated. I can g-guarantee you'll live happier and l-longer if you never meet her."
I didn't have the time to inquire about the person who made JP shake like a leaf. The sound of multiple rapid footsteps hitting the ground suddenly echoed into the cave and both JP and I jumped up to see what was happening.
From the shadows, a group of people appeared and I felt my breath hitch as I couldn't make out who they were. It could've been the Coyotes who found us. If that was the case, JP and I were both dead meat.
A sigh of relief fell from my lips as I suddenly recognised the first figure as again, a naked Aspen. That man certainly liked running around in the nude. Damn.
He was followed by Danny, who was wearing a set of underwear, and not far behind, Darren and Regan. Who unlike Aspen, had at least put on a pair of trunks.
Even though Aspen was all naked and dirty, I was more than happy to see him. That being said, I decided to refrain from embracing him. I already had a good look at his rather sizeable manhood, I didn't need to feel it pressed against my thigh. So I just stepped out of the way as he ran into the cave.
A full head of red hair flashed in front of my face as Danny flew into JP's arms. A nervous giggle escaped from his mouth as he pulled her into a tight hug and passionately kissed her. She melted into his embrace and they happily reunited, completely in their own world.
Not a moment later, Darren and Regan made their way into the cave as well. Regan's broad chest would've impressed anyone, while Darren was much leaner than I expected. I guess his clothes helped puff up his chest. I got a short nod of recognition from the huge man and Darren happily waved at me.
To my surprise, JP broke free from his intimate embrace with Danny as Regan slapped him on the back and Darren pulled him into a hug. He almost seemed equally as relieved to see Danny's other lovers as he was to see Danny herself.
Yeah, despite what anyone might think, Danny was definitely not taking advantage of any of the guys or their situation. They all three seemed equally as happy with the arrangement as she was. And even though they weren't as vocal about it, it was clear the three men cared for each other deeply.
So now a naked Aspen had safely returned, the redhead and her three consorts had arrived, but where was Ashleigh?
I peered out into the darkness, wondering why none of them had said something about her late arrival. Was this a good or bad sign?
"Guys, where is Ashleigh?" I finally called out, my voice trembling slightly, not able to keep the worry in any longer. I needed to know.
"Right behind you."
I jumped around as I heard the silky voice I'd recognise anywhere and was suddenly met with a set of bright blue eyes. Where did she even come from?
"Hi," I managed to utter, my voice suddenly squeaky and my throat dry. How did she always manage to take my breath away?
"Were you worried about me?" she grinned as she took a step in my direction, a sly smirk playing around her pink lips.
"What, me? Naaah." I tried, hoping I came across casually, but the grin on her face told me I was failing miserably at that.
With her lips dangerously close to my ear, she brushed a strand of hair away from my cheek. "I’m glad to see you too," she whispered, as I suddenly found myself standing in a field of wild strawberries.
A shiver ran down my spine as she pushed my chin up with two fingers. Her bright eyes pierced into mine as she lowered her face towards mine. Was this it? Was she going to kiss me?
My breath hitched in my throat as I stood in front of her, frozen still, scared that any movement, even a breath, might break this moment.
A light breeze blew over my wetted lips, which I later realised was her breath. She was so close, I could almost taste the strawberries. And then...
"Guys! Enough with all the lovey dovey stuff, we have more urgent and serious business to discuss."
Aspen's loud voice boomed through the cave and as it did, I felt how both I and my wolf were immediately dragged away from Ashleigh. Voluntarily or involuntarily, my attention was suddenly completely focussed on Aspen. Aspen, who had luckily put on a shirt and a pair of trousers. Aspen, who if he wasn't kidding and playing around, was dangerously handsome. Aspen, who turned my brain into mush and my stomach into a stress ball every time he used his alpha voice.
Aspen, who could make me almost forget about Ashleigh.
Not just Ashleigh and I jumped apart, begrudgingly, the redhead pulled away from her own reunion. Even the imposing man and the rebel Darren seemed unable to withstand a command from their alpha, as both of them turned away from Danny.
Yeah, alpha Aspen certainly was something else. And as he spoke in his authoritative voice, planning out our next move, I could feel my heart break as my wolf was torn between the two siblings.
But as much as I wanted to wallow in my own misery, a loud grunt in the back of the cave caught my attention.
With his hand pressed against his side, Regan was now slumped against the wall of the cave. I couldn't be sure, but I could almost see sweat pearling on his face. His face now painted in harsh lines as he finally admitted he was in pain.
"You okay?" and "Are you hurt?" were yelled through each other as both Danny and Darren ran to Regan.
Far more careful than expected, Darren peeled away Regan's shirt. Underneath, he exposed a nasty looking cut that was already collecting pools of puss. Tasty.
But as Regan groaned in pain, that thought disappeared and made way for genuine concern. He seemed the type of guy that wouldn't complain about a little scratch unless it was completely serious. And from the looks of it, it was serious.
Danny pressed a cloth against Regan's ribs to remove the puss and I sincerely hoped she wouldn't use that towel later to dry the dishes. As much as I cared for Regan and wanted him to get the best care, it just seemed like a legit thing to worry about.
The muscles man groaned in pain as Darren applied some sort of sticky ointment and wrapped the wound with a simple cloth.
JP brought him a cup of the leftover soup we had for breakfast and even Aspen willingly gave up his "throne" (aka the ugly stump of wood he found inside the cave) so it could be used as a little end table.
I was still processing the fact that apparently Darren was the healer of the group and wondered how I could help. Everyone else was doing something, so the least I could do was try.
I grabbed one of our logs and poked up the fire, blowing in the ashes to raise the temperature of the coals. I counted out the logs and happily nodded. Definitely enough to last us for a while. What about our drinking water?
The pot that Ashleigh and I filled up not so long ago, was now almost empty. I gazed at the entrance of the cave, realising the storm had sort of settled. I should really help.
The group had shifted and chased away the Coyotes while I had helplessly waited in the cave. The least I could do, was get all of us some more clean drinking water.
I grabbed the cauldron, tipped the left over water into a smaller pot and heaved it up. "I'll Regan some more fresh water," I called out to the group. Danny shot me a grateful look and JP smiled.
I felt a sense of pride course through my body. See, I could be useful. I wasn't just the youngster they needed to take care of.
I felt a warm hand on my wrist. "Be careful," Ashleigh gently said, her blue eyes piercing into mine. I nodded, smiling at her, hoping she'd realise I was perfectly capable of taking care of myself.
"See you soon," she whispered, making my cheeks heat up. Damn, she was so cute. I wish I'd have said something smooth or smart, but I just bit my lip and scrunched my nose. Judging from the twinkle in her eye, she loved my response either way.