Once Forgotten Twice Loved (11 page)

Larken and Larsen had jumped from the top of the porch and were running toward Ash. All they knew was their mate was in a fighting stance and she had jumped further than any man or wolf could.

Jonas and Pelton were standing on the back porch drinking a beer when Larken and Larsen came out to look for their mate. They stood as Larken and Larsen jumped off the back porch.

Nash put up his hands to stop Ash from advancing on the two men. He knew the power Ash had in her, especially when she was protecting someone she loved. Larken and Larsen ran up behind Ash trying to get to their mate. Nash yelled at Larken and Larsen to stop and not to touch her.

Ash was still enraged and in fighting mode, it would take a few minutes for her to get control of herself. “Ash, calm down. Look at me, honey. I’m okay. They didn’t hurt me.” The two men were on the ground watching the woman who had thrown their friends fifty feet away into a fence. They were so drunk they didn’t know what really happened.

Ash slowly straightened up. It was as if a veil had been lifted from her eyes. Her voice was rough when she spoke. “Nash… Are you okay?”

Nash walked up to her but didn’t touch her. He knew his Alpha and the Sheriff were already in protection mode, too. He looked over Ash’s head and signaled them to be cautious. “It’s okay, Ash.” She reached up and touched his face where he was bleeding from a cut when one of the men’s claws slashed him across his cheek.

Larken and Larsen walked up beside Ash. She dropped her hand and took a deep breath. She could smell both Larken and Larsen’s scent. This calmed her for some reason. She avoided looking at them, the thoughts that were going through their head right now had to be about what kind of freak she was.

Jonas and Pelton came running up, looking over at the wolves that had shifted back and were moaning from where Ash had thrown them against the fence.

Four security guards ran up to Nash. “Are you okay, sir?” They looked over and saw the Alpha and the Sheriff were also standing there with Nash. The guards turned and showed their necks to the Alpha and his second, Larsen.

“Get this trash off my property. If they can’t act like decent wolves then they are banned from the lodge.” All the men bowed, ran, and picked up the two men lying on the ground, shaking their heads. They escorted the other two men toward the front of the lodge. As they walked past, one looked at Ash and asked, “What are you?” Nobody said anything but looked back at Ash, who had her head down and her eyes closed.

“Ash, it’s okay. They were too drunk to understand what really happened. They won’t remember this tomorrow.” Ash never looked up, but the tears were falling down her face. If Larken hadn’t seen the tears, he would have thought she was asleep standing up.

“How did you…?” Larken never finished his sentence when he watched as Ash tensed up and folded in on herself.

She was scared that her secret would be out and they would try to experiment on her.

“Ash, it’s okay, look at me,” said Nash.

Ash slowly lifted her head and stared at Nash. “I need to leave before they come and get me,” Ash said in a scared whisper.

Larken, Larsen, and Nash all said at the same time, “No.”

“Nobody will come for you, Ash. I promise you,” Nash responded.

Larken and Larsen could see that Ash was cold and was starting to shiver. “Let’s get you inside, baby, and out of the cold. We will figure this out,” Larken whispered to Ash.

Larsen reached over and dragged Ash to him. He lifted her up in his arms, holding her close to his chest. He couldn’t stand it anymore. He had to have her near him. He could see the anguish on her face, she was about to break. Ash cuddled up closer to Larsen. They walked to the back door where they wouldn’t be seen as Larsen carried Ash to the garage. All the emotions Ash was feeling about her life with her mates had overwhelmed her, making her weak and spent. Ash was so exhausted that she fell asleep in Larsen’s arms.

All the men got into the SUV with the Wilder brothers and traveled further up the mountain where the Wilder home was located. Ash wasn’t awake to see the log cabin mansion that was built on the side of the mountain. Jonas looked over at Pelton, who was looking out the window in awe. The cabin was a replica of the lodge. It was huge and breathtaking. The cabin had a wraparound porch. Jonas smiled and cackled at Pelton’s expression.

“You need to get out more often, Pelton, and visit more of the packs,” replied Jonas.

Pelton swallowed hard and nodded. Nash pulled into the garage and everyone started getting out of the vehicle.

Larsen still had Ash cuddled in his arms. She never moved. Her face was nuzzled in his neck and was sound asleep, inhaling the scent of her mate. Larken pulled the door open for Larsen as he carried her up the stairs into the kitchen area.

Pelton stood looking around the kitchen. He couldn’t believe how beautiful it was.

Pelton and Jonas stayed downstairs while Larken and Larsen took Ash upstairs to the master bedroom. Larken went over and pulled the comforter down. Larsen laid Ash down on the bed. He started taking her shoes off as she turned in her sleep and lay on her side. She was still asleep as Larken pulled the comforter back up and tucked it around her.

Nash watched silently at the door as Larken and Larsen looked down at their mate. Larken reached down and skimmed his fingers through Ash’s hair, pulling it away from her face. They both heard Nash turn around and leave the room. Larsen looked up at Larken. The silent bond the twins had was understood. Larken and Larsen always could communicate with each other in wolf form, but nobody knew they could in human form, too. They kept this a secret from others in the pack, in case they needed to use it.

‘
Brother, she is beautiful. Look at her, but there is so much we don’t know about our mate
,’ Larsen said.

‘
Yes, I know, but tonight we will try to get all the questions we have answered. Tonight she becomes our mate,
’ Larken spoke without saying a word. They both knew that Ash was their true mate. After one last look, they both turned around and walked back downstairs.

When Larken and Larsen walked into the kitchen, Jonas was up pouring coffee into cups that were sitting on the table. They sat down, sliding their fingers through their hair.

“Thanks,” Larken muttered as Jonas poured him a hot cup of coffee. When Jonas sat down, they all looked at Nash, who had his head down and was staring at the table. Jonas asked the question nobody wanted to ask.

“What is she, Nash? A wolf can’t jump like that and I’ve only seen male wolves with that type of strength.”

After a few minutes of silence, Nash spoke. “I don’t know what she is. Ash doesn’t know what she is. I know that Ash has the strength of two wolves, maybe more, and she can jump like nothing I’ve ever seen. Ever since we were little, people knew we were different. One security guard at the orphanage would badger us and tell us that he was going to call the government and they would experiment on Ash. My wolf had yet to come out, but Ash was always strong and could jump across things. We watched a sci-fi movie about aliens and the government was experimenting on them. Ash got it in her head that if the government found out about her or me then they would experiment on us.”

“Did the people at the orphanage know what Ash was?” asked Larken.

“No. They were cruel people and if they could scare us, they did. The security guard that said that to us was there the night the orphanage had watched the movie too. He had seen how Ash looked when he said it and ever since then he would torture us.

“She won’t use her strength unless someone she loves is in danger. She used it once when we were running away from the orphanage. We were jumped on the way from the store one night and they tried to take what money we had left. They started wailing on me and tried to grab Ash. God knows what they would have done to her, but she beat the shit out of them. The ones that had me got scared and ran. Ash got scared they would tell someone so we packed up and left the city.”

Nobody spoke, letting what Nash said sink in. “A new species is what she is. She may not be the only one. You know I’ve seen a lot of different type of Weres, but I’ve never seen anyone with that type of strength. She has fangs, too. We know she isn’t a Vampire, but she may be half. I don’t know. So let’s keep this under our hats, boys,” Larken said as he leaned back in his seat.

“Nothing wrong with being different,” Jonas pointed out.

“She will want to run now. I know her, Alpha. She will be scared that you know,” Nash said as he stood and went to look out the window.

“She isn’t going anywhere.” Larken let everyone sitting at the table who might have thought different know.

Larsen got up from the table and walked over to the refrigerator. “We need to cook since the girls are all gone.”

“I’m starving, what do you have?” Jonas asked as he got up and went to the refrigerator.

“Can you cook, Jonas?” Larsen asked as he smiled at his old friend.

“You damn well know I can,” answered Jonas with a growl.

Larsen turned around, chuckling, and pulled out some steaks that were in the refrigerator. “Look down in the bottom drawer and you will find potatoes. Let’s start cooking. My mate will be hungry when she wakes up.” Larken and Pelton got up to help cook.

Nash stood at the window thinking about what to say to Ash when she woke up.

Jonas touched Larken on the arm and pointed at Nash, staring out the window. Larken could see the tension in his Lieutenant’s back. Larken walked over and stood beside Nash. “We will get through this, cousin. She will be okay. I won’t let anyone touch her. I protect what’s mine.”

“I know, Alpha, but I just want Ash to be happy for once and not scared to live her life. I could tell she was coming around with you being her mate. Now this…”

Larken patted Nash on the back. “You will worry yourself to death. Let me do the worrying about my mate, Nash. She will be taken care of.” Nash nodded and turned around and smiled as he watched a bunch of Alphas cooking in the kitchen. Jonas was at the grill cooking when they all stopped and looked up. They could hear Ash getting out of bed and then walk into the bathroom. They could hear the water running. Larken and Larsen both turned around and went upstairs to get their mate.

Ash was washing her face, thinking about what to do next. She remembered Larsen picking her up and then she went to sleep. The feel of him was warm and soothing, but why would he act so loving to her? Ash was thinking that Larken and Larsen probably shared their women. “Not me,” Ash said aloud. She finished up and opened the door, and Larken and Larsen were standing in the bedroom. She seemed startled but narrowed her eyes at the two Alphas. Their sultry looks went straight to her sex. She had to look away for fear of reaching out to them. Ash wanted them both but knew that was impossible.
Here it goes again with the magnetic pull.
Who ever heard of sharing a mate
? Ash didn’t know what wolves really did when they mated. Her only source of information came from Nash, and that information was limited at best.

“How are you feeling, Ashland?” Larken asked softly.

“Better thanks. Where am I?” Ash said tiredly.

“In our home. We thought you would rest better here. Dinner is about done. Are you hungry?” asked Larken.

Ash’s expression softened, but she was still worried that her secret would get out and they would come looking for her. Ash couldn’t move, she didn’t know what to do next.

“Where is Nash?” Ash asked concerned, trying to change the subject and calm her libido down.

“He’s downstairs worried about you,” Larken advised as he walked toward her. Ash’s heart began to beat faster as Larken walked in front of her and stopped. Larken reached down and ran his fingers through her hair. “What is it, Ash?” he asked.

Larken’s fingers began to skim the sides of her face until his fingers touched her lips. His gaze locked with hers. It was as if time had stopped. Ash closed her eyes, feeling his soft touch against her face.

“Look at me,” Larken demanded as Ash opened her eyes. Larken was staring into her deep green eyes. He leaned down closer to her. His tongue ran along the crease of her lips, causing Ash to gasp, giving Larken the opening he needed to kiss her. Larken pushed his tongue into her mouth, challenging her then he reached up and grabbed Ash’s head, pulling her closer to him. He turned her head the way he wanted it and continued to plunder her mouth.

Ash gave back with the pent up hunger and passion that had been building inside her for a few days. Ash could feel her body going from warm to sizzling in a matter of seconds from each touch and kiss, feeling her nipples harden, and her breasts push against him. She could feel his erection press against her stomach. Ash was lost in his magical touch as she reached up and grabbed his hair, pulling him closer to her mouth.

Ash didn’t realized that Larsen was still in the room until he gripped her hair, pulling her head back so he could look into her face. Her blood was burning. She was lost in the sensation of their touch.

Larsen whispered in her ear, “You are mine, too, and I will have you.”

Ash shivered, realizing that they planned to share her.

Larsen nipped her ear, licking and kissing down her neck. Ash could feel her shirt being removed, as well as her bra. She was being tag teamed by the brothers in a lust-filled mating. Larken and Larsen would have continued the mating until they heard Jonas yell from downstairs.

“Super is ready,” Jonas yelled.

This brought Ash out of the sexual haze she was in. She stopped her actions and tensed up. She couldn’t believe she was making out with Larken and Larsen, two brothers who obviously wanted to share her. If given a few minutes, Ash thought she would have bedded both of the men.
What a slut,
Ash thought
. I was just about to have sex with two Alphas, that were brothers. What are you doing, girl? You were letting them strip you naked. Damn, this has been the craziest two days ever.

Ash cleared her throat, trying not to look Larken in the eyes. She knew she would get lost in those eyes and they would distract her again. Larsen still held her in his arms. She had her back to his chest and she stiffened as Larsen started kissing her neck again. She drew in a deep breath and stated, “I need to go,” Ash whispered with a shaky voice. Larsen had his hands on her breasts squeezing them oh so softly. Each time he squeezed, Ash could feel the heat burning all the way to her sex. She was so close to orgasm but knew that someone would probably come and get them, and she couldn’t take that chance.