Once Forgotten Twice Loved (12 page)

She tried pulling away, but the Wilder brothers were not having that and held her tighter. Larken looked down at her swollen lips. He covered her mouth, tasting her and loving the way she tasted. Larken released her lips when Jonas yelled again, “Hey, the steaks are going to get cold. Come on, we are hungry.”

Ash pulled away, but this time the brothers let her win. “We will finish this later, Ash,” Larsen stated.

Larken grabbed her shirt and bra off the floor and began to put her bra on, touching her as he did it. The little touches on the side of her breasts were killing her. Then Larken pulled her shirt on, buttoning it while staring into her eyes. Before Ash could walk out of the room, Larsen pulled her against him and covered her mouth with his.
This man is wild and making me crazy.
His kiss was filled with a need for wild sex. Ash moaned, trying to get control, but Larsen wasn’t having it. He continued to plunder her mouth with deep, passionate strokes. Ash was becoming wet just by their kisses. She knew now that she was in trouble, as she moaned into his mouth. If a kiss could bring her to her knees, what would the rest do to her?

Larsen released her wet, swollen lips then placed a softer kiss to her forehead. “Nobody will come and look for you. Please say you will try. You are my mate, too, Ashland,” Larsen whispered.

The look in his eyes got Ash’s attention and brought her emotions to the surface. She could see he cared about her. Ash smiled and nodded. She didn’t know what else to say. She was still scared to trust anyone and she was still upset that somebody would tell about her unique strength. Ash tried to move away from Larsen, but he held her hand as they walked out of the bedroom. It was as if he needed to just touch her, and she liked the feelings that his touch brought to her.

***

No one said anything when Ash walked in the kitchen holding Larsen’s hand. Larken winked at Nash who smiled at Ash. “How are you feeling now, baby?” Nash asked.

Ash looked over at Larsen, who was growling when he heard Nash call her baby.

Ash narrowed her eyes at Larsen then jerked her hand away from him. Larsen didn’t know what to do. He couldn’t help the way he felt. She was his mate and he didn’t want another male touching her or calling her ‘baby.’

Nash spoke before Ash slapped Larsen. He knew her and how she would react to the possessiveness Larsen was showing. “Ash, it’s okay. I don’t take offense to the growling. I understand what he means. He can’t help it. It’s his wolf telling him that someone else is calling his mate “baby.” I know this offends you, but it’s our nature. Please try to understand this.”

Ash closed her eyes and took a deep breath, then released it, trying to calm her nerves. Larsen had pissed her off again just by growling at Nash for calling her baby. Larken came to stand behind her, rubbing her shoulders. His touch calmed her.
Why was their touch doing this to me
?
The growling is going to drive me crazy.
Larsen had her hand again, rubbing circles over the pulse point on her wrist.
Wow, I’m going to melt
. She knew that wolves had excellent hearing and they could smell scents through walls and doors. Ash knew they could scent that they aroused her. Thank God for Jonas.

“Hungry, Ash?” Jonas smiled then winked at Ash. Jonas was getting everyone to leave Ash alone so she could eat before they embarrassed her more.

“Yes, I’m starving, Jonas.” This got her mates’ attention. Larken left, getting her a steak and potato, placing it on a plate then putting it in front of her. Larsen reached over and got her a bowl, putting salad inside it then placed it in front of her.

Ash watched as her mates scurried around the kitchen trying to put food in front of her. She couldn’t say anything but simply thanks to Larken and Larsen. She thought it was funny how they were trying to provide everything she wanted. It was sweet to see how they were acting. She smiled to herself, trying not to laugh.
Well maybe the growling isn’t that bad, I guess.

Pelton sat and stared at Ash, watching as her mates tended to her. He couldn’t get it out of his mind what she was. Finally, before he could stop himself, he asked, “Ash, do you remember anything from your childhood?”

Ash looked up surprised.

She wasn’t mad at Pelton for asking, but she didn’t know what to say. “I don’t remember anything except the day I walked into the orphanage. I don’t remember my parents. I was told that they found me wandering the streets of Atlanta when I was six years old. The day Nash arrived at the orphanage was also my first day.” Everyone in the room felt sorry for Ash. She had no one except Nash, who reached over and took her hand. He squeezed it then smiled at her.

“It was the best day of my life, Ash. The day we became friends, because I don’t know how I would have gotten through it before I came here and found my family.” Larken and Larsen both smiled at what Nash said to Ash. They could tell it made her happy being friends with Nash, too. They looked at each other knowing that Nash saved Ash’s life, too. She didn’t have anyone. Or was someone looking for her too and she didn’t even know it?

Larsen realized that he had to stop growling at Nash when it came to his mate. Ash needed Nash’s friendship. He knew now just how alone his mate was. Now he understood what his brother was trying to tell him about choices. He decided he would try harder to deal with Nash and Ash’s friendship.

Ash smiled at Nash then picked up her fork and knife and started cutting into her steak. Jonas didn’t let too much time pass before he started in with another story. He made Ash laugh, which Larken and Larsen were truly grateful for.

After the meal, Ash got up to help wash the dishes. “Nope, you are our guest and you will sit right there and relax.” Ash wanted to argue, but she knew that her mates wouldn’t allow her to lift a finger.
My mates. Could this really be true and they actually care about me? Do I care about them? Yes, you do and you know it.
The dishes were put away in the dishwasher and Jonas sat at the table with Ash and Pelton. Nash had excused himself to go and check on the lodge. He was head of security and needed to check in.

Chapter Eight

“Ash, can you tell me what kind of powers you have?” Pelton asked.

“You make me sound like a super hero with super powers.”

“Well, in a way you are. I’ve never seen someone jump that far or throw someone, much less two people, into a fence that hard.” Ash didn’t smile but looked down at her fingers. Larsen and Larken came and sat down at the table. Both reached out and picked up a hand.

Ash smiled, loving the way they always touched her when she needed the comfort. “Don’t know. I can’t explain it and I researched it, but nothing ever came up on my strength or how I have fangs. I’ve never met anyone like me. Though I did meet a Vampire once while patrolling.”

Larken and Larsen tensed up and looked at each other, but never asked her questions. They wanted her to continue talking. They needed to find out as much about their mate as they could before she shut down again.

“He never tried to attack me, just looked at me like he felt something but never said anything. He just stopped and stared at me then released his fangs, which made me drop mine. He didn’t advance on me, only stared. He finally walked away and I never saw him again.”

“But you said he looked at you like you were familiar in some way?” Pelton asked.

“Well, he never said anything, but it was the feeling I got when he just stared at me. I don’t know what it was, but I guess you are right, he acted familiar to me, too.”

“Maybe you were familiar to him or to his people. We can call Reece and see if he has any ideas.” Everyone groaned when Pelton brought up Reece.

Ash looked around at everyone groaning. “What? Who is Reece?”

“Well, baby, Reece is a Vampire and a big flirt. He runs the Clan here in this area. He comes by now and then to drink or to try to see my sister, Lilly. He says he is in love with her, but Lilly won’t give him the time of day. Reece is a friend, but he is a Vampire and he makes the wolves nervous,” Larken responded as he picked up Ash’s hand and kissed it.

Ash blushed as he kissed her hand. It was so sweet and also spiked her arousal. Her scent perfumed the air, letting everyone know what she was feeling. Pelton and Jonas both looked at each other as they inhaled Ash’s scent.

“Well, Jonas, if you will show me to my room, I think I will call it a day. We have a lot to do tomorrow.” Jonas and Pelton got up from the table and stopped in front of Ash. “Nobody will ever come and get you, Ash. You are family and we protect our family,” Jonas said as he and Pelton walked out of the kitchen.

Ash’s hardened heart cracked a little more. These strong men did everything to show they cared. “I don’t deserve you.” Larken and Larsen looked up at Ash, who looked down at the table worried.

“Yes you do, Ash. And we deserve you,” Larken said smoothly.

Ash frowned, and placed her hand to the side of Larken’s face. “I’m trouble for you and Larsen. I will bring trouble to you and the pack. I don’t know if I can be a mate. I don’t know how.” Ash looked at Larken with tears in her eyes.

“Baby, nobody knows how to be a mate until they get one. This will be a learning experience for all of us. But you must feel the way we care about you and I don’t want to scare you off, but I think I love you.” Ash gasped at Larken’s confession.

Larsen raised his hand and pulled her face toward him. “Ditto, my love. I love you, too. I can’t believe that I found someone so caring for her friends and others she has never even met. You are taking on a tremendous burden in trying to locate two juveniles that may already be raped or dead. You have a huge heart, Ash. We both see it and we want it to be ours.”

Ash giggled. “How do you make up such sweet sayings?” Larsen and Larken both laughed.

“It’s not made up, luv. We love you and right now, my cock is about to bust out of my pants because it is so hard from wanting you and touching you. I have to love you, Ash. Does that scare you?” Larsen asked.

Ash smiled and threw herself toward Larsen, kissing his mouth, cheeks, and eyes. Larsen smiled as he picked Ash up so she could put her legs around his waist. He carried their mate upstairs to Larken’s bedroom while Ash continued to shower him with little kisses.

Larken kicked the door closed as he watched his twin place their mate on the bed. He pulled his shirt over his head, dropping it to the floor, and then kicked off his shoes and pants. His body was heating up, watching his brother remove Ash’s clothes. She was beautiful and worth waiting for. Larken stood at the end of the bed, watching Ash’s eyes grow bigger with anticipation. She looked up at Larken with lust-filled eyes that begged him to touch her. Larken crawled up the bed, reached out, and traced his calloused finger across the swell of her breasts. The pink nipple hardened as if greeting him. Her breath was coming out in short pants. Her arousal peppered the air. Larsen inhaled her sweet, sultry scent. Nothing was sweeter than her scent.

Larsen reached over and grabbed her face and hair. “Tell me you are mine?”

Ash couldn’t form a coherent sentence much less a word. She wasn’t fast enough with her answer so Larsen tightened his hand around her hair, bringing a little more pressure. “Tell me, Ash. Tell me you are mine?”

“Yesss…” Ash hissed. It was music to their ears. She was their mate. Larsen rolled to the side of Ash, allowing his brother to kiss her. Larken leaned down and kissed Ash, allowing his tongue to dance with hers. He devoured her mouth, licking her lips then traveled down her throat, peppering kisses and little bites as he went. Larken nipped her skin, bruising her neck then licking over the little bites.

Ash’s breathing became ragged. She thought she was going to explode when Larken spread her legs further apart.

“Oh, baby, you are so wet. Do you know what this does to me, Ash?”

Ash tried to look down at Larken, but Larsen reached and grabbed her head, holding it so he could assault her mouth. Larsen sucked on her tongue then her bottom lip. Then she felt Larken lick between her other lips, tasting the flavor of her honey. Larken made her feel like she was ice cream melting on a hot sunny day. Never letting a drop fall. The growls and grunts coming from Larken were melting her lonely heart and making her body build up to the biggest orgasm she ever had with her fingers.

Ash couldn’t take it anymore; the orgasm tore through her body, making her gasp for breath, pushing her chest out and off the bed. Larken never stopped his uncompromising assault of her sex. He reached up and held her body down so he could continue to feast on her release. She groaned and moaned, which only fueled the fire for the brothers. They both became more aggressive as she moaned.

Larken kissed his way back up to Ash’s face then leaned down and kissed her swollen lips. Ash could taste herself on Larken’s lips. She was oblivious to what her mates were doing because she was drowning in the feelings of their loving, and thought that they took her body to the top of the mountain and back again. She tried to concentrate on what they were doing.

“You are mine, Ashland Peters. Now and forever,” Larken muttered.

Before she knew what was happening, Larken thrust inside of her, stopping abruptly only because he could feel that Ash was still a virgin. She didn’t have time to tell him. It was as if the world had stopped and Ash felt the pinch of pain as he thrust upward, breaking through her barrier. She gasped from the pain then looked into the eyes of an angry mate.

Larken stopped moving. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

Ash could see the anger coming off him in waves. She pushed him off her as she scooted back toward the back of the bed. Tears formed in her eyes as she looked toward the door. She started to panic and only wanted to make it to the bathroom so she could dress and leave. She knew they wouldn’t understand or want a twenty-nine year old virgin.
I knew it. I knew it wasn’t real.
Larken started to reach for her, but Ash pulled her hands up, stopping him. She jumped from the bed and ran to the bathroom, closing and locking the door behind her. Then she realized that her clothes were still in the bedroom.