All of this we will work out when we get back home. Rex, call Michael. I cannot. Rex nodded and followed Ashlee’s father from the room.
Her mother turned around, her expression stricken. “Ash, do you want to go to Maine with Trip and Rex?”
Ashlee said nothing for a moment. Did she? This could be a chance to start again.
Hadn’t she just been thinking that morning that it was time to move forward? Her hands tingled. “If all of this is true, then I think I should go see it for myself, don’t you? But I want your promise, Tristan, that I can leave anytime I want.” Her mother smiled proudly at her request.
His eyes turned gentle when he looked at Ashlee. Anytime. I would not hold you against your will. Ever.
She sighed in relief.
“Trip, I implore you, she has been raised entirely as a human. That’s my fault, my decision. She knows nothing of our ways. Please treat her kindly. Her wolf must be very strong if it’s forcing visions on her without her ever having shifted. Perhaps I should come with her.”
Victoria, we revere our mates. Have you been gone so long you cannot remember?
We will work out Ashlee’s shift when we get to Westervelt. You are welcome to come; it is your home, always.
Ashlee’s father shook his head. “No.” Her mother looked up, shocked. “If Ashlee does this thing, it’s her experience to have. We’ve hidden her from herself. We’ll not interfere in her mating.”
Victoria’s voice shook but she held her stance. “I had other reasons for keeping her from the pack and not letting her come into contact with magic. I would not have her mated to a man who can be bewitched to kill her.” Her mother held her head high but fear simmered in her eyes. Ashlee’s eyes widened. These people were royalty to her mother and yet she stood up to them.
I would kill myself before that happened.
“You would doom both of you to death, then?”
She could choose to follow or not, like my aunts did.
“And condemn her to a torturous existence?” Her mother advanced on the wolf.
“You are your father’s son; how can you be so sure of what you would do?” Silence filled the room, the kind that usually precipitated one of her mother’s explosions, but Tristan lay down, his head on the floor.
I am my mother’s son.
“Let’s hope so, shall we?”
Tristan watched Ashlee go upstairs to pack a bag. Her mother had told her to pack enough clothes for a week. She would be gone much longer than a week, if Tristan had anything to say about it. She was his mate, it was true, but the problems that both Ashlee and Victoria had brought up were legitimate.
What if she didn’t think he was handsome?
What if she wanted to leave to lead a life away from the pack? That one was easy.
He would leave with her. If Vicki could live off-island as a human for decades, so could he, once he was turned back to his human form. He would gladly go wherever Ashlee wanted.
But Vicki’s greatest charge still rang in his ears. Was he his father’s son? Could a witch wielding dark magic force him to harm his beloved? No. His uncles had resisted.
So could he.
He hoped.
Chapter Three
Rex was loaded up on painkillers and out cold in the backseat of her mother’s minivan. She had insisted they use the van because it had better safety features than Ashlee’s SUV. She’d shoved the keys in Ashlee’s hand before quietly whispering that she shouldn’t worry about finding Tristan handsome, because Trip had always been a
‘babe.’
Ashlee had grimaced at that remark. It was gross that her mother had once been in a position to notice whether or not Tristan was handsome in that way. But truthfully, it wasn’t the weirdest part of the whole situation, so she might as well let it go.
Tristan lay across the front seat, eyes closed, panting heavily.
She’d been driving for four hours and was about to enter the Boston area. Her eyelids felt heavy; they drooped as she concentrated on not letting them shut. Her parents had wanted them to stay the night at their house, but the idea of poor Tristan having to spend any more time than necessary stuck as a wolf seemed cruel to her. Now she wished she’d taken them up on their offer. She needed to pull over to sleep or find a hotel. But what kind of hotel could she bring a wolf and a drugged-up, injured man into at six in the morning? Her lids fluttered. She jerked them open and turned up the air conditioner. Even with the cold air hitting her in the face at full blast, she could barely keep her eyes open.
What’s the matter, little one?
Ashlee jumped an inch in her seat and laughed. She looked down at Tristan, his eyes wide. She’d thought he was asleep.
“I’m falling asleep at the wheel. We need to stop.”
I’m so tired of being trapped like this. I should be driving. You should rest. You’ve been through an ordeal.
She shook her head. “I think you’ve been through more of an ordeal than me.”
Rex, wake up!
Rex leaped in his seat, eyes wide. “What is it, big brother?” He rubbed his eyes.
Is your head clear?
“It can’t possibly be, Tristan. My Dad gave him a whole bunch of pills.”
We absorb painkillers differently than humans. My brother should be more than able to handle the wheel. Look—there’s a truck stop at the next exit and we can stop.
“I’ll drive.” Rex nodded. Ashlee pulled the car into the truck stop and let Rex get in the front. She climbed into the backseat and Tristan climbed over the center console to be with her.
“Is Rex your real name?” Seemed a little funny that his name was Rex when he spent time as a canine. Ashlee remembered reading kid stories where the dog was almost always named Rex.
“No. Randolph Kane, at your service.” He gave her a mock salute in the rearview mirror. She laughed and Tristan growled.
“His jealousy will subside after you perform the mating ritual. Then you’ll be able to speak to other males and not worry that his head is going to spin off.”
A warm fuzzy feeling spread through Ashlee. She’d never had anyone act jealous about her before.
Sleep. Tristan lay across the floor in front of her.
Now that she wasn’t driving, she felt wired, her heart pounded in her chest and she couldn’t settle down. “I don’t think I can.”
You can. Shut your eyes, my Ashlee. You’ll be out in minutes.
“You’re creative with the endearments.” But she obliged him by closing her eyes.
Ashlee?
She opened her eyes. “I told you I wouldn’t be able to sleep.”
We’ve arrived at the ferry. You’ve been asleep for five hours, little one. He made a snort that had to be the wolf version of a laugh. Ashlee sat up and stretched her neck. Her muscles felt stiff. She must have slept in the same position for the whole five hours.
“I’m sorry I fell asleep for so long, Rex.”
He shrugged. “I like driving. This thing actually gets great gas mileage.”
Ashlee peered out the window at her surroundings. They were parked at a boat dock, although no boat was in sight. An old decrepit wooden shack stood to the left of the dock.
She opened her door and stepped out. “Ooh.” She shivered and rubbed her arms. It was much colder in Maine than in New Jersey. The colors of the leaves varied from a deep brown and red to gold, even purple, a strange occurrence for so early in the season, especially since back at home they were still green.