In Her Eyes

24

**Ashley's POV**

When we awoke, I felt his arms wrap tighter around me. Smiling, I pressed into him and tried to keep my wanting under control at just the bare contact of our skin touching.

"Hello beautiful," he whispered and kissed behind my ear.

"Hey," I blushed and stretched as Stefan watched with too much interest.

I blushed before getting up with whatever strength I had to throw some kind of clothes on. Grabbing my shredded underwear, I pouted and pretended to be sad. "Damn that was my favorite pair."

"Sorry babe, guess that's the animal in me," he winked as I stole his t-shirt and slid it on instead of the dress. It was just long enough to cover my thighs.

"Speaking of animal..." I trailed, "I didn't know when it would be appropriate for you to see my wolf."

"Can I see it now?" he asked and stroked my hair gently.

I sighed and slid his shirt back off and ignored the grin that was on his face.

"Don't freak out okay?" I murmured and made him look at me.

"I promise."

I slowly dropped down on my hands and knees as the transformation slowly began. My skin turned whiter until it was fur and my body elongated. I didn't look at Stefan until I had finished the transformation and saw his jaw had dropped.

"Oh my," he began slowly and I fet slightly wounded.

I whined and tried to get a better reaction from him. I knew he could feel it too as he dropped down to his knees and scratched behind my ears.

"I'm sorry," he kissed my nose as I chuckled and stood up to become human.

"Don't be, it's something you'll have to get used too." I kissed him again deeply and felt myself floating towards cloud nine.

"It makes me love you that much more," he whispered and kissed me again.

"Come, we need to go back to the estate," I grabbed his wrist.

"But, your dad."

"He'll have to see that we're mates. And I have to be there for a meeting. We're having issues with another pack."

"So as your mate and boyfriend, I have to be there," Stefan clarified.

"Well just as my mate but I just want you to be there. I would rather not feel apart from you if necessary."

"I'm guessing I'll feel the same?" he pulled me towards him.

"Something like that," I smiled and kissed him again, "now come on. Let's go!"

When we arrived there were lots of them already sitting down in the living room. My dad was standing there talking to Kyle and I stiffened. Shit.

"Don't worry about him," Stefan kissed my cheek, "I know he'll back off."

Everyone turned to see me and my mate as the whispering started up.

"Ashley," my father began sternly, "is there something you would like to say?"

I grabbed Stefan's arm and stammered, "this is Stefan. My mate."

"You're mate!" Kyle growled as my dad raised his eyebrows.

"Let her finish," my mom growled as Stefan stared at the ground, too nervous to utter a word.

"Dad, I would rather discuss this in private after you finish the meeting," I ended.

My parents looked at one another and agreed silently. Phew!

"Is everyone here?" my father began as the talking stopped and I made Stefan sit down on the floor where we had been standing moments ago.

"Yes Alpha Thrasher," a younger wolf replied.

"Good, I have some news that won't reach well to everyone. It appears that the Nightblood clan have attacked the Silverstar clan. Saxon has asked for our help in order to be prepared in case a war breaks out."

"Are the numbers that great on the Nightblood clan to where they need us?" One of the older wolves asked.

"I'm not entirely sure, but since Saxon is a close friend of mine I agreed to help her."

No one said anything as I tried to digest in my head that we were going to war. Yes it had happened before but it was before I was born and my father hadn't been the Alpha at the time. The result of the war left with my father becoming the new one...

"Father," I began.

"If anyone has any other questions you can take it up with me after I finish my conversation with my daughter," he said as I bit my lip to suppress a growl. He so didn't have to call me out like that!

Stefan and I got up as we followed him and my mother into the study.

Kyle came up to me as I was about to go in and grabbed my wrist.

"You can't be serious," he tried to get me to look at him.

"I'm sorry but you were never my mate," I brushed him aside and walked in, locking the door behind me.

My father gazed at Stefan as my mother tried to give me a reassuring smile.

"I see you couldn't stay away from my daughter after all," he mused. "You smell like her that's for sure."

Stefan scratched the back of his neck and mumbled something that seemed like an apology.

"Dad, listen," I began. "We all know you can't help who your mate is. Yes he's human, but so what? If you can't already tell that he's in love with me then I don't know how else to show you."

My mother held back a laugh as she laid her hand on my dad's shoulder. "Sweetheart, she's just growing up and becoming more stubborn like you every day. Just accept the boy already! One day she will become the Beta of this pack and she'll need your support most of all."

My father sighed because he knew my mother was right. "Okay, I see where you're going with this. I'm sorry Ashley, I just didn't want to accept that you're growing up." He looked at Stefan again, "I approve of him and hope he can find a way to adjust to our lifestyle?"

"Absolutely," Stefan grinned and held me tight.

Maybe this wouldn't be as bad as I thought.