A/N: THIS IS ASH'S POV WHILE PHELAN IS ATTACKING RIKI IN HER DREAMS
CHAPTER 10
A LITTLE BIT OF COURAGE
ASH POV
I wake up to blood curdling screams. For a moment I am taken back to another time and place. Then Riki screams again. I am out of the bed before I know I am moving. I reach beside my clothes for my sword and curse when I realize it isn't there. I have left my sword at home because I know how quickly I can accidentally kill someone with it. I run out the door and up the stairs towards Riki's room, shoving my hair out of my face as I go. I should have taken one of the rooms upstairs but I'd insisted that the one under the stairs was fine. I pause at the top of the stairs when I see three guards standing in front of Riki, Gabriel, and Lucas's room. One of the guard's raises his hand and shakes his head.
"Alpha Lucas and Gabriel have the Queen." She screams again and I step forward so we are inches apart.
"Let me in to see the Queen, now!" The guard starts to speak but I punch him in the nose. I don't even realize what I am doing as the two other guards step forward. I take a step back and sweep my leg out, causing the guard I punched to fall to the floor. I reach down and grab the sword off his back as I take a step back. I roll onto the balls of my feet as I twist the sword in my hands. I keep my eyes on the guards movements as the third guard gets back up.
Riki sobs and a red haze falls over my eyes but I am still in control as I attack the guards with vigor. I shove one into a wall, knock another one out with the hilt of the sword, and I am drawing back to slice at the third, when arms wrap around me, from behind. I feel the panic seize me as my sword clatters to the floor. My breath is coming in short gasps as someone speaks up behind me.
"Let 'er go lad. She doesna like ta be touched. Get 'er loose Kade." The arms around me release me and the blackness starts receding. I look around to see Kade to my right clad only in his boxers with tattoos wrapping around his chest. I blink and look to my left as my breathing slows and see Liam is also in his boxers, holding a sword. He also has a single tattoo of a Celtic cross over his heart and he is very large, if his growing erection is any indication. I blush and look up to meet his emerald green eyes. He starts to speak as Riki sobs again. I drop my hand from my chest and start to run forward but Kade and Liam each grab one of my hands. I stop and look back at them, taken aback for a moment. They both have identical expressions on their faces. I just wish I knew what the expressions meant. Liam is the first to speak.
"It's alright lassie. Lucas and Gabe have 'er. Lucas spoke to me telepathically." I nod and freeze in spot when I realize that I am holding both their hands. I quickly let go and turn back to the guards as Lucas, Gabriel and Riki step out of the room. I blush and look down when I realize both of the men are naked and carrying an also naked Riki. I look back up when the bathroom door closes. My eyes wander to the three guards, two of whom were lying in the floor. My lip curl back as I snarl at them, forgetting to be afraid.
"Don't ever get between me and my Queen again or I'll kill you. If my sister needs me I'll kill every damn one of you to get to her." I see Kade gaping at me from the corner of my eyes as I walk into Riki's room. I am sitting down on the bed to wait for Riki when I hear Liam speak to the guards.
"Bloody idiots. She's trained our bloody blacksmiths and she trains our warriors on 'ow to fight with a sword. She isna soft just because she doesna like ta be touched." I smile softly as Kade sits down beside me. I don't say anything when Liam sits down on the other side of me. I just keep smiling.
RIKI POV
The guys wash me up, touching and teasing me but they won't do much else. I pout but to no avail. They insist I have to eat first. As I blow dry my hair, under Gabriel's supervision, Lucas goes to get us some clothes. Not even two minutes later there is a shriek from our room and I hear Lucas's chuckle in my head.
"Maybe you should talk to little sister telepathically and her you're okay. She's sitting on the bed waiting for you." I frown when I realize Lucas had walked out of the bathroom naked then realize what he's said.
"I can talk to Ash telepathically?" I feel him frowning as he speaks. I distractedly let Gabriel take over drying my hair.
"Of course. As Queen you should be able to link up mind to mind with anyone even before you got pregnant." All three of us speak through our link at the same time.
"Jarek." Lucas swears and speaks again.
"It's okay love just think about Ash and say something in your head. I'll block us out until you learn to do so." I close my eyes and lean against Gabriel as I think of Ash.
"Ashie?" I feel Ash start and then answer through our link.
"Ri? Is that you?" I feel her surprise and I smile.
"Yes, and I'm okay now just a little shaken up. Lucas said that you were upset?" I can feel her anger through the link.
"Of course I'm upset. You were hurt and the dumb guards wouldn't let me in."
"I'm sorry Ashie. I'll talk to them." I feel her smile grimly.
"I took care of it." I blanch at the image of a sword in her hand and open my eyes to meet Gabriel's eyes. I open the link to the guys as I speak again.
"You fought with a sword?" Ash answers me quickly when she realizes what I am really asking.
"They are all alive. I didn't kill anyone." I sigh and sag against Gabriel.
"Okay let me finish getting ready and we'll be there in a sec." I shut the link to her down as Lucas walks back in with our clothes and speaks aloud.
"You got the hang of the links pretty fast." I grin up at him cheekily as I take the clothes from his hands.
"I learn from the best." His eyes remain puzzled as he watches Gabriel and I get dressed.
"Why is it bad if Ash fights with a sword?" I shudder and look over at Gabriel. His eyes mirror the horror that I feel as we both look back at Lucas. I blink up at him as I speak in a whisper.
"You never want to see Ash with a sword when she's pissed." Lucas laughs at us, thinking we are joking but I grab his hand and yank so he looks me in the eyes. I open our link so he can feel what we are feeling.
"If Ash ever loses it and she has a sword in her hand, run. Run and don't look back. There is only one person she won't kill. Just one." Lucas smile fades when he realizes how serious we are.
"Who?" I smiled wanly.
"Me. Trust me she'll kill anybody else when she goes nuclear and it doesn't matter who they are." I slide my shirt on and slip out of the bathroom leaving Lucas to get dressed. Gabriel follows me to our room. I stop outside the door and place my hand on his.
"Can you go get me some Mac & Cheese and some pickles and a four course meal. I am starving." He smiles and nods before leaning down and kissing me softly on the lips.
"Anything for you Riki. Anything." I grin and walk into my bedroom to see Liam and Kade are sitting on my bed with Ash. I frown at them and raised a brow. They both stand hastily and hurry from the room as I walk over to sit beside Ash. As I turn to her I held my arms open and we hug. I feel my whole body relax as she hugs me back. We sit like that for a moment, comforting each other. I go to pull back so I can look her in the eyes, when it happens. I feel everything slow down, then everything twists up and goes black.
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VISIONS OF ASH'S PAST
I open my eyes and realize I am not in my own body anymore. I look down and see hands of a seven or eight year old. I know instinctively that I am in Ash's body and in Ash's past. I am in her bedroom at her house. I walk over to the door to open it when it opened on its own, slamming into the wall. I flinch and stumble back (with no control over something that has already happened). I look up to see Jack, Ash's dad, staring down at me, his face twisting with rage. Tears slide down my face as I shakes my head in refusal. He grabs my arm and yanks me to my feet then points towards the twin size bed. I shakes my head, sobbing now as he speaks.
"Get on the bed Ash before I make you get up there." A sob escapes me and I clamber up onto the bed. I look back to him but he's already gone and someone else is in the doorway. I don't speak as Jarek comes in and sets down on the bed next to me. I'm biting my lip so hard its bleeding as he rubs my head then slides down the strap on my dress.
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Time flashes and I'm Ash but older, at least fifteen. I'm standing in the same room but with a desk and posters on the walls. My arms are wrapped around myself as I look bleakly out the window. I can see my eyes reflected in the glass and they're full of sorrow and anger. I look over at my bed and see Jarek sitting there. waiting for me. I look down and my heart stutters in chest as the world shifts and goes black again.
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BACK TO THE PRESENT
I blink and look down to see Lucas and Gabriel's hands on my wrists. I looked back up to see Kade and Liam's hands on Ash's wrists. Tears slide down my cheeks as I think of what I saw at the end. I know instinctively that Ash doesn't remember it. Just like she doesn't remember what happened with Jack. But I know what she does remember. I look over at the door to see two guards standing there. I bite back a sob as I speak.
"Leave the room." The guards start to speak and I snap at them. "NOW!" They blanch and leave the room, shutting the door behind them. Everyone looks to me as I lean forward and wrap my arms around Ash, who is also crying.
"You knew all along. You remembered Jarek and what he did to us. Why didn't you tell me?" Ash sobs softly and clutches me tighter as she speaks into my shoulder.
"I didn't want you to have to live with it too. Then when you got older I tried to make you remember but I couldn't find the right trigger. I'm so sorry Riki. I'm just so afraid all the time. I'm a coward, someone touches me and I freak out." The guys gasp and I pull back so I can look Ash in the eyes. Her blue eyes are rimmed with red as I push her hair back from her face and kiss her on the forehead.
"You are my cousin and sister of my heart. You may be afraid all the time but you still tried to protect me. I can never repay that Ashie." I pull back as both Lucas and Gabriel places a hand on either side of Ash's face. She smiles weakly but doesn't pull away as they both kissed her on the forehead and tell her thank you. When they pull away Ash leans back into Liam and Kade. Liam looks up at me, his green eyes flashing but I didn't comment on it. My stomach growls and I look back at Gabe and his bed hair. I giggle and quickly covered my mouth as they both looked at me hungrily.
"Gabriel did you get that food for me? I'm starved." Gabriel stands and grabs a tray off the dresser as I slide back so I am in between Lucas's legs. He smiles and kisses me chastely on the lips then put his hands down on my thighs as Gabriel sets the tray in my lap. Lucas speaks as I take a bite of mac & cheese.
"I'm assuming that one of our children can see the past, present, and future?" I nod and swallow.
"Yup but not like in the movies. I didn't just see what happened, I was there, I was her. I felt everything she did and I couldn't stop anything from happening." Ash chokes and I look up at her to see she is crying again. I sigh and starts to put my spoon down but she waves me away.
"No its okay. I'm just tired. I think I'll go to bed. We can talk in the morning." I smiled wanly as Kade and Liam follow her out. Liam, with his hand at the small of her back. I don't think she realizes one of them was touching her the entire time. I shovel more food into my mouth as I look pointedly over at Gabriel. He smiles and runs a hand through his black hair.
"I saw it Riki. We both did and we have no idea what it means." They wait until I finish eating before saying anything else. When I am done Gabriel sets my tray in the floor and pulls my feet into his lap. He starts rubbing them as he speaks.
"So one child can dream walk and another is psychic." I nod and mumble a yes as my eyes start to drift shut. I feel them shift me so I am laying long ways in the bed as Gabriel starts to sing.
"I swear by the moon and the stars in the sky. I'll be there." I drift asleep as Lucas sings.
"I swear like the shadow that's by your side I'll be there."
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I wake up to the sun shining in my eyes and Gabriel snoring in my ear. I crack my eyes open to see Lucas, up on his elbows, staring down at both of us. I roll onto my side so I'm facing Lucas as Gabriel mumbles something then pulls me tighter to him. I giggle and smile up at Lucas as he pushes my hair out of my face. He rolls his eyes as his eyes rove down to my stomach. He places his hand on top of Gabriel's. Gabriel snuggles into my back as he speaks.
"It's too early for freaky deaky Lucas. Wait til after breakfast." Lucas and I laugh aloud at that. Gabriel snuggles closer but doesn't say anything else as he starts to snore again. I raise a brow at Lucas.
"A little help please?" Lucas smiles and presses closer so I can feel both of their hard ons pressed against me. I gasp as Gabriel stops snoring and runs a hand over my ass.
"I thought you were sleeping?" Gabriel chuckles as he pulls my shirt over my head.
"Not anymore I'm not."
"I thought it was too early for freaky deaky?" Lucas leans forward and licks my lips.
"Not anymore it's not."