Chapter Seven: Shine
Ash carried me through the forest and to his house, once inside he looked to his pack members, “don’t let them past here.” Ash said firmly. They nodded and went to guard the door. I didn’t know what was going on, all I know is that I was trembling a lot and that I started burning up inside. “Hang on, cupcake, we’re almost there.”
“Where are we going exactly?” I asked. “What’s going on?”
“You’re about to shift into a little werewolf.” Ash said excited. “We’re going out back, so after you shift you can let your wolf run, that’s what she’ll want to do.”
“Why can’t Kai come?” I asked.
“Because he’ll try to stop the process.” Ash said lowly. “And if he tries, you can die, or be permanently mid-shift for the rest of your life.” I didn’t even try to stand up for my brother because I knew that’s something he’d actually try to do. “You’re not in pain are you?”
“No, I actually can’t feel… anything.” I said. “Should I be scared?”
“No, stay just the way you are—stay calm. It’s good you don’t feel anything, shifting is painful.” He said. He took me outside his house and began to pick up his pace. “Jesus, you’re burning up.” He muttered. I stopped listening and talking to him as my vision began to get blurry and all sounds became drowned out. “Myra?” I couldn’t speak; it felt like my tongue had swollen up and got stuck in my mouth. “Myra?!” Ash asked again. He began to run even faster until we were in the heart of the forest. He set gingerly set me down in the grass and began to check my pulse. “Myra?! Fuck! Myra you have to stay in there!” Ash said. “Shitshitshitshitshit. Myra!” my eyes fluttered closed and I succumbed to the darkness behind my lids—that was short lived. A sharp pain shot through my arm and ran directly to my heart jolting me awake. I jumped up and felt my ribcage expand. I doubled over screaming out in pain. Ash instantly grabbed my hand and squeezed it hard. “Myra, baby, you have to listen to me—look at me.” Ash said turning my face to him. I could see him clearly even though tears streamed down my face. “Say something, Myra.”
“Make it stop.” I cried. Ash shook his head.
“Hold on to me, we’ll get through this together—just stay in there. I promise I will be here for you.” He said his eyes searching my soul. I nodded and felt more bones start to expand and reshape themselves all at once intensifying the pain I was already going through. I opened my mouth to scream but as soon as I did my brain felt like it caught on fire—nothing escaped my lips. I needed this pain to end, when would it? Just as I was begging for the pain to end a cooling sensation washed over my body. The reshaped bones were now just stretching out to become long furry hind legs and forearms. As the rest of my body transformed I just rested on the ground, letting the cooling take over the burning and the pain. I kept my eyes closed enjoying the feeling. Although it was short-lived I enjoyed it while it lasted.
‘Myra.’ I heard from inside my head. My eyes shot open and I took in everything, my senses were heightened—I felt invincible! A wonderful scent passed my nose and I inhaled deeply trying to find out where it had come from, I turned my head and came face to face with Ash in his wolf form. He smells delicious. ‘Talk to me, Myra.’ How? ‘Just direct your thoughts to me.’ He said his voice echoing in my head. So I tried.
‘Ash?’ I asked directing my thoughts to him. ‘Is that you that smells sooooooooooo delicious?’ his eyes flashed a bright white.
‘Whatever you do, don’t tease me.’ Ash told me his eyes ice cold.
‘Why not?’ I asked walking circles around him.
‘Because there’s nothing stopping me from claiming you right here and now, Myra.’ Ash said seriously.
‘Except me.’ I said stopping in front of him.
‘You’re my mate, my wolf wants your wolf ten times as bad as I want you myself, and even if you asked me to stop your wolf would beg my wolf to claim you. So let’s not go down that road right now, alright? So go.’ Ash said. ‘I need to clear my head before I do something I regret.’
‘Go where exactly, Ash?’ I asked sitting down on my hinds. ‘Are you mad at me or something?’ Ash shifted back with ease and I was left staring at this glorious naked man—good lord this is nothing like what I had imagined, and I imagined a lot of things about how he looked under his clothes but this? This is even better. I mean I have seen him shirtless, and that was mindblowing on its own.
“See, it’s that—that right there what you’re thinking that makes me want to lay you out and make love till you till the moon rises the next day.” Ash said raking a hand through his hair, my wolf shuddered at hearing what he really wanted to do to me. “And no, I’m not mad at you, it’s just that remember what I told you? I said I wanted to claim you when you believed, when you shifted, but now it’s like… I want to love you.”
‘Do you realize that if you don’t claim me now, K.D will try to claim me on my birthday?” I asked. Ash nodded.
“But he won’t be with you on your birthday, I will.” He grinned deviously. “Now go, before I change my mind about mating you on your birthday and satisfy your wolf and mine right now.” I turned and began trotting away from him. After I was out of sight of him I began running through the forest feeling the wind whip through my fur, it was like second nature for me running like this, I felt like I’d done this millions of times—dodging fallen logs, jumping over giant rocks, maneuvering through split trees—it was like I knew this by heart. I stopped on a cliff and just looked out above. This would be a cliché moment for me to howl, but I figured I’d probably attract people I don’t need to attract. So I sat on the cliff and connected to Ash through my mindlink, trying to find out what he was doing.
‘Myra, you can’t possibly sneak in my head and perv on me. I feel your presence. Besides I am a shifter still, remember?’ Ash said. If he could see me in my human form my face would be redder than a tomato.
‘I was just wondering what you were doing.’ I mumbled.
‘It’s fine that you’re looking after me and all, but I’m only in my house.’ He chuckled.
‘Are you leaving me out here?!’ I asked panicking. Ash’s laugh echoed in my head calming my nerves.
‘No, my little wolf cub, I’m quite sure you don’t want me to see you naked. So I’m getting you a shirt of mine so you can put it on and not be so self-conscious.” Ash said. I huffed the only thing I got out of what he said was, ‘my little wolf cub’ I’m not a wolf cub. I’m a werewolf. Ash gave a hearty laugh. ‘You’re like a wolf cub—you’re new to this kind of life. So you’ll be my little wolf cub until you’ve mastered the ways of a werewolf, and the ways of a mate—for both a shifter and a werewolf.’
‘There aren’t any shifters around to teach me anything like that.’ I told him.
“Now, that’s not true, cupcake.” I heard from behind me. I turned and looked Ash in the eyes. He was in a pair of cargo shorts and that was it. He held a shirt in his hand.
‘I thought you were in your house.’ I said. ‘How’d you find me?’
“You’re a werewolf now, I can smell you—and your scent is divine.” Ash said, he came and sat on the cliff with me. He ran a hand through my fur. “So soft.”
‘What do I look like?’ I asked.
“You’re gray, like Kai. You have these really, really, interesting eyes—they’re like a bluish, greenish, grayish, white.” Ash said. “You’re in great shape, you’re the perfect Canis lycanthropicus. A beautiful wolf.” He said in admiration then he cleared his throat. “Would you like to um, shift back and put your shirt on?”
‘Don’t act so awkward around me, we’re mates remember?’ I said nudging him with my head. ‘And yes, I would like to change.’ I got up and walked around a thick bush and as if I’d done this a million times before I shifted back into my bipedal self. Some of my body came above the bushes so Ash could definitely see part of my boobs and up. “So, I could really get that shirt now.” I mumbled. Ash got up and turned then stopped in place. “Don’t do this, Ash, you can hold off.” He gave me the shirt and I slipped it over my head. I walked out and tugged at the end. “It’s kind of short.”
“Yeah, well it’s better than you being completely naked.” Ash muttered and sat back down on the cliff. I joined him and sat next to him.
“So how are we doing this claiming thing?” I asked nudging him, he laughed.
“You’re trying to plan this out?” Ash looked at me amused.
“Is that so wrong?” I asked my arms crossed.
“It ruins the whole…thing.” He muttered. “It’s not like I’m planning your birthday party, do you realize that you’ll no longer be a virgin after your birthday?”
“Well, we’ve already started planning. You put a timeframe on my virginity.” I muttered.
“I didn’t, K.D did. And he’s crossing sooo many lines by doing that. He’s lucky I didn’t just rip his head off his shoulders.” Ash muttered.
“Why didn’t you? He’s a dick.” I mumbled fidgeting with my shirt.
“If I killed K.D do you know what that would mean? All of his pack would come and retaliate. Not to mention, if I killed K.D I’d have to take everyone else out. I won’t kill Kai, but I’ll hurt him, same with Kyle.” Ash said.
“Why do you still care for Kyle when he’s an ass to you?” I asked. Ash shrugged.
“He’s the only family I have left.” Ash sighed. “Whether we’re blood relatives or not—I loved my mother and she’s didn’t deserve the life she had.”
“What happened to your mom after your dad left?” I asked curious.
“Everyone mistreated her, they called her a whore because she slept with some other man, every man in our pack thought she was easy. It pissed me off so much, and although she wasn’t my biological mother she still was my mom.” Ash said firmly. “I promised her that I’d put every man that ever did her wrong in place. And I did.”
“But your dad did the worst to her.” I said. “You said you haven’t seen him since he left.”
“Yeah, and I only heard that he died. We didn’t care.” He said.
“Oh.” I said. “What about your biological mother?” Ash gave a bitter laugh.
“That’s an interesting story, Myra.” He said.
“What happened?” I asked.
“When her kind was being wiped out she came here to see my dad and ask for his help, but instead she met my mother. Now my mom was angry at my dad for cheating on her, but when she met my biological mother everything went downhill. Werewolves and shifters don’t get along, never have and never will—which is why no one really knows I’m half shifter—but my mom let her explain what I was. I’m an abomination. My mom kicked her out after that, I was eight years old when I met my biological mother. Kyle was there when she came and he thought it was cool so he decided to go tell Kai. I agreed, being the stupid happy-go-lucky kid I was and we went to your house. Kai let us in, and I remember specifically that you were drawing pictures with finger paint when I first saw you. So gorgeous…” he trailed off. “My biological mother’s dead. All of the shifters are.”
“Why’d they kill off the shifters?” I asked curious.
“Because they could shift into anything, even other people.” Ash said. My eyes widened.
“Can you?” I asked. He nodded.
“I just… I can’t get caught.” He said. “It’s in my nature to shift like a shifter, like a calling.”
“Do you think our children might come out shifters?” I asked absentmindedly. Ash turned and looked at me with a surprised expression.
“What are you doing talking about cubs right now?” Ash asked a small smile easing its way on his face. I blushed.
“I just started thinking into the future you know?” I said.
“You’re something else, Myra.” Ash laughed and wrapped his arm around me. I laid my head on his shoulder and yawned. “I should take you home.”
“Noooo, K.D’ll try to rape me in my sleep.” I mumbled. “I can just stay with you.”
“You’re a delicious smelling tempting unclaimed femme wolf in a house full of men who are werewolves with a serious sex drive, my house isn’t the best place to stay.” He said.
“C’mon! Just call off your pack members and tell them I’m yours.” I said shrugging. “I’ll sleep in your room again, like I did last time.”
“Eh…” he said trying to protest.
“Ash, please.” I said softly. “I can’t face anyone in my house right now. I’ll go home sometime soon—I just can’t go tonight. I don’t trust anyone there.”
“Alright, Myra.” Ash said. “Just don’t rouse any of my wolves.”
“I’m only trying to arouse you.” I winked. He laughed and it became silent for a while, then something that had been eating at me for a while came up and I just needed to know. “Ash?”
“Mmhm?” he asked.
“How many girls have you slept with?” I asked.
“What made you wonder that?” he asked.
“I just—I needed to know.” I said honestly.
“You don’t want to know.” He said looking up. I sat up and turned to look at him.
“Ash. I won’t get mad, I promise. I just want to know, please.” I said. He sighed and refused to look at me.
“I stopped counting in high school, my freshman year.” He said. That means a lot, I’m assuming. “Yes, it does.”
“When’s the last time you slept with someone?”
“I haven’t slept with anyone since we met.” He said. “So two weeks.”
“Is that the longest you’ve been deprived of sex?” I asked.
“Yes.” He said.
“Wow.” I said getting up. He groaned.
“Myra, are you kidding me? You said you wouldn’t get mad!” he said standing up.
“I’m not mad.” I said. “I’m not jealous, I’m not anything.” I said shrugging.
“Like hell. If you weren’t mad you’d be the same happy person you are.” He said. I just kept walking ignoring whatever he had to say. Ash was a manwhore, just like Kai, Kyle and K.D. You know what? I wouldn’t be surprised if ever male werewolf was a manwhore. I walked in Ash’s house and was greeted by five boys.
“So…” they said eyeballing me up and down.
“She’s Ashton’s.” Zyre said leaning up against the doorframe. “I see you don’t obey orders, you look like shit.”
“I feel like shit.” I mumbled and walked past them.
“If it’s because of Ashton, you’ll get over it.” Zyre said. I shrugged.
“As long as none of his ex-whores don’t come and kill me in my sleep.” I called behind me.
“Myra!” I heard Ash shout from behind me. I turned around and glared.
“What.” I said firmly.
“You’re a piece of work, you know.” He said. I put my hands on my hips and gave him a disbelieving look.
“I’m a piece of work? You’re the one who can’t go a week without sex.” I said. “You need work.” I said and turned around.
“Don’t walk away from me, Myra.” He said firmly. “You know I hate when you walk away from me.”
“You wanna know what I hate? I hate it when I feel like I’m only gonna be good for pleasing you. Is that what a mate is for, Ash?” I asked him.
“Are you listening to yourself? We haven’t claimed each other yet and you were talking about cubs! No, Myra, you’re not just gonna be my sex toy. In fact, whoever lead you to believe that I only want you for sex ought to be murdered! You’re not just any girl, Myra. You’re my girl.” Ash said. I scoffed.
“Save that for Twilight.” I muttered and went upstairs.
“Myra Mirandinelle Aubrianna Gray.” I stopped in my tracks. “Listen to me, I’m not K.D, I’m not Kyle, I’m not any boy that wants you for your virginity. I want you to stand by my side for as long as I live.”
“I’m tired, Ashton.” I said softly and went to his room. As soon as I got in his room I flopped on his bed face first. “Why am I such a bitch?” I asked into the covers. I sighed and pulled the covers back and crawled inside. I turned on my side and tried to get some sleep but it wasn’t working. So I just laid in that bed for however long it took Ash to come up here. He crawled in bed with me and wrapped his arm around my waist.
“I know you’re still awake, Myra.” He said softly. “Tell me what’s wrong?”
“I’m jealous.” I admitted. “Because you’ll be my first for everything and I won’t be yours.”
“Myra, you’ll be the first to have me whole—body and soul.” He gave me a kiss on my cheek before pulling my body to his. His warmth comforted me and I knew he was right, what do I really have to be jealous of?
The next morning I got up early because I felt gross. Ash was still sleeping and I wanted to keep it that way. I quietly crept out of the bed and stripped out of my shirt and just left it on the floor, I turned to Ash quickly to make sure he was still sleep—which he still was. I went into his bathroom and shut the door. I turned on hot shower water and used his body wash. I bathed myself and washed my hair. Once I was clean, felt clean, and smelled clean I got out of the shower and wrapped a towel around my body. I walked out of his bathroom to see that he was awake and just sitting against his headboard. He looked at me then at my shirt on the floor.
“So you strip out of your clothes before you go into the bathroom… interesting.” He said.
“Doesn’t everyone?” I asked.
“Usually the person would like to feel secure, so they’d strip inside the bathroom where they have nothing to worry about. But you on the other hand, you felt secure although you weren’t quite certain that I was actually sleep—not saying I wasn’t because I was.” Ash said. I shrugged.
“Like I told Kai, I’m safe and happy around you.” I said and raided his drawers. I pulled out one of his shirts and a pair of sweats. “So um… I don’t have any underwear.” I said. “Or any undergarments in that matter.”
“I know.” Ash said. “I did sleep with you last night.”
“Yeah but what does that have to do with anything?” I asked my gaze suspicious.
“Ohhh nothing.” Ash said grinning. He got out of the bed and came up to me. “It’s nothing.” I turned around after staring him down and went to grab the clothes I picked when he pressed his body to mine. “You know, you’re so gorgeous in the morning.” I let out a small laugh.
“What are you up to?” I asked. He pressed his lips to my neck.
“Nothing.” He said. “Nothing at all. I’ll leave you to get dressed now.” He said winking in the mirror then left me. I stared at the door and laughed. I put his clothes on and felt really awkward in them considering I didn’t have my undergarments. I went downstairs to see Ash had made me breakfast. I put my hands on my hips.
“I’m usually the one making breakfast, you know?” I said my head cocked to the side. He smiled.
“Well, let me just do it this once.” Ash said setting a plate in front of me.
“Just this once.” I said and ate. Ash just sat there and watched like he watched me when we were on our date. After I had finished eating I pushed my plate to Ash. “That was good.”
“You were starving, you didn’t eat anything after your run so I knew you’d be really hungry.” Ash shrugged. The door bell rang and Ashton instantly growled.
“What’s wrong?” I asked.
“I’m quite sure I told them to stay off my territory.” Ash growled and got up. Oh, he was talking about my brother. He left the kitchen and went to the door. I followed right behind him. Ash opened the door with a glare. “You can’t have her.” Ash snarled.
“She’s my sister.” Kai said. “Just give her back.”
“Kai, I’m choosing to stay with him.” I said. “Just go home.” I said softly. ‘Close the door.’ I told Ash he glared hard at K.D letting him know that he didn’t care that K.D was alpha, he’d still rip him to shreds, and I would gladly watch.