Ash
Even though he told me he’d be gone, I’m still disappointed when I wake up and Callum’s not there. I reach out a hand, but the sheets are cold. According to my phone, it’s almost nine. Yeah, he’s definitely been gone a while.
Did last night really happen?
There’s an ache at the base of my throat that seems to indicate that yes, it absolutely did. I reach up and touch the bite mark I know is there, fingers tentative because ouch, that hurts.
Nope, doesn’t sound any less crazy this morning.
I stretch out. My body feels deliciously used, and I bet if I look in the mirror, I’ll find bruises on my hips and elsewhere. Getting out of bed is the last thing I want to do, but I’ve got work in a little under two hours. More training, because that’s all I’m allowed to do at the minute.
I flex my fingers. Considering how painful it was when I first did it, there’s barely a twinge now.
I reckon I could take my brace off and it’d be fine.
Temptation tugs at me, but I’m back at the hospital in a few days, so I might as well leave it alone until then.
Uni starts back up soon, and I want to be fully healed for it.
It’s our last year.
Morgan said he’s coming back, but I’m not sure I believe him. There’s more going on with their club and hunters and probably other stuff I don’t know about. Wouldn’t surprise me if he changes his mind.
Or he’s not allowed to go.
I freeze, halfway out of bed as a thought occurs to me. If I’m bonded to Callum, like Morgan is to Lynx, do the same rules apply to me? Yeah, fuck that. I’m not part of their stupid club. They have no say over what I choose to do with my life.
Reaching for my phone, I’m about to text that to Callum when a text pops up from Morgan.
Morgan: Hey, just checking in after yesterday. You ok?
Shit. He doesn’t know.
Cal’s at the compound telling all the others, but clearly Morgan isn’t with them. I don’t want him to hear it from someone else, even if things still aren’t back to normal between us. This is Morgan. I can’t keep something this monumental from him. But I don’t want to do it over text.
Ash: I’m okay, but I need to talk to you. In person
Morgan: Okay. You sure you’re all right?
Ash: Promise. Meet after work?
With my arm still in this thing, they’re only letting me do a few hours at a time. Which sucks, as far as money goes, but I can’t say I mind finishing early.
Ash: You can give me a lift home :)
Morgan: What time?
Ash: Half two ok?
Morgan: Yep. See you then
Right. All I need now is to keep Callum from telling Morgan before he comes to pick me up.
To be honest, I thought Callum might’ve messaged or called me this morning, all things considered.
I rub my chest, only now realising that the warmth I felt there last night is barely recognisable.
It’s more of an ache, and the more I think about it, the more it feels like something’s missing.
I hurry to open my text thread with Callum, thumb hovering over the screen when I see a message already waiting for me. How did I miss that?
Cal: I think our bond weakens over distance. I’m at the compound and I can barely feel you anymore. Don’t worry, Ash. I think this might be because you’re human x
Ash: You think? Or you know?
I’ve already sent the message before I notice the x on the end of Callum’s text and the lack of one on mine.
Arse.
Before I get too up in my head about it, Callum replies.
Cal: I think. We’ve got no experience with a bond like ours. Lynx has some old books in the loft, we’re going to have a look at them later
Ash: Let me know if you find anything
Great.
I drop my hand when I realise I’m still rubbing my chest. That’s not going to fix the ache. Only proximity to Callum will, by the sounds of it, and since that’s not happening until later, I’ll have to get used to it.
You were fine before, Ash. Suck it up.
It’s not until I get out of the shower that I remember why I wanted to text Callum in the first place.
Shit.
Ash: Have you told Morgan yet?
I’m pretty sure the answer is no, or my phone would be blowing up by now.
He doesn’t reply straight away, and strangely enough, staring at the screen doesn’t make those three dots magically appear.
I’m going to be late if I don’t get a move on, so I toss my phone on the bed, and get dressed. Still awkward as fuck with this stupid brace.
Which is why my dad finds me cursing up a storm when he knocks on the door half an hour later.
“Hey.” I let him in and stomp back over to the sofa where my trainers are.
“Everything all right? I could hear you swearing from outside.” He raises his eyebrows.
“Sorry. Having a little trouble getting my stupid trainers on.” I eye the offending shoes. God knows why today is worse than any other day. I’ve managed perfectly well until now. Sort of.
I rub my chest again before I realise and stop. I’ve been doing it on and off all morning because I feel wrong. I only experienced this connection for a few hours before Callum left this morning, but its absence is awful. I’m not sure I can last until tonight.
“Want some help?” My dad glances down at where my hands are shaking. “Are you all right, Ash?” He frowns. “I think work will understand if you don’t go in today.”
I’m sure they would.
But I don’t want to sit around all day thinking about things. I want to be busy, and besides, I need the money. “I’ll be fine.” I hand him my trainers. “Do you mind, though?” He takes them off me and helps me get them on my feet. I feel about five years old again.
My phone buzzes with a text as I watch my dad tie my laces.
Cal: We were just about to. Why?
Ash: Can you wait? I want to tell him.
Cal: He’s going to know as soon as he gets within ten feet of me
Fuck’s sake. Stupid shifters and their stupid senses.
Ash: Can you avoid him? Please?
Cal: I’ll do my best
Ash: Thank you x
I stare at the tiny little x, thumb hovering over the screen. Fuck it. I hit Send and refuse to feel embarrassed.
“Ready?” My dad gets to his feet and offers me a hand up.
“Yeah, thanks.”
I follow him out to his car. The only one sitting on the drive since mine got written off. I told them we hit a deer. Lying to my parents isn’t something I do often, but in this case, I didn’t think they’d want to know the truth.
I shudder at the memory of Birch bouncing off my bonnet and into the road. My stomach churns and I have to swallow a couple of times.
“Sooo,” my dad starts as we pull off the drive.
There’s something in his voice that sets me on edge.
“I forgot to put the bin out last night. Only remembered when I woke up for a wee in the early hours.” He taps his fingers on the steering wheel, and I have a horrible feeling where this is going.
“Thought I might as well do it since I was up anyway.”
Fuck.
He glances at me, amusement warring with concern in his eyes. “Imagine my surprise when I look out the window and see a member of the Wild Wolves coming out of your front door.” Another tap of the steering wheel. “Pulling on his T-shirt.”
Silence fills the car.
There are a million things running through my head right now, but somehow the one that makes it out of my mouth is, “How do you know he’s with the Wild Wolves?”
We’re stopped at traffic lights, and he takes the opportunity to level a pointed look at me. “We might be old, Ash, but your mother and I don’t live under a rock.”
Fair enough.
“Anything you want to tell me?” The light turns green, and thankfully he has to concentrate on the road so doesn’t notice me wince.
There is so much I could tell him but none that I want to.
I have no doubt they’d believe me if I told them shifters exist. I suspect my mum already leans that way—she has a whole shelf of books on the subject.
But I don’t want them to know we’re essentially under biker protection at the minute because of potential threats from all sides.
If I took a moment to stop and think about it, I’d be terrified and probably never leave the house.
I don’t want that for them. So I pick my words carefully.
If he’s only seen Cal and not the others watching the house, then that’s easy enough to explain.
A little embarrassing, but I can handle that.
“I might be seeing one of them. Kind of.” Seeing . . . bonded to . . . same sort of thing, right?
“Mhmm . . . the VP no less.”
I whip my head round to gape at him.
“What?” He shrugs. “I know things.”
Thank god we’re pulling into Tesco’s car park because I really don’t want to have this conversation with my dad. Before I can reach for the door and escape, he puts a hand on my arm.
“I know you’re an adult, Ash. But are you sure this guy’s safe?”
No.
Callum Holt is a mile away from safe.
Sitting back in my seat, I turn to face my dad. “He’s not gonna hurt me. I trust him.”
“You sure?”
“Yeah, Dad.” I wish I could explain that Cal and I are connected. That we’re tied together by some sort of magic that means we can never lie to each other. That I trust him with my life. “I wouldn’t be with him if I wasn’t.”
He nods. “Okay then. You let me know if that changes.”
“Will do.” I shoot him a smile because he’s deadly serious. What he thinks he could do against the VP of a biker gang, I have no idea, but I love that he wants to protect me still.
“You want me to pick you up after work?”
“No, Morgan’s meeting me.”
“Why don’t you bring him back for tea. Your mother would love to feed him.”
I laugh. “Of course she would. I’ll ask him.” Or I’ll think about it. He came to the funeral yesterday, but I’m not sure I’m ready to let him fully back in yet. We’ll see.
Two hours into my shift and I am so done with training. It’s mind-numbingly boring and the office I’m in has no windows. I need air.
Scooting back my chair, I go out onto the shop floor. Tim, the shift lead for today, spots me and grins.
“Bored?”
I laugh. “So fucking bored,” I mouth, aware of the old lady browsing the shelves next to me. I point outside. “Just taking a five-minute break. I need some fresh air.”
He waves me off. “Take your time.”