Page 52 of Wolf's Whisper

Why couldn't my mate be a nice boy or girl from my hometown who liked pottery and music? Not two crazy twins on a killing journey.

"Please let me explain... Our hometown was small. Everyone knew everyone and we were all somehow related to each other. If not directly, indirectly to the Great Wolf. In the beginning, everything was fine. And then the Monoke Clan came."

I tried to swallow, but my dry mouth wouldn't let me. Was this really a story I needed to know? I had heard stories about Monoke. They were strongly devoted to the Ape spirit and it was rumoured they were possessed by a blood lust.

"They trampled our village. There is something utterly terrifying about seeing familiar sights disappear into smoke and flames. The store owned by Mrs. Foria where Aspen and I used to get our sweets. The altar where we went to pray. The swingset in our garden. Our parents."

Oh gods...

"My mother's screams will haunt me forever and I didn't even love her that much. I remember Aspen putting his hands over my ears, but it didn't help. Not much. My father, my hero, ran blindly into our house, his only thoughts with his dying wife. Neither of them made it out. Aspen and I were only fifteen."

At this point, I felt so guilty for even asking about it. With every step, Ashleigh was stomping her feet into the ground. Not from fear, but from anger. Rage was coursing through her veins. I could feel it. My wolf could feel it.

"That day, Aspen and I swore to always protect each other. We swore it next to the ashes of our childhood home and what remained of our parents. And then we ran. We ran for days."

Ashleigh's eyes were directed towards me, but she wasn't there. She looked right through me as she recalled the horrors of her childhood.

"We wound up in Danny's hometown. Aspen and I took refuge in an old, abandoned warehouse. It was an adjustment... We were used to soft couches and warm beds, but here we slept under ragged blankets and old linen. We used to have roasted game with an endless array of vegetables and sauces. Now we were lucky if we had a chunk of stale bread to share. It was a miserable time. We were orphaned, homeless, starving. But we had each other."

I followed her gaze to the cave as I came to understand a little bit more about their bond.

"We were great at pretending. We fooled this whole new town in believing we were well-adjusted civilians on a trip. Everyone bought it. Except for Danny."

A faint smile played around Ashleigh's lips. "She called me out on our bullshit two days after we met. She later admitted I had enraged her so much, she had followed me out for revenge and found out where Aspen and I lived."

A memory flashed through my head of Danny telling me about the hair cutting and I felt my lips curl up. I could imagine how that would piss someone off.

"Danny is the only daughter of the Orse family. One of the four pure bloodlines that possess the wolf in our country. She sensed the wolf in us and figured out we came from the destroyed town. She offered for us to stay at her mansion, but we declined. We were young and despite everything that had happened, we had far too much pride. Danny never got along well with other people. They envied her for her wolf, her status, her wealth. With us, she could just be Danny. I think it was around the time she met JP as well."

"What about Regan?" I asked, suddenly remembering he said he used to live next door to the twins.

Ashleigh bit her lip. "Regan had already left town before Monoke came. He never told us why, but one day he just said goodbye. The next day, he was gone. We didn't see him for another couple of years until we coincidentally ran into him. That was when he laid eyes on Danny and he hasn't left her side ever since."

"That is sweet."

She nodded. "It certainly was. Regan was always a bit stiff, so it was nice to see him become more playful after he met Danny."

I snorted. Regan, playful? We must have different definitions of playful.

"Things quickly changed. The Monoke had followed us and terrorised our new village. But this time, Aspen and I were no longer helpless children. This time, we were prepared. By the end of the rampage, Em, Danny, JP, and Regan were all living in our club house. We fought the invaders daily, cutting down their numbers one by one. If House Hystericia hadn't shown up when they did, I don't think we would have made it."

I felt my chest ache as I hadn't realised there were such disputes, no, wars, going on in the world.

"It was... I don't have the words for it. It is probably a story for another time. Just know we saw some horrible things. Aspen and I were prepared, but Danny, it shocked her. If it wasn't for Regan, she probably wouldn't have made it through. And JP would never have survived if it wasn't for Danny. And Darren, well, he would've been lost for good if he hadn't met all of us. In a way, we all saved each other. I know this might not be what you want to hear, but we are a package deal. It is all of us or none..." Ashleigh stated, her eyes boring deep into mine as to gauge my reaction. "Aspen and I have shared all our lives. I mean, we aren't good at it. We bicker and we fight over everything. But we've always shared. From the smallest toy to our best friends, there is almost nothing we haven't done together."

I nodded. I already knew this pack was all or nothing. Now if only my wolf could find a way to want both my mates, instead of switching between the two of them, I might be able to make it work with the twins.

"The thing is..."

I perked up as I heard her crystal voice suddenly much closer to my ear.

"This time, I don't want to share. And neither does he," she whispered, her breath hot on my cheek. A shiver ran down my spine as I swallowed a lump in my throat. How was I supposed to react to that?

"I want you all to myself."

Ashleigh's piercing blue eyes bore deep into mine, the air around us suddenly crackling with electricity. I could swear I saw the sparks fly. If only we were on our own instead of surrounded by the pack and my other mate, we might just have a chance.

But with Aspen's Alpha lingering at the surface, my wolf seemed to be unsure of who to follow. Ashleigh's rare black wolf or Aspen's amber coloured eyes. It was an impossible choice.

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