Page 28 of When Embers Become Ashes

Jay is now impersonating a starfish in the middle of my bed. Ember’s scent hits me as I enter the closet. She must have grabbed some clothes. I pull on some dark Jeans, a Navy Henley, and a pair of grey ankle Converse, and I ruffle my hair so it’s kind of tidy. My hair has always been wild, not curly like Embers, but other than using a ton of product to get a 'style,' which I hate doing, nothing I do matters; it always looks like I’ve just woken up.

I head for the balcony and end up double-checking on Jay as he’s now curled in a ball under the comforter in the middle of the bed. It wouldn’t surprise me if he hasn’t shifted into his Kitsune. I pause at the door and take in my mate. God, it feels good to say that I didn't lie to her last night, There has never been anyone but her.

The thought turns my stomach and makes my skin crawl. After some problems I caused by kicking off at girls trying to rub their tits on me and trying to stroke my cock through my jeans, Dominic told me to try to keep them at arm’s length. He understood why I didn’t want them touching me, and I soon noticed he had to deal with something similar.

Ember is sitting on a lounger. One of the sketchpads I had ready for her sitting on her lap, her hair is escaping those frustrating braids. I always prefer it down, but she used to say it got in the way, and Mama Lou, Lenny, or Margo would put it in a braid for her. Jay, Xander, and I got pretty good at them, too. She’s curled up in my school hoodie and a pair of cropped sweats I use for training. Still, the hoody must reach her knees, and the sweats cover her feet. My gorgeous mate is so small, It makes me want to wrap her up and keep her extra safe, but I know she can look after herself and would kick my ass if I tried to lock her away. Bray used to ask a lot why I would buy art supplies with my allowance when I could barely draw a house, but every Christmas and birthday, I got her something and stored it in one of Mama’s luggage trunks.

Deciding I’ve been creepy enough, I move over to where she’s sitting. The sketch in front of her makes me pause. It’s Ember in a dark room with Brayden’s wolves ripping apart a Python, fucking idiot. Ember has always dreamt of two wolves, and her birthday is the day after Bray’s, who has two wolves. That’s not common knowledge. How the fuck have I not put together the links between my best friend and my mate, fucking idiot!

I crouch down next to her, and she stops, a small amount of fear showing in her eyes when she looks at me,

“What’s wrong, baby?” I ask as she closes the book and hides it below the seat padding,

“You weren’t meant to see that part of my past.” she closes her eyes as tears start to fall,

“I know I need to explain my dreams, so I’ve drawn all the times they saved me.” She huffs, grabs the book again, and flips to a page, turning it so I can see,

“well, save me from the memories,” she says the last in a small voice as I look at the drawing of Gerald’s office. Ember hands frame the image, and I’m there. Well, Pine is there, standing on a dead Gerald’s chest. Dex is on the desk snarling at the door, which has Rafe’s silhouette on it, and Levi is standing in front of Em.

I take a breath as I close the book, putting it near her sock-covered feet. I take her mouth with mine, flooding the bond with love, hoping she feels how much I love her in the kiss and bond. I pull back, resting my forehead on hers,

“Jay is still asleep. Are you staying here or coming down with me? I need to talk to your dad about us!” She looks bemused for a bit,

“I’ll stay here and get more done, if that’s okay? " She smiles as I gently kiss her lips, and she turns back to her sketch. She'll tell me when she’s ready about the rest; I won’t push.

Hopefully, Mika knows who tried to rape her. I swallow the growl, kiss her temple, and head downstairs.

I don’t go through my room, leaving Jay to sleep. Like Em, he suffers from bad dreams. He never tells me about them, but having me close and, I guess, Ember helps.

I'm just approaching Ember’s room when Brayden appears, looking frantic.

“B, what’s up? Miles, hidden your favorite t-shirt again?” He startles as if he hadn’t seen me.

“She left! How are we going to find her again? Why did she leave?” I blink and feel like I’m missing something,

“who left?” I ask. He rolls his eyes like I’m the idiot. Now I know he’s Ember’s twin. So many things stand out that they do similarly.

“Ember. My sister. The girl you held while she was unconscious yesterday. Jenson’s Quinny.” He’s getting more panicked the more he speaks,

“Her room is empty, the bed has been stripped, and the window is open. She’s gone. I would think you would care more. I saw how you looked at her.” Again, he’s getting hysterical. I laugh, pat his shoulder, and head downstairs, “Chill, bro. She’s on my balcony. She had a bad dream, so we stripped her bed. She showered, borrowed some of my stuff to sleep in, and then slept in my room.” I leave it at that. Telling her dad, I marked her is nerve-racking enough. He deflates in relief, then tenses as I start down the stairs.

“What do you mean slept in your room? Ren, you best not mess with my sister, or I’ll kick your ass! Ren? Seriously?” I keep walking, not letting what he says affect me. I reassure Pine that he isn’t insulting us; he is just protecting his sister.

I hear Mika in the kitchen and ask if I can speak to him. He automatically goes on guard, but I keep my dominance locked down, so he doesn't see me as a challenge. He indicates for me to follow him, and we head to his office.

I nearly walk into Brayden as we leave the kitchen, and thankfully, he doesn’t say anything when he sees his dad. We get to the office, and he sits behind his desk and waits. I sit opposite and mimic his relaxed pose.

“Can you let me finish before you ask questions, please?” He gives me a nod but nothing else. I take a deep breath.

“I’ve known Ember is my mate since we were five years old. I have never shown interest in ANY female and have stayed 100% loyal to her.” I pause. He seems to think, and I get another nod.

“Pine wouldn’t settle last night, so I went to Ember’s room.” I see his muscles tense, but I carry on,

“I just climbed in bed and went straight to sleep. She woke due to a bad dream, a memory of how she ended up in the hospital this last time.” I see regret, sadness, and anger flash through his eyes,

“Because she saw Trinity doing her usual and trying to get me to claim her, she thought Trinity was my girlfriend and told me to leave. My control over Pine was loose enough that he pushed through and put her straight.” He has gone deathly still, probably thinking I took advantage,

“She told me she could still feel that piece of shit’s touch. He was only on top of her clothes, but it was enough for her to feel…” I take another deep breath, no longer being able to look at him, as well as keeping my rage at bay.

---