I don’t want that for him.
I wish he would let me take the burden. Fuck only knows I deserve to carry it.
What’s one more sin on top of my many, many transgressions?
“Who do you work for?” Ashton’s voice is cool and collected.
If I didn’t know any better, I would say it’s…calm.
But I do know better.
“Fuck. Off.” Kain spits out a glob of blood, and it hits Ashton’s cheek.
Ashton tenses automatically—the germaphobe in him rearing its ugly head—but he doesn’t lift a hand to wipe it away. Instead, he focuses on the stumps that were once Kain’s fingers. They’ve already stopped bleeding thanks to Kain’s shifter blood, but they have yet to start growing back.
Our wolves can heal us from a lot of things, and the strongest of us can have entire limbs removed and then regenerated. Only a few things can truly kill us or scar us. A beheading, for one, or a bullet to the heart or brain. Silver is one of the few substances that can permanently scar us, and believe it or not, gold is another.
“You’re not going to talk, are you?” Ashton phrases it as a question, but I know he doesn’t actually expect a response.
He knows the answer.
Kain laughs glibly, throwing his head back. “Astute observation, old friend.”
Ashton releases a sigh, as if this entire conversation has tired him, and then pulls back his arm and punches Kain square in the jaw.
The shifter is immediately unconscious.
“Ash?” Emery ventures a tentative step closer. Stops. Glances at me. Steps back.
Ashton slowly rises from his crouched position. His shoulders heave with each ragged exhale. He seems to be focused on his bloody hands, the knuckles cracked and red.
Emery and I exchange another look. Neither of us knows what to say to Ashton. I don’t do “feelings” or “heart-to-hearts.” And it wouldn’t be appropriate for Emery to give a scathing quip right now.
Fuck, where’s Ethan when we need him? We need his level-headedness and ability to talk any of us off the ledge.
Or we need to find Izzy. Heaven only knows that she can get a reaction out of Ashton—though what that reaction will be remains up in the air. He’ll either snap at her or try to kiss her. Jury’s still out on that one.
“There you guys are!”
Emery and I both spin at the somewhat familiar voice, though Ashton remains where he is, staring at his hands, his body as taut as a bowstring.
Gerry stalks through theforest, looking entirely out of place in his leather pants and motorcycle jacket. His long red hair cascades around his shoulders in loose waves.
The older man pauses when he catches sight of Kain, and shock widens his eyes. He sucks in a sharp breath, and Ashton tenses at the sound, turning even more rigid.
But I have to give Gerry credit. Despite the gruesome scene before him, he doesn’t even bat an eye beyond his initial shock.
He simply assesses the three of us, paying particular attention to how still Ashton is, before saying, “We need you back at the clearing.”
“What’s going on?” I bark at the same time Emery asks, “Is it Izzy? Ethan?”
Gerry blows out a breath. “It’s complicated.” He flicks his gaze to Emery and frowns. “God, you’re even more hideous up close.”
“Thanks,” Emery drawls.
“What about him?” Ashton doesn’t turn around when he asks the question.
He just stands there, shaking, his gaze fixated on the shifter at his feet.
