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Tenderly, Madison holds a dripping icepack wrapped in a kitchen towel to his feverish forehead. It’ll take a while for him to mend but he’s going to be alright.
Crowded around him, the room is silent save for the sounds of his rapid healing and the occasional awkward sigh or hitched breath from one of us. A grim audience watching painfully as one of our own teeters back to life.
“When Ash wakes up, we need to find out exactly what happened. I know Jax well enough to know that he is playing at something. It’s like he’s hunting big game, and we are the prey. I want to know what he’s involved in.” Madison’s shaky but determined voice cuts through the silence.
My heart skips a beat, and a small appreciative smile crosses my lips, Madison stole the words from my mouth. “Ash will be good for information. He might not always seem like he’s paying attention, but he does, even bloody and battered. There’s no way he won’t know something helpful for us unless he was sedated the whole time he was in that cave.
I want to get Jax taken care of once and for all. We’re a small pack so depending on what we are up against we might need to get the Grey Pack involved in this. They’ve got the numbers and we’ve got intel. I know that Malachi doesn’t want any more trouble and I’m sure he’s less than appreciative of being used as a pawn.” I surmise.
“That’s right,” Isaiah agrees. “You mess with the bear, and you get the claws. No matter what, I’m not going to let Jax get away with the arbitrary torture of our brother. I say we take down Jax and anyone else we can get our hands on.”
“That’s something I can get down with,” Dustin rubs his hands together with a smile.
“I’ve got to say I’ve got my own selfish reasons for wanting revenge before this but now, I find myself even more… motivated,” Drew says with barred teeth.
A contemplative silence settles upon us once more, hours pass this way. There’s nothing left to say, everyone has already put their cards on the table. Nothing left to do but wait for Ash to heal enough to awaken.
Finally, Ash’s breathing picks up. All eyes turn to him just as his eyelids begin to flutter open. “Hey guys you’re all here,” a wry smile crosses his lips, and he winces. “Wow, I never knew I was so popular. You sure know how to make a person feel special.”
“Ash! You are the belle of the ball and don’t you ever forget it!” Madison exclaims with relief relaxing her shoulders from where they sat before, anxiously hugging her shoulders.
“The belle of the ball… I like that” he winces in pain as he attempts to pick himself up off the sofa and then decides better of it laying back down.
“What happened to you Ash, how’d you end up in that cave?” I ask firmly.
“Right down to business, huh boss?” he says with a gravelly laugh.
“There’s not that much time to waste Ash, I’ve got a vendetta to settle.” I state.
A toothy grin forms on Ash’s face causing him to wince again as the split in his lip opens once again. I hate seeing him this way.
“You know how I love a good vendetta. Gather around children and I’ll tell you a tale.” That’s our Ash, a fool even in times of peril. “As you know I was doing my rounds on the perimeter, and everything was going smoothly until I picked up on this odd scent.”
“Odd scent?” I prompt.
“It smelled like Madison, but something was off, her scent was mixed with fear and high levels of cortisone. I didn’t think there was any time to waste. Of course, I should have realized I was walking right into a trap, but I didn’t waste any time thinking. I thought Madison was in trouble, so I ran.”
Madison pats his shoulder so gently that she barely touches him and whispers, “I’m glad to know you’ve got my back.”
“Trust me Madison, no one would want to deal with Chase’s blubbering ass if anything happened to you, and you’ve grown on me quite a bit, I must admit.” Ash smiles.
Fighting the urge to playfully punch him I say, “Hey, I don’t blubber.”
“But you would.” He repeats.
Laughter erupts from the others, even Madison laughs. A deep breath escapes my lungs, and my stomach unclenches a little.
“I’d have done it for any of you honestly,” Ash says taking on a more serious tone, “But I want you to know Madison that you belong here. You might not have the same abilities we do but you are absolutely an important part of this pack. I hope you know that.”
A sad sort of smile crosses Madison’s lips and she gingerly touches Ash’s cheek. Even though her fingers barely brush his swollen cheekbone he groans involuntarily in pain.
“I’m sorry,” he says before she has a chance to say it herself.
“That’s my line.”
“Ash, what happened after you followed the scent?”
“Right,” he nods and locks his eyes on mine. “The scent took me deeper and deeper into the woods. With each step forward my gut screamed more and more that something was off, but I had to keep going. I’d have never been able to forgive myself if Iturned back and something happened to Madison. I knew you’d never forgive me; it wasn’t a chance I was willing to take.”
