Chapter 5
Ashton holds my hand and sets a steady pace that isn’t too painful. “How did you get that bruise?”
I don’t want to answer that. What would he think of the loser that gets beat up by her supposed to be mate? Forget that. Instead, I ask him a question of my own. “Why do you get drunk?”
He stops and turns to actually look me over. I doubt he’s impressed with my slim body that is severely lacking in the chest department. My skin is pale, and my gray eyes are too big for my face. “You first.”
Something about him makes me want to submit. Damn it. He’s a dominant, powerful wolf. Not to mention, he’s gorgeous. His still damp hair is almost black and curls just at his strong scruffy chin. I desperately want to avoid the question, but I just can’t. Finally, I breath out what happened. “I got kicked.” He raises a brow, waiting for me to continue. I roll my eyes and know that’s not going to be enough to placate him. Embarrassed, I answer. “It’s my birthday. My pack Beta found out that I’m his mate. He wasn’t happy to be mated to me since I’m the pack slave, so he choked me out and kicked me after rejecting me. Your turn.”
Ashton’s doesn’t betray a single emotion. He lifts my shirt to look at my bruise again. “That happened today?” I nod. “Broken ribs?” Again, I nod. He drops my shirt and lifts my chin. He inspects my neck and face. “Your neck is bruised, and your eye is red and swollen, yet you don’t complain of being injured. Hell, you even dragged me out of the water, and I’m twice your size.”
I look up to his emerald eyes, not knowing what I’m supposed to say. “I guess I’m used to it.”
He leans his face closer to mine. “No one gets used to being hurt.”
I look away from his face and gaze at the woods around me, I don’t dare look down. “I guess I’m used to hiding my pain. I have one friend that purposely gets in trouble so he can help me. Otherwise, no one ever cares if I get hurt. In fact, most people take pleasure in it, especially our Beta.”
Ashton’s fingers gently touch my swollen eye. I close my eyes. There’s a tiny, unexpected sting, but the pain quickly subsides, and I focus on the fact that he’s touching my face. My heart races, having never been touched like this before. I can feel my wolf wanting to come out, so she can feel his touch as well. A gentle kiss is placed to my injury. He pulls back, and I open my eyes. “I care. I almost don’t want to let you go back there, but we both know that’s not really an option. You should be protected by your pack. That’s why you have a pack. You’re strong, why not fight back?”
Boy, he’s crazy. “Are you still drunk? You barely know me. I’m not strong. I’m actually very weak. Besides, the women in our pack are not trained to fight.”
Ashton snorts. “No, I’m not drunk. Swallowing a river sobered me up pretty quickly. I drink because my mate was killed a few months back. We were only together for 10 perfect months. I get drunk, so I don’t off myself.”
I try to remove the shock from my face just as quickly as it appears. “Why do you want to live?”
He shrugs and turns to start walking again. “Because the pack needs me. Why do you?”
I balk at his answer. I never really thought about why I never left my pack, but I know there’s one reason and one reason only. “My father. He’s out there somewhere. He killed our Alpha and ran away. That’s why I’m the pack slave. Everyone calls him a coward and a traitor, but I know he wouldn’t have done it without a very good reason. What about you? Why does your pack need you? How are you any good to anyone if you’re drunk?”
Ashton stops to look around us, realizing he doesn’t know where I came from. “How the hell did you get here?”
I point toward the cave. “The cave goes back about twenty feet. There’s a small crack at the back that I can fit through.”
We start walking toward the cave. “I’ll make you a deal. You come keep me company at night. I’ll train you to defend yourself. It’ll give me a purpose and help me lay off the alcohol.”
I know this is so dangerous, but I’ve never been touched the way he touches me. He treats me as an equal. These are sensations I crave with every fiber of my being. If I could defend myself, I would be much better off. Other than being caught, it’s an easy decision to make. I shake his hand. “You have a deal.”
He pulls my hand up to his lips for a gentle kiss. “Thank you, Gypsy. For saving my life. I look forward to tomorrow.”
I can’t help the smile that spreads across my face. “Thank you, Ashton. For saving mine. I’ll be here after dark.”
A sexy smirk appears on his lips. He grabs my face and plants a stiff kiss on my lips. “Happy birthday, Gypsy.” He lets go of my face, and I turn toward the cave. I feel him watching me as I disappear into the darkness. I look back over my shoulder, and I just know he can still see me. I slip through the narrow crack and back into the tunnel.
I think about Ashton the entire walk back to my pack's territory. My fingers touch my lips. He kissed me. Granted, it was just a birthday peck, but I’ve never felt anything like it. My hand and my hips still tingle from where he held me. Oh stop it, Gypsy. He just lost his mate. He’s not into you. Why would he be?
He never answered my question about why his pack needs him. I mean, I get the whole protection thing, but a pack has so many members that losing one isn’t a big deal, unless it’s your dad or your mate, in our cases.
He gave those guards an order. Even drunk, they followed it. He’s extremely powerful. Is he an enforcer? That can’t be. He’s not the Alpha because an Alpha would never act that way, nor let me trespass and live. Is he the Beta? That could be, but would the Beta let me live? We both saved each other; that means we’re even. I guess I’ll have to wait until tomorrow to find out when he starts training me. Goddess, I’m going to learn how to protect myself. That’s so exciting and nerve-wracking at the same time It’s much later than I thought when I return to my shed. My body is sore and aching. I lay on my mat and close my eyes. I hope to dream of the beautiful woods and the beautiful man with the bright green eyes.