18 comments/ 18118 views/ 53 favorites Running From Wolves By: angelofdest Walking towards her apartment in small town Indiana, Ashlynn had her arms wrapped tight around her jacket. A car sped past, and she glimpsed over her shoulder watching it suspiciously till it drove out of sight her feet crunching in the snow. Her dumb ass station wagon was in the shop again with one of those spectacular engine sounds that promised to be expensive. These days, she could barely afford her apartment and ramen noodles, let alone the bill for the mechanic. She missed the days when her future had seemed so bright. Art school had been a blast. The teachers had praised her work, she'd won awards, even found the perfect boyfriend, or so he'd seemed at the time. The future seemed flawless when she'd moved to Seattle with Ryan, and for a few months it was. Ryan was having trouble finding work, but she managed a gallery opening within a few months, and everything was going to be flawless. Until it wasn't anymore. Snow crunched far behind her. Ashlynn's heart dropped through to her bladder, and her mouth ran dry. Glancing back she looked around panicked, but it was dark and she didn't see anything. Turning back she walked faster, and as her own snow stomping footprints continued to echo on the houses she passed by, she kept picking up pace until she was shaking and panting by her own front door. Hey eyes kept flashing around like a feral cat's as she dug out her keys and tried to put them in the lock. She dropped them three times before she managed to get inside. Spinning around, she didn't pause until the deadbolt, chain latch and door lock were in place and the security system she'd spent the last of her start-up money on was activated. Leaning against the nearest wall, she let herself slip to the scraped up wood floor. Crashing her head into her palms she shuddered an empty moan with no one aloud to hear as hot tears wet her cheeks. Three months and the bruises were gone, but the damage was not. Walking home from the gallery, where the final touches were being put on an exhibition, she couldn't hide the smile owning her face. Everything was going perfectly, and there were whispers that Ryan might propose at the opening the next week. Practically skipping, she heard her phone alert and checked her messages. Drinks L8r? Ashlynn grinned, Naomi always was the party girl. Not tonight. Winding around the block to their apartment building, honestly wasn't sure what could make her happier. Climbing the stairs, riding the elevator, and opening the front door, the only thing running through her mind was how exactly Ryan might help her celebrate. Nothing seemed amiss when she opened the front door and tossed her keys in the bowl, kicking off her heels. "Ryan?" she called, not seeing him on the couch or in the kitchen. She still had that stupid grin on her face as she confirmed that his keys were still in the bowl by the door too. Stretching her feet as she walked to the kitchen and dragged out a water bottle. Taking out her phone, she checked the time. It was 3, she had finished up early. Must be taking a nap, she thought. Biting her lip she took a gulp of water and started unbuttoning her shirt as she crept towards their bedroom. Getting to the door, her black bra revealed the abundant cleavage she'd seduced Ryan with the first night she'd met him in his frat house wearing an Alice in Wonderland costume. Blonde bouncing curls she now only let down on days she didn't work, which were mostly days that didn't end in 'y.' Opening the door, she'd meant to surprise him, but finding him with a red head bouncing on his dick on their kitchen table, she was fairly certain he won. "Ashlynn," Ryan shouted surprised, rolling over quickly with Naomi landing on the floor. Bursting into tears, I turned and ran out, pulling my shirt without and ignoring the buttons. I grabbed a coat, slid my feet into a pair of flip-flops by the door and kept walking. "Ashlynn, wait," Ryan called, chasing after her with a half buttoned pair of jeans, those sculpted abs on full display. She looked back, and no without a doubt it was over. "When I get back, I want you gone," she fumed, her chest heaving. "Ashlynn, it's not what it looks like. Come on, baby. I love you," he said, as she waited impatiently for the elevator. Ashlynn swung back, took two steps forward and slapped him square across the jaw. "No, I loved you. But you will always love yourself more, you narcissistic ass," she barked, as the elevator door opened. "Get out, and stay out." Wiping down her shower mirror with her damp towel, Ashlynn stared into her bloodshot worn reflection. There was a time she'd felt unstoppable. These days she knew better. Part of her knew the light behind those bright blue eyes had died since the last time she'd meant her own smile. Wrinkles had worn into her pale brow and she'd grown almost disgustingly pale. Even her blonde curls had dimmed from cheap shampoo and lack of effort. Tying her robe tight over her tank top and panties, she wandered out to the living room where canvases in varying stages of completion covered every available surface. An easel with a canvas in progress sat next to a table coated in painting supplies; an old stool in front of it. On one side of the room a window looked out at a snow covered hill below that led down to a tree-lined creek. On the other side, a breakfast window was lined with empty wine bottles she hadn't bothered to set outside to the curb. True to habit, she pulled out a brown bag she'd brought home and took out a bottle of cheap red wine, and poured a heavy glass. Setting up her paints, brushes, and water, she sat on the stool, propping a long leg up on the stool with her as she stared at the gray and deep purple alleyway she'd painted the night before, the moon piercing in from above. Over the next couple hours, the wine bottle dwindled as she painted with trained skill and detail wolves in tattered suits and dress shirts and men who looked even more monstrous with cat-like golden eyes and too perfect faces. She painted the dark night with shadowed faces until they began to blur, her eyes unable to stay open. Arching her back, and stretching, she stood tense. Surrendering, she gathered her brushes, her eyes wandering out the window. A flash of motion outside caught her off her guard and thirteen paintbrushes clattered to the floor. Her heart was racing as she scanned the snow looking for something moving in the darkness. After a long moment, Ashlynn rubbed her eyes and began cleaning the mess. Twenty minutes later, she crawled into bed. Fifteen stories below, a man appeared out from behind a tree, still watching the now black window. She was really was quite talented, he admitted, pulling out his phone. She also knew how to get the hell out of dodge, even human police would have had a hell of a time finding this chick, but hunting her down had taken all of three months. Tricky, because she's been smart enough to avoid relatives, but there was more than one way to skin a cat. "Blaise, I found your girl," Hayden, offered crossing his leather clad arms and shaking snow off a leather shoe. "Is she alright?" Blaise snapped from the other end. Hayden smiled, "She's in one piece, but Blaise, there's something you should see. . ." "Where are you?" he demanded, and despite the late hour, Hayden could hear him grabbing his keys and storming out the front door with a slam. "Indiana. I'm sending you the address." "Watch her, Hayden. I'm coming. Don't let anything happen to her," Blaise ordered, and Hayden almost thought he heard concern dripping from the angry tyrant. The line went dead, and he rolled his eyes, leaning against the tree. "Yeah sure Bro, let me just spend a nice long night outside in the snow." It didn't really matter, it wouldn't kill him. Behind closed eye lids, Ashlynn's dreams were haunted with monsters chasing her down city streets, hunting blood. Fading into memories, of her body wrapped in red, rotating her hips freely in the middle of a night club. Of hands big enough to cradle a basketball, weighting down her hip bones and drawing her back. God, she needed this after that tool. She just needed a distraction, a beautiful inspiration. She wasn't unwilling, as she leaned back, undiscriminating against marble abs. Ashlynn let him move her freely, feeling his wandering hand travel across her stomach, his breath heating her neck. When his hand made the full breadth of her, he grabbed her waist and spun her back to face him. Her breath caught as she looked up into eyes that reminded her of evergreen forests, set in broad features with cheekbones that could fill the palm of her hand and a jutting chin covered in bristled shadow. It wasn't just his face though it was the way he looked at her; like she was the sexiest thing he'd ever seen. Ashlynn reached up, wanting to ask his name, but the music pulsed her bones as they continued to move. Without words, his lips suddenly pressed against hers, promising and forceful. Damn, she wondered as she fell into those arms, even as he began to draw her out of the crowd. She never really stood a chance against that smile he gave her as he drew back. Stepping away from her, he held out a hand, with a grin that promised more on the other side. Glancing back to the crowd, she looked for Aimee, and watched her give her an encouraging nod. Grinning toothily, she turned back and grabbed his hand which completely enfolded her. It was reckless, but wasn't that the meaning of rebound. Drawing her out a side door, she pressed against him against, forcing her mouth against his again and his tongue slipped in with hers, he had her running so hot she almost fell apart right there. "Not here," he said, between tight breaths that sounded as needy as she felt. If he was as good in bed as he was with that mouth, she could really get used to that soft growl in his voice. "Where's your place," she murmured into his ear, breathlessly. She felt him stiffen and her body was rejecting any semblance of control. If he had let her, she would have had her legs wrapped around her, with him buried inside her at punishing force against the wall, the brick leaving scratches and bruises. He grinned and drew her in the direction of the street, but instead of a car there was a line of monstrous men, blocking there way. Instinctively, she felt herself slip behind her new companion, he released her hand. "Stay close," he said, and she nodded still contentedly dazed. Then men as built as the man she was shadowing, slunk through the same door she'd just exited. Growls that made her sick with fear resonated from their chests and as they stalked forwards she moved further back. No one was really watching her, and she began to worry, pulling her phone out of her bag. Before she could dial 911, the sound of tearing fabric captured her attention. Fur thick as a bear's sprouted out of skin as body warped, muscle growing thicker, stronger. She watched horrified as the man who she had almost taken home, grew thick russet fur. "Well Blaise, did we catch you with your pants down?" One of the men asked. The wolf growled, and fear traveled like a shiver down her spine. This was too much, she whimpered mentally. Without even thinking, she took off down the alley running for dear life. "Oh look wolf, your girl is running. Guess you two really aren't that close. Too bad, she looked quite delicious," said one of the well-dressed men. She didn't bother to stick around to hear their conversation. She'd run until she found a cab. Rushing home, she felt safe as she bolted the door behind her. Her heart was thundering in her ears as her chest heaved. "What the hell was that?" she said shaking. For a long moment she wished Ryan was still there. Then her attention was stolen away. "Darling, don't worry the nightmare is almost over. Well for you anyway," offered a smooth voice with an accent she couldn't quite identify. Attempting to loose a scream, her eyes were filled with fear as a hand covered her mouth before she could make a sound. "Oh no, that wouldn't do." Gripping his arm with both hands she tried to push back, but he wasn't even trying, as he held fast with one hand to lips and one to the back of her head. "You fight this, and it won't end well, love. Just accept your fate," he sighed and despite her panic, she was captivated by him. Mesmerizing plump lips, sharp Italian features, and coal eyes that promised pain. A pretty black silk shirt made him seem refined, and he wasn't heavily built, but every instinct in her read deep trouble. She went still, impossibly so considering the blood throbbing through her temples. "You really are a pretty thing. Pity." Fear wrestled through her, but even when he took his hand off her mouth, she couldn't seem to move. The most she could manage was a tear. She felt exposed and used under that gaze. Powerless, she didn't have long to wait before the first blow came and struck her square in the stomach with the speed and strength of a speeding car. She toppled forward wrenching blood. Pain had her seeing dark clouds. Barely recovering, arms like tree trunks grabbed her arms and sent her flying into a wall with a loud crash. She could hear things cracking, but the brick wall was just fine as she slid wetly to the floor. "Do you feel that sweet pain, love? Those damn dogs just don't learn, and their little toys suffer. Tell me what does that kind of pain feel like?" he said, his word making little sense in the haze. She could still see the red lust in those dark eyes. Ashlynn could barely gurgle, everything hurt. Her eyelids were heavy, her body was screaming and threatening to black out. "Yes, love. That's it. Give into the pain," he whispered, suddenly so close she could feel the chill of his breath on her ear, it was almost soothing and everything just felt so cold. As the world went black, sound just beyond her strength to comprehend resounded in the background. There was no hope, no warmth, no joy, just ice. Whatever was coming next, she didn't want to be awake to feel it. Ashlynn never wanted to feel again. Running From Wolves Ch. 02 Bolting upright, tears scrolled down Ashlynn's cheeks. The dim morning light filtering in through fogging windows while white powder pressed an inch up the glass, had her clenching her eyelids closed for mercy. Cool sweat drenched her back as she rolled to the edge of her bed and rested her feet against the scratched wood floors. The rent was cheap, but this was not the way she saw herself living. She had family once. Her parents were divorced, but supportive none the less. Her mother and father had both showed up to the gallery opening, and had enough self-control to be civil. She celebrated Thanksgiving every year with her father and his boyfriend, Christmas was with her mom. Now, even a letter or an email seemed to risky. This underworld she had fallen into, was unknown and she had no idea who was watching. She couldn't even call and explain; a picture from her high school yearbook showed up in a newsletter of missing person reports every once in a while, but she doubted anyone looked twice at her most days. Rolling out of bed, her feet hit the beat-up floor resentfully. She couldn't go home, not while those monsters were still out there. This is your home now, she prompted, get it through your thick skull. Getting dressed for work, she pulled long blonde curls away from her face into a careless ponytail and wriggled into the same blue uniform dress she wore every day, she had more than enough cause to stay away from onlookers, and in diners you rarely made more than a 50 cent tip on a two dollar coffee. She drew on a pair of tights and boots and prepared to face the snow. Glancing at the clock, she groaned and wiggled a toothbrush in her mouth a few times before gathered her purse and keys and jogging out the front door. An old familiar sense of responsibility kept her from remembering, that no matter how late she was, the world would keep turning. *************************************** Climbing into his silver sports car, Hayden was feeling pretty damn grateful for the seat-warmers as revved the engine. He almost felt bad watching her shiver at the bus stop, but based on the look of fear she had when walking home last night, he had a feeling she wouldn't welcome help from a stranger. Besides, Blaise would be more than happy to warm her up, soon enough. His phone vibrated, and he dragged it out of his pocket. "Hello," Hayden said, keeping a close eye on the girl. "I'm ten minutes out, Hayden," Blaise stated from the other end. "Yeah, I'm at the bus stop a block away. She's heading to work, and I've got eyes on her Boss. she really is something special," Hayden said, giving the tiny blonde woman an appreciative gaze. Even dressed in a heavy coat, with her untamed hair looking ready to stage a rebellion, he could see what had attracted his boss to the girl. What he had yet to pin down, was why she had been untraceable up till now. She was certainly sloppy enough, he noted, as she sat on the empty bench, and one of her gloves slid out of her pocket onto the snow. She didn't even seem to notice as the bus pulled up and she hurried on. "Believe me, I know. Keep me updated on your location." The line went dead, and Hayden waited another long moment before following the bus. He followed until her watched her get off in front of an old run down diner. Remmy's Diner had seen its better days almost ten years ago, the paint cracked and peeling, and old neon, tacky on the front signs. Ashlynn's eyes were holding a staring contest with the ground as he pulled up into the nearly empty lot and watched her make her way inside. Hayden texted Blaise the address, and weighed his options. Hunger tended to be an excellent motivator though, and as his stomach growled, he climbed out of the car, clicked the beeper and wandered into the diner. Ashlynn was just tying on her apron as he walked in. ******************************************* If it weren't for her recent luck with men, Ashlynn would have to admit that this morning's newest client was quite easy on the eyes. Thick brown hair, wide jutting cheeks easing down into a scruffy jaw. It was the amused curiosity in those big brown eyes though that had her heart melting at 6 in the morning. Then there was the leather jacket surrounding the kind of biceps that used to leave her daydreaming. "Hello, what can I get you?" Ashlynn surprised herself by smiling as she approached the new guy. He smiled back easily. "Pancakes, eggs, hash browns, sausage, bacon, and maybe some fresh fruit if you have it. Oh, and coffee," Hayden offered, listing enough food to feed a platoon. Smiling back easily enough, she nodded and clicked her pen back down. "Sure thing, handsome." Spinning on her heels, she blushed like a school girl heading to the back. God, she wanted some of that in her life. Lord knew she hadn't seen much more than dime store romance novels in the way of action lately, and in her younger years she had never been in a drought this long. Besides, making yourself scream in ecstasy just never has the same heat. In other words, what she wouldn't do to see a little of what he was packing. "God, if I was still young, what I wouldn't give for some of that," Marlene said, from the coffee pot behind the counter as Ashlynn posted the order in the window. "What is a boy like that doing here?" she asked, trying to avoid the issue as she glanced over at her manager, an older woman, with a grinning but worn face. The older lady smiled, the look that put Ashlynn at ease the first time she showed up looking for a job. She must have looked like a nervous wreck, but one look and Marlene had taken her under her wing like an injured baby bird. "One thing I've learned in all my years darin' is that you never question how you got lucky, only thank god that you did." "Oh, I thank God every day. I thank God I found you," she said wrapping an arm around Marlene's shoulder. "But I have terrible taste in men and I don't trust yours," I said winking. "I heard that," Gordon growled affectionately through the window. A big hulking man, red faced and sweating appeared in the window, smiling like a mob hit man. Lord only knew what Marlene had first seen in him, but they truly were an adorable couple, as she lit up, even after thirty-some-odd years of marriage. "You know I love you," she said, grinning at him. He smiled, and softened like putty, "I love you too, Muffin," he said turning back to the grill. Ashlynn bustled around helping other customers, and when Hayden's food showed up, she took a deep breath before walking over with a tray. He grinned up at her as she made herself busy. No longer questioning what had enthralled Blaise all this time, he was almost considering making a pass at her. Even when she wasn't trying, there was something alluring about her. "Anything else?" she asked, finally looking at him. He jolted, startled. "Yeah, I have a friend on his way, could you drop off a cup of coffee?" he asked, offering a smile, trying to look casual. ******************************************* Hadyn honestly had no idea what to expect from her when Blaise arrived, because since she had left, he had been a wreck. He had been away working for a neighboring pack, when everything had happened, and knew only what he had been told. From what he'd been told, Blaise had been the one to carry Ashlynn to the hospital. He'd paid her medical bills, and visited her bedside daily, but she had been severely hurt, and remained conscious for long enough that they thought she might not make it. Blaise rarely left the hospital, and otherwise managed pack business from the hospital waiting room. She eventually awoke, and months passed as she went through recovery and rehabilitation, and he stubbornly kept to her bedside, even as she tried to push him away. Eventually he'd managed to convince her to finish her recovery with him, and he finally had his precious mate on pack lands. For two months she had stayed, and healed. Hayden could not help, but wonder how far it had gone, but from the smell of her, he knew they hadn't mated. Regardless, she had more than broken the guy's heart. One morning he had woken up to find her gone. Nobody had seen her, anywhere. Blaise had been a mess, snapping at people, starting fights, and his wolf had been out of control. The guy had not slept in months, wasn't eating; he was near a snapping point and Hayden was afraid for him. The stupid dogs in them, game them fierce power, but at a price: slaves to instincts and hormones. Blaise's ferocity had always been to his benefit, before this girl, and all because she happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Now here he was; the better side of an inevitable outcome. Even as his senses jolted from the approaching aura of the pent-up alpha, Hayden understood why this girl had run. He wasn't negligent, and it certainly was not for lack of compassion. When the bell on the diner door rang, he had half a mind to run, and avoid seeing the inevitable crash of that pretty smile. ******************************************** Ashlynn felt him enter the building like a full on collision. Every nerve ending on her body lit on fire, lust rolled down her spine setting her shivering. She was trapped between the desperate need to run and the instinct that told her to let him take her where she stood. "Ashlynn," he growled and her knees shook, struggling to hold her upright. When she turned, those eyes called up images of thick verdant forest and a wolf chasing her breathlessly down. Her knees quaked and Marlene hurried to her rescue. "Emily, sweetheart. Are you alright?" Marlene asked, patting her head. "He came," she offered, shaking as she looked up and caught the gaze of the barely controlled wolf staring her down as if he might leap the counter. ***************************************** Studying her for a long while, his eyes traced a face and frame he had dreamed of whenever he closed his eyes. Dreamed of the way her distinct curves rolled like the waves of her hair: wondering what she looked like bouncing. He dreamed of her dressed in red and pressed back against him without a second thought, her body poised and pleading for more than just his attention. Staring, he knew he wanted to study every inch of her in much closer detail, but he really could do without the audience. It took more self-control than he knew he had not to sling her over his shoulder and drag her out that door. "Excuse me, but I would very much like to speak with your waitress," he said, tucking clenched fists into his leather jacket pockets, his thick roping shoulder muscles straining the fabric. "Emily?" Marlene asked the shell shocked girl, but Ashlynn was already rising to her feet. "Marlene, I'm sorry, would you excuse me for a moment," Ashlynn brushed the woman off, concern for her safety overwhelming her own weakness. As she traveled around the breakfast bar, the other five restaurant occupants stared as he followed her, watching for any signs she might run. ****************************************** Eyes lasered so hard to her back, Ashlynn could feel them like hands as she crossed her arms, refusing to turn, staring definitively at the brick wall of the alley. Even after the metal door sealed shut behind them, she stayed several firm steps away. Still, he soon had his hands pressed to bricks on either side of her shoulders, as she stared at the wall. The spiced scent of his hot breath on her neck, her own breath was coming and going much faster than was safe. She could see his arms quivering as he inhaled her scent. She had to admit, the cinnamon and pine spice of his scent had her just as captivated. "Mine," he growled against her crook of her neck, sending goosebumps shuddering down her arms. "Blaise," she offered, a hundred ludicrous thoughts rushing through her head. his body radiated heat, warmer then a heating blanket, but she was crossing her legs trying to fight her own. Cautiously she remained still, hesitant; she knew enough not to test his self-control.Calming his wolf, she bared and exposed her neck, making herself defenseless, as she whispered, "Blaise, we need to talk, I need you to find a smidgeon of self-control." "I would have some, if you would stop running and disappearing on me," he spat, shoving her away from him and backing up, shoving his hands into his pockets again. Ashlynn turned back, staring down those rugged features. She could see the exhaustion attempting to hide under that fury and failing. Guilt ravaged her insides as she stared him down. "You don't look good, love," she whispered. "Whose fault do you think that is?" he growled back. "Hey now, I'm not the one who defines love by a willingness to sacrifice humanity for another. You told me you would wait for me to be ready, but you refused to listen when I told you I never would be. I almost died for you before I ever even knew your name, I don't want to die for you now." She shivered now in the chilly air, wrapping her arms around herself, as he took off his jacket and handed it to her. She stared at it for a long moment before reaching out and taking it, wrapping around her his warmth and scent. She knew the same labored exhaustion was echoed on her features. He offered, "You're already half dead living in fear like this. Do you still have the nightmares?" he asked, softening for a moment, the man underneath it all slipping to the surface like an ocean pulling back foam. "That's not your concern, Blaise. Whatever it is you think you're going to accomplish here, you're mistaken. I'm not coming back with you, I don't want any part of this." Resentment surged, but before it could really spark, Blaise had her pushed up against the wall again his breath hot on her face. With only her heart beat as a warning, she found her lips pressed against his, and had no idea which of them had broken that last inch of space first. Stealing her mouth, he had her head between his hands as he pressed against her, and to his own surprise, she lifted her hand to grip his hair, reveling in the feel of him. After a long moment, she caught herself, snapping her head to the side, but Blaise took the invitation to kiss his way along her bare neck. She groaned as wet warmth flooded her and for a brief moment, she caught herself wondering how long it would take to get that damn t-shirt off him. That thought was all it took to have her press her hands to that brick wall of a chest and push back. Despite himself, he let her, grinning as he saw the flush in her cheeks as she breathed hard. "Would it really be so bad?" he asked, offering a charming grin. His wolf could smell her excitement. Frowning she looked down, if she kept looking at him, she would want to cave. "I can't do this, Blaise," she said, and despite herself, she lost a sob as hot tears ran down her cheeks. "Ashlynn, don't cry," he said, wrapping his arms around her and holding her tight as she shuddered. "Just tell me what to do. Don't you know I'd do anything to make you happy? Anything." "Why couldn't you have been human? We could have met in that club, you could have taken me home. We would have parted like nothing ever happened. I'm human, Blaise, and danger hunts me down whenever I'm with you. I had damn vampires threatening me, Blaise, and where were you?" Drawing away, he stared down at her. "Ash, I can't lose you." She shook her head. "You already cost me my dreams and my career." Regret unfurled in his gut as her words sank in. She hated him. It felt like being punched to the gut as he backed away. "I cannot leave you; I could never forgive myself." Shrugging it off, she headed back towards the restaurant, to safety. "I was willing to give my body for a night on the dance floor, but I lost my heart. This pattern of losing, is a far cry from the way I saw my life going. I will not be the girl whose only goal in life is to bear your offspring and stand by your side. I'm damn stronger than that." "I know that," he said, and she wasn't sure she heard him. Fists shaking, her feet were nailed to the ground. "Goddess, when I saw you in that red dress that night, I knew you were fire, and I didn't care. You were in a coma for months after those stupid coffin freaks beat you, and you fought like hell. I would give anything to be the dog at your feet, and I have wolves looking to me for guidance. Everything about you breaks my nature. And I don't care," he growled, and the timbre of his voice said he meant every word. Closing her eyes, she heard every footstep as he came up behind her, encasing her chest in his palms dragging her against the flat planes of his chest. "Ask anything of me, my love and I shall give it," he said, and she groaned as one of his hands traveled down her stomach, searching her curves for the hem of her skirt. "Is this what you want?" he whispered in her ear as his hand eased up along her inner thigh, moisture painting a mural between her legs as she panted with need. "Or this?" he called, drawing back and in an instant, he was several feet away. "Damn you," she muttered, stalking towards him. He grinned, an instant later pressing her into the wall, as he once again pressed his mouth forcefully against hers. Her legs found their way around the trunk of his torso, and he grinned against her mouth as his hand traveled the curve of her leg, seeking the warm heat at the center. He stopped just shy, at the juncture of her thigh, rubbing small circles with the ball of his thumb. Moaning she wriggled trying to get him where she wanted him. Chuckling he drew back looking down into her ecstasy laden gaze and smiled. "All you had to do was ask," he offered, before sending a slick finger home, making her roll and moan as she felt his fingers stretching her open, gliding into her glove hard and fast. As he offered a third finger, she spiraled out of control, moaning a loud keeling sound as everything shattered, and she came apart, panting against him, holding herself up around his neck. "Blaise," she groaned, coming up or down, or from wherever the hell she found herself. "We're in damn public you know?" Lowering her to the ground and using the fingers he hadn't just plucked from her to tame her hair, he proceeded to hoist her up in his arms, and carry her to his car. "Are we really now? Because the only thing I see is you." Sighing, she felt the hole in her armor, and she was almost damn certain, Blaise knew exactly how to fill it. Unfortunately, she only knew how to walk away when her legs were steady enough to carry her. Running From Wolves Ch. 03 Ashlynn allowed him to put her in his car before she felt her brain slowly flicking back on, thoughts like daggers plummeting through her quickly waning bliss. As the engine hummed to life a few moments later, logic was beginning to seep back in. She would owe Marlene an explanation, but worse, she was going to owe herself one. She knew better. "Where are you taking me?" she asked, her throat dry as she stared pointedly out the window, her thighs pressed tightly together. She could hear the smug grin on his face, though she refused to look over at him. "Your apartment. Hayden mentioned there was something I needed to see there, besides, you'll need to grab your things and we could use some privacy. . ." he replied, running through a mental checklist, that had her heart through the floor, but she was a little more concerned about the intimate images that wrote like a diary across her living room. Heart dropping through the floor, Ashlynn blanched. "No, I really don't think. . ." but even before the words could slip free, Ashlynn felt the car slow in front of her house. There was no point asking how he knew which one was hers; such was the curse of falling for a mangy mutt. It had taken many crazy careful steps to get out of state lines without being tracked. She had been intensely cautious about carrying items that could conceal her scent, to the extent of heavily infusing all of her body scrubs with scented oils, crossing multiple waterways, and transferring transportation with overly-cautious frequency. As he was already out the door and halfway to hers, she had far more pressing concerns. "Blaise, I really don't think I want you to. . ." The door was already open as she scrambled through the door after him, and nearly rammed into him as he made it into the living room, where all the floor space was littered with canvas. The visions that haunted everything from her best dreams to her hardest nightmares. Wolves, proud, graceful, and at times garish, but more importantly, the amber and auburn blended wolf that was Blaise was in every one. Fierce and bold, Ashlynn couldn't help but find him in every image she painted. Like the lens of a camera forever focused on a single muse, she felt trapped. She held her breath as she watched him take it in: the beauty and the ugly she had already come to know of him. Trees, cityscapes, blood, and even lust lurked in her lines, the colors, and every brush stroke. "This is the reality of what I am to you? A subject to your artwork in place of a partner to your life? Can you really see me as such a villain?" Blaise's fire burning in fuming embers. His fingers running over the angry wolf from the alley that she'd seen that first night. "It's not all so dark." Ashlynn wandered around, her fingers taking sheets off more canvases, unveiling more scenes, many of which showed the longing in those wolfish eyes that she'd been trying to forget. "I see you as a beautiful raging nightmare, Blaise, but I also see you in my daydreams. You are every image that haunts my imagining, both good and bad. When I used to paint, I painted to show people what could be, what is, and what never will be. I painted paradise and hell in a young girl's tears. My art would have been famous, but now I only paint one thing, and that is what I meant when I said you ruined me. My heart, you might have had, but you took my gift so unintentionally, and so thoroughly." "You only paint me?" he asked, as he slowly noted the volume of the work, and took a closer look at one painting in particular. One with a girl in a red dress pressed up against a wall by a wolf. "We keep ending up this way, don't we?" he said grinning. Fierce blush warmed her cheeks as she slowly backed away. Blaise rose and each step toward her resembled his wolfish side stalking her down. Knowing it was useless, Ashlynn turned and ran toward the front door. Her hand barely clenched the door knob as his large hands rested their weight on the door, his broad chest, hot against her back. "Honestly, you'd think I was trying to hurt you," he huffed, and her muscles pulsed for want. His hand swept down, tucking her hair behind her neck. Beside herself, she lengthened her neck, baring it to him, relaxing before she heard a rough growl exit his chest. "What is this?" he growled, finding the spindly black circle tattooed across the back of her neck. Ashlynn locked her lips tighter than a clam's shell. After all, what would he do with that information once he knew? Ashlynn shook her head. "Nothing," she answered, forcing her voice to stay steady. "Just a tattoo." "Ash, this is my world we're talking about. I know what magic looks like," he grumbled, pulling the rest of her hair aside, and studying the mark, like he was assessing damages on purchased property. Feeling the urge to shake him off and walk away, Ashlynn would have, if she could find the strength in her knees. "Is it common for wolves to mate with humans?" her voice quaking as she posed the question. "Not common, but not as rare as you might think. Werewolf lore has lied about a great many truths, as you well know. Our capacity for love, is as true to our animal side as it is to our human. We love with everything we have, and for the scope of our lifetime, but with a lifetime longer than either from our ties to the netherworld." Ash relaxed, using his answer to catch her breath. "Blaise, I warned you at the restaurant. I don't want back into your world. That's your life, and I cannot be part of it, I've seen enough. I crave you like a heroin addict reaching for a hit; knowing it could break me, but desperate for the high." Fingers brushed against her own with a gentleness his touch rarely knew. "Ash, don't start this again. I thought we were making progress." "Progress into my pants perhaps, but not my life. Blaise, you're not the only one with secrets; I'm just better at keeping them," she said, and this time, she slipped away, putting some distance between them. "I may not know everything about you, but I know every inch of your body. Eight months I spent studying your flesh before you took off, disappearing like a ghost in the night. I woke to a cold bed, an empty kitchen, and a ring in place of a note on the dining room table." Ashlynn, hid the tears in her eyes recalling how much harder that single action had been then the course of this day would be. That ring the promise of a future she had come to desire a great deal, only to have it pulled away by the anniversary of another year of life proving she had more to do than settle down. Ashlynn faced a painting, desperate not to see the pain in his eyes, to have another vision to mark from memory to canvas. "What you said in the parking lot about me being fire? For what it's worth you're not the only one I'm running from." "What are you so afraid of? If it isn't vampires and it isn't me, what are you running so hard from?" he asked. Ashlynn turned around, looking him straight in the eye. "When we met, I knew, but it was like a fairy tail, a ghost story told at bedtime. My mother was disavowed along with her mother from a much larger family tree, for falling in love with mortal men. It was cold, but that was the way things were. When we met, I had yet to hit a quarter of a century, but since I've gone. . . that marker has been passed. Lucky me, unlike my mother I still have my inheritance, three generations worth because I fell in love with a man who is way more than mortal." "What are you talking about?' he asked, those eyes that pierced so hard they could bear her naked in the light of day. "My ancestors were witches. As of my 25th birthday, it would appear, so am I. You are not human, and my ancestors would have no problem slaying you, my love to get to me. Meanwhile, I have about as much interest in witchcraft as I have in fangs, and too many worlds trying to lay claim to my sorry ass. Look around, this apartment is shitty, my art is doomed for a storage unit and I can barely afford to live, but at least I'm not a danger to you or anyone else." Blaise chuckled, and Ashlynn's face tightened in shock. "A witch? God, I thought I was the only thing weighing you down. Alright, well then, let me just be the first to say, there are things worth standing your ground and fighting for." "I need a drink, can I get you something?" she asked. That moment in the restaurant had been all she'd ever needed, to know how much she wanted him here. After the restaurant, he'd made alarmingly clear his willingness to fight for his desires. Now, even as she began to tip the iceberg on the wall between them, she knew he would stay and fight. Problem was, could she? "Water," he offered, leaning on the wall, and watching as she pulled down dollar store glasses, and wandered over to the tap. Trying to ease her discomfort, he returned to scanning through the paintings, while she tarried in the kitchen. Finally she came over carrying a glass of water, the glass sloshing from the shaking in her hands. He took it, and sipped carefully at it, watching her warily. "Ashlynn, I owe something to my pack, because I haven't been any kind of leader since you left. But whatever it is you need from me, you have." Resting his empty glass on the only open coffee table space available, mixed with paintbrushes and pallets, he stared at her completely exposed and this time with his pants on. Breaths later, and they were on her bed. Kisses like fireworks took her breath away. On his arms and knees, he pressed against her, delving into her mouth, and trading breath for breath. Hands that ran hotter than a human's traveled down her curves. Reaching the hem of her skirt, he lifted the whole dress off her, and she raised her hands, revealing an old bra and cheap panties, but he looked wonderstruck as his eyes traced into her flesh and his hands studied the familiar curves he'd promised himself he would trace into memory if he ever again had the opportunity. Closing her eyes, Ashlynn moaned at the feeling of his hand splayed across her stomach as it wrote goosebumps on her skin and traced upwards towards her breasts. With measured focus his fingers slipped under the wire, pushing the bra over her breasts as he palmed the flesh, drawing his mouth down to lick and consume her exposed nipple. Throwing her head back she moaned, her body hot and flush with need, and still plenty damp from their earlier escapades. "Blaise," she moaned, as he explored her body with hands, letting his tongue trace a thick journey. The dog sure know how to use that tongue, she knew just before her panties landed in tatters and his mouth demonstrated its full talents. "Uhhhh," she cried, her back arching and feet curling as she screamed out in a fulfillment. Blaise pressed deeper reveling in his earned prize as she tried to squirm away, too sensitive. "Stop," she cried, feeling her pulse race, as he lapped away, his tongue pressing deeper. What was unbearable soon become another round of, "Please, oh god, please don't stop," as she arched again, seeing spots against her vision. This time, he did pull back, panting and licking his lips. "Oh yes, I missed that taste," he huffed. Biting her lip, and in desperate need of a moment, she rolled over and reached up and grabbed the front of his pants as she moved upright. Taking the corners of his shirt, he raised his arms as she dragged it off him, loving the hot planes of his chest. Then making quick work of his belt and button, she drew his jeans down to reveal another part of Blaise that seemed more than happy to see her. His breath caught as she leaned forward and dragged her hand up the full length of him. Like most werewolves, he was muscular, and hung like a bull, her thumb and fingers still a long way apart and the length of him the full length of her forearm. If she didn't know better, she would never have thought herself capable of taking the full of him inside her, but memories of exactly how well his equipment took her, had her tongue tracing every ridge of him as her mouth stretched to accommodate his girth. It was Blaise's turn to moan. She smiled at the power she felt over him as she pried his pleasure from him, one lick at a time. Feeling him harden, she prepared for his hot release, before he pulled out and pressed her down on the bed. "No, I've been waiting too long," he groaned pulling her up against his chest like she weighed nothing. More than happy to assist, she spread her legs to either side of him as he met her gaze for gaze as he lowered her down on his equipment. She gasped as the pressure to stretch her apart had her moaning like a bitch in heat. Slick and hot, he moved his hands under her legs and around to her backside with her on her knees as he dragged her down. Moaning louder, she felt him splitting her in two. "Blaise," she cried as she felt each slick ridge of him sink home. Sinking home, she felt him pulse, and she followed. "I love you, Ashlynn," he whispered. Collapsing into his arms, he stayed inside of her, as he drifted off. Still panting she waited a long moment before disentangling herself. "Oh sweetheart, you are one hell of a good fuck," she sighed as she pulled out some fresh clothes and grabbed her shoes. Sleeping, he had a stunning smile on his face, and the tranquilizers she had slipped in his water would keep him out for a little while. "For what it's worth, I love you; that's exactly why I run. Taking on my family is a war you and your pack don't need." Grabbing an emergency duffel she kept in her closet, she headed out the back door and into the evening. "I'm sure we'll meet again, love. I just hope it's not too soon," she offered, hurrying off into the woods. It was still daylight, she still had time to make a clean break.