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Chapter Two

ASHER

W indshield wipers slapped away the raindrops as Asher and his brother made their way back to Hecate’s Hollow.

“Do you want to come over for dinner?” Abe asked Asher. “I think Julie should be off by the time we get home. I’ll probably make some burgers.”

Asher nodded. “Sure, I’ll call Esther when we get home. Maybe she and Ruby will want to come.”

His sister Esther was Abe’s twin, but she had left the mountain and gotten married when their parents died years ago. Last fall, she came back with her daughter and no husband, and she still wasn’t talking about it.

Abe nodded.

“I wish I knew what was going on with her,” Asher said, looking out the window.

Abe nodded again.

His brother wasn’t exactly known for being loquacious, as sometimes, Asher felt like he was talking to himself. It got better when he found Julie. Since then, he was quiet and not a grumpy fuck.

When they came around the bend in the road, Hecate’s Hollow’s main street came into view, and Asher could feel it.

Something was off.

“Do you feel that?”

“I do.” Abe nodded, furrowing his brow.

“What is it?”

Whatever it was, it felt familiar. His instinct to protect the mountain and his home was heightened.

“I don’t know. Julie worked the morning shift at the diner. Maybe she heard something.”

Abe and Asher were protectors of the mountain.

The Appalachian Mountains were one of the oldest ranges in existence, which held a deep magic.

It had been their family’s job to protect it for generations.

Connected to this place in a way most people weren’t, they could feel when something was different.

By the time they pulled up to Abe’s cabin on the mountain, Julie was already home.

Julie had softened not only his brother but his cabin.

As they walked in, they were greeted by a burning candle, which made the house smell fresh and clean, and soft music was playing as Julie sauntered out of the bathroom, running a comb through her wet hair.

She looked at them, wearing a warm smile. “Hello to my two favorite guys.”

The smile on his brother’s face as he walked over to her and pulled her into a hug still surprised him. He wasn’t used to a happy Abe, but he liked it. An ache inside of him twinged as he watched his brother with his mate. At one time, he had that, but it was gone, and it was hard to watch.

“Are you guys hungry?”

“Don’t worry about that,” said Abe, dropping one last kiss on her head. “You sit down and relax. I’m going to get some burgers going on the grill.”

“That sounds good. I’ll go pick some lettuce from the garden for a salad.”

“Is Bridget coming?” Asher asked.

“No, she left a few days ago. She was going to work a renaissance fair in North Carolina I believe.”

Bridget was a guest to the mountain but not a new one.

She’d shown up last fall, when things got a little dicey on the mountain, just like she always did.

There was a time where she lived on their mountain for a couple of years and was a close friend of their mother’s.

Plus, she helped them with a pesky warlock problem last fall.

She was a welcome and honored guest, even if a bit peculiar.

“I’m going to go invite Esther and Ruby,” Asher said as he made his way to the door.

“No, Ruby has piano lessons. Then they always go to the diner for dinner after that.”

Asher nodded. “Right, I forgot about that. I guess it’s just the three of us tonight.”

Before long, the three all sat to eat.

“How was the drive?” Julie asked.

“It was fine, uneventful. How about you? Did anything interesting happen at the diner? Anything out of the ordinary?”

Julie looked at him and tilted her head as she pondered. “I don’t think so. Why do you ask?”

“I don’t know... Just something we picked up on coming back into town. Something just felt off,” said Abe.

Julie hummed as she stabbed at her salad and looked at Asher. “Did you feel it, too?”

“Yeah,” he said, nodding. “I don’t quite know what it is, but there was a definite shift when we got back in town.” He picked up his burger and took a bite.

“I’ll keep an ear out, but I didn’t hear anything.”

A peaceful moment settled between them as a gentle breeze blew in through the window.

Asher was already thinking about getting home or maybe stopping by the shop to finish the last coat of paint on a piece.

“Oh!” Julie said, remembering something. “Betty’s niece is apparently back in town. Apparently, you guys know her.”

Asher inhaled his food and started coughing and sputtering.

“What?” growled Abe.

Julie’s expression turned concerned as she took in Abe’s scowl and Asher’s choking.

But Asher couldn’t be bothered with any of that.

“Sunny? Sunny is back?” Abe demanded.

Julie’s eyes danced between the two men. “Ummm... yeah, I think that was her name.”

Asher’s heart pounded away in his chest.

Sunny .

Sunny was back. As soon as he heard it, that was what he felt. All the sudden, he couldn’t catch his breath, and the walls were closing in.

“How long is she staying?” Abe asked.

“I don’t know... I didn’t really talk to her. Is everything okay?”

No. Everything was not okay. His wolf was itching to get out. His wolf wanted to run to Sunny and take her and hug her and protect her and make sure she never left again. But he would not. He could not. Not after what happened.

“Asher,” Abe’s deep, calm voice called to him, but he was too far gone. “Asher. It’s okay.”

It was not okay.

Asher stood and paced.

“What’s going on?” Julie asked.

“Sunny’s his mate.”

Asher’s gaze shot to Abe, ready to burn him down. “ Was my mate.”

Misplaced anger... maybe, but Abe could handle it.

“I thought mates were forever?” asked Julie.

“Not when they leave you,” Asher spit at her.

Abe stood and caught Asher’s eyes. “Don’t talk to her like that. She doesn’t know. Take it out on me if you need to, but I won’t let you talk to her like that.”

“I’m sorry, Julie. I have to go.”

He walked to the door, threw it open, and stomped off into the woods.

He tried to calm his wolf, who was ready to run back to his mate and claim her, but that would not be happening. She had made her decision all those years ago.

“What was that about?” Julie asked Abe.

That was it.

Asher lost the battle to his wolf and shifted. He needed to run. He needed to get out of here. He needed to exist in a form without all these complicated, screaming emotions.