Page 8

Chapter Eight

ASHER

A sher made it back to the shop. When he was shifted, the pull to Sunny was too hard to ignore. His wolf had already forgiven her and was ready to have his head in her lap again, but he wasn’t there yet.

She’d left. She’d left him and their whole community. She wasn’t the only one lost in grief, but she was the only one who could leave.

There had been times where what he wanted and his wolf wanted were at odds, but it had never felt like this. He remembered when he had gone on a trip to Gatlenburg with a friend when he was twelve.

Asher, the boy, was happy as a clam, exploring the world, while his wolf wanted to get back to the mountain. It could be described as something akin to homesickness. But it was nothing compared to the rift between the two when it came to Sunny’s return.

It would seem his wolf was ready to repair and forget everything she’d done.

She was here now to protect and take care of.

It was that simple to his wolf. The wolf didn’t understand the complexity of the feelings Asher was going through.

Having these two warring factions felt like a form of self-hatred, which made him even more angry.

He had no control over his wolf’s wants and desires.

He had no control of Sunny; she could bolt again.

The bone-deep exhaustion of this inner turmoil was wearing him down.

He shifted as he made his way into the shop and put his clothes back on. Making his way further in, he wasn’t surprised that Abe wasn’t there. After Julie, he never worked late anymore.

Good , he thought, a quiet shop to work on some art ...

Only he couldn’t bring himself to paint ever since Sunny came back. All his painting turned into something that reminded him of her.

As he made his way to get a canvas out, he found a note on his work bench.

Come to dinner. We need to talk.

It was in his brother’s handwriting. He knew what this was about, and while he didn’t want to hear it, running from his brother was as pointless as running from the mountain itself. Plus, he was hungry... so he headed over to his brother’s cabin.

As he made his way, he didn’t see Abe’s truck, but he could smell Julie’s cooking. It smells like —he took a good whiff— herb-roasted chicken with potatoes and carrots , and his stomach rumbled in anticipation.

He stepped up onto the porch and walked in to find Julie struggling with the oven door and the big roasting pan.

“Let me help,” he said.

He instantly took the oven mitts out of her hand and pulled it out. “Thank you.” She wiped her brow. “Abe should be back in a few minutes. He went to pick something up in town.”

“No problem. It smells delicious in here.”

“Good, I’m glad. When Abe told me you were coming for dinner, I decided to make your favorite.”

“Thank you,” he said as she walked over to the fridge and grabbed a beer.

“How have you been lately? I haven’t really had much of a chance to chat with you lately.” She slid a tray of biscuits into the oven. “Is everything okay?”

“Why wouldn’t it be?”

“I don’t know,” she said, resting her hip on the counter. “You just seem... different.”

He shrugged.

“Doesn’t this have anything to do with the new girl in town... or I guess she’s not new, is she?”

“No, she’s not new... She’s my mate.”

“I don’t understand,” she said, eyes wide, still shaking her head. “Where has she been?”

“She left.”

“What do you mean she left?”

“She left,” he said again.

Because it was as simple as that to him.

He stayed, and she left.

“If she’s your mate, how did she leave?”

He knew this had to seem foreign to him. Julie was mated, so she understood the depth of the bond.

“It’s kind of a long story. Her mom died in the accident that killed our parents. Her dad didn’t handle it well and then after he died... she left.”

As she patted his hand, she scrunched her brows. “I’m so sorry. That must have been hard.”

He shrugged off her touch and glared at her, not wanting her pity.

“Get that look off your face when you’re looking at my mate,” his brother growled from the front door.

“It’s fine,” Julie said, going over to Abe and hugging him. “He was just telling me about Sunny.”

Abe closed his eyes and pressed a kiss to the top of her head. “I’m sorry, Julie. She’s a bit of a sore spot. Let’s eat.”

“Biscuits have a few more minutes, then it will be ready.”

After their dinner, Asher helped Julie clear the table and was settling in to help her with dishes.

“Can we talk?” Abe asked.

Asher nodded and followed him out onto the porch.

“I know what this is about?—”

“I went to Sunny’s today.”

All of the air left Asher’s body. Maybe he didn’t know what this was about.

“What?”

“I ran into her at the hardware store. Her roof was leaking, and she was going to go up on the roof and try and tarp it herself.”

Asher shook his head. “What was she thinking? She can trip over a crack in the sidewalk. She should not be on her roof.”

“I know. That’s why I went and got it fixed for her.”

Asher nodded.

He wanted to thank him for looking out for her, but the words were stuck in his throat.

“Have you talked to her?”

Asher shook his head.

“Why not?”

“She left,” he said, glaring at Abe.

Why was he even asking that? He knew better than anyone how her leaving had broken him.

“She’s back.”

“For how long?”

“She says she’s back for good.” Asher moved to interrupt him, but Abe held up his hand.“That house is falling down around her. I know she has a lot to do until you can trust her again, but she’s trying.”

Asher crossed his arms as the cold spring air blew around them.

“Can you forgive her?” Abe asked.

Asher shrugged.

“Well, if you are open to it, she could use our help. And for what it’s worth, I think she meant what she said. I think she’s back for good.”

Asher nodded. “I don’t know if I can trust her again.”

“What does your wolf want?”

Asher cut him a glare. “You know what my wolf wants.”

“Who has better judgment, you or your wolf?”

“Fuck you,” Asher said with a rough chuckle. “I know... I’ll forgive her because I don’t have a choice, and I think that might make me just as angry.”

“Yeah,” Abe said, patting him on the back. “I get it, but I think this is a good thing.”

The branches on the edge of the tree line swayed in the breeze, making long shadows dance on the ground before them. Asher watched them, unsure of what else to do. If anyone understood the push and pull inside of him, it was Abe. Maybe Abe and his wolf were right, but he just couldn’t face it yet.

“Will you at least help me make her house safe? It needs a new roof and all kinds of other work.”

“Of course,” he said with his eyes still on the shadows. “You think she’s here to stay?”

“I do.”

“Okay, I’m gonna go.”

Before he could step off the porch, Abe pulled him into a hug. Asher stilled in surprise, then returned the gesture and patted him on the back.

“Wow, Julie turned you into a hugger,” Asher said with some brotherly ribbing.

“Yeah, it’s amazing what finding your mate will do.”

Asher shook his head and stepped off the porch. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

He made his way into the woods on the path to his own cabin, his wolf wanting to take off and make sure Sunny was safe. He decided not to fight it.

Before he knew it, he was sitting right where he’d sat a few short hours ago listening to her tell him she was sorry and that she was here to stay.

He wanted to believe her, really, but he just wasn’t sure if he could move past it.

He sat in the shadows of the forest, watching her move around in the house before emerging carrying too much to the trash.

He watched as she struggled down the stairs, seemingly unaware of the broken step at the bottom.

Pay attention , he thought, his wolf whining to go to her. Then she put her foot on the broken step and began to fall. The boxes and bag clattered to the ground.

Before he had time to think about it, Asher shifted and caught Sunny before she fell.

Her gaze flew up to him in surprise.

“Asher,” she gasped.

And, fuck, if it didn’t shoot straight to his dick, which he would be unable to hide, given he was holding her in her driveway naked at the day he was born.

“Be more careful,” he growled out.

“I’m sorry... I forgot about the step.”

“Are you okay?” he asked, steadying her before examining her for injury.

“I’m okay,” she said with a slight nod and a hopeful gaze.

The moment was full of so many emotions. He was still so angry with her, but a large part of him just wanted to wrap his arms around her and get lost in her sunshine. It was always intoxicating, and with her so close, the warmth was calling to him.

“Can we talk?” she asked quietly.

“Yeah... Let me run home and get dressed, and I’ll be back. Try not to hurt yourself in the meantime.”

“I’ll do my best,” she said, smiling up at him.

It’d been a long time since a smile filled him with such warmth, even if the edges singed with his burning anger.

Asher shifted and ran home. His wolf was anxious to get back to her, even if he wasn’t quite as ready to forgive and forget.

Before long, he was in his cabin, pulling on jeans and a black T-shirt.

Pulling up to the house, he took it in. It was run-down and needed major work. Even though he didn’t like the thought of her staying here, it was better than anywhere else... except maybe in his cabin on the mountain.

As he made his way to the door, he took note of the shutter stuck in the overgrown bushes, the broken stair, the loose floorboards on the porch—it was worse than he’d thought.

Careful with his footing, he made his way to the door and raised his fist to knock.

But before he could land a knock, Sunny was there. Her long blonde hair was swept back in a ponytail, and she was wearing a rainbow tank top and pajama pants.