Ash: Love Me Harder - Alien Paranormal Romance (9 page)

Brook stretched or at least she tried to. Her body was next to something hard and hot. She opened her eyes to see Ash smiling down at her.

“Morning, Brook.”

“Morning,” her cheeks heated and her eyelashes lowered.

He leaned over to kiss her. “Don’t shy away.”

She looked up and smiled, images from last night coming back, making her breath catch as she remembered the utter satisfaction of touching him, loving him.

“I never woke up with anyone before,” she told him.

“Perfect, then it’s a first for both of us.”

She snuggled closer maybe he would want too…He was staring at her shoulder.

“What.”

“Smells like you’re bleeding.”

Her face went tight with horror. It was the last thing she wanted to hear as a woman that he could smell blood.

“You can smell blood?”

He nodded his head and started talking. “Damon, it’s Ash. Brooks wound smells like it’s bleeding. Ok, see you soon.”

“Damon’s coming over to check on you.”

She nodded and curled up into herself. “So, you raised Amber, right? I mean she lived with you and all.”

He nodded his head and leaned against the headboard as he watched her out of his darkening eyes.

“So she was a girl and then one day she, umm…you know and then eventually she was a woman and how did you deal with that?”

“Well, when she was a girl, I threw her up in the air, played dolls, and had tea parties. When she was a woman, I politely suggested to any man sniffing around her that I would cut their balls off if they hurt her. She didn’t get a lot of dates, I never understood why.”

Brook looked at him and wiped tears as she laughed. He knew what she meant but he answered the question she asked and not the one she implied.

“Are you ok? You’re crying.”

She was cuddling with the pillow clutched to her mid-section as she thought of some poor boy running away clutching his balls.

“You, Ash, are a daughter’s worst nightmare and her pride and joy all rolled up into one. I’m glad Amber found a man you could trust. But that’s not the question I was asking you.”

“I must have gotten confused, please ask again.” His lips quivered just a little as he tried to maintain a straight face.

“What did you do when she came on her period, if you can smell blood?”

“Usually, I tactfully asked her if she needed pads and then ducked so whatever she reached didn’t hit me when she threw it.”

“That’s it?”

“Should I have done something different? My sisters told me she was fine and not to worry. If something was wrong, Amber wouldn’t have to tell me, I would see it with my own eyes.”

“No, that was perfect, even awesome. I guess I thought smelling blood for a week would bother you.”

“It didn’t bother me then, and it won’t bother me now. Its natural, it lets me know you’re ok. Then one day I will be waiting for the smell but it won’t come because you will be pregnant with my son.”

“Or daughter.”

“We can’t have daughters.” There was a sadness on his face for a minute before a smug grin appeared. “Me, the youngest, I am the only one blessed to have a daughter. I remind my brothers of this all the time. One day I will have a son too. We have a daughter, you will love her when you meet her and she will love you.”

A grown daughter? She would cross that bridge when she got there, but she would love Amber because Ash loved her. Her stomach growled.

“Hungry, mate? Let’s get you some food.” He stood stretching his body, his muscles going taut as he pulled his body up in order to loosen it.

She couldn’t take her eyes off of him. She touched him, felt him, kissed, licked and sucked him and still she wanted more. The thought of him over her pumping into her, his red eyes darkening with passion as he filled her, claimed her, made her hot and bothered. She wanted to be his and she wanted him to be hers.

She jumped out of the bed and strode towards the bathroom as he headed down stairs. She quickly jumped into the shower and washed taking care to keep the bandage dry while trying to avoid her sore body bits. When was the last time she felt this wanted or loved?

Voices floated up the stairwell as she descended. Damon must have arrived. She steeled herself to meet the male with the black hair and red streaks again. Walking into the kitchen, Ash was in front of the stove cooking while Damon leaned against the counter not too far away from him.

“Hi, Damon.” She gave them both a smile and she went to take a seat at the island. Ash returned her smile before turning back to the food.

“Nice to see you again Brook, how’s the shoulder?”

“Better than it has any right to be.”

“I’ll check it after we eat.” He took the plates from Ash and set them on the island before he sat down.

“I have some news for the two of you?”

She looked up after picking up a piece of sausage from her plate.

“Dante is running down some leads on the Patron. He’s looking for a picture, but as far as we can tell no one has ever seen him.”

“Why do you think that is?” Brook took a bite of her eggs.

“That’s the big mystery,” Ash replied.

“He has a problem. Maybe scared to be singled out with a target on his back,” Damon speculated.

“Why do you say that?” Brook turned to look at him.

“He’s extremely wealthy. Now we know why, but that doesn’t change the fact that he has money to burn. He has hurt more than one family. The savior mentality he projects doesn’t fly with most people. They simply agree in order to live another day.”

“Maybe he’ll just leave me alone now that everything has gone through.”

“The bullet he put in your shoulder should let you know better.” Damon looked at her before staring at her shoulder.

“It doesn’t matter, Brook, that he doesn’t need your money anymore. I checked after you fell asleep last night. The man has a fortune to rival yours. Unfortunately, he has decided that your fortune, your inheritance the only thing your parents could leave you is his. Nothing we do is going to change his mind unless he either finds something else to go after or he understands that touching you signs his death certificate. I aim to make sure he understands the latter.”

Ash’s eyes glowed, the red in them resembling fire. She took a deep breath to calm herself. Every horror story she ever heard suddenly took over. The glowing in his eyes made her think of monsters not her own personal beast. His eyes were always tinged a red color but never like this.

A small sound caught her attention as she looked at him again. His eyes still blazed but this time from hurt. She looked down to see she was backing away from him. Hurt bled from her pores. How could she say to herself that she loved him if she ran away at the first sign of his differences?

Without thinking, she pushed the chair out of her way and marched over to him. Her steps were deliberate and confident. She wasn’t that girl anymore, the one who was ok with being sheltered or even being scared. Not now, she already lived a lifetime in several months, and she wanted the rest of her time even if it was only a day to be spent with Ash and whatever beast lived within him.

“I’m sorry, your eyes changing caught me by surprise. I knew they were red but I still saw them as brown. They’ve always just sort of blended. How did you do that?”

“Red eyes are not a human trait. I learned early to concentrate on them and make them a flat uninteresting color. Brown was the easiest to do. Extreme emotions make them revert unless I am consciously working to keep them flat.”

“Don’t do it anymore when it is just you and me.”

“What?”

“I want to see you all of you. I was shocked, but I’m not afraid of you, Ash.”

“Umm, can we look at the shoulder please?”

“One day Damon, you will have a mate. I will make sure I’m around to watch her take you down a peg or two.”

Damon’s half grin fled as sadness took over his eyes. “If that day ever comes you’re invited to watch.”

He turned around and made his way to the game room, not caring if they followed or not.

“What’s his problem?”

“They are the oldest Created. Our history says that after they were created a thousand years separated Damon, the youngest and Aran, my oldest brother. Each of my brothers has found his mate. I am the last. Not one of his brothers including him has found a mate. I think they believe there is no one for them.”

“Do you believe that?”

“No, but I don’t think mating will be easy for them. Let’s go get your wound checked.”

They walked into the game room to find Damon waiting for them.

“So you’re the doctor of the family?”

“I’m the official one, but you’d be surprised what Dante can do.”

He carefully took off her bandage. The wound was still seeping.

“Created medicine at times is more of a two prong deal.”

Brook looked at her shoulder and gasped. She should have one hell of a hole in her shoulder from where he took that bullet out and there should be stitches or something holding it together. Instead her wound look liked it happened weeks ago and partially healed.

“How can it look like this?”

“Your body changed in Cryo. It had to in order to withstand being frozen for such a period without allowing you to die. We made sure when you came to our restaurant that you were given a meal filled with the nutrition you would need to survive this world. Fortunately for you, Dante added something that would allow your body to heal faster.” He grabbed a small bag and handed it to her. It was clear and filled with brightly colored circles inside.

She opened it up taking one out and inspecting it. “Is this hard candy?”

He nodded as he took out a disinfectant and cleaned her wound. She popped a piece of candy in her mouth and moaned around it.

“I love hard candy, how did you know? It was always my guilty treat.”

Damon smiled at her and bandaged her wounds. “You’re healing nicely. In a few days you won’t even need a bandage.

“How did you know I would need what you fed me?”

“That’s like asking Ash why his eyes turn red. It’s simply part of who we are.”

“Thank you and each of your brothers.”

“You’re welcome from all of us.”

“Where are we going?” Brook was nestled inside his sports hover car, the one he seemed to prefer to drive.

“I want to show you the city.” He turned to give her a smile. They were on the ground and since ground traffic was nil, facing her wasn’t a big challenge.

She smiled at him loving the way his eyes flashed red when he looked at her. It was a reminder that not only was he different but that he chose her, wanted her, had waited for her against all odds.

“Where are we?”

“Downtown?”

“It looks like a ghost city. So it’s true, everything happens in the air now?”

He nodded and proceeded to open her door for her. He was dressed as she was today. In a pair of blue jeans, hers were from the vintage store she went into the other day. Faded and artfully ripped. She couldn’t tell if his were designed like that or if they were authentic, done over time with hard work. He wore a tee that clung to him, one of the new fabrics they were so fond of in this time period. She loved the way it clung to his body like a second skin. It was slightly see through and allowed her to appreciate all the muscle he was displaying.

She looked around, sorry that a once beautiful place was destroyed, but years of neglect did this.

Ash captured her hand, his face a study in peacefulness as he pulled her into one of the buildings.

“This used to be a major retail store before the trend of moving into the air took place. They were exclusive; only the elite were allowed here.”

“Were you allowed here?”

The doors were wide as they walked through them, the initial lobby was in some sort of disarray, but not what she expected after being abandoned for so long.

“No, not that it mattered. If they knew what I was, what we were, they would have made sure we never stepped foot in here. We never told them. Walking in here, when they thought they were above the rest of the world, righted a wrong that we weren’t capable of fighting at that time. You did it better though when you fought for your friend, Jaz.”

They left the lobby behind and entered a different world. The former store was impeccable. The high ceilings gleamed white and free from dirt, the walls were shining and the light that came from the inside was bright without hurting her eyes. It looked like a large communal living room. There were chairs and couches strewn all over the place. Some were holding couples, spooning, kissing or just talking. Others held individuals talking or napping, some were reading or even playing games. There was a feeling of community.

“Ash.” His name went up in a group shout as people waved and acknowledged him.

“Brook, meet the street people. These are the ones who were deemed not good enough for the air. No one wanted them and they are forced to stay on the ground.”

She turned and looked at the room of people, maybe there forty or fifty of them in the room.

“How could that happen and there’s so few of them, why don’t they just blend in?”

A male stood up, he was seated by himself. He was tall and thick, muscular with dark black hair that fell past his shoulders and storm gray eyes. He walked over to them with a lazy grace.

“You are simply seeing a few of my people. We’re spread out all over this city as well as cities across the world. The unacceptable or the street people as we have come to call ourselves. They left us to die, with no light.” He gestured to the lights overhead. “No running water and lots of rodents for company. No one thought we would make it, but we knew something they didn’t.”

Brook looked around at the people sitting there. They weren’t dirty or run down. They didn’t even look like their life was so hard that any moment they would just give up. Although she could see the struggle on their faces, she also saw the strength.

“What did you know?” She looked up into those storm grey eyes that seemed to be moving with intensity and was caught up in needing to know what he knew.

He gave a quirk of his lips. “The land wasn’t dead and the people they barred from ascending were the same people who could make the Earth sing again.”

“Ascending?” She frowned. It almost sounded like he was talking about them going to paradise.

He nodded again. “Living in the clouds was called heaven on Earth. They were to ascend, the one thing their fathers and fathers before them had always wanted to do. It was written in the good book that one day they would ascend, but only the good. Only the worthy, those that weren’t worthy,” he looked over his shoulder briefly, “they would stay on the ground and maybe even descend.”

“That’s not what the good book meant.” She cast Ash a rueful look and shook her head.

“Doesn’t matter,” the male said to her, “that’s how they interpreted it.”

“Brook, meet Josiah. Josiah, meet Brook, my mate.”

He stretched out his hand to hers and gave it a strong pump. “Call me Josh, everyone else does.”

“Thanks. So how did you get the lights working in here?”

“It’s more than just the lights it’s the whole ground infrastructure. First, we determined that the people in charge didn’t really care where the money came from as long as it came. That was the easy part. Then with the help of Ash and his brothers, Dante and his brothers and years of work, we rebuilt. We have thriving businesses down here and we sell our products to the Galleries. They don’t care where the product comes from as long as the customers eat the merchandise up.”

“Then there is no poor?”

He gave her a smile that didn’t make her feel overly optimistic. “There will always be poor.”

She agreed, no matter what…there would always be poor.

“Josh, I just wanted you to know that Brook and I would be around. Let the others know.”

He reached out and pulled Ash to him giving him a quick hug before nodding and walking away.

“Where are we going now?”

“To explore.”

“Ash,” Josh called. “Be careful. The Patron has eyes even this far down. I heard about your triumph. Remember some people can be bought.”

Ash threw him a smile before taking Brook’s hand and walking away.

“What did he mean by that?”

“We’re not safe here. There may be someone down here who is willing to pick up the contract the Patron has out on you.”

“How do you know the Patron has a contract out on me?”

“Because I saw it this morning. It was lucrative, more than enough to tempt a street person unable to join the upper echelon of society.”

Would this be her life? Scared to trust anyone she met because they may be planning her death behind her back? Ash and the others would tear whoever murdered her limb from limb but that wouldn’t do her any good.

“You’re worrying for no reason.”

“That’s easy for you to say. You change into a huge beast. I’m just me.”

Ash wrapped his arm around her pulling her to his side. He nuzzled the side of her neck.

“You’re right. I would worry also if I were going through what you are. All I can say is that I will die to protect you. The Patron doesn’t give up easily, but I won’t stop until he understands you’re mine.”

She hugged him and gave him a brave smile. “I know.”

He led her out of the refitted store into the crisp air of downtown, New Pittsburgh.

All of a sudden, you’re brave.
Shh, she told her inner voice, this wasn’t about being brave. It was about living her life. How could she enjoy the world, see new and beautiful things through Ash’s eyes if she was living in a world of fear? Maybe tomorrow but not today.

They walked down a street she couldn’t even recognize. Nothing of the place she remembered was here. The streets were wide, looking like they were waiting for something to set down on them.

“Why are the sidewalks so far apart?”

“They were built this way so scout ships from space craft overhead had a place to land.”

“I thought all aliens left after the war.”

“Not immediately. The people of Earth didn’t like aliens but they had no problem allowing them to help rebuild. That’s why there is a tower on almost every building. We like the stars and build places to see them when we’re not flying between them.”

“I know this place. I am so glad to see it survived all these years.”

She wandered ahead of him knowing exactly where she was going for once. There was a river on either side of her and one directly ahead of her. The fountain was gone, but that point was still there. The land was covered in tall grass. It was wild with flowers and trees.

This place was her own personal touchstone. It said quietly that it wasn’t a dream. She really wasn’t going to wake up tomorrow to her shadowy world with her parents calling her name. She walked as far up as she could and sat down. She needed to simply watch the water and imagine the boats that used to cruise on the rivers.

“Do they have swimming pools in the air?”

Ash sat beside her, not touching just looking at her, trying to impart strength with his gaze.

“They do, but they have no boats. The children only know what a river or an ocean looks like from an agricultural class.”

“Agricultural?”

“That’s where they learn about old Earth and the different terrains that can be found here.”

“That’s sad.”

“War is sad.”

“Can I see your beast?”

“If you wish.” He stood, moving away from her. “I will still understand you while I am in my other form. Don’t run, Brook; I would never hurt you.”

She nodded her eyes bright with expectation a soft smile on her lips as she waited.

He took a deep breath and changed. It was fluid, one minute he was a male standing before her beautiful in his nakedness, the next he was a beast who was… umm…hung, just like the male in his nakedness.

He approached her slowly acting as if she might be scared of him. She probably should be but she was too busy drinking him in. He was hers, both sides of him. The hair covering his body was glorious. The long fangs coming from his mouth looked dangerous although she knew he would never hurt her.

She rose and met him carefully lifting her hand to touch him. His hair was perfect, slightly coarse making her fingers tingle. She ran her hands through it not being able to touch him enough. She brought her hands to his shoulders feeling how broad they were. Sliding them down his chest, she wondered what a world full of Ash’s would look like. Would they all have red hair and eyes or did they come in other beautiful colors?

He reached out to touch her. The razor sharp nails on his hands retracted so just the pads of this claws were there. He soothed down the side of her face, his paw almost bigger than it.

She looked him in the eyes and fell with a small stifled sound.