Fate's Intentions (9 page)

Adam shook his head. "They really wouldn't do anything about it. Just make some more paper work. Ben and I aren't leaving you until this is over so you don't need to worry about your safety."

Ashlynn all of a sudden felt like she'd been punched in the stomach. They were planning on leaving when this was all over. What did she expect? She really hated feeling needy and she was feeling extremely needy right now.

Adam looked over to her and then to Scarlett. "I don't know how you girls would feel about it but I think it maybe would be best if you two came to our place. You are not in danger here but if we can avoid anymore interactions with Cody it would be best. After breakfast Ben and I will give you two some privacy to discuss it."

"Yes, my motto is never discuss important things before noon because until then I'm not in my right mind." Ashlynn laughed.

"Well maybe a healthy breakfast will cause your mind to function a bit earlier." Adam laughed.

Scarlett sat down at the little table with Ashlynn. "I can't believe all the things that have happened in the past couple weeks! Heck the last couple days have been nuts!"

"You're not kidding!" Ashlynn snorted.

Adam smiled at Scarlett. "How is your wrist feeling?"

She smiled back. "Better today, but let's not worry about it right now. I want someone to fill me in on this whole werewolf thing." Scarlett said as she looked from person to person. "Where did you guys come from? Why are you protecting us?" She turned to Ben. "Why were you in the field that night?"

Ben looked down at the floor for a moment then he looked up to Scarlett. "I was hunting."

"Hunting?" Scarlett asked apprehensively.

"Yes. I trailed some deer to that field. When the truck pulled in, it scared them off. I waited to see what was going on."

"Well I'm glad you happened to be hunting there at that point in time." Scarlett replied.

There was an awkward silence for a few seconds but then she said, "Okay, so what is the deal with you guys?" She asked looking to Ben and Adam.

Ashlynn drummed her fingers on the table and when they didn't answer she slapped her hand down. "Let me fill you in sister! You see, Adam here is like 70 years old and Ben is, I don't know like double that. We can't help but think they are drop dead sexy because they sweat out some kind of sexual aphrodisiac that has all the girls falling at their feet. If they find a mate that changes, they might sweat out a repellent or something. I don't know. They are the only two werewolves left in their pack, all the others were killed by hunters. Oh and they don't go all berserk on the nights of a full moon and eat people's brains or anything, instead they hunt like deer and rabbits and things. They can control themselves and change at will except under the full moon they transform and can't stop it, so they hunt." She looked to Adam and Ben. "That about cover it?" She asked them.

Ben shot a serious look to Adam. "You told her we sweat an aphrodisiac?"

Adam laughed. "Not exactly. But I guess it could have been interpreted that way."

Scarlett sat watching the exchange between them, but then interrupted, "Hold up! How old are you two?"

Both men took a breath and let it out. Adam spoke, "I am 73."

Ben looked up at her briefly but then looked back down to the floor. "I'm 128."

"Wow!" Scarlett looked back and forth between them. "Wait a minute Adam! Didn't you tell us you were like 28?"

"Well I couldn't very well tell you that I'm 73!"

"Yea, I guess we might have had a little trouble digesting that one. And here I thought it might be too much of an age difference between you and Ash when we thought you were 28!" Scarlett laughed and looked over to Ashlynn.

"You are so not funny!" Ashlynn told her giving her the dirtiest look she could muster.

Adam interrupted, "Okay girls, let's continue this conversation at a later time. Your breakfast is ready."

"I just have one more thing to add!" Scarlett said looking up at him and then back to Ashlynn. "It is zombies who eat brains in the horror flicks, not werewolves!" This erupted a laugh from all of them.

~

After the girls finished breakfast they sat on the sofa together, each with a mug of coffee in hand. Ben and Adam were outside investigating. They had heard a vehicle drive by slower than usual and wanted to be sure no one was around.

"So do you think we should go with them?" Scarlett asked Ashlynn knowing she would not turn down the invitation to spend more time with Adam.

"Well, I think Adam is right. Cody might come back and although we have the guys to protect us and don't need to really worry, we shouldn't just sit here and wait to see if he shows. One of the guys might end up eating him or something and although that wouldn't be a horrible thing, I'd rather it not go to that extreme. The police will punish him."

"Yea, you're right. No sense in letting them eat anyone if we can avoid it. Even if he does deserve it!" Scarlett snorted.

"I wonder how long it will take before the police get him in custody. Wouldn't you think they would've already picked him up?" Ashlynn pondered.

"I would've thought so. Even if they do, he may be able to get out on bail or something. Then he's out until he goes to court." Scarlett told her.

"Our justice system is a joke!" Ashlynn was riled. "People who are caught with drugs end up with longer sentences than serious criminals sometimes!"

"I know! You're right! Yea, people shouldn't be doing the hard stuff that's bought and sold on the street but nobody is holding them down sticking the needle in their arm against their will! They harm themselves, they aren't hurting other people! I did a search once online for sexual offenders in our neighborhood, it was ridiculous! You would not believe how many of them infest our streets! They take plea deals and they get a break, they don't have to serve a lot of time and in some cases aren't even labeled as an offender. Then they let them out of jail and they are standing behind you at the grocery store, out on the streets at night as you walk to your door, sitting next to you at the theatre! And we are totally oblivious to it! I don't know about you but I'd rather be walking on a dark street with a pillhead rather than a rapist!"

"Okay, we have to stop talking about this! My blood pressure is going through the roof right now!" Ashlynn scoffed.

"Don't want you to pop a vessel in your forehead or anything!" Scarlett laughed.

"It just makes me mad that things like that aren't taken as seriously as they should be. How many stories do you hear about women being stalked. They go to the police and if they know who the stalker is they can get a restraining order but what the hell kinda protection is that? 'STAY AWAY I GOT THIS PIECE OF PAPER!' It's stupid. Then the woman goes missing or is attacked and only then, once it's too late, the cops decide to do something!" Ashlynn was panting from all her excitement.

"You're right. We need to change the subject!" Scarlett said looking away.

"Well, I guess we should pack some things if we are going with the guys." Ashlynn said sounding happy about going with them.

Scarlett laughed. "I know you aren't happy about the current circumstances, but you are just loving it that you get to go to Adam's place!"

"Well duh!" Ashlynn laughed. "You mean you aren't excited about staying with that other hunk of beef?"

"The way I feel about him is so strange. I don't know the guy and I've barely even talked to him but there is something between us I can't even begin to describe."

"You certainly wasn't having any boundary issues with him last night!" Ashlynn giggled.

"I know, right? I intended to thank him, but I got so upset. That should've been so awkward but something about him seemed to calm me."

Ashlynn gave her a serious look. "I don't know what kind of future either of us could have with them. They aren't human. In fifty years we'll be old and wrinkly and they'll look the same as they do right now. How would we explain that to people? How would we feel when our man looked the same age as our grandchildren?"

"Whoa whoa whoa! Slow down a minute! I don't even wanna think about all that right now. I'm just saying I feel comfortable around Ben, not that I wanna marry him and have his babies! I'm still in love with Aaron! Did you forget about him?" Scarlett looked upset.

"Actually yea, I did forget about him! You need to forget him too Scarlett! He's out of the picture! I don't want to put it so simply and sound insensitive but he doesn't want to be with you and you shouldn't keep punishing yourself for it, you deserve to be happy!"

"It's just hard to move on knowing that I caused the mess between us." Scarlett looked down into her coffee.

"I told you before Scarlett, you need to just let things happen, let fate take its course."

"Yea, I begged and pleaded and it didn't get me anywhere. If it's meant to be he won't be able to live without me and it'll work out. So I'm just going to let it go and try to be positive that life has lead me in the direction it has for a reason."

Ashlynn smiled and nodded. She was going to speak again but Adam and Ben walked inside. Adam sat down on the chair next to the sofa and Ben sat down on the floor.

"So have you girls made up your minds about coming to stay at our place for a while?" Adam asked looking back and forth between them.

"We decided that staying with you would probably be best." Scarlett answered him.

"Okay. Well if that's what you've decided, the sooner the better. Do you need any help packing?" Adam said as he stood.

"I think we can handle it." Ashlynn said standing as well.

"I guess you two are suggesting we should go now?" Scarlett asked knowing the answer.

"The sooner the better!" Ashlynn grinned down at her friend.

"Actually Adam, if you guys would like, you could pack up the things in the kitchen. No need to let the food in the fridge go to waste." Scarlett said, assuming the guys wanted a job to do.

"Okay, we can do that." Adam nodded.

The girls went into their bedrooms and began packing up the clothes they had just put away days ago. They gathered all the bags and piled them into the hall and then went into the bathroom to bag up the things in there. When they were finished Adam and Ben loaded their things into the trunk of the car. Adam offered to drive so Ashlynn rode in the backseat with Scarlett and Ben sat in the passenger.

Scarlett gave the cottage one last look as they pulled out thinking to herself that the changes that had recently happened in her life were nothing compared to the sharp left turn she had just taken.

Chapter 10

They pulled out onto the road and Scarlett sat up in her seat. "Why are you guys so worried about us? I don't mean to sound ungrateful because I totally am, but seriously, you guys don't know us. Why are you protecting two complete strangers?"

Adam looked over to Ben and then in his rear view mirror at Scarlett. "If we didn't who would?"

Scarlett sat back in the seat once again and thought about what he'd said. Would she go to such lengths to help a stranger? She wasn't sure.

Ben sat looking out the passenger window. He never turned as he spoke, "It's in our nature to be protective. Just as wild wolves protect and provide for the weaker members of their pack, so do we."

"We are part of your pack?" Ashlynn asked astounded.

"In a way, you are now." Adam answered.

"So where is your place?" Scarlett asked.

"It's out past the campground you were at the other night, up the mountain a little ways." Adam pointed towards the mountain.

"Okay, I still haven't moved on. Why were you guys outside our place last night?" Ashlynn questioned.

Ben answered again. "After what I witnessed the other night in the field, I began following Cody."

Ashlynn didn't ask anymore questions. She figured they should just be happy for Ben and Adam's help. They drove the rest of the way listening to the radio. The girls weren't really listening to it, they were caught up in their thoughts but then Tim Mcgraw's voice came through the speakers. 'It's Your Love' with Faith Hill. The girls both looked at each other and Ashlynn reached up and turned the volume up a tad. They sang along never missing a word.

When the song was over Ashlynn looked over to Scarlett. "Isn't that what love is supposed to be like? So totally wrapped up in each other that the rest of the world no longer exists to either of you." Scarlett smiled but didn't reply. Ashlynn had stars in her eyes.

"I agree with you." Adam stated matter-of-fact like.

"You do?" Ashlynn asked.

"Yes. I believe that two people in real love will not get distracted from everyday life. I believe loving someone means spending the rest of your life reminding them everyday that they are all you need to be happy." Ashlynn had never seen Adam this serious. It didn't last that long. He laughed and hit Ben in the arm. "What do you think Ben?"

Ben didn't answer for a moment but then he spoke, "I agree with you." He paused and Adam smiled. "But I think there is more to it than that."