Jason gestured subtly to the hotel's owner, pulling him aside for a moment, where Ash wouldn't hear. "What can I do for ye, lad?" he asked, taking the hint and keeping his voice low.
"I just want to make sure she's taken care of," he said, taking a solid black card from his wallet, "Can you put her room, our meals, and any other pending charges on this? I'd rather it not be listed on her statement." Benny frowned at him sightly, but nodded, taking the card, "Of course," he moved to the front desk, unmanned at this hour, and brought up her file, typing in some details and swiping the card. As he handed it back, he hesitated a moment, "How bad was it?" he asked, "The ex, I mean?"Jason kept the satisfied smile from his face, glad the man had caught on so quickly as he played into the story he had overheard Ash telling him. "She told you?" he asked, feigning restrained surprise as Benny gave a short nod, looking sympathetic, "It was pretty bad," Jason continued, "fraAshallia closed her eyes as she clung to Jason, her mind reeling as she thought about what she'd read in the article on Lukas' phone. How had such a huge smuggling network been thriving in Violet Cove without any of the locals knowing about it? It made her feel sick to her stomach. Especially when there were people involved.. 'Could that have almost been me?' she wondered, thinking of the night when she'd first seen Jason, when those sleazebags had tried to grab her. 'Were those guys always a part of it? All those times they came into Pete's?' she couldn't help but wonder.She shuddered at the thought, and Jason wrapped his arms around her tighter, Lukas' and Mikael's hands still on her back. They'd closed in around her, and she realised she could sense something from all three of them now, not just Jason.The sensations from Mikael and Lukas seemed less, like their connection was weaker, but they were there, and she could feel how similar, yet
Mikael stood as she started to struggle, trying to push his brother off her, tears running down her cheeks. "Enough, brother," he said sharply, his voice carrying all the weight of his authority. Jason sneered and stepped back, his eyes still displaying his inner darkness. As his brother let her down, she ran to the bathroom, shutting and locking the door. The three of them could hear her fearful gasps and sobs, and Jason finally began regaining some kind of control. He looked at Mikael, whose face said it all, making Jason swallow and run a hand through his hair, looking horrified as the darkness in his eyes faded. "Fuck!" he swore loudly, realising how far he'd pushed her. Lukas gave him a sympathetic look, but Mikael's face was still stern. Even after centuries, Jason still couldn't keep his temper reined in, especially when he was hurt. It hadn't helped that his earliest response to any kind of emotional pain had simply been to never let a
Lukas gave Ash a sympathetic smile, which she ignored, heading for the door. He sighed, stepping into a shadow, and out again an instant later, right in front of her, blocking her way. She frowned at him. "I just want to leave," she said, and Lukas shook his head. "Sorry, darlin', you know I can't let you do that," he said gently. She rubbed a hand across each cheek, wiping away some tears, "I don't want this," she said suddenly, as more began falling. Lukas stepped forward, putting his arms around her. She tensed slightly, but then slowly relaxed, likely sensing his feelings through their connection. He sensed hers too, and it only made his feelings of both empathy and sympathy grow. He knew she didn't deserve to be uprooted from her life like this, for reasons they could barely explain themselves. None of his kind knew how our why their destined soulmate was chosen for them, only that it was always right, even if it took a while to find the right bala
Ash woke, feeling Lukas' warmth beside her, hearing him speaking softly. She tensed then, realising his brothers must be back, and kept her eyes closed, pretending to still be asleep as she listened to them.He didn't say much more, and silence filled the room for a long moment, until she heard Mikael's voice, "Don't bother with the pretence, we can tell when you wake." She sighed, opening her eyes to look at Lukas, who was frowning at her. Mikael spoke again, "We're leaving again soon. Are you still set on Belgrave?" Propping herself up on her elbows, she stared at the three of them, "I.. yeah, I don't really have anywhere else.." She trailed off as he raised an eyebrow at her, "And you have somewhere to go, there?" The look on his face as she swallowed, hesitating to answer, told her she didn't need to. She felt panic rising in her, thinking they might not let her go, "I can't go home," she said, her voice pleading. He shook his head, and her stomach d
Jason was surprised by her gesture, but took it as a good sign. He studied her smaller, soft hand, as he stroked it lightly with his thumb. Content in the silence, he put one arm around her, the other still holding her hand, as they waited for his brothers to finish up with the agent. After finding a suitable, already vacant house in the right location, he knew Luke would have put in an offer competitive enough to gain the agent's undivided attention, and now they all they needed was the paperwork. Ash should be both comfortable and safe here, and they'd do everything in their power to make sure of it, before turning their attention to Henrik's other associates. His assistant hadn't been forthcoming with much, but what he had given them was a start, at least, and combined with what Lukas could find, they'd be able to plan who to target next. Ashallia seemed to sense his troubled thoughts, lifting her head and looking at him with a small frown on her face. He looked at her, giving h
Ash still felt a little giddy with excitement as they drove through the slowly darkening inner city streets. She kept glancing at Jason, whose face still didn't give much away, aside from small smiles at her each time he caught her looking. His warmth came through their connection strong though, and he seemed to feel genuinely happy. It was surprising, but also comforting, knowing that she could make him feel this way. Squeezing his hand gently, she gave him another smile, and his face seem to brighten as he returned it, looking kind of smitten. It was hard to picture the angry, frightening version of him when he was like this, and she intended on enjoying it for as long as she could. She turned to look out the window again as Mikael slowed, parking in a narrow, quiet side street, right in the heart of the city. All four got out, and the three men looked at her, waiting for her to choose a direction. Ash walked towards the busier end of the street, looking up and down and seeing it
Jason awoke a few hours later, feeling Ash stirring and muttering beside him, seeming unsettled. He sensed the fear coming from her, and realised she was in the midst of a particularly unpleasant nightmare. He grabbed her shoulder, shaking it gently to wake her, and after a few moments her eyes shot wide open, and she gasped, staring up at him with her face pale. "It's okay, Ash, it's me. You were having a nightmare," he said softly. She blinked at him for a moment, confused, then turned to him, wrapping her arms around his neck. He slipped his arms around her waist, pulling her close to him, stroking her back lightly to comfort her, feeling the fear inside her beginning to fade. Suddenly, she pulled his head down, and his lips to hers, kissing him deeply. Her emotions changed, and all he could feel from her now was an intense, overwhelming need. He gave into her embrace immediately, letting her pull him on top, as he felt his own need growing inside him. She broke the kiss briefl
Ash snuggled into his chest as he pulled the blankets over her, warm and content, even with him inside her and their shadows blending and merging into one. She sighed softly as he put his arms around her, and she quickly fell asleep.When she awoke some hours later, she shifted slightly, gasping in surprise as she felt him still inside her, though smaller and less rigid now. Her eyes opened, widening as she remembered last night, and she suddenly moved off him, waking him in the process. He groaned softly, looking at her through sleepy, half open eyes, and she pulled away, trying to move off the bed. Seeing her panicked face, he reacted quickly, grabbing her and pulling her back towards him. Instinctively, she struggled, her fight or flight kicking in, but he held her against him, her back against his chest as he crossed her arms over each other and wrapped his arms around her upper body tightly. As she still squirmed and writhed, he put his leg over her too, holding her firmly. It