"Jake..." I breathed his name like a sigh of relief.
He said nothing to me, but held a look of concern on his face as he looked at the state I was in. Without speaking and hardly making a sound he picked me up in his arms, climbed the stairs and laid me in my bed.
"Don't go!" I cried weakly when he turned to go.
"Ashley." He said my name longingly, lovingly.
Jake would never have hurt me, never cheated on me, if only I had chosen him.
"Jake please. Sleep here tonight." I said quietly.
He let out a sigh and eyed the door, he closed it softly, and then climbed into my bed beside me.
"Thank you." I whispered as I snuggled up against him.
I shouldn't have asked him. I was a married girl. I was a stupid girl. I was still, just a girl. When I woke I opened my eyes and saw Jake still there. I spoke nothing of Dare. This was most certainly a dream, it had to be. He was already awake, his face masked from me.
"Jake..." I said and ran my fingers across his chest.
What a beautiful dream this was. His head snapped to me in an instant, and I saw the look of longing, love, and lust all combined into one stare, with maybe a mix of anger in it too.
"Ashley, don't." He breathed, his breath was hot.
I opened my mouth to reply, but I couldn't. We were caught staring at each other.
"Don't make me..." He whispered, but we had our lips on each others and we were kissing each other softly, but desperately, passionately, but lovingly.
"I knew it." Dare said, and I opened my eyes and pulled out of the kiss, but I didn't let go of Jake.
"Dare..." I began apologetically.
"I invited him Ashley. I wanted to see. You ran straight into his arms, just like I thought you would. He was always supposed to be the one for you."
"Dare, please, I love you..." I said.
"Fuck, Ashley... I can't love you, not like that."
"Dare..." In his eyes I saw the hurt, but he turned his face away.
"I was never good for you. I knew I wasn't. I'm a werewolf, and not even the fucking good kind." I had left Jake on the bed as I stood up and I walked towards him."GET AWAY!" He yelled, but he turned and looked at me teeth bared and lips curled into a snarl. "You don't understand Ashley!" He yelled, as he looked me over hungrily.
"Dare, get the fuck out of here." Jake growled.
"Stop!" I said, but they argued despite me.
"Fuck off Jake!" Dare snarled.
"You invited me to tempt Ashley, you said you needed me to watch her, so you fuck off!"
"That was before I saw her with you, and all I want to do to her..." His tongue swept over his lips and I felt instantly vulnerable.
"Guess I was always right about you, I knew I hated you, but now I realize that someone like you could never change." Jake said glaring at him as he stood protectively in front of me.
"I guess it's because I'm the only real werewolf here."
"Beast you mean. At least I don't act like an animal!" Jake yelled.
"ENOUGH! I can't do this, I can't, I- I want a divorce!" I screamed and tears poured down my face as I ran out of the bedroom and out of the house.
Thankfully no one pursued me. I took a large clean breath of air. I stood there for a moment, then I went back inside to get my phone and Dare's keys to his car on the counter, but when I returned inside I heard wood snapping, glass breaking, growling, howling, and large thumps.
"Oh my god no!" I ran up the stairs just as Jake, in his wolf form, flew out the door, permanently widening it and crashed into the hand rail.
It broke, the pieces snapped and flew all over the place. I covered my face with my arms and then I heard growling and when I uncovered my face I saw Dare looking down through the new hole in the hand rail.
"Dare, don't do it!" I said, my voice and whole body shook.
His ears went up, and he turned to me as if in surprise, he looked at me for only a moment before he crouched and then sprang off the edge to tackle Jake. I ran forward and stopped when heard Jake howl in pain.
"Stop it Dare!" I screamed and sobbed.
When he did though I was even more surprised, until I saw that Jake, laying in his wolf form was unmoving. I watched Dare slowly move away from Jake's body and ascend the staircase. He made no noise, other than that which his paws made. I backed away quickly into a different room, one which he couldn't fit in as a wolf, and shut the door, but then I saw there was no lock. When I turned on the light I found it was a walk in closet. I turned off the light, shrank into the corner, and pulled my knees to my chest.
"Ashley..." His voice came from right outside the door.
I closed my eyes as silent tears fell.
"Ashley, I'm sorry." I opened my eyes and sat in shock.
Dare wouldn't apologize if...
"Ashley..." He spoke my name quietly, not angrily.
I heard the doorknob turn and he stood outside the door, staring at me as light flooded in.
"We need to talk."
"Dare, please. I meant what I said."
"Ashley stop. I might get angry again." He said, his voice already sounding like he was.
"Dare I can't handle your tempt tantrums!" I said. "And you hurt Jake. He was trying to help."
"I know, but I... can't help it."
"Well this needs to stop. Your acting like... the bad guy."
"I'm trying, Ashley." He whimpered.
"You haven't shown any sign of change." I whispered. "I don't believe you can."
"I'm trying." He said quietly, and he cupped my face gently, almost like Jake would.
"Dare, I'm scared of you." I whispered as a tear fell from my eye.