Thanks for reading and thanks for all the support. things have started out slow but will become faster. I skip a lot of things, especially redundant dialogue that takes a long time to write, focusing mostly on Ashley's thoughts and feelings as she's the original character.
The rest of the story will be in the third person, unlike the first two chapters, which were solely in first-person perspective.
Enjoy
The next day, Elena still had not called and they were just left in the living room, doing nothing. Without their tracker, they couldn't find the Mutt. How could she be so selfish, Ashley thought. They all had things to do. She had school, Jeremy had his artwork, Clay had to teach his college classes. She wasn't sure what Nick and Antonio had going on, but they could be doing other things other than putting their life on pause, waiting for her. The longer the Mutt was at large, the more likely they would be exposed. No matter how much Ashley loved Elena, she raged inside at the thought of Elena thinking her life in Toronto was more important than the Pack. They all had their lives, but they still came when called. And Jeremy didn't even call that often, so why was she resistant to coming home just for a little while? What could be more important than them?
Her ears perked when she heard a car moving up the driveway. "Car's coming." Clay was the strongest among them, which was why he was the enforcer. Elena had the keenest sense of smell, able to smell things that happened days before, making her their best tracker. Ashley had the best hearing. She could hear a person's heartbeat to tell if they were lying or in distress and even cars moving past their gate down the road. The others could only hear when the car reached right up to their front door.
Jeremy got up and walked to the door with the others following. Ashley remained in her seat, pulling her feet under her on the couch as she sipped her sweet cafe au lait. She could hear Jeremy and the Sheriff talking about needing to have the wolf who killed the girl put down. Nick was not happy at the thought of having hunters on the property before Clay said, "We need Elena." Although she would prefer not to admit it, Ashley knew they did.
It wasn't until the afternoon Ashley heard the landline ring. Elena was the first thought that came to her mind. There were also the sounds of heavy footsteps moving around the den. "Damnit." She rushed off her bed and flew down the stairs as fast as she could but she was too late as Clay had already picked up the phone. And he opened his big mouth. By the time she arrived at the den, Nick, Antonio, and Jeremy were also in the room.
"She hung up," Clay said.
"What're you doing answering the phone?" Nick sighed. "We're trying to get her here, not remind her of the reasons why she left."
"Nick!" Ashley fired back at Nick, her eyes shooting daggers at him. "That's not fair. This isn't Clay's fault and you know it."
"She's not gonna call back," Jeremy said before he turned to leave.
"Well, maybe it's better if she doesn't come at all," Ashley said those words under her breath but they all heard her. She turned and ran back up the stairs slamming the door behind her. She fell back on her bed, screaming in her pillow. "Damnit." They needed Elena and she couldn't help but feel her emotions welling inside her when Elena was still resisting them. She turned over and laid on her back, looking at Elena's name on her phone.
She heard footsteps beyond her door. "Come in, Nick." They all had their own way of walking, making their footsteps distinct. Clay's feet were heavy and each step was like a mini earthquake. Nick's steps were softer, almost silent as he walked on the wooden floors. Jeremy's steps were quick and light, always moving with purpose and Antonio's were always slow and calm.
Nick removed his shoes before stepping on the shag rug, striding to her bed. He lay beside her. "What's up with you today? Why the hostility with Elena?"
Ashley stared at the ceiling. "She hurt Clay. Clay's big but his big heart is also soft making him like a teddy bear. Especially when it comes to Elena. He already carries so much on his own when it comes to the pack." She turned her head to face Nick. "He doesn't need to feel guilty for trying to protect his lover."
Nick didn't know what happened all those years ago when Clay bit Elena, but he knew Clay had a good reason. Although he was harsh, Clay was still his best friend. Nick could see the constant pain he was in whenever they brought up Elena. And whenever Clay was in pain, Ashley reacted tensely. She soothed him as if to take his pain away but at the same time, she became angry for his sake. "Come on, we both know this isn't just about Clay."
He turned over on his side, wrapping his arm around Ashley, pulling her close. Nick was a little jealous of his best friend. He started his relationship with Ashley right after her college graduation but it never went far. Ashley was focused on her studies while Nick had his business ventures all over the world. Although he longed for her, they were never in the same area long enough to develop their relationship further. To Ashley, the most important people in the world were Jeremy and Clay. There is nothing she would not do for them.
They flirted and slept together but Nick wanted more. He wasn't shy. He would always tell a woman exactly what he wanted, but when it came to her, he could not be selfish. It wasn't time yet, but he was willing to use the time they had together, for now, to stamp his name on her heart.
Ashley picked up her phone. She looked at Elena's name for a long time before she wrote a message. "Elena, come home."
Elena didn't arrive home until late afternoon the day after Ashley sent her text. Ashley watched from her window as she coldly interacted with Clay as they approached the house. She listened to them talk as they walked around the house, but Ashley made no moves to go greet her "sister". She was about to put on her headphones when she heard gunshots in the distance. "Jeremy." Ashley rushed down the stairs. She was about to go through the front door, but Clay and Elena were already at the front and Jeremy preferred to enter the house through the back. She breathed a heavy sigh of relief when she saw him, unharmed, passing through the hallway to his studio. She followed him as he Changed back into a human.
He went into his bedroom, through the door connected to his studio. "Seriously, what the hell?"
Just then, Elena came into the studio as Jeremy came out of his bedroom, buttoning his waistcoat. "Gunshots?" she said.
Ashley moved aside as Jeremy smiled before taking Elena into an embrace. "Come here." When he released her, he said, "I'm so glad you're home Elena."
Ashley had to bite her tongue to keep from retorting sarcastically, "What took you so long?"
"Are you alright?" Elena asked.
"Yeah, I'm fine. I'm fine. I picked up the scent of the hunters by the western property line and I cleared out immediately."
Ashley huffed when she heard him say that. "Why would you go running right now? If it was one of us, you would be scolding us to the ends of the earth."
"Hey Ash," Elena said. She walked up to Ashley with her arms open. Ashley hesitated but hugged Elena. No matter how mad she was, she still missed Elena dearly and was happy to see her. She inhaled deeply, taking in her scent, which she had almost forgotten.
"I missed you," Ashley said as she closed her eyes on Elena's shoulder.
"I missed you, too," Elena replied, patting the back of Ashley's head.
Ashley let go of Elena before turning back to Jeremy. "Were they shooting at the Mutt?"
"I didn't smell him out there. But any snapping twig or rustling leaf is going to be met with bullets until this situation is resolved," Jeremy explained.
"Alright. What's your take?" Elena moved to the window,
"It's been quiet lately. And then this out of the blue. With you home now, we have a much greater chance of finding him."
"Right," Elena said, holding a copy of one of Jeremy's paintings. "Just so we're clear, I'll help you track the killer. But once we do, I'm out again."
Ashley rolled her eyes as she leaned back against the wall. She just arrived but she already had one foot out the door.
"We'll start tomorrow when we're all together."
"I can go now."
"If you go out alone and find him, he's going to try to kill you. Are you prepared to kill him?" Jeremy asked.
"No," Elena replied.
"Then, I will send Clay with you." On cue, Clay appeared in the doorway, leaning against the doorpost.
Elena looked at him and replied, "No, I'd rather go with the local psychopath."
"You forget, darlin'. I am the local psychopath," Clay replied. Ashley snickered.
"I'll wait till everyone's here. It's been a long day. I'll go unpack." Elena moved toward the door.
"Okay," said Jeremy. "Everything you need's here, just as you left it." Elena passed Clay silently, who turned to look at Jeremy.
Jeremy shrugged. "She came back. It's a start."
Ashley moved away from the wall and walked past Clay. "Good luck, brother. You'll need it if you want to keep her here." She turned back to Jeremy. "Hey, can I go into town to meet up with Antonio and Nick? I want to see Pete as soon as he gets here."
Jeremy closed his eyes, inhaling deeply before opening them again. "Yeah. Take my car and be careful."
She kissed Jeremy on the cheek. "Thanks," said Ashley as she hopped out of the room. They could hear her hopping all the way down the hallway. Although Ashley was aloof with strangers, with people she knew, she was very open and cheerful.
Ashley walked inside the restaurant just as Antonio was standing up and taking out his wallet. "Leaving already?" She looked around the restaurant but Pete wasn't anywhere in sight. She looked at Antonio.
"Let's wait for Pete outside," Antonio said as he placed the payment on the table. Nick got up, following his father with Ash. As they turned toward the door to leave, the Sheriff and her deputy came in. He greeted Antonio, recognizing him from the many trips he had made to Bear Valley and Stonehaven over the years. He shook the Sheriff's hand, making official introductions. "Antonio Sorrentino. This is my son, Nick, and..."
"Hi, Karen," Ashley said, smiling widely before shaking her hand. "How's your cat?"
"Ashley Danvers, it's been a while." Many of the diners stopped to stare at the attractive group of people.
Ashley was well known in town from when she worked at the veterinary office in her teen years. She interacted with most of the locals whenever they brought their pets in. She was good with animals, playing with them before bringing them to the vet.
Jeremy was an artist, basically a hermit who barely came to town to interact with the locals. Clay was big and rough around the edges, always rubbing people the wrong way. Ashley didn't like people either but she needed the job at the vet. She used that time to also practice her small talk and lies. More often than not, whenever Jeremy interacted with the townspeople, he lied through his teeth without batting an eye. She learned through observation and practiced her skill with the townspeople at the Vet's office.
Her interactions with their pets left a strong impression on the locals, who thought of her as the only normal person in the Danvers family. She tried so hard to make people like her and have a less negative view of the Danvers family, and now a Mutt threatened to ruin it. She gritted her teeth as her anger welled up inside, but she held it in and smiled at the sheriff. "Scruffy is doing really well. I'm surprised to see you here. Will you be working at the vet this weekend?"
Ashley shook her head, "Sorry. This is strictly a family visit. My weekends aren't long so I prefer to work in the summer."
"Are you still in school?" asked Karen.
"Yeah. I should get my license at the end of the school year. Then I'll start working again." Nick and Antonio remained silent as they observed the interactions between the sheriff and Ashley as though they were old friends. Many people were smiling in their direction too, knowing Ashley from the times they had seen her at the vet's office, always greeting them with a smile before taking their animals in the back for their visit.
"Will you be coming to work at Bear Valley? Doctor Brown recently retired and I'm sure he would love it if you'd take his place."
"Absolutely," Ashley replied. "Bear Valley is home, and there's no place I'd rather be." Ashley lowered her eyes. "But when I came here, I wasn't expecting to come home to a murderous wolf on our property." Her voice became soft, almost afraid, pulling on the heartstrings of everyone who heard her. "Most of the family is home this week for my birthday."
"It's your birthday?" said the deputy.
"That's not important. If a wolf is passing through our property, we should take care of it as soon as possible," Ashley said. "I don't want anyone in my family to be next on its menu. Please tell us if there's anything we can do."
"We've heard that wolves have been up there before," said the deputy.
"They've never killed anyone before. They-" Nick grunted silently. He looked down at his feet to see Ashley pressing her heel on his toes.
Ashley continued smiling. "It was nice to see you again, Karen. Say hello to Scruffy for me." She tugged on Nick's clothes, pulling him toward the door as they ended their conversation. At the same time, Pete walked into the restaurant.
"Hey," Pete opened his arms wide, grinning from ear to ear when he saw Ashley. "Come here, you." Ashley jumped into his arms, hugging him for a long while, not paying any attention to the diners. She was genuinely hugging him. It had been so long since she saw Pete, who was always on the road. Whenever he was on the East Coast he would make a short visit home or come see her at the school, but those visits were too fleeting for Ashley. At the same time, she wanted the townspeople to see her being affectionate with the other members of the family. Pete put her back on her feet but held her face. "Missed you, kid," he said as he kissed her temple.
"Missed you more," she replied.
With her arms still wrapped around Pete, they turned to leave. Ashley said her final goodbyes. "Anyway, please give Christie's family our deepest condolences."
They left the restaurant in shock at the kind and welcoming impression she left on the diners. But they could not see her face as she scrunched up her nose menacingly as she walked ahead of them to the car. "I worked so hard to leave a good impression on the townspeople, and now some Mutt comes and ruins everything," she whispered under her breath as she entered the car. Nick, Antonio, and Pete followed her, closing their doors in unison. "When we find that Mutt, remind me to rip his head off."
Antonio smiled as her words and actions reminded them of Jeremy. One moment he was smiling unassumingly, lying without batting an eye, and the next, he was hard-hearted, threatening to murder the Mutt trespassing on their territory.
Pete leaned toward Nick in the backseat. "Did I miss something?"
Hope you enjoyed my story.
The conflict between Elena and Ashley is that Ashley feels Elena abandoned the pack and she doesn't understand why. As far as she can remember, Ashley has always been a werewolf, so she finds it difficult to understand Elene's perspective and her wants for a normal human life. At the same time, Elena can't understand that the violent world of the werewolves is all that Ashley has ever known. SO they're going in parallel directions, in conflict, even though they love each other like sisters.