Notes: If I would cast anyone to play Ashley, it would be Kiki Layne. Google her. She was in The Old Guard Netflix movie with Charlize Theron.
As usual, Ashley slept in sweat pants and a loose tank top. She rolled onto her right side to come face to face with Nick. He came into her room the night before, but they just plopped on the bed and fell asleep. Ashley released a sigh as she watched him sleep. She couldn't help but wonder what was going through his mind.
As they grew up, Ashley developed feelings for Nick that were different from the other familial feelings she had toward the other members of the pack. It was something more. When she became an adult, they started their physical relationship, but it never went further. Even after so many years apart, only meeting on and off, those feelings never waned. They actually became stronger. Even though she wanted more, she knew they couldn't move forward. Her priority was the Pack. Her career path was because of the Pack and her dedication to Jeremy. She was also focused on her studies, which meant that Nick could not be her priority at the time. She couldn't be selfish with him. She could not ask him to give her something she, herself, could not give him. Nick was also an assertive individual, always seeking what he wanted. If he wanted something more with her, Ashley knew, he would tell her.
She reached over with her hand brushing his hair from his face. She laid her hand on his cheek, feeling his warmth radiating in her hand.
Nick breathed heavily before raising his hand to grasp Ashley's. "Hmm," he moaned. His eyes opened, peering into her chocolate eyes. Ashley avoided his eyes for a moment as her heart lurched when she saw his eyes glaze over. Had it not been for her brow skin, her face would have been bright red. "Morning," he said softly, his morning breath venting her face as he inched closer to her on the pillow.
"Morning," Ashley replied.
Nick pulled her on top of his body, straddling him with her knees to his side. Ashley leaned down, their lips meeting and melding together. His hands roamed over her side, gliding up under her top. He wrapped his arms around her back, pulling her closer until her chest touched his nude body. His lips left hers to explore the rest of her body, gliding kisses down her neck and shoulders.
Ashley moaned softly into his ears, her body heating up even more. She felt his morning erection against her butt as he sat up on the bed. Her hands roamed over his body, not knowing where to settle, feeling the toned muscles of his back. Ashley was lost in the pleasure as his chest rubbed against her. Her nipples hardened from the friction.
The sound of a door shutting brought her back to her senses when she heard footsteps walking down the hall. She did not forget about their housemates, but she had lost herself in Nick, almost not caring for the rest of the people in the house. "Nick," she whispered. His lips were moving lower and lower as she was trying to catch her breath and cool her body. "Nick, stop."
The moment she said that he stopped. He looked up at her, clear lust and desire had turned his eyes a brilliant brown. She touched his face and placed a short kiss on his lips. "We can't do this here."
"Don't tell me you don't want this," he said as he rested his hands on her hips.
"Did you forget who we live with?" Ashley kept her voice low. "If we continue they'll hear. Even if they don't, our scents will be all over each other and I don't want to have to explain that at the breakfast table." She got off him and turned toward the bathroom. "I'm gonna take a shower. You should too."
"What am I supposed to do with this?" Nick asked as he motioned at his hardness.
Ashley smirked. "Take care of it yourself, in your own bathroom."
After a warm shower, she wore a pair of black and mesh sweatpants that taper at the ankles and a matching loose-fitting tank. She strutted down the halls in her sneakers, down the stairs, and into the kitchen. Soon after she arrived, Elena came in just before Clay followed behind her. As they all took their seats at the table, Elena started talking about how difficult it is to explain their appetite, before Pete chimed in.
Ashley filled her plates with food just as Jeremy took a bite of sausage. Everyone remained silent, watching him eat before he gave the order for them to eat. As they ate, the conversation changed to the problem with the Mutts. Elena wanted to track but Jeremy wanted to wait for Logan and night to come. It was too risky for them to change during the day. Elena argued, but Jeremy ended the conversation and left the table. The conversation shifted again as Nick challenged Elena to a sparring match.
When Elena walked out to the back patio, Nick fell from the floor above, ambushing her. Just as they started their fight, Pete leaned against the wall watching them. They'd had their first bout by the time Clay and Ashley came out of the house to spectate the beginning of their second round of fighting before Nick put Elena in a chokehold before kissing her on the temple.
"Hard to practice this stuff anywhere else," said Pete.
"That's what gyms and martial arts clubs are for," Ashley pointed out. "I think I got better after joining a club."
Nick released Elena before turning to Clay, taunting him. "Clayton Danvers, spectating a fight?"
"Not spectating. Assessing," Clay replied.
"Spectating the Ass-kicking I'll give you?"
"Oh, God," said Pete as Elena and Ashley smiled. They all knew what was coming. There was no way Nick could best Clay in hand-to-hand combat, or else Clay would not be the Pack's Enforcer. He was just asking to get his ass kicked and humiliated in front of all of them.
"Now, why would I want to humiliate my oldest and dearest friend?" Clay asked.
Elena moved to leave but Nick stopped her. "Don't you want to see me humiliate this guy?"
Elena paused. "Actually, yes, I do."
Clay took his shirt off and lunged at Nick, rolling on the ground with him until they came to stop with Clay holding Nick in a chokehold, pinning Nick to the ground with his larger body. Nick got out of the hold, but Clay flipped him over his head. Lay threw a fist but Nick caught him, but Clay quickly flipped over Nick's head, grabbing Nick's arm, before getting him on his knees with his hand holding Nick's head.
"Damnit, can't you just let me win once in our lives?" Nick breathed heavily, with his head still in Clay's hand.
"It's not in my nature." Clay released Nick as Pete threw him his shirt.
"Same thing since we were kids, huh?"
"No, this time is different," Pete said. "This time you managed not to piss yourself."
They all laughed but Ashley chimed in, "Wait, I haven't had my turn, yet." They all looked at her. In all their years of training, Ashley managed to rarely win against Nick. "Hey, I've been practicing."
The others shrugged and moved back to give Nick and Ashley space. Just like with Elena, Nick attacked first, throwing a punch to her face, but Ashley dropped low to the ground, hitting Nick's chest and ribs with her elbows. As he stumbled forward, she elbowed the backs of his knees, making him fall further. Nick quickly jumped back to his feet, leaving some distance between them. Ashley quickly closed the distance by running up at him and kneeing him in the sternum.
"Ooh." Pete winced. Nick fell back, grasping his chest as he groaned. He remained on his back as he tried to catch his breath. The others came and hovered over him.
"Oh, come on guys," Nick complained.
"Sorry, buddy, today's not your day," Clay said as he helped Nick up.
"Sorry, Nicky but you're out of practice," said Ashley.
Pete wrapped his Arm around Ashley's neck as they walked back into the house. "Where'd you learn to fight like that?"
She wrapped her arm around his waist, walking beside him. "I joined a club."
When Logan arrived, once again, everyone was giving hugs and kisses. Ashley jumped on him, wrapping her arms and legs around his waist before kissing his forehead. "Seriously, why'd you have to become a psychiatrist in Toronto?" she asked, still clinging to him.
"It's good to see you, too, Ash. Sorry I haven't called in a while," he said.
"Well, at least you apologized," Logan said nothing but guessed who she was talking about. "By the way, how's Rachel?"
"She's doing well. We both are. She's actually close to becoming head chef at her restaurant."
"Oh, that's cool." Ashley unglued herself to Logan. "Will I get a discount if I drop by?"
Logan laughed as they made their way down to the basement. Jeremy hugged Logan, welcoming him home as they spread around the room as Jeremy began the debrief. There was a small number of Mutts that they had dealt with in the past, like Daniel Santos and Zachary Cain, but Jeremy assured everyone that the scent did not come from either of them. It was someone new. Jeremy gave all of them their assignments, Pete and Logan together, Elena, Clay, and Nick on their own, while Ashley, Jeremy, and Antonio tracked in another place.
As Ashley, Jeremy, and Antonio walked down the main street, they all took a series of deep breaths, trying to scent the Mutt. Unlike the others who were taking the back alleys, they could not Change into their wolf forms in the middle of the town's main road. They'd be shot before they got anywhere. Ashley said, "Are you sure about putting Clay and Elena on the same team?"
"They work well together," Jeremy said. Although he dismissed her, the tension between Clay and Elena did not escape his notice. If it did, he'd either be too dense or too blind or both.
"That was before. Now, they have baggage," Ashley argued. "If they're always arguing, they'll get sloppy. Then, both of them will be in danger."
"I trust them to put their differences aside to get the job done." His tone clearly indicated that he didn't want to talk about it anymore. He was the Alpha. He had made a decision and that was that. She simply sighed and continued to sniff, but all that was entering her nose were people's garbage. It was not going to be a good night.
Thank you all for reading.
One reason I created the conflict between Ashley and Elena is that this is how I see Elena. These are the plot holes and plot conveniences I noticed after watching the show several times and wondering, why didn't the characters do this and that. I wanted someone to call Elena out on her bullshit that she gets away with just because she's the main character. Everyone loves her but her actions have almost zero consequences. The way Elena talks to the pack probably hurts their feelings, but in the show, nobody says anything and they take it like their feelings can't get hurt.
And frankly, in a pack of wolves where they can get hurt at any time, why doesn't anyone of them have a formal medical background? So I made Ashley to fill all the problems I saw with the show.