Once Forgotten Twice Loved (17 page)

Ash stopped rocking but didn’t know what to say. She loved Larken and Larsen, but she knew this would only cause them trouble. She would cause them trouble.

“Just think about what I said. Pelton called in a favor so the video results may be back tomorrow. So think about this. Think about what I said, Ash, before you make any rash decisions. Okay?”

“Okay, Jonas. I just need some time alone. So if you see Larken and Larsen, just tell them that I will see them in the morning. I need to be alone,” Ash said calmly. Jonas got up and kissed Ash on top of her head then walked back into the lodge.

***

Johnny drove the van to his mom’s house. Lex got up after they passed the guard post. Johnny parked the van behind his mother’s house. She was still at work and wouldn’t be home until later that evening. “Let’s go get them,” Johnny muttered as he got out of the van.

“Who are these two girls, Johnny? Why would they be so important to Jonas?” Lex asked Johnny as he stopped him from walking further down the trail.

“The girls are his nieces. His sister died and her kids came to live with them. Peggy and her mate were killed in a car accident outside of Mississippi. They came to live with Jonas two years ago.” Johnny knew now that Jonas would go crazy when they took his dead sister’s kids.

Lex gave an evil smile. “Alright, let’s go get them.” They took a trail behind his house to get to the Alpha’s house. Jonas lived in the biggest house on pack land. They walked down the trail, trying to be quiet. Johnny whispered that they would need to knock these two out cold so they wouldn’t make any noise. Johnny crept to the kitchen window and looked in. Kammy and Kerra were sitting at the table doing homework. Nancy Melton was washing dishes at the sink. They needed to get her away from the kids.

“I’m going to shoot her first then the kids. We need to get them then get out of here and go get my mate.”

“Sounds like a plan to me. Let me knock on the door. She won’t open it for a stranger.” Johnny walked up to the door and knocked, waiting for Mrs. Melton to come to the door. When she opened the door and saw who it was, Johnny shot her with the tranquilizer gun. He then rushed into the house before the girls knew what was happening and shot both of them. Lex rushed in the house, swept Kammy up, and threw her over his shoulder. Johnny grabbed Kerra and they ran out of the house with them. They made it to the van without anyone seeing them. Lex hid in the back, where the girls were passed out. Johnny drove the van out and the guard stopped him at the gate.

The guard held his hand out stopping the van. He paused as he looked at Johnny. “Where you going now, Johnny?”

“To pick up my mom. Her car broke down at work. I’ll be back in a few minutes.” The guard waved him through. Johnny laughed as they got onto the main road.

“What dumbasses,” Johnny muttered.

***

Ash felt antsy and decided that she had spent enough time in her room. She changed into her running clothes and decided to run the trail to the ski slopes. It was late and she figured nobody would be out this late so she decided she was probably safe at the lodge, plus she was a super hero, too. Ash laughed out loud—at least Pelton thought she was anyway.

As Ash walked off the elevator, she waved at the clerk behind the desk who waved back as she walked out the front door. Ash couldn’t wait to start running. She needed to get rid of the agitation she was feeling. She wanted her mates to love her and share her. Ash knew she needed to relax before she made a rash decision that would affect her life forever. She didn’t want to leave her mates, but they would have to come to some type of agreement before she could stay.

Johnny sat in the van half asleep with Lex waiting until morning so they could get that woman. Lex got out of the van, stretching his legs, when he heard someone coming down the path. He walked over to the ledge and looked down toward the road. He couldn’t believe his luck. He ran to the van and yanked the van door open. “Get ready, Johnny. It’s her and she is jogging up the fucking road.” Lex grabbed the tranquilizer gun, ran to the edge of the trail, and waited for her. Johnny fell out of the van, picked himself up, and ran to the edge where Lex was standing. Lex watched as Ash ran up the hill. He put the gun up and looked down the barrel as Ash ran further up the hill. Just as she was about to run into his line of his sight, Ash stopped running and started looking around each side of the trail.

“What is she doing?” Johnny whispered.

Lex grabbed his arm tightly then looked at him and placed his finger over his lips. Johnny wanted to yell out because Lex had a damn death grip on his arm and was hurting him.

Ash could feel her spider senses come out. She didn’t hear anyone or see anyone, but she felt like she was being watched. Scenting the air, she turned in each direction, assuring herself that she was just paranoid. She walked slowly up the hill until she looked down and saw that her shoe was coming untied. She bent down to tie it when something whizzed by her head. She looked up and saw a man standing at the edge of the wood line pointing a gun at her. As Ash turned and took off running, she felt a sting on her ass cheek. She kept running, but her legs didn’t want to move. She almost tripped but grabbed a tree limb, trying to stop from falling to the ground. Ash rapidly blinked as the darkness tried to take over. Her mouth hung open gasping in air. She hung on to the limb, trying to move her legs, but her legs didn’t seem to want to work as she tried to run, when she felt another sharp pain to her back. Then blackness took over her vision and Ash fell to the ground.

Chapter Eleven

Larsen continued to pace the floor in his bedroom. He had sat and listened to Jonas tell Larken and him that Ash would come around, but she wanted some time to think. Jonas explained how Ash believed that she would break up their family if she stayed with them in Colorado. She wanted to stay with her mates but only if they could agree to share her and get along with each other. They agreed with Jonas to give her until the morning before they went to her room and begged her to stay. Larsen sat and talked with his brother and then apologized to him about getting jealous and walking out of the room.

Larsen had paced in his bedroom until he smelled her scent lingering in the air. He picked up the shirt he had on yesterday after they made love—it held her scent. He pressed his nose to the shirt and inhaled. Larsen laid on his bed with the shirt lying on his stomach so he could still be near her. He knew that he was in love with Ash and he never wanted to be without her again.

Now he needed to apologize to his mate. He never wanted to be away from her again. He would do whatever he needed to do to make this relationship work. He knew he loved Ash and that Larken loved her, too. They needed to work out all the details with her, letting her know that there would be no more arguing or any jealousy amongst themselves. He wanted this to work and he knew after sitting in his bedroom alone that he never wanted to go to bed without her again. He needed his mate.

It was five in the morning and Larsen couldn’t sleep. He was pissed at himself for getting jealous. He loved his brother and knew she was meant for both of them. He wanted Ash any way he could have her. Larsen was about to go knock on Larken’s door to tell him that he couldn’t wait any longer, when he heard someone knocking on his door instead. Larsen opened the door and his brother looked just as bad as he did.

“Let’s go and get our mate,” Larken announced.

“Now you’re talking.” Larsen grabbed his coat and walked out of his room, following Larken to Ash’s suite.

***

“Who do you think she is?” Jamie asked, looking at the other girls.

“I don’t know. She sure is pretty,” Lori responded.

“My uncle will come for us. I know it,” Kerra whispered as she wiped the tears off her face. Kammy pulled her sister closer to her, trying to calm her down.

“I hope you are right, because if they don’t soon, we will be mated to those animals out there. And I don’t think it will be how I was told growing up when you meet your mate,” Lori added. All the girls huddled together, praying that help would come soon.

***

“Ash, baby, open up the door.” Larken looked over at Larsen as he knocked on her door. “Do you smell her in there?”

“I smell her scent, but I can’t hear her breathing.”

Larken picked up his phone and called Nash. “Hey, can you bring me the master key. Yeah, I’m up at Ash’s room. Hurry please. I don’t like the feeling I’m having.” Larken looked over at Larsen as he rubbed his face, pulling on the whiskers covering his chin.

Larken and Larsen paced the floor, waiting on Nash to bring the key. The elevator door opened and Nash came out with Jonas.

“Here.” Nash handed Larken the key, who opened the door and walked in. Larsen and Nash followed behind him. “She isn’t in here. Thank God her stuff is still here.” Larken sat down on the bed. Nash could see the stress on his face. This had to be torture for his Alpha and cousin. He knew this was going to be hard for Ash, but he had hoped that she would come around. He knew Ash well enough that she wouldn’t leave without her suitcase and pocket book, both of which were sitting on the table beside the bed.

“She’s got to be in the lodge somewhere. Did you check the dining room? Maybe she went to eat early or get some coffee,” Nash asked. “She has always been an early riser so she is probably at the dining room eating breakfast since she just about passed out yesterday.”

“Okay, let’s split up and try to find her. Jonas, can you stay here in case she comes back and we don’t see her,” Larken asked.

Jonas could see the worried look on Larken and Larsen’s face. He didn’t think Ash would have run from the twins. He could tell she loved them. “Sure. Go find her. I will call you if she shows up here.” Jonas closed the door and sat in the chair, waiting for Ash to get back.

Larken went over to the reception desk and asked Becky, the clerk, if she worked night shift. “Yes, Alpha. I did. Is something wrong?”

“No. But did you see Ashland Peters down here while you were at work?”

“Yes, the lady you wanted us to call you about if she wanted anything.”

“Yes. Did you see her anytime today or last night?”

“Yes, sir. My shift started at five and I got here early so Molly could leave, but around five this morning, she went jogging, or at least she looked like she was. She had on jogging clothes. I had to go file last night’s paperwork, but I didn’t see her come back through the front door. She may have walked in when I was filing the paperwork. I’m sorry, Alpha. I was trying to get all the things done for the dance and I didn’t pay attention if she came back or not.”

Larken didn’t want Becky to feel bad because she was only doing her job. “It’s okay, Becky, but if you see her, I need to know right away.”

Becky frowned as she watched her Alpha’s smile turn into a worried expression. “Alpha, is something wrong? Did Ms. Peters do something wrong?”

Larken grabbed Becky’s hand and finally told her about finding his mate. “No, Becky, she didn’t do anything wrong. Ashland Peters is Larsen’s mate and mine. We found our mate. But we can’t find her anywhere and we are worried about her.”

Becky squealed as her Alpha told her that he had found his mate. She jumped up and down, excitedly clapping her hands. “Oh, Alpha, I’m so happy for you and the Sheriff. I didn’t know or I would have called you the moment she went outside. I just thought you wanted us to call if she needed something.”

Larken grabbed her hands, smiling. “Just help us find her, Becky.” Larken was growing impatient, worried about Ash.

Becky nodded. “You can count on me, Alpha.” She picked up the phone and started calling different stations in the lodge, asking if they had seen Ashland Peters.

Larken turned around and looked at Nash. “Go and check the dining room. Check everywhere. Call security to check the grounds for her.” Nash nodded and ran out of the room. Nash was getting worried too because he knew Ash wouldn’t just leave without telling him. She knew he would worry about her.

Nash contacted Larken telling him that nobody had seen her. Nash ran back to the reception desk to find Larsen on the phone with his Deputies.

“We need to check the trail where she was jogging. She may have fallen down the mountain and was knocked out.” Larken didn’t even wait for Nash or Larsen. He ran out the door of the lodge.

Larsen and Nash followed Larken up the trail. The higher up they ran the more nervous they became. Something was wrong. They could feel it. Larsen stopped and looked over into the wooded area. He titled his head in the air, trying to catch the scent of his mate. Larsen walked further into the wood line, scanning for something. Larsen turned around and started stripping his clothes off. Then he called his wolf to the surface and changed. Larsen started sniffing the ground where a tree was broken. He smelled up and down the tree. Then he ran further into the woods and stopped. He was sniffing something on the ground. Larken ran over to Larsen and knelt down. Nash came and stood next to Larsen who was growling. Larken held up a dart.

“It’s a tranquilizer dart,” Larken muttered angrily. Larsen turned around, sniffing the ground further. He continued to sniff until he came to a clearing where one could clearly see where a vehicle had been parked. He turned around and howled into the air. The forest got deathly quiet and Larken and Nash both turned and howled into the air. Their mate had been taken and they were letting everyone know it.

Reece Ramsey was about to walk into the lodge when he heard the howling. He knew something was wrong. He stood at the edge of the porch looking out into the woods. Jonas and Pelton ran out the door running toward the trail that led to the woods. People were coming out of the doors and from around the lodge, running up the trail. Reece jumped down from the porch and followed Jonas.

Stopping dead in his tracks when he got to Larken, Reece turned around and scented the air. He smelled his sister’s scent. Reece knew that it couldn’t be her. His father killed his sister, Ronica Ramsey, along with her mate, Josh Peters, a long time ago.