Chapter 13: Never Quite Faded

Ashleigh stood alongside Renee quietly as her mother and father gave their speeches. Granger had left her side moments ago to finish up the surprise he had mentioned before. She found herself both excited and curious to see what it was and felt a renewed devotion to him that she wanted to cherish.

But there was still that little part of her mind that drifted back to Caleb. Wondering if he was alright after their argument from that morning. Of course, he was mean, and Ashleigh didn’t like the way he had treated her, but she knew he was hurting. She could feel it.

And where exactly had Caleb gone off to with that wolf from Spring?

She closed her eyes for a moment, took a deep breath, and pushed back the emotions that were swirling in her heart.

“Are you ok?” Renee whispered to her with concern.

“Yea, just a slight headache.” Ashleigh smiled back.

“I’ll go get you something, be right back.”

Renee left her side, and Ashleigh was alone among a sea of people celebrating her. But, somewhere in this ocean, she knew Bell was laughing and dancing that thought alone made her smile.

“Well, aren’t you a pretty thing?” a slurred voice said from behind her.

Ashleigh looked back and found herself faced with a wolf she had never seen before. His looks were unremarkable, brown, short hair cut just above the ears. Tall and slender, with a weak chin and a pointy nose.

“Yes, darlin’, I was talkin’ to you,” he garbled again.

“I believe you have had too much to drink. Probably time to put the glass down and go eat something,” Ashleigh replied calmly. She could smell the alcohol mixing with his nasty breath. It was nauseating.

“Hmm,” he purred at her, “I would like to eat something alright.”

He took a step closer to her, and she stepped back. He let out a small chuckle before looking her up and down.

“Oh, sho, we’re gonna play a Lil game, huh?” His slurring was getting worse. He let out a laugh once more, this time drawing some curious eyes to him. “Well, I’ll be your big bad woof.”

He snarled in a way Ashleigh expected he thought was sexy in his drunken state, but to her sober ears, it came out like phlegm was caught in his throat.

“Seriously, you need to leave me alone and maybe just go to bed now,” she stated, trying her best not to lose patience.

“Now thas what I’m talkin ‘bout baby. Les go to my room now!” the drunken idiot reached out for her, surprising her. He put his hands on her waist and pulled her against his body, laughing as he did so.

There were gasps around them, but before Ashleigh had a chance to react, the man was pulled off her. Ashleigh looked up to see not one but two men had come to her aid.

Before her stood both the men that claimed to be her mate.

Granger looked at her, then turned to Caleb, his eyes darkening once more and finally turning back to the man on the floor. He reached down and pulled him to his feet aggressively.

“How dare you touch her!” Granger shouted.

Caleb looked at Ashleigh, their eyes held.

“Are you ok?” he asked quietly. Ashleigh could only nod.

Caleb turned and faced the man that Granger held in his hands. Before he could even take a step toward him, he felt a hand at his arm. He looked and saw Galen holding him back.

Caleb furrowed his brows, unsure why Galen was trying to stop him. He turned back towards the drunken idiot who had dared to grab Ashleigh and found himself facing yet another man, who spoke quietly to him.

“Alpha Caleb, I thank you for your assistance. I am Axel, Ashleigh’s brother. You need not worry about this matter anymore. Granger and I will escort this man out.” Axel’s words were diplomatic and friendly. But the meaning was clear, ‘stay out of it.’.

Caleb wanted to argue, but once again, Galen gripped his arm.

Renee came over to Ashleigh, pulling her back.

“Ash, are you alright?”

Ashleigh nodded as she watched Caleb and her brother speaking without hearing them.

“Ashleigh, Ashleigh?” Renee called her attention.

“What?” she asked, looking back at her friend.

Renee looked around them before leaning close to whisper in Ashleigh’s ear. “Is there something going on with you and Alpha Caleb?”

Ashleigh felt her heart stop for a moment.

“What are you talking about?” she stuttered out.

“Look, I know that’s crazy ok. I know you love Granger, but it’s weird. You invited him here, and then some people said you went for a walk together this morning? And now he rushes to your side when some creep looks at you funny?”

“It’s not... I don’t… I don’t know what to say,” was all she could manage as panic was settling into her heart.

All she could think about was Granger hearing this conversation and how hurt he would be. How she kept breaking his heart at every turn.

Ashleigh looked back at Caleb, who watched Axel and Granger carrying the wolf to the door. Then, before she realized what she was doing, she stood in front of him.

“Ashleigh...”

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He said her name softly, like a lover. She closed her eyes and pushed the thought away.

“Are you ok?” he asked, reaching his hand to her shoulder.

She looked down at his hand and then pushed it away. He looked confused and as though he would take a step toward her.

“Alpha Caleb,” she began, her voice a little louder than it needed to be, “thank you for your help with that man.”

“Of course,” he replied, still trying to figure out what she was doing.

Ashleigh glanced around and then licked her lips nervously.

“I do appreciate your help, truly, however,” she stated, “it was unnecessary.”

“Ashleigh…” Caleb began, but she gave him no chance.

“In the future, I hope you will remember that I am perfectly capable of handling my own matters, and if for some reason I am not, it is my mate who will aid me. Not you.”

***

Granger returned from taking the drunk wolf outside. He was tempted to hit him at least once for how he had treated Ashleigh. But he couldn’t leave her unattended for too long, not while Caleb was so close by.

As he entered the ballroom, he saw them standing together. Of course, he couldn’t hear the conversation from this distance, but how close they were to each other was already enough to fuel the fire that raged within his heart.

“Isn’t it lovely?” a familiar voice asked beside him.

Granger turned to see a smile that was far too wide.

“Holden.”

This was all the greeting that Granger offered. Holden simply nodded in acknowledgment.

“I heard they went out together this morning on a walk. So perhaps the feud between Winter and Summer will end in matrimony,” Holden whispered with a musical tone in his voice.

Granger snarled and turned back to face him.

“Ashleigh is my mate!” he growled.

“Oh my goodness… Oh, I am so sorry. I had no idea, none. I meant no offense. Please, just know it was the mindless ramblings of a fool,” Holden replied as he backed away from Granger, his smile never quite fading.

***

“Alright, ladies and gentlemen, I promise our boring speeches are finally over, but before Alpha Wyatt and I go to bed.” Corrine smiled brightly, looking out into the audience until her eyes landed on Ashleigh.

“Ashleigh darling, come on up here.”

Ashleigh made her way up the stairs to stand between her parents.

Caleb stood beside Galen and Bell in the back of the hall, watching her walk up the stairs. He took another drink from a tray beside him.

“Now, before we go off to bed and allow the rest of you to party all night long,” Corrine paused as cheers filled the halls. “Yes, yes. Anyway, before we go, Granger has informed us he has a special gift he wishes to give Ashleigh.”

Corrine smiled at Ashleigh, who smiled back and then turned as Granger appeared from behind her with a large box in his arms.

Ashleigh laughed and then reached to open the box. As the lid was removed, she gasped. She could not hide her reaction as she understood the meaning of his gift.

Granger set the box on the ground and pulled out the items inside, a hand-carved and strung bow and a set of hand-carved arrows. He smiled at her.

“Ashleigh, my love, I will teach you to wield this bow properly so that today, tomorrow, and every day that follows, we will hunt together.” Granger smiled lovingly.

Ashleigh embraced him with tears in her eyes. The hall erupted in hollering and cheers.

“What good is a bow and arrow to a wolf,” Caleb scoffed quietly while taking another drink.

“Caleb,” Galen warned.

Bell looked past the handsome wolf to the one that appeared to be pouting beside him. She smiled to herself before stepping closer.

“Perhaps, Alpha Caleb, you don’t understand the meaning behind his gift to her?” she whispered.

Caleb did not respond, taking another sip of his drink. Bell looked up at Galen, who gave her a helpless half-smile. She chuckled.

“Among the customs and traditions of Winter, none are so firmly held as those that relate to mates.” Bell paused, noting that Alpha Caleb stopped moving just as he was about to sip from his glass once more.

“Giving her a handmade weapon displays his devotion to the defense of their home. And promising a shared hunt is a promise to provide for her for the rest of their lives. In the human world, this was the equivalent of officially proposing in front of all her friends and family.”

Caleb looked back up at the woman that was supposed to be his mate, kissing the man she was going to marry under the moonlight of the Goddess who had so-called blessed them all.

“So, this is who she has become,” He stated as he finished off his drink in one deep swallow before saying, “You’re right, I don’t understand this at all.”

Though the party continued for the rest of the night and well into the morning hours.. For the wolves of Summer, their time in Winter had come to an end.

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