Fated From the Start

Things That Go Bump in the Night

Harlow POV

"Your ass looks great from back here," Ash yelled up at me. We were out hiking through the mountains that I had come to realize were pretty close to Ash and the guys' hometown. This had become a pretty regular activity for us. We both really enjoyed being out in nature and the boy sat so much for work that he vastly preferred spending our time together out being active. 

"Is that why you're falling behind so much? I thought maybe I was just wearing you out" I quipped back at him, throwing him a smirk over my shoulder.

"Oh you know nothing of my stamina little one," he joked as he ran up and wrapped his giant arms around my waist, pulling me back against his muscular chest. 

"Neither do you, virgin" I joked back. 

"Low blow," he grabbed his chest and acted as if I'd just socked him good. 

I honestly thought it was sweet that Ash still had the desire to save himself for the right woman. It seemed his parents had raised him with fairly old fashioned values, but only the most adorable ones. He believed in soulmates and true loves, he believed in saving himself and the sanctity of marriage, he had more chivalry in his pinky than most people had ever experienced in their entire life. It didn't stop it from being fun to tease him about these things though. 

He leaned down and planted a firm kiss on my lips, letting me know my joke had been forgiven. 

"I think, I love you…" the words were out of my mouth before I realized it and it was almost like they were coming from outside of myself, like I couldn't have stopped them if I had tried. 

Ash spun me around to fully face him, a star struck look on his face and a twinkle in his eye. Then as if the realization of something had steamrolled his joy, his face contorted. "I have to tell you something…" he trailed sheepishly. That was never a good response. 

"You can tell me anything," I responded, but my stomach was doing somersaults as my mind raced. Thinking of what could possibly be bad enough that it was more important than acknowledging the fact I'd just basically told him I loved him. 

We had reached a small clearing somewhere up the mountain and we were just standing there staring at each other. Ash's face looked like he was fighting some sort of internal battle as he tried to figure out how to tell me whatever it was that he had to share. "If I were going to share something with you that's going to be hard for you to understand, would you rather I tell you or show you?" He finally asked out loud. 

"You're in a cult aren't you? I knew it. The weird closeness of your secluded village, the old fashioned diehard beliefs…" I was rambling.

"Harlow, stop. I'm not in a cult" Ash cut me off. 

"Then what is it? Just tell me." I was chewing nervously on my lower lip and I had to chuckle to myself when I realized he was too. Vulnerability looked sexy on him and I really hoped, whatever his news was, I'd be able to live with it because I wanted this god of a man more than anything. 

"I just, I can't lose you." He stammered.

"You won't lose me," I stated reassuringly, cupping his cheek in my hand.

"Have you ever wondered if the stuff of legends and fairytales are real?" He asked me.

"What, like monsters?" I asked back, not sure where this could possibly be going. 

"Not necessarily monsters, but maybe things that go bump in the night."

"Ash, I don't understand. What are you saying?" I was reeling, trying to figure out what he was saying. 

"Do you know what a werewolf is?" He inquired shakedly, this conversation was getting weirder by the second.

"You mean people that shapeshift into wolves when there's a full moon?" I arched my eyebrow, trying to unravel what he was implying. 

"It doesn't take a full moon," Ash scoffed. 

"What?" I was so lost. 

Ash let out a long shaky breath and grabbed my hands, "I'm a werewolf Harlow. I'm actually an Alpha and the head of my pack." He was staring into my eyes, pleading for me to understand.

Unable to stop myself, my head dropped back in laughter. "Werewolves are nothing more than folklore. What are you talking about?" 

"Can I show you?" Ash asked sheepishly, so much nerves evident in his entire body. 

I just stared at him, this perfect, incredible man was actually a complete freaking nut case that thought he could shapeshift into a wolf. f*****g lovely. 

Ash dropped my hands and walked into the trees on the side of the clearing. I could hear shuffling and then some sickening cracking noises. Then an extremely large dark gray wolf stepped from the trees looking right at me. My heart jumped into my throat and a loud ringing blared in my ears. The wolf slowly moved towards me, my breath caught and I started to back away. The wolf continued towards me. On all fours it was clearly still feet taller than me, this was no ordinary wolf. 

My pace backwards quickened, but the wolf was still closing the distance between us. As it got closer, I saw them. Those dark stormy blue eyes with gorgeous silver flecks that I'd stared into more times than I could count were staring at me from the face of this wolf. 

It was true. A scream burst from my lips.

The world went black.

Ash POV

Harlow's body slumped over lifeless before my eyes and my heart immediately began to pound out of my chest. I quickly shifted back to my human form and ran to her. Thankfully her heart was still beating and she was breathing, I'm pretty sure she fainted in shock. I ran and put my clothes back on, then hoisted Harlow to my chest and ran for the pack house. We were just outside of pack land and about 2 miles from the house. As risky as it was, I'd take her there to recover. There were ways I could get us in unnoticed.