though."
"About what?"
"About how I came out of my mist partially, to hit that man in the face. The one who shot Wynn," Ashe clarified.
"Son, if my heart were beating, it would have stopped just then. You became partially corporeal?"
"My hands," Ashe admitted sheepishly. "I wasn't thinking clearly, Dad. All I saw was the man shooting and Wynn falling. I was so mad I just did it."
"I'm not quibbling over the results of your actions, but that might have placed your life in just as much danger as Wynn's. Did they see your face?"
"Not until Winkler and the others brought them in. I pointed out which ones were the shooters."
Aedan Evans uttered a word Ashe didn't hear often. "Son, I know you aren't used to this sort of thing, but tell Mr. Winkler, if he's not listening in right now, to have those vampires place compulsion. I don't want any of those involved remembering what you look like or how you did what you did."
"I'll make sure it's done," Winkler said. He was listening.
"Good. I don't want my boy made more of a target than he is already."
"I understand," Winkler replied.
"Dad, tell Mom I'm okay," Ashe said.
"He'll be home in a day or two," Winkler promised. "We'll keep you apprised." Ashe handed the cell back to Winkler, who terminated the call. "You did very well, Ashe," Winkler smiled. "Don't let a bunch of old wolves and vamps worry you too much. Why don't you go see how Sali and Wynn are doing?"
"Okay." Ashe rose and walked out of Winkler's hotel room.
* * *
"Son, we removed the memory that you did anything at all. From everybody except Marcus, Winkler and Marco," Dalroy was coming out of Wynn's room as Ashe walked up. "I know that's a disservice to you, but the Grand Master, Winkler and your father want it that way. You'll be the unsung hero, I'm sorry to say." Dalroy gave Ashe's shoulder a comforting pat. Rhett, the dark-haired vampire, nodded to Ashe and followed when Dalroy moved away. Ashe muttered the same word his father had used earlier.
"Ashe?" Wynn said sleepily as Ashe made his way into her hotel room. Dr. Lang was there and dumping an empty syringe into a medical waste bag before stuffing it inside his med kit.
"You okay, Wynn?"
"She's good. Mr. Winkler got there just in time," Sali said, his eyes slightly unfocused. Ashe breathed a troubled sigh. Not even Sali was allowed to remember.
"Good to see you again, Son," Dr. Lang said, rising to leave. "Don't keep her awake too long, young wolf," he told Sali.
"I won't," Sali grinned. The doctor walked out of the room.
"Thank goodness," Sharon O'Neill rushed into the room, Jonas right behind her. "Wynnie, baby, are you all right?"
"Yeah." Wynn's voice was weak. "Mr. Winkler saved me." Ashe sighed, jerked his head at Sali and headed for the door.
* * *
"Ashe, I see this has upset you. But you have to know that Wynn might not be alive if you hadn't been there," Winkler held Ashe back while everyone else exited the jet the following evening. They'd arrived in Corpus Christi just before sunset.
"Yeah? I hear you got all the credit," Ashe muttered, moving away from Winkler's grip on his shoulder. Ashe climbed down the steps of the jet without another word.
* * *
"I'm fine, Mom. Stop fussing," Ashe tried to fend his mother off. She'd come to get him; his father hadn't been awake when the jet landed.
"Your father wants to talk to you when you get home," Adele said. "Ashe, this is for your protection, honey."
"Yeah. I keep hearing that word." Ashe watched as Wynn, Sharon and Jonas were loaded into the Anderson's car. Dori had rushed to hug Wynn the moment she'd gotten off the jet. Denise had come to pick up Sali, Marcus and Marco, who would spend a few days with his parents before going back to Dallas. Ashe sighed as he watched them drive away.
"Ashe, you did a good thing," his mother said, touching his arm. "Wynn is alive because of that. Be happy that you could help."
"Mom, she doesn't know who saved her. She thinks Winkler did it. And
"About what?"
"About how I came out of my mist partially, to hit that man in the face. The one who shot Wynn," Ashe clarified.
"Son, if my heart were beating, it would have stopped just then. You became partially corporeal?"
"My hands," Ashe admitted sheepishly. "I wasn't thinking clearly, Dad. All I saw was the man shooting and Wynn falling. I was so mad I just did it."
"I'm not quibbling over the results of your actions, but that might have placed your life in just as much danger as Wynn's. Did they see your face?"
"Not until Winkler and the others brought them in. I pointed out which ones were the shooters."
Aedan Evans uttered a word Ashe didn't hear often. "Son, I know you aren't used to this sort of thing, but tell Mr. Winkler, if he's not listening in right now, to have those vampires place compulsion. I don't want any of those involved remembering what you look like or how you did what you did."
"I'll make sure it's done," Winkler said. He was listening.
"Good. I don't want my boy made more of a target than he is already."
"I understand," Winkler replied.
"Dad, tell Mom I'm okay," Ashe said.
"He'll be home in a day or two," Winkler promised. "We'll keep you apprised." Ashe handed the cell back to Winkler, who terminated the call. "You did very well, Ashe," Winkler smiled. "Don't let a bunch of old wolves and vamps worry you too much. Why don't you go see how Sali and Wynn are doing?"
"Okay." Ashe rose and walked out of Winkler's hotel room.
* * *
"Son, we removed the memory that you did anything at all. From everybody except Marcus, Winkler and Marco," Dalroy was coming out of Wynn's room as Ashe walked up. "I know that's a disservice to you, but the Grand Master, Winkler and your father want it that way. You'll be the unsung hero, I'm sorry to say." Dalroy gave Ashe's shoulder a comforting pat. Rhett, the dark-haired vampire, nodded to Ashe and followed when Dalroy moved away. Ashe muttered the same word his father had used earlier.
"Ashe?" Wynn said sleepily as Ashe made his way into her hotel room. Dr. Lang was there and dumping an empty syringe into a medical waste bag before stuffing it inside his med kit.
"You okay, Wynn?"
"She's good. Mr. Winkler got there just in time," Sali said, his eyes slightly unfocused. Ashe breathed a troubled sigh. Not even Sali was allowed to remember.
"Good to see you again, Son," Dr. Lang said, rising to leave. "Don't keep her awake too long, young wolf," he told Sali.
"I won't," Sali grinned. The doctor walked out of the room.
"Thank goodness," Sharon O'Neill rushed into the room, Jonas right behind her. "Wynnie, baby, are you all right?"
"Yeah." Wynn's voice was weak. "Mr. Winkler saved me." Ashe sighed, jerked his head at Sali and headed for the door.
* * *
"Ashe, I see this has upset you. But you have to know that Wynn might not be alive if you hadn't been there," Winkler held Ashe back while everyone else exited the jet the following evening. They'd arrived in Corpus Christi just before sunset.
"Yeah? I hear you got all the credit," Ashe muttered, moving away from Winkler's grip on his shoulder. Ashe climbed down the steps of the jet without another word.
* * *
"I'm fine, Mom. Stop fussing," Ashe tried to fend his mother off. She'd come to get him; his father hadn't been awake when the jet landed.
"Your father wants to talk to you when you get home," Adele said. "Ashe, this is for your protection, honey."
"Yeah. I keep hearing that word." Ashe watched as Wynn, Sharon and Jonas were loaded into the Anderson's car. Dori had rushed to hug Wynn the moment she'd gotten off the jet. Denise had come to pick up Sali, Marcus and Marco, who would spend a few days with his parents before going back to Dallas. Ashe sighed as he watched them drive away.
"Ashe, you did a good thing," his mother said, touching his arm. "Wynn is alive because of that. Be happy that you could help."
"Mom, she doesn't know who saved her. She thinks Winkler did it. And
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