Asher
Noah and Logan were waiting outside my father’s study as I headed back to the Alpha House. It was clear from the look on their faces that it couldn’t be good. But I couldn’t care any less. In fact, it would be good for my father to not test me now.“Any hints?” I sullenly demanded from my brothers. They both shrugged in response.“See for yourself,” Logan said. I scowled and then, bracing myself, opened the door and stalked inside. My father was peering into something that seemed like very, very old…scripts? From what I could see, they looked like brittle pieces of paper, the color turning yellowish with age.“You wanted to see me?” I asked. My father looked up, no prominent expression on his handsome face except for the usual somberness.“Alpha Helius called,” he stated, as if that was all the explanation I needed to figure out what was wrong.“Alpha who?”“Alpha Helius of the YellowStone pack,” I still had no idea who he was talking about. But the name did sound familiar.“Blondie’s father,” Mac said. “From last night,”Oh fuck.“O…kay?” I frowned. “And that concerns me because…?”“I want to know the same. Apparently, his daughter said you mistreated her and she was very upset about it. She is his only daughter and the apple of his eyes and he wasn’t really expecting the alpha of GrayCrest to have such trash manners…” My father’s tone was condescending as always, and I clenched my jaw tightly, annoyance making my skin itch.Why were women so difficult to deal with?“Mistreated her? Seriously,” I scoffed. “Let me talk to him and I will help him get the facts straight. His daughter was the one begging me to fuck her. I refused and politely asked her to leave. Heck, I even offered to drive her home. What a bitch.”“And that’s how an Alpha, the alpha of the most powerful pack in the country, should be talking,” dad snapped, looking annoyed. “You are twenty-six years old, Asher Gray. When do you plan on being responsible? Would you like to explain?”“This has nothing to do with me being responsible!” I snapped back, glaring at him. “And my personal life is none of your fucking business,”“It is…it very much is,” dad growled. “I am your father and I want to see you happily settled down, like your brothers. Instead, I am getting called by random people and being told that my son needs to learn how to behave. Do you even know the kind of reputation you have?”“Do you really think I give a shit? And please…now, after twenty-six years, don’t try to be my father. It doesn’t suit you, Alpha.”“Asher!”“The truth always hurts, doesn’t it?” I sneered as he gave me a wide-eyed, appalled look.It was true. Neither of my parents has ever bothered about me. My father has always prioritized Logan and my mother has always favored Noah. Nobody really cared much about me because the truth was... I was an unwanted child, an accident, a heat-of-the-moment-wrong-move on my father’s part that my mother had no option but to live with. Even if they have tried their best to hide this truth for the last twenty-six years, I did find out.At that moment, I wasn’t sure how to feel. But I wasn’t surprised because growing up, affection was limited for me and what I got was just tidbits of whatever was left. And at that moment when my heart craved for it, all I could do to escape that disappointment was to just ignore the need for it all together. Don’t get me wrong, my childhood wasn’t miserable. In fact, my brothers adored and protected me every step of the way, but somehow that couldn’t make up for the affection I hoped for from my parents.“This is enough,” dad said, his voice icy. “You have a mate now, Asher. And you have already screwed up with her. When you took the oath, you vowed to provide the pack with its Luna and an heir. It’s time you fulfill that vow. Whether you do it with that mate of yours or…”“Or what? You will force me to marry some fancy prospect at the mating ball?” I mocked.“If you already know, then I believe you might also know which option to choose,” dad said. “The pack needs its Luna and if you can’t make up your mind, then we, as your parents, will be forced to,”“What do you think I am? A baby?” I snarled, my mind going blank with rage. “I am a fucking grown-up adult, the damn Alpha of this pack. I know what choices to make for myself. The fuck I will let you arrange a mating ball. Do you think I am some fancy item to be auctioned?”“Then settle down with your true mate. Nobody is asking you to participate in a mating ball,” he said flatly.“Why are you so obsessed with me having a mate? Noah and Logan have mates. They can take care of the bloodline bullshit. Why me?” I protested.“Because you are one of the Alphas of the pack, one of the pillars that holds this pack together. And you are incomplete without your mate. It doesn’t matter what Noah or Logan are doing. You need to take responsibility for your part of the duty as well. And…” His face turned dark as he turned around and stared out of the window.“And what?”“And the rest your brothers will explain,” dad replied, his voice hard but somehow also lingering with a sense of…dread? “Just know…that you need your Luna and who that’s going to be… that decision is yours. But you have two days to make a choice, Asher. The Reawakening Ceremony is in two months. The pack needs its Luna before that.” I stared blankly at my father, completely at a loss.What was that supposed to mean?_______________“Are you guys going to tell me what’s going on?” I mindlinked as our wolves scampered through the dense forests that surrounded the pack house later in the afternoon. We had trailed far away from the final perimeter, inching closer to the mountains and, hence, I could feel the smooth soil beneath my feet turning harder and colder.“You will see soon,” Logan answered.“You know how much I hate cryptic responses like that,” I grimaced.“Goddess Ash, you have become grumpier ever since you returned,” Noah chided.“Yeah,” Logan agreed. “Did you give those roses to Ivy?”“I don’t wanna talk about it.”“So you screwed up,” Noah sighed. “I don’t know how you are going to get her to marry you if you can’t get from A to B without killing each other. It’s been merely a day since the two of you met.”“I won’t marry her,” I snapped, horrified at the idea.“So mating ball it is,” Logan muttered. “I would have chosen otherwise,”“I am not getting married. Period. I don’t care what dad wants and whatever scheming the three of you are doing,”“You will change your mind once you know why he wants you to have a mate, Ash. And seriously, what is so bad about getting married and settling down?”“Have you met Ivy?” I demanded.“Uh yeah, and she seems fine to both of us. It’s not her fault that you fucked up,” Noah said.“Fuck off,” I grimaced, sprinting forward without having any idea of where we were headed. But as my brothers caught up and beckoned me to follow, I could make a vague guess.And I was right as the two giant wolves finally halted and then turned towards mine. I wasn’t sure what was going on, but I could feel it was something serious. There was a somberness, not just in the eyes of my brother’s wolves, but also in the surrounding stillness. It was a very unpleasant feeling.“What are we doing here?” I demanded, inching closer.We were quite some distance from the GrayCrest territory. This was a forbidden place, if not prohibited, because it held the dark memories of the past that no one wanted to relive. To someone who was oblivious, it would look like an ordinary stretch of never-ending barren land right under the towering mountains. But it was more than that. The floors of this barren land were once drenched with blood, betrayal, treachery and one of the ugliest fights for power our kind has ever witnessed. You can sense the eerie, cold feeling of death in the air that lingers around this place.“This is…isn’t it?” I mumbled because there was only one time dad brought us here, and I was way too young then. Something about this place immediately creeped me out, and I made a mental note to stay the hell away.“The Land of Blood and Betrayal, as they call it…” Logan said. “This is where the Cold War took place thirty-four years ago,”“I know…why are we here?” I asked, feeling wary.“So you can take a look at this…” both my brothers moved away, and I blinked as my eyes fell on the sight in front of me, my stomach heaving immediately.What the fuck…AsherI wasn’t sure how I was supposed to react as I spied the dead white wolf lying on the cold floor. Her coat was white as snow and in her eyes there was a blank, hollow look that immediately made me avert my gaze. It was a really depressing sight.“What is this?” Mac whispered.“That’s what I want to know,” I mumbled. “What is this?”“What do you think?” Logan asked.“A dead white wolf?” I offered.“It’s not just some dead white wolf, Ash. It’s been fifteen days since we spotted her here…” Noah said.“And your point is?” I demanded.“Look closely. It hasn’t decayed, and that’s not normal. Look at that spotless white coat. This should have been a lump of bones and fur, if anything,” Logan said.“And that’s not all. Look into her eyes…” Noah added. Even though I didn’t want to, I did move closer to take a glance. At first, nothing seemed out of…ordinary. But as I moved even closer, forcing myself to look into t
Ivy“Oh my goddess, am I dreaming?” I peeked up from the book I was reading and raised a brow at Naya as she stood by the bed, looking surprised. Way too surprised.“What is that supposed to mean?” I frowned.“You are never visible during these hours and mom told me you have been here since morning. Why didn’t you go to the training? You never miss training, ever.” Her tone was almost accusatory, and it made me roll my eyes.“I am just taking…a day off,” turning my eyes back to the book I pretended to read. Even if for the last hour or so, all I did was re-read the first paragraph.“You got up late today, and now you are taking a day off from training and reading a book...damn, Ivy are you pregnant?” I almost choked on my breath, blinking at the green-eyed girl. Naya had green eyes but really light in color unlike Luna Rose’s whose were very vibrant.“What?” I exclaimed, almost for a moment believing in that crap.“W
“Put me down!!” I shouted, thrashing my legs against his hold. “Put me down! What the fuck!” I punched him hard but, of course, he probably didn’t even feel it. “I told you not to try me,” Asher muttered, throwing open the door. “This could have gone much better.” “Put me down!!” I screamed, struggling against his grasp. “Put me down, Asher Gray!” Even if I was upside down and all I could actually see was his…well, ass, I could feel several curious eyes watching us. “I am going to kill you,” I threatened as he opened the car door. “Sure,” he said, absolutely disinterested. Leaning down, he lowered me into the passenger seat, surprisingly gentle, and shot me a look. Just as I was about to open my mouth to give him a piece of my mind, he pulled out a handkerchief from his pocket and fastened it around my mouth. “This should keep your mouth shut for a while,” he said. I reached out to hit him, but fast as lightning, he had both my hands in his grasp. I glared at him, trying to wrigg
Asher This has literally got to be the most unromantic proposal ever. Ivy’s eyes were wide as she stared at me and, even after minutes passed away, that was all the response I got from her. A plain, blank stare. “Will you marry me?” I repeated and inwardly kicked myself for not bringing a ring. But then again, this wasn’t really a proposal. It was more like asking her to help me out. Dad was going to ride my ass non-stop if I didn't find a Luna before the reawakening ceremony. A mating ball was definitely not an option because first this wasn't the thirteenth century, and second, I didn’t want to end up a laughing stock. Plus, it wouldn’t be right to Ivyanka, regardless of her sentiments towards me. Or mine towards her. After giving this an entire afternoon and evening of thought, the best conclusion I came to was to ask her for help. However, now I realize I should have given it more thought, because I really
Ivy I was pretty damn sure he could hear the resounding pounding of my heart or sense the heat that flooded through my body. My mouth was dry as hay as he leaned closer, placing both his arms on either side of my head and caged me with his strong and muscular body. The way he looked into my eyes, almost like he was diving into the depths of my soul, had me both breathless and weak at the knees at once. And I have never been weak at knees for anyone. Ever. The pull towards him was so intense that I could almost taste it, something intoxicating lingering in my senses. “Because you are my mate,” Asher whispered. “And only you have the right to be my… Luna.” My stomach flipped, goosebumps tingling all over my skin at the way he articulated the word luna. It was a struggle to think highly of this man or even remotely try to trust him. But the way he called me his Luna, there was a deep, carnal promise hanging thr
Asher “It’s gone towards the south perimeter!” I mindlinked to the guys, dashing through the forest, tracing the god-awful scent that was left behind by the lurker while trying to sort through the noises in my head. Reed, Graham, Eli, the hunters, different images and interpretations of the scent left behind coming from each one of them. Someone was watching Ivy and me, and someone has dared to cross into our territory. This kind of activity was very common with rogues, but as I traced the disgusting scent, it didn’t feel like a rogue. Mac sprinted through the forest at top speed, trying to catch up with the shadow that we spotted but halfway through, it had just vanished. “We are on our way,” Eli mindlinked as I tried to keep up with the trail of scent that was left. It was weird how the scent was scattered. Mac had to sniff from tree to tree to keep up with the path that the intruder took, with the scent lingering acros
IvyI wiped my eyes haphazardly with the back of my hand as I ran away from Asher, rushing into the darkness to hide the guilt gnawing at my chest. I was so angry that it hurt but I wasn’t angry at him for not letting me on patrol duty. I was angry at myself for being so weak and helpless at the clutches of a man I knew absolutely nothing about except for his name was: Alpha Killian Price.A few moments ago:“Ki…Killian,” I stuttered, my voice sounding like I was being choked. What was he doing here? How did he even get here? I didn’t even hear him coming.“Did you miss me, my little Alpha?” he whispered in my ear, his voice raspy and his breath tinged with the scent of alcohol.The usual repulsion spread through my chest again and I moved back, trying to steady myself. I quickly glanced behind me, hoping to the moon goddess that Asher won’t return just yet. I had no idea how I would explain myself if he found me with Killian. And also, a part of me didn’t want him anywhere near this m
Asher“What are you doing?” Mac snapped, startling me. “Go after her! Find her! She doesn’t know her way around here. It’s dark!” “She made her choice. Why would I go after her?” I scowled. “I don’t have to deal with her bullshit just because she is my mate. I have better things to do with my life than babysit a grown-ass woman,”“So you are fine with her wandering around in the dark with some untraceable intruder in the loose?” he demanded.“She is a warrior. I am sure she can defend herself if needed,” I said.“Fine, if you don’t go after her, then I will,” he hissed.“What do…” I couldn’t complete the rest as a startling pain erupted through my body. It hurt so bad that I had to bend over to hold myself together.“Mac, stop it!” I wailed. “Stop trying to phase! Stopppp!”“Somebody needs to be the man,” my wolf roared. “I am not letting her wander around in this darkness on her own!” “Fine! Fine…I’ll go!” I exclaime