The bill amounted to a huge lot— one that Ashlyn couldn’t afford.
Holding back the curses towards the scheming bastard, she knew she had to turn to someone for help. Therefore, standing in front of the door, she knocked on it.
When permission was given to her, she pushed open the door to enter. After that, she slightly bowed her head to the figure inside.
“Alpha,” she greeted.
Behind the desk was her elder brother seated. Sebastian was older than her three years and couple of months, making him the rightful owner of the title which had been in his possession for good two years.
Both of them bore a lot of similarity in their features with that matching black hair and eyes. He had an intimidating and overwhelming masculine bearing. He reeked off power and dominance.
Those black eyes of his easily brought fear to one’s heart.
In Ashlyn’s eyes, instead of being jealous of him, she saw him as a role model. There was always a lot to learn in her humble opinion every time her eyes fell on him.
Her brother was much more charismatic and stronger. Not only that, his people liked him tremendously and respected him, trusting themselves entirely in his care without a second thought.
He understood the emotions and concerns of the people well, and acted rationally, not letting his impulses get in the way. It was hard for an alpha to not let his emotions affect his judgement, and her brother did a great job with letting his head stay clear.
He was the perfect ruler.
He arched an eyebrow, indicating for her to start speaking.
Ashlyn was ashamed to bring up this request but felt helpless due to her plight.
“I need to borrow some cash. However, I intend to pay you back soon,” she managed to say without any fluctuations present in her tone.
Sebastian knitted his eyebrow.
“Cash? Why?”
Swerving her head the other way, she slowly answered, “I broke the vase in the living room accidentally. Apparently, it’s an antique.”
Voicing this out to her brother gave birth to overwhelming guilt inside her. She knew the werewolf wasn’t proud of her anger management issues, and it to be a lie if she argued on trying her best to hold herself back.
Her brother gave her that look one which made her plunge deeper into self-blame.
“I am sorry,” she forced out.
“I am not aware of the vase being antique. They wouldn’t be casually placed in the living room where it could be easily in harm’s way. Are you sure?”
“That’s what that Beta said,” she responded.
“Elijah did?” he mused.
Ashlyn almost nodded when it hit her and mumbled, “That scheming bastard shouldn’t be cheating me, right?”
Not minding how she cursed at his beta, Sebastian’s eyes had hint of amusement in them, and he expressed, “You should check it yourself without trusting him blindly.”
The corner of Ashlyn’s lips twitched.
Not caring about the relationship they had between two of them, she was willing to beat that bastard up. Obviously, this was his way of punishing her for treating Elaine harshly.
Her alpha’s presence prevented her from storming out of the room and grabbing the scheming bastard by his collar, delivering a couple of punches on his face following that.
Then, the air in the room shifted. It became more solemn, and Ashlyn fixed her mood according to this, straightening herself up. She opted for a more nonchalant outlook.
“The mating ball in coming up,” he started.
“I have already talked with the commander of Redfur pack and worked on the security plan. I will bring it to you later for your opinion,” she voiced out.
“Good. However, this time I expect you to be present.”
This made confusion swirl in her eyes.
She was present each time though.
“I will be there, making sure to not let anything slip.”
“You misunderstood. I don’t want you to be present there as a guard but a participant.”
That took her aback.
Ever since she was old enough to participate in mating balls, she already her position as the pack commander, and her job as providing protection easily preceded over taking part in socializing with other werewolves.
Mating balls were mandatory for all the werewolves aged eighteen to thirty to attend. After that age, it is automatically assumed that the mate had passed away since the age gap more than twelve years is considered to be extremely uncommon.
At the age of twenty three, she was present at five mating balls as the head of security.
“I apologize, Alpha, but that would be risky. And even while guarding the ball, I can sense my mate,” Ashlyn said— her tone hinting the gravity.
During this mating ball, it was easy for werewolves to be distracted and foreign werewolves to sneak in. The mating ball was held in common grounds where all the werewolves had the permit to be at.
That’s why, the security was greatly emphasized.
“As your alpha and your older brother, I deem this as my responsibility. I know you are dedicated to keeping the pack protected, but I don’t want this to be the reason behind you not finding your mate. Therefore, I expect you to participate. And don’t hide your scent.”
As a female werewolf, mate or not, her pheromones attracted the male werewolves, and the male werewolves got excited easily compared to the female ones.
Because of this, in order to keep the warrior werewolves in clear mind, it was a rule for her to cover up her scent through inhibitors. It was in the form of a pill and had barely any side-effects.
Due to that, Elijah bore no clue of the existing mate bond between the both of them.
And this is how she preferred the matter to be. She believed both of them shouldn’t be paired together, and Elijah would prefer the matter to be that way.
Ashlyn held strongly onto the traditional views of the werewolves and greatly respected the concept of mate, knowing they were made for each other.
However, for her and Elijah’s case, she considered it to be an exception.
She tried to argue, “But that’s—”
“I would have asked for your opinion if needed, Ash. You do as you are ordered.”
Ashlyn bit down on her lower lip. Her brother didn’t enjoy being challenged, and she didn’t want to argue with the man either. That’s why, she nodded her head.
“I understand, Alpha.”
She bowed her head before proceeding to leave.
“What’s with the doom and gloom?” asked Leah upon seeing her towering friend leaning against the old warehouse.Sweat covered her body as she folded her hands over her chest. Those eyes of hers showed her absent mind. The pack members trained in front of her, each engaging in a duel with other.“I have to attend the mate ball,” she answered.Leah licked the ice-cream in her hand, relishing the taste of the cold vanilla under the scorching sun.“What’s new with that?”Leah copied a similar posture to Ashlyn while her curious eyes probed her friend for further details.“As a participant without the inhibitor.”Caught off guard by that, Leah exclaimed, “Really!”Her friend’s enthusiasm made Ashlyn scowl at her.This got Leah to clear her throat and replace her expression with a comparatively solemn one.As though it was a matter of great misery, she expressed, “How terrible! How could he do this to you? He is your brother; he is supposed to be on your side. Do you need me to talk to him?
“Hiding for so long— I wonder what treasure you are wearing today,” Leah enthusiastically commented.Pushing the door open, she skipped into the room. However, it only took a second for her expression fall down, and immediate disgust showed in her eyes.There was Ashlyn standing in the middle of the room, strapping her holster into position around her waist. She wore white shirt paired with black pants. Her black hair was pulled into a neat ponytail— stray hairs falling on her forehead.“What are you even wearing!?” exclaimed the excited Leah.Ashlyn arched her eyebrows.“Can’t you see?”After that, she grabbed her blazer and wore it over the outfit. The black blazer was elegant and simple, going along well with her temperament.The frantic Leah stepped forward and grabbed on to her shoulder. She then said, “You can’t wear this to a mating ball. Does this even make sense? No wonder you wouldn’t let me see your outfit.”“Is there anything wrong with it? It cost me a fortune after all.”
Once she confirmed about the attendance of Beta Elijah, Ashlyn found herself in a panicked state. Due to Alpha’s orders, she couldn’t hide her pheromones either.Beta’s had sharp senses. Therefore, unless the distance between them was incredibly large, sniffing her out wouldn’t be difficult for him. Leaving the premises was out of question for her.Pushed to the edge, only one option was left for Ashlyn.Reaching out into her pocket, she took out a glass bottle and removed the cap. Pouring out one of the blue pills in her hand, she didn’t think twice before swallowing it down.The pill took time to work after all.Pheromone changing pills were considered illegal in most packs due to the deceptive nature. For most part, it was used for the sake of committing crimes and hiding tracks. If caught with pheromone changing pills, the punishment could be quite severe, depending on the situation.As the name suggested, the pills worked by changing the natural pheromone into other scent for a c
When the bell rang, lights flashed red around the room, alerting them of an emergency. Even though Ashlyn was prepared for the attack, it didn’t mean she wanted it to happen on this special night.All werewolves panicked and started to move haphazardly. The guards stationed were already working to gather them and calmly guide the women to the basement for their safety.Seeing how everything will be handled fine here, she knew she had to go outside to assess the situation. That’s when she noticed the fumes of gases clouding the room.“Everyone, hold in your breath!” she shouted.Just a whiff of that was able to get her chest and head to feel heavy. Noting the scent in her mind, she tried to figure out the components. She marked the few identifiable ones as toxic.Heading out through the crowd, her hand came in contact with someone else’s. When the spark travelled through her being, igniting passion inside her chest, her eyes widened.“Fuck,” a curse left her mouth.Trained to react qui
“Get up,” Ashlyn ordered, fiercely staring down at all the fallen werewolves. Her upset mood made her presence overbearing, making it hard for other werewolves to breathe properly. Everyone scattered away.Instead of this being trained, the warrior werewolves felt they were being beaten up, treated as an outlet for her pent-up frustration. This was the third time they were thrown, and even the fast recovery state couldn’t heal the exhaustion.Much effort was exerted by one of the werewolves to lift his head and groan. Battered, his face was littered in injuries.“Commander, please, spare me,” he begged— his tone pained.The frown set on her face deepened, showing her dissatisfaction towards his words, and this prompted her to shout, “What sort of attitude is this? All of you’re warrior wolves, the pride of the pack. The pack depends on you, trusts you with their safety.Yet you can’t bring yourself to carry on? It hasn’t even been half an hour. Can’t you bring yourself to last longer?
Ashlyn hated having meals with other werewolves in a shared space. She found solace in being alone. That was weird, considering how werewolves were social creatures.Other than the mated couples who enjoyed having time to themselves, usually grown up werewolves dined in each other’s company in the pack house. Ashlyn stayed away from them.But being dirt poor meant she wasn’t able to afford her own food. Due to this, she found herself stuck in a congested room, barely able to get the food down her throat due to various smells floating in the air.Her heightened sense due to Alpha blood made it torturous for her. The one beside her smelled like a pumpkin— a vegetable she couldn’t stand.Incessant chattering went around the table. Some shared their stories, and the others listened. Usually, they would be too tense in Ashlyn’s presence to talk, but the Alpha’s presence brought them in ease.Unlike her, her brother took the noise as the pack being merry and joyous, enjoying the fun events
“Will you be going alone?” questioned Ashlyn, not fancying the idea.“I am more than capable of protecting myself.”Ashlyn frowned.It wasn’t that her brother lacked in strength or skills; her brother was one of the most powerful werewolves after all. But Betas usually accompanied Alphas during such meetings for extra protection.And Ashlyn believed she was more than capable of handling this case on her own.“But Alpha—”Her brother’s strict stare fell on Ashlyn.“These are my orders, Ashlyn.”She could only be obedient.“Got it, Alpha. Rest assured. I promise to find the Luna safe and sound.”The Alpha excused himself following that. Ashlyn glanced at Elijah only to follow his line of sight. It fell on her injured hand.“That’s wolfarozine. Your hand must be paralyzed now. If you don’t let the doctor check it quickly, you might end up losing your arm. In worst case, the drug would spread through your entire being, rendering all your organs immobilized. And you will be pronounced brai
It didn’t leave behind a pleasant feeling inside her when she saw Elaine giggling and walking into Elijah’s house. At the same time, Elijah’s eyes met with hers. Anger and jealousy burned inside her, making her want to give the control to the beast that wished to break out and show its claim. Scorn and hostility showed on her expression. Then, he raised his hand to place it on Elaine’s shoulder. Flashing her a smile, he diverted his gaze and got immersed into conversing with Elaine. She drew in a harsh breath. Trying to press in her emotions, she strode towards her house when she heard an excited voice exclaim her title. “Commander!” Her steps halted, and a young werewolf rushed to stand in front of her. There was a bright smile on his face while he raised a badge, holding it close to her eyes. “Look at it, Commander. I am the leader of squad two.” Those black eyes of his sparkled, waiting for Ashlyn to shower him with compliments. On contrary to his expectations, her expressio
Although the state of the pack was devastating, they were holding off better than what they had originally anticipated. The casualties suffered on their side were much less.After Ashlyn killed another one of the pack's leader, she tried to mind-link Samuel, deeply hoping that nothing had happened to him. However, she wasn't able to get connected to him.There were no signs of him around here according to the pack warriors.Also she hadn't heard anything from her brother as well.Elijah had dealt with a fair share of werewolves as well. He looked exhausted as he took the moment to catch his breath."Matthew should be where the Alpha went," Elijah expressed.Ashlyn nodded."There isn't nothing much to do here other than the cleaning up. That's why, I will go and look for the Alpha," Elijah expressed."Do that then."Elijah patted on her head before disappearing.°°°Sebastian held his mate in his hand protectively. Her breathing was weak, and she was unconscious. She was covered in wou
When Samuel learned that they were going to attack the pack tomorrow, he was beyond shocked and sent into panic. He thought that at least they would take a week or so more.They explained the plan to them, and all the pack members were under their mind control. All of them were stimulated enough with drugs to stay awake for at least a week straight, and the dosage will be increased during the fight in order to unlock their full potential.In order to not seem entirely suspicious, Samuel took the drug a couple of times, and he could feel how powerful it was. It took all of his will to not let himself be controlled by the drug. There were times he felt he was out of his senses, but his willpower was strong enough to allow him to maintain his consciousness. The way it provided him energy, he could understand how draining the drug will be on his body, and once he is totally hollowed out, there is nothing else other than death for him.Everyone was administered the drug for today, and Sam
Ashlyn and Elijah imprisoned Daniel and the other important members of the pack and questioned them about the information. At first, they had tight lips, but the threats from both Ashlyn and Elijah got them to open their mouths.Although their words were filled with lies, it was easy for Ashlyn and Elijah to recognize them. That infuriated Ashlyn further, and she took out her anger at them in the most brutal ways.Most of them were half dead and senseless by the time they extracted the information, and it could be seen that Matthew was conservative on how much information he shared with them.According to what Daniel knew, Matthew approached them and offered this cooperation. They had no choice but to agree because not only did Matthew threaten them, but also promised them glory and protection. They were helpless and had to agree.Half the time, Daniel called them tyrants for acting in this manner while on the other hand, he begged for forgiveness and wanted to be spared. Ashlyn had
When Daniel offered them to stay the night in the pack, Elijah and Ashlyn didn't refuse, believing that would allow them to inspect the pack more.Once the dinner was done, they were led to their rooms. Ashlyn and Elijah shared a room whereas Rose had hers. Both of them didn't care much about Rose being alone although the Alpha ordered them specifically to make sure that their Luna is fine.Ashlyn was too disgusted to face her and wasn't sure if she would be able to control her emotions. And it's not like anything would happen to her in this pack.In the dead of the night, Elijah and Ashlyn sneaked out and searched around the pack's vicinity, trying to find anything important. There was nothing much found.But they noticed the strict security system, which was odd given how the members in the pack lacked training and resources. And most of the pack members remained in their houses. There was a sort of gloominess present.Other than that, there wasn't much important clues, and they did
Three of them set off for the Dream Pack with Daniel the next day. The Dream Pack was situated pretty far from their pack, so it took them quite a while to reach.Once they reached the pack, they could see how the pack was noticeably smaller than other packs, and there wasn't much population as well. It seemed like a pretty inconspicuous pack, and it made sense why Matthew would choose this pack to hide at.They were warmly greeted inside. And as they were being led towards the pack house, Ashlyn looked around, trying to find any suspicious signs. However, everything appeared pretty normal.Most of the children showed fear towards Ashlyn, and they stayed away from her presence. It can be seen that her reputation had spread here.Once they were in the pack house, they were given meals, and after they rested for about half an hour, Elijah and Ashlyn asked the Alpha for a tour of the pack. They wanted to discuss some matters as well.At the same time, Elijah warned Rose: "Be here. Don't
"No matter how much I think about it, it doesn't make sense for the Alpha and you to agree along with cooperating with Dream Pack. There has to definitely be a reason behind it," Ashlyn commented, waiting outside of the Alpha's office with Elijah.Her brother, Sebastian, was having a talk inside with Daniel Waters. Seeing how long the conversation between them was going on, it genuinely made her wonder whether there was anything this worthy to chat about. Of course, Elijah was instructed to keep an eye on Ashlyn and keep her out in case she ran her mouth randomly and acted a little too disrespectfully. And no matter how curious Ashlyn was, she wasn't able to able to have a peek into their conversation.Elijah stared at her with amusement in his eyes."What makes you think that?" he questioned.She slapped on his arm and ordered, "Be honest or else I am going to be really upset.""When was I not being honest? You can't keep on falsely blaming me and ruining my reputation. I need a com
Ashlyn and Elijah stepped out of the room, leaving the rest of the troubles for Sebastian to deal with. Sebastian was calmer and more collected than them. He will be able to ease the situation well without being taken advantage of.Elijah bought two ice creams and handed over the chocolate flavored one to Ashlyn. Ripping open the cover of the ice-cream, she took a bite out of the cream, making Elijah almost cringe at the scene."How are you feeling? Have you calmed down?" Elijah asked."I don't know. I should have felt better if I managed to get a few lives on my hand. It's a pity," she commented.Elijah nodded, agreeing along with her statement."It's not too late to go back and end their lives if you feel like it. I can help you," Elijah offered.A slight smile appeared on Ashlyn's face."It's weird to have you on my side. It's the first time you didn't get mad at me for acting violently. Usually, wouldn't you call me short-tempered and rash?" Ashlyn said."Wasn't that because I was
Although the Alpha of the White Flame pack was frightened at Elijah's threat and could see that he very much meant to do it, he knew that he had to maintain his momentum. Knowing that almost everyone in this room was on his side gave him a boost of courage.No matter how powerful Elijah was, it's not like he could actually go against him here in front of everyone.He had to give him some face.Slapping his hand off the table, the Alpha tried to maintain his bearing and stood up straight, shouting, "How audacious! You are just a Beta! How dare you try to disrespect an Alpha? You should be punished for your actions."Elijah gave him a mocking chuckle."What a joke. Do you think there is any meaning to leading such a weak pack?" This caused the Alpha to be at a loss of words.Sebastian stepped in to rectify the situation and vocalized, "Elijah, that's it. Don't go too far."The other Alphas were about to gloat how even Sebastian had to put them into consideration when he added, "Ashlyn
The next day, emails were sent to the couple of the pack alphas. At first, they were all skeptical of the sudden message sent, and knowing how their email was only shared within a certain circle, they thought that the email should be of great importance and opened it.The title of the email attracted them as well.'If you want to save your pack.'Currently, all of their packs have been going through great turmoil, and they were desperate to keep both the pack and the pack members safe. Even if this could potentially turn out to be a prank, they didn't hesitate before clicking the email.What's the worst that can happen?The content of the email was well written.It started with how this was written on the behalf of the northern packs and stated how they were apologetic for the recent massacre that happened. Apparently, it wasn't in their intentions to bring them such troubles, and this was the result of their failure and helplessness.Although the mail was trying to express humbleness