Chapter 6

Asher POV

After wrapping up my call with Vinny and Dare, I had to get some air. I just need some room to breathe. 

I don’t dislike Saph. She was dealt a shitty hand- a hand I am somewhat responsible for.  She is coping in her own way. What I don’t understand is why her family isn’t doing more to help her.

         “Ash! Wait up!” 

The faint sound of my name being called pulls me out of my thoughts. I spin around and see my brother, Archie, running to catch up to me.

         “What’s up, Arch?” I ask as I resume my walk. I look around and realize that I’m outside already. Huh, must have really been deep in thought; I don’t often space out like that.

         “I saw you storming out of the house. You look pissed. What happened on your call with Dare Bare and Italian Stallion?” he nudges me and I can’t help but laugh. My younger brother has always been able to break me out of a bad mood.

         “How did you come up with those nicknames? I might have to start using them. Vinny will hate it,” I joke as I start shrugging off my shirt. I think letting my wolf go for a run will make me feel better. The warmer weather is fading, and it will only be a couple weeks until Autumn rolls in. I prefer the cooler weather. I enjoy seeing the trees change colors and the nights are longer, which makes me feel even more connected to my animal side.

         “Wish I could take credit, but alas, the award goes to Amy,” Archie tells me as he also starts taking off his clothes to prepare to run in his wolf form too.

         “Amy? The pint-sized Stone sister?” I ask as I slick back my pink hair. I admit pink hair is not the norm for an Alpha, but I’ve grown to like it. It makes it easier for my pack members to notice me when I’m walking around the common areas. And dying my hair also dyed my wolf’s fur as well. Yes, it makes my wolf an easier target in battle, but I’d rather attract the attention in order to keep my pack members safe.

         “The one and only. She’s hysterical. We exchanged numbers a few months back after Renz’s musical debut at Forza Pack. We casually chat,” Archie shrugs, his long hair falling over his shoulder.

         I normally don’t care who Archie associates with, but Dare and Vinny have made me promise not to let him get too close to Amy. Granted, she’s almost twenty, and Archie is twenty-six; they’re adults and can make their own decisions. I don’t have sisters so I don’t understand the protectiveness that comes with having one.

         “What’s the deal with you and her anyway?” I ask, crossing my arms, showcasing my tattoos.

         “Deal? No deal. She’s cool. She’s funny. I get the sense she doesn’t have a ton of friends at her pack,” Archie shrugs, but I see his eyes soften as he talks about Amy.

         “So, you’re just friends? Nothing more? Dare and Vinny think you two were getting a little too cozy a few months back,” I tease. 

To anyone else, we would look pretty weird right now. The two of us are in our underwear, standing at the edge of a tree line, me with my bright pink hair and tattoos, while Archie has a long mullet, with the sides of his head shaved. Luckily, in a werewolf pack, this is more common and none of our pack members bat an eye at the two of us in our almost-naked states.

         “Seriously? Those two need to chill. One, Amy is an adult. She can talk to whoever she wants. Two, just cause we’re talkin’ doesn’t mean we’re fuckin’. Or have plans to. Yea, we joke and casually flirt, but it means nothing,” Archie states confidently, matching my stance with his own arms crossed. We both stand around 6’3, but I have a leaner build, with more definition to my musculature, while Archie is thicker with a broader build.

         “Hey, bro, I’m just checkin’ in. I told those two I’d look out for their younger sisters while they are here for the full moon run,” I hold my hands up, but can’t help rolling my eyes as I am quickly reminded about the reason why I came out for a run.

         “You don’t look too enthused about Amy and Pearl being here for the run. I’m glad I’ll finally be home for a run. I haven’t been here for a full moon since before that battle with The Underground,” Archie shutters. He wasn’t there for the actual battle, but he heard enough about it. Since then, he has been leading a small group of our pack warriors in search of a defunct pack member, Griz.

         What I didn’t tell Dare about the night that Nate was killed was that I could have sworn I saw Griz’s wolf in the background. When that witch, Yaya, was preparing whatever spell to try to kill me with, I saw Griz’s wolf off in the distance, watching what should have been my death, until Nate jumped in and sacrificed himself. Griz used to be mine and Archie’s closest friend. I never anticipated him going against me. 

Vinny and Dare told me about Bram, and about how he manipulated influential pack members to do his bidding. Sounds like he sunk his claws deep into Griz. Almost a year ago, Griz challenged me for the Alpha title. The entire pack watched as we battled it out for two hours- Griz refused to submit.

         We were both bloody, our wolves’ fur was matted, and we both were sporting deep gashes and wounds. Griz made a final attempt to charge at me, trying to take advantage of my wolf having a broken paw. Griz has always let his arrogance get the best of him; this challenge was no different. I turned at the last moment, putting all my weight on my broken paw, and slashed my other front paw at him. I was aiming for his throat, going for the kill, but with both our movements being fast and jerky, I ended up slashing his eye, pulling it out of his socket.

         His wolf thrashed and howled in pain and he was forced to shift back to his human form. He had lost. I spared his life and exiled him from the pack, sentencing him to a life as a rogue. To my surprise, when Griz walked off pack territory, another twenty pack members followed him. They quickly renounced their connection to the pack. In one day, I lost one of my oldest friends, along with twenty other pack members. Feeling their links to the pack break when they chose to go rogue had me in pain for two days. Losing a pack member through death hurts. You feel it in your heart when their heart stops beating. When a pack member chooses to leave- to live the life of a rogue wolf- you feel it in your heart, your mind, and your gut. I suppose, in a way, it’s the Moon Goddess saying you didn’t do right by them as their leader, and deserve the pain of failing them as Alpha.

         I will say that my pack members who witnessed the challenge have reassured me that the pack is better off without toxic members. And, my showing mercy by sparing his life solidified their trust in me as a fair and kind Alpha.

         “Hey! Earth to Ash! We runnin’ or what, bro?” Archie waves his hand in front of my face, pulling me out of my memories. I can’t believe I spaced out again. I really do need to run and clear my mind.

         “Yea, sorry, man. Lots on my mind after that call with Dare and Vinny. Apparently, Saph is coming with Amy and Pearl. Guess she’s acting as a chaperone, or something.” I shrug my shoulders as I fill him in on the details.

             Archie kicks off his briefs and I do the same. “Who is gonna chaperone Saph?” he laughs as we both shift to our wolves and run deep into the thick woods that surround our pack. I don’t respond. I let go and let my wolf take control as we run the perimeter of our territory.