Chapter Five

Asher

Seeing that slight smile on her face brought a ton of aggravation on my end. I still couldn't believe it.

This was my mate. My true mate.

“Asher?”

Serena's voice came again beside me, a different kind of reminder.

I had a mate already.

Serena had spilled the beans before I could speak, and now, this woman who was my True mate knew I was with someone that wasn't her.

So why did she look relieved and happy?

I had no idea why I was acting out this way. I had no intentions of mating with her, true bond or not. I already had Serena.

Yet still, the twist of annoyance at looking at her face continued.

I turned away, even passing Serena as I walked out of the prison. Serena followed me, calling out my name.

“You.” I called out the first guard, seeing the initial fear in his eyes before he came closer to me.

“Yes sir.?”

“Release her and send her to one of the rooms in the pack house.” I ordered

He nodded sharply “Yes sir.”

After signaling the other guard to follow him, the two guards passed me to enter the prison.

I turned away to leave when a familiar hand stopped me.

“Asher." Serena whined. “Stop ignoring me.”

I withhold my sign. She was always demanding like this.

Pulling her hand away I turned to her fully keeping a straight look on my face.

“Why did you come here? I told you I was handling this?” I asked straight to the point.

“I missed you.” she said, looking down meekly.

“Besides, only yesterday you came back with some rogue's smell all over you. You can't expect me to not feel uncomfortable.” she began to pout.

I sighed at her words. There was no stopping Serena.

“Okay then. I'll be heading to my room now.” I told her.

As I entered my room I recalled the events that led me here.

I and another guard were just in the forest, walking around as he informed me of security measures. That was when I caught it.

A slight scent, though sweet, but slightly tainted. I ran like a man possessed, my guard following me.

In moments we reached the place. There laid a young woman, sprawled on the ground with a bag beside her.

My body moved faster than my mind could comprehend, moving towards her unconscious body.

Then I heard it, the word that solidified everything I had felt till now. My wolf sighed within me.

‘Mate’

After taking another bath I left my room, moving towards the area to get her location. After a brief conversation with the maids I was led to the room where she stayed.

There was no hesitation as I opened the door.

Despite her frail frame, she looked better than when she was in prison. She wore a white long dress that covered most of her body, similar to the one in the prison. Her scent, fresh and free from any taint, entered my nose.

Her body was shifted at an angle from the way she sat on the bed, looking at the window. It was only moments after that her face shifted, turning to me slightly.

Her red hair flowed in waves which reached her back, glowing against the sunlight.

She was beautiful.

I shook my head frantically to wipe my thoughts away. None of that mattered. I had to find a way to convince her to forget the mate bond.

Looking at her I remembered that she had been staring at me this whole time. All the while I was acting like a fool.

What happened to me? I had never lost my cool countenance with anybody before.

I recovered, standing straighter as I entered and shut the door.

Silence reigned for a few minutes, tension rising before I finally spoke.

“I suppose you know what we need to talk about now.” I said.

I expected her to react in fear as the others did, yet she gave no reaction. Her face remained blank, catching me off guard.

She nodded. “Yes. I'd like to start first.”

With slight hesitation I nodded, wondering what she was going to say. Was she going to express her anger on my being mated to somebody else? Was she going to beg for me to take her?

“I'm not interested in being your mate.”

…What?

I blinked as her words seeped into me.

Women threw themselves at me, using every means of deceit and seduction to get me to fall for them and mate with them. Even others from different packs tried their luck, hoping that since I hadn't found my mate.

Yet here was my true mate, someone I was practically bonded to since birth, and she wasn't interested at all.

I looked at her with new eyes.

“Why?" I couldn't help but ask.

She looked at me and I couldn't help but be drawn into her blue eyes, a complete contrast to her red hair. She was a contradiction in every way.

“I have other things to worry about.” her words were vague, and somehow her withdrawal brought up the annoyance again.

It was enough. She caught me off guard at first, but I still had to question her.

“What is your name?” I asked

“Arizel H-... Trellis.” she answered

‘Ariziel. A fitting name.’

Clenching my jaw I stopped my thoughts as I continued.

“What is the name of your pack?”

“The Solstice pack.”

That pack? My hands curled up into fists as I asked my final question.

“Why did you run away? Why were you in the forest?”

She looked down and I wish I could read her mind and find out what she was thinking at that moment.

“In my…former pack, I was betrothed to…to one of my pack members. He…he wasn't a good person.

That's why I ran away. To start a new life away from him.” She said

Before I could say anything she stood up, fully facing me and began speaking.

“All I need is to stay here, even if it's for a short time. I won't ask for much, and I'll contribute the best I can while I'm here. So please let me stay.”

“As for our mate bond…I know you're already with someone else and I don't want to interfere. We can find a way to break the bond.”

Every word she said surprised me time and time again. I hadn't expected her to give in so easily, nor beg for a place. While she faced me, I noticed something.

There was an injury. A small cut lined just right above her left eye. It was slightly swollen too.

Where could she have gotten that? I wondered? Was it while she was running in the forest? Or could it have been…before that?

What could have happened to make her run away from her pack?

I stopped myself from my thoughts. None of that mattered. She wasn't anything to me and never will be.  All that mattered was that her presence wasn't going to harm the pack and she was ready to remove the mate bond.

“Okay then.” I said.

“You can stay here as long as you want. And as for the bond…”

“Since you seem to have made your decision, then it's final.”

I turned around before saying the final words.

“The pack priestess will break our bond.”

And after, this mess will be over.