Chapter 2 : His Girl

Ashley POV

Well, I'll take it back. His mom is actually a good woman. It's just his father that's the problem. But that doesn't change the fact that Jayden R. Keller, my mate and fiancé, already has a girlfriend who even dared to cheat on me behind my back. Isn't that ironic?

Meanwhile, Blair walked to the sink beside me and carefully washed her hands. Her pale skin looked whiter than it did in the commercials, though I couldn't tell if that was due to good genes, makeup, or the pale light from the overhead light. Really, public bathrooms always have horrible lighting.

I have to admit, though, that she was still beautiful. In fact, she's even more beautiful in real life. Commercials take some of the humanity out of the people who star in them, and even dramas have managed to dull her light a bit. Or maybe it's her "imperfections" that enhance her beauty. The slight curve of her nose, the slight dip of her ears, the slight imbalance between her upper and lower lips - every little thing.

His jacket was a thick but sleeveless denim jacket and a hoodie made of a comfortable, oversized gray sweatshirt material. I remembered that the jacket fit him well, but it was too big for Blair. She even rolled up the sleeves, exposing her slender wrists and fingers. She had a slender, graceful neck - like a swan's - and around her neck, curving to follow the shape of her clearly visible collarbone, was the thin gold chain necklace I had bought for him. I was so sure because I'd spent hours thinking about its unique design, and even longer staring at it after I'd forged it to make sure it was exactly what I wanted. It was the first gift I'd given him after our engagement, and I wanted it to be special. Something he would always remember.

And here it is, in someone else's possession. Isn't that sweet? I was the one who gave it to Jayden, but he had the audacity to give it to another girl. What a sweet person, I scoffed in my heart.

Feelings of jealousy surfaced and told me to snap. But I managed to ignore them. To be honest, I wasn't really in love with Jayden or anything, maybe because we are mates and bond so I could feel that sense of pain. I hated him more. But I wasn't going to let him cheat on me. Not if we had to mate and get married.

Although, is that even an option anymore? If my parents find out, our engagement will definitely be called off. Is this my ticket out of the soon-to-be horrible, shitty wedding town? Is this good for me?

When she realized that I was staring at her, trapped in my own swirling thoughts, Blair looked back at me and smiled politely. "Finally finished today?" she asked in a light, trembling voice. "You and the other coordinators have worked very hard and deserve at least a week off."

This statement took me by surprise for a moment, and I was just about to open my mouth and tell her the truth - that I was just there to get my keys - when an idea popped into my head. "Yes," I replied quickly, putting on my friendliest smile. Strangely, it was painful to smile at her. "I've been here since morning with some other people. I'm exhausted."

My smile must have looked as hurtful on my face as it did in my chest because she gave me a sympathetic look. "I'm sure. They're lucky to have you. At least you can get some rest on the flight overseas."

"Yes," I repeated, not knowing anything about traveling abroad.

I continued to wash my hands, rubbing and scrubbing them in a way that suggested I'd gotten something sticky. While I waited for her to finish washing her hands, I followed her to the hand dryer. When she was satisfied, I stayed in front of the machine, praying fervently that the plan would work.

"Do you want to go back together?" she finally asked, raising her voice above the loud roar of the machine.

I nodded and followed her to the door, remembering the guard who had escorted me earlier. He probably wouldn't approve of me following her, knowing that I wasn't... What did she mean by a coordinator? What did she mean by that?

"Wait," I called out as I stopped.

"What's going on?" she asked, turning her head with her eyebrows raised in surprise.

"There's this guy," I began, hoping my lie didn't sound as outrageous as it did in my head. "He's in security and he's been asking for my number all day. He's waiting outside the bathroom right now. I'm kind of afraid he's going to follow me home or something. If you could do anything to help me get away from him, I'd really appreciate it."

Her eyes widened in horror. "Are you sure you don't have to report this to the manager?"

I shook my head. "I just started working for him, I don't even have an ID yet." Inwardly, I clenched my fist at the brilliant idea of mentioning my obviously non-existent identity. In front of her, I tried my best to play the shy intern. "I don't want to get in trouble."

"It's not a problem, you should know that," she said gently. "But I understand the need to show self-identity, and the girls need to stick together." She gave me a big smile. "What do you want me to do?"

She was really sweet. Really, I almost felt sorry for her. Almost.

"If you could tell him that you want to talk to me backstage or something," I replied, "I could use that opportunity to sneak out of here through one of the back doors. Make it look like you're really mad at me or something like I did something wrong or insulted you. He could stay away from Blair Anderson. You're pretty famous, you know."

She giggled. "I sound like an Alpha mafia boss." She quickly caught herself and regained her composure. "But if he tries to bother you again in the future, you'll have to find his manager. Promise me?"

Okay, now I'm starting to feel bad. In another world or timeline, we might have been best friends. Fortunately, a glance at the necklace on her skin and the jacket on her body restored my resolve.

"I'll do it," I said, managing what I hoped looked like an anxious or at least shy smile. It wasn't too hard to put together since what I was doing was practically trespassing, and it was being done under the guise of being a fake worker. It was probably an illegal act. I could already imagine the media bad-mouthing my family name and the pack that had made my late grandfather a great achiever if I got caught.

"Come on," she said as she pushed open the bathroom door.

Nodding, I followed her out. The guard who had been watching me wore a puzzled expression as Blair wrapped her arm around mine and began to pull me in the same direction I had come.

"I need to speak with her," she said coldly. "Please return to your position."

He opened his mouth to speak, but she cut him off. "No protests. She's mine for now."

"If you're sure," he said hesitantly, not really backing down.

"I'm sure." She stepped away from him. When we were both far enough away that it was safe to talk, she muttered, "What an asshole."

"Thank you," I exclaimed, feeling a genuine relief wash over me.

"Yes, of course," she said cheerfully, letting go of my arm. She continued walking down the hallway, very quickly considering her small frame, and I had to work hard to keep up with her. "Do you have a ride? It's a little late for a girl to be walking home alone."

"Actually, I don't," I lied with fake embarrassment. "Do you mind...?"

"Not at all!" She smiled. "I need to take care of the coordinators while they take care of my boyfriend and his group members. In the end, I will take care of him."

"What?" I did. Bingo. The beans had been spilled.

"Oh, you're new, I forgot," she said before lowering her voice conspiratorially. "Everyone has been very good about keeping this hidden and private, and I thank them for that. Inevitably, however, the media will probably find out sooner or later, and our managers have agreed that those who work closely with them will probably find out as well."

"Know what?" I asked stiffly.

"I... I'm in a relationship with one of the members," she said, then blushed.

Suddenly I felt my heart getting cold. I had known it since I had seen her, but it felt worse to hear it in person. In the end, I could only nod once.

"And who is he?" I asked, trying to sound curious but not like I was prying for information.

By then, the two of us had turned a corner that led to a narrow hallway with a pair of double metal doors - not unlike the ones in the women's restroom - at the end and on the west wall in the middle. "Backstage" was written above the door at the end of the hallway, but the fact that I had arrived at my destination was not what caught my attention.

What caught my attention was the crowd of people coming out of those doors - specifically, the seven people I had just seen perform on stage who were walking forward.

They had changed into more casual clothes, wearing jackets or coats with various hats and masks covering their mouths and noses. But even in the opaque bodysuit that covered his entire body, I could catch a glimpse of Jayden, I could smell his scent, the white musk filled my nostrils, even as long as he could still talk. To be honest, even if he couldn't, I'd probably have a better chance of finding him than most. I've known him for so long, that I can even recognize him by the way he walks and moves. He would need more than a white mask and a black Puma brand hat to hide from me and my fierce gaze.

Maybe he felt it too. Because as soon as my eyes fell on him, he glanced between me and Blair. His familiar brown eyes widened in surprise, and I could see movement behind his mask that indicated he actually opened his mouth in surprise. He even stopped abruptly as the person behind him bumped into him, causing him to stumble slightly. Had it been another day, I probably would have felt a sense of joy at the look of confusion on the face of one of the most annoying people in the world.

But now I was angry, and I had every right to be.

"Jayden!" Blair shouted in an overly sweet voice. "Why are you all trying to leave without saying goodbye? I was just in the bathroom with..." She looked at me. "Uh, what was your name?"

I had forgotten his presence and reflexively shifted my focus to Blair. I saw a glimmer of light in her eyes, but it disappeared before I could confirm its nature. Instead, I did my best to stay where I was and continue the charade of being a shy intern. It was also possible that Jayden would do the same and pretend not to recognize me. He was smart enough to pick up on things very quickly. He would play it smooth and keep his cool, and so would I.

However, to my amazement, and I must admit, with an unnatural mixture of satisfaction and fear, he reacted in a completely different way.

Narrowing his eyes to mine, he opened his mouth and swore loudly. Before anyone in the hallway, including me, could speak or react, he growled in the same cold voice I had heard so many times before.

"What are you doing here, Ashley?"