Chapter 3.

EMBER’s POV.

After leaving Enid and the other people she introduced me to, i decide to grab a coffee before heading home. It is already a bit late and the roads have become a little empty like everyone is rushing to go somewhere. Far in the sky, i see the full moon journeying to the center of the sky. I have always been fascinated by the full moon because on such days, it feels like there is a kind of power that surges through my veins on days like this but I laugh it off. It’s not like I believe in zodiac signs or some sort of universal entity so it’s just me wanting to think wild.

The night is a bit chilly so I try to hurry to the house but I stop short when I start hearing howling sounds from afar. Is there something going on that I am not aware of? I look around and there are only a few people left on the streets and they don't look like they are bothered by the sound. Either they don’t care or they can’t hear it.

Mustering courage, I walk over to an old lady who is closing her food store and the moment she sees me, a small frown settles on her face but she immediately masks it up.

“We are closed for tonight, young lady” she says, “you can come back tomorrow”

“Is there a reason why everyone is kind of in a hurry to leave?” I glance at my watch and it's just a quarter to eight, “it’s not even that late yet”

“Are you new to this town?” The old lady asks again.

“Hmm” I nod, “I just came in today”

“I see.. look. there is a tradition that we follow in this place, on such full moons we go home early so we can give others the chance to tour the city”

“Others?” A confused look flash through my face.

“On a full moon, it is believed that the spirits are looking down on us and blessing us so we make sure to go home early so we won’t obstruct their presence”

Now I badly want to laugh, who even came up with something absurd? The full moon appears when it has moved in its full orbit so that the earth is in between the moon and the sun, so how could they liken this to the appearance of spirits?

“So am i supposed to believe that absurd line ma’am?” A small smile appears on my face.

“It has been a tradition and even if it’s not true, we still have to believe it”

After she is done, she turns around and walks away leaving me alone.

I can’t help but laugh as I start to walk home again, I was scared for no reason. Of course the moon comes with its own energy but spirits? I would prefer to be told that werewolves exist.

I hadn't gone far when I noticed a car parked a few feet away from me and someone is leaning on it. He looks familiar but I can’t fathom who he is.

Covering the space between us, I halt when I discover who it is…Asher. What is he doing here at this time?

He is no longer dressed in the suit from earlier but rather a pair of grey joggers and a white Shirt. His hair is pulled back into a neat bun.. I swallow hard as my eyes continue to travel over him.

God, this man is fine with his muscles peeking out of his shirt like that.

The moment he turns his head towards me, my heart skips a beat. I am not sure if I just imagined the color in his eyes or if they were actually there. Under this full moon, this man looks like a sin, a sin I want to commit.

“How can you even think this way about a stranger?” A voice asks inside of me and I clear my throat, swallowing hard. It’s not my fault that I have had a crush on him ever since my best friend did that documentary on him and he looks so much better in person.

“Don’t you know it’s dangerous to walk alone in raven’s peak at night?”

Fuck me, his voice. So deep, so hoarse, so manly and so sexy..

“I didn’t know I was supposed to be careful touring this beautiful town” I finally find my voice, “what I find more amusing is the fact that you live in this town? People around have told me that you are somewhat the leader”

“I see, you know me” he turns his full body to me.

Lord help me, he has a full arm tattoo and help me, it looks good. Imagine what his suits have been hiding.

“Shame” that voice says to me again.

“How couldn’t I know you? I mean everyone knows you and apparently you have done an interview for my company before so it’s hard to miss.

“I see”

Mr Asher starts to cover the space between us, each step makes my heart thump faster. This is the man I have had a crush on for a year and he is in front of me, talking to me and even..

He finally comes to a halt in front of me, his huge frame towering above me.

“What is your name?”

“Ember.”

“Ember, walking on the road of Raven’s peak at night is very dangerous especially on such a night as this. I will spare you the torture and take you home but I suggest you find your way back to the city soon, this is not the place for women like you”

“So you also believe that spirits walk around at night?”

“You should believe it for your own good, Ember” he responds, “now get in the car”

There is something about the eye he is looking at me that makes my knees turn to jelly. Never in my life did I think I would meet someone like him and even after meeting him, I should naturally be shy but here I am, ogling him and feeling like we have had a connection for years. So much for being a Sophisticated lady.

“My house is just by the corner”

He leans forward, his face only an inch away from mine. He smells divine too.

“I wouldn’t want to call your people to come and pick a dead body when you haven’t even spent a night here, kitten”

“Kitten?” He called me kitten. Color rush to my face, he called me kitten. My insides churn with something I can not quite fathom.

I watch as Asher looks at the watch on his hand and lets out a sigh, “we have less than thirty minutes to get you back home, Ember”

Straightening up, he starts to walk towards his maybach again and I immediately follow him.

He throws open the car door for me and watches me slip into the comfortable seat and in no time, he is on his way back to my condo.

“How did you..

“Enid told me” he cuts me off, glancing at me for a little while.

I open my mouth to say something but decide against it, he is acting like he knows me whereas I don’t… turning around, I focus on the road ahead not wanting to think about the possibility again.