Chapter 6 - Trouble

Willow.

I clutched tightly to my purse, almost like my very life depended on it. In a way, I guess you could actually put it like that, because in the last couple of days I was so I was losing my grip on reality and maybe holding on to my purse would give me the satisfaction that I still had something under control, even though it was just a facade.

“Willow?” Someone's voice by my side was all it took to pull me out of my thoughts. A quick glance at my side showed the owner of the voice to be none other than Carter. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah.” I was lying through my teeth, but he didn't need to know that. “I'm fine.”

That was all Carter needed to know that the conversation was over, and thankfully he didn't push it any further. When he'd come to pick me up this morning, he was all smiles and I couldn't help but feel infuriated. How could he show up at my place just like that, almost like he'd forgotten about the events of that night.

The night we fucked.

For hours on end, I couldn't just stop thinking about it. How his eyes hooded over the moment I wrapped my mouth around his length. How my moans reached the high heavens as he popped a nipple into his mouth. Like that wasn't enough torture, he just had to suck on them, twirling his tongue over the erect bud.

Shit.

I shook my head immediately, willing myself to get rid of those thoughts. They were more than inappropriate and I didn't need any of that now. Not with the partner in crime by my side and Asher up ahead.

We were currently on our way to the official swearing in ceremony of Asher as the Beta of the Blue Moon pack. The party from the other night was only a formality, the same party where Asher had rejected me and my life had spun out of control. This , this was the real deal.

My heart dropped to my feet as we pulled into the designated venue. The low din of the music wasn't loud enough to distract me from my surroundings. Strings lights snakes up and down the poles that held little light bulbs, casting a warm glow on the the surface below. A huge platform like stage stood at the center of it all, with white chairs neatly arranged in rows of six on the left and seven on the right. I could also make out a buffet table, almost similar to the one I'd arranged the night before.

I shut my mind from any further details about the party. I waited till Carter was finally parked, before stepping out of the vehicle.

“Shall we?” Carter motioned to me and I reluctantly took his hand. The surface of my skin prickled with goosebumps with each step we took towards the party. Whispers and murmurs rippled around us and I clutched tighter to my purse. Carter on the other hand, didn't seem to be bothered about anything. Or perhaps I was the one overthinking it.

“Carter!” Someone called from behind us. “You finally showed up.”

“Excuse me.” Carter whispered in my ear, slowly pulling free my from grip. “I'll be back in a jiffy.”

“Carter, wait….” Before I could get any more words out, Carter was already gone.

“Great.” I sighed, a mix of frustration in my voice. Without anything else to do, I allowed my eyes roam the party again. It didn't look to be in full swing, but that didn't matter. More people than I could count milled about, each one of them chatting animatedly in groups, or silently judging the others alone. I couldn't recognize a good number of them, and only then did I realize that during the four years Asher and I dated, I could say he never introduced me to any of these people.

I froze in my spot as something caught my eye. No, not something; someone. Even with the distance that separated us, I could see him well. My breath hitched in my throat and my chest tightened. I knew I was going to see him, but I'd hoped and prayed I wouldn't have to bump into him at all.

I still hadn't gotten over his rejection and now staring at him, was doing nothing more than pouring salt into my wounds.

Wait.

What if this was a good thing? I still couldn't believe all he'd said the night before. That couldn't be his real reason for rejecting me, there just had to be something else, and what better moment to find out what his reason was, than now?

Before I could overthink it or probably talk myself out of it, I dashed towards his direction. My heels clicked loudly against the cobblestoned floors with each step I took. One minute I was staring at my target, and the next, he was gone. Every piece of hope I had left deflated when I realized I'd lost sight of Asher.

“Where is he?” I groaned. “He was just here a minute ago.”

“Looking for someone?” I felt the hairs at the back of my neck stand on end as someone whispered in my ears. Even if I'd suffered memory loss, I would still be able to tell whom the voice belonged to. “If you tell me who, I can probably help you find them.”

“Asher.” I gasped breathlessly. In an attempt to get a good look at him, I spun on my heels, but In less than a minute, I'd realized why that wasn't such a good idea. I watched my life flash just in front of my eyes, as the pointy end of my heels slipped on a pebble. I sucked in a deep breath as I anticipated my fall, but it never came. Instead, strong, bulky hands wrapped around my waist, steadying me just in time too. “Thank you.”

“Anytime.” Asher looked breathtaking and it made my heart ache more. Why did he have to break my heart and discard me like I meant nothing to him?

“ I didn't expect you to come today.” Asher’s voice was low and husky. Even after I'd gotten my footing, his grip on my waist still lingered. His cologne wanted straight into my nostrils, and I felt my insides turning to mush. “Couldn't stay away, huh?”

My breath hitched in my throat for the umpteenth time in the last minute. Asher was giving off nothing but the sexiest and hottest aura and even though I was aware of how badly burnt I could turn out, I wanted more.

“I. I..” I stuttered, my voice barely a whisper. The spot where his hand rested on my waist burned, electricity' crackling through my veins. “ I wanted to ask you something. Why, why did you reject me?”

“Poor Willow.” A shudder raced down my spine as he trailed a finger down my cheeks. His touch was hot and cold, and it was exhilarating to say the least. I watched as he leaned in closer, his lips brushing my earlobe before he let out his next words. “ Do you want me to take you back? Do you miss my hands running along your skin? Or my lips trailing…”

I pressed my eyes shut immediately. I couldn't take it anymore, but it didn't matter, because literally seconds after I'd pressed my eyes shut, I jerked them open again.

“Asher?!” Someone called, interrupting us. Even with the fury in his voice, I could already tell who it was. “ What the hell are you doing with Willow?!”

Fuck. What had I just gotten myself into?