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4: Ashallia
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2022-03-30 13:43:01Ashallia turned down the alley behind Pete's Place, heading towards the back entrance. She'd managed to walk here without seeing anyone she knew, thankfully, and hoped the night would continue that way.
She left her things in her locker, then put on her apron, and tied her curls up into a loose bun. Charlie was the chef on tonight, and he smiled at her as she walked through the kitchen, towards the front of house "Hey Ash, how's things?"She forced a smile, with just a "Hey Charlie" in response. Charlie was a decent guy, and always friendly to her, but she didn't want to face the questions tonight. After a quick hi to the other kitchen staff, she grabbed an order pad and pen, tucked them into her apron pocket, and headed through to the front, where her heart dropped to her stomach.Liam and his friends were seated in one of the booths, along with Kacey, who she'd found him with at Paige's party, on Saturday night.That was when he'd dumped her. She'd been shocked, hurt, and upset at finding her boyfriend on the edge of Paige's bed, with his pants around his ankles and a topless Kacey straddling him. And he'd just laughed at her, told her it was her own fault for not pleasing him 'like a good girlfriend should', and broken up with her right then and there, much to Kacey's apparent delight.She felt sick. She didn't want to see them here, especially not with Kacey's hands all over him, like they were now. Turning around towards the kitchen, she was stopped by Pete. He was, of course, the owner, and her boss.Pete smiled at her, before giving her a puzzled look, "Hey, Ash.. you okay? You look even paler than usual.." he trailed off as she shook her head, gently placing a hand on her shoulder, guiding her towards his office in the back. "Let's talk."Ash was on the verge of tears again, but grateful, as she nodded and followed him. He hesitated and said something quietly to Josh, the other server on tonight, and followed her in, closing the door.Leaning against his desk, she avoided his eye contact, trying to get a hold of herself. "What's going on, Ash? I've haven't seen you this upset since.." he trailed off again, shaking his head, "Talk to me." His stood facing her, looking concerned.She took a deep breathe, pulling a tissue from the box on Pete's desk, and dabbing at her eyes before she answered, "I'm sorry, Pete, Liam broke up with me, and I just walked out and saw him there, with her, and.." her voice shook, and she took a deep breathe before continuing, "I'll be fine, I just need a minute. I really need the shift."He moved next to her and placed his hand on her back, "It's okay, kiddo. Don't worry about him, he never deserved you anyway." His hand moved gently over her back in a small circle, "I'll make sure Josh takes care of them, okay? If you need to hide a minute out back, you just do it, okay?"She nodded, lifting her head to smile meekly at him. "Thanks, Pete. Sorry again. I'll head out there." He smiled back encouragingly, "No worries, kiddo, I've always got your back, you know that." And she did. Pete and her Dad had been friends since they were kids themselves, and he'd always been kind to her and her brother, Dane, especially after her Dad's accident.Carefully dabbing her eyes again, she nodded and smiled again, before heading back out. Josh gave her a warm smile in greeting, before Pete grabbed his attention again. She avoided looking over at Liam's table, checking over the open order dockets instead.Getting the feeling of someone watching her, she turned, noticing someone in the corner booth. It was the only other table occupied this early, and in the darkest corner of the restaurant. A tall, dark haired man was seated there, who she'd never seen before. He looked young, maybe mid 20s, from what she could tell. And he was staring at her.Josh startled her as he spoke quietly over her shoulder, "Don't worry about that one, he's been sitting there with the same drink for ages. Freaky looking dude." He moved around in front of her, flashing her another wide grin, "I'll take his, and this douche's tables," he gestured subtly to Liam's table, "you can grab the next ones, 'kay?".She smiled at him, his usual upbeat vibe was as infectious as Alena's. "Thanks, Josh." He winked at her, before heading over to Liam's table. Feeling eyes on her again, she looked back to find the same guy still staring at her, glaring even. 'What the hell is his problem?' she thought, frowning, then moved out of his sight, starting on the usual Monday restock and cleaning tasks, until another table of guests came through the door.Related chapters
Shadowsouled 5: ?
After leaving the holiday house, he'd meandered through the town, always taking the quieter, darker, back streets and alleys, slowly working his way through the centre and out towards the less affluent area of town.He knew Henrik owned several other businesses in this area, and he'd hoped to get close enough to hear, or see, something useful. And it seemed he was in luck.There was a mighty crash from one of the warehouse loading docks, followed by several smaller ones and some yelling. He melted into the shadows - a peculiar ability of his kind - where his presence was almost completely imperceptible. Silently, he slipped closer until he was in proper earshot, "..needs to be cleaned up and out by tomorrow! Henrik'll be checking back Friday, and if he sees this mess your ass is in it!" Some more loud noise followed, along with some muttering and swearing, before all went calm again.He smiled, seeming satisfied. Friday. Perfect. Slipping away, he se
Last Updated : 2022-03-30Shadowsouled 6: Ashallia
Pete's was pretty quiet tonight, so Ashallia worked through her tasks pretty quickly and with few interruptions, albeit with continued stares from the man in the corner.Kacey had come over and tried to order her around once, with a sly smirk on her face, but Josh had stepped in quickly, which had quickly wiped it off her tanned, sulky face.Ash was sure Kacey would have loved to find a way to make her work life horrible, but neither Josh nor Pete were giving her a chance. She was grateful to them both.Pete pulled her side a couple of hours before close, after Liam and Kacey, and their friends had left, "Hey kiddo, I've gotta head off. Charlie's in charge for close, but I'm only a phone call away if you ever need me, okay?"She smiled warmly at him, "Thanks Pete, I appreciate it." He smiled back, then left through the kitchen. Only moments after she'd heard Pete's loud bike pulling away, the front door opened, and she immediately
Last Updated : 2022-03-30Shadowsouled 7: Ashallia
Now her panic really set in, but as much as she tried to kick, scream, claw, and bite, she was held firm. The others just laughed more, one of them reaching to open the back of the car.She suddenly remembered something her Dad had told her, and pressed the heel of her workboot against his shin bone, and dragged it down hard, right along where the flesh was thinnest. He yelped and released her, grabbing at his leg. She almost fell, but pushed herself up and ran as hard as she could, while they were caught off guard.They were surprised enough that she managed to get a few metres from them, only to suddenly slam into what felt like a solid brick wall. It knocked the air out of her and she stumbled back, looking up, right into the eyes of the creepy guy from the corner of the bar, who'd spent the night staring at her.And she froze. The expression on his face looked absolutely murderous. The four sleazebags seemed to think so too, she heard them
Last Updated : 2022-03-30Shadowsouled 8: ?
The moment he saw her step out from the kitchen, he knew she was responsible for this nightmarish sensation he'd been feeling since he woke up.It was coming from her, and drawing him to her. At this distance, it was taking all too much effort from him to resist its powerful pull, and that kept him constantly on edge.What kind of being was she, that she could cause this strong an effect on one like him? On a human, he could understand, they likely wouldn't even sense what was happening. But he was far from human, and despite her appearing so innocent and unaware, it seemed the same was true of her.Both furious and intrigued, he sat silently, watching her closely all evening. He noticed her face when she saw the people at the other table, noticed the other server making sure they didn't bother her, noticed those sleazebags hitting on her - which only made him angrier, both at them, and that whatever she was doing made him feel somehow protective of her.
Last Updated : 2022-03-30Shadowsouled 9: Ashallia
An hour had gone by before she moved again, getting up to wash her face and drink some water, her hands still shaking as she took off her work clothes and left them on the floor. She grabbed one of her Dad's old band tees from her drawers, pulled it on, and climbed into her bed, exhausted.She hadn't bothered setting an alarm, and slept, mostly restlessly, until late morning. Rubbing at her eyes and yawning, she reached for her phone. There were a bunch of new notifications from her senior year's group chat, and a message from Josh, checking she got home okay.She paled, thinking of the night before. She almost hadn't, but she didn't want to with worry him with it, 'Yep, all good. Thanks Josh! :)' she wrote back, before sighing and sitting up. Hearing a lot of noise downstairs, she grimaced. Obviously, her step dad, Kevin, was home today. This would be awkward.Getting up and pulling some leggings on, she went to the bathroom, and then downstairs, he
Last Updated : 2022-03-30Shadowsouled 10: Lukas
Lukas turned off the highway at Violet Cove, refuelling his bike at the first service station he found, near the edge of town, before continuing on to the address his brother had given him.As he pulled in, one of the garage doors lifted, and he noticed that their other brother was already here. He smiled, it would be good to have the three of them together again, even if only for a week or so.The roller door closed again as he parked his bike and dismounted, heading for the door he assumed led into the house itself. It opened before he got there, and his older brother filled the frame, leaning against it with a grin."Little brother," he said, happy to see him. Lukas walked over to him, grabbing his outstretched hand and pulling him into a casual hug. "Mikael," he said, with a grin, "it's been far too long, big brother." Mikael nodded, more solemnly, "Too long indeed," and turned to head inside.Lukas followed, dropping his backp
Last Updated : 2022-03-30Shadowsouled 11: Jason
Jason stormed out of the room, heading upstairs. He needed to.. he didn't know what he needed, other than space. He didn't want to even think about that possibly, let alone talk about it. It wasn't right, it couldn't be. And yet, it made sense. It would explain this feeling that had been pulling at every fibre of his being, and why it wouldn't go away. And why she seemed completely unaware of anything unnatural, why she didn't fight back when..He stopped that trail of thought as he felt his inner rage swelling to dangerous levels. Undressing, he turned the shower on hot, stepping in and letting the steaming hot water distract him, calming him. He took his time, scrubbing every inch of his toned, muscular body with the subtly scented shower gel.He stepped out in a better frame of mind, cooler and in control again. Even though that feeling tugged at him still. He sighed, drying off and wrapping the towel around his waist and reaching for his shaving kit. Taking his tim
Last Updated : 2022-03-31Shadowsouled 12: Jason
It wasn't hard to find her, he just followed where the feeling was pulling him to. It got stronger and stronger as he walked, until he arrived at a large, yet dishevelled looking house, in a somewhat nicer part of town. It looked like it had been nice, once.Standing across the street, it all looked quiet. He melted into the shadows and moved silently through them, crossing the street, into the yard, and doing a full lap of the house to be sure. He could sense her, upstairs. After watching her window for a few minutes, he frowned. There was no light, no movement, and it was still fairly early. Was she asleep already? His eyes followed the shadow of a large tree that cast over the house and across her window. He could use that, and did, climbing up unseen. Peering inside, he could see most of her room, and her, asleep on her bed. He pulled out one of his small daggers, slipping it under the window and lifting it gently. It was unlocked and began sliding o
Last Updated : 2022-04-01
Latest chapter
Shadowsouled Epilogue: An End and a New Beginning
One year and six months later:The bunker had provided exactly what they'd sought, though its origins were still shrouded in mystery.They'd been able to set up something of a home here, secure and well defended. Lukas had been able to reverse engineer the phone they'd taken from Craig, and not only been able to use its new technology, but also trace the last few members that posed a significant threat, along with the last of their munitions.He'd also been able to send lengthy transcripts and history to several other news networks not yet taken over by Newscience, who were more than eager to break the story of his other, shadier organisation, and its links to his other businesses and donation recipients. The story had rocked the country, with many politicians' and business' involvement being publicly exposed. Newscience had collapsed, along with many underground smuggling networks, with enough of an impact to make any who might fill the void feel more than a little wary. They heard
Shadowsouled 72: Jason
He felt her rush of emotion as she uttered the word, and he smiled wide, taking her hand and placing the ring on her finger. She blushed brightly, and he could feel his own cheeks flushing a little, and pulled her down beside him, wrapping her in his arms as he kissed her deeply. His own rush of emotion only got stronger, and he let it overwhelm him, knowing she'd feel just how deep his love was for her. And he felt hers too, overwhelming her as she returned his kiss, softly and tenderly, and for a long moment it was as though only the two of them existed, wrapped up in each other's deep feeling of love. When they finally moved apart, she was smiling wide at him, still blushing, but happy. So happy. He felt that too, within himself, despite everything, and he never wanted to be without it again. Or without her. "I love you," she whispered softly, and he touched his nose gently to hers, "I love you," he responded, and her face brightened even more. He kissed her again, and they lost
Shadowsouled 71: Ashallia
Ash returned his kiss with a sense of wonder, feeling that incredible rush of darkness, and now everything from him. Only that everything from him was everything from her, too, and the arousal they both felt was spiralled upwards again, more intense than ever. She suddenly felt an all encompassing need for him, and clamped her muscles tight around him, drawing her hips back slowly. He gasped, breaking their kiss, and she moved her hands, placing them on the tree trunk behind her to support herself as she began moving her hips back and forth, using her muscles in time with them. He swore under his breath and began thrusting in time with her, burying his head in the curve of her neck again as he moaned in intense pleasure. She did the same, feeling her own pleasure being heightened by his, as his was by her own, climbing higher and higher. His thrusts grew harder and rougher, as his gaze turned more intense, and she moved her hands to around his neck, holding herself up and letting hi
Shadowsouled 70: Jason
Jason stared wide-eyed at the large concrete structure. This was a lot more than just a bunker, he realised, and wondered if it was truly abandoned. He squatted low, motioning for Ashallia to do the same, and crept closer slowly, keeping his eyes and ears alert for any kind of activity. Yet it all seemed still, and he wondered who would ever build something like this, and then just leave it. It looked advanced for the time it must have been here, too. Jack looked to have been in his 50s, at least, and he'd said it had been here at least that long. It was incredibly strange, but it could also be incredibly useful, especially with the tunnels he mentioned. He pulled out his phone, lifting it up to snap a picture, and sent it to the others. Even then there was no movement, and he exchanged a look with Ash, who looked as confused as he did. "Who do you think built it?" she asked softly, her voice barely audible, and he shrugged. "I have no idea," he said, feeling absolutely perplexed, "
Shadowsouled 69: Ashallia
Ash froze as she turned and saw the second man with a crossbow, and reached out for Jason. He turned, and she heard him sigh deeply as the stranger stepped closer, keeping his crossbow aimed at them. He seemed unable to decide who to focus it in though, shifting between them two of them, looking tense, and at least a little bit afraid. "Jack," he called out suddenly, with a thick northern accent, "I've got 'em over 'ere," he said, lowering his voice as he spoke to the two of them instead. "How many more o' ye are there?" he asked, and Jason sighed again. "Just the two of us, for now," he said, as he slowly moved in front of Ash, putting her between him and the large tree. "The fuck ye mean, 'for now'?" another voice asked, coming around from behind the tree, where the first shooter had been. Jason shrugged, looking far too casual, though she could sense his tension through their connection, and assumed it was deliberate. "More are coming," he said calmly, "but we mean no harm. Just
Shadowsouled 68: Jason
Jason pulled her into an embrace again, kissing her deeply, letting her feel all of his desire for her. It had been too long, he needed her, and he could feel her need for him too. It only made it even harder to control his own. He sighed deeply as he pulled away from her a moment later, feeling Lukas coming quickly towards them through the shadows. She could feel it too, he knew, though he still felt her mild disappointment as he broke the kiss. They needed to find somewhere alone, and soon. He gave her an affectionate smile, and she returned it, her cheeks looking flushed with arousal. Lukas moved into their shadow a moment later, raising an eyebrow as he looked at the two of them. "Hope I'm not interrupting," he said with a grin, only making her cheeks turn a darker shade of pink. Jason smiled, shaking his head at his brother, amused, "Not yet," he said, making Ash's eyes widen. He took her hand then, and turned to Lukas, "We'll go further on foot, if you'll wait for the others h
Shadowsouled 67: Ashallia
Ash smiled, feeling an enormous sense of relief as each of them stepped out of the shadows in the small dining room of the old house, finally safe. Or safer, at least. "So, where to?" asked Alex, and Mikael sighed, "Almost anywhere but here, but first," he turned and gave Jason a look that made him nod, before taking another one of those tiny devices from the seam of his jeans. "You're going to blow it up?" Ash asked, her eyes wide, and Alex patted her shoulder, "Let's call it, 'helping it collapse'," he said, sounding apathetic. "You don't care? That it'll be gone?" she asked, a touch of sadness in her voice, and Jason shook his head, "It's just a building," he said softly, "Everything that has ever meant something to me, will still live on." He reached over to touch her cheek, and she blushed, knowing he included her as part of that. He kissed her forehead softly, and she smiled up at him, before realising that they were all looking at her, waiting. "What?" she asked, confused, an
Shadowsouled 66: Lukas
Lukas headed back down, unable to contain a small smirk as he stepped out back in the room with the others, "They're fine," he said, "Just.. busy for a moment." Mikael sighed and Cameron rolled his eyes, "Now, of all times?" he asked, and Lukas shrugged. "They'll do what they need to," he said quietly, "and from the sound of that collapse, we may not get to the surface until Alex and Nate get here anyway." Cameron looked at Mikael then, tilting his head, "How long has it been? Maybe that was them starting to dig us out?" he said, sounding hopeful. Mikael frowned in thought for a moment, but shook his head gently, "I doubt the collapse will have reached the surface, given how far down we are, and Ash should have heard them if they tried the stairs." He looked questioningly at Lukas, who shrugged, "She didn't mention hearing them." Cameron sighed, crossing his arms and resting back against some crates, "So, we just wait? Until they're done being 'busy'?" he said, sounding impatient no
Shadowsouled 65: Jason
Jason pulled Ashallia under him more, covering her protectively as the room continued to shake, more dust and chunks of concrete falling around them. "Are you guys alright?" he asked, trying to see through the dust towards them. He heard Cameron coughing, which was certainly an improvement on him being unconscious just a few minutes before, and Mikael and Lukas groaned softly. "We're okay," Lukas said, his voice sounding strained, "Is that all of them?" he asked, and Ashallia coughed again, trying to cover her nose and mouth with her sleeve, "I could only sense him, I transferred what I could from you two.." she said weakly, and Cameron groaned a soft, "Thank you." As the room fell still and silent again, they waited a long moment, then began to slowly get up. Looking around the room, a sense of dismay filled them all. Large chunks of the ceiling had caved, and streams of dust stopped and started in various places, making the whole thing look unstable, and worse, he saw that the sta
