~prologue ~

"Don't fucking die.. Don't fucking do it baby. Just hold on a little longer" Asher muttered through clenched teeth as he quickly shifted into his werewolf form and disappeared into the wild.

It was a cold winter morning. 

The weather harsher than ever as it blew bitterly at his wolf as it continued to race through the tree lines and towards an unknown destination. The icy cold environment unable to stop it in its quest as the wild beast continued to race along. Pushing it's paws to go a tad bit faster.

It dark furs were glistering with snow dust as it leaped over a few death logs in its path before arriving at a clearing just over the edge of the forest. And over there on the snow covered ground, lay a lifeless woman whose body was half frozen with ice yet mutilated with several bullet holes.

The wolf was obviously offended by the sight before its blazing eyes, as it let out a soul shattering howl into the air over and over again before it quickly transformed into a huge man who is none other than Asher himself as he stood with bulged muscle and rock abs, his expression just as pained as he stared down at the scene before him. Even though he was butt naked, he didn’t seem to care as he went crashing on both knees before the lifeless body on the ground.

Anyone could tell, the death woman meant something to him from the way he caress her limp body into his chest before his shaky hands went to sweep across her face, shutting her lifeless eyes as well.

His whole body shook with rage and soon, his silent sobs had morphed into a much louder wail. His large hand, balled into a tight fist by his side. Even though it has only being a couple of minute since he got there, it’s felt like forever before he sniffed back his tears and then stood up from the ground, gathering her dead remains into his arm as well.

Fresh tears gathered in his eyes as he stared at the bullet holes scattered across her stomach and shoulders. 

His nose twitch slightly at the familiar scent of gun powder that was still fresh in the air, causing a low snarl to erupt through his clenched set of teeth. 

Unable to hold back his tears, he let them trickle down his cheeks over and over again as he cradle her cold body into his chest and began to rock her softly. He ran his fingers through her soft curls. Those golden strands of hair seem to hold a lot of memory for him as he smiled and cried a bitter sweet tears at the feel of it between his shaky hands. 

His brown hazel eyes trail further across her body, stopping at her flat stomach and another tears slipped down his cheek. 

Finally he placed a long lasting kiss against her forehead then eyelids before inhaling her scent deep into his lungs as though trying to commit it deep to memory.

He expelled another round of breath after a while, his eyes now narrowing into slit as he stared at nothing in particular but from the look on his face, anyone could tell, something more cynical was brewing in his mind, a heightened thirst for blood settling deep into his crawling skin. 

And Suddenly, something steaming from a place of great pain that was almost demonic, he found himself wanting nothing more than to take his own pound of flesh but he knew it'd be best to wait.

He knows exactly what needed to be done and even more? How to get it done. His enemy won’t know what hit him until it does. Until then, he has to first lay his mate to rest. 

**

One months later.

Asher who sat with clenched fist and an equally clenched jaw hasn't said a single word other than snarling and growling at anyone who tried to get even close to him. The only person bold enough to even try is his best friend and beta Alex but still he knew the subject of Macy's death was totally off limit even to him.

Asher has refused to shave or have a change of clothes as he sat by the dark corner in his room, dressed in a black cloak, the same piece of clothe he had wore to lay his mate to rest.

No single word has been uttered ever since then. His sunburn curls has grown an inch longer and looked very much unkept as he gaze into nothing, his eyes blazing with naked rage yet he sat still with an air of calmness.

Was he heart broken? Angry or plotting something bad. No one knows what could be running through their Alpha's mind and no one dared to ask. 

Only Asher knew the depth of his own grief. How much he was hurting on the inside. Only he could describe in detail how much anguish and pain he could be going through just seating there. The exact amount of rage that has and was still burning through his chest when he kissed his mate goodbye for the very last time.

He could barely smell her intoxicating scent in the air lately, as it was starting to fade into the atmosphere yet Asher refused to let go of her lingering memory. He just couldn't even if he wanted to. Every bit of her was still buried deep into his mind like a song stucked on a fucking replay.

Was it that he can't do it or simply want to hold on to every bit of her lingering memory until he get drowned in them. He wanted to get drown in them even if it meant having a piece of her to hold on to.

A piece of her he could easily bury himself into until he was lost between her warm slit walls. Asher was suddenly overwhelmed with the thought of burying his cock into the wet warm fold of his mate like he did before. He needed to feel his harden erection sliding in and out of her hole once again while she screamed out her orgasm over and over again.

Asher needed to have her between his arms like he did that morning before she was lost to him forever. Before all that was left was nothing but her memory.

Asher knew exactly the kind of mate he was blessed with. Macy was so fucking naive and innocent. So much so that she didn't realize how wicked the world they live in really was. His pack was a safe fortress no doubt but he couldn't say the same for the world outside and he wanted so bad to protect her from it. Heck, he really did.

He was always cautious and overly protective of her every move, in and out of the pack, whereas, Macy hated being followed or constantly trailed because the only way she could be in her element is when she is free without restrictions. That was how naive his mate really was. 

Macy was a free spirit. She thrived for the cold, frigid air outside,not the watchful eyes of a guard that he was offering and if Asher was to be honest to himself, a part of him had always known he won't be able to keep her tame for long but he still wanted to try, hence his reason for making his skilled omega her bodyguard even though she hated it. And now she was lost to him forever.

It hurt him so much because she wasn't the only one he lost that day as Macy was with child. A child that would one day succeed him as Alpha of the Night claw pack.

His blood boils with rage as he thought of adversary. The only person could have found his mate, still with child, and have the heart to riddle her body with pellets of silver bullets while she was out for a run in the woods as always.

Abraham Lincoln has being a thorn in his flesh for as long as he could remember. And now, he has taken something of his that he couldn't just let slide. Macy had died in her human form, unable to shift into a wolf because of her condition, and that was what Lincoln had capitalized on. 

Her weakness as a woman.

Asher had his hands balled into fists, blinking back the tears that threaten to spill from his eyes as he stood up from the ground and then turned to face his beta, Alex who had come with news regarding the hunter who has taken everything from him.

With two long stride, he quickly covered the distance to where he stood and grab hold of the brown envelope within his grasp.

His eyes turned sharp and then narrowed into slit as he stared down at the piece of information in his hands before he growled under his breath, a sense of satisfaction growing deep in his heart. The moment he was waiting for has finally arrived.

"Get prepared. We leave for the city first thing in the morning." He growled at his Beta who only nod in acceptance before exiting his brooding presence.