1. The Night

~Third Person's POV~

Her light brown eyes shone as the light from the candles reflected on her face. A beautiful bright smile which showed the dimple on her left cheek even in the dim light was sitting on her lips and with a few brown curled hair strands falling on her forehead, she looked like an angel who had just arrived from heaven.

She looked at her white wristwatch and smiled, knowing it was time for the surprise she had planned for days.

She tip-toed into the big mansion before her and smiled as her companion winked at her and gave her thumbs up.

She walked slowly into the living room where everyone started to gather with presents in their hands and big bright smiles on their faces.

They all made their way to the first room on the first floor with the beautiful brown-eyed girl taking the lead with a chocolate cake in her hands.

She slowly opened the door and motioned to a woman to reach the bed after switching on the lights. But the moment the woman reached the bed, she gasped, "Huh? Where is he? He was supposed to be here."

Her husband who was silently observing his wife voiced, "Where did he go? He told you that he was having body pain and a headache and was going to sleep. Did anyone see him leaving?"

Everyone in the family shook their heads and they all looked at the girl who was their son's childhood best friend.

"Evelyn, Ashton didn't tell you anything?" Ashton's mother, Susanne asked.

Evelyn shook her head, "He just told me he wasn't feeling well and was going to sleep. I don't know where he is."

Evelyn tried to reach out to Ashton through a phone call but was left troubled as his phone rang underneath the pillow.

Richard, Ashton's father nodded to his elder son, Aiden and Aiden quickly pulled out the CCTV recordings on his phone.

Knowing what time his brother went to bed, he started checking the recording of the front and back doors of the house and found Ashton left the house 1 hour before midnight in a hurry.

"I feel something is wrong... He doesn't look fine to me," Aiden said while looking at the screen of his phone.

Seeing how troubled Ashton was looking in the video, Susanne started pacing in the room, "I wonder where my baby is..."

Evelyn called each one of their friends to know about Ashton's whereabouts but he wasn't with any of them which bothered Evelyn more.

She recalled every possible place where he could be at this moment and dashed out of the mansion.

Starting her car, she drove to the farthest place from Ashton's home and reached the forest where they both built their hideout from the world.

The night was dark with a lot of noises coming out of the forest which made her legs shiver and curse herself, "Dang it... I shouldn't have come here on my own."

With the help of a flashlight of her phone, she walked slowly into the woods and released a sigh of relief as the pond started to come into her view.

She was about to climb the ladder of their treehouse when she heard the cracking of twigs from her left. Turning her head slowly to her left, she slowly made her way to the ladder.

"Nothing is here, Evelyn. Relax... This forest doesn't have wild animals. Only rabbits and sometimes deer can be seen, " She said while trying to calm her racing heart.

Again the snap of twigs reached her ears and when she turned to look at it, a loud yell came out of her mouth and she started running in the opposite direction.

She tried to make her way back to her car but her way was blocked by a big jet-black wolf who was snarling at her with his canines out and saliva dripping out of his mouth.

Shivering, she tried to make another move but one growl from the wolf made her put a halt in her movements.

"Ash, save me..." Evelyn whispered looking everywhere but not at the wolf.

The giant wolf started to circle her with his stare piercing her soul. She shivered to see his slow and deadly pace and with tears forming in her eyes she looked into the eyes of the wolf.

Their eyes locked with each other and for a moment Evelyn forgot that a wild creature was standing in front of her.

She got lost in his big black eyes which wasn't looking that deadly now. Instead, it looked like that wolf was betrayed by someone.

Unknowingly, she reached out to touch his face and to her surprise, he leaned into her touch which made her eyes as wide as saucer.

She started to caress his face having no fearful feeling in her heart or body and whispered, "I thought you would make my best friend's birthday my last day on the earth. "

As if the words hit the wolf wrongly, he growled at her in a low voice and yanked her hand away.

Startled, she kept looking at the wolf with a pounding heart.

She thought she made him angry and now she would be his dinner but the wolf made his way behind a tree which gave her a good opportunity for Evelyn to run back to her car but for some reason, she didn't want to leave.

She feels like the wolf is in trouble or needs some help. And be it an animal or human, Evelyn never turns her back on anyone in need.

She waited at her spot for a few minutes for the wolf to return or give her any sign to follow him but when she didn't get any of these, she decided to make a move to the tree where the wolf went.

"Don't... Umm... Bambi...?" She heard Ashton's voice.

"Ashton Warren, where the fuck are you! You were supposed to be in your bed!" She yelled while looking around her.

"I'll tell you everything but... Before that get me some clothes from the treehouse." Ashton's voice filled with dejection reached her ears.

"Ash... Are you alright? Why do you sound so low and where are you?" She asked while looking for Ashton everywhere around her.

"Evelyn, clothes first..." Ashton sternly said.

Evelyn raised her brows in amusement and blinked her eyes thrice after hearing her name coming out of his mouth. He never calls her by her name unless they have some serious issue at their hands or he is upset.

She quickly did what he asked for and came back from the treehouse carrying a T-shirt and jeans in her hands.

Ashton got dressed as fast as he could and with a heavy sigh leaving his mouth, he walked to Evelyn while looking at the full moon over his head.

"Why?" he murmured.

"Umm... Why what, Ash? And what the heck you are doing here? You were supposed to be in bed two hours ago!" Evelyn shouted while stomping her foot on the grassy ground.

"Don't shout, Bambi..." Ashton said while shutting his eyes as hard as he could.

Even though Evelyn didn't like the way he talked to her, she didn't say anything instead, she kept looking at her best friend who looked as if he was fighting an inner battle.

She stepped in his direction with worry pooling in her eyes and slowly placed her hand on his.

She was slow while moving her hand in his direction but when she felt some things in her hand and heart, she quickly retracted her hand and gazed back and forth between her hand and Ashton.

On the other hand, Ashton knew what it was. Not because he knew this since childhood, but because his wolf had been screaming in his head ever since he got a whiff of Evelyn's scent.

Not being able to control his new friend, Ashton took a step in Evelyn's direction and tangled his hands with hers. He slowly opened his eyes which made Evelyn gasp in fear and step away from him.

"Don't be scared of me, my mate," Ashton's wolf, Blaze said in a deep voice.

"You... You are not my Ash... You are not Ashton..." Evelyn replied with shivery legs and a trembling voice.

She tried to run away but Blaze tightened his grip on her waist and pulled him to her making her collide with his chest.

He lovingly looked into her fearful eyes and said, "Things are not the way they were supposed to be. I know it's strange and difficult for you and Ashton both, but it is what is... Ashton will explain you everything my love."

Blaze didn't want to leave but he knew Ashton needed to talk out everything he just experienced and with Evelyn being their mate it was difficult and easy both.

Difficult because she was a human and she might not take being his mate well and easy because she was his best friend.

No matter what the situation was or how bad phase he was having, she was always there for him. No judgments, nothing. She was the best supporter Ashton ever had in his life.

He slowly opened his eyes wishing for god to see her calm and beautiful brown orbs instead of scared ones but he could only wish for that.

He slowly opened his eyes with heaviness in his heart and shook his head with disappointment evident on his face, "Don't be scared, Bambi. I'll explain everything to you... Please don't be scared of me."

He kept caressing her arms as his wolf told him that his touch would keep soothing her and the tingles and sparks would keep her mind and heart at ease.

"What... What is this...?" Evelyn said while motioning at their hands.

"This feeling... I never felt this before..." she continued.

"There are a lot of things which I also never felt before..." Ashton said with tears clouding in his eyes.

"Ash..."

Evelyn cupped his cheeks and wiped the tear which was threatening to come out of his left eye.

"Ash... I think we need to talk," she said while caressing his arms.

He heavily sighed, "We should..."