6. Asher's Pov

Lyra's Pov

His fair skin was flawless. He didn't have much hair, and his nails were not short or long.

Though my eyes were mellowed to the ground, I could feel his gaze gawking at me.

Goosebumps sprouted from my skin as I listened to my thumping heart.

Asher was kneeling before me, and his voice as he asked me again if I was okay was more than soothing to my ears.

I could sense the concern in his voice, but as he drew closer, I quickly erupted from my reverie as my mind raced, trying to find a way out of there.

He shouldn't see my face...

I counted the seconds, desperately searching for a solution.  I couldn't let him see my face. I couldn't bear the possibility of him recoiling in disgust like the others when they first saw me.

I tried holding his gaze for a brief moment, searching if maybe he had caught a glimpse, but his eyes remained pleasant.

He hasn't seen me!

A sigh of relief escaped my lips, and for a moment, a surge of hope flickered within me, urging me to escape from here.

Without hesitation, I spun around, my body colliding with his as we fell to the ground, and in that split second, I seized the opportunity. My trembling hand reached for the delicate veil hanging from my neck, and swiftly, I wrapped it around my face, obscuring my features from Asher's view.

Just then, his scent filled my nostrils, and I paused...

'Mate, smell so good.' I was drawn to him, and carefully, I felt his hand around my waistline as he held me tighter to his body.

He then gently turned me around, and I met his eyes. I could finally look for a while cause, for now, it was safe.

I was safe! My face, rather...

My face was wrapped, covering the pimples on my forehead and from beneath my eyes down to my jaw.

As much as Asher stared, he could only see my eyes.

There was so much curiosity glimmering in that eyes of his. It was as though I could hear him asking me, 'Why all this recklessness.'

'Don't blame me, Asher. You and I know you can never mate a girl like me. Ugly and unkempt! Is Devlin my replacement?'

The questions I was dying to ask all hung on the tips of my lips. My eyes welled up at every thought that hovered over my crumpling little heart.

"Lyra, you disrespectful brat!" Mother's voice jolted me back to my senses, and only then did I realize I was lying on Asher's body.

I quickly loosened his grip around my waist, and as I stood on my feet, my eyes wavered around, and that's when I noticed Devlin standing by the door.

She was standing like a statue, her eyes glaring at me. I could feel my lips trembling.

Mother whip me with a dog's leash on my face. When the pain crept underneath my skin, I hastily took on my heel.

My legs propelled me forward, each step fueled by fear and frustration.

The veil fluttered against my skin, offering a slight sense of protection. Tears kept trickling down my cheeks as I ran without stopping.

My sprint led me straight into the solid form of someone strong, and I stumbled, losing my balance. Panic surged through my veins as I braced myself for impact, my heart pounding with anticipation.

I looked up, my breath catching in my throat as my gaze met a pair of piercing eyes. They were intense and filled with surprise.

"Are you hurt?" He asked.

It was the first time I heard those words. I had seen this man before at the Alpha fight ceremony.

Suddenly, the veil fell off my face, and I ducked.

Before I could reach for my veil, he picked it up.

My hands curled into fists, and a tear dropped on his hands. He seemed like he had paused for a while before trying to lift his head, but quickly I grabbed the veil from him and ran passed him, but then-

"Are you the pimples girl?"

Suddenly I couldn't feel my legs. It was as though my feet had grown roots that sprouted deep into the ground, leaving me in an unlikely spot.

And in that moment, time seemed to stand still. The weight of his words, the intensity of his gaze, even though he was behind me, I could feel it—it all held me captive.

I was fed up!

I spun around and stared deeply into his eyes. I was waiting for him to recoil in disgust, but he scoffed, making my brows furrowed.

He walked closer to where I was, and a pleasant smile escaped his lips as his eyes seemed to be counting the boils that covered my face-

"You're pretty."

His lips further curved into a wide smile that left me confused. The tears in my eyes ceased as I wondered-

'What is he up to?'

His hand suddenly lifted as though wanting to touch my face, but when my eyes narrowed deeper, he hung his hand in the air.

"I just...just..." He gritted his lips shamefully, and suddenly I felt his hands on my shoulder.

When he squeezed my skin, I couldn't help but sniggered.

Is this what it was all about?

"What do you think you are doing?" I finally could let out the words.

His laughter grew wider as he touched my chin slightly and said, "You're pretty!"

Those are the words of a molester. They don't care how a lady looks. All they care about is how they are going to satisfy their urge.

I pushed him and punched him hard in the face.

"How dare you?" I growled as I took a few steps closer to him.

"What the heck!" He spat out blood and glared at me. I could see the fury in his eyes, and for a moment, I was scared.

But then-

"Steven!"

It was Devlin!

I quickly spun around. For a lady I hadn't seen all my years in our pack, it was the third time seeing her in just a single day.

As I tried to walk away, Devlin ordered: "Stay where you are?"