It brought shock upon everyone’s expression when Asher didn’t reject her. He lowered his head to take a bite, and at this, Esther grinned brightly while she felt a little shy.
Following this, Asher took the initiative to feed her. He dipped his fries in the sauce and brought it over to feed her. Esther thought she was a little too enthusiastic as she accepted it.
Just like that, all of her nervousness was long forgotten, and her concentration laid entirely on Asher.
Julia’s nose scrunched up his disgust at the romantic gestures from the two of them as they fed each other. She shook her head. It was amusing in a sense as well.
Who would have thought she would see a day where Asher had this look in his eyes? Those blue orbs of his was filled with fondness that easily made the heart of recipient melt.
Julia took a sip out of the drink in her hand and commented, “Chasing him she says.”
°°°
Esther&
Speaking of the wild, other than the times she wandered off during her childhood— when she had more guts than now— she didn’t to come even close to it. All the forestry reminded her of scenes out of a horror movie, and just standing near it made her feel the chills.Subconsciously, she somewhat expected frightening creatures to jump on her.Nonetheless, on the list she made— holding her fears— she wrote in clear letters that she would stay a night at cabin in the wild.Of course, she knew the existence of the cabin from the gossips she heard around her.Holding on to the straps of her backpack, Esther had her heart beating hard against her chest as she stepped into the dense forest. Tall trees surrounded her from all sides, and only a crescent moon shone in the sky.Esther took out her flashlight, letting it act as the source of light. Once turned on, it illuminated her pathway. Eerie silence filled the air, and someti
“This is seriously creepy,” Julia commented as she watched Asher and Esther interact. Only a few days ago, Asher treated Esther with utmost rudeness yet the two of them clung to each other closely, showing no signs of letting go. And the shock received from that tender gaze of Asher is yet to diminish. “Tell me about it,” Louis commented, “Asher is totally whipped for a weak and small human who is too shy to speak for herself. Is this even him?” He felt really bewildered. Although they were mates, Asher didn’t put that into consideration a couple days ago. Did people really change that fast? “It is good to have him be happy. Has been a long while,” Aiden pointed. To this, the other two could only sigh and nod their heads. To this, the other two could only sigh and nod their heads. Having Asher be this carefree was indeed a luxury. “Hopefully, this will last,” Julia expressed. °°° “Going to meet your brother?” Esther’s eyes widened at Asher’s words. She sat up from, removing h
“I will leave him if you invite him over,” Amy mimicked Esther although her deep voice was far from Esther’s softer one. Her fingers pinched Esther’s cheeks, distracting Esther from her locker.They were gathered over at her locker, and the sudden attention had her shifting uncomfortably. This was funny to think about because few months ago, she felt lonely and desperate for just a friend. Now, she suddenly was center of attention.Nothing she was flattered about nonetheless.“Are you glaring at me right now? After daring to defend him and ruining the breakfast.” Amy scowled.And Esther only found herself being more embarrassed. Amy’s voice was too loud, and hearing the laughs from Julia made Esther flustered. Her eyes found Asher, and the man glanced at her. She didn’t miss the amusement flashing through his eyes before he looked back to his phone.This only deepened her blush.“I am not,” Esther mumbled.How badly she wished to hide.But there’s no way her siblings would let go of h
“Woke up?”Hearing that familiar voice strangely filled with a hint of gentleness got Esther to sit up on the couch, and her eyes fell on Asher sitting beside her. Oddly enough, those eyes of his that were on her seemed softer than usual.It got her heart beating fast.This shouldn’t be dream, right?“What are you doing here?” Confusion showed in her gaze. Didn’t he have the Spring Dance to get ready for?“Naturally, I came here for you. You must be hungry. I will set up the table for you. Go and wash up.”He patted on her head before getting up and walking away.Unable to process the situation, Esther blinked few times. This can’t be Asher, right? She pinched on her thigh. A groan left her mouth following that. The pain seemed very much real.Looks like this is the reality.But why is Asher being so gentle to her? Could this not be him? Was someone impersonating as him?Sitting on the couch, Esther was lost in her thoughts, trying to form countless theories on his sudden change of be
Staring at the large building in front of her, she said, “An aquarium?”She looked at Asher in confusion and blurted out, “You are Asher, right?”Seeing the amusement that crossed through his eyes made her feel flustered, and she turned to look the other way. Her cheeks heated up due to her silliness.“Are you scared of aquarium?” he questioned.She shouldn’t be. Esther wasn’t that big of a scaredy cat.She shook her head.At that, he grabbed her hand, and both of them entered the building. Whatever it was, Esther decided to place it at the back of her head for the time being and enjoy these precious moments with Asher.The day went by pretty fun for Esther. Asher introduced her to all the creatures inside— his level of knowledge shocking her— and Esther watched it all with bright eyes.Although Asher didn’t show it on his face, the soft smile that graced his face occasionally showed that he was enjoying it too.“Whoa! They are so pretty!” Esther commented at the array of beautiful an
“My parents died when I wasn’t even one, and from then on, my brother and sister-in-law brought me up. My sister-in-law was like a mother figure to me. You reminded me of my sister-in-law— small and fragile.”At Asher suddenly revealing this information to her, she turned to look at him. She could easily see the agony on his features as he tightly clenched on to the steering wheel. It was as though he harshly pulled off a scab from over a wound while telling her this.“Was?” she softly mumbled.“She was killed, brutally by animals, to the point of beyond recognition. It was six years ago. It completely destroyed my brother. Made my entire family collapse. I had a terrible time with my temper.That’s why, as a last solution, I was recommended to move far for recovery because due to my brother’s unstable state, the responsibility of taking over my family fell over me.Then, there was you, and you made me think that if I let you in, the history will repeat. I didn’t want that pain or to
Probably because of how easygoing Asher appeared, it made Esther want to open up about all of her grievances. Who knows how long will it last?Although Asher gave her his word, his temper was terrible, and Esther knew he wouldn’t be able to maintain this for long. She didn’t mind as long as Asher didn’t truly mean it.“Are your feelings towards me platonic?” Esther questioned.This made the man shoot her an incredulous look, wondering what went through her head.Feeling wronged at his stare, she couldn’t help but reveal in a depressed tone: “Then, why haven’t you kissed me yet? Is it not because you aren’t attracted to me? When it comes to other girls, it’s not an issue for you to take them to bed but then, you can’t give me a small kiss.”She folded her hands over her chest, wearing a small pout.Asher was caught off guard for a second. He didn’t expect Esther to feel in this manner.Of course, it would be totally nuts to say he is not attracted to her. Although Esther is delicate an
“Your brother stays in a forest?” Esther asked as she walked through the denseness with Asher. If it wasn’t for the man beside her, entering into this greenery would have frightened her.Asher always gave her an inexplicable sense of security.“He prefers to stay away from city and enjoys the tranquility,” Asher explained.After walking a certain distance, Esther noticed the clearing, and there was a two story cabin standing there. Flowers grew around, and over all, the exterior of it seemed lovely.“Wow! Pretty!”“My sister-in-law decorated it, and after her passing, my brother maintained it,” Asher explained.The sense of distance that she once felt with Asher was all gone, and it was funny how it took a day for that disappear. The wall between them was completely cracked down, and Esther couldn’t be any more happier than this.After that, Asher knocked on the door, and as for Esther, her nerves were mess. She shifted her weight from one leg to another while her hand was sweating. A
“Was your love for me a lie?” Esther cried out.Asher pressed on to his forehead and expressed, “Quit being so dramatic.”“Men are really heartless creatures or else how can you push me to the execution ground. Yesterday you were hugging me and loving me, and now, you want me dead?”“Esther.”Asher stared at her sternly.This made her pout and deflate, almost falling off to the ground in the process. Asher grabbed on to her collar to prevent that from happening.“Why have you only grown to become more and more childish?” Asher pinched her nose while staring at her with adoration in his eyes.She scrunched up her nose.“Alright. Your family is waiting outside of the door. I will go and open it.”Esther showed a helpless expression. Whatever, sooner or later, she will have to face her family. It doesn’t matter if she gets beaten up. Just a little painful and a whole lot embarrassing.Taking in a deep breath, she steeled herself and gestured to Asher to open the door.“Alright. I am read
Asher sounded disappointed.“That’s all? Because I hardly looked at you for few days, you thought I had no feelings for you? Even after I opened about everything to you? I told you over and over again that breaking the bond wouldn’t change anything. You couldn’t trust me?”“How am I supposed to read your mind!? You are always blowing hot and cold. It’s tiresome. What about you? You weren’t any less insensitive! Didn’t you think it would hurt me if you avoided me?Don’t you have common sense? Or was it a game you played to torture me because I wanted to break the bond with you? That’s your favorite hobby, right!?”“My hobby? Yeah, you are right. I am paranoid. I enjoy testing people at every turn and don’t trust anyone. But I wanted to do that with you. Fuck! If it wasn’t for your sake, I wouldn’t have ignored you.Do you know what I felt like every time I looked at you? Tortured. Do you understand how empty I felt without the bond? Unable to read your emotions, it was all too foreign
Asher stared at her in disbelief.“I am in last stage of stomach cancer. That’s why, I will be content to get to see you married, and it’s sad that I won’t have the luxury to see your children. Nonetheless, I hope you will be happy in the future.”“You are lying,” Asher responded.Esther sighed.“I wish I was too. There’s a lot I wanted to do, but too bad, my life is short.”At this, Esther saw Asher taking out his phone, and alert, she grabbed on to his hand, asking, “What are you doing?”“Arranging for the tests. You will be done for if you are lying.”This made Esther nervous.“Can you not? I am exhausted of having to go to doctors, getting poked, and having to take medicine. I won’t stop you from doing whatever you want, but please, don’t force me to see a doctor. There’s no hope already. I just want to spend my last days peacefully.”“Shut up,” he ordered, “there’s no way that’s the case, and you will be seeing a doctor whether you like it or not.”“I was sad, thinking that you w
A chill travelled down Esther’s spine. At the sane time, she felt indignant. What right did he have to accuse her in this manner as though she cheated behind his back?Back then, it was him who fervently ignored her, and these years, she suffered badly. She was all alone with strangers. And it’s not like she wanted to be away; she had to be away.“I-uh, it’s none of your business. It’s been five years, Asher. Weren’t we just childish high school students back then? What happened back then shouldn’t even matter?”Asher’s eyes darkened further.“Say that again.”Esther was about to repeat those words when she got intimidated by his eyes. Her senses could easily perceive the danger, and she silently turned to face the window. She wasn’t foolish enough to provoke the beast.And then, they stopped in front of a mansion. It was grand. Esther stared at it in amazement and wondered how much Asher actually made in a month. Asher then got down of the car and ordered her to follow behind him. A
“Dad’s home. Yikes! I am going to bed, Esther. Good night.”Before Esther could say anything, the child rushed off to her room, and she laughed at her antics. Despite Dylan’s repeated warnings, Lily still got into a fight in school and got injuries. Not wanting to be scolded by her father again, she hid.Esther shook her head.The main door opened, and Dylan stepped in. She raised her eyebrow at the signs of joy seen on his face. Work made him exhausted usually, so this was new.“What happened?” she questioned as the man removed his blazer and placed it on the couch.“I met with an old friend from the council today, and it seemed that Stephen was caught, five years ago at that. It’s sad we lost connection for long.”Stephen and Esther did lay low for these five long years. Esther had no connection with the werewolf council, and Stephen didn’t have complete trust in them. He was afraid getting involved would result in him being caught.“You sure?” Esther asked.Dylan nodded.“Confirmed
Esther bent down and fixed the hair of the child in front of her. No older than five, the girl had doe brown eyes, brown hair pulled into two ponytails, and chubby cheeks that made one want to pinch them.In other words, she was adorable.“Now, take care of yourself, and don’t get into fights.”“Yes, Mom! Are you coming to pick me up?”Esther pretended to think about it for a while.“I am not too sure about it.”“I will give you a kiss, Mom.”With that, the tiny girl plastered her lips on to Esther’s cheeks, leaving behind a small kiss before stepping back with sparkling eyes, blinking at Esther in expectation.Esther laughed. She hated leaving her apartment, but she could do anything for her adorable baby.“Sure.”The child grinned widely.“Then, make sure to bring enough money with you. I want to buy this big dollhouse. Dad scolded me, saying it’s a waste of money, and I will break it. What would he know? The dollhouse is so pretty. I want it.”The girl scoffed, folding her hands ov
Before he passed out, he growled at Esther. Although he tried to resist, the drug was too potent for his self will.Stephen was a cautious being, but due to his arrogance, Esther had the upper hand in this. He thought he figured her out entirely, and due to this, he felt she would be helpless. Esther was after all like an open book.Esther’s acting skills surprised even herself. When push came to shove, even Esther can adapt and act accordingly. She was proud of herself for staying calm under the situation and not breaking down.Of course, Esther did not have the time to celebrate for long. What was way more tasking for her had to be when she moved the man to the shotgun seat, so that she could take the driver’s one.With all the rough handling, she was almost scared he would wake up. His weight felt nearly impossible for her to handle, but her willpower made sure she carried on.Following so, she drove the car following the GPS. Upon spotting the man and his child by the roadside, sh
Asher made her frustrated, incredibly at that.Because he believed Esther fell in love with someone, he kept an eye on her the entire time, and once the day at school was over, he dragged her to his apartment. She couldn’t even resist because he was ready to start a fight with her siblings over her.Esther too held on to her will and didn’t talk to Asher unless it was regarding breaking the bond. That only got him to be more aggressive, and he threatened about marking her.Just when Esther thought one bond was too much.Marking is the werewolf version of being tied until death. At least it was too harsh to force it upon someone else. But the way Esther kept on challenging Asher’s bottom line, she distinctly saw it as a future possibility.That’s why, she had to do something drastic.She tried a lot of techniques. She cried and begged him, screamed at him and tried to provoke him, threw a hunger strike, and attempted to come out of her shell to act ambiguous with another man which ende
“Was that what upset you these days?” Asher asked.Over this period of time, he noticed that Esther was unusually tense and spent lesser amount of time with him. He didn’t push it, thinking it was due to exams coming up. She should be stressed over it.“Why didn’t you tell me about it?” Esther asked.At first, she thought that she would have to act sad, but now, the reality of everything hit her, making her emotionally unstable. Asher didn’t want to do anything with her.When it was an unrequited love on her part, she wasn’t saddened by this because for her, it was impossible for Asher to like her back then. But now that she got to taste his sweet affections, everything was painful.Asher sighed.“It didn’t matter,” he responded, “that’s why, don’t let it create an issue.”This made Esther’s heart sink.“Your mate, it could have been someone else, and you would have treated her the same.” Esther voice was low. Her eyes were on the floor, and tears started to well up in them.At this,