SCARLETTOutside the lycan Alpha’s office, I closed the door behind me and leaned against it. I shut my eyes and dragged in a long and deep breath. I wasn't supposed to feel that way. Yet I couldn't help it. My chest tightened with frustration.How could he dismiss that night in that manner?Even when I never mentioned it, it was a very special night to me. It was my first night with any man, werewolf or lycan. I gave it to him and yet for him it was nothing but a mistake and a dead memory. And why did he keep staring into a damn photo. My wolf was almost as vexed as I was.My fist clenched and I almost released it at the wall but stopped myself at the last minute. It was a long long walk back to the quarters. Hoping to get the tightening feeling off my chest, I took the longer way back to the quarters. It was the first time since we entered Howling Moon I ever got to enter the town on my own. For our daily duties, we had been assigned to do many things including coming into
SCARLETT“To make this more effective, we will meet in my room chambers the next time. As for today, you can sit over there,” he said as he pointed to the couch across from him.More effective? Me and him, in his room chambers? Every hair on my body stood and my legs froze in the spot. “Have a seat and Maria will get you something to drink,” he said casually as he sat down.How could he still expect me to sit calmly after what he had just said?Dragging my feet, I sat down. I felt my face. Thankfully it was not as hot as I expected it to be. Maria, I presumed to be his office secretary, the lady that let me in, walked in moments later and placed a wine before me. “Drink that,” lycan Alpha said. He seemed calmer than the last time and wasn't engrossed in some piece of picture. The wine tasted really nice. I sat on the couch unsure of what exactly I was supposed to do or say or where to even look. You can look everywhere else but not at him. I decided to keep myself busy with
When Scarlett entered his office, Asher was prepared to keep his word of all of this being a front. Not touch her. But when he found Scarlett taking sneak peeks at him, he was almost inclined to engage her. She is bound to feel bored doing nothing but stare at the room, he had thought. Then the drama had happened suddenly. Asher found himself grinning while Scarlett was in the bathroom. She is cute, he admitted. “Care to take a walk with me?” He offered when she was finally out. Leading her outside towards the path his father usually walked when he had a lot in his mind, they walked in silence. “Why won't you say anything?” He asked when they had walked halfway the path. “I figured you needed silence more. You must have a lot going on in your head. And I feel I might upset you if I start getting inquisitive since I have a lot of questions to ask.”She was right. A lot was going through his head and he appreciated the silence. “But I suggested that we walk. I wouldn't bring you
AFTER THE PACK MEETINGElder Conor fumed under his breath. The moment he entered the meeting room, his eyes scanned around and finally rested on Silas Darkthorn on his chief elder's spot. It was very much to his annoyance to see Elder Darkthorn looking very relaxed, nodding his head with a smile as the other elders greeted him. Conor intended to meet him right there before the meeting began to question why he was silent after their discussion days ago. Why was he doing nothing when he had paid hugely? As he was trying to find a moment to make a move towards Darkthorn, Asher had entered and he was immediately compelled to return to his seat. Last night he had sent some of his men to find a way and bring the werewolf woman he desired but was told she now belonged to Asher. And not only that, he wasn't able to get his hand on any of the werewolf women. His jaw tightened. He had no idea what Asher was thinking but if he thought he could have all the werewolf women to himself, then he
Asher stood impatiently behind the window that looked into the road that stretched out of his house down to the back road where he expected Lucas would be returning through. Where the eyes of Silas Darkthorn and his underlings wouldn't reach. At least for that moment. Ethan served himself a drink. “Relax. I'm sure he is already on his way.”“I can't…”Asher murmured. Truly he couldn't. How could he be calm. How could he be calm after what happened at the meeting?Darkthorn and his loyalists were definitely planning something. He had to be a step ahead of them. He sighed as he turned away from the window aiming to get seated. But he stopped as a sudden thought flashed in him. “What is it?” Ethan asked, noticing. “What if Lucas is in danger? What if there's someone learning of all our moves and reporting to them? What if there's someone in here on their side? Just like last time…”Ethan opened his mouth to refute Asher's unproven claim but shut it again. It would be foolish of him t
As Elder Conor rode in his wagon past the unusually busy street, a cluster of women and some men stood in the road. His driver slowly manoeuvred his way. Lifting his head impatiently to see why the car was going slow. His chin jutted. He wound down his window and barked “Get your filthy selves out of the road! Bloody peasants!”What was so fun to have them stand in his way? Arriving at Silas Darkthorn’s house and discovering he wasn't the only elder that had been invited sullened his face. “That sneaky man… I thought he was inviting me alone.”He cleared his throat and wore a smile. As he got himself settled into a seat in the midst of the other elders while responding to the greetings and equally returning the greetings. “Welcome elder Conor. You must have heard what happened yesterday. Unbelievable,” the elder by his right remarked. Elder Conor starred in surprise. “What happened?”The first elder returned his surprise stare. “You didn't hear? Some of us did not just hear b
SCARLETTIt was the hardest and heaviest I had witnessed rain fall ever since I arrived Howling Moon. The sky rumbled with thunder and flashed with lightning.It started from midnoon and had been heavily falling nonstop. It was already getting deep into the evening and dusk neared yet it continued to pour. Some of the girls said it was the goddess raining down her anger on the Lycans for their sins. Especially the elders and the wealthy ones that looked down on others. Some wished thunder struck the elders and those that hurt them down. And then while everyone wished for the rain to continue to pour, I hoped secretly for the rain to cease. I sat on one corner of the bed leaning against the wall thinking of nothing else but Asher Donovan. How the thought of him always snuck into my thinking baffled me. These days he seemed to be on my mind more than anything else. Today was our pretense day and if the rain continued to pour heavily as it was, I might not be able to make my way to
SCARLETT “Do you…” I tried again. But the words stuck to the roof of my mouth. My heart was pounding so fast I feared he would hear. He gently took my hand. “Let's go inside. We will talk about everything.”Like an obedient child, I followed him. He led me into an almost large room I presumed to be the living room but with only two couches facing each other right in the center of the room. “Come with me,” he said as he took me to the washroom and asked one of the maids to bring me a change of clothes while I dried myself up. Dried and clothed, I stepped out of the washroom. He pointed to one of the two couches. “Sit here. Tea or coffee or any drink?”“Tea.”I expected he would send one of the servants but he went instead. I noticed the maids weren't particularly happy to see me close to him.He returned a few moments later with the tea. “Thank you,” I mumbled as I took the cup. “Call me Asher,” he said and took the other couch across. He seemed so comfortable with me that it
WRITER'S POVLucas clenched his teeth. Standing beside Asher and watching him grasp fondly onto Scarlett’s last belongings like his life depended on it infuriated him greatly. “You killed her. You monster. You killed her!” The voices echoed accusingly in his head. He vividly recalled the words he had said to Scarlett and felt guilty telling her those words. What if truly his words had pushed her to her death?Freya’s arrival meant he now had two people to deal with and so he had thought that he just needed to deal with one first which happened to be Scarlett. She seemed more like the danger because Asher loved her. To him, Freya Darkthorn was not a problem. Asher felt nothing for her and she would just be a figure like a rock to him. But he didn't know Scarlett would go this far to honor his request for her to disappear from Asher's life. “How long do you think she could have been in there?” Asher’s lips quivered, his gaze heavy with sadness darted all over the surface of the water.
SCARLETT’S POV Casting my roomies one last glance, I turned and headed for the door. “Where are you going?” I heard as I turned the doorknob and I instantly froze. “Where are you sneaking off to?” Slowly I turned around. If it wasn't Louisa…She was about to fire yet another question when I blocked her mouth with my palm and dragged her outside. “You will wake everyone. Reduce your voice,” I whispered. She gave me a hard stare. “What are you planning? I know everything.” I squinted. “It's not what you think, Louisa.” She was mute briefly. “But if this is what you feel it's best for you, then I'm solidly behind you.” I looked at her in surprise. “No–Louisa…it's not what you are thinking, seriously. I am not going to see Asher—” “Not that. You are running away. I know. The Alpha is taking another Luna and you can't bear to watch him.” My shoulders dropped and I sighed. The news had gotten to the quarters already. No wonder the girls suddenly stopped staring at me with disg
SCARLETT “You have a visitor,” Camie announced. “She always has a visitor. Who is it this time? The Alpha or a new toaster?” Joy shook her head and eyed me suspiciously. I sighed and rolled my eyes suppressing my groan. I wasn't expecting anyone. Not even Asher. Ever since one of the girls gossiped how Gamma Lucas had taken me to a man lycan, they never stopped teasing me about it. Truly, bad news spreads faster than cancer. If only they knew what actually happened that day. “No. Gamma Lucas,” Camie confirmed. “Gamma Lucas?” Both Joy and Louisa blurted in surprise. Gamma Lucas? Why was Gamma Lucas here to see me? “Why?” I asked, getting up from the bed. “We should be asking you.”I shrugged. “I have no idea. I will have to go and see.”I mounted the stairs and stood at the foot of the stairs trying to locate Gamma Lucas in the midst of the noise from the girls playing games and the ones strolling around and their cheerful chants. The reason for Gamma Lucas' visit still worri
ASHER Many times I had found myself trapped in the snarls of these wicked elders but today was the one I probably wouldn't forget in a very long time. I scurried out of the meeting hall with the last self control I could muster. Inside one of the buildings I let out my frustration by smashing my knuckles against the wall. I suppressed my wolf back and held back my growls. “His lost daughter?” I couldn't help but laugh. That man just never ran out of evil ideas. It seemed that was the only thing he thought and the only way he lived. How did he always manage to come up with something more worse than his previous every damn fuvking time?Ethan seemed more furious than I was. I was sure he must have tried so hard to hold back during the meeting. “Does this make sense? How did he have a daughter no one else knows?” He gritted angrily. “Fine, let's agree he has a lot of women but that girl looked nothing like Silas Darkthorn. Did you see her eyes, Asher? She is dangerous!”“So what wi
Asher sat comfortably on his Alpha throne seat. For some weird reason he didn't understand, the seat that used to itch his buttocks suddenly felt comfortable. As he leaned back in the seat, memories of two nights back reared up in his head. Proposing to Scarlett was supposed to be the major highlight of the night but it was their time in the room that hit the core. He didn't know and never imagined he would connect so deep with a werewolf in that manner. Every one of his movements she understood and he equally understood every bit of her. When he held her close, she smelt like roses. When he kissed her lips, it was like it was his first time. It was succulent and he couldn't get enough. He swallowed thickly and a smile lit up in his face. He couldn't wait to announce it to the elders. For the first time since he assumed the Alpha seat, he was the first to arrive for the council meeting. The entrance of the first elder broke him out of his thoughts. Even the elder did not hold
SCARLETT Receiving a letter from Asher to stay away until he called for me wasn't supposed to mean so much but my insides said otherwise. As if something was wrong. Going to meet him seemed to be my only way of finding out what was wrong. One of the guards approached me when I entered the Alpha's compound. “Follow me,” the guard commanded. “To where?” I asked, confused. “There's someone that wants to see you,” the guard responded without sparing me a glance. I shrugged and followed him. Hopefully it might be Asher. But I was very surprised when the guard stopped before a man I had never seen or met before. “I'm sorry but do I know you?” I quickly asked, forcing my face and tone to stay as polite as I could muster. A big grin spread in the man's face revealing his coloured teeth. The stench emanating from him was enough to know he was drunk. And when he opened his mouth to speak, I was forced to squeeze my nose in disgust and had to restrain myself from puking. “Scarlett ri
“Asher…” Lucas came to an abrupt stop as if he had seen a ghost. Asher equally stopped. Following Lucas's gaze, his eyes landed on a figure he immediately recognized to belong to Scarlett. She was in the arms of a man. His legs slowed and finally rooted to the spot. Intense anger spurred Inside him as his fingers clenched. Almost at the same time, Scarlett left the arms of the man and looked behind her. She gasped in shock but as she made to go after Asher, Asher spun and marched off. Asher neither stopped nor casted another glance behind him as he stormed away. He arrived at the place where he had decorated to propose to Scarlett. For several seconds he stood staring down at the decorations and wine and flowers. “Urrgh” he groaned and overturned the mini table that had the wine and they all went shattering on the ground. He grabbed the blanket and flung. His fingers clasped together tightly as he panted. Was this why she refused to come see him? She was flirting around with me
“Something for you,” Louisa said as she handed Scarlett a neatly folded paper. Scarlett blinked in surprise. “Note for me?” She then collected the paper wondering who had sent it. “Most definitely from your lover Alpha,” Louisa teased and headed over to the bed. Scarlett felt her heart skip. Quickly she tore the paper open. “The Alpha does not wish for you to come today. And until he says otherwise, he does not want you to show your face around his house.”In bold letters, the note read. Stiffening, Scarlett read and reread the note hoping that her eyes were wrong. Perhaps it was her hoping she had seen wrong. Louisa glanced at Scarlett's direction. Noticing the drastic change in her face, she asked, “What is it? Is something wrong?” “Nothing,” Scarlett mumbled as she squeezed the paper in her palms and started towards the washroom. It felt strange. Asher had refused to see her and it's been days and now he was banning her from showing her face in his house. Was something wron
Ethan levelled up with Asher. “What are you going to do?”“Get married and have a Luna of course,” Asher answered. If it was his marriage they wanted then he would give it to them. “Marry? Who will you marry? You are not even courting anyone at the moment. Or are you planning on marrying just anyone? You should already know the plans of the elders…”Asher screeched to a sudden stop forcing Ethan to equally halt. “Not just to anyone. To her. Scarlett.” Ethan's eyes widened. “You are going to marry her?”“Marry who?” A voice sounded behind them. Startled, the two Lycans looked but then relaxed at the sight of Lucas. “Get ready, you both. We have a wedding to prepare. I will be proposing to Scarlett tonight.”“Wait .. wait…Asher…” Ethan pulled him back. “Are you sure about all of this? Do you love her that much? See, I adore her too. She is amazing and brave and…but c'mon you just knew her and she is a wolf. You are very much aware of what making her your Luna entails right?” Ash