Chapter 2

Asher groaned as the blonde pressed herself to him. She was clingy, and he tried hard to hide his displeasure. Whoever chose this woman as his blind date was going to hell after this.

Exiting the restaurant, he turned his face just in time to avoid the kiss the female tried to place on his lips.

"Ceci, I don't kiss on first date," Asher grunted,  holding her at arm's length. He hadn’t kissed anyone in three years. She didn’t have to know that.

"It's just a kiss."

The blonde pouted, jutting her perfectly painted bow-shaped lips.. But they weren’t natural as his Sienna. Her artificial perfume was making his nose itch, and he scrunched his nose, forcing a smile.

“Maybe another time.” He looked away to hide his cringe.

The blonde wore a tight dress which ended just below her bum and her full breasts almost hung out, leaving little to his imagination. She was a beauty in her own way, with short curly hair, green eyes and a round face with full lips. However, Asher felt nothing for her.

She huffed, disappointment washing over her features. “Fine.” Then her expression changed again in a flash before she attached herself to his side again.

Asher groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose. When he managed to pry her off him and put her in a taxi, sending her home, he exhaled loud in relief. Damn.

I’m never doing that again.

The woman talked his ears off. Most of the conversation circled around her lifestyle and hobbies he wasn’t interested in. He didn’t even remember her name. He removed his jacket, throwing it in the backseat of his car. His wolf clawed at his chest, wanting to get rid of the obnoxious scent.

His phone rang, his colleague’s name flashed on his screen. “Hello,” he gritted through his teeth.

“Yo, man! How was the date?”

Asher’s grip tightened on the wheel. “The next time you send me on a blind date, I’ll gut you and wear your intestines like a garland around my neck.”

“Woah, chill, Vaughan. It’s just one date.”

“That’s enough, Danny. No more,” he growled.

“Fine,” Danny grunted on the other end.

“Any updates from our ME?” he asked, pulling his car from the driveway, eyes trained on his rearview mirror.

“Nope.”

“Alright, get lost then and I hope your wife makes you sleep on the couch today.”

He ended the call without waiting for further reply from the human. With a sigh, he eased the car into traffic. The roads were less crowded than usual and he welcomed it. He was in no mood to deal with other things than necessary.

Humans didn’t understand how the wolf mating worked. Wolves mated for life.

He tried to get over Sienna for the past three years. But the more he tried to forget, the more he remembered. She was embedded in every fiber of his being. His wolf wanted to mate her for life. She was his forever.

The drive to his home took longer than usual as he drove around the city, mostly lost in his thoughts. The ten minutes’ drive become hour long though because he didn’t want to go to his apartment immediately. It was dark and cold as usual, with no sign of warmth. It lacked the delicious aroma of food and comfort of lilacs embrace that greeted him often.

Once inside he undressed on the way to his bedroom, dropping the shirt and jacket strewn across the floor with little care. His apartment was messy and unclean. It had been days since he cleaned it or felt the need to clean it.

Sienna was organized and tidy. She hated when he was being messy and berated him whenever he left his things on the floor. He stopped for a moment, gaze flitting around his dark apartment as he imagined her picking up his clothes, chastising him for being messy. If he focused enough, he could still hear her voice echoing off the walls.

“The shirt goes to the laundry basket, Asher. It isn’t that hard.”

“Baby, can you not leave used plates in the sink overnight.”

“Don’t get the floor wet, baby.”

A sad smile stretched his lips as he could imagine every detail in vivid color. The way her beautiful features would contort in displeasure, the way her lips would twist and how her eyes would narrow.

He went back to collect the discarded clothes, throwing it in the laundry basket. It was so easy to smoothen that worry lines off her face though. A kiss and a soft apology was it all it took.

Asher remembered her magical giggles when he kissed her pout away. Then the giggles turning into full-blown laughter when he began to tickle her sides. He imagined hoisting her over his shoulder while she kicked her legs, demanding that he let her down only to bite her bottom lip in anticipation when he would throw her on their bed before slowly stripping her and making love to her all night.

His throat tightened, and heart constricted painfully. He brushed his tears off with the back of his hand. Most of the wolves gave up on their will to live after their mate passed away. Because living on like this was hard. Every day was a misery.

But Asher kept going because he had a purpose. His Sienna’s killer was still on the loose. He wouldn’t give up until he had put an end to the motherfucker who took his life away. The bastard would pay for every slash he left on Sienna’s porcelain skin.

Asher sighed, getting into the shower and turned on the cold water without caring to strip down further. The water cascaded down his body, soaking his clothes. Though the temperature was freezing outside, he felt nothing. His heart was numb, and he lost the ability to feel things a long time ago.

His hands robotically removed the pants and underwear, wanting to feel the water on his skin to numb the little sensation left on his body. After an hour, he dried off and didn’t bother getting dressed as he sauntered toward the bed and lay naked beneath the sheets, waiting for the dawn so he could visit his love.

As he slowly drifted off to sleep, the morning’s incident played again in his mind. 

Maybe it was my mind playing tricks.

He laid her to rest. There was no way she could be back now. His wolf must be going crazy. He heard hallucinations were normal for a mourning wolf. That must be it.

She was gone forever and took his heart with her.

***

This morning, she waited for the werewolf to return to his car before going to pick the flowers, as usual. Yesterday, he came when she was at the grave and if it wasn’t for her lightning speed, he could have caught her.

His tight jeans hugged his hips accentuating his strong thighs and long legs. The first few buttons of his shirt were open, hinting his chiseled body and the tan smooth skin underneath.

His gray eyes held a permanent sadness that squeezed her heart. He was extremely handsome, even with a crestfallen look. Well, he always looked good; even when he was drenched in the morning rain, hair stuck to his head and clothes all soaking wet.

She wanted to run her hands along his strong square shaped jawline and ask him what she could do to make him feel better. What would it take to see him smile for once?

She wondered how it would feel to kiss those firm lips. Will it be soft or firm like they look? She traced her soft, blood-red lips as her heart skipped a beat at the pleasant thought.

It was highly unlikely for him to even notice her. His disheveled bronze hair looked wildly sexy, and she wondered if it was smooth and silky. Today he stayed longer than usual, curious glance sweeping around every once in a while. She stayed put in her hidden spot, unmoving, as she waited.

Asher drove away in his car after a while. Making sure that no one was around, she collected the flowers and cleaned the grave like she did every day.

The chilly wind swept her hair as she wiped the headstone that read, ‘Sienna Harlow - beloved friend, daughter, and fiancé’.

"I envy you, Sienna," she whispered, feeling petty for being jealous of a woman who no longer lived. With an inhale, she shrugged the thought away and trekked toward her hidden cave.

***

"It's been a week and nothing." Logan kicked the rock as they scouted their territory.

Their pack was very small, with only twenty or so wolves that banded with him throughout the years. Wolves used to live in packs. But later they evolved with humans, adapting to their living habits and moved to the city. The pack system had changed. Now they lived scattered across the different parts of the town, staying in a pack only out of necessity.

The werewolves needed a support system and someone to guide them. That was possible only if they lived in a pack. There were four other small packs in the city along with his, and they all lived in harmony.

"You were very confident that you would find them this time." Asher chuckled.

"How was I supposed to know that motherfucker is smarter than us?"

Suddenly, Asher stiffened as the hair on his neck bristled. An eerie chill snaked around his spine. It was that tingly feeling one usually got when they were being watched. He looked around, his gaze casually scanned the surroundings for anything that stood out of the ordinary.

"What is it?" Logan asked through their telepathic link.

Every wolf in their community was connected to each other through a telepathic link and could communicate mentally if they were closer. It helped them when they were in their wolf forms.

"Someone is watching us."

Logan kept his expression neutral as he looked around. "I love the climate today and the forest looks beautiful," he chirped.

"Me too. I remember how much we used to come here during our childhood and watch the birds nesting," Asher said, smiling at the memory. He inhaled simultaneously, trying to catch any foreign scent.

There was one another time he felt this way, while he visited the graveyard. He always thought it was because of that place. Now he couldn't shrug the feeling off like he did every other time. His wolf was alarmed and perked within his chest.

"You got a stalker. It explains the strange presence and the murders," Logan stated, his eyes carefully combing the area.

"They must be really good to not leave any clue or even a scent for that matter," Asher mused.

"That makes them even more dangerous. I’m wondering if it’s  he or  she. And why would they steal your roses?” Logan’s face lit up. “Fuck! Asher, it all adds up. Don’t you think? I think it’s safe to assume your stalker is she. An obsessed female stalker.”

Asher froze, he couldn’t shrug off Logan’s claim. Every word made sense. “Why didn’t I think this way before?”

That day Asher had gone back to confirm the roses were gone again, with not so much as a clue left. He’d told Logan, and it confused them why anyone would steal the flowers and clean the grave every day. It was still a mystery that did not make sense.

“You know exactly why. You need to pull your head out of your ass, man.”

Asher glared at his friend, but kept quiet as they continued to search the area. “I say we shift and scout this area.”

“Maybe later. You need to meet Gregory in less than an hour.”

Shit. Gregory Welch was their medical examiner. He was always at the mortuary and Asher hated that place with a passion, but Logan always made him go there.

“You’re telling me this now?”

“Well, you’re the boss. You gotta be there.” Logan shrugged when Asher growled in annoyance.

However, it was a part of his job. As much as he despised it, he didn’t have the luxury of canceling or postponing his meeting with Gregory when other lives were in danger.

He turned again to look around, finding nothing. “Let’s go.”