. (Asher’s Pov)"We are here." Sen spoke in a bland voice, making me raise my head from the paperwork spread out on the mini desk in the car. I waited but it never came and my jaw tightened. Sen's usual smart or sarcastic remarks. He hadn't spoken to me since she left except it was very necessary.That could only mean one thing. He was furious. Well then since he refused to ask me about had happened and chose to be a child, I let him sulk.Glancing through the darkened windows, I took in the skyscraper of the Westside Bar and Grills head office and my fists clenched.I really didn't want to be here.I wished Tony planned the meeting at Westside, probably in the evening as I was filled with a sick need to speak to Black Rose. I needed to shake the truth out of her, if she had known that Anna had been lying about the children.With a deep breath, I stepped out of the car, expecting Sen to follow suit.But after a few seconds passed and he didn't slight through the driver's side, my brow
Anna's P.O.VThe phone slipped through my numb fingers, the sickening crack of plastic on tile echoing in the deafening silence of the room. My baby. Lost consciousness. Relapsed. Each word Sen spoke felt like a hammer blow to my chest, the air whooshing out of my lungs in a strangled gasp. Tears welled up in my eyes, hot and stinging, but I blinked them back furiously. Panic clawed at my throat, but I shoved it down, forcing myself to focus. I couldn't afford to break down right now."Asher took Evan to the hospital," the words tumbled out of my mouth, my voice surprisingly steady despite the tremor running through me. Even to my own ears, it sounded hollow, detached. "When Evan ran out of your office, I think... I think he ran into Asher and then..." My voice trailed off, the horrible possibility hanging heavy in the air. Was Asher's presence the trigger? A fresh wave of terror threatened to drown me.Across the room, Tony's head snapped up, concern etching lines on his forehe
(Anna's Pov) "Thank you." I said again to the doctor and Asher and I stood up at the same time. He reached out his hand towards me and gave me a pointed look to take his hand. Pausing, I glanced at the doctor and back at Asher.I swallowed and took the hand. He was trying to fake a "happy family" before the doctor and going by the way the doctor pressed his lips into a thin line, he didn't buy into our act.Suddenly my chest tightened with fear. What if Ivan and Evan are taken away from me by CPS on grounds of unsafe parenting? I wrapped my fingers tightly around Asher's and allowed me pull me to him.His scent hit me with an unexpected intensity and I flushed at how heady my brain went. I gritted my teeth and quickly walked away with Asher.He held the door open for me, and we exited the doctor's office, the muted glowing lights replaced by the harsh fluorescents of the hallway.As soon as the doors closed behind us, I yanked my hand away, ignoring how his pheromones changed from "I
Asher's P.O.VWatching Anna leave after I instinctively blurted out moving in with her, I felt a little terrified to be honest. But one thing was sure, I'd rather go to the ends of the earth with Anna, than lose a chance of watching my kids grow, being a good father to them. I knew more than anyone what an absent or terrible father does to a child, fucking first hand experience. I wouldn't let that be Evan and Ivan's fate. No matter what.Maybe it was the magic of Westside that automatically suppressed parts of Alpha dominance, but I couldn't make Anna do what she doesn't want to do. It was unsettling, but maybe, just maybe, it was what I needed to be the father they deserved.There was no manipulating Anna as she had grown from a timid maid to a lioness that protected her cubs. Derek was deluded if he thought I would marry Vira Kuznetsov and take the kids away from Anna. I'd kept silent that day because I'd been too gotten and enraged to form actual words and I wanted the threat of
Asher's P.O.VFolding the last of my shirt into Anna's cramped closet--its space barely designed for half of the content it's currently holding--I stepped back and dusted my hand with a satisfied smirk. Nice work Asher.Perched on the edge of the tiny Queens sized bed was Anna and the smile on her face was tentative, like a butterfly unsure of landing. I shook my head, a silent chuckle escaping my lips. Ducking out of the closet, I shut the door with a soft thud before turning my attention back to the room.Tiny... that was the only way to describe it.It looked like something Snow-white and her seven dwarves would be most comfortable living in. The first time I was here, my head had been too far up my ass to actually take in the size and state of the apartment."You know you don't have to do any of this right?" Anna cut into my thoughts with an exasperated smile. "What I said about giving you options, I didn't mean it literally. We could work out something that'd allow you good acces
Asher's p.o.v:An ache subtly throbbed at the small of my back as I hunched over my laptop, finishing some intense paperwork. I was sort of growing into the lack of workspace thingy, as I lived on Anna's couch even if it was terrible for my back. I guess my wolf gene would have lots of work to do now.Talking about living in Anna's space, it'd been very eye-opening to say the least and I couldn't believe I'd be able to control my possessiveness after I didn't find her in bed three nights in a row. Usually, after we are done with a family dinner with the kids, I read them bedtime stories and Anna retires to her room after leaving out blankets and duvets for me.But two nights after the cook-off challenge, she'd gone to bed and while I got myself comfortable enough on the couch, I realized she didn't leave out blankets for me. Werewolves had natural heat but combined with her evident lack of any source of warmth in the apartment (she refused to let me install an electric fireplace), it
Asher's P.O.VAnna blatantly refused taking a ride in my car so we were all stuffed into her tiny beat up Cadillac as it rumbled down the dusty road, the morning sun glinting off the chrome bumper. Anna, in the passenger seat, belted out a tune off-key but full of heart, a smile splitting her face. In the back, Evan and Ivan bounced like popcorn kernels, their backpacks overflowing with snacks and mismatched socks."Faster, faster!" Ivan shrieked, his face pressed against the window. "I wanna see the big, blue boat!"I chuckled, glancing over at Anna. Her eyes sparkled with a joy that was contagious. This… this felt different. Like a real family. The drive to the riverbank was a blur of excited chatter and singalongs. Through the rearview mirror, I could see a black S.U.V following behind. That was Sen. When we finally pulled up, a rickety wooden pier jutting out into a shimmering expanse of water, the boys practically exploded out of the car.A weathered man with a sun-baked face ap
(Anna’s Pov) The cabin floor scraped against my back as Asher lowered me and I bit my lip to hold back a scream of agony when my feet thudded against the wood flooring. My vision swam in a dizzying cocktail of pain and exhaustion. Through the haze, I felt him pull my boot off, the rough tug sending a fresh jolt of agony shooting up my leg. Tears stung my eyes and my fingers tightened into fists. Why me?A gasp tore from my throat as his hands, surprisingly gentle brushed against my ankle. But gentle wasn't the word for what came next. A searing pain ripped through me, a scream dying in my throat as a bone clicked back into place."It's broken, Anna," his voice, rough with strain, reached my ears. "It needs to be put back in llace if it's going to heal right."The world narrowed to the white-hot point of pain in my leg, his words a distant echo. But a fear flickered to life within me– not of the pain, but of what might happen if it didn't heal right. Then, a surprisingly tend
ASHER'S POV~“Let me go! Let me go, you stupid disgusting things! I'm going to ruin you! You're going to regret putting your disgusting hands on me!" The guards dragged Vira towards me as I say quietly in the dark room, my cold eyes on her. Her struggle against their hold was ferocious. Snarls ripped from her throat, her body writhing and twisting, her muscles tensed and coiled like a feral beast. But the guards were impassive, their faces stoic as they held her securely in their grasp.“Here you are. I've being wanting to meet you… step mother.” My lips curved upward, the corners of my mouth stretching into a sadistic grin. I watched as the guards hauled Vira towards me, a low, guttural chuckle rumbling in my chest.She gasped in shock before faking a broken expression. “Asher… what's the meaning of this? You asked these cruel assholes to hurl me like a criminal just for us to talk? Couldn't you send a text or something?” Her voice quivered. What a cunning bitch! Her eyes kept dar
ASHER'S POV~Finally, the day had arrived. Yet again, I didn't seem to sleep a wink. I kept turning on the bed, sending several messages to Anna who in turn returned all of them. She was anxious like I was. She was my perfect fit. I watched how the sun slowly began to rise in the sky and for the first time in my life, this was the first time I acknowledged the sun was indeed beautiful. It helped to light up my day.It didn't take me up to an hour to get dressed. I already gave an earlier instruction to Anna's stylists to dress her up quickly, I wouldn't want anything to delay my bride from coming on time. I was fucking dying to see her. I made sure every single thing in the venue was the best. Made from the very best.I wouldn't mind taking a drive to the hotel where she's been dressed up but Sen kicked against it and mentioned it to be a taboo for a groom to see a bride before their wedding day.Finally, I arrived at the venue. Sen made sure to scatter the guards at every station, m
ASHER'S POV~Last night I couldn't bring myself to sleep a wink. Tossing and turning in the bed, I fought against the grip of sleep. Anger, disappointment, and confusion mingled within me, keeping me wide awake.I couldn't think straight. No, I just couldn't. I thought about the several possibilities of me not appearing on time, what could have happened? Anna would have said yes, wouldn't she? My heart instantly clenched, I groaned while I pulled some strands of my hair in anger. Last night, I couldn't face Anna, not now, not while I was still struggling to make sense of it all. So I avoided sleeping in the same room as her. Someone suddenly knocked on the door. My eyes that were shadowed with dark circles lazily made their way to the door before I began to rise. My movements were sluggish and unfocused. “You look like shit, to be honest." I heard Sen mutter the very moment I let the door open for him. I rumbled under my breath, “So you came to taunt me about that?” I raised a br
ANNA'S POV~“For fuck's sake, Anna you're going to get me killed!" Tony groaned, pulling his hair as he turned around and refused to stare at me. I grinned, my cheeks widening and I went ahead to poke Tony's back which faced me but he softly slapped my hands away. “Heavens bear me a witness that I'm clearly the one chasing you away, Anna." The thought of seeing Asher storm into this place like a bull, his face set in a fierce scowl, his brows furrowed, his nostrils flaring, and his steps heavy to come ruin this playdate made adrenaline to curse through my veins. It made me so excited and I was looking forward to it. “Come on… Asher doesn't bite!” I brushed past him, only coming to stand right in front of him and I saw him turn around again from me, giving me his back and I barked out a laugh. “Jeez, Anna, go away. Asher would think you're dressed sexily for me when in reality this is just a prank. Go away! I don't want to lose a tooth.” He whined and I giggled more. I intentional
A year laterASHER'S POV~My mind was a swirl of thoughts, each one circling back to Anna. No matter how much I tried to make it stop, try to even focus, my thoughts kept drifting back to her—especially when she declared she was going for a vacation which was absolutely weird. I hated how suspicious it made me feel. I didn't sleep a wink last night and had spent the entire late hours of the day to search on several search engines on their search bars on ‘WHY WOULD A WOMAN SUDDENLY DECIDE TO GO ON A VACATION ALONE WITHOUT HER PARTNER.’My heart kept pounding in my chest as I waited for the results to load. As page after page revealed the same terrifying possibility, my face had gone pale and my fingers trembled. The realization that she might be losing interest in me, that she might have someone else, had filled me with dread and despair.The silence of our room was deafening, every tick of the clock in our room was a cruel reminder that my girl was about not to return to me anymore.
(Anna’s Pov) Darkness. Stifling, all-encompassing darkness. My lungs burned, a primal panic clawing at my throat. I was trapped. A metal cube, cold and unforgiving, held me prisoner, stealing my air bit by agonizing bit. This was it. This was how I'd die. They locked me in this cube that didn't have oxygen in it.As I tried to give up, my fist suddenly tightened around the object in my hand and I froze..A crazy idea, born of desperation, took root. My breath hitched, but not from lack of air. This time, it was anticipation.With trembling fingers, I flicked the lighter and the gas ignited in a blinding explosion, fire and debris hurling me through the air.Pain exploded in my limbs as I hit the ground and the force of the blast turned the room into a chaotic inferno, flames licking the walls.But I forced myself to move, crawling through the debris, my lungs burning with each gasps of smoke filled air. The acrid scent of burning metal and plastic filled my nostrils. Suddenly, a b
Asher’s P.O.VThe crisp white tux felt suffocating as I fumbled with the buttons, my reflection in the mirror absolutely mocking me. Was this really happening? Was I about to marrying a monster? How none-the wiser everyone would be, blind to the truth unfolding beneath their champagne flutes.Just then, a knock on the door startled me. “Alpha.” Came the voice through the heavy wood.“Come in, Sen.” I called in a rough voice.The door creaked open, revealing my Beta’s stoic face. He scanned the room, his gaze landing on the hidden remote nestled right under my sleeve. A flicker of understanding pasted between us and he gave me a curt nod.“Everything is in place, Alpha.” he reported. “The projector and screen are set up in the main hall, discreetly hidden behind the floral arrangements.”I nodded curtly and my stomach tightened in worry. This was the only way to do this. The door cracked open without an introduction this time and Vira appeared at the doorway. In a white silk lace dres
Anna’s P.O.VDrip, Drip, Drip.That’s the mix of sweat and blood running down my spine from where I was hung. Trying to move sent pain like a million darts ripping into my skin. So with gritted teeth, I stood on tiptoes, tears burning behind my lids.Vira was a crazy psychopath, no doubt, but what if her words had some truth to them? After all the million ways her team of doctors had tortured me to activate my phantom powers, I was starting to believe it.But why? Why won’t the so called fucking powers manifest so this torture could end? All my fucking life, I’d felt useless, hating myself for not having a wolf when my peers got theirs. I only had a useless shapeshifting ability. Now I was told I had such great powers at the tip of my fingers and I still couldn’t save myself, my babies and the others.The tear I’d been holding since I was locked in a tube without oxygen poured down my eyes and choked sobs seeped out of me. Goddess, please save my babies. I cried to myself as my sh
Asher’s P.O.V: My knuckles were white-hot around the steering wheel, the leather cool and slick beneath my clammy palms. Every muscle in my body felt coiled tight, a knot of churning anxiety that had taken root in my gut and refused to loosen it grip. It had been days since Anna’s kidnap, days that had stretched into an agoninzing eternity. To make matters worse, the wedding loomed ahead on my calender, a fucking deadline that mocked my helplessness. Marrying Vira. The very thought made my stomach churn. The woman was a viper, a fucking sicko and the last person I’d consider spending the rest of my life with. But what choice did I have? It was the only leverage I had, the only flimsy thread keeeping Anna and the kids alive. Tony had mentioned a possible lead but said I had to come to a hidden location to speak to him. It was a long shot, but fuck, it was all i had. The city soon gave way to sprawling surburbs as I droce, then slowly dissolved into a desolate landscape that h