(Anna’s P.O.V)Gravel crunched beneath my tires as I pulled into the brimming lot. The spot designated to me was barely left unoccupied and that made my lips curl in a slight smile. Friday night rush hour was always intense. As I killed the ignition, the familiar neon glow of the bar's entrance pulsed through the windshield, casting an almost surreal light on my reflection in the rearview mirror.I leaned in, catching the way the overhead light danced in the strands of red and silver that wove their way through my blonde hair and the glint in my purple eyes. Next came the usual relief and dismay that courses through me whenever I saw my midnight self.Relief washed over me, knowing I hadn’t lost this side of me, the one I’d feared gone when I was pregnant. Throughout my pregnancy, my midnight shapeshifting ceased and I thought I'd lost the other part of me I now call, "Black Rose." As for the dismay, it was a reminder that while I transformed into someone entirely new every midnight,
(Anna’s P.O.V) That was none of my business. I told myself immediately. "Seems like someone spiked your drink, huh?" I started, eyeing Jim in a way that told him to leave and the poor guy slipped out as Asher's attention momentarily turned to me. I refused to be held captive by those emerald orbs even though they threatened to see through my facade. "I can assure you it's not any of our staff here. Maybe you came with someone or left your drink unattended." Asher scoffed and the sound scraped against my nerves. "for your information, I came alone." He said through his teeth. "And the only time I looked away from my drink was to fetch my card for the server. He was the only one with access to my food!" "Then I would question Jim and if we find anything suspicious, we would involve you and the cops," I said amicably, my voice surprisingly strong. "Right now, I am sorry, Alpha but you would have to remain calm. Chaos isn't good for business and I can't have you scaring the other custo
(Asher’s P.O.V) Fuck. Tonight was one clusterfuck of disaster after disaster and out of all the things that had gone wrong—being drugged, the only suspect to the incident slipping away, and then postponing a crucial business deal because of said incident. I couldn’t get the sight of that blonde-haired—if you think the silver and red strands don’t count—waitress, sorry manager, out of my mind. Clad in leather pants that hugged her perfect figure with a top that flashed those ample cleavages, manager girl was a smokeshow. But some whimsical attraction or the drugs in my system wasn’t the reason for my distress. Seeing her was like stumbling into a burst of light after being trapped in a dark tunnel for years…startling, jarring. The most puzzling thing was my wolf’s reaction to her presence. As soon as I heard her voice and turned to see her, it felt like something that I didn’t even know was lost inside me, clicked back into place, and Omar—my wolf—fucking growled, reaching forward t
(Asher’s P.O.V) The city lights blurred as the car hurtled through the deserted streets. As time ticked by, so did the pounding in my head. All I could manage was a dull awareness of the throbbing in my cock and the chill that had now seeped into my bones. One minute I was at that damn bar for the meeting, the next…this. The car suddenly jolted to a stop. Disoriented, I’d forgotten my earlier attempts at getting out and this time when I tried, I almost fell on my ass. “Easy man.” A hand steadied me, guiding me out. It was Sen. “Just lean on me man, you’re way too fatigued to want to fuck even if your arousal doesn’t say so.” Gritting my teeth, I nuzzled into him and Sen half carried me into the hospital. The rest of the next few hours were a blur of nurses, doctors, and needles. When I finally came to, white ceilings peered down at me. My hands felt a little stiff and when I glanced at them, I saw why. They were tightly wrapped with bandages. I grimaced and carefully flexed the f
(Anna’s P.O.V)Thump. Thump. Thump.That’s my heart slamming against my ribcage and when I glanced down at the grip Asher has on my upper arm, it increased so much my mouth watered with nausea.Let me go,’ I begged but my voice refused to move past my lungs. The words were stuck in my throat, tight and painful. As Asher’s hold on me tightened, the weaker I felt. What was happening to me?It was when a whimper rose to my lips, that I realize he was using his dominance on me, forcing me under his will till he’d broken through every wall in my mind.I gasped, wanting to tell him how illegal his actions were in Westside but revoltingly, I could feel myself submitting, my free will slipping away till I couldn’t meet his gaze, whimpering while weakly holding on to my children.Tears clogged my throat as I was filled with the fear of what would become of them if Asher or his mom found out they were still alive. That night when her guards had forced the pills down my throat, Luna Camilla expl
(Anna’s P.O.V)Was this the same guy who had rejected me and forced his stepmother to feed me abortion pills on his orders? No, it had to be the results of the drugging back at the club last night.My stomach felt like lead and I realized how badly I was sweating. Pushing strands of hair from my face, I glanced at my babies who were now sleeping in Sen’s arms. They looked so peaceful, unaware of the course their life might take if their mother didn’t protect them.I sucked in a deep breath and looked back at Asher. “No, we are not your toys to just discard and then choose to keep when you feel like it. My kids have a life that has nothing to do with you.”His eyes flashed but this time he kept his hands to himself. “They are my children too and every child needs their father!”“Why are you hellbent on winning the Father of the Year award anyway?” I snarled back, far too gone with rage, fear, and the need to protect my children.A shutter slid over his expression and he became the aloo
Asher’s P.O.VThe sound of tires scraping against cement ground filled my ears. I squeezed my hands around my head as the pain in my skull intensified tenfold. Why was everything so fucking loud? Footsteps pounded against the pavement and I jerked up when a bright light shone into my eyes. Shit! My eyes watered as a sick pain sliced through my head. I weakly brought my hand up to shield my face from the light.“Ann….” I tried to speak but my tongue felt heavy in my mouth.“Fuck, Asher!” Sen’s frantic voice cut right through my skull and I groaned. “Your head is literally split open. What the fuck?”It was then I realized how wet my eyes and hands were. Those weren’t tears. I was bleeding from the head wound and the blood was flowing everywhere. But Sen was exaggerating. From the pounding in my skull, it was probably just a small gash.“Thank God, we are still at the hospital, we need to get you back inside.” Sen started to carefully lift me from the floor but I pressed all my body wei
Three days later.“Next Monday should do it,” I said into the phone pressed against my ears while twiddling a pencil between my fingers. “We’ve postponed this a little too long.”There was a tense silence on the other end before Tony, the CEO of Westside Bars and Grills grunted into the phone. “I know Alpha Asher. It’s just my manager has Mondays off and she won’t be available to attend to you before I arrive.”My brows knotted into a tight frown. I didn’t know what it was but I was pretty sure Tony was lying. But why? Why doesn’t he want me in the bar on Monday? “Fine, get back to me with a date.”“Sure, I will have my assistant reach out to you.” He replied enthusiastically and added, “Sorry for extending your stay in Westside.”I grunted some response into the speakerphone and slammed it back into the box. Fuck. I dropped my pencil and raked my fingers through my hair. Anna. Just like that time when I’d sex with her, she was all I could think about. But this time instead of thinkin
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