Chapter 9

In less than twenty-four hours, Asher was back on the jet, flying back to the city. The trip had been shorter than he could have imagined. His pilot tried not to show his shock at being woken up in the middle of the night and told to fly back so fast, but Asher knew the man was probably wondering what on earth was going on. Asher hadn’t even had the energy to fake an emergency to explain the abrupt change in plans.

His mind was too disturbed to think straight. He was wondering what was happening. He had left the Red eyes bar feeling as though all the light in his life had gone off. It was as though a cold hand had gripped his insides and twisted until there was no more blood flowing in him. There was no bounce in his step. It wasn’t the first rejection of his life, but it certainly felt like the worst. For some reason, a reason he couldn’t even begin to explain, Mia’s rejection hurt more than the one he had received just months before.

Asher frowned and stared out the small plane window into the dark sky. He could almost see the blank stare Mia had given him reflected in the glass. Even when he had risen from the stool and made it clear he was leaving, she hadn’t reacted or stopped him.  

He had definitely imagined his impulsive trip back to the shitty town ending very differently. Asher chuckled to himself and shook his head. He had definitely imagined a more pleasant experience. One involving more smiles and perhaps some moans of pleasure. 

The short flight back was spent with Asher lost in his thoughts. However, as soon as his plane touched down, he snapped out of it, determined to return to his life and forget anything to do with Mia, the bartender. Just then, his phone rang. A glance at the screen told him it was a call he really didn’t want to take, but he knew he had to.

“Layla?” he said in greeting once he picked the call.

“Where the hell are you? You barely came back and next thing I hear...you order the jet to be fueled up and get ready to take you God knows where. Asher? I don’t like this. You left for three weeks... I understood that. What is this now?”

Asher rolled his eyes and waited till the woman ran out of steam and finally shut her mouth. “Are you done?”

Layla was seething. He could tell from her breathing, which he could hear through the phone. She clearly didn’t like his tone. Unfortunately, he didn’t care much, but he decided to tell her, anyway. “I’m back in the city... just landed. So cool your horses, no need to throw a tantrum.”

“Where did you go?” Layla asked quietly, tactfully ignoring his words.

That was not a question he wanted to answer, especially not now when he was still reeling from his encounter with Mia. He cleared his throat. “Nowhere you know.” 

“What kind of answer is that, Asher? If you don’t want to tell me... fine. But you can’t keep doing this. I was worried. Hell! I have been worried for weeks! I know things were ugly, and you needed some space, but bro, come on.”

He sighed. He did feel bad about that. “I know. Dave told me. I’m sorry to have stressed you, it was not my intention. I just needed some time.”

It was Layla’s turn to sigh. “I know. I’m sorry for everything.”

Asher nodded, even though she couldn’t see him. He knew Layla was sorry about the whole thing. He didn’t hate her for it; she had done what she thought was best, and even though it was a bitter pill to swallow and it still churned his stomach every time he thought about it, he was grateful.

*** 

Her wolf tore through the woods, its paws crushed fallen leaves and dry twigs. Fur ruffled with the wind blowing across its body. Its eyes glowed. The sound of heavy breathing and a low growl mixed with the cries of every creature that made the woods a home. The wolf’s muscles screamed with exertion, but Mia continued to push it to run faster.

The sky was already morphing from the pitch dark of the night to the gray that announced a new day. A new day that didn’t hold any promise. She had been running for hours, determined to find release. It never came. The reality of things remained clear in her head.

The wolf was agitated. That was an understatement. It threw its head side to side, then looked to the fading moon and suddenly howled. A second after the act, Mia mentally shook her head and growled. What was she thinking? Thoughts of Asher Deavan had made her so restless and antsy she had practically forgotten she was a runaway werewolf being chased by two packs, and she had just howled.

A wolf’s howl had the same function as a GPS tracker. It could be heard for miles. And each howl was unique to a wolf, like a fingerprint. If any of her old pack members searching for her were within range, they would not only know it was her, but they would know where she was.

Mia turned around and started running back to the small town she was living in. Another growl of anger towards herself left her throat. She realized she had to cover her tracks. Mia immediately changed course and started towards the river she knew ran miles from the town. 

She pushed her already exhausted wolf hard and fast. It had been a careless slip to howl in the woods. One she hadn’t done before she met Asher Deavan. Careful had been her middle name for months, but now, just three encounters with the human and she was a confused mess, making careless mistakes that could cost her everything she had fought so hard for. 

When the river came into view, she wasted no time and jumped into it. The cold water felt great on her wolf’s overheated body and gave her head some much needed clarity. But it did nothing for the ache in her muscles. She needed a hot bath for that. Unfortunately, she wouldn’t get one until she had covered her tracks sufficiently before heading back to her apartment.

The cold water in the river made sure her scent wouldn’t be tracked. Walking through the river ensured she left no paw prints. She gave herself another mental slap for finding herself in the situation.

It took her an extra hour to get back to her apartment. She was exhausted and pissed. A long hot bath later, she felt no better. With a few hours to kill before she had to get to the bar, she decided to take a nap.

~~~ 

Maybe she should have given Asher a chance, Mia thought for the hundredth time after she hadn’t seen him for four nights. He was truly gone. It wasn’t surprising considering how she had addressed him, but it was still hard to believe. She gave herself a hard mental slap.

She worked the bar robotically, her mind completely distracted for hours. It was a good thing the job had become almost second nature to her. She could do it with her eyes closed, so the patrons were safe and happy with their usual drinks. They barely realized anything different about her. 

She heard the door to the bar open; she registered it vaguely in the peripheral of her mind. There was no hope that it would be Asher, so she was less than enthusiastic. Almost absentmindedly, she took a whiff of the air to know who had entered. Her dazed state evaporated in her heartbeat. She raised her eyes slowly. “No.” Her worst nightmare materialized before her eyes.