I want to meet her.
The room was dark and airy. With nothing to sit on, save for the mat that was spread upon the hard wooden floor. The surrounding walls seemed old like they had been that way for a long time without maintenance, or repairs.
In the midst of this man sat. The dark room made sure to cover his face well, so it couldn’t be properly seen, and his legs were pressed on the soft mat, weaved from thin wooden fibres. Asher walked into the house and stood in front of this man. The man’s eyes focused on his visitor, by the looks of his home, he didn’t have many of those.
A smile crept upon his face as he watched Asher’s uncomfortable face which never seemed to grow old, no matter how many years passed. Asher didn’t speak, he merely stood in front of the man. After a few moments passed, the owner of the home had to break off the silence.
“Why are you here?” The man asked.
Asher’s face tightened as he heard the man’s voice. His deep tone echoed throughout the almost empty room. Save for a small stool for eating, a few board games, and other things the man would use, the living room had nothing else.
“Is there a reason for me not to be here?” Asher responded with a slight frown.
As expected, the man looked at Asher. Even after so long had passed, Asher still bore resentment toward him. Resentment for the happenings of the past, something that would never vanish from Asher’s heart. However, the man could tell that Asher wasn’t here to discuss such resentment. There was something else on his mind.
“No, you have every reason to be here, no? You are, after all, the Alpha of the Pack” The man answered.
“Yeah, and whose fault is that?” Asher stated.
The man sighed and shook his head slightly. Asher was still so hung up on this. When would it end?
“So… What can I do for the mighty Aloha of our Rockwood Pack?” The man said, slightly in jest.
“You…” Asher growled, but quickly controlled himself.
He didn’t want to get agitated by the man, but he couldn’t help but feel the swirl of rage anytime he looked into the eyes of the man in front of him. It seemed even after so long, he still had a hold on Asher. He could incite him with the littlest of effort, and that made Asher mad, at himself and the man.
Asher shook away the thoughts and feelings within him. He had to get his priorities straight and achieve his goal. He couldn’t afford to be swept up by the myriads of other things he could say to the old man.
“There is something you should know…” Asher said.
The man’s eyes lit up when Asher said this. A tinge of surprise mixed with curiosity. Would he hear something new this time, after so long of the old?
Asher was now nervous. He didn’t know how to tell this man what he wanted to do. A bead of sweat fell from his forehead, showing that he was uncomfortable. However, he had resolved to do this, to achieve his goals… He had to!
“I have found my Mate… Father…”
“…”
An awkward silence enveloped the room. The two men remained still, their eyes transfixed on each other. Asher remained standing, while the man still sat on his old-fashioned mat.
“… I see…” The man said in a low tone.
The old man’s smile broadened further. His body shook slightly, and for the first time, he showed signs of movement.
“I have come to ask something of you,” Asher said.
“What is that?”
Another uncomfortable silence formed again.
“Advice… Concerning my Mate” Asher muttered hesitantly.
“Oh? I see now… So what you’re trying to say is… You don’t know how to handle your mate, and so you’ve come to ask for help from me, whom you have ostracised for so long… Is that how desperate you are, Asher?” The man grinned.
Clearly, he was enjoying this. Asher was angry about that fact. He clenched his fist and endured it. His pride was being wounded, but his father was right. He was desperate. Roxanne hated him, he knew it. However, he was going crazy just thinking about her.
It was taking every ounce of self-control for him not to abduct her from Rita’s place and make him entirely his. For someone who had grown accustomed to getting everything he wanted, having this one thing deprived of him was something he couldn’t take. The one thing, one person he desired more than anything else was within his reach, yet unwilling.
He had to find a way to get her to like him, to love him. Now that she had Awakened, it was only a matter of time before she began to feel the way he felt, but from what he saw the other day and also Dax and Melissa’s words, he had a feeling she still wouldn’t budge.
“I don’t know how long I can take this rejection… I-I…” His thoughts rang.
“Oh? Who would’ve thought that there was something that the great Asher can’t do! So, tell me… Who is the unfortunate soul? Is it Peggy? Sara? Or… Don’t tell me… Is it Camilla?” He smirked.
Asher knew he was making fun of him. His father was always like this, he knew how to get under his skin. However, Asher was determined to get what he wanted from him.
“Her name is Roxanne… She’s not from around here…” Asher said.
“Roxanne, eh? So what exactly do you want from me?”
Asher narrowed his eyes as he glared at his father, who smiled amusedly. Clearly, he was enjoying this.
“How do I get Roxanne to fall in love with me?” Asher asked.
He looked at his old man, despite any feeling of anger he had toward his old man, even Asher had to admit that there was once a time in his life when he respected and loved his father. This was because of one thing his father was known for… His way with people.
His father, unlike him, was a very social person. Even as a child, Asher would watch as his father handled people and talked to them. As a result, he was loved by many and well respected, a direct contrast to Asher back then, who was only feared.
One day, Asher asked his father his secret. How he was able to fully interact and relate with anyone. His father smiled and said to him…
“It’s easy… I just know what people want, and I give it to them. The only way to get along with people is to know who they are, and what they desire. ”
Asher didn’t understand those words then, he still didn’t understand them now. This was why he wasn’t able to gain Roxanne’s affection. Unlike other members of his pack, and wolf community, Roxanne was uncharted territory. For the rest of his people, he only had to show them strength and make decisions, most of which were rational.
As a result, they obeyed him, feared him, and respected him. But Roxanne was different. They belonged to entirely different words so they couldn’t relate to each other. He thought if anyone could help him, it would be his father. After all, he was the previous Alpha of the Rockwood Pack… John!
“Uahahahahahahahaha!!!” John burst out in laughter.
The roaring tone he used made Asher’s skin crawl, and the echo effect made the waves bounce around the room.
“Wow! I never expected you to actually say it out loud like that! I thought you would have left at this point. After all, you can’t stand this old man” John bellowed, still chuckling.
“Will you help me or not?” Asher asked, his clenched fists still tightening further.
John grinned widely and nodded his head. Slowly, he rose to his feet, revealing his figure even more. He looked tall, bigger than Asher. His muscular figure was intimidating, and he wasn’t wearing any shirt to cover his insanely built body. He wore khaki shorts, which only covered his legs up to the knee.
The lower part of his legs were covered with hair, shaking as he took steps forward. His hair was unnatural for a man, as long as a woman’s. He had a large beard. His chest hair was also apparent as he stepped forward, slowly and steadily. Before long, he was directly in front of Asher, who still remained focused on his father’s eyes.
“Heh, fine! I’ll help you, why not? After all… You’re still my son!” He grinned widely.
Asher’s heart relaxed with relief at his father’s words. Finally, he was going to make considerable progress with his mate.
“Then…” Asher wanted to begin preparations.
“But first, you’ll need to do something for me.” John interrupted, raising his index finger to signify the number.
“Really? If it’s what I think, then you know I won’t-”
“It’s not that! This is different… So, will you do it?” John asked.
“It depends, what is it?” Asher asked, looking at his father suspiciously.
“It’s simple, really… This Mate of yours, Roxanne… I want to meet her. Bring her here, ”he said.
“What?!” Asher let out with surprise.
“Do that, and we have a deal. I’ll help you as much as you want!” John added.
Asher remained silent, not knowing what to say to his father.
“What? You can’t do that?” John asked with a mock smile.
Asher knew his father very well. He was a stubborn old man who would never budge if he wasn’t satisfied, but he was also a man of his word. That meant one thing.
If he wanted to get his father’s help, he would need to somehow find a way to make Roxanne appear before him. With the way things were between them, he wondered how that would go.
“It just might make things worse…”