CHAPTER EIGHT
ASHER’S POV
As I step out of my Bugatti at the Black Wood Pack castle, I try to keep a straight face but fail woefully when I remember the conversation I had with Arya earlier today. She insisted on coming to me to pick up Freya, but when I mentioned the fact that Tyr, Freya’s elder brother could see her and want to marry her as well, or worst still Alpha Adolph could take interest her, she quietly walked back into the castle without uttering another word.
That got her real good.
I smile sheepishly as I approach the guard who has come to welcome me. It’s the same guy who had welcomed me the other day.
“You are once more welcome to the Black Wood Pack, Alpha Asher”
“Thank you.”
“This way please” He leads the way into the castle and I follow behind. As we walk, I look around and notice that there are soldiers patrolling around the mighty compound while some are just standing still, looking utterly and completely bored.
It must be really exhausting standing under the scorching sun all day, doing absolutely nothing.
Pity!
As we walk on, I am more than shocked to see servants coming out of the house with bags and boxes and soon my mind clicks. They are taking Freya’s stuff to my car.
Now that is a whole lot of stuff.
I immediately come to a halt on my tracks when I spot the girl from the other day at a corner, walking like she is about to die with a heavy bag twice her size on her head. Her foot steps are staggering and she looks so frail and tired. The others passing by her side do not seem to care that she needs assistance.
Without a second thought, I change the course of my direction and take long strides over to her and when I’m close, I lift the bag from her head with such ease and place it down. She takes a step backwards and bows her head in submission.
“Al…Alpha… Asher” She calls with a shaky voice and I find myself smiling.
“You got it right. Please lift up your head” I plead and she reluctantly raises her head and her familiar ocean blue eyes melt my heart completely. This is the girl I want to be with.
I don’t care if she is a servant.
But… I very well know I cannot be with her.
“What is your name?” I ask softly, but firmly and she plays with her fingers for a while.
How cute!
“Astrid, my name’s Astrid”
“Astrid is no name”
“Astrid Tiva Tarlishi” She repeats this time around calling all…
Wait.
Hold on a sec.
Did she just say…
“Tarlishi?” I ask aghast and she nods not daring to look me in the eye. “If your last name is Tarlishi, does that mean you are…”
“You foul whore! What the hell are you doing with my husband to be?” A squeaky voice rants as heels come clicking towards us.
That is a voice I remember to be the same voice that was scolding Astrid yesterday and I very well know the owner of that voice.
My diabolical wife-to-be.
Freya!
I immediately turn around to face her making sure to block Astrid away from her because I know she’s going to try to hit her at this moment.
“Hello Freya” I greet putting on my fakest smile on and she stops on her tracks and grins and I internally rolls my eyes.
How am I supposed to spend the rest of my life with this … ugh!
“Alpha Asher!” She calls as she approaches me while still grinning but the moment her eyes fall on Astrid again, she frowns.
“What is she doing here?”
“I was just having a chat with Astrid.”
“I see…”
“Yeah.” I reply and right now I don’t even know what to do next.
I’m standing before the girl I would love to be with and the girl I am forced to be with and it’s a very awkward situation for me right now.
The person who saves me from this predicament is a male servant walking towards us.
“Gentleman” I call and immediately the guys turns and sees me, he bows his head down.
“Good day to you, Alpha Asher”
“Good day to you too”
“How may I be of service to you, Alpha?”
“I need you to take this bag to my car outside, it’s too heavy for the young lady to carry”
“I will so just that, Alpha” Then he lifts up the bag with much ease and walks away. I turn to look at Astrid who still has her head bowed down. Her thick shabby black hair completely conceals her beautiful face and I’m a bit disappointed. I want to see her face and be charmed by her beautiful ocean eyes even if it is just for a short while.
“You may leave now” I instruct and my heart momentarily stops when she scurried away.
I don’t know if it’s just me, but she smells like vanilla cream.
I let out a tiny unnoticeable smile as I turn to look at Freya who seems to be fuming in anger but her expression immediately changes into a broad grin.
By now you’d notice that I always say “she grins” that’s because her smile around me is always exaggerated, so I call it a grin.
So, right now, she is grinning again and I know it’s only a façade to hide the envy that’s boiling in her heart.
Only the moon goddess knows what she’s going to do with Astrid the moment she leaves this place.
“Freya” I call tenderly and take a few steps closer to her. Now we are just a few inches apart and I gently raise my right hand up towards her cheeks to presumably stroke them, tenderly and when I do so, she blushes a beet root.
“You look stunning this morning” I compliment with a hushed voice as my eyes trail down her body a d back up. ” The dress looks like it was meant just for you. I like the way it hugs your body and prints out your slender shape. Totally gorgeous” I flatter and this time around she covers her face with both her palms and blushes more.
“Thank you very much Alpha Asher.”
“You don’t have to thank me. You are my future Luna after all, it’s my duty to make you feel special.” I lie yet again and she just keeps grinning from molar to molar.
But I’m serious, Freya is a gorgeous lady. Everything from her jewelry to her outfit and shoes prove that she has a good taste in fashion, something I like in women.
Her blonde hair is actually glowing and it perfectly matches her emerald green eyes. Her make up is on point and if I had the slightest interest in her, I would have already kissed her lips by now.
She’s a stunning woman all together, sad thing is, just on the outside.
On the inside, she is as ugly as an ogre and I can’t wait for her to meet Arya and Rowan, I trust then to put her in her place every time she goes astray.
This is going to be so much fun.
“I’m just gonna go have a word with your father and we’ll get going. Give me ten minutes”
“Should I wait for you in your car”
“Yes please, the black Bugatti”
“Okay” She squeals in excitement as she turns to leave.
“Wait” I command and she makes a ninety degree spin and now we are facing each other again. I inch closer to her and plant a soft kiss on her left cheek and then in silence, we both separate from each other and walk in opposite directions.
“Now that was hot!” My Beta, Kane whispers in my ears as we walk on and I just roll my eyes and hasten my footsteps.
I could be a great actor if I wanted to be.
The meeting with Alpha Adolph mostly consisted of me listening to him talk gibberish about how well mannered and kind his daughter is, which I highly doubt.
From the few encounters we’ve had, and the rumors I’ve heard about her, she doesn’t have the nicest reputation.
I don’t expect a man like Adolph to talk ill about his own daughter though.
After the so not true praises, came warnings and threats about how he’s going to enslave all my subjects if I ever make his daughter shed a tear.
I don’t know what this man has with slavery that he loves it so much.
After receiving the all the lectures, I quietly left the old man in his living and right now, my guys and I are walking out of the castle.
I just want to leave this pack already before I contract being wicked from them. They all have this negative aura around them and the fact that I’m carrying Freya to my pack gets me worried.
My servants are gonna have a hard time with her.
I can already…
My thoughts are interrupted by a voice and I quickly raise my head up to see whose talking. I see Astrid kneeling down by the opened door of my Bugatti with Freya seated in it and pulling her ears.
“Don’t you dare think that you have succeed in evading this. I will keep talking to my father and he’s eventually going to hear me out. You will come over to my Pack and be my personal maid. Is that clear?” She questions wickedly and Astrid nods.
My heart shatters into a million pieces as I watch the scenario that’s unfolding before my eyes.
How can one person be so heartless.
Where did she get such courage to treat another girl like this?
“What’s going on here?” I ask with a serious expression as I approach the scene.
Freya looks up at me and smile.
“Babe, I was just giving her my final warnings” She explains and I close my eyes and let out a heavy breath.
I swear when I get to my pack, I will tell Arya to teach this bitch some manners.
I trust Arya to do that perfectly!
“Rise up” I command Astrid and she quickly rises on her feet and when I see the tears in her eyes, the shattered pieces of my heart melt completely. “You can leave”
Astrid quickly scurries away but the sadness in her eyes call out to me. It’s like they are begging me to take her along with me. They tell me that she is going to through hell in this pack and I don’t doubt it.
I have to do something.
I can’t just take her away right now because that will lead to conflict between Alpha Adolph and I.
My father once told me that while trying to resolve a problem, make sure you aren’t creating another one in the process, else it’ll all make no sense in the end.
I have to get Astrid away from this pack, but I have to do so wisely.
The twins and I are going to hatch plan on how to make that happen sooner or later.
“Can we go now?” I hear Freya’s voice ask and that’s when I realize that I have been looking in the direction which Astrid just left. I turn to face her with a scorn on my face and she goes mute.
I signal one of the guards to close her side of the door while I walk over to the other side and get into the car.
If she was a kind lady, I would have closed the door for her, but since she is the way she is, I don’t think she deserves the courtesy of an Alpha.
Not just any Alpha, but Alpha Asher Kai Dakota.