13

CHAPTER THIRTEEN
ASHER’S POV
“Meet me in my office immediately!” I order Kane and Rowan through mind link as I put on my clothes in the woods.
I cannot go to bed without a formulating a plan on how to get Astrid out of that pack.
That girl was eating in secret, she looked so weak and skinny and the clothes she always has on are so awful! What exactly are they doing to her in that pack?
I need to get her out and morning will not come without me devising a plan on how to go about that.
The fear in her eyes, the way her hands trembled as she put the food in her mouth, the way she kept looking around to make sure no one had followed her, all of that was beyond torture to witness and I will die if I don’t do anything about it.
“I’m glad you are taking this action” Kai pipes up and I exhale heavily as I stride across the corridor.
“I can’t do otherwise Kai, we both have seen what she is going through in that pack. Even the moon goddess will have us punished if we do not do anything about that”
“Yeah, she will”
“Asher, what’s the problem?” Kane and Rowan ask unanimously as I step into my office and without uttering a single word, I walk straight to the wine bar where I pour myself a shot of scotch and gulp down in a go. They both stand glued to their spots, looking at me like I suddenly become a ghost.
The bewildered expressions on their faces makes me understand that they are dying to know why I summoned them into my office at midnight.
“Asher, you look so shabby, have you been out running?” Rowan asks and I nod as I slowly make my way towards them.
“Alpha Asher, you are getting me nervous, what exactly is the matter?” Kane asks in a nervous tone.
I pour myself another shot of scotch and quickly gulp down in a go. I squeeze my eyes shut and grunt as the harsh whiskey burns down my throat and into my stomach. My entire system heats up and the taste on my tongue keeps asking for more, but I know I must stop.
I cannot afford to get tipsy tonight, I have a lot of work to do in the office tomorrow and waking up at midday with a massive hangover will not be of any good to me.
“Asher…” Rowan starts to talk but I cut him off.
“I was at the Black Wood Pack” The moment those words leave my mouth and hit their ears, their gazes widen in utter shock.
“No you weren’t!”
“I’m not bluffing, I was there!”
“What if they had caught you”
“Are you crazy? Do you have any idea the punishment given to anyone caught trespassing in another pack?” Rowan asks furiously.
“I’m not dumb okay. I made sure I turned off my scent before getting into the pack and. Only Alpha’s can do that though. By the way, I didn’t go to cause trouble.” I explain stubbornly and Rowan places one hand on his waist and the other on his forehead as he let’s out a heavy sigh of frustration. Kane just keeps walking up and down the living room in silence and I’m nerved.
“So, won’t you guys at least ask me why I went there?”
“Asher will you please just let us digest this first information in peace, I’m sure the reason will send me straight to the hospital” Rowan speculates and Kai lets out a low but powerful growl.
“Hushh Kai” I warn and he rolls his eyes and lies down.
After a second or two, Rowan looks up at me with questioning eyes and I shrug.
“Well, I had to go see Astrid”
“Ahah!” Kane exclaims with an abrupt jump as he claps his hands. “I knew it had something to do with that servant girl”
“She is not a servant girl, she is the Alpha of the Black Wood Pack. Call her with some respect”
“Sorry”
“Why on earth did you go to see her?”
“I witnessed the kind of treatment she was getting from Alpha Adolph and his entire household and I did not like it. I just wanted to go see how she was faring and what has put me in the edge. I have to get her away from that pack lest she starves to death”
“But, how are you going to do that?”
“I don’t know yet, but all I know is that I need to get her out of that pack”
“Asher, you very well know if you do that, Alpha Adolph will come after us real nasty. Here you are marrying a girl you do not like because you are trying avoid her father’s wrath and at the same time you trying to bring that same wrath upon us by taking away his hostage. Seriously brother?” He asks with a raised brow and I firmly grab his shoulder and hold him a little away from my body so I can look into his eyes that are now widely opened in horror.
“Rowan you have to here me out. Astrid is going to die of starvation in that pack if we don’t get her out. Do you want to know where I found her this night?”
“Where … Where did you find her?” He stutters and the moment the memory flashes on my mind, my body grows weak and I let go of his shoulders as I stagger backwards.
The fear in her eyes.
The way she get hands trembled as she hastily fed herself.
The way she kept looking left and right to make sure that no one had followed her out there.
That was quite a disheartening sight and I never want to witness it again.
I weakly sit on the bare floor and shake my head.
“Is it that bad?” Kane asks quietly as he approaches me and I gently raise my head up to look at him.
“She ran out of the castle, into the woods with a bowl and torch in her hand. I hid behind a tree to watch and what she did…” I sniffle tears. “What she did totally broke my heart.”
“What did she do?”
“She sat on the bare ground, opened the bowl and began eating the food in it and every now and then, she checked her surrounding to make sure no one had followed her”
“Oh my God” Rowan exclaims sadly as he sits by myside on the floor.
Kane does same and there is a long moment of silence in the room.
“She’s being starved over there” Rowan concludes.
“Terribly starved” I confirm with a nod as I wipe my tears.
“We have to get her out of there before she starves to death” That’s Kane.
“The question is, how are we going to do that without Alpha Adolph noticing. As much as we want to save her, we also do not want to put the lives of the Pack members in danger” Rowan explains and I place my head on my knees that have been curled up to my chest.
That day I went to pick up Freya from her father’s pack, the scenario I witnessed whereby Astrid was kneeling before her while she pulled her ear, I think I can recall what she said.
“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?”
Those were her exact words.
What I can make out of that is that, she wanted Astrid to come with her here so she can be her personal maid, but her father refused.
If I want Astrid to leave that pack without causing a fight, this is what I need to do. I need to convince Freya to put more pressure on her father to let Astrid come here and work as her personal maid.
She is his favorite child and he will definitely grant her every wish, especially when she over insists on it.
What a perfect plan.
“The smile on your face tells me that you have found a way to solve this mystery. Share it with us”
“I think, I’m gonna have to talk this out with my fiancé first” I reply with a broad smile as I abruptly rise up from the floor.
“Gentlemen, I’m afraid this meeting has come to an end. Thank you very much for your time, you may go back to your chambers” I say with an enthusiastic smile as I majestically walk out of the office fully aware of the bewildered expressions they both have on.
I cannot wait to have this conversation with Freya tomorrow morning.
Just you hold on Astrid, I’m coming to rescue you.