A new found glow …
The drive back home was very pleasant. I didn’t know how to express the feeling I had; it was overwhelming.
“Um, Ashley, you’re glowing,” Lucas said while we were still upstairs on the restaurant’s rooftop, and I blushed deeply at the remark.
“Aww, thank you,” I responded, basking in the compliment.
“No, I don’t mean that as a compliment. I mean, you are actually glowing! Can’t you see the bright light emitting from your body?” he said. I pulled away from him to see what he was talking about. I placed my hands in front of me and, indeed, there was a radiant light emitting from them. I looked around and saw people staring in amazement. I gulped nervously.
“Um, Lucas, what’s going on?”
“I don’t know, I’m just as stunned as you are,” he responded, clearly surprised.
“You know what, Ashley, let’s just go. You’re starting to get even brighter.”
“Wait, what?”
“Let’s go.” We hurried towards the table, and he grabbed his cell phone, signaling our immediate departure. We got into the elevator, and he punched the button for the ground floor. As the elevator descended, Lucas couldn’t take his eyes off me, staring in awe. The elevator’s transparent walls allowed me to see myself, and the glow emanating from my body was undeniably extraordinary. From Lucas’s expression and his lack of knowledge about what was happening, it was clear that this was a rare occurrence. When we reached the ground floor, those waiting for the elevator were struck with awe as they saw me stepping out. Lucas held my hand tightly as we moved past everyone to get to the car.
“Start the car now, let’s go.”
“Yes, sir…. Whoa! Ma’am, you are…”
“Glowing? Well, yes, as you can see, we have eyes to realize that, so let’s go now,” Lucas ordered. The driver quickly started the engine, and we were on our way back to the mansion.
To be completely honest, I had expected the drive back to be extremely awkward, with Lucas possibly not wanting to talk to me. However, he made it fun and comforting.
“I’m sure you must have pushed some buttons for your wolf. Now she’s reacting by making you stand out with this light of yours,” he joked, and I laughed heartily. Throughout the drive, Lucas kept making jokes about what had happened, helping me set aside the negative thoughts I was beginning to have about the situation. We laughed and joked until we finally arrived at the mansion. As we approached the gate, the guards began opening it as if they sensed our arrival. We drove in, and I saw a curious head peeking out to see who had arrived. I rolled my eyes, wondering why she couldn’t leave me in peace and had to keep poking her nose into my business.
“Sometimes I just wonder if Madam Morticia is really a witch disguised in human form,” I murmured to myself, frowning at the thought. As soon as I got out of the car, everyone’s eyes focused on me. Although I thought the stares would be more comfortable coming from people in the mansion, they weren’t. Madam Morticia, who had been looking out from the window, also expressed great surprise when I stepped out. Ignoring the stares, I quietly made my way inside with Lucas, who was still holding my hand.
“Why don’t you go up to your room and freshen up? I’ll reach out to the royal seer to find out what’s going on with you, okay?”
“Alright then, thank you for everything.”
“Always a pleasure,” he responded, and I quickly made my way upstairs. When I entered the room, I found Madam Morticia there, and I shook my head in annoyance.
“What is it now, Madam? Why are you here again?”
“So, His Highness was actually going to take you out, and you didn’t want to tell me about it, huh?”
“As I said before, I didn’t find it necessary to tell you, so I didn’t.”
“Oh, really?”
“Yes! This is something that concerns His Highness and myself, so if he couldn’t tell you, why should I?”
“Hmm, that’s alright then. So why are you back looking like this? What drama did you cause over there that made a witch put a curse on you?”
“The only witch I’ve ever encountered is standing right in front of me,” I mumbled softly, and she reacted instantly.
“What did you just say?”
“Hmm??” I replied, “I didn’t do anything to any wolf, let alone a witch!”
“Better,” she responded, looking at me sternly. She was about to leave the room when I quickly stopped her. Despite hating to do so, curiosity was eating me up.
“Well, I wanted to ask…”
“And what is it now?”
“Oh, um, the thing is, I’m a bit curious and worried about what’s going on. Do you have any idea why this is happening and what it might lead to?” She remained silent for a while before bursting into laughter.
“Oh wow, so now you’re asking what I think?? I thought you didn’t want me involved in your business when you went out the other time.”
“Come on, Madam Morticia, can you please be a bit sensitive, even if just once! I’m asking about something I’ve never experienced before in my entire life, and you keep going back to what happened a couple of hours ago.”
“Well, I can’t say I know much about this glowing thing, but who knows, you could have avoided it if you hadn’t gone on this outing you refused to tell me about. So enjoy,” she said, and then made her way out, leaving me in awe at her behavior.
“Can you imagine this woman!” I exclaimed after she left, rushing to lock my door. I walked closer to the mirror and looked at myself for a while. The reflection was so bright that I had to step back to avoid blinding myself. I sighed softly before taking off my accessories and everything I had on. Since I wasn’t wearing makeup, washing up wasn’t going to be elaborate. I removed my accessories, shoes, and dress, and took down the hairdo Lucas had made for me before wrapping my hair in a messy bun. I couldn’t look at myself in the mirror, but I could still tell that I looked effortlessly beautiful. I put back on the simple dress I had worn in the morning before we stepped out. After finishing, I made my way out to meet Lucas.
The moment I stepped out of my bedroom, I was met with the heartbreaking sight of Simon and Veronica making out in front of his bedroom door. I was extremely angry, and there was no hiding it. Normally, I would have self-control for things like this, but this time I completely lost it. I couldn’t bear seeing him with someone else; his touch and his body were all mine and mine alone. Before I could think further, I rushed towards them, burning with fury. They both stopped to look at me, noticing my heavy panting, but Veronica, of course, had to start as usual.
“Ugh, and what do you think you’re doing just standing here? Don’t you have floors to scrub and dishes to wash?”
“Stay away from my mate,” I grumbled angrily, and she scoffed.
“Excuse you? I don’t think you remember your place in this house anymore. How dare you call my Simon your mate, and in front of me, no less? Listen, Andy or whatever you’re called, I don’t want to have to repeat myself, so just get your dirty and disgusting self out of here or else…”
“Or else what?” I retorted, standing up to her with all the confidence I could muster. Simon, on the other hand, was visibly surprised by my newfound confidence but stayed silent to see what would unfold between Veronica and me.
“How dare you talk back to me! I can see your mother didn’t train you properly, did she?” she yelled, landing a slap on my face. But I was already enraged. I hit her hard, and she flew across the room. My wolf was awakened to fight, and at this point, my sense of reason had left me.
“Um, Ashley, calm down,” Simon said, trying to hold me back, but I pushed his hand away. I slowly walked toward Veronica, who had started whimpering in pain. My wolf wasn’t angry because she slapped me; after all, it wasn’t the first time she’d raised her hand to me. This time, she had dragged my mother into the situation, and that was something I could never let go of. Ignoring Simon, I approached her, my paws slowly appearing as my wolf began to take over. Obviously, I had never done such a thing before, as I never had any reason to fight in the past. But now, I felt like the control over these things was no longer in my hands. I growled in anger, staring at the weak prey in front of me.
“Aa… Ashley, please stop! What are you d…dd… doing?” she asked in fear, frantically moving on the floor as I approached. Before I could do anything, I felt a sharp pair of teeth dig into my neck, and I growled as both pleasure and pain instantly hit me.
“Get out of here, now!” I heard from behind, turning to face both Lucas and Simon, who were looking at me intently. Veronica didn’t waste any time; she quickly ran away in fear. As I moved to follow her, Lucas held me back. Simon was panting heavily, and I looked at my neck, which had been bitten by Lucas.
I looked at Lucas, bewildered by what had just happened. “Lucas, what did you do?” I asked, my voice shaky.
“I had to mark you, Ashley,” Lucas explained, his voice gentle yet firm. “It was the only way to stop you from attacking Veronica. Your wolf was completely out of control.”
I touched the mark on my neck, feeling the warmth of the fresh bite. It was a mix of pain and something else, a strange connection I couldn’t fully understand. “But… why did you have to mark me?”
Simon stepped forward, his eyes full of surprise. “Ashley, your glow and your sudden aggression-it’s all connected. Something is awakening in you, something powerful. The marking was the only way to ground you and prevent you from doing something you might regret.”
I glanced between Simon and Lucas, feeling a mix of confusion and fear, even though I did wish to have beaten up Veronica. “So, what does this mean? Why is this happening to me?”
Lucas sighed, running a hand through his hair. “We need to find out more. The royal seer might have some answers. For now, you need to rest and let your body adjust to the marks.”
I nodded, still processing everything. The events of the day felt surreal, like a dream I couldn’t wake up from. “Okay,” I whispered, feeling a strange calmness wash over me.
As I turned to leave, I caught sight of Simon, who was watching me intently. His eyes were full of emotion, and I realized that whatever was happening to me was affecting him and Lucas deeply. They were my mates, bound to me in ways I was just beginning to understand.
“Thank you,” I said softly, looking at both of them. Lucas smiled, a gentle and reassuring smile that made my heart flutter. “Always, Ashley. We’re in this together.”
With that, I left for my room, my mind swirling with questions and emotions. As I walked back inside, I couldn’t help but wonder what was awakening inside me and what it would mean for my future. But one thing was clear: I wasn’t going to be the same after it. I had my mates by my side, and I wished to have it that way for as long as possible.
Whatever was happening wasn’t going to be easy to handle, but as long as I had Lucas and Simon by my side, I felt a sense of reassurance. Their presence was a comforting anchor amidst the uncertainty and confusion swirling around me.