Asher
I can feel the tension tightening in my chest, unlike anything I’ve ever experienced before.
I’ve faced battles, dangers, and countless moments where I should’ve been worried, but none of them compare to the anxiety I feel right now.
Watching Ally, waiting to see if the Blood Bond will work-it’s like time stands still.
Suddenly her eyes snap open, and the panic in them hits me hard. For a moment, I think she might think she’s still fighting the poison, still caught in the turmoil of everything that’s happened to her.
The silence stretches between us, her gaze locks with mine. She stares at me like she’s seeing me for the first time, and in a way, I think she might be.
Kaido’s purrs in my mind, urging me to stay close, not to break the moment.
I feel her heartbeat in my head, every thrum of it pulsing through me, like it’s my own. Her blood is still swirling through her veins, and it feels like it’s wrapping around my very soul. I can feel her every emotion, every flash of thought. It’s overwhelming.
Fuck this Blood Bond.
I don’t know what I expected, but this… this isn’t easy. Knowing that I’ll hear her thoughts, feel her emotions, and that our fates are tangled together now, I didn’t have a choice.
Her thoughts cut through my mind like a sharp blade.
‘What the fuck is this asshole doing here?’
My head snaps toward Ally, but her face is just like a blank slate. I can’t be sure if she’s even conscious enough to know I’m here, but somehow, her words ring loud like they’re my thoughts.
‘His presence alone wants to make me strangle him with my bare hands.’
Her harsh voice echoed in my mind, but her lips didn’t move. She looks innocent but I can hear her. I can feel her hatred so raw and It stings, and I know it’s unexpected.
I stare at her, trying to steady myself, to not let her mental voice get to me. But it’s impossible I can hear every single thought she’s projecting.
I know she hates me. I know she’d rather be anywhere but here with me, and honestly, I can’t blame her. I shouldn’t be here. But I did what I had to do.
Just as I’m about to turn the door handle and walk away, her voice calls out.
“Selena.”
I freeze, my hand still gripping the knob.
My mind is racing, but I can’t move. My heart pounds in my chest as I hear Ally’s words clearly in my head. ‘I hope Declan is here to see me too. I miss him so much.’
The simple mention of that name freezes me in place. Declan? My mind races, and I quickly turn to her, confusion and anger surging. “Who the fuck is Declan?”
Before I can process anything further, I see Selena quickly stand up, trying to step in, and I can tell she’s about to make things worse.
“Declan is my boyfriend. Are you happy now?” she snaps at me, with fury in her voice.
I can barely believe what I’m hearing. My mind is reeling. ‘Can you imagine this ungrateful woman? I just helped her back to life with my blood.’
‘You shouldn’t have given me your blood, Alpha Asher. I don’t think I appreciate anything that comes from you.’ she says calmly.
The words sting, but it’s not the words that hurt the most-it’s the fact that she means it. She doesn’t want me, my help, or anything I have to offer. I can’t help but stare at her, my anger bubbling up.
‘Really?’ I think, but her gaze snaps back to me in realization, her eyes widening as she understands.
She knows now. That I can hear her thoughts.
“What the fuck, Selena? What did you two do?” Ally’s voice trembles with panic, but it’s clear she’s piecing it all together.
“Alpha Asher saved you. You should be grateful for his help,” Selena responds, with a calm voice.
But Ally doesn’t seem to hear any of that. She’s too focused on the anger that’s rising in her chest.
“Help me? Grateful for his help? Like hell, I will be grateful. He shouldn’t have saved me. I know one way or the other, I would’ve survived.”
I feel my chest tighten. It doesn’t matter that I saved her. It doesn’t matter that I gave her my blood, but one thing I am sure she doesn’t want any part of me. And for some reason, that stings more than I want to admit.
Kaidos pace in my mind, his frustration building with every passing second. ‘You shouldn’t have made her angry, you fool. Can’t you see she’s just recovering?’
I growl back, annoyance sharp in my voice. ‘Like the fuck I care, Kaidos.’
‘Like fuck I care either. You can go about giving your blood to whoever needs it, but I don’t appreciate your blood flowing in my bloodstream.’ Her response is biting.
She stands up, her words cutting through my thoughts like a knife. ‘I don’t appreciate your blood flowing in my bloodstream, Alpha Asher.’
I freeze for a moment, my anger rising to the surface, but I can’t even process it before she takes a step toward me. ‘What the fuck is she doing?’ I think, watching her with irritation. She should be in bed resting-she just woke up.
But as if the universe is mocking me, her legs give out, and she stumbles. My heart skips a beat as I watch her lose her balance, and in an instant, I rush to catch her before she lands on her ass.
‘Stupid, clumsy woman,’ I mutter under my breath, but the words feel hollow as I gently help her steady herself.
The moment my hand makes contact with her skin, the sparks and tingles shoot through me, a jolt of desire hitting my cock.
I freeze, and so does she. Our eyes lock, and in that instant, it feels as if everything else fades away. My focus is entirely on her-on her lips, recalling our first night together, the bruising kiss that made everything in me explode.
But she jerks away from me abruptly as if my touch burns her. “You should go, Alpha,” she says with a cold voice, and her body bows slightly in a sign of forced respect.
I stand there for a second, unsure of what to say or do. Selena watches us from the side, uncertain of how to react.
I take a deep breath, forcing the words out. “I will go.” I glance at her one last time, then turn to Selena. “Thank you,” I say, but I didn’t stick around any longer.
As I step out of her room, Kaidos roars in my mind. ‘Go back, apologize to her, Asher. She’s hurt, can’t you see that? You should try to win her back.’
‘Enough, Kaidos,’ I snap back, my frustration with my wolf mounts ‘I’m getting sick of you blaming me for everything that’s happened between me and Ally.’
But Kaidos doesn’t stop, his growl echoing in my mind. ‘You can’t ignore what you feel for her, and you can’t keep running from this. She’s your mate.’
As I step into my room, my breath catches in my chest, my heart racing in shock at the sight before me.