Alethea
“Please, Ally,” Selena pleads, with a soft but firm voice. “I know it’s hard, but I beg you to forgive Asher. He has suffered enough, and I know he wants to make things right with you.”
I freeze, staring at her in disbelief. Her words echo in my head, but I can’t bring myself to accept them. It feels like a sharp ringing in my ears, growing louder by the second. Did I hear her right?
Slowly, I step closer to her, my body tense, my anger burning through me like wildfire.
I need her to feel my pain, my betrayal. But Selena didn’t flinch-she stood her ground as if she had been expecting this moment.
I point a trembling finger at her. “You, of all people, know what Asher did to me,” I say, my voice shaking with rage.
“He rejected me and ran straight into Maya’s arms. He watched as I had that accident-the one that made me lose my memory for three years! And when he found me, when I was vulnerable and in heat, he made love to me. I begged him not to let them take me away, Selena! And what did he do?”
My voice rises despite my effort to control it. “He ordered the guards to throw me out!”
Pain crashes into me like a wave, making my chest heave as I struggle to catch my breath. I feel the raw wound of the past, ripped open all over again.
Selena closes her eyes, and for a moment, I think she’s finally going to take my side, to acknowledge the hurt I’ve carried for years. But when she speaks, her voice is calm.
“He had his reasons, Ally.”
Her words strike me like a slap, and I feel my hands clenched into fists. She’s defending him. Again.
“Are you serious right now, Selena? You’re taking his side?” My voice is barely above a whisper, but the disbelief in it is unmistakable. “I can’t believe you.”
Selena shakes her head, her eyes filled with something I can’t quite place-pain, regret, or maybe something else. “No, Ally, I’m not taking his side. But you need to hear the truth.”
I scoff. “The truth?”
She exhales sharply as if she’s been holding something in for too long. “He let you leave that night because I asked him to.”
“What?”
“They were coming to take you away because of what happened with Maya,” she continued. “When you stepped outside after he had begged you to stay indoors, he had no other option but to let them take you-to the dungeon.”
I stumble back as if the ground beneath me has shifted. My mind races, trying to make sense of her words.
I remember Asher telling me to stay inside that night, but I had thought it was just because he didn’t want unmated wolves lusting after me. I never imagined…
Selena’s voice pulls me from my daze. “Were you taken to the dungeon?”
I open my mouth, but no words come. Instead, I slowly shake my head.
Selena nods, her voice softer now. “That night, we both left Redwood. There weren’t any guards on patrol-because he ordered them away. He was trying to protect you, Ally. He didn’t want anyone to know you had left.”
My breath catches in my throat. My mind flashes back to that night, to the eerie silence of the pack grounds. I had noticed the absence of guards, but I hadn’t questioned it. Now, everything is beginning to make sense.
“The investigation cleared you, Ally.” Selena’s voice is laced with emotion. “It proved you were only trying to defend yourself against Maya. And do you know why? Because Asher made sure of it. He believed you from the start. He didn’t want you to suffer before the truth came to light.”
My heart clenches painfully in my chest.
“Ally, trust me when I say this,” Selena continues, stepping closer. “He meant well. But there’s so much you don’t know.
He took over as Alpha when he was just eighteen after his father suddenly left with his mother. They abandoned the pack because his father claimed that being Alpha ruined his relationship with his mate.”
I stare at her, my mind reeling. I had spent years thinking Asher had betrayed me, abandoned me-but now, I don’t know what to think.
I slowly make my way to the living room, my legs feeling weak as everything Selena just said settles in.
My mind is spinning, struggling to process all the revelations. Sensing my emotions, Selena follows and gently places a hand on my shoulder.
“Ally, I know it’s a lot to take in,” she says softly. “But with time, you’ll understand. Just… whatever you do, please don’t shut him out of your life. He needs to know about his son, and keeping Declan away from him isn’t doing either of them any good.”
She gives my shoulder a reassuring squeeze before stepping away, leaving me alone with my thoughts.
I sigh heavily, staring at the floor as her words echo in my head. Deep down, I know she’s right. But that doesn’t mean I can just act on it right away. This is a huge decision-one that could change everything.
Does Asher care for me as much as Selena makes it seem? A part of me already knows the answer. If he didn’t, why would he have given me his blood when I was in a coma, barely clinging to life? That wasn’t the action of a man who didn’t care.
A sudden growl from my stomach pulls me out of my thoughts. I realize I haven’t had a proper meal all day-just a small snack at work. I need food.
Dragging myself to the kitchen, I’m relieved to see that my portion has already been served. I take it and place it in the microwave, leaning on the counter with both hands as I wait. But no matter how hard I try, I can’t stop thinking about what Selena said.
The microwave dings, snapping me out of my daze. I retrieve my food, dish it onto a plate, and settle at the table to eat. Each bite fills the emptiness in my stomach, but not the one in my heart.
Letting Asher know about Declan is not an easy choice. It’s going to change so much-maybe even everything. But one thing is certain: I’ll take it one step at a time.
Once I finish eating, I wash my plate and quietly check on my son. He’s fast asleep, his tiny chest rising and falling peacefully. A sigh of relief escapes me as I gently close the door and head to my room.
As I sink into bed, exhaustion washes over me, and for the first time in a long while… I sleep without nightmares.
****
I try my best to wake up on time today-I don’t want to be in anyone’s bad books or labeled as tardy. So, I hurry up and get dressed.
Today, I didn’t put much effort into my outfit. My spirit is weighed down by everything Selena told me about Asher. No matter how much I try, I can’t shake her words from my mind.
Soon enough, I’m at my duty post, getting ready for the day’s work. A small wave of relief washes over me when I realize Asher isn’t around. At least I can breathe without his piercing gaze following me.
Just as I’m about to tie my apron, I feel a presence behind me. The air shifts, sending a strange shiver down my spine. I turn around slowly, and there he is-Asher.
He’s staring at me, his eyes dark and unreadable. I try to figure out what’s behind that gaze, but I can’t. I see hate. Disgust. And something else I can’t quite name.
“What is it this time?” I ask through the mind-link, not wanting to engage in an open conversation.
I see a slight flash of surprise in his eyes. He wasn’t expecting me to use the link.
“In my office. Now.” His voice is sharp and commanding. Then, without another word, he turns and walks away.