Asher
I have a million things running through my mind right now, things I want to say to Ally-but I hold them back.
Because damn it, I was wrong.
I was a coward for running away. I should have fought for her, for us. Maybe then, we wouldn’t be in this mess. Maybe Declan wouldn’t be in danger. Instead, it’s been one disaster after another, and I am fucking exhausted.
I know Ally thinks I’m just jealous, but this isn’t about that. Desperate times call for desperate measures.
The moment I saw Harvey standing at the riverbank, I knew something was off. It wasn’t just his presence-it was the shadows around him.
Most people wouldn’t notice, but I did.
Because I have shadow power.
And when those shadows appear the way they did around Harvey, it only means one thing-deception. Something dark is lurking beneath the surface, something dangerous.
This isn’t the first time my shadows have warned me.
The first time it happened was when I found Ally in the forest when she was in danger. I saved her, not even realizing I was delivering Selena’s child back to her.
And now?
Now, my shadows manifest again-because my son, the boy I never even knew existed, is in danger.
I haven’t mastered this power yet. It’s overwhelming, chaotic, unpredictable. Most days, I fight to keep it buried, to stop it from taking over. But today, I don’t have that luxury.
So, I did what I had to do.
I dove into Harvey’s mind, forcing my way in, searching for the truth. And I found it.
He isn’t working alone.
He has my son.
Ally is watching me now, waiting for an explanation, expecting me to say something. But I can’t.
Because right now, I’m fighting a battle within myself, forcing my power back down, keeping it at bay before it consumes me.
The only thing I manage to say, my voice strained, is-
“I know where our son is.”
Ally’s eyes widen in shock, her lips parting as she stares at me. For what feels like forever, she says nothing-completely stunned.
I watch her with careful eyes, waiting for the moment it finally sinks in.
And then, it does.
Her voice trembles, barely above a whisper. “Oh my goodness… You don’t mean it, Asher. If you know where our son is, let’s fucking go-now.”
Hearing her say, “Our son,” sends a strange warmth through my chest, but now isn’t the time to get caught up in emotions. I’m too angry, too drained, too fucking sick, and tired of everything.
I grip the steering wheel so tightly my knuckles turn white. My pulse quickens as I start the ignition.
For over three years, she kept my son away from me. Three fucking years.
The realization fuels my frustration, but I push it aside. There’s no time to dwell on the past-not when our son is out there, possibly terrified and alone.
Out of the corner of my eye, I see Harvey approaching, waving at our car. Or rather, waving at Ally.
I smirk bitterly.
He doesn’t remember a damn thing.
I wiped my interaction with him clean from his mind. He has no idea I just pried the truth out of his head. And that’s exactly why we need to hurry-before he starts putting pieces together.
Without hesitation, I slam my foot on the gas. The car roars to life as we speed down the road, following the path I saw in Harvey’s mind.
For too long, I let jealousy cloud my judgment. I thought Declan was just Ally’s boyfriend, though she had moved on. How fucking stupid.
I glance at her now, her hands clasped tightly together, her entire body stiff.
She’s nervous.
And for once, she doesn’t seem to care about my reckless driving. All that matters to her right now is getting to Declan.
“We’ll get him, Ally. Don’t sweat it.”
I let go of the steering wheel with one hand and reached for hers.
The moment our fingers touch, that familiar electricity courses through me.
That pull. That connection.
I never felt this with Maya.
Just thinking about Maya-her betrayal, her deception-makes my jaw clench. My grip on Ally’s hand tightens, and she looks at me in concern.
I exhale sharply, forcing myself to shake off the bitterness.
Instead, I bring her hand to my lips and press a soft kiss against it.
I feel her body relax, even just a little.
Good.
I keep my focus on the road, trusting my instincts, following the invisible pull leading me to my son.
But suddenly, we hit an obstacle.
The road narrows into thick forest terrain. We can’t go any further by car.
I slam the brakes, shift the gear into the park, and step out.
My eyes scan the dense trees ahead.
“Is this where my son is?”
The thought sends a chill down my spine.
And for the first time since this all started-I feel what we’re about to face.
Ally follows closely behind me, her eyes filled with fear.
I can’t even begin to imagine what our son must be going through right now-trapped, scared, surrounded by those monsters who took him. The thought alone makes my blood boil.
“We need to shift into our wolves to get there faster,” I say through our bond, too exhausted to speak aloud.
Ally nods swiftly, but I see the way she stares into the distance-her mind racing, probably wondering how the hell we got here.
It won’t be easy.
But I’ll do whatever it takes to make things right with my son. To make up for lost time.
That thought alone sends a surge of adrenaline rushing through me, and with a low growl, I let go-allowing my wolf to take over.
The shift is seamless. Bones realign, fur replaces skin, and in a blink, I stand on all fours-my wolf ready for the hunt.
I turn to see Ally shifting as well, and for a second, I’m speechless.
Her wolf is stunning.
A breathtaking white wolf-an Argenta wolf, thought to be extinct.
Worry flickers through me.
If the enemies holding my son see her, they’ll know exactly what she is. They might see her as a threat… or worse, a prize.
I shake off the thought.
We don’t have time for fear.
Together, we race through the woods, moving as one, our clothes clutched in our jaws. The wind whips past us, branches snap under our paws, and every instinct in my body tells me we’re close.
Too close.
Then, suddenly-a feeling of unease grips me.
Something’s wrong.
“Shift back, Ally!” I command through the mind-link, my voice sharp.
To my relief, she obeys without hesitation. I watch as she shifts back into her human form, her long hair falling around her shoulders.
Damn, she’s beautiful.
“Get dressed,” I urged, turning away to give her privacy. The last thing I want is for anyone else to see her like this.
She quickly puts on her clothes, and before she can protest, I crouch down.
“Get on my back.”
To my surprise, she didn’t argue.
She climbs onto me, her arms wrapping around my neck, and I feel a deep, satisfied purr rumble in my chest at the warmth of her body against mine.
But then-we reach a clearing.
I freeze.
A familiar scent fills my nostrils, one that makes a deep, dangerous growl escape my throat.
No. This is bad. This is fucking bad.
They want revenge.
And they’re going to take it out on my son.
Ally stiffens behind me. I can feel the storm of emotions rolling through her-fear, anger, desperation.
And then, a voice cuts through the silence.
“Welcome, Asher. I’ve been expecting you.”