Alethea
It feels like I’m floating in the air. Everything around me is peaceful. The sky is bright and clear, the gentle waves whisper against the shore, and I’m seated on the warm sand, letting the golden grains slip between my fingers. The sun kisses my skin, and I can feel it glow under its warmth.
I’m smiling-truly smiling-and for a moment, I wonder why I feel this happy. It’s been so long since I’ve felt anything close to this.
The last time was the day I held Declan in my arms for the first time. But this? This joy is something else, something so deep and overwhelming that I almost don’t believe it’s real.
Why would it ever end?
Maybe because pain has always found a way back to me. Because happiness, for me, has always been temporary.
I look up from where I’m lounging, and then I see him.
My breath catches in my throat.
He’s walking toward me, his shorts hanging dangerously low on his hips, his bare chest glistening under the sunlight. His muscles flex with each step, his biceps fully on display, and I gulp loudly at the sight.
Then his eyes meet mine, and just like that, his face breaks into the most radiant smile.
I giggle like a schoolgirl who just got noticed by her biggest crush. It’s ridiculous how easily he does this to me, how his presence alone makes my heart race. I crave his touch, his warmth-in a way I can’t even put into words.
I hope he feels the same way because this feeling is all-consuming. Overwhelming. And sometimes, it terrifies me.
But do I love it? Hell yes, I do.
He is my mate.
_But he rejected you. _
The cruel voice in my head whispers, poisoning the moment.
He had his reasons, I argue with myself, pushing back the doubt. It’s like a war inside me-one side clinging to hope, the other drowning in pain.
And then, suddenly, he’s standing right in front of me.
Without hesitation, he lowers himself and captures my lips in a kiss.
Slow. Steady. Devastating.
Heat spreads through my body, a fire igniting deep in my belly. My skin tingles, every nerve alive under his touch.
Oh, Goddess.
This man owns me.
I reach up, cupping his face as our lips move in sync, the kiss pulling me deeper into the storm that is him. Every brush of his lips sends another jolt through me, sparks, shivers, and goosebumps rising all over my body.
He wraps his arms around me, strong and possessive, pulling me against him as if he never wants to let go. His hands snake around my waist, holding me so tightly that I melt into him, clinging as if he’s my lifeline, the very air I need to breathe.
Maybe he is.
And that thought? It frightens me.
“Things you do to me, Ally,” he growls low against my lips as he pulls away, his breath warm.
My skin burns where his lips just were, and my entire body is alight with a need I can’t name. The air is charged, and I can smell my arousal.
I watch him as his chest rises and falls, his eyes dark with something intense.
“You came in and shattered every wall I spent years building, just like that-” He snaps his fingers. “How did you do it?”
A slow smile spreads across my face. The way he looks right now as if staring into my eyes, will give him the answer-is almost amusing.
Then, his expression softens. He places a lingering kiss on my forehead, the warmth of his lips sending a shiver down my spine.
“Wish me luck, Ally. I’m going to reclaim what is rightfully ours.”
And just like that, he’s gone.
I watch as he disappears, my heart squeezing in my chest.
Then, jolt upright.
Oh, Goddess.
I clutch my chest, my breaths coming fast. The room is dark and quiet, the only sound is the pounding of my own heart. I blink rapidly, trying to make sense of my surroundings.
It was a dream.
It felt so real touch, his voice, the way his lips molded to mine. I can still feel the ghost of his kiss on my skin. My pulse is erratic, and my body is still trembling with the remnants of something powerful.
I take a deep breath, and it hits me. His scent.
It’s everywhere in this room. In the sheets. In the air. On me.
I press my face into his pillow, inhaling deeply, a pathetic little whimper escaping my lips. Goddess, I’m acting like a girl who just got asked out by her first crush.
But the warmth in my chest is undeniable.
Then, suddenly, a growl.
Loud. Sharp.
Claws scraping. The unmistakable sound of a fight.
My stomach drops.
Wish me luck, Ally. I’m going to reclaim what is rightfully ours.
His words echo in my mind, and I stiffen.
Was it just a dream? Or… did he say it?
I hope he hasn’t gone to fight Xavier.
The thought alone makes my heart race with panic.
Oh, Goddess.
Is he strong enough? Can he fight back?
Fear grips me, making my hands suddenly clammy. I don’t have time to think and rush to the door, yanking it open, only to find Selena standing there, just about to knock.
“Mum,” I breathe, throwing my arms around her and holding her tightly.
I bury my face into her shoulder, the weight of everything pressing down on me. “Thank you. Thank you for always coming through for me. Thank you for saving Asher.”
She strokes my hair gently, her warmth grounding me. “Oh, my child. Anything that will make you happy.”
She pulls back slightly and hands me a small bottle. “You need this for more strength. You’ve been drained of energy. You’ve rested, but now, you must replenish.”
I don’t question her. I trust her with my life. Without hesitation, I take the bottle, uncap it, and drink it in one go. The sharp taste of ginger, turmeric, and cinnamon coats my tongue, burning slightly as it slides down my throat.
Selena nods in approval. “Good.”
Then, another growl echoes through the air. My body tenses.
“What’s happening, Mum?”
Selena’s eyes darken with something unreadable. “Asher is taking his rightful place.”
My breath catches.
“You need to see Xavier, Ally.”
That’s all I need to hear.
Without another word, I take off, my feet pounding against the floor as I make my way toward the arena.
The moment I step inside, the scent of blood and war fills my nose. My stomach clenches at the sight before me. Bodies. Some wounded, some lifeless. Blood splattered across the ground, staining the earth beneath them. Wolves in their beastly forms, men clutching their wounds, the aftermath of a brutal battle clear as day.
I force myself to look past it all, scanning frantically-Where is Asher?
And then, I see him.
Seated on his high chair.
Powerful. Unyielding.
The Alpha I have always known him to be.
My heart stutters in my chest. He did it.
Asher’s alpha aura seeps out, wrapping around the arena like an unshakable force. It claims dominance, authority, and power.
Then, he smiles.
It’s subtle but enough to send warmth rushing through me. My heart swells with joy as Xena purrs in my mind, ecstatic at the sight of our mate standing victorious.
Without thinking, I rushed toward him.
Asher rises to his feet; his movements are fluid and commanding. As if this throne-this power-was always meant to be his.
His golden eyes lock onto mine, and everything else fades away.
The blood. The bodies. The whispers of the pack. None of it matters.
Only Asher.
He stretches out his hand, and without hesitation, I take it. His touch is warm and grounding, sending tingles up my arm. The weight of every gaze in the room falls upon us, but I can’t look away from him.
And then he speaks.
What he says next makes my mouth fall open in shock.
I gasp, my heart hammering wildly.
“Oh, Goddess, Asher… this is too much,” I whisper, barely able to process his words.