Chapter 18

Asher’s pulse quickened. He couldn’t lose her, not now. The years of searching, the sleepless nights, the constant ache of her absence—it all came crashing down on him as he pushed himself to catch up.

As he rounded a corner, the scent that had first alerted him to her presence suddenly grew stronger, more distinct. He could almost feel her, sense her anxiety and desperation to get away.

But why? Why was she running from him? What had happened that made her leave in the first place?

Just as Olivia thought she might have a chance to escape, a strong hand clamped around her arm, yanking her to a stop. The sudden force nearly knocked her off her feet, and she turned, her heart sinking as she looked up into Asher’s intense, stormy eyes.

"Olivia," he growled, his voice low and commanding. "Stop running."

The power in his voice was undeniable, the weight of his Alpha authority pressing down on her, making it impossible to move. Her wolf responded instinctively, obeying the command before her mind could catch up. She stood frozen, a mixture of fear and defiance flashing in her green eyes.

"Long time no see," Asher said, his tone laced with a bitterness that cut through the tension like a knife. He kept his grip firm on her arm, his eyes searching hers for answers. "Why are you running away, Olivia? You know what we are to each other."

Olivia swallowed hard, trying to steady her racing heart. She could feel the pull between them, the undeniable bond that had haunted her for years. But she couldn’t let herself fall into that trap again. She wouldn’t.

"It doesn’t matter," she replied, her voice shaky but resolve. "I’m too low-ranked to be your mate, Asher. I left on my own. I didn’t want to be your mate."

Asher’s jaw tightened, his eyes narrowing as he tried to make sense of her words. "It matters to me," he said, his voice softer now but no less intense. "You left without a word. I have questions, Olivia. A lot of questions. And we’re going to talk."

"I don’t want to talk," Olivia shot back, her voice rising with frustration. She pulled against his grip, but he didn’t let go. "I don’t want anything to do with you, Asher. Just let me go."

Before she could say anything more, Asher closed the distance between them in a heartbeat. He grabbed her by the wrist, spinning her around and pinning her against the rough brick wall. The impact wasn’t hard, but it was enough to make her gasp in surprise.

Olivia struggled against his hold, but it was futile. Asher was stronger, and she knew it.

"Let go of me," she demanded, her voice firm but betraying a hint of fear.

"Not until you tell me the truth," Asher countered, his grip tightening slightly. "Not until I understand why you left. Not until I understand why you’ve been hiding from me all these years."

Olivia’s heart clenched at his words.

"Asher, please," she whispered, her voice trembling. "Just let me go."

But Asher shook his head, his eyes filled with determination. "I can’t," he said again, his voice leaving no room for argument. "We need to talk, Olivia. You can’t keep running from this."

Olivia looked away, tears stinging her eyes as she fought against the emotions swirling inside her.

Asher held Olivia close, his forehead still resting against hers, his heart pounding in his chest. The world around them had shrunk to just the two of them.

A blur of motion, and suddenly Asher was ripped away from Olivia with a force that sent him staggering backwards. He spun, his eyes blazing with fury, and saw Lucas standing between him and Olivia, breathing heavily, his fists clenched.

"What the hell are you doing ?" Asher growled, his voice low and dangerous. His eyes, dark and feral, locked onto Lucas with deadly intensity.

Lucas didn’t flinch. "Get away from her!" he shouted, his voice trembling with anger.

Asher’s lips curled into a snarl. "You have no idea what you’re getting yourself into." He took a step forward, but Lucas didn’t back down. Instead, he launched himself at Asher with a force that surprised even him.

Lucas was strong, but Asher was stronger, infinitely so. The werewolf inside him roared in anger at the audacity of this mere human trying to challenge him. With a swift, brutal motion, Asher caught Lucas by the shoulders and hurled him against the wall. The impact was bone-jarring, and Lucas gasped in pain, but still, he tried to push himself up.

"Stop it, both of you!" Olivia’s voice cut through the chaos. But neither man seemed to hear her. Asher was consumed by a primal rage, a territorial instinct that demanded he eliminate the threat to his maye. He advanced on Lucas, who was struggling to his feet, and with a snarl, he struck, his hand gripping Lucas’s throat.

"Asher, no!" Olivia screamed, horror etched across her face as she watched the terrifying power Asher had. She knew Lucas had no chance against him—no one did. Asher was a werewolf, a predator, and Lucas was just a man, brave but foolish.

Lucas choked, his hands clawing at Asher’s iron grip, his eyes wide with fear but also defiance. "Who the hell are you?" Lucas rasped, his voice strained. "Why are you bothering her?"

Asher’s eyes flashed with fury. "You should have stayed out of this."

He tightened his grip, and Lucas’s face turned a shade of red. Olivia’s heart pounded in her chest, panic surging through her veins. This was getting out of control. If they didn’t stop, someone would die.

"Asher, stop!" Olivia shouted again, tears streaming down her face now. "Please, let him go. You’re going to kill him!"

Her words finally broke through Asher’s haze of rage. He blinked, looking down at Lucas, who was on the verge of losing consciousness. He cursed under his breath, the wolf inside him howling in frustration. He couldn’t afford to lose control like this—not here, not now.

With a growl of frustration, Asher released Lucas, letting him crumple to the ground. He took a step back, trying to rein in the fury that still burned in his veins. His chest heaved with the effort, his eyes narrowing as he looked down at Lucas.

He turned to Olivia, his chest heaving with the effort of controlling his temper. But instead of the relief he’d hoped to see in her eyes, he was met with a look of pure, unfiltered horror.

"Olivia—" Asher began, but she cut him off with a sharp, furious glare.

"Don’t you dare," she hissed, her voice low and trembling with emotion. "Don’t you dare follow us, Asher. I’m taking Lucas to the hospital, and you’re not coming anywhere near us. Do you understand?"

Asher’s heart twisted at the words, at the coldness in her tone. But he knew he couldn’t argue with her, not now.

He nodded, though the motion felt like a knife in his gut. "Fine," he said, his voice rough. "But this isn’t over, Olivia. We still need to talk."

Olivia didn’t respond. She simply turned away from him, her focus entirely on Lucas, who was groaning in pain on the ground. Gently, she helped him to his feet, her hands shaking as she supported his weight.

"Come on, Lucas," she murmured, her voice softening as she turned her back on Asher. "We need to get you to the hospital."

Lucas winced as he leant on her, but his eyes remained fixed on Asher, a mix of confusion, anger, and fear in his gaze. "Who...who is he?" Lucas managed to ask, his voice hoarse. "Was he bothering you? Olivia, I thought—"

Olivia shook her head, cutting him off. "No, Lucas, he wasn’t. He’s...he’s an old friend. We were just talking, that’s all. You didn’t need to do this."

"But you looked—" Lucas began, but Olivia silenced him with a firm look.

"I’m fine, Lucas," she insisted, though her voice was strained. "I wasn’t in trouble. And you shouldn’t have put yourself in danger like that."

Lucas frowned, still dazed and trying to make sense of what had just happened. "I just wanted to help," he murmured.

Olivia sighed, her expression softening slightly as she looked at him. "I know, and I appreciate it. But next time, please think before you act. I don’t want you getting hurt because of me."

Lucas nodded weakly, his body sagging against her as they began to walk away from the scene. Olivia’s heart was heavy, her mind racing with a thousand thoughts. She didn’t look back at Asher, but she could feel his eyes on her, burning into her back as she guided Lucas away.