Asher POV
After wrapping up my call with Vinny and Dare, I had to get some air. I just need some room to breathe.
I don’t dislike Saph. She was dealt a shitty hand- a hand I am somewhat responsible for. She is coping in her own way. What I don’t understand is why her family isn’t doing more to help her.
“Ash! Wait up!”
The faint sound of my name being called pulls me out of my thoughts. I spin around and see my brother, Archie, running to catch up to me.
“What’s up, Arch?” I ask as I resume my walk. I look around and realize that I’m outside already. Huh, must have really been deep in thought; I don’t often space out like that.
“I saw you storming out of the house. You look pissed. What happened on your call with Dare Bare and Italian Stallion?” he nudges me and I can’t help but laugh. My younger brother has always been able to break me out of a bad mood.
“How did you come up with those nicknames? I might have to start using them. Vinny will hate it,” I joke as I start shrugging off my shirt. I think letting my wolf go for a run will make me feel better. The warmer weather is fading, and it will only be a couple weeks until Autumn rolls in. I prefer the cooler weather. I enjoy seeing the trees change colors and the nights are longer, which makes me feel even more connected to my animal side.
“Wish I could take credit, but alas, the award goes to Amy,” Archie tells me as he also starts taking off his clothes to prepare to run in his wolf form too.
“Amy? The pint-sized Stone sister?” I ask as I slick back my pink hair. I admit pink hair is not the norm for an Alpha, but I’ve grown to like it. It makes it easier for my pack members to notice me when I’m walking around the common areas. And dying my hair also dyed my wolf’s fur as well. Yes, it makes my wolf an easier target in battle, but I’d rather attract the attention in order to keep my pack members safe.
“The one and only. She’s hysterical. We exchanged numbers a few months back after Renz’s musical debut at Forza Pack. We casually chat,” Archie shrugs, his long hair falling over his shoulder.
I normally don’t care who Archie associates with, but Dare and Vinny have made me promise not to let him get too close to Amy. Granted, she’s almost twenty, and Archie is twenty-six; they’re adults and can make their own decisions. I don’t have sisters so I don’t understand the protectiveness that comes with having one.
“What’s the deal with you and her anyway?” I ask, crossing my arms, showcasing my tattoos.
“Deal? No deal. She’s cool. She’s funny. I get the sense she doesn’t have a ton of friends at her pack,” Archie shrugs, but I see his eyes soften as he talks about Amy.
“So, you’re just friends? Nothing more? Dare and Vinny think you two were getting a little too cozy a few months back,” I tease.
To anyone else, we would look pretty weird right now. The two of us are in our underwear, standing at the edge of a tree line, me with my bright pink hair and tattoos, while Archie has a long mullet, with the sides of his head shaved. Luckily, in a werewolf pack, this is more common and none of our pack members bat an eye at the two of us in our almost-naked states.
“Seriously? Those two need to chill. One, Amy is an adult. She can talk to whoever she wants. Two, just cause we’re talkin’ doesn’t mean we’re fuckin’. Or have plans to. Yea, we joke and casually flirt, but it means nothing,” Archie states confidently, matching my stance with his own arms crossed. We both stand around 6’3, but I have a leaner build, with more definition to my musculature, while Archie is thicker with a broader build.
“Hey, bro, I’m just checkin’ in. I told those two I’d look out for their younger sisters while they are here for the full moon run,” I hold my hands up, but can’t help rolling my eyes as I am quickly reminded about the reason why I came out for a run.
“You don’t look too enthused about Amy and Pearl being here for the run. I’m glad I’ll finally be home for a run. I haven’t been here for a full moon since before that battle with The Underground,” Archie shutters. He wasn’t there for the actual battle, but he heard enough about it. Since then, he has been leading a small group of our pack warriors in search of a defunct pack member, Griz.
What I didn’t tell Dare about the night that Nate was killed was that I could have sworn I saw Griz’s wolf in the background. When that witch, Yaya, was preparing whatever spell to try to kill me with, I saw Griz’s wolf off in the distance, watching what should have been my death, until Nate jumped in and sacrificed himself. Griz used to be mine and Archie’s closest friend. I never anticipated him going against me.
Vinny and Dare told me about Bram, and about how he manipulated influential pack members to do his bidding. Sounds like he sunk his claws deep into Griz. Almost a year ago, Griz challenged me for the Alpha title. The entire pack watched as we battled it out for two hours- Griz refused to submit.
We were both bloody, our wolves’ fur was matted, and we both were sporting deep gashes and wounds. Griz made a final attempt to charge at me, trying to take advantage of my wolf having a broken paw. Griz has always let his arrogance get the best of him; this challenge was no different. I turned at the last moment, putting all my weight on my broken paw, and slashed my other front paw at him. I was aiming for his throat, going for the kill, but with both our movements being fast and jerky, I ended up slashing his eye, pulling it out of his socket.
His wolf thrashed and howled in pain and he was forced to shift back to his human form. He had lost. I spared his life and exiled him from the pack, sentencing him to a life as a rogue. To my surprise, when Griz walked off pack territory, another twenty pack members followed him. They quickly renounced their connection to the pack. In one day, I lost one of my oldest friends, along with twenty other pack members. Feeling their links to the pack break when they chose to go rogue had me in pain for two days. Losing a pack member through death hurts. You feel it in your heart when their heart stops beating. When a pack member chooses to leave- to live the life of a rogue wolf- you feel it in your heart, your mind, and your gut. I suppose, in a way, it’s the Moon Goddess saying you didn’t do right by them as their leader, and deserve the pain of failing them as Alpha.
I will say that my pack members who witnessed the challenge have reassured me that the pack is better off without toxic members. And, my showing mercy by sparing his life solidified their trust in me as a fair and kind Alpha.
“Hey! Earth to Ash! We runnin’ or what, bro?” Archie waves his hand in front of my face, pulling me out of my memories. I can’t believe I spaced out again. I really do need to run and clear my mind.
“Yea, sorry, man. Lots on my mind after that call with Dare and Vinny. Apparently, Saph is coming with Amy and Pearl. Guess she’s acting as a chaperone, or something.” I shrug my shoulders as I fill him in on the details.
Archie kicks off his briefs and I do the same. “Who is gonna chaperone Saph?” he laughs as we both shift to our wolves and run deep into the thick woods that surround our pack. I don’t respond. I let go and let my wolf take control as we run the perimeter of our territory.
A shorter chapter, but we get some interesting backstory from Asher. I'd love to hear your predictions about the full moon run! Thank you for reading! -JNS <3
Saph POV “Hurry up, Amy! We need to get on the road. I told you to finish packing last night. And we are only going to be gone for three days, how much do you really need to pack?” Pearl paces in the living room of Amy’s one-bedroom apartment- the same one Daya lived in when she first moved here. “Calm your tits, Pearl. I’m packed! I just like making you sweat,” Amy says, strolling out of her bedroom with her small duffle bag over her shoulder. Pearl growls in frustration but bites her tongue. It’s not worth responding to Amy in these moments. Pearl is many things, but snarky is not one of them. “At least she has tits,” I say just loud enough under my breath as I decide to join in and take a jab at Amy. Plus, I can’t help but stick up for Pearl. She’s so sweet and sometimes Amy’s attitude can throw her for a loop. “Whatever, big boobs are overrated. It’s all about having a cute butt nowadays.” Amy sticks her tongue out at me as she leads the way to the fr
Asher POV All my pack members are on edge tonight. Everyone is running around, getting things prepared for the full moon run, to make a good impression on all the visitors we have. Our pack is secluded, we don’t have run-ins with outsiders often; maybe the occasional rogue, but they rarely cross into the main pack lands. That’s a big reason why Archie has been leading search teams for Griz and the former pack members who followed him. I don’t trust that he won’t try something again. Perhaps my paranoia is getting the best of me, but I'm just feeling unsettled about tonight. I look up to the sky and notice the sun is starting its descent towards the western side of the mountain. I still have so much to do before the run starts. “Oi, bro! There you are. Our guests of honor arrived just now. Fuckin’ shit! I thought that Saph was going to shank me with a silver blade,” Archie says to me as he slaps his hand on the back of my shoulder. I roll my eyes at his co
Saph POV “You’re sure you don’t want to join us?” Pearl asks softly, peeking into my bedroom door. She’s wearing a black tank top and shorts, which contrasts with her alabaster skin. I see the hurt and the underlying pity in her eyes as she looks at me. “Yes, Pearl. I have no interest in running tonight. I’m just here for you and Amy,” I try my best not to roll my eyes at her. Pressing up from my bed, I make my way over to her and take her face in my hands as I look her in the eyes. “You go and have fun. I hope your mate is out there tonight.” I mean the words I say, even though I have pretty much given the Moon Goddess the middle finger every day for the last five months. I want nothing more to do with full moons, mates, and true love. I had it once. I still can’t believe how eager werewolves have become to find their fated mates again. It’s like everyone has forgotten about the plague and the devastating losses that almost eradicated our kind. “Are you
Asher POV I stand at the top of Crescent Hill, the highest point in our pack. It overlooks the common areas and offers the most space for hundreds of werewolves to gather for the full moon run. Archie's on my right sporting a similar outfit to me: loose-fitting gym clothes. No point in wearing anything fancy for a full moon run when, in a few minutes, everyone who is of age to shift, will be in wolf form, and clothes will be discarded. As I scan the familiar faces of my pack, who make up the majority of the group, I see the apprehension in their eyes. They are hoping to find their fated mates tonight. I turn my attention to the rest of the group made up of visiting pack members of the Running River and Forza Packs. I spot Tobias standing behind Pearl and Amy. The dude sticks out without trying. He literally looks like Thor, but his focus is on the two Stone princesses. I’ve caught a few single she-wolves in my pack stealing glances at him when he walked through the packhous
Saph POV The sounds of birds chirping and squirrels rustling between trees stir me out of the weirdest dream. I was dancing with a clown, the sexiest clown…if that’s even a thing. My head is pounding, my skin feels itchy, and when I peel my eyes open, they are heavy with sleep and crusty in the corners from dirt. The bright rays of the early morning sunrise slice into my eyes, making me flinch them close once again. Too early. I stretch my arms and legs out wide, like a human starfish, and feel the rough grass scratch against my skin. That explains the itchy feeling. Too nervous to open my eyes again, I feel for my wolf in the back of my mind. I can sense her sleeping, but our connection is weak at the moment. Doesn’t surprise me, given the cocktail I made myself last night. No regrets. I don’t even remember the full moon last night, which is exactly what I wanted. Full moons are just too painful to face sober right now. I’m happy to relive the vivid dreams of me
Asher POV I left her. I made it about a thousand meters away before my wolf practically demanded that I shift and go back to her. “What do you want me to do?! She won’t accept me! She hates me!” I shout out loud as if my wolf was standing right next to me. He simply growls from the back of my mind, making me roll my eyes at him. He doesn’t understand. He’s an animal- he operates off instinct, not logic. There’s no way Saph will accept me as her mate. I can hardly wrap my mind around how us being mated could ever work. I continue stomping through the woods, making my way home, wanting to take a hot shower. I stop mid-stride, an idea popping into my head. “Maybe she can learn to accept me…” My wolf starts hopping around at the thought. “She doesn’t know me. I can help her. Maybe then…” I sprint back to the packhouse as the pieces of a plan start falling into place. - - - When I make it to my office, which is in the east wing of the packhouse, I try reaching out to Archie thr
Saph POV Tobias sounded less-than-pleased over the mindlink. I didn’t even have a chance to shower or change my clothes. I feel so grimy, so I pull my hair up into a bun, hoping to look somewhat presentable. I walk past Pearl and Amy as I make my way out of the guest wing of the pack house, but they don’t say anything to me. Amy just scoffs and turns back into her room. Pearl looks at me with pity in her eyes. I don’t need anyone’s pity. I’m fine. Everyone is just sad that I’m not the old Sapphire anymore. No one is angry that Daya is more loving and gentler, or that Emmy is more outspoken; I become a little guarded and short-tempered, and suddenly everyone is running around worried about me. I’m fine! When I manage to find my way to the Alpha’s office, I can hear mumbling and shuffling on the other side of the door. If I wasn’t so caught up in my own mind, I probably would have been able to make out what was being said. “Come in alread
Asher POV Saph is unraveling in front of everyone. My wolf is howling from seeing our mate in pain. I know she is angry, but that anger is coming from a place of hurt. I know that pain well- too well. I want to help you, Bunny. It takes all of my control not to tackle Archie to the ground when he grabs Saph. I know he was just doing his duties as my brother and Beta. Still, seeing another man touch my mate brings out an animalistic, possessive quality in me that I’ve never experienced before. Not even with Portia. My heart feels like it’s being put through a vise when Saph admits to wishing that I was the one who died instead of Nathan. I wanted to shake her and tell her here and now that she is my mate- my true, fated mate. “P…Papa?” No! Why is Ruby here? Fuckin’ Archie left the door open. It’s not his fault. I don’t normally have meetings first thing in the morning. My mornings are reserved for my daughter. I ignore all of t