Chapter Seven

Asher

The almost sickly sweet floral scent wisped through my nose the moment I opened the door. It was a welcoming presence for everyone who stepped into this place, and a warning for others repelling them from stepping away. I entered the room with ease, shutting the door behind me.

It may have been a warning for others, but not for me.

The place was dark, very little light emanating from the windows. Despite that, the air remained fresh, probably even more refreshing compared to the forest.

That was the wonder of this place. One would call it magic. In a way, and i suppose it was.

Tiny tinkling sounds came, becoming louder and louder as footsteps emerged.  I straightened to my full position, ready to meet her.

A figure emerged from a smaller room and came towards me, her frame becoming more and more visible every closer she got.

Fully decked in silver jewelry with a deep blue robe, the high priestess looked up with a smile.

“Welcome, Alpha Blackwell. What, may I ask, brings you here?” she said bowing lightly.

She rose up to her full frame, a woman in her thirties, although her face looked deceptively youthful. With silvery white hair and the absence of any wrinkles, she stood high in every pack ceremony.

Unlike all the other pack members I knew who either looked at me with fear and awe, she saw me as nothing more than a person. I couldn't near her, neither could I fully trust the mysterious, all-knowing look in her eyes nor her words which always seemed like riddles.

There was another person though, who looke at me differently. Thoughts of her cane to my mind. Her bright blue eyes and hair that glowed like embers in the sun.

“I want nothing to do with you.”

I snapped out of my thoughts. Where had that come from?

I quickly. There was no reason to even think of her.

I focused on the priestess, “I need you to help me do something.”

She slinked across the room, her jewels tinkling in tandem. She ignored my presence aside from speaking. “This must be a special occasion then, tell me what you need.”

“I need you to break a mate bond.”

The tinkling stopped as I watched her stop in her tracks.

“You have found your mate then.” she said it matter-of-factly, unsurprised in her words.

“It doesn't matter. All I need to know is how to break it as soon as possible.” I said.

“Ah…i remember…” she said raising her eyebrows to.look surprised while her eyes told a different story.

“Your mating ceremony with Serena is coming up. What a a dillema you have found yourself in dear Alpha.

“sThen again, it all depends on your decision.

“Can it be done?” I spoke harshly, cutting off her spiel.

Silence reigned for the next few minutes. I looked at her as she played with her trinkets, my annoyance building up with the way she moved around without looking at me.

“It will take some time.” she finally said

“For what?” I demanded.

She looked at me and gave a cat-like smile “To find a solution of course,”

Her ambiguous attitude was grating on my nerves. Fisting my hands, I held in the urge to growl, knowing that she won't care anyways.

“How. long?” I said.

Her laugh came, more serious than before.  She eyed me with a piercing serious look on her face all smiles and pretenses dropped.

“You must think that breaking a bond founded under the moon must be child's play. ” She said, furrowing her brows and gazing at me like one would dissapointing child.

Her look slipped away into her calm mysterious expression, giving a smile again before she bowed.

“Do not worry Alpha Asher, I will fulfill your wish. I will tell you when I have found a proper solution.” she finished, standing to look at me.

It may have been vague, but that was as much as I knew I could get.

I quickly turned around, striding to the exit when her voice came up again like a wisp.

“But when the time comes, will you be ready to pay the price?” she asked

My jaw clenched, face tightening at her question. Shutting my eyes, I ignored it closing the door behind me.

I entered the pack house, ready to storm into my room when I stopped in my tracks.

Outside, just a few metres away were a group of the pack members, taking part in cleaning and arranging one of the halls. It was a normal sight, them doing as they always did, but there was her.

Ariziel stood mètres away, positioned where she couldn't see me. She was cleaning one of the tables silently so focused and lost in her own world.

Whilst other girls bumped into each other, talking and playing and speaking as they worked, she remained alone as though she wasn't even noticing their presence.

I saw the ghost in her bright blue eyes, yet couldn't point it out. What was she thinking? What could have made her look that way?

I caught my thought and almost let out a growl of annoyance focused on myself. I shouldn't have cared- no. I didn't care. Irregardless that she was my mate, she was nobody else. Whenever the Priestess was done with her riddles, we were going to break the bond and I was going to marry Serena.

I held the thought close to me as I walked away.

She was nothing to me.

And she would always be nothing to me.