Ashley's POV"Ashley!" a voice called out of the hallway, followed by thudding sounds on the hardwood floor.I was in the corridor, fighting with the stubborn creaky door knob, senses like a wolf set high in warning me to be careful. I stopped, my heart pounding, and turned around, gasping for breath, at who stood there. David, his green eyes glinting under dimly lit corridor lanterns, his face creasing into a smile that ran through my body in spite of the chill."Dammit, it's good you're back, Ashley," he said, but before he could say another thing, I hurled myself into him, embracing his neck with my arms tight, the scent of pine and sweat in full on. "Good to be home, David," I gasped, taking a step back to glance at him, his eyes boring into mine, with something unspoken.He slumped against the wall, loose but tight, the way a man with something to hide would. "Jayden let me out… for now," he answered, his own voice low, a flash of pain crossing his face. "How's Zane doing?"I st
Ashley's POVI leaned my head back to look at Jayden, my lips parting, but he cut me off quickly. "Are you doing the checkups tonight too?" he questioned, his blue eyes locked onto mine, piercing, as if he could view into my soul.I slowly nodded, my heart performing this strange flip with me stuck beneath his gaze, my voice working to get the word out. "Yeah," I croaked.“Good,” he muttered, a warm, spontaneous smile that had me take a step back, the Jayden smile before Ella lied to me about David and I having had sex in the dirt tried to kill me. "Report back tomorrow," I couldn't quite get the word out, before he was taking off down the corridor, his boots echoing, leaving me alone standing there, my skin tingling from his look.I glared at David, his jaws roughly agape. "What in the hell was that about with Jayden?" I growled out low, aghast."Hmph," David barked, rubbing his chin, eyes scrunched together. "He hasn't since Ella stabbed her claws into him." His voice was firm like
Ashley's POVI crouched behind a prickly bush, my heart pounding, my head spinning like a hell of a tornado. "Nobody knew we were here, David," I panted, my voice shaking, just about loud enough over the sound of crunching leaves."Shh," he panted, his hand shooting out, pointing into the darkness. "They're heading this way," he growled, his claws folding in with a soft snap, his eyes glinting like a hawk's, fixed on something moving in the distance.I saw what he was staring at, and saw two dark shapes moving, their movements slow, deliberate, like predators. My stomach tightened, fear insidiously creeping up my spine."Do we do anything, Ashley?" Sarah asked, shaking, her big eyes darting to me. "We can't fight them. They'll rip us apart."She was right. We'd be ripped to shreds, or worse, be murdered if we tried defending ourselves against them. I glanced at David, his face set, his eyes on the figures, not wavering, as if he was measuring every movement. "They won't find us," he b
Ashley’s POV I walked into my room, a big smile on my face, my eyes instantly locking onto the fancy ballroom gown hanging in front of my dressing table. I stared at how pretty it was, my fingers sliding gently over the smooth fabric. Tomorrow is the big day, and after so many struggles, Jayden—my longtime crush—will become Alpha. I couldn’t stop picturing him asking me to be his, but if he doesn’t, I decided I’d tell him how I feel instead. Still, I worry he might say no. Neither of us has met our fated mate yet, but every night, I kneel and pray to the Moon Goddess, begging for us to be destined for each other. I was lost in my thoughts when a familiar voice came from behind. It was Daisy, my best friend, stepping into my room. “Are you that excited about Raymond becoming the Alpha?” she asked, her voice playful. I frowned a little. I’m Ashley, an orphan of the Oakwood Pack and one of the toughest wolves here. Even though my rank is low, people respect me. In our pack,
Ashley’s POV NEXT MORNING The birds chirping outside my window told me it was morning. I opened my eyes as sunlight came through the curtains, making the room warm and bright. I yawned and stretched my arms, reaching for Jayden—but he wasn’t there. Confused, I sat up and looked around. Last night was a blur, but one thing stood out—our passionate night together, and then he told me how he felt. A small smile came to my lips as I looked at the red stain on the sheets, proof I’d given myself to him. I took a deep breath, got out of bed, and went to the bathroom to wash up. The warm water ran over my skin, washing away sleep but not my thoughts of him. After drying off, I noticed a short, blush-yellow gown on the dresser. My heart skipped—he must’ve left it for me. I put it on, grabbed my purse, and left the room. The mansion was quiet as I walked down the hall. I figured Jayden was busy addressing the pack today, officially becoming Alpha. Outside, it was silent except for hushed
Ashley’s POV I didn’t care about the murmurs and whispers from the crowd. Tears fell down my face as I pointed at him with a shaky hand. “I gave you my heart because I thought you were worthy of it,” I choked out, my voice breaking from all my feelings. My chest moved hard with every shaky breath. “I let you have me because I believed you deserved my innocence. I love you for years, Jayden—then—and think that you felt the same way. And now, you stand here and say I was just a fling? A mistake? All because I willingly gave myself to you?” My voice got louder, full of hurt and anger. It hurt. It hurt a lot. To love him so much and be shamed like this. I turned to Daisy, my supposed friend, my eyes hot with betrayal. “Was it that night? Two days ago, when you tried to tell me something and he stopped you? Is that when you both knew you were mates?” Daisy snorted, a smug smile on her lips. “I thought you were too blinded by love to see the truth. I only wanted to warn you to back off
Ashley’s POV«5 years later.»“Jace, Niko, Rhea!” I called their names as I walked inside, my patience running thin. How could three kids keep me from a single moment of peace? Suddenly, Jace stood in front of me, his innocent face hiding any hint of mischief.Niko came in next, with Rhea right behind. I frowned, arms crossed over my chest as they stood there, all three looking at me, waiting for their punishment.“Which of you bright sparks thought that it was a great idea to put an orange skin in front of Alex’s car?” I narrowed my eyes. Rhea batted her long lashes and shrugged, acting like she knew nothing.Then she pointed at Niko, silently blaming him. They knew how it worked: all in it together, but Niko was the leader. I sighed deeply and sat down, staring at their faces.“You know I love you all, right?” I said softly, my heart hurting a little as I spoke. They nodded, understanding what I really meant.“So, can we please stop with all the troublemaking? You know how much momm
Ashley’s POV“No way, Jayden, you wouldn’t!” I yelled, jerking to stand, but my legs wouldn’t budge. They were tied tight, pinning me down.He stepped closer, a crooked grin curling on his lips.“Wanna bet, Ashley?” he murmured, his breath warm against my face.My hands started shaking, and my legs felt like they’d melt under me.He was so close, and when I looked up, his eyes locked onto mine. They seemed to dig right into me, glinting with a kind of playful cruelty.“The Oakwood Pack needs you, Ashley. You’re gonna help us,” he said softly. “You don’t really get a say, do you?”His words got under my skin, and I spat at him, furious.“You’re not getting a thing from me, Jayden! You’re just a selfish bully who loves throwing his weight around!”He just smirked, brushing my spit off his cheek with one hand.Then, out of nowhere, his face went cold. His claws flashed, and he swiped them across my cheek.“Don’t talk to me like that,” he said, his voice low and sharp. That nasty grin cre
Ashley's POVI crouched behind a prickly bush, my heart pounding, my head spinning like a hell of a tornado. "Nobody knew we were here, David," I panted, my voice shaking, just about loud enough over the sound of crunching leaves."Shh," he panted, his hand shooting out, pointing into the darkness. "They're heading this way," he growled, his claws folding in with a soft snap, his eyes glinting like a hawk's, fixed on something moving in the distance.I saw what he was staring at, and saw two dark shapes moving, their movements slow, deliberate, like predators. My stomach tightened, fear insidiously creeping up my spine."Do we do anything, Ashley?" Sarah asked, shaking, her big eyes darting to me. "We can't fight them. They'll rip us apart."She was right. We'd be ripped to shreds, or worse, be murdered if we tried defending ourselves against them. I glanced at David, his face set, his eyes on the figures, not wavering, as if he was measuring every movement. "They won't find us," he b
Ashley's POVI leaned my head back to look at Jayden, my lips parting, but he cut me off quickly. "Are you doing the checkups tonight too?" he questioned, his blue eyes locked onto mine, piercing, as if he could view into my soul.I slowly nodded, my heart performing this strange flip with me stuck beneath his gaze, my voice working to get the word out. "Yeah," I croaked.“Good,” he muttered, a warm, spontaneous smile that had me take a step back, the Jayden smile before Ella lied to me about David and I having had sex in the dirt tried to kill me. "Report back tomorrow," I couldn't quite get the word out, before he was taking off down the corridor, his boots echoing, leaving me alone standing there, my skin tingling from his look.I glared at David, his jaws roughly agape. "What in the hell was that about with Jayden?" I growled out low, aghast."Hmph," David barked, rubbing his chin, eyes scrunched together. "He hasn't since Ella stabbed her claws into him." His voice was firm like
Ashley's POV"Ashley!" a voice called out of the hallway, followed by thudding sounds on the hardwood floor.I was in the corridor, fighting with the stubborn creaky door knob, senses like a wolf set high in warning me to be careful. I stopped, my heart pounding, and turned around, gasping for breath, at who stood there. David, his green eyes glinting under dimly lit corridor lanterns, his face creasing into a smile that ran through my body in spite of the chill."Dammit, it's good you're back, Ashley," he said, but before he could say another thing, I hurled myself into him, embracing his neck with my arms tight, the scent of pine and sweat in full on. "Good to be home, David," I gasped, taking a step back to glance at him, his eyes boring into mine, with something unspoken.He slumped against the wall, loose but tight, the way a man with something to hide would. "Jayden let me out… for now," he answered, his own voice low, a flash of pain crossing his face. "How's Zane doing?"I st
Ashley's POV"Let go of my children, you sick freak!" a voice screamed, claws flashing in moonlight, ripping through rain-soaked air.I tried to lurch towards Jace and Rhea, my heart pounding, but my legs wouldn't budge, like I was stuck in quicksand. "Mama!" Jace screamed, his small hand reaching out to me, his voice trembling with fear.I strained more, screwed-up eyes, telling my body to change, but the world spun about me, as in a dream. "What the hell is happening?" I growled, my voice shaking, terror clawing at my chest."Help us, Mama!" Rhea screamed, her voice breaking, tears streaming down her face. Their bodies melted, turned to a shaking mist, as though they were being erased."No!" I bellowed, trying to reach them, but something—someone—just kept restraining me, a held-down hand restraining me. "Jace! Rhea!" I shouted, my voice shattering, as they moved towards the shining water and I couldn't move."No, my babies!" I wept, tears flowing from my face, even after they were
Ashley's POV"NO! Let them go, you son of a bitch!" I yelled, my raw throat, chest pumping as I sprinted in the rain, boots sliding in the mud. The creature in front of me had Jace and Rhea clutched in its hands, jerking them like dolls, its deformed arms moving too damn quickly.Thunderclapped, rain pounded the roofs, swallowing my screams. The monster stopped and turned to face me, its deathly pale, corpse-colored flesh radiating sickly every flash of lightning. "Why the devil would I let 'em go? You don't need these rug rats!" It spoke in a sneering snarl, baiting me."I need 'em, you monster!" I yelled, heaving through muck, legs burning. "Hold on, Jace! I'm going to get you!"The monster threw back its head, laughing, a sound like nails on a chalkboard. “You’re too slow, Ashley! Don’t worry, I’m taking ’em somewhere better!” Its endless limbs twitched, tightening around my kids."Better than their mother's arms? Let them go, now!" I shouted, running ahead, my heart pounding in my
Ashley's POVI stalked the length of the room, my boots scraping against creaking floorboards, my mind gnawing at Ella's recent actions. "She'll deny it, sure enough," I told Sarah, spinning to glare at her, her face crumpled with worry. "Did Ella and Zane get into an argument when you were away?”Sarah's eyes went blank, stunned. "I don't know, Ashley. I think we all fainted the second after she..." Her voice trailed away, as though too afraid to continue."Shut up," I cut in, firm, glancing around at the other healers stirring, faces sleeping, white in the dim light. I turned to Sarah, firm. "Keep this quiet. Last thing we need is the whole packhouse gossiping."She nodded, her own creases furrowed deeper with fear. "I'll do whatever you want, Ashley," she said to her, her voice raspy and shaking.It made sense now—Ella was involved in some dirty scheme with Zane. Was she collaborating with Liam, Daisy's boyfriend, to destroy the pack? Why would she do that? Yes, she was a healer an
Ashley's POV"That's your mess to clean up, Jayden," I snapped, stomping on him, my boots pounding on the plush carpet of his study. "I'm doing my damn job as a healer, but let's not forget you dragged me here against my will!”He grinned, spinning his chair so that he was facing me, his blue eyes glinting with that smug asshole vibe. "Not your problem? That's rich, considering the offer we made." He spoke in a slicing tone, as if daring me to protest.Deal? I gazed at him, a sinful, satanic gleam in his eyes, the same which turned my knees to mush prior to him thoroughly messing me up. "Oh, don't play dumb, Ashley!" he growled, moving a step closer to take up the distance between us, his movements purposeful, stalking. "Your triplets—mess up, and they're dead meat!""You're a piece of filthy shit, Jayden!" I spat back, my face only inches away from his, blood coursing, eyes blurring. "I don't have children, you asshole! When I was good, when I'd do anything for you, you kicked me out
Ashley's POVThere was no way I was going to lose Zane, not with Ella out there dying to prove to me my Silverbloom plan was crap. I leaned over him, my fingers moving fast, feeling for his pulse, his breath. He was as good as stable for a werewolf, but appearances didn't count. His skin was too pale, his chest not rising, and I could feel the life draining from him like sand between my hands."What can we do?" Sarah's voice cut through my hysteria as she entered the room, her eyes scanning me with concern.I spun to face her, desperate. "Get the herbs ready, quickly," I ordered her, my fingers pressed against Zane's chest, feeling his faint throb of life. I closed my eyes, focusing. "Wolf's bane, silver leaf, and…""Moon petal," Sarah finished, already familiar with the ritual.I shook my head frantically. "Fresh ones, Sarah. Come on!" My voice was strained, my heart racing like a damn drum.She ran off, her ancient legs pumping as if she were half her youth, the door slamming shut b
Ashley's POV"Aren't you risking your pack's lives with this?" Ella asked, her hand drawing patterns over Jayden's chest, slow and teasing, before she nipped at his cheek, her lips still there like she was marking her territory. Her eyes flicked to me, smug, daring me to say something.Jayden's gaze was on me, his look stabbing, and my flesh crawled. I hunched my head down, examining the plate before me, loaded with soft roasted meat, steaming carrots, and fluffy rice. I'd already ruined half the meat, and now I was tearing at the slow-cooked beef, pungent smell wafting into me.Anything to avoid Ella’s taunting stare and Jayden’s heavy look, stirring up memories of his betrayal—and those damn lies about me and David screwing in the woods, spread by Ella to paint me as the pack’s filthy whore.Jayden cleared his throat, his voice cutting through the tension. “I’m giving her a chance,” he said, standing abruptly, his chair scraping the floor. “I’m done here.”Everyone in the room spran