Chapter 5

Asher-

Joshua drove us to Georgie's and when we arrived, the place was already swarming with vampires and their feedbags. Most of the vampires who could afford a human slave had a warm body clinging onto their arms. We exited the car, and as soon as we began approaching the doors, the smell hit me, and the nausea shot a ball of bile up my throat. The stuffy odor of death, cold, mud and rotting leaves entered my nostrils, and made my stomach unsteady with queasiness.

We walked up to the bouncers at the front, and as soon as they saw me, they stepped aside. Their sunken orbits looked my way with disgust, but I knew that they weren't brave enough to even hiss in my direction. So I smirked and walked passed them. We entered the building, and everyone took notice, like I expected them to. They parted and cleared the way to a booth area, where I noticed some of the other wolves hung about. We walked through the personal, custom-made path, and no one moved until me, Joshua and Deidran were comfortably seated.

The vampires and humans went back to grinding and dry humping each other, and I waved a waitress over. She was a vampire, a blonde with black eyes. She didn't look me in the eyes, and instead placed three beers on the table. She walked away without a word. I twisted the cap off my beer, and brought it to my lips, when out of nowhere, a scent entered my nose.

It wasn't stuffy like a vampire, nor was it as strong as that of a wolf. It held the undertone of a human, but the scent was clear. It was sweet like oranges, and yet there was a spice that embellished it to a whole new level. My vision looked in the direction of the scent, and there she was, a human, looking directly into my gaze.

"Mate." Ash whispered in my head.

"She's human." I replied, and I didn't bother to hide my shock nor my disgust.

I wasn't ready for another mate, especially if she was human.

"There's something about her though..." Ash noted, and I nodded softly while I watched the girl move away and rush towards the bar.

There was something about her.

The girl who was bartending, another vampire approached her. They spoke closely, and the vampire helped her sit. I couldn't take my focus off her. She wrapped her long brown hair in a bun behind her head, her skin was covered entirely, except for that of her face and hands. She had a naturally tanned complexion, and her lips were tainted red. I drew in a whiff of her scent again. She noticed that I was looking her way, so she averted her peepers, but not a second later, they were back on me.

That moment, where her gaze snapped back in my direction, I sensed it. My wolf wanted her. My heart began accelerating. My fingers squeezed the beer bottle, as I took a swig, then I brought the bottle down. The heat of our connection flashed over my skin and tickled my scalp. My palms ran with sweat, and my sternum dented from the harsh thuds pumping through my heart.

She was panting, her lips were parted while her orbs remained locked on mine, and I wanted to taste her breath. But I wasn't ready. Ash pushed for me to claim her. But I couldn't. It was too soon. I told myself this. And then suddenly, I lost her eyes. A vampire, a man this time, stood between her and I. He blocked her vision from me, and I instantly felt angry. Ash growled menacingly, and I didn't try to stop him.

She was my girl, why was he near her?

He touched her shoulder, and his stiff odor quickly coated her sweet scent. No way.

"MINE!" I stood up and made my claim. The crowd fell silent.

Narrator-

George smiled upon hearing Alpha Asher's words. He knew Miranda was his mate the second he noted the stare down. But George was also aware that Miranda was human, with a very special secret. A secret even she wasn't aware of, and George knew that he had to orchestrate and monitor how the next few minutes would go. The scene was so quiet, a pin wasn't even needed to test the tension in the room.

"Jamie," George called out carefully, "take Miranda home." George spoke loud enough for the Alpha to hear him.

"No!" Asher growled and took a step towards the bar.

Joshua and Deidran were instantly standing before the Alpha and holding him back.

The crowd looked between the Alpha werewolf, and the human girl which Jamie helped to her feet.

Miranda attempted to gaze into the loud man's eyes, but Jamie pushed her head down and said, "keep your eyes away from him, keep your head down, and walk."

"What?" Miranda asked, "What's going on?" Miranda attempted to look towards the man once again.

"Just," Jamie kindly pushed her towards the exit, "let's get out of here, because it's not safe for you." She tried to explain, when sensing Miranda's reluctance to move.

"Jamie-"

"I'll explain everything once we're in the car. Come on." Jamie encouraged, and Miranda decided to let Jamie lead her out.

As Miranda walked down the hallway, she could hear the man growling and grunting, as if he was attempting to move past walls and barricades to get to her. The growls struck fear deep within Miranda's chest, and yet somehow, she both craved to hear him again and again, and something, somewhere inside her appreciated that he growled for her. But why? Miranda wondered.

This sudden and unexplainable phenomenon had Miranda's mind swelling with concern, curiosity, and fear. But back inside the club, all Asher was experiencing was anger.

Frustration and anger.

"Asher, Asher!" Joshua muttered as he attempted to hold Asher back from going after the girl.

"She's mine!" Ash claimed again, not caring that they had more than enough spectators.

"I know, I know, but not here. Okay? Not here." Joshua replied, as he looked around and noticed some of the vampires taking interest in the unfolding events.

Asher made another move towards the hall where he noticed Miranda to disappear.

"Not. Here." Joshua reminded the Alpha, then Asher looked in Joshua's eyes, and nodded in understanding.

He was right. They came here to find clues about who killed the Luna. If the girl was truly Asher's new mate, then she was instantly in danger.

The Alpha, his Beta and Omega headed out of the club, and back to their car. As soon as they exited the parking lot, Asher noticed Miranda's face in a side mirror of a white Jeep Wrangler which drove a few cars ahead.

"There she is." Asher pointed to the car, "Follow them." he ordered, and his tone held no argument, not even for Joshua.

In the Jeep, Miranda was now restless.

"I need an explanation, Jamie." Miranda spoke up, "Because none of what happened in there makes any sense."

"I know," Jamie nodded, "But I think you need to sleep it off first, and then we can talk about it in the morning."

"Don't tell me that." Miranda refused, "I need to know. Like now." She argued.

"Miranda," Jamie sighed, shaking her head, "It's very complicated, and I'm not the best person to explain it honestly."

"So who is?" Miranda demanded, her voice climbing two octaves.

"Your aunt." Jamie revealed, and Miranda was struck silent.

"How- How would Aunt May know? She wasn't even there!" Miranda raved, "The dude was growling like a dog, and he kept saying mine, mine, mine. And what is up with all these people looking either too pale or too perfect to be human? You're all so cold to the touch and have these sharp teeth. I barely see any young people when the sun is out, and now when the moon is shining, everyone comes out to play, but all sane and older people are hiding indoors."

"So you've noticed." Jamie replied with a slight sarcastic tone.

"I need an explanation." Miranda pushed, ignoring Jamie's sardonic response.

"And I told you, your aunt will tell you more." Jamie said, then she added, "but I'm telling you, not tonight Miranda. Seriously, just get some rest. It may be the last time you sleep peacefully in a while." While speaking those words, Jamie took notice of the dark SUV tailing a few cars behind them.

She didn't have to guess who it was, but Jamie knew that she couldn't let the wolf near Miranda. At least not yet. It was for Miranda's safety and sanity.

"Hold on." Jamie warned Miranda, then she suddenly stepped on the gas, and began speeding away.

Joshua noticed this and pressed on the gas pedal. He wasn't going to let a vampire, a girl, outrun him.

Jamie turned left, Joshua did the same. Jamie then turned right, and Joshua did not relent his chase. Jamie began raking her mind for another solution. Her vision darted to the rearview mirror, then to her current surroundings.

The woods. Jamie smiled internally. This was going to be fun.

"HOLD ON!" Jamie warned Miranda, who was barely breathing and wide-eyed, before crashing the car into a ditch that led to a thick patch of pine trees that bordered the street.

"WHAT THE HECK?!" Miranda yelled, as the car plunged into the ditch, then rolled over until it was back on all four wheels.

Miranda's round orbs seem to bounce inside her skull. She blinked, yet her vision was cross-eyed.

Jamie unnaturally kicked her door open, then she moved in an unexplainable speed and was next to Miranda's door in less than a second. She ripped the door off it's hinges, and also ripped Miranda's seatbelt off. Miranda could barely manage a squeak of shock. Her brain was unsure of what her pupils had witnessed.

"Trust me and hold on." Jamie instructed Miranda further, and Miranda, still dizzy from the car crash, couldn't understand when a tiny girl like Jamie hoisted her larger physique onto her back, and began zooming through the forest.

Miranda felt the wind on her face, she saw the trees flashing by, but she was still unsure of whether or not she may be dreaming. A few seconds later, both Miranda and Jamie registered the sound of a car crashing a few steps behind them. Then they heard what sounded like breaking glass and finally a loud howl which startled the birds from their nests.

Jamie smiled, kicking her anatomy into gear. She hooked her arms under Miranda's thighs and started running uphill.

"I don't think I need to tell you again but HOLD ON."

"I think I'm going to be sick." Miranda commented, nauseous.

"Just not on my blouse!" Jamie replied, just as she noticed a large grey wolf gaining speed on her left.

Jamie cursed under her breath when she also noticed two other wolves running on her right. Jamie held no doubt in her mind that the ash-colored wolf on her right was the Alpha, and he was practically steps away from slamming her down and ending the chase.

"Lock your legs around me!" Jamie instructed Miranda.

"I think I have a concussion." Was Miranda's reply, then she turned her brown globes to the left and noticed the wolf.

Miranda's eyelids glued themselves to the borders of her eye sockets as she drew in a horrified breath and began stuttering, "D-dog big dog! BIG DOG!"

"I know, that's why you need to lock your ankles, cause off we go." Jamie declared, then she leaped off the ground, and launched her frame into the nearest pine tree.

Miranda could barely catch her breath, less scream in fear for her life, and the unexpected thrill of being airborne in the blink of an eye.

Jamie extended her claws and dug them into the tree trunks. She released an 'oof' once Miranda's weight slapped against her back. Miranda was lucky enough to have locked her ankles, for Jamie wasted no time jumping to the next tree, then the next, and the next.

Ash released an angry and fearsome growl, as he kept focus on the vampire which flew through the trees, with his mate locked on her back like a defenseless koala cub. He couldn't allow them to get away from him, and being so focused on the chase, Ash didn't realize in which direction he was being led.

Jamie didn't stop to breathe, but instead kept her gaze on the distance, where a small cloud of smoke was rising a few miles ahead. If she could make it to that cloud of smoke, Miranda would be safe. So, ignoring Miranda's weight which started to drain her energy to the point of being winded, Jamie pushed her physical ability as she continued hopping from tree to tree, while the three wolves followed a few steps below.

Joshua also kept his lenses on the flying vampire, and for some reason, her abilities made him smile. She was a runner, and he enjoyed chasing after her.

When Jamie crossed the tree a few steps inside the boundary marked by the smoking fire, she stopped. Ash noticing this growl victoriously, thinking he had won and finally caught up. Then he saw the sign etched on the tree, a bat's wing and full moon, and his paws were suddenly planted to the ground in an attempt to keep his figure from crossing into the vampire's territory. Joshua and Deidran also skidded to a stop.

Jamie looked towards the grey wolf and smiled, then she turned with a speechless Miranda still on her back, and escaped into the forest. Jamie didn't head back to the ground but slowed her pace and moved from branch to branch until she had circled back around to the woods directly behind Miranda's home. Jamie was grateful that she didn't run into any other vampires during that time, and when she landed in Miranda's yard, the human girl was fast asleep from what Jamie assumed to be exhaustion and shock.