Asher POV This anger I felt wasn't me, it was gut-wrenching, so filled with disgusting irritation. I didn't want to be feeling like this around her or for her to see it at all. Which is why I've been trying to stay away but, that obviously didn't work. I hate that I snapped at her for no reason. I hate that all of this sudden anger I'm feeling was clearly coming from somewhere and I didn't know what.Being angry didn't feel like an option, I just was.The only time I find solace is when she's touching me or when I'm in my wolf form. I looked up at her to see her eyes were shut but, somehow she still ran her hand sleepily against my back. It made me smile to myself and I reached up to brush some of her black locks out of her face. Her eyes fluttered open, those emeralds for eyes meeting mine."Hey, are you okay?" she questioned, sitting herself up more and I got up so she could move more freely."I'm okay." I stated, grabbing her hand in mine, "Because of you." I brought it to my lips
“Then help me understand!” My voice broke slightly. “You don’t have to carry it alone, whatever it is.”There was a flicker in his eyes—pain, regret, fear. All of it swirled together like a storm.“You think I want to act like this? You think I enjoy keeping things from you?” he asked harshly, though his voice wasn’t raised.“Then why are you doing it?” I whispered.He exhaled deeply, turning away. “Because if I told you… I don’t know if you’d still look at me the same way.”That stunned me.“Asher,” I said carefully, “there’s nothing you could say that would make me stop loving you. Nothing.”He turned back to me, his eyes searching mine like he was trying to see if I meant it. Then he chuckled darkly under his breath, “You say that now.”“You’re scaring me,” I admitted, pressing a hand to my belly again. “Please… just talk to me.”His eyes dropped to where my fingers rested. For a moment, everything softened. But then the storm returned and he looked away.“I can’t,” he murmured. “N
Elena's povA small smile formed at the corner ofmy lips as my hand brushed over mybelly. My eyes caught my own in thereflection of the bathroom mirror. AndI couldn't stop smiling, just the merethought of our pup was enough to fillme with a hint of joy. Plus Asher wasalive and he was okay so knowing thatonly made everything better.It had been a couple days sinceeverything that happened. There's aconstant fear nagging at me telling meto be cautious about the consequence.I've tried not to think about it andwhen Asher is home I don't. But,lately he's been distant which came offas a major shock to my wolf and I. Wewould think that with the pregnancyhe'd want to be as close as possible.Or maybe it was just us that wanted tobe close as possible to him consideringwhat just happened. I almost lost himand every night I'm reminded of it byhorrifying nightmares. Asher usuallyhas to wake me up from them just soI can see that he's here. At first I feltso awful to be wakin
I took long strides over to Elena and cupped her face between my hands. She looked so tired, scared and maybe even a little hurt. I hate that I caused that, I hate that I almost left her alone with our pup at that. All I could thinkwas how much she meant to me, how just seeing her eyes made every ounce of pain worth it. I brushed a strand of hair from her cheek.“Elena,” I breathed, voice barely above a whisper. “I’m so sorry I scared you.”“You better be,” she said softly, but her voice cracked, betraying her attempt to stay strong.I leant down to capture her lips in mine while lacing my fingers through hers that she had against her belly. Her other hand came up to my cheek and I broke the kiss upon her touch. Our foreheads came together and my eyes opened up to meet her green orbs."You know I think this is a good thing to lead with when your mate just wakes up from death." I laughed a bit hoping to ease some of her worries which seemed to work.Because, she laughed and that about
Asher's POVAfter Asher's death: The white ceiling was the first thing I came to see when I opened my eyes. I gasped and sat up in a quickness. My first instinct was to look down at my once bloody body but, now I was clean of any blood. I touched my rib cage and looked around, noticing that I wasn't out in the forest. Instead, I was at my house in my living room."Elena?" I called out in pure confusion. I didn't know what this was but, all I was thinking about was her.I didn't get an answer as I rose to my feet and walked to the stairs to run up them."Elena!" I shouted louder, panic crawling up my spine. A growing feeling of pain settled itself within my gut.‘She’s not here,’ Leo stated with such a sad tone, almost like nothing meant anything anymore.“What do you mean she’s not here?” I asked, my voice trembling. “You smell her, right? You feel her?”Leo was quiet for a moment before replying. ‘I do… but it’s like her presence is everywhere and nowhere. It’s wrong. It feels… empt
“Memory may fade, pain may linger. And there may be consequences for the one who brings him back.” She looked directly into my eyes, “For you, Elena.”“Me?” My voice trembled. “What kind of consequences?”“To interfere with the natural order demands a price. You carry a life within you already — the mark of your mate, the legacy of his blood. That life will be tested.”I looked down at my stomach, feeling the small but steady flutter of my pup inside. “I don’t care. I’ll face anything.”“Brave words.” The goddess smiled faintly but her eyes held a warning. “But courage alone will not be enough.”I hesitated, desperate for any clue. “How long will this take? How soon will he wake?”She raised a delicate hand, and the ruby on her crown pulsed faintly, casting a red glow over the clearing. “The ritual will bind him between worlds for a time. Minutes may feel like hours, hours like days. You must stay near him.”“Near him.” I repeated, nodding slowly, feeling hope bloom like a fragile flo