Chapter 8. Aftermath

* Ashley *

I opened my eyes and realized that I've been out for hours, I look around me and immediately see my mom sitting at the couch near the bed that I'm lying. She is looking down on her phone with a worried frown on her face. This room is not the one I'm using in the VIPs at the top of the hotel, but it is one of the hotel's finest in the lower floors. 

"Mom?"

She look up to me from bowing her head while checking the phone in her hand. "Ashley? Oh my God! I am so glad your awake."

The excitement in her voice uplifts the mood around. She stood in front of me in a matter of seconds then slowly lowered herself beside me on the bed while looking at me all over. I am quite sure that I wasn't injured or anything, as my mind replays a quick flash back on what happened a few hours ago. 

"Why am I here? Where are the wolves from the Langston palace?"

I feel my mother's hand grab mine as I got up into a sitting position. "Don't move Ash, please stay here. Prince Vincent and the rest of the Royal pack warriors have already went back to the Langston palace. He was worried about you but he needs to let his father know about what happened here. He said that he will be back.”

A sudden bolt of pain shot through my heart upon hearing the idea that he had already left. I shake my head in trying to remove the unwanted feelings away and mutter something. “That's a relief."

"Ashley!? You shouldn't say that when they where the ones who have saved you and the hotel from getting salvage by the other wolves. My God Ash, he even volunteered to pay for all the damages in the upper floors and in the restaurant. Isn't it great?"

Her hands squeezed mine as her eyes look at me deeply. My head immediately turn to the left while I tried to avoid my gaze for she would know that I am lying about what I feel.

"He doesn't need to do that, our insurance will cover for almost all the damages."

She released a long breath before I hear her speak again. "I will let your things be move here for a while Ash just until your room is finish. Or do you want to have another place as your room instead? I understand how you are feeling after what happened."

I look at her again. She is right, I don't feel like going back there after what happen. The beating of my pulses rise as the memories tries to come back. "I'll be fine here Mom, thank you for being here."

"Of course sweetie, I will be here always. I am worried about you being alone here that's why I have doubled the security in this hotel and a twenty four hour guard in your room."

"How's Mrs. Anderson Mom?"

I remember to ask when she discuss about the hotel situation. "She is alright Ash, but I let her took a three days leave while we fix the hotel. I feel sorry for her from what happen, and we have lost almost all the guests in our hotel."

Her shoulders drop from the news of how the situation affects our business. I can't blame the people if they don't want to stay with us in this hotel anymore. We need to think about the safety of our guests first if we want them to come back, as for now they must be afraid to get a room in our place.

"I'm sorry Mom, I will try to get this business up and going again despite what happen.”

She close her eyes for a second and then open them again, trying to stop the tears from falling.

“I built this place in order to replace the farm business that your father left us. Then it progress highly in the past years but this will all be wasted if something happens to you Ash. You know that your safety is my major priority.”

“Mom, hey! Relax I don't think the bad wolves are coming back. Now that they have learned about our connection with the Alpha King, I am sure they will fear his warriors.”

I smile and pull her against me for a tight hug, reassuring her of the words that I am not even sure myself.

“Don’t push yourself too hard sweetie, if something happens we have to let Prince Vincent know. He told me to give him a call if there is someone suspicious near our hotel. I have already alerted our securities and the head of that department has already been replaced.”

I feel glad that my mother controlled her tears from falling. I don't want to make her worry so much, I am a grown woman now and I needed to keep this place safe for everyone. I thank God that my mother was not involved in the last crisis, otherwise I will blame myself too much if she gets hurt.

“I couldn't believe myself when I heard that Donald have become a monster Ash. If he hurt you, I would be the first one to end his life. He got what he deserved!”

The anger in my mother's face reflected in the fire in her eyes when she said those words but I don't want her to worry more about it.

“Oh Mom! Let us move on and try to forget about what happen. I feel exhausted just by thinking about it.”

“I’m sorry Ash, you are right it is not good for you to get reminded about what happen. I have stop the police from coming back and our lawyers will tell the the whole story. Please get some rest now and go back to sleep if you must, or do you want to eat something? The doctor said your vitals are normal and with just a good rest you will be fine.”

I took a deep breath in and got up from the bed. “I am alright Mom, you should not worry about me anymore. I will be checking my employees, so I need to get a shower and dress up now.”

“What!? No! Ashley. I didn't come here to let you move around after what happen. You still need some rest and it's almost sundown so I will order us dinner here. Don't worry about the staff in the hotel I already talk to them.”

The wrinkles in my mother’s forehead being wrinkled more has reminded me that I should not argue. She will never make me work today, I'm maybe old but still I respect her decision when something bad is going on with our lives. She make the best choices ever since my father died.

“Alright Mom, I will just get a shower now and then we can have dinner.”

She smiled when I move to get inside the bathroom door. I hope the guests of our hotel is fine and people would stop talking about what happen. Our business might go down if we keep the rumors around, the police should also stop from coming and investigating here or it might just cause a stir with the press and entirely ruin the hotel’s image.