For the good part of the walk, I manage to keep a decent distance from Asher, who was continuously trying to get closer to me. But when the woods thickened, the grass as tall as the lower half of my leg, and the night dimmed my view as much as I started stumbling on branches at every step, I had to slow down. "Stay close to me," he whispers, taking my hand into his and walking in front of me. For a moment, I wondered why he was more capable of making his way through this thicket in complete darkness, but I quickly remember that we are from two very different species: he's at home here, at nature's heart, while I'm not.
The pack stops in a glade, the moonlight seeming brighter now, after that walk through the woods. The wolves formed a semicircle and I stopped behind some of them. But Asher dragged me to the right side of the gathering where the Lycans were forming their whole, exclusive group. Clearly, Adam and I are the newcomers, but he fits just right in their inner circle. I don't believe I will ever pass down as nicely amongst them.
"Sisters, brothers," Alpha Taylor starts her speech that I don't listen. I was busy paying attention to yet another group in front of me. Taylor, Kale, Sabine and Haven were standing before the pack, looking stern and all-righteous, like real leaders do. It seems that Adam already stepped down from his Beta position and gave it to his little sister.
Is this the reason Haven abandoned college? Duty called, she answered.
"And Happy Ancestor's Day to all of you!" concludes the Alpha and all of the pack cheers, howls and applauds so loud it echoed through the whole glade. Well, it must have been a hell of a speech, too bad I missed it.
One by one, the wolves saluted their pack mates and started shifting. I watched them taking their monstrous, half-man, half-wolf forms, an innate fear growing slowly inside of me. Out of all shifters, the werewolves are the most extreme ones. Peaceful, respectable citizens as humans, but vicious, insatiable beasts under the moonlight. Although most of the legends aren't true, because they don't eat human hearts all the time — only of the human they killed on their first turn —, they are dreadful predators, mindless animals when they turn. Some say that the higher the rank they have, the more they can somehow control themselves while on their wolf form, but I don't believe it. Especially now, watching Alpha Taylor looking at me like I'm her next meal.
Asher observed the glowing, red eyes that were analysing me and stepped in front of me. The elongated, sharp claws were ready for attack, her teeth baring and longing to thrust themselves into my flesh. I tremble a little, partly because of the freezing cold brought by the night, but also because I am Alpha's target for tonight. I barely heard the low, guttural and threatening growl that Asher let out, meant only for the threatening monster that wants to taste my blood. Taylor growls back, but turns on her heels and runs into the forest with Kale on her steps. The halfbreed appeared more human than the rest of the wolves, but he didn't seem to have more control over his transformation either. Only one werewolf was apparently in full control of himself.
"I'll see you in the morning," says Adam to us, after Phoebe turns too and they run together into the depths of the forest. Never in my life have I seen a turned werewolf talking before. But before they fully left my view, I see Adam further turning into a wolf and I understand. He's not a werewolf anymore, he's a Lycan.
"All the wolves left, cousin." Says Hayder, also half-turned and resembling a werewolf in this form. Lycans, unlike their shifter cousins, are in full control of both their animal and human side. They can turn into huge wolves at will, but also possess a mid-form which they prefer during battles. Out of all the remaining Lycans, Asher is the only one who didn't turn in any way. "She can go home now," continues Hayder, but his cousin doesn't respond, still watching the path Taylor left on.
"Go ahead, I'll catch up with you," he says, still serious and stiff as I only saw him on two other occasions: when he attacked Will and when he killed the vampires that nearly made me their disposable blood bag.
Hayder just nods at his cousin's words, gathering their friends and heading towards the woods. Jaceson and Shay take their wolf forms, but Hayder remained in that monstrous half-form. His mouth grinned wolfishly at me and howled a little farewell, before sprinting into the woods. I watch their figures disappearing into the darkness, their howls and heavy steps fading long before I turned to Asher. He was already watching me, waiting for me to finally face him.
"I can't leave the woods, it'd disrespect the Ancestors," he explained in a sigh and I was preparing to say that I can go back to the mansion on my own, but he doesn't let me speak. "But I can't let you walk alone with all these wolves wandering the forest. So, I guess you're stuck with me in the end."
"But Hayder said..."
"Hayder is an idiot." He shuts me off, gazing at the moon and taking a deep breath. I see his eyes changing rapidly between green and red, but he manages to remain all human. He looks at me again, extending his hand in my direction. I reluctantly take it, blindly following him into the dark woods, where not even the moonlight could pass through.
But I still walked.
***
"YOU do know that you can leave me at the outskirts of the forest and continue your stroll through the woods in peace?" I give him yet another possibility for how I can safely return to the pack. "I bet I've annoyed the hell out of you by now."
"I know you've tried to," he calmly states and I cuss under my breath. Yes, I did try because I hoped that he'll spare me of this never-ending walk. My legs are beyond sore now and I only continue to walk, because I'm too afraid to be left behind around here.
We only walked hand in hand for about a metre, before I took my hand from his and crossed my arms across my chest. I also tried to keep my distance from Asher, walking a tad slower than him. He was ushering me to not fall too behind, but I merely mocked him and continued to walk slower, my steps heavier and my guards all down. I must have looked like a child going to school in the morning. Too bad I was in a dangerous forest, surrounded by creatures that'd like to have my flesh as a midnight snack. But I was reminded by this aspect when a terrifying werewolf jumped in front of me, claws and fangs out in plain sight. The scream that I meant to let out died in my throat as my body went still. I couldn't even blink, my eyes glued to the monster that was taking his time to finish me off.
Do it already, damn it!
But as I was patiently waiting for my death, I've seen the monster frowning, sniffing the air and detecting something that made his eyes grow big and somehow less threatening. He backed a step and in that instant, Asher jumped right between us, growling at the werewolf.
"Get lost, Tiara!" As soon as Asher ordered the girl to leave, she shook her head and disappeared into the woods.
I was beyond thrilled, not being able to comprehend that the girl who brought my clothes this afternoon have been so close to killing me. After that incident, I kept myself closer to Asher, and he too made a habit of looking at me every five seconds.
"Why do you insist I accompany you?" I ask, prompting myself to a tree because I was too exhausted to go on. Fortunately, he stopped and turned to face me.
"Because mates are supposed to celebrate together Ancestors' Day." He tells me simply, then sighs when I roll my eyes as soon as the word 'mates' leaves his lips.
"You said earlier that you're 'going to miss me' for the whole night, because of the ceremony in the woods. What changed your mind?"
"I meant to let you go back home after the wolves were gone, but I couldn't." He steps closer to me and sits at the base of the tree I was leaning on. I sigh and fall next to him, waiting for an actual response to my question.
"And what changed your mind?" I further push the question.
"I've seen Adam and Phoebe enjoying their first ceremony together and I..." he answers quietly, almost like he wished no one could hear the words he spoke. "I wished for what they have."
His eyes are on his hands that he keeps on his knees, clearly lost in his thoughts. I know I should say something now, but I'm as bad as comforting people as I'm at staying out of trouble. I'm not very sensible or empathic, I grew up believing such traits are flaws, not qualities so I've spent years 'correcting' them. Up until now, I wasn't bothered by my inability to get close to someone, I was preferring it. Yet now, next to this Lycan whom I've just met a night ago and decided to follow him to his pack, into these woods; I feel somehow guilty that I can't reach him. I know this is just my old desire of having a real bond with someone outside my family, and his mate-rabbling must have finally got to my mind, but I need to keep myself aware of one thing: it doesn't matter whether his words are true or not. I'm not going to make him my mother's next favourite target, even more now that he's in her sights.
But how am I going to explain that to Asher?