I searched the whole packhouse for him, went on to ask every single maid I stumbled upon if she saw Asher, but they either shook their head or run for the hills as soon as they recognised me. I guess I have a reputation amongst the servants here since that first morning in the packhouse.
I started wondering about the pack's territories, thinking about places he might have gone to. It wasn't the first time he disappeared like this, running away to avoid fighting with me, but it's the first time I'm searching for Asher and not waiting for him to return by his own means.
I only know realise how clueless I am about the person who is supposed to be my other half. Ever since we met, I've either been too busy pushing him away, avoiding him, angering him just enough that he'd ignore me and being a narcissistic idiot that only cared about my own problems. About whatever crap I brought my way and had to deal with. I lost so much precious time...
But not anymore. And even if I can't find on my own, I know exactly who might know where Asher might be now. I turned on my heels and walked back to the packhouse. The day was cloudy and although the rain stopped, the air was still damp and a bit of fog clouded the horizon. The grass beneath my feet turned to mud and I was rapidly stomping on it, not caring that my formerly white trainers were now brown and green.
The packhouse was quiet, everyone off to the city to have brunch. Bee invited me to tag along, but I wasn't nearly in the mood for such a thing. And neither was Hayder because he also chose to remain in the pack. I run up the stairs and knocked on his door, the sole dormitory on the fifth floor. The floor was mainly used for storage and his suite was added upon his arrival. Or so Asher told me one morning, trying to distract me from the nightmare I just had.
After two short knocks, the door flew open, revealing a half-naked Hayder with water dripping from his hair. He had a towel wrapped around his hips and a frown on his face. Not even after seeing me his face softened and his eyes were rather flaming with irritation.
"What?" He asked, his voice low as a growl and I raised a brow in question.
"Did you had an argument with yourself in the mirror?" I sarcastically asked him and he rolled his eyes. He meant to close the door on my face, but I entered his room before he could do it.
"I missed the part where I invited you in," the frown on his face deepened even more and he opened the door wider, a silent invitation for me to leave.
"Cut the bastard attitude for a second and help me out," I argue, mimicking his posture.
"You do have an interesting way of asking people for help, Adeline," he sighs and closes the door, walking to his bathroom with a pile of clothes in one hand. "And what is that you need?" He shouts behind the closed door.
"Where's Asher?"
"Shouldn't you know?"
"Oh, come on, Hayder! I don't have time for your childish jokes..."
"Why? Did something happened again and you need my cousin to rescue you, just so you can dispose of him once you're safe and sound again? Tell me, is it Thomas? Have you met with him again? You clearly can't seem to last a week without seeing that bastard who nearly killed Asher. Who nearly killed your mate, Adeline! Yet you keep going back to him, again and again. And expect of Asher to save you each time. So, why do you need him this time?"
"I..." words stopped in my throat and tears started building up in the corners of my eyes. I didn't expect such a reaction from him, so I was beyond shocked. And it hurt so much more that I couldn't deny his accuses. "I didn't mean to do any of these things, everything is far more complicated..."
"I'm not in the mood for listening to any of your excuses, Adeline. I believed in you, that you had a problem with recognising your soul mate, that you have a dysfunctional mother trying to rob you of every potential piece of happiness in your life but after today... I believe you create your own misery, Adeline."
I didn't wait for a second more, but left his room and run down the stairs. I walked to the door, flew it wide open and... stopped. Watching me with knowing eyes and a calming figure, Asher opened his arms for me and I ran right into his embrace.
"What happened?" He asked, but I couldn't talk through the sobs. Tears were violently spilling on my cheeks and I tried to bury my face deeper into his warm chest.
"I want to leave," I manage to mumble and he tenses for a moment. "Take me away from here."
He pushed me gently away, lifted my chin and gave a small smile. He kissed my forehead and grabbed my hand, walking me to the car park. We approached a dark grey Jeep and I immediately jumped into the passenger's seat, eager to leave the pack. Asher started the car and only when the pack's borders were long past us, I was able to halter my tears. I rest my head on the window and watch absent-mindedly at the road ahead of us.
"How did you know to return at the right time?" I ask him, my voice a little hoarse from all the crying.
"I sensed that you were hurting. Pain feels the same so I didn't know if you were in any danger or extremely sad. I ran back to the packhouse anyway," he answers simply, keeping his eyes straight to the road. "What happened?"
"I was looking for you. I searched the whole pack, but you where nowhere to be found. So I thought it'd be a good idea to ask Hayder if he knows where you are, but..." I stop, thinking if it is a good idea to talk bad about his cousin and best friend.
"But?" He insisted and I sighed.
"Apparently, we're not friends anymore. He thinks I'm toxic, and I don't necessarily disagree." I stop and divert my eyes to Asher. He was frowning, probably thinking of an argument to contradict me. "I'm sorry for hurting you, Asher. You don't deserve to be treated like this, especially when all you did was to save me, protect me and..." I couldn't say the last thing, because I wasn't entirely sure of it. Although he declared it and I felt it every day since we met, I wasn't ready for it.
"He's wrong," he answers fiercely, gripping harder on the steering wheel. "He had no right to tell you these things or make you feel guilty. You're my mate, you can't be toxic, Adeline."
"Why not? Not all pairs are made in Heaven, maybe some are made in Hell."
"That's bullshit. I'm going to beat the fuck out of Hayder for getting this nonsense into your head."
"He was trying to protect you, his family. Don't blame him for caring, I'm to blame for everything. If it wasn't for me, everything would've been so easy..."
The car stops on the shoulder and he turns to face me.
"What are you doing? We're going to get fined," I tell him but he stops me by kissing me. His lips press hard into mine and my hands travel to his shoulders. One of his hands holds the back of my neck, deepening our kiss, while the other slowly caress my thigh. I feel something clicking into place as the passion grows, like two fires mingling together and creating a flame brighter than the mid-day sun. Energy sparks in me when my fingers curl into his hair and his hand travels to my back, ushering me to come closer. Closer. I hop into his lap, my legs wrapped around his body. His hands travel to my ass and I moan when his mouth closes on my neck. Closer. I rip my jacket off me and I throw it away, needing to feel my skin on his more and more. I search his lips and I kiss him deeply, my heart wishing to remain like this forever: full of passion and him.
A honk startles me and I see a car passing us by, lights flinching and speeding away. Asher looks into the side mirrors and I follow his gaze to see a police car approaching us. He swears and I move back to my seat. He pushes the turn signal and we speed on the motorway. I watch the police car fading away and I giggle when it completely disappears from sight. "You know they'll probably mail you the fine, that's why they let us go."
"I highly doubt that," he answers with a smirk. "They let us go because they already checked the plates and realised it's a pack car. Boulder Creek has a generations-long agreement with the Boulder PD."
"Oh, then why we left? If we were going to get away with it?"
The grin he gave me made my cheeks red and I started shifting on my seat, the tension in the car so thick it made my fingertips dazzle with energy. I was feeling revived, crazed by his fire mingling with mine. I turned the heat off because it was already too hot to breathe so close to him.
"Don't worry, baby, we're almost there."
I was so distracted by Hayder's words that I didn't think to ask Asher where were we going. But now, when I can still feel his lips on mine, his teeth on my neck and hands all over my body, I didn't give a flying crap where he was taking me. He could be driving me to my death, and I wouldn't mind...
As long as I get to kiss him one last time before I go.