Ashina did what she knew best and that was to do as she was told, she nodded back to Farkas in a silent agreement to his proposal of taking her home then started to walk out of the stables.
The people she once tried to avoid were now parting like the red sea to get away from her and Farkas but for once they were not moving from her as if she contained a contagious disease. They were moving out of fear of what would happen if Farkas found out about how they treated her.
Waiting at the front of the pack house was a black SUV ready to take Ashina home, the excitement of the whole situation was very quickly wearing off and anxiety was taking over her body, especially about what she was going to do with Mori.
Not noticing this, Farkas opened one of the black doors and guided Ashina into the leather seats, not caring about the dirt transferring from her clothes onto the seats.
Nobody said a word in the car, Farkas was itching to ask Ashina everything, his head was buzzing with questions that he wanted to ask but everyone in the car felt the blanket of awkwardness surrounding them so he thought better ask her a question... but surely one or two couldn't help, right?
"So... you have no parents then?" he questions looking at his hands as if it was the least important question in the world and yet as soon as the words left his lips, he was internally cursing at himself.
Farkas wasn't sure if he liked this new feeling that he got around Ashina, it was nothing like he had ever felt before, he second-guessed everything he wanted to say whereas before he never cared, he was the King after all, and yet here was this girl who just one look at caused his heart to swell and break all at the same time.
Ashina knew a question about her parents would come up eventually but her mouth dropped open at the personal question. Ashina found that she couldn't look Farkas in the eye, she felt shame rear its ugly head within her, the circumstances around her parents had always been a sore spot but more so since George liked to use it as a torture device to remind her that her parents didn't even want her.
"They left me on the doorstep of the pack house... no letter... not reason, I was just unwanted." Ashina shrugs, pretending like that word didn't sting like the tears pooling in her eyes.
"Unwanted," Farkas repeats, he reaches out and takes Ashina's small hand in his, at first, she flinches making Farkas furrow his eyebrows but he chooses not to address it. Both could feel the heat and electricity passing through them but neither of them said a word about it.
"I'm used to it, I expect nothing else," Ashina says trying to use a joking tone of voice but her voice wavers and Farkas sees straight past the fake smile, he once again doesn't say anything but he squeezes Ashina's hand slightly as a comforting gesture, he also brings up both of her hands to his mouth and kisses the point where they join, Ashina can't help the gasp that escapes her lips at the intense sparks shooting through her hands.
"I want you," he whispers into her hands but he looks straight into her eyes, every one of his feelings pouring out through them, so unused to this, Ashina starts to panic and forcefully pulls her hands out of Farkas.
Once they had finally gotten to the cottage, Ashina's anxiety levels were through the roof. Ashina led Farkas straight through to the kitchen where there was a tiny two-person table with chairs for him to sit at as she found herself trying to clean up without him noticing.
Nobody ever came here so it never mattered what it looked like and only now that Farkas was here did Ashina realize how, despite spending her life cleaning other people's homes she had failed at keeping her own home tidy.
Ashina also did a scan around their surroundings and found that Mori was nowhere to be found, this was strange for Mori because it was so unlike him not to greet her when she first came through the door but he was smart and must've known that something was happening.
Knowing that for now, Mori was a secret, it felt like for the first time she could take an actual breath, she hadn't even realized she had been holding her breath. Despite this, she couldn't relax because she knew this topic would come up eventually, Ashina wasn't going to abandon her best friend.
"Can you explain something to me?" Farkas asks, this is the first thing either of them had said since getting out of the car.
Ashina simply nods with her back to Farkas as she is trying to compose herself as best as she can.
Finally turning around, Farkas looks at her for a second before shifting to the side with an uncomfortable look on his face to reveal the most relaxed-looking ginger cat, Mori didn't have a care in the world
"Mori!" Ashina scolds but Mori simply looks up at her lazily, if cats could grin he would've been doing it.
She walks over to Mori and picks him up and sits down with him on her lap, he instantly snuggles up into a ball while Farkas just looks on shocked.
"I found him by chance one day and he was tiny with no mother, so I started to care for him just until he could look after himself but then I fell in love and he's still here," Ashina explains not taking her eyes off Mori silently pleading with Farkas to let her keep him.
"You want to bring him, don't you?" He asks, anybody else there wouldn't even be a discussion about the cat but just watching how utterly in love Ashina was with Mori was enough for him to suck it up and accept the damn cat even if he wished that was how she felt about him but he would have to wait for that.
"Oh, can I? Once you get to know him, you'll love him as much as I do." Ashina says in a high-pitched, excited voice that Farkas could only smile at.
"We'll see," Farkas says apprehensively, she starts to scoot closer to Farkas with Mori in his arms but Farkas scoots further away, torn between wanting to be close to Ashina and wanting to be away from Mori.
"Here, give me your hand." She says almost in a whisper, her voice alone is enough to put him in a trance-like state so he does what she says and puts his hand in hers allowing her to put his hand on Mori's back, she places hers on top and starts to slowly move their hands back and forth causing Mori to purr happily.
"See... he likes you." she grins her eyes shining brighter than they had since Farkas had met her.
"I tell you what, one kiss on the cheek and you can bring him," Farkas smirks which instantly fills an almost relaxed Ashina with fear and nerves but she would do anything to Mori and this was her mate, after all, it wasn't like it was just some random guy...
"Just one kiss on the cheek?" she asks, she wasn't ready yet for anything other than a kiss on the cheek, she wanted everything to be perfect with her mate when the time was right
"Yes... that's all I request for payment" Farkas grins turning his head, bending down slightly, and gently tapping his cheek where he wanted the kiss.
"Payment?" Ashina scoffs... she didn't want to pay for the right for her beloved cat to live with her when it was happening right here.
"I'm just fooling around Ashina, but you know you want to." he smiles, cheekily sticking his tongue out, continuing to tap his cheek.
Although Farkas had leaned down slightly she still had sat right up to reach his cheek until she managed to land a small kiss upon but before she knew it Farkas had gone back on what he had requested and turned his head to kiss her on the lips. This time, Farkas was kissing Ashina passionately.