"Don't you dare touch her!" The voice stated firmly. Ashley looked behind her, at the direction of the voice and heaved a sigh of relief.
"Oh, Damon! I am glad you are here. My ray of hope!" Ashley muttered, weakly.
"Untie her immediately." Damon ordered as he got closer to the scene.
"I am sorry, but I can't do that, sir. Your father has commanded me to behead her." The beheader informed Damon.
"I know but I am here because he has changed his decision. I pleaded with him to spare her life." Damon replied the beheader.
"But sir, that is..." The beheader wanted to protest but Damon silenced him.
"You should know better than to argue with me. If you are skeptical, mind link the Alpha to confirm." Damon told him.
"Yes sir." The beheader agreed and went silent for a minute. He was mind linking Alpha Blackwood.
"He said we should back down. But she has been demoted to..." The beheader was saying and again, Damon silenced him.
"I know. She has been demoted to the rank of an omega! Ashley Vega, from this moment, you are now an omega who will work as a servant in my manor." Damon faced Ashley and announced.
"From the high rank of the beta's daughter to the lowest rank, within a twinkle of an eye! How fast status and life changes!" Ashley shook her head, sadly.
"You should be grateful that you have at least escaped sudden death. Count yourself lucky!" The beheader said to Ashley as he untied her.
"Uh!" Ashley staggered as her feet touched the ground. She felt sore from where they had cut her.
"Come here." Damon said and lifted her in his arms.
"My father was framed. He didn't do it, I am certain of that. I know my father so well." Ashley told Damon.
"I know.." He replied her lowly as he carried to his manor.
"You do? So why didn't you help us convince your father?" She asked him.
"He has evidence pointing at your father. There was nothing I could do about that." He informed her, sullenly.
"Evidence? How is that even possible? My father was framed." She muttered. Damon heard her but kept silent.
"Now, how do I live without my loving parents? My entire life has changed within few hours because of the enemies' plot. How do I live on, as an omega now?" She wept in his arms.
"When there is life, there is hope! You have escaped death, you should be thankful and find a way to live happily." He stated.
"How can I possibly live happily without my parents?" She sniffled a little.
"It is not impossible. You should rest now. It is late. Relax so you can recover in no time and have strength to live life. You can't abandon your life because of what has happened. It is not over yet." He told her, warmly. They had gotten to his manor.
"I will call in a doctor to come treat you. Somebody will bring in food for you as well. Ensure you eat even if it is little, you need to eat to live." He said to her as he laid her on the bed.
"How can I have appetite in this situation?" She thought and faced the wall silently, so she could continue weeping.
"Ashley, you need to eat and receive treatment. You lost your parents, yes, but you haven't lost your life. Your parents won't want you to follow them in death. Stop weeping." He said, chidingly.
"I have to go attend to some duties now, I will come back to check up on you, as soon as I am done. The doctor will take good care of you. You have got this, dear friend!" He informed her and left the room as the doctor came in to attend to her.
"You have got this, dear friend!" That was Damon's usual line to her whenever she was feeling down. He had been such a dependable friend for her, since their childhoods. A particular memory of the good old times hit her.
"You should apologize to her if you don't want your head off your neck. That is not a threat!" Damon had said to a random guy who had bumped roughly into her, in school, that fateful day.
"What are you? Her boyfriend?" The guy questioned.
"I am more than that! Apologize now!" Damon had insisted and even beat up the guy after apologizing because she had hurt her ankle when she fell from the bump.
"Thank you for always being there for me, dear Damon!" Ashley stated as she remembered how he used to come through for her, always.
"Arghh!" Ashley groaned in pain as she turned around in bed.
"I didn't know I could even sleep after the whole thing! So, it is past midnight already?" She noted as her eyes caught the wall clock.
"It is your eighteenth birthday!" Ashley's wolf pointed out, sullenly.
"Yeah, I know!" Ashley muttered and swallowed hard.
"We had planned on a big party! But my mom hasn't even finished decorating the birthday cake before her life was brutally taken. My dad hasn't given me my birthday present like he used to do every year, before he got beheaded! Who will shower kisses on my forehead and wish me a happy birthday now that my parents are no more?" She wept bitterly.
"What is this nose blinding smell I am perceiving?" Ashley stopped as her nose caught whiff of a very delicious smell.
"Lavender and tangerine? I didn't know those two would make a great combination!" She thought as she breathed it in and she felt soothed.
"Our mate is nearby!" Her wolf informed her, excitedly. Then the door opened and Damon walked in.
"Happy birthday, dear friend!" Damon stated as he got closer. The look he had on made her gasped fearfully.
"Wait, what? I have been deceived!" Ashley muttered and lunged at him, angrily.