The days in Raven's Peak passed, each one a pain and a pulse pulling me further into the pace of this town, small and just a town. Each morning I would spend wandering through the quiet streets and photograph the neat shops and misty forests. Lila had a warm smile and a story to tell, and so we explored the woods or visited the bakery afternoons. No matter where I went, or what I did, I always had to go back to thinking about Asher and Liam.I couldn't solve Asher. Something magnetic about him; his intensity, his confidence in himself, the way he just looked at me as if I was worth knowing. But Liam was so different. He was sun on my skin once the day was cold. With Liam, I felt safe. With Asher, I felt alive.The sun was setting, the moon was climbing up in the sky: that was the kind of night I decided to take a walk the other evening. The streets radiated soft, moon silver bright and lipsticked by the glow of streetlights. The cool air was filled with the scent of pine, and something sweet — maybe flower.I had not been planning to see anyone, but when I got to the old oak tree on the edge of town there he was. Asher. His broad shoulders stood silhouetted against the moonlight, his back to me. His whole posture like he was looking up at the sky with his hands shoved deep into his pockets but his face calm and intense.
I paused for a moment as I caught my breath before I could speak. "Asher?"His dark eyes locked onto mine and he turned slowly as a result. His voice deep and smooth, he spoke 'Hey'.My heart thudded in my chest and I stepped closer. 'What are you doing out here?'He raised an eyebrow and indicated with a nod that he could ask the same thing.My pulse was racing but I shrugged trying to appear casual. "Just walking. It's peaceful at night."His smile was slightly bigger and what was in his eyes was serious. He said that he had been looking for me.My heart skipped. "Looking for me? Why?"
But he hesitated momentarily, a tic, curving his eyes away from me and then bringing them back. So I have something I want to show you. I think you will like something I said."I hesitated. I wanted to know what was in his tone, what was so vulnerable about it. "Okay," I said finally.He nodded, and without another word, he walked toward the woods. He followed, feet thudding into the soft earth beneath us. Tall and dark, they reached up toward the sky like the branches of trees would if they were trying to touch the moon.It hadn't been long, though, and we stepped into a clearing, and I held my breath. The dew sparkled hard from the grass and the moonlight was soft and silvery all over. I stepped into a dream.I looked away to him and whispered: "This is beautiful".Not the clearing, Asher was watching me. He smiled and said it in a quiet but sure voice.We stood there for a minute and the silence between was untold. Asher took a step closer and his eyes never left mine.His voice was low and careful and he started with 'Emilia'. I want to tell you something about me." About my family."
I frowned slightly. "What is it?"His gaze steady, he took a deep breath. "We're... different. Nothing like everyone else in this town. I mean we have abilities things most people couldn't even understand."I blinked, confused. "Abilities? What kind of abilities?"Asher looked serious as he stepped back. "I can show you. You have to promise not to freak out."I straightened our stares and nodded with nervous stomach. "I promise."Another moment stuck in my gaze and then he closed his eyes. Something incredible happened on his body and then his body tensed. His form started to shimmer and change and his outline blurred until he wasn't truly-of-the-human-anymore.In his place stood a wolf.I gasped, stumbling back. The wolf was dark and glossy, powerful under the moonlight. But something was different—its eyes—they were still Asher's eyes, deep and intense watching me with a mix of caution and curiosity."Asher?" My voice shook, and I whispered.The wolf's movement was slow, deliberate and it started to step closer. But it wasn't threatening. It felt like he was trying to reassure me if anything.I stroke my fingers, my hand tentatively reaching out. I wanted to talk to him; to see if it was really so. A voice called out behind me, before I could."Emilia!"
But what I did was, I spun around to see Liam standing on the edge of the clearing. His blue eyes darted between me and the wolf as his expression was tight."What's going on here?" His voice was firm: Demand, Liam demanded.Something low growled through the air, a sound that the wolf, Asher, made. I heard my heart jump and I stepped between them quickly.I said 'Liam, it's okay.'The growling stopped and a moment later Asher shifted back to his human form. Liam stared back at him, standing tall and his jaw clenched.His tone sharp, Asher said "I wasn't hurting her."His hard gaze crossed his arms. Asher, you shouldn't be here." Whatever this is… she just doesn't need to get in the middle of it."Asher replied to him coldly, 'This isn't your decision.'There was some and it crackled like a live wire between them. I was in the midst of a storm, surrounded by the air itself thick with unspoken feelings.At last I said, 'Stop.' My voice trembling. "Both of you, just stop."
The expressions slid down their features and they both looked at me. Their eyes didn't fade but the intensity didn't fade.I whispered, "I need to think about this."Asher's jaw flexed but he nodded. He wanted to argue, but he nodded a little to me and began to walk away.That night I came home and couldn't stop thinking about what had happened. The overwhelming feeling Asher's secret, fear of her being hurt, Liam's protectiveness, how he seemed to care about me—so differently from Asher.I lay there in bed my mind spinning stared at the ceiling. The simple life I had here in Raven's Peak had gotten complicated than I could've imagined and had no idea what to do next.