So much to unpack with this chapter! I don't know where to start! You all tell me what you think! Thank you for reading! -JNS <3
Asher POV I knew it! I fuckin’ knew it! I have had this twisted feeling in my stomach all week that something was going to go wrong during the full moon run. Originally, I thought it was finding out that Saph is my mate, but how wrong I was. ‘Archie, once you’re done taking Saph to her room, take Ruby to school, and meet me at Artemis’ cell!’ I holler through our mindlink. ‘Already finished up with Saph, I’ll scoop Ruby up right now. What happened?’ he asks with agitation clear in his voice. I wonder if it’s from Saph, or if he’s feeding off my anger. ‘Artemis escaped last night. Rory can’t find him,’ I seethe as I storm out of the packhouse to make my way over to the cells. ‘What the fuck?! How? When?’ ‘If I fuckin’ knew, I would have already found him. Just get over here quick!’ I order frustratedly. I don’t mean to be a dick to Archie, but I hate when people ask me stupid questions when I’m already stressed out, especially
Saph POV I can’t believe I’m on house arrest and confined to my room until tomorrow morning! Who does this guy think he is? His goofball of a brother was all too happy to escort me back to the packhouse. I stomp inside ahead of him, acting more childish than I’d like to admit. He follows me, walks over to my bags and starts rummaging through them. “Hey! Don’t touch my stuff!” I shout, running over to him and yanking my bag out of his hands, but I’m a second too late as I see he found the rest of my stash. “I’ll be sure to dispose of these.” Archie clicks his tongue at me, as I move away and drop my bag in the corner, staying on the opposite side of the room from him. “No need to pout. You’re just confined to your room for the rest of the day. Tomorrow, I’ll pick you up for your work detail,” he says with a smug grin. He’s enjoying this way too much. “And what if I have to use the bathroom? There isn’t one in my room. Shall I j
Asher POV What the fuck has my life become over the last twenty-four hours? Last night I discovered my fated mate was none other than Sapphire Stone. Too bad she was too wasted to even acknowledge our mate bond. Which was confirmed this morning when I called her in for an emergency meeting to punish her for bringing banned substances onto my pack territory. She never flinched, or paused, or so much as sniffed the air, thinking I could be her mate. My wolf was whimpering in my head the entire time she was in my office, hoping she would recognize us, but no dice. She was oblivious. The only thing that was clear was how much she dislikes me, and how pissed she is about having to stay on my territory for the next month. I could see the hurt in her eyes when Daya, Darius, nor Tobias didn’t fight my decision. If only Saph understood that her family and friends just want what is best for her. If only the madness ended there, but nothing can be that easy
Saph POV A soft knock rouses me from my sleep. I lift my head up looking in the direction of the door. Who could it be? I flop my head back down after a few seconds of silence and assume it must have been a mistake. Good. I’m exhausted from waking up throughout the night. I kept having that weird dream about the sexy clown from the other night. Only in this dream, the clown looked somewhat like Alpha Asher. I guess since the clown had bright, pink hair, my brain must have made that association. I woke up feeling grossed out that Alpha Asher had wormed his way into my dreams somehow. I swear, this guy is like a virus. Another knock, slightly firmer than the first, rattles my door again. “Who is it?!” I shout, frustrated that anyone would be so barbaric to wake me up before the sun is up. “Sorry to wake you, Miss Stone. I was instructed to collect you for your morning duties,” a delicate voice calls from the other side of the do
Asher POV Syl has been giving me regular reports on how Saph has been doing the last couple of days. I had a feeling they would get along well. Syl is just about the nicest person on the planet. You’d have to be pure evil and lack any sense of social intelligence to not get along with her. I also had a hunch that Saph would enjoy working in our pack garden. Yea, I was a dick on her first day and made her weed the entire pack. I can’t be a total pushover and not give her a real punishment. It makes me happy to know that Saph is secretly enjoying herself here, even if it’s not with me. I want her to smile and have fun. I want her to know that she can allow herself to be happy after losing Nathan. It took me a long time to figure that out for myself after losing Portia. It took Archie beating the shit out of me and stepping in as Alpha for a year before I finally got my act together. I know it doesn’t seem like Archie can be the take-charge type of person; on a typical day, he’s not. Ho
Saph POV My first day under this punishment was by far the most difficult. Since then, working in the pack gardens, smelling fresh herbs daily, and getting to work with Syl, has been fun. If this is what the rest of the month will be like, I can handle it. And the best part is that I haven’t caught a glimpse of that stupid pink-haired asshole. I’m finishing packing up our booth at the farmer’s market when a tall, broad, man, with perfectly messy, fiery hair approaches. “Oi, is Syl around?” Australian accents are starting to grow on me. I wipe my hands on my pair of borrowed jeans. Syl and I made plans to go to the shops this weekend to get me clothes. I considered ringing my sisters to send me some, but I broke my phone. I’m still hurt that they would just abandon me here. Surprisingly, or maybe I shouldn’t be surprised, they haven’t tried to get in touch with me either- not even Pearl. This just proves that they are happier without me. “She is
Asher POV I smell her the moment I open the doors to U-GET. Ruby and I come here every Friday to spend time with the pack. Plus, the food is awesome. I can sense her disinterest as soon as I sit down. Brickland and Syl are quick to make conversation. “We missed you at the farmer’s market today, Alpha,” Syl says as she takes a sip of her water. “Speak for yourself,” Saph mutters quietly under her breath. Come on, Bunny, did you forget I’m a werewolf? I don’t say anything in response; I’ll give her that one. “Yea, sorry. I went to the hospital to check on a couple of the patrollers. They weren’t feeling well after their morning shift. They came in with fevers, apparently,” I explain, trying to hide my concern. Werewolves don’t get sick unless we ingest some type of poison. “What other symptoms are they showing?” Saph asks, sounding genuinely curious. She looks over at me, her light brown eyes looking so gorgeous. “Not
Saph POV Daya told me that coming to Red Mountain Pack would be good for me. She said it would help me clear my head. I hate admitting that she was right. I was certain that being forced to stay here for a month would be the end of me. It has not even been a week and I already feel like a different person. Syl has been keeping me busy with helping in the pack garden. I have rediscovered the joy of working with my hands and being around plants. I have so many ideas for how I want to rearrange my garden back home. I was truly starting to enjoy myself until he invaded my space. I want to hate him. I do hate him. However, each interaction I have with the smart-mouthed, pink-haired Alpha, makes me question my judgment. He’s a father; the kindest, and gentlest father. I can see the love he has for his daughter, Ruby, whenever he speaks about her. For some reason, I’m starting to want to know more about him. And then I hate myself for even thinking this way.