Chapter 6: The New Pack
Harper’s POV
I was up before the sun this morning, anxious about the new journey I will be embarking on. I’m going to be living a fake life for twelve months, pretending to be someone’s Luna, when in reality I want to be an Alpha.
Living a fake life, with a fake husband and fake intentions isn’t going to be a walk in the park. Having Asher by my side will make things a bit easier; he’s a nice guy, I’m sure I will be able to trust him as our marriage progresses.
I’ll be keeping an eye on his uncles, though. They are beyond shady and need to be put in their place. I won’t let Asher in on my plans to watch them; it’ll be something that keeps me busy while I plan how I’m going to get the title of Alpha from Artemis. If I know my brother, he won’t go down without a fight.
I was ordered by my parents to meet them at the compound’s centre garden to be seen off by the pack. I was hoping to slip away without too much of a fuss in fear I would show my true emotions about leaving. It would be wrong to not see them, though. I owe it to them.
There are two black Mustangs parked in the driveway. Asher is leaning against the one parked in front, dark sunglasses covering his eyes. I trudge my suitcase over to the car. The trunk pops open and I place the luggage in the large space.
I turn around and see a crowd has formed behind me. The whole pack, including my family, is standing on the grass next to the driveway.
My Father smiles, proud, as he extends his arms out to me, “I’m going to miss you, Harper. Will you write to us?”
I smile, putting my anger towards him aside, “Of course, Father, I will write to you and Mother each week.” I step into his embrace and we hug in silence.
We pull apart and I move on to Mother. She has tears in her eyes.
“My little girl is all grown up,” she gushes as we embrace, “I know you will be a wonderful Luna to your new pack. You were born for the role.”
I want to scoff, but I keep that to myself. When we pull apart, I glance at my brothers. They both have blank faces, their arms folded across their chest. I don’t bother giving them a goodbye. I know they’re up to something no good.
Asher and his uncles have walked over to say their goodbyes to my family. I hear Father tell Asher to look after me. I giggle to myself, knowing none of this is real but I must keep a straight face.
Asher takes my hand, leading me to the car. He opens the passenger door and I slip in. The leather seats are cool against my skin. This is my new life. Asher joins me in the car, offering a comforting hand on my thigh.
“Are you ready?” He asks. It’s the first thing he has spoken to me this morning.
I shake my head, “No. Are you?”
He laughs, remembering a similar conversation we’ve had, “Not at all.”
He starts the car, and I look towards my pack. I offer a small smile. I’m going to miss them so much. I will be back for them, though. I’ll always come back for them.
Asher and I both wave to the crowd as we pull out of the driveway. The pack cheers us on as we drive down the street, their voices dimming as we get further away.
I sit straight in my seat; a small sigh leaves my lips. I look over at Asher. His eyes are focused on the road ahead of him. I’ve never noticed the small freckles on his nose before. I look down at his arm and see something black peeking out from the rolled-up sleeve of his button up shirt.
“What’s on your arm?” I ask, concerned.
“What?” He laughs, “Oh, this?” He pulls the sleeve up to his elbow, revealing a detailed design of a skull and wolf.
The tattoo is both beautiful and haunting.
“That’s so cool,” I can’t stop looking at it.
He laughs again, rolling his sleeve down, “It’s my favorite one. Got it when I was seventeen.”
“You have more?” I’m shocked. How had I not seen them over the last few days?
“Yeah, I’ve got a few on my arms, back and legs.”
“Will you show them to me?” I ask, before I can stop myself.
Asher looks at me, eyebrows raised, “Yeah, sure.”
I smile, awkward, and watch the trees rush past outside. I wonder how close they are. If I put my hand out the window what would the leaves feel like against my skin. Would they be soft or hard? I shake the thoughts away.
“So, Asher,” I begin, “As your future bride I’d like to ask you a question.”
“Shoot,” he responds, not looking me.
“Have you had a girlfriend before?”
Asher’s jaw clenches, his grip around the steering wheel tightens. I didn’t think this would be such a loaded question. I thought he would’ve laughed it off and talked about crushes he had when he was younger or playground relationships.
“Yeah. Once.” Is his only response.
I frown, “It’s a long car trip, Asher. We need to use this time to learn more facts about each other. This is something I want to know.”
Asher doesn’t respond, instead looking straight ahead as if I don’t exist.
“Fine, I’ll go first,” I huff, “I dated a guy in my pack named Jared when I was eighteen. He seemed nice when we first met, buying me flowers, and cooking me dinner. We dated for six months, but it wasn’t long before he started showing his true colors.”
I cringe as I tell the story. Looking back, I should’ve seen the signs and listened to my pack who warned me he was trouble.
“He began not letting me leave the compound without his permission. He would get angry whenever I wanted to go see my friends. He even…” I swallow hard. I didn’t think it would be so hard to talk about this. I fiddle with my fingers in my lap.
Asher looks over at me, his hard features have softened, “It’s okay.”
“He even went as far as looking through my phone when I was using the bathroom. The night it all blew up, we had a huge argument and he slapped me across the face and pushed me to the ground.” I put a hand on my cheek. I remember the sting after the initial pain and the bruise it left behind for weeks. It was a constant reminder of the darkest time in my life.
“I’m so sorry that happened to you.” Asher’s voice is soft, comforting.
I shake my head, pushing the memories back into the box I had hidden them in, “It’s not your fault. I was a dumb teenager who thought he was the one. I was blinded by his kindness and couldn’t see his dark side until it was too late,” I focus my attention on the passing trees, “I should’ve listened to my friends.”
Asher stays silent. I understand it would be an overload of information to take on board at once.
“You don’t need to worry about me, though. I’ve learned from my mistakes,” I smile, “It’s why I want to be Alpha so bad. I want to help whoever I can out of any bad situation.”
I look out the window and feel my eyes beginning to close. I snuggle into the seat and let my eyes fall shut.
“I never want to feel powerless again,” I mumble.
I feel the car come to a stop. I jolt awake and look around, my eyes blurry from sleep. Asher is leaning his chin on the steering wheel, gazing up at the massive compound in front of us.
This place looks different compared to where I live. The gardens aren’t as bright and colorful, the house is a dull grey brick with tangled vines covering every visible window. The trees around the property are overgrown and brown and the grass appears to not have been cut in weeks.
“This is my new home,” I breathe.
Asher nods his head, “I need your help, Harper. This isn’t how I want to live.”
I look at his face, a pang of sadness hits my heart. His uncles can’t allow his pack to live like this. It’s not fair.
I place a hand on Asher’s shoulder, and heat touches me from under his shirt, “I’ll do everything I can to help, Husband.”