Chapter 7

Arielle’s POV

I stepped out of the house, clutching a very long and very extensive shopping list in one hand and a bag in the other, the sky was brighter a soft blue color, the kind that hinted at a warm maybe even hot afternoon, and the streets were already filled with people going about their daily activities shopping and the rest.

Everyone was excited because soon it would be a full moon and then we would be a le to shift and go for a run but for now everyone was too busy tending to their business and preparing for the day ahead.

It felt almost normal.

Almost.

I still had the tedious lingering tension in my chest from last night’s confrontation with Vanessa because while I had finally stood up to her, something I had never dared to do before, I knew I wasn't safe, plus it didn't feel like I had won all that much not when her mean words had left a mark.

"You’re just his rebound."

I shook my head, pushing the thought away as I focused on my task. We needed food and while Vanessa was good at being a pain in the ass shopping was definitely not her forte so I  would have to deal with it.

The market wasn’t far, just a short walk from the house and as I moved through the familiar streets, I waved to a few pack members I recognized but keeping mostly to myself, they would ask questions that I didnt want to answer in the first place like how my parents were or if Vanessa would be participating in the next mating ceremony.

Damian's rejection had already made me somewhat of an outcast, and last night’s spectacle with Vanessa had definitely made sure I knew that.

I had just reached the first stall when I caught a familiar scent.  Some kind of woody scent, something wild, I recognized it almost immediately and my breath hitched in my throat.

I turned just as Asher stepped into view.

He was dressed casually in dark jeans, a fitted black T-shirt that did nothing to hide the all the muscles threatening to burst out of it.

It was nice to look at him that way, it's like there was something about the way he carried himself that made it impossible to ignore him. His build and the way he moved like a predator, fluid and confident, but he was also smiling and charming something that seemed very difficult for his brother to do in the first place.

Damian scowled like it was his job.

And right now, his eyes were locked on me.

“Arielle.”  he murmured, his voice cutting through the noise but still smooth enough to send a shiver down my spine.

“Asher,” I greeted, trying to keep my tone even. His gaze flicked over the basket in my hands.

“Shopping?”  he asked and I nodded, shifting the basket slightly.

“Just picking up some things.”  a small smirk tugged at the corner of his lips.

"Mind if I walk with you?” I hesitated, but only for a second looking round to see if Vanessa was hiding somewhere but she wasn't. Even still it was dangerous—being near him, letting myself get comfortable with him—but it was too late to say no now.

“Sure.”

We fell into step together, moving from stall to stall as I got all the things I needed and for the first few minutes the silence between us was heavy, but as we walked, it gradually eased into something lighter.

To my surprise, Asher asked about me—about things that had nothing to do with Damian or the rejection.

He asked about my favorite foods, about the little shop in town where I used to get sweets as a child, about the books I liked to read.  But most of all he listened.

Really listened.

He wasn’t just the strong, brooding Alpha I had assumed him to be, Asher was surprisingly easy to talk to, slipping in dry humor between conversations about pack duties and childhood memories.

"You really ate raw meat as a dare?" I asked, wrinkling my nose as I placed a carton of eggs in my basket.

He chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck.

"I was sixteen. Damian and our  friends thought it was funny. I regretted it immediately." He muttered a d I smiled even as I tired to imagine a care free Damian

I smirked.

"Good. Serves you right."

"And what about you?" he challenged, leaning slightly closer.

"Any embarrassing childhood stories?"  I exhaled a soft laugh, shaking my head.

" Sorry no. I was... quieter back then. I spent most of my time reading or watching my father train warriors."

Asher’s expression softened.

"You wanted to be a fighter?"

"I wanted to be strong," I admitted, meeting his gaze.

"But my father always said my purpose was different.i was an omega, they aren't strong "his jaw tightened slightly.

"He was wrong." I blinked at the certainty in his voice.

"You are strong, Arielle," he continued. “Stronger than you realize."

Warmth spread through my chest at his words, but I quickly looked away, pretending to examine a row of fruit. It was still strange, the way Asher saw me– like I was something more and it disoriented me so somewhere between picking out vegetables and stopping by the bakery, I found myself laughing.

I couldn’t remember the last time I had done that in a long time by the time we reached my house, my arms were full, but I felt strangely light.

“I didn’t think you were the type to walk someone home,” I teased as we stopped at the front door.

Asher smirked shrugging his shoulders.

"What can I say, I’m full of surprises.” I shook my head, smiling despite myself. I turned to him, offering a small smile.

"Thanks for walking me home." His eyes darkened slightly, the air around us shifting.

"I didn’t do it just to be polite, Arielle."  I stilled.

"What do you mean?"  As I shifted to unlock the door, Asher’s voice turned serious.

“Arielle.”  there was something in his tone that made me pause and turn back to him, my brows arching my fingers still resting on the door handle. His expression had changed that easy smirk was gone, replaced with something much more intense.

“I need to tell you something.”  he whispered and I nodded.

"Ok.” I whispered and he stepped closer, close enough that I could feel his warmth, his presence pressing against mine.

“I like you,” he said, his voice low.” “I have for a long time.” my heart skipped a beat.

“What?”

“I wanted you before the mating bond chose Damian for you,” he admitted. “But I told myself I couldn’t have you because who knew what would happen and then that day came and  he rejected you, and I—” He exhaled sharply, shaking his head.

“I should have come to you sooner.”  My breath caught surprise and conflictions rumbling in my gut. I had spent so long believing I was unwanted.

When Damian had rejected me those feelings had been solidified, I was a discarded mate, a broken soul no one would ever look at the same way again.

But here was Asher, standing in front of me, telling me he had wanted me all along it had a thousand thoughts racing through my head, but I couldn’t focus on any of them. Asher stepped closer, his scent wrapping around me, sending an involuntary shiver down my spine.

"I meant what I said before," he murmured. "You’re strong, more than you think. And you’re not just a rejected mate or just an omega. You’re—" He exhaled sharply, as if searching for the right words.

"You’re incredible."  I swallowed, my pulse quickening all the butterflies in my gut fluttering around.

"Asher—"

"Let me finish," he said, voice softer now. “I thought I could ignore it at first, that I could be just be your friend, but the more time I spend with you, the more impossible that becomes."

My breath hitched.

"I want you, Arielle," he said, his gaze locking onto mine with a raw intensity.

"And not just for a moment or a distraction." His fingers brushed against mine, sending tingles up my arm.

"I want you."

I felt like I couldn’t breathe.

Asher reached for me then, his fingers grazing my cheek, his touch gentle but firm as he leaned into me and then, he kissed me.

The world around me disappeared.

His lips were warm, urgent, moving against mine like he had been holding back for too long. I melted into him, my hands gripping his shirt, my body pressing closer as heat curled in my stomach.

And then—

Pain.

A sharp, burning jolted  through me, searing through my veins like fire.  I gasped, jerking back, my hands clutching my chest as agony exploded inside me.

“Asher—” My voice was barely a whisper, choked with pain.

He looked just as shocked as I felt, his own hand clutched to his chest. His breathing was ragged, his golden eyes wide with something like disbelief.

This reaction—this pain—it shouldn’t be happening.

Not after Damian had rejected me.

Not after the mate bond had been broken.

What was happening?

I looked at Asher, searching for answers, but all I found was the same confusion, staring back at me.

Something was wrong.

And I had no idea what it was.