Chapter 36

It’s the blood moon season and Ashley sits in the room as she gets ready, Fixing herself up for the blood moon ritual, a ritual every werewolf and hybrid is expected to participate in. She ties her hair into a ponytail staring at the mirror as she sighs.



"Who am I kidding anyways? Deep down I am certain that this is going to turn out terrible as almost everything in my life." Ashley couldn't control the thoughts that ran through her head.



"What will they think of me? They are not going to like me because I am human." The thoughts ran wild in her head as she stared out the window enamored by the red moon that hung up high amidst a starless sky. Ashley found her head thinking about funny how fast time flew, it hadn’t been long since the event of her kidnap. She still struggled to find it in herself to trust Logan’s clan, especially the way they despise humans and their funny history with the humans made it close to impossible for this her relationship with Logan's people to work.



Logan knocked and entered the room notifying Ashley sitting on the bed as she stares out the window lost in thoughts sneaking up to her and covering her eyes from behind.



“Who is it?" Logan whispers into her ear

His palms had a certain warmth to them like no other and his unique scent, his voice he failed to disguise to Ashley it was too obvious.



"Ethan? Is that you?" Ashley queried.



"Ethan?" Logan released his hands from her eyes about to confront her about who this mysterious man was.

Ashley burst into laughter at his worried face looking like a baby denied of his mother’s milk.



"Oh my God you are so gullible you know that right."



“You always know when to get me," Logan said as he reaches to draw her into a hug but she escapes. Soon the both of them were running around the room like little children, Ashley continues to escape Logan’s attempts to hold her in his grasp, and eventually, Logan's ability sped up but trips up falling on Ashley as she ended up on top of him.



They both smiled in exhilaration lying on the floor. A certain fragrance filled the air and the silence between them grew more romantic until a knock was heard on the door.



"Damn!" Logan mutters as he stands to check who is at the door, it was Logan’s sister.



“What are you both still doing? The ritual has already begun.” Katherine uttered with annoyance laced in her tone.



“Oh nothing just getting ready,” Logan replied with a smile painted on his face.



The scornful look was evident on Katherine’s face as Ashley greeted her but she ignored Ashley and turned to Logan instead. “Just hurry up! The priest is waiting,” she said as she walked away.



Katherine shook her head as she was unable to understand why Logan was so attached to this human, he knew how humans were so why? The thoughts racked through her mind as she hisses and walked off.



"Why is she like that?" Ashley muttered to herself.



"Let’s go it’s going to be alright." Logan reaches his hands out to her as she took it and they both walked out of the room as they all headed towards the main event that was going to take place.



Logan’s entire clan was already fitted around a bonfire, waiting for their leader to come for the event to get started. As soon as Logan got to the location, attention wasn't on him but on the lady that walked beside him with her fist buried into his. Every eye turned murmuring amongst themselves as Logan and Ashley moved closer.



Logan's younger sister, Karin was the first person Logan introduced Ashley to.

"Meet my baby sister," he said.

Karin had the oldest-looking face in the family, Ashley assumed probably she would be the oldest in the pack

She goes in for a hug and Karin's hug is so warm, Ashley felt like she was hugging her mother.



"It’s nice to finally meet you, I hope he hasn’t been treating you any less than a queen because if he is, you can always come to me." Karin smiled giving a signal eye at Logan like a mother accepting a daughter-in-law into her home.



Logan went on to introduce Ashley to the rest of the clan as some welcome them with a cheerful smiles and some chatter within themselves.



“Isn’t she a human what is she doing here?”



“Doesn’t she realize how handicapped she is?”



Logan heard this through his sharp sense of hearing but chose not to do anything as he tried to maintain peace, at least for now. The words kept on coming towards him and the icing on the cake was his big sister, Katherine.



“Logan, she doesn’t belong here."

Katherine bursts out unable to keep to her thoughts any longer. “Just why did you bring her here?” You know how humans and how are. They will betray you," as she threw a scornful look at, Ashley. “I have been keeping it in all this time but all I am just going to say is, I don’t trust her I know. I speak for most of us here because she is a complete outcast.”



Ashley's heart drops in her chest with a stone in her throat as she completely expected it. What disturbed Ashley at the moment, as she wondered what kind of humans Katherine had encountered with

Why did she hold so much resentment against them? It was obvious this was personal.



“At least couldn’t you try to be a little open-minded?” Ashley spoke out in a sarcastic tone. Ashley took hold of Logan’s hands as the clan chatted in the conflict between themselves.



“I suppose we kick her out!” A voice from the crowd shouted.



"I suppose we kick her out and she’s going to be nothing but deceitful!"



In seconds Logan already sprinted up towards the face of the hybrid shouting.

The air explodes across Logan's face Logan tugs at his shirt ready for a swift punch across his face.

The hybrid had a scornful look on his face angered by Logan’s confrontation

“Say that again,” Logan says staring directly at the hybrid in the eye

with a brawl about to burst out.



"Calm down Logan," Ashley called out to Logan from a distance.



Logan stood up and looked at the crowd and addressed all of them. “She’s now one of us. Anyone that has a problem with her can leave and no one touches her, she is my Queen and will be treated with equal respect!" he yelled out and paused for a while and asked. “Understood!?"



“You can’t just decide that!" Katherine muttered under her breath as she gritted her teeth.



The holy priest hit his staff dressed in bells on the rite ground bringing attention to everyone.



“It is time, let’s begin,”

Knowing fully well this night is the time of a blood moon if a brawl were to occur both sides would lose control and go all out on each other

Logan released his grip on the hybrid making his way with Ashley towards the rite ground where they both sit around a bonfire with the priest chanting some incantations



Tyler is right beside him as the priest then gives Logan a knife to sling his thumb finger so the blood drips into a bowl filled with a certain black liquid

She also does the same for Ashley.



Ashley was a bit hesitant but Logan hold her hand tight calming her beating heart with a smile whispering.

“It’s going to be alright.”



They both slit their thumb letting their blood drip into the bowl of liquid as it turns red. The priest chants another incantation she then ordered both of them to exchange their bowls and drink them. They both do so and immediately Ashley tasted Logan’s blood a slight shiver ran through her entire body as she tried to gain composure almost like she just took a shot tasting a little bitter in her mouth.



“Congratulations!! “Your bond has now been finalized.”



The holy priest put her hands on their heads and smiled, loud howls from the crowd as it fills the night and the celebration begins.



Karin walks up to them. “Can I borrow her for a minute?” Grabbing Ashley away from Logan who stares at them from afar.



Tyler howled loudly beside him

"Keep it down will you?" Logan tried to quiet Tyler down from howling out of control.



"Why don’t you marry her already?

Just do it? What are you waiting for?"





“You guys are already like a couple anyways?” Tyler stood in front of him.



“Well I guess but baby steps you know I can’t just rush into things. I mean, I don’t even know if Ashley’s ready for that.”Logan replied.



“Say what you will.”



“It’s not like you have all the time in the world.”



“I think you are just scared,” Tyler said as he walked away.



Logan directed his gaze to Karin who was now with the other elders of the clan unable to find Ashley anywhere.



"Where did she go?" Logan asked, Karin.



"She said she was going to her room."



Logan felt a shiver through his spine, knowing fully well how this ritual almost turned into a brawl he hoped Katherine’s voice didn't get into Ashley’s head. Tracing her scent, he located her sitting in a garden nearby. He stood and stared at her for a minute as if someone appreciated a work of art the way the wind breezes against as hair as it swayed with the wind and the moon lit up the whole place. The tulips in the garden were visible as if to compare her to one of them as she sat there lovely as a white rose to glisten under the moonlight.



"So this is where you’ve gone to hide?"

Logan made his way and sits beside her on the soft green grass.

The air is a little chill as Ashley sighed placing her head on Logan’s shoulders.



"I am glad you are here with me."

She uttered in a sweet low voice.



“Same here," Logan replied in return.

"These days you have been in your thoughts lately. What’s bothering you?”

He interlocked her hand into his.

“What’s wrong? I know the times are confusing but there’s nothing to worry about. They will warm up to you eventually."



"Even, Katherine," Ashley interrupted.



"Yeah, she is always been stubborn-minded. I don’t blame her a lot happened in the past and humans were the bad guys to us then. I mean if I had not met an Angel like you then I too would have thought all humans are like that..."



"Always deceitful?" Ashley interrupts again.



"Yeah probably."



Ashley sighed. "Well not all of us are like that you know. You just have to meet the good ones," Ashley continued "You know, werewolves, hybrids vampires, and humans. We all aren’t so different you know?"



Ashley stared into Logan’s eyes. "Really?" Logan interlocks his fingers gently into hers. “So tell me. How did you turn into a hybrid?" Ashley says as she snuggles up against Logan

Well, it was a long time ago about sixty years back," The memories come flooding back into Logan’s mind like a torrent as he prepares to share one of his many dark pasts. “I met a maker..."