CHAPTER 25

Asher dropped carelessly into his chair and a wide grin took over his handsome face.
He felt really really good. The feeling was so strong he could fly without wings. And it was all because he had defended his woman, his mate and damn if he had not done an amazing job of it. Shana herself had been speechless.
He had expected her to follow him into his office but since she was not taking the cue, he took matters into his own hands and told her to report to him.
His good mood crashed after that.
She had walked in with her head held high and her bruised cheek flaming red. He hated the sight of her hurt and wished he could do something about it. If only he had intervened faster.
"You called for me?," she asked lightly with all the grace and pomp that she was not feeling. But Shana was not about to let her boss see her have a nervous breakdown. Besides, a little emotional battering was nothing new and nothing she could not deal with. That was the card she had been dealt her whole life.
"Are you OK?," he asked standing up as fast as was humanly possible. Then he walked purposefully to her, wanting to wrap her up in his arms forever. That way, he was certain no harm would ever come to her but he had no right to do that..yet. He was concerned about the veiled look in her eyes. Asher had always been able to read her and he knew the brave act she was putting on was just for him. She was close to tears, that much he could tell.
"Of course. I'm good," she replied, her hands gesticulating nervously as she added. "That back there? It was nothing I haven't heard before."She finished with a nervous laugh she forced pass her lips. It was either that or she was going to crumble and give in to the tears threatening to fall.
But what she said just dimmed Asher's look and he screwed up his face in anger. "Who said those words to you before? Anyone working for me?" The questions had been quiet and dangerous.
"No. I didn't mean it that way," she replied quickly.
Why was he standing up for her?, she asked herself. That question was really bugging her because he had no reason to. Then all he said in her office flashed through her head and she had the burning urge to ask him if he had meant those words. She wanted to know so bad if he had really been trying to get at her with Nicolette or if it was all a lie to make the model back off. But she assumed it was the later. That was the only sensible explanation. There was no way Asher would be so bothered about her to even play a game of revenge to catch her attention or make her jealous.
It was never going to happen. He was too busy and too much in demand to be that invested in her.
That conclusion reached, she decided there was no need thanking him for coming to her defence. He had done it too late, way after she got slapped and he had probably swooped in to get Nicolette out of his hair. Maybe he was tired of her and wanted to move on to the next available beautiful woman. She was just a means to an end and had given him the perfect excuse to get rid of the model. Whatever he did, she did not give a damn and she did not need him rising to her defense. He was not needed in her life.
Asher watched as a mirage of emotions played across her face, all summing up assumptions and more judgements about his character without her even accusing. He had thought she was going to show a little bit of appreciation and apologize for the way she had behaved by thinking so little of him. Instead, he could sense hostility from her as her face became clouded with more of her silent thoughts. If only they were mated already, all he had to do was tap into her thoughts through their bond to know everything that was fleeting across her mind.
He sighed. He needed the mating to happen soon but his mate was nowhere ready with her trust issues and battered self-esteem. But first, he needed to deal with her assumptions.
"I already told you not to misinterpret things. All you've to do is ask and I promise to answer you truthfully," he said sincerely, even though that was not how he operated. He did not explain anything to anyone. But it was his mate here and he was beginning to realize having a mate was going to be changing a lot of things about him.
"I'm not even interpreting anything, talk more of misinterpreting them," she said defensively.
"Really?," he asked forcing her rigid body into his arms.
"Really," she replied shrugging.
"OK. That's cool. I don't enjoy having to explain myself to start with," he said with a smile, his hand going to her hot, red cheek.
He was going to ruin Nicolette for what she did to his mate.
"We should put a ice pack on that?," he did as he continued to scrutinize her face closely, loving everything he was seeing.
"We?," she asked and moved away from him. "There's no 'we' here Mr Anderson. I can take care of myself. I've been doing that pretty well on my own without your help."
"Like you just did in your office when you got slapped?" Well, that was a bit low but...
"That has nothing to do with anything and there was nothing I could do about being slapped," she said louder than she would have. How dare he question her action or lack of?
"Looked like you could have done or said something in my own opinion instead of standing there and gawking stupidly," he said harshly, making her catch her breath.
"You know nothing about me and you have no right to judge what I do," she replied in a suffocated whisper, swallowing convulsively. He knew nothing about how she had wanted to slap Nicolette so hard, that she had imagined her teeth flew out of her vulgar mouth. She had wanted to pull out every strand of her beautifully styled hair and she had imagined her going from being a beautiful swan to an ugly duckling. But she could never do any of that. Trying to get back at someone like Nicolette had landed her in the mess she was in with him but she could not tell him any of them. He was never meant to know but even if she did, he would never understand.
"I think I've to agree with you there," he said rolling up his cuffs and leaning back on his desk. Then he folded his arms across his chest and gave her an inviting look. "I'll like to know why you stood there and let Nicolette bash you with her mouth and her hand."
Asher watched her swallow hard and continue to hold in the tears. He could not believe he had been in a good mood minutes ago. Then she had walked in with her stubborn pride, pretending nothing had happened. He admired her for that but it also pissed him off remembering the helpless look on her face. He had a feeling Nicolette was not the first and he could bet all the outcome had been like today before he had intervened.
"The question here is why you keep company with such vulgar animals. Leaves me wondering about the adage, birds of the same feather flock together," she said clenching her fist tightly. If he was trying to make her break down in front of him, he had another thing coming.
Asher threw back his head and laughed. He could feel the adrenaline pumping through him. He felt thrilled like he was on a hunt. Shana was being offensive to cover up the fact that she wanted to weep and not being the nicest of shifters, he was not going to let her be. He needed to know the reason she allowed herself to be walked all over. She was his Luna and damn her stupid pride because to him, it only made her a weak prey. "I'll give it to you, that was a very good one but it doesn't explain your stupid look after my vulgar company slapped you."
"Can you not use that word?" She never shouted, never lost her cool but Asher was making er do exactly that and she hated it. It was alright if she got insulted by everyone else but not him. It was too much.
"You mean stupid? That's the only way to describe it, I'm sorry but not so sorry," he said shrugging.
"What should I have done?"
"A lot. You were so eager to hightail it out of here because you were certain you would get the blame. You were innocent but you already passed a judgement on yourself like the guilty part," he said quietly. Saying it out loud made him realize how much he had been hurt by just that. She believed so little in him and in herself. She did not think twice before she assumed he was going to blame her for what was not her fault.
But maybe he was not supposed to be fighting her and trying to make her break down in front of him. He needed to make her feel safe, not defensive. "Talk to me Shana. Why were you so eager to let her get away with what she did?" he asked her gently, reaching out to hold her hand.
His tone was calm and comforting, the hand holding hers strong and solid. She looked into his blue eyes and she was certain she could trust him. It would be so nice to burden him with all her secrets, from the beginning till the very end. Even those secrets involving him and his vengeful stepfather.
Her head told her she could not trust him but her heart told her otherwise. But Shana wanted badly for someone to hear her out. "I couldn't do anything," she said weakly.
"Why?," he asked squeezing her hand comfortingly.
Could she trust him? How far could she go with him?
"Because that's how it has been chosen for me," she replied brokenly.