CHAPTER 26

This was the moment. She could feel it in the air. It was time to let another shoulder help her with her burden. Whatever he did after that did not really matter. All that she cared about now was her freedom. She was going to have peace for the first time since Adam entered her life. She would not have to do anything about carrying out Adam's wish, honour be damned. But that was only part of it. Neglecting her responsibility as a Crier meant she was going to lose her soul but that too did not matter anymore. To what end was a life without the man she loved? She realized she had reached a point where something else was going to win over duty.
"Make me understand Shana," Asher coerced gently, taking hold of her second hand. His voice broke her out of her deep thought.
That was the problem. He was never going to understand. Being a shifter himself made it possible for him to believe her kind existed, coupled with his mother being a Crier. But that was as far as his understanding would let him. No one was going to ever understand being pegged for ruination and possible death, while having to work side by side with the perpetrator of such evil deed day in day out. He was never going to understand what being a Crier and having to sacrifice your life for duty meant. There was no way Asher would understand the trauma her life was. So why burden him with it?
She could hear her grandmother's voice dripping with urgency, "You must never let a man sway you from this path like your mother was. Your life is all about duty, nothing else."
If the old woman was looking on right then, she could bet she was as disappointed in her as she was in herself.
That solved it for her. She was not saying anything to Asher, who continued to hold her gaze expectantly. She was a Crier and she was going to answer the call of duty till she drew her last breath, love or whatever it was that was clouding her judgment be damned.
She had damned both her duty and love in the space of minutes.
She cleared her throat noisily and tried to remove her hands from his tight grip but met with no success. "Let me go," she said quietly.
"No. Never!," his wolf rumbled in protest. Asher continued to hold her gaze, waiting for her to budge and spill all that was worrying her. Her eyes were avoiding his and Asher took his time to study every feature of her face, whiling away the time. He was ready to wait all day.
She was far from being a raving beauty, with her unruly curls dominating a heart shaped face, with brown, soulful eyes that took over her face, making the other features look so small comparably. But he had chosen her, his wolf had chosen her too and to him, she was perfect. From every strand of hair on her head to the sole of her cute little feet in her weird shoes, he knew he would choose her all over again if he had to, regardless of the role the Moon goddess had played in it. He realized she was everything he needed and wanted in his life.
Shana was refreshing, innocent and different and left to him, she deserved the very best. She deserved to be treated like a queen. His queen. He wanted her to open up to him about the secrets he could see in her worried eyes.
"Shana? I just need you to talk to me." Asher never gave up easily.
"Stop talking to me like a child, OK?," she snapped suddenly as she forcefully wrenched her hands out of his. "I told you it's nothing. Maybe you saw me being stupid because I was shocked and that's reasonable. I never expected her to get physical with me and that's all. There is nothing more to it," she finished defensively.
Shana Johnson got on the offensive when she was trying to hide something. Asher filed away that information for later and he decided to relent. "OK," he said shrugging. "That makes sense."
It made no sense but he could understand if she didn't want to talk. She did not trust him yet and that was reasonable. He should work on gaining her trust.
"Can I go now?"
"Of course. But you should put an ice pack on that," he said gesturing towards her red cheek. He wanted to do it for her himself and make her feel good in whatever way possible but she was just going to get mad at him about it.
"I'll," she said shortly and disappeared from his searching gaze with eagerness.
She got back to her desk and sighed in relief. For a moment there, she had been so taken in by his beguiling eyes that she had almost come clean. A part of her wished she had but her head congratulated her for being smart and not stupid for once.
Shana glared furiously at her computer screen minutes later, finding it difficult to concentrate on what she was doing.
"Did the computer say something offensive to you? I could kill it off right now," Asher said from the doorway, startling her back to earth.
Taking the job with him, she had imagined she was going to be neck deep in work but that was not the case. She had more free time on her hands than she needed and had even considered taking her waitressing job back part-time. Same goes for her boss. He attended to some important meetings, signed paperwork and that was it. And the frequent business trips of course. Being a CEO was easier than she thought and he was messing around with her during his free time.
"No, thank you," she replied.
"That was a joke Shana," he said quietly.
"Oh." She wanted to ask him if she was supposed to laugh but decided against it. There had been enough harsh words said between them for a day.
"Have dinner with me."
She looked up at him suddenly, surprise evident in her eyes. He expected her to refuse again but was surprised when she muttered an offhanded "OK" and went right back to whatever she was doing, completely ignoring his presence.
"Are you mad at me?" He could not resist goading her.
He got the reaction he anticipated. Her gaze swung up to him and he could swear he saw the veins in her eyes about to pop in anger.
Seemed his mate did not like the way he had prodded her in his office.
"Easy Kitty," he said, raising his hands in surrender and went back to his office with a smile on his face.
Tonight was the night he told her who he truly was.
★★★★★★★★★★
"He's here Alpha," Collins' right hand man said quietly as he bowed before him.
"Bring him in." His tone was bored and faraway from all that was really going on around him but he did not fail to note the fear in the eyes his right hand man, Ethan. And he relished it. Collins thrived on that unveiled fear. The man walked away from him nervously and Collins snickered at his shuffling gait, due to the pain in his left leg. And he loved that he had done that to him.
Ethan was not his Beta. He did not have one and it was fine that way but Ethan was as close to a Beta as he could have. He had been Beta to his twin brother, Cole. When he had refused to follow his lead and challenged him to a fight, Collins had broken his leg beyond repair and wiped out his family to teach him a lesson and ever since then, he had become as obedient as a dog on a leash. But that did not mean a wounded and broken dog could not bite at the slightest opportunity. So, he always watched out for every move Ethan made and kept him really close. He was still by far his biggest opponent within the pack, left for the crazy old seer who had been blabbing rubbish around for days. But for now, the pack was his and he ruled it the way he liked, took any woman he liked to his bed every night and anyone that dared provoke him, he had killed. He loved watching them cringe and bow to him in fear as much as he was bored with them.
All week, his thoughts had been on the Crescent pack and the proposition from Thomas. He would love to have the pack to himself but he could not help but fear the ruling Alpha. Asher was strong and dangerous, completely different from the nonchalant, playboy image he presented to unsuspecting humans. Collins knew that despite his cunning and coldblooded ways, Asher could best him at his game.
He needed a plan but first, he had to deal with the old thing holding onto life with the cane he was walking with.
The man was old, the oldest in the pack and as long as anyone could remember, he had always been there and interceding between them and the Moon goddess. He had never posed any threat to Collins, seeing as he was old and weak. Therefore, he had never had a reason to put an end to his wretched life until recently.
One of his mistresses had told him that the old seer was spreading a rumour or a prophecy within the pack and it was not just any prophecy. If it had been, Collins would have let him be.
But the old man had been talking and spreading hope within the pack.
And hope for his subject meant courage and revolt.