CHAPTER 49

When Rose was done with her story, Shana had more questions than answers. Like why her grandmother had kept so many information about her race hidden from her and if she was to take a guess, a lot more was yet to be revealed. That decision on her grandmother's part was obviously intentional but she could not think of a good reason she did all that.
But right then, all she could think about was revealing the truth about herself to Asher. All Rose just told her were in part, good news. Besides, she wanted him to love her for her true self.
"He needs to know everything. I can't keep these secrets anymore."
Rose saw the determination in Shana's eyes. Nothing she was going to say would change her decision now but she still tried. For the sake of Asher's happiness.
"He'll know soon enough but not now," she said with a firm shake of her grey head.
"But why not now? I'm living a lie."
"No, you are not. Asher is a hard man and forgiveness doesn't come to him easily. He needs time to know you better and see your sincerity," Rose argued her point.
But Shana gave a rueful shake of her head. Her mate was never going to associate the word 'sincerity' with a Crier no matter how well he got to know her. It was better now than later.
"I want him to know, Rose. There's no changing my mind." And she knew it would be better if he heard it from her than the likes of Adele. "He needs to know before Adele gets to him."
"That's fine but give me the chance to talk to him first," Rose agreed grudgingly. In her heart of hearts, it was the right thing to do. She just had to get to Asher first and make him talk about his mother;which he never did. Then, she could tell him why her heart remained cold till death.
"OK. But I'm telling him tonight." Shana was long gone before she realized she forgot to ask Rose how she knew about her impending visit.
Left alone, Rose was left to ponder her thoughts. She was as much in the dark as Shana about how Adele had found out her secret. So far, she could make two assumptions. She either had a mole in her house-which was not likely or Adele was as good at eavesdropping and watching others like the special Omega she recently encountered. The latter made better sense.
What she really wanted to know was Adele's reason for keeping the news to herself. She was vindictive and Rose knew how much she wanted to be mated to Asher. Knowing something that could condemn Shana and make her lose favour with her mate was not something she would keep away from Asher for so long. She also knew how her father lusted after her being Luna and how he had been plotting and making his moves.
There was a lot she did not mention to Shana. Like the fact that Mila was not with her just because she needed a friend. But Asher knew and she had gone to him with everything she knew about Thomas. There was very little he could do because they had no concrete evidence against him and they didn't even know who his ally was in the first place. They were just keeping watch and waiting for him to make the wrong move. But Adele's move made her realize they were up to bigger things.
The situation just spiralled out of her control terribly. She was hoping the truth about Shana wouldn't come to light till much later, probably after she already had a child for her grandson and he finally acknowledged his love for her. That way, it was going to be tougher rejecting her like she knew he would. He hated lies and deceit too much for him to just forgive on the basis of love.
Maybe Adam was going to get his revenge after all. What Asher was about to find out was going to change the happy man she had been privileged to see for the past weeks. She said a silent prayer for him to be stronger than the hate that had driven her son all his life.
Everything she had been praying against was happening so fast she wanted to weep. What was the use of more prayers?
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"He is a member of the Crescent pack. What are we going to do Ethan?," one of the young wolves in Ethan's group, Sam, asked urgently. He had been the one to track the wolf coming and going on their territory.
"Crescent pack?," he asked baffled. He didn't know much about the pack personally. All he knew was that they were stronger and more populated than other packs. Also the Alpha was favoured by the moon goddess. He also knew the ruling Alpha started his reign not long ago.
"What does the Alpha want with Collins?," Ethan asked.
The boy shook his head. "I don't think the Alpha is a part of this. In fact, it looked like the wolf didn't want anyone on his territory to know what he's up to."
Realization lit up his face. "They must be plotting between themselves then. Could it be against the Alpha?"
"We don't know that yet but we can find out," another wolf responded. "But how are we going to do that. We can't just enter their territory without permission and I think Collin's aide would be on the lookout for us. Any move we make would be reported back to him."
"What are we going to do?"
Ethan watched as all the six faces turned to him expectantly. There was raw hope in their sad eyes.
He hated to disappoint them but no solution was coming to him. Ethan could not shake off the desolate and helpless feeling long enough to think. There was a time he had been happy and confident. He had been a great Beta to the pack but now, he just felt like a failure, a shell of the man he used to be. The only thing pushing him on was the last words of the old seer.
"We know the Alpha isn't in on what's going on between his pack and ours. That means we can warn him and get him on our side. We don't have to enter the territory to warn him," Ethan stated quietly.
"What do you suggest?," one of them asked.
"We need to get to him when he's away from his territory. We meet on neutral grounds."
"I don't think it's going to work. We won't be able to get to him that easily. And we aren't even sure if he's working with Collins or not. This is all too risky," a female wolf pointed out sadly.
"We know that but what more do we have to lose? We've lost everything that matters. What's a little risk? The worst that could happen is Collins finding out and ending our miserable lives, if the Crescent pack's Alpha doesn't do it first," Sam said passionately. "At this point I don't care what happens. Everything i hold dear has been taken away from me already. Send me. I'm willing to go," he said turning to Ethan.
Ethan was at a lose for what to say but everything he said was the truth. What they were about to do was nothing compared to what they had all gone through.
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For the hundredth time, Asher dropped his phone and stopped himself from calling his mate. He regretted making her resign already. It pained him to be away from her for long periods but he had to do other things other than spending every minute of each day with her like he truly wanted.
Life with Shana was too good to be true although it was far from perfect. She still won't communicate with him through their bond and it was getting to him. He would love nothing better to be inside her head and in her thoughts every second of the day but it seemed she did not want that. It was fine by him, for now.
He had things he also did not want to share with her yet. Like things from his childhood, a lot of which involved his mother. And she was the perfect mate. She never asked questions like other females who wanted to psychoanalyse him within seconds of meeting him. There was never any awkward conversation where he had to clam up or make excuses because he did not want to talk about it. She was not interested in those soiled memories and it pleased him.
Although, he could not say the same for himself. He wanted to know every detail of her life but like him, he suspected she had secrets of her own.
His door opened after a discreet knock and he looked up in surprise at the intrusion. Mark stood there looking uncertain.
"You wanted to see me, not the other way round," he said.
"I know," Asher grunted at him.
"Then why do you have that look on your face like I'm intruding."
"I don't have any look," he said shortly. But Mark had intruded his thoughts about Shana. Now, unpleasant thoughts were taking preeminence in his head.
After his mating rite, he had a very long talk with his grandmother and had made shocking discovery about what was going on under his nose.
Thomas was plotting him but he didn't even know the man's ally. And Rose had refused to reveal her source. Since then, he had men watch Thomas, Adele and Mark secretly but it was like Thomas suspected something already. The man was yet to make any move. It was like he was waiting for something.
He already felt guilty enough for having his friend watched but he could not leave anything to chance. Thomas was his father after all.
"I choose to defer but I'll let it slide," he said as he made himself comfortable on a chair. "What did you want to talk about?"
Asher was just about to answer him when Adele came storming into his office.
It was the last straw for Asher. Enough of her unwanted visits.
"Del? What are you doing here?," Mark asked in surprise.
She turned to him with a gleam in her eyes. "You'll know soon enough. Good thing I found you here. You wouldn't believe what I'm about to tell you."
"What are you talking about?," Mark asked sharply. He could see the deadly look on Asher's eyes directed at her.
"Out." Asher said the single word, his voice low and hard as he rose slowly from behind his desk.
Adele could not help the subtle trembling of her body as that word rang out sharply.