CHAPTER 53

"She's not who you think she's. Adam sent her to you to ruin you. She's a Crier, Asher. And she's been lying to you the whole time."
Before he could give any form of reaction; like laugh about the fantastic story and how it must have been easy for Mark to believe it because of Shana's pale skin, Asher heard a loud clatter behind him and turned to see a pale, frozen Shana. His mobile phone laid on the floor at her feet.
★★★★★★★★★★★★
Asher's phone had started ringing moments after he left the room. Shana had pushed herself out of bed and worn a terry robe. Then she swept her hair into a messy bun and took his phone as she left the room. The call looked to be as important as his meeting with Mark. She had descended the stairs, smiling secretly to herself when she felt the sweet aches between her limps. And the smile had disappeared immediately she heard the words Mark was saying.
Her world had crumbled before her, all her happiness in the mud as what she had feared happening unravelled itself. She never wanted him to find out about her from someone else.
She had frozen in shock and the phone had dropped from her nerveless finger to lay at her feet. Asher had turned back to look at her. He took one look at her guilt stricken face and saw all the answer he needed in them.
"Why?," he asked softly, calmly. Inside, he was raging. His wolf was struggling to break free and growling at the pain of her betrayal. He felt lost and stupid.
"I can explain," she said weakly as hot tears ran down her cheeks.
"Just the words that come before a feeble excuse," he said scoffing. His eyes were shuttered and she could not read any emotion on his face. He was cold and hard, nothing like the man who had declared to her how much he loved and adored her minutes ago. The change terrified her.
"I have no excuse. I swear I was going to tell you...,"
"But you didn't," he replied with a deadly calm. "I can't believe I was totally fooled. I must say, you are really good," he said with a laugh.
"Asher I....,"
"Never say my name again. You'll address me appropriately as your Alpha," he replied coldly, his gaze scanning over her with disdain. "But I've to say the lot of you Criers are good at what you do. Tell me, did you have a good laugh at my proclamation of love?," he asked snickering.
"Asher....," she protested weakly.
"Say my name once more and I may lose it," he said stonily as he advanced upon her. Shana shrunk back from the look in his eyes and bumped her foot against the landing of the stairs. The pain stabbed through her limps but she did not even check to see if she was injured. It was the least of her concern. The look in Asher's eyes made her want to escape the room. He stopped before her and just stared hard at her. Then his hand came up to pull down her hair. He watched as it tumbled around her and smiled in derision.
"Now, you look like a proper whore." Shana gasped at the well placed insult. "A well fucked whore. But hell, you were great between the sheets and you make me hornier than I was as a teenager. I bet Adam didn't count on that happening. The old cougar must be rolling in his grave each time I come so deep inside you and we almost faint from the pleasure. He never had that with his own 'Crier whore'. She was a cold, heartless bitch," he scoffed.
"I'm not a whore," Shana said with angry tears rolling down her cheeks. He could be angry but he had no right belittling what they had. For her, it had been perfection, not something to be reduced to a banter with a third party present. She was suffused in shame. She could not even bring herself to look over his shoulder at the other wolf in the room. She was also aware the two other she-wolf and bodyguard could hear him talking.
He laughed shortly. "What are you if not a whore? A tramp? A prostitute? Or better still, a lying whoring Crier?," he asked with derision lacing his low tone.
"Please stop. You know I'm none of those things. I'm a Crier but I'll never harm you. You are everything to me," she said with her heart in her eyes, pleading for him to listen to her. But he was enraged and all she said seemed to get him more fired up.
"Cease with your lies Crier. I can't deal with any more of them and you can't fool me anymore," he said sharply. He turned to his Beta and pinned him with his eyes. "How long have you known?"
"Just yesterday," Mark replied shortly. He looked like he wanted to say more but changed his mind about it.
Asher gave a short nod and turned back to his crying mate. She looked so fragile and innocent and he still could not believe she was capable of such great deceit. She had been lying to him since he met her and he had been a fool not to see it. He was as much a fool as the late Alpha and the pack would be laughing behind his back when they found out the same fate had befell him. The Council had known what she was immediately but he had refuted their claims while she sat there watching him make a fool of himself.
Then there was Adele. He could guess Mark had found out about Shana from her and knowing Mark, he would never have come to him if it was not the truth. Besides, the guilt in Shana's eyes had been the conviction he needed. Now, he owed Adele an apology for the way he had treated her. He had been fooled beyond reasoning and defended her so hard while she was probably having a field day behind his back.
But he promised himself that was going to be her only victory. She had succeeded in one phase of her assignment from Adam but she was going to suffer for it. She was a betrayer and a liar. He cringed when he remembered the way he had professed his love.
He was nothing like Adam and he would show her what it meant to mess with him. Adam might have been happy to live his life languishing in hate and self-pity, while his wife and gone through life jumping from one bed to another without a care in the world about how he felt but his case was not going to be the same. He was not going to give Shana free rein on her life like Adam had let his mother. He was going to make her life a living hell as much as she just made his.
"Enough." He could not take anymore of her fake tears.
Shana stopped sobbing, the hurt look in her eyes stopping him short. "Come on, you've no right to look hurt. Can you even feel that emotion? Can you feel anything with that cold, lifeless hea.....," he stopped his jeering to look down at her thumping chest. Her heart was not stone cold like his mother's.
That explained the reason he had been so easily fooled. But there was no explanation for that major difference between her and his mother. He pushed the thought out of his head. He did not want to think about it.
"It's because I love you," she said slowly and she reached out for his hand. Asher jerked himself out of her reach just before she touched him. Shana clutched empty air and lost her balance, landing on her hands ungracefully on the cold floor.
"I don't want to hear another word from you," he thundered down at her. "Inform Armando I'll be down in five. He should have the car ready," he said to Mark and left the room.
But just before he disappeared out of sight, he turned back to say to his mate. "One last thing and I bet Adam didn't count on this either. Seeing as you satisfy me immensely in bed, you will make your body available to me whenever I need it. And if I as much as see you staring at another man, you would hate me for what I'll do to you," he fired at her and left.
Mark stared at the girl who remained on the floor long after Asher left. Something definitely was not right. He could see she was sincerely broken and sad but she had been guilty and she had not denied any of the allegations against her. Maybe he had talked too soon. He had felt that way when he saw the dejection in her eyes and had held back on saying anything about Rose's involvement.
Asher had not looked any better. His friend had looked like it was the end of the world when his mate had admitted to her crimes.
Asher was showered and dressed minuted later as he strode down the stairs. He picked up his mobile phone and completely ignored his crumpled mate on the floor.
After he left with his Beta, Shana let out a wild, agonizing wail and gave in to the hot tears of despair.