CHAPTER 77

"He reminds me of my cat when she's hungry. She gets irritable and then she starts biting and scratching."
"A cat doesn't come to mind when I remember him tearing into his receptionist yesterday. More like an angry lion whose cub was killed."
"True. I wonder what could be going on with him. He usually isn't like this."
"I heard a rumour that his wife left him for Mr Thomas."
"Oh my God! I knew it was something big. But their marriage is barely months. What could have gone wrong so fast in their paradise?"
"I think it was meant to turn out that way. Can't you see? She lured him for his money and I'm yet to figure out how she did it no matter how hard I try. I mean, she has nothing going on for her. She's so plain."
"I don't know but they seem to be head over heels in love to me. I could swear I felt this kind of bonding energy coming off them whenever I see them together."
"Well, it turns out your feeling is wrong and I'm right. A divorce is looming and when it does, she's going to make away with loads of his money. I hope he made her sign prenups."
"I don't think it'll come to that. They probably had just a little disagreement and she left home to clear her head. You know how rumours get exaggerated as they travel."
"It's good to see you cheering for the boss's marriage but.....,"
The two voices faded as he ended in the elevator.
Usually, Asher didn't listen in on people's talks. He had learnt to zone out the numerous sounds over the years to keep his peace of mind but lately, he was too scared to allow himself dwell on his own thoughts. They were too graphic for him to remain sane for long.
So instead, he listened to people talk about things that didn't remind him that his mate was somewhere out there scared and alone.
But in his workplace, the only thing everyone seemed to be talking about was the very topic he tried so hard to avoid. He did not know how they had gotten the news, but everyone had gotten it all wrong and had refined it to suit their various opinion.
If he wasn't pressed for time and in no mood for their silly conversation, he would have asked the lady hell-bent on badmouthing his mate to clear her desk. But what really needed to be cleared right then was his head.
He missed Shana like crazy.
It was over seventy two hours since her abduction and he had been praying for nothing else but for her to be returned safe and sound into his life. He would treat her better and make her feel like a queen. He would love to ask for her forgiveness and atone for all his sins.
But all he had there with him was just his regrets eating him inside out. He had messed up.
The woman he claimed to love had been carrying his baby but he had not the slightest idea about it until he found out from her kidnapper. He had given her no opportunity to tell him about it and it pained him to have found out the way he did.
What pained him even more was the way he had parted with Shana the last he saw her.
Then, he had been foolish and egoistic. He had been unable to answer the question she asked him but funnily, he had found his answer when she was away.
What he truly wanted was to be happy once again and she was the only one that made him that way. He wished he had realized much earlier that he didn't care about what she truly was. He wanted her to know that she was nothing like his mother and her heritage was perfect. He wanted her to know he had acted out not because he had felt foolish for being fooled by her like he originally thought but because he had instinctively been unable to accept being happy. He wanted her to know it was an emotion he never felt before her and it had felt too good to be true, so he had gone ahead to ruin it before he assumed it would.
He wanted to get to know all about her life before she met him.
He wanted a lot and he ached to tell her all about them but she was not there.
He got to his office just in time to see Mark about to leave. There was no avoiding his Beta now.
"I'll understand if you don't want to talk to me and you want to continue to avoid me," Mark started without preambles.
"You don't know what you are talking about," Asher grunted.
The plain truth was, he had no idea how he should behave around Mark. Asher didn't know if he should get angry at him and pin everything that was happening on him just to make him suffer, or if he should just act normal around him. But that itself would have been awkward, seeing as Mark wanted a conversation.
"I do and I'll do the same if I were ever in your shoes," he said frankly.
"What are you doing here?"
"I want to help Asher, please. I need to do something about the weight of guilt crushing me and the only way to do that is right some wrongs my father did. I know it's too late for everything to be right but I need to try."
Definitely too late, Asher thought to himself. Rose had lost her life in his father's greed for power and he did not know if he could ever forgive that but why take it out on Mark? He could see the torment in his eyes and it was enough punishment for him.
"We should go into my office," he said with a brisk nod towards his attentive receptionist.
"I know the one responsible for all these apart from your father," he began as soon as the door was closed.
"Who is he?"
"Collins of Bleeding Moon pack," he stated.
"Him??? My father really messed things up," he thought out loud. "What could he want with someone like that?"
"Isn't it obvious? He needed someone to take me out and you've to admit he made a good choice," Asher replied harshly.
"I'm sorry."
"You didn't do anything wrong. Thomas did and I should warn you now, in case you want to back out from your decision. I promise to make him suffer in ways he's never imagined and for Adele, her life here is over."
"I'm ok with whatever you decide. They made their own bed and they'll lie on it soon enough."
Asher gave a short nod.
"Why aren't you doing anything to get Shana back?," he asked curiously. He knew of very few things, if any, that stop Asher when he goes after something he truly wanted.
"My hands are tied."
"But how? I need to know everything," Mark insisted.
"I got a letter telling me to stay put or they'll kill her and the baby," he replied in a strangled voice. It hurt to admit he was helpless.
"She's pregnant," Mark groaned the words. He could see the pain in Asher's eyes and he knew better than anyone else that he had not parted with Shana on good terms. If his guess was correct, he didn't even know she was pregnant until she was kidnapped
"So what do we do?"
"I met his twin and he believes he wouldn't harm her for now. She's really valuable to him. But I'm scared of other things he could do that doesn't have to do with killing her," he admitted to his friend. "It's tearing me apart knowing where she's but being unable to do anything."
"I thought his twins died by his hands. He announced that to the world."
"I'm sorry but he didn't. Apart from being a cold-blooded bastard, he's a lying piece of shit."
"So, does he think you should just wait without a plan?"
"He said Collins doesn't make threats. Yes, I've to wait but not for much longer," he said calmly. "I'm going to get my mate and child out alive. I owe it to them."
★★★★★★★★★★
Shana dressed and went down to dine with Collins against her better judgement. She was doing it because she did not want to get on his wrong side, even if it was for just a day.
"You are here," he ssid rising to his feet immediately he saw her.
It was just him at the table. She sat nervously and tried to eat what was served before her but she just couldn't.
"You don't like the food?"
"I just don't have an appetite."
"Maybe it's time we talked about the misunderstandings involving your mate and the reason you are here," he said ominously, making Shana's hairs stand.