Chapter 15

Cirilla's Point Of View

"Remember what the doctor said and if you need anything at all, don't hesitate to call me" His face grew awfully close to mine. Slowly I gripped the thin fabric of my sheets to keep me from gasping at the closeness.

The last few hours that Asher has been next to me were the most dangerous hours in my entire life. I fought the insane urge to lean into him, run my hands through his skin, and place my lips on his soft tempting ones. The urge was slowly overcoming me. But I dared not look away, or give any sign or inkling that he somehow affected me. I couldn't.

I nodded to his words, knowing full well I wouldn't dare call him, even if insanity had plagued me and I wanted to call him, I didn't have his number. His lips smiled, teasingly, and I watched him leave my room with one last glance at me.

A few seconds later, the front door jammed closed. I was sure he had gone already, I released the breath I had no idea I was holding. I forced myself out of bed, groaning at the pain from my injured ankle. It was sheer luck that I didn't stumble on the floor on my way to the window. I watched him get on his bike and he threw a final glance at my window before driving off.

I watched till he faded out of sight, returning to the bed. I was left alone with my thoughts. Suddenly, loneliness and emptiness encamped me. Something I had been used to all my life now seemed unbearable and punishable to me. As absurd as it sounded I wanted him by my side. Even knowing exactly what Asher was, I wanted him by my side. Whether Wolf or not. He surprised me by appearing at the gym. He wanted some training but I knew it was only a lie. He was there for something else.

Was it to confirm something? To confirm whether I knew what he was? What they all were?

If Asher somehow found out I knew about him, would he harm me? Or even worse, kill me?

I should be terrified of him but strangely, I wasn't. It would be logical to put some distance between us, but I didn't want to. I just couldn't. I didn't understand myself at all. I was losing it and my head kept hurting thinking about it. I rested on the pillow, hoping to get some rest.

*****

Asher's Point Of View

I gaited into the Packhouse and made my way to the kitchen for some water. I grabbed a bottle from the refrigerator and turned for the stairs, but Lyra grabbed me, pulling me to the gaming parlor. Dorian, Wren, and Stefan were gaming but shifted their attention to me the instant I was dragged in by Lyra.

"So??" Her chocolate eyes were round and bulging.

"So what?" I took a sip from the bottle, knowing exactly what she was curious about. I had told them I would check up on Cirilla to find out if she knew I was a wolf. Well, that was another lie, because Cirilla knew about us, and surprisingly, she wasn't freaking out. But I would keep an eye on her.

"Don't play mind games with me, Asher. Does she know about us?" Lyra's voice was laced with unmistakable concern. She was worried about Cirilla's situation.

"Well…" I drawled, plopping on the couch. "I wasn't able to find out much" Still lying.

"Does that mean she knows or not?" Stefan queried, quickly.

"I don't know man. She seemed alright and very calm like she wasn't attacked last night or hadn't seen anything out of the ordinary"

Lyra released a sigh of relief, her lips stretching with a smile. "So she has no idea of anything"

I nodded.

"That's a good thing then. I was so infuriated at Julia and felt bad for Cirilla and what would have happened if Alpha Luca found out a human knew about us" Dorian returned to his game and Wren, as usual, remained silent.

"I forbid you all from telling Dad about this. The situation has been dealt with, so we should just forget what happened last night" I said.

"And Julia?" Lyra asked. "What if she says something to endanger Ciri?"

"She wouldn't. It will be in her best interest if she kept her fucking mouth shut"

If Julia decided to screw over Cirilla by telling the Pack Cirilla knew about us, well Julia would also be punished for endangering the lives of the Pack members and exposing us to a threat. The only punishment for that was death. And Cirilla would also be exposed to danger as well, but I would rather expose the fact that she was mine, and save her than have her suffer, or even worse, get killed.

I was about to pull up from the couch when Wren's voice sounded and everyone turned to me.

"You lost it with Julia last night" His dark eyes were on me, regarding me. Wren was far different from me. Even being a full demon, he could control his demon counterpart. I always admired that about him.

"Who wouldn't, she almost exposed us" Lyra spoke in my defense. I sent a silent thanks to her.

"Are you sure that's the only reason? You seemed pretty concerned for Cirilla" At Wren's words, everyone's eyes were glued to me.

I was on my feet. "If she had killed Cirilla, we would have had more problems on our hands. Someone could have seen the whole thing. She put the whole pack in danger. And that's unforgiving." I hoped it answered the question.

I walked away before they asked anything else. What I said was true, but I lied in the last few words. What would have been unforgiving was if Cirilla had gotten hurt, even worse, had died. Ryker howled at the thought.

The thought alone was painful, more painful than the rejection I had to make. Azalea has been quiet, but I knew it was only a matter of time before he took action on his words and I wouldn't have that. It was far better rejecting her than having her get killed by my demon counterpart.

I went to my room and speedily showered, changing into fresh clothes. The door opened and Stefan walked in. He eyed me up suspiciously. "Are you going somewhere?"

I nodded.

"Where to?" He asked, and I hesitated for a quarter-second.

"To check up on Cirilla" I didn't miss the suspicious stare he threw me.

"Don't tell me you want to get into her pants?" He uttered sharply, I honestly didn't like the sharp tone. It was protective. I knew the guys had some special feelings towards Cirilla, even though they were unaware she was their Luna whom I'd be rejecting, but still, his possessive tone made Ryker want to growl.

"No Stef. I don't want to get into her pants." It's not like I haven't thought about that or I didn't want to. "She injured her ankle because of me. When I was at the gym, I used too much strength on her and now, she's hurt because of me"

"So you feel guilty and want to care for her without the intention of getting her laid" Stefan muttered.

I nodded. That was half the truth.

"Come on man, don't forget I do know you. Come to think of it, you were pretty concerned about her at the bar, and then the attack, and now this. Is she your mate or something?"

My heart prickled at that. "Well then, I guess it's 'something' since she's not my mate" I felt an awful squeeze in my chest denying her. Denying her significance in my life. But no one could know she's mine. I had to reject her before then.

I grabbed my jacket. "Bye dude" I left before he asked more uncomfortable questions.

It was evening already, so I used my bike instead. I reached her apartment, and from the front door, I could tell she wasn't alone. There was another scent belonging to the male.

I leaned in on their conversation and from the name she called him, I recognized him as her closest friend from school. I groaned, taking a deep breath. I buried the jealousy in my chest and retreated away from the door.

*****

Cirilla's point of view

Niko raced to my house the instant I mentioned that I was injured. Carrying two bottles of drinks and pizza.

"You didn't have to Niko," I said, smiling at him. His lips pulled a light smile but his gaze was more on my injured ankle.

He dropped the things on the bedside table, perching on the edge of the bed beside me. "It looks really bad. Have you had it checked?"

I nodded. He drew in a deep breath, looking as though he was the one injured.

"Lighten up will you, I'm the one with the injury" I joked, taking a slice of pizza.

A smile pierced his lips, matching with the brightness of his greenish-yellowish, chartreuse eyes.

He pulled out his laptop from his backpack. "I'm here solely to babysit you since you obviously can't seem to take care of yourself"

I fake gasped, smiling. "Well thank you, kind sir, I was actually in need of some company" I was used to doing things and suddenly being confined to the bed felt strange.

"And your mum? I didn't see her when I came in" Niko asked with curious wide eyes.

"Away on some business" He nodded, drifting into deep thoughts. I didn't exactly know what business she said she had to tend to. But I hope she was safe.

Niko placed the laptop on the bed and selected a movie for us. He handed me a drink and he took a slice of pizza. The movie was a horror genre, but the scenes never scared me. My life was a horror nightmare as well, so I could say I was immune to it.

For a minute my thoughts drifted to the green-eyed creature, Asher Cohen. It didn't last long though, as Niko jerked on the bed due to a frightening scene, wrapping his arms around me. The sketchbooks on the side of the table fell to the floor. He picked it up, I felt the urge to snatch it away from him, anyone who saw my drawings in there would think I was insane. But I wasn't bothered if Niko saw it, weirdly, I felt so comfortable and safe with him.

Niko's fingers began to flip through the first pages where I had various drawings of the moon. At the time I felt obsessed with it. He had a full smile flipping through. The next page held the drawing of the most perfect pair of blue eyes. Similar to mine, but they weren't mine. I had seen it in one of my dreams. They were so perfect and unique that it felt like I was staring right into my soul.

He flipped to the next and it was a drawing of the mark on the skin of my back. It was a small little flower. A little carnation flower. His lips were still curled up in a smile. He flipped to the next, my heart jammed at the drawing of the wolves that attacked me that night. I was too preoccupied with my thoughts but when I looked up I saw Niko's eyes on me. Eyes widened in horror.

"Don't give me that look. I know I'm going crazy" I said to him and his gaze was back on the drawing.

"Why do you have these?" His voice was low, but I heard just fine.

"I find them fascinating. '' I lied. It was one thing to allow him to go through my sketches and another to tell him I was attacked by these creatures and weirdly I couldn't seem to remember, at least not until recently. Psycho much.

His eyes were on the drawings, and he flipped to the next page. It had a drawing of the man in flames that had rescued me that night from my death.

"Niko" I called, his greenish-yellowish eyes found mine, something told me to keep my lips shut but this whole Asher situation was eating me up from the inside. "Do you believe in the supernatural?" His shocked gaze instantly told me I had outdone it this time. His eyes fell on the image before him. And something in his eyes grew dark.

*****

Niko's point of view

"Niko," She called to me. And I still haven't recovered from the drawings of those wolves I had seen in her sketchbook. I turned to her. She looked unsettled, conflicted if she should speak, but she finally spoke.

"Do you believe in the supernatural?" My blood turned cold and I fought hard to ensure my eyes didn't give me away. I tried to look anywhere else but her eyes and my eyes fell on the next drawing in her sketchbook.

Staring at the drawing of a man having flames on him felt like staring into my own soul. I couldn't pull my gaze away from it. The drawing was so detailed and perfect, just like that night. I felt my chartreuse eyes almost burning in flames.

This was impossible. Did she remember everything that happened that night?

It was impossible to. I had ensured that moment was erased from her memories but she remembered it still. She remembered me.

I glanced at her and found her big round eyes on me. What the hell are you Cirilla Bane? That was still a mystery to me.

That was something I hadn't been able to figure out since that night. Something called me out to the woods. To find her. To protect her. She called out to me, but she was human.

"Do you?" She prodded. "Do you believe in supernaturals?"

How should I answer this question when she was staring at one? A Phoenix. One destined to her by the hands of fate. But why? I didn't know. But she was my responsibility and I was made to protect her. The Phoenixes were mystical creatures of magic, tied to the fate of another, and she was my fate and that which I was to protect.

We were like two souls split in two. Both souls were very similar and alike. Our kind called it the twin flame. We were destined to cross paths and that explained the connection she has with me.

I didn't expect to find her in the woods that night. I wasn't even supposed to be there that night but as fate would have it, I came into town that very night and was drawn to the woods where she was attacked. I erased her memory of our encounter, that was only possible because we shared a flame. But it was impossible for a Phoenix to share a flame with a human.

"I really don't know what to believe, the world we live in is kind of crazy, no one can begin to imagine what's out there," I said, she nodded, considering my answer. I closed the sketchbook, jumping from bed.

"Are you leaving already?" She asked, worriedly. I didn't want to leave her either. But I had to go.

I nodded. "I just remembered I have something to do" I mumbled an excuse. I had to speak to Grandpa. He was the leader of the Phoenixes, Xanax, and a member of the Circle. I had explained everything to him in Nevada during one of the Circle meetings, even though he was clueless. "Keep watching the movie. I'll see you later Ci" I placed a kiss on her forehead.

She smiled, waving at me. I left her room and hastened out. It was nighttime already and the moon was up. I got to my car and sped away. It was very obvious that something was wrong. Cirilla wasn't just a human. She was more than that and it scared me. Those wolves were after her for a reason and I must find out why to protect her.

I sighed, tiredly, Who really are you, Cirilla?