Chapter 36.1

"Wolves," My eyes widened at his reply. Definitely not mum. "Rogues," He snarled.

"Why?" I didn't even bother to whisper, my voice came out breathless.

Asher didn't reply. He averted my gaze and pulled my arm. We started walking deeper into the alley.

"Asher, what do they want?" I asked again.

"I don't know," There was something about the manner he said it that made me believe there was both a truth and a lie in his words.

"Then let's find out," He sent a sharp stare at me like I had just said something bizarre.

"No. I've mind-linked Stefan. He'll come for you, while I take care of those miserable bastards begging for death," He stated with finality.

As much as I loved the weird feeling his words and mighty aura caused me, I couldn't bottle my rage.

I wondered if Asher maybe hit his head and lost the plot. I was nothing next to a damsel that needed protection.

Frankly, there was a part of me that wanted this action. The voice in my head was screaming for a fight and I wanted it too. Somehow I was confident I would do just fine, and if this was the life I would be living from now on, I better get used to it now.

"If Stefan comes for me, he'll be going back home alone,"

Asher breathed out in frustration. "You don't understand. They've been on your tail the second you arrived with that bastard Tyson,"

It's Mason. I wanted to correct it, but I got it, now wasn't the best time. So I let him continue.

"I'm not sure how many there are so I won't risk your safety,"

"In as much I love your sweet words, dear Asher, I'll be sure to let you know when I need a guardian or a bodyguard,"

His face contorted seriously into a confused frown. "They mean the same thing,"

"Not the point Ash. Let's find out why they are tailing me and what they really want. So we could do this together or I could just walk out in the street and let them come for me,"

His green eyes narrowed at me unblinking, "You really didn't mean the last part,"

I nodded. "Yeah, I really didn't mean the last part"

Finally, a smile found his lips. "Fine, princess. Let's have it your way,"

I don't know what it felt like to win a lottery, but it did feel good winning over Asher on this one.

"Here take this," He pulled out a small black dagger from his leather jacket. "Be careful. I'm right behind you, I promise," He kissed me, before letting me go.

I smirked evilly, leaving the alley. I walked not too slow or fast, trying not to be really weird or suspicious. I crossed the streets into the woods, and I kept walking.

It was dark and quiet in the woods. Like even the tiniest sounds echoed throughout. I could feel a presence behind me, tailing me. But I couldn't see or feel Asher.

I wasn't worried though. I knew I could handle myself, plus, Asher would come. He always did.

After I had successfully wandered deep into the woods without the slightest sense of direction, I stopped walking, scanning around.

Just in a flash, four hefty guys stepped out from the shadows. I faked being frightened, making a helpless attempt to run, but I was cornered by another three.

So far, seven in total.

"There's more," I heard the voice in my head say.

I tried to run again, but I was blocked by four.

Eleven.

I smiled, having a feeling that was all.

"What do you want?" I was surrounded by eleven of them.

No one spoke. The one that appeared in charge sent a look to another guy, and he pulled out a syringe, charging towards me.

Before his hand could grip me, a threatening earthshaking growl thundered through the forest, startling the idiots.

Before they could react, I caught Asher's moving figure in a blur, and the guy in front of me lost his head immediately. His thick blood splattered on me.

The blood, and the sight of his headless body slumping lazily on the ground sent me in shock.

My gaze shifted to Asher as he moved on to his next victim. His sharp, extended claws sunk into another one, and he made a strong pull, pulling out something from the guy's chest.

It took me a full minute before realizing that was his fucking heart.

Involuntarily, my lips quirked into an unbelievable smile. "Unholy shit!"

"Duck, dumbass," I heard the sharp warning in my head, and immediately, I ducked, evading the guy that almost had me from behind.

I scanned around, my eyes quickly found a broken twig. I grabbed it, hitting him hard, before pulling out the small dagger Asher had given me. I noticed a syringe in his hand as well.

Was that meant for me? Well, it seemed like.

I charged at him as he lunged at me, puncturing him hard with the dagger in my hand. It injured him deeply, blood rushing out. I was a second distracted by it, and he took the opportunity to attack. But he wasn't aiming to kill.

I evaded his attack, striking him with the sharp blade, I kept puncturing him with the blade before I heard the slow echo of 'aim for his heart' in my head and I did just that, sinking the dagger in his chest.

Blood gushed out, staining my hands as I twisted the dagger deep in his chest. He fell to the ground. Dead.

I pulled the dagger out, staring at it and my blood-stained hands. I just fucking killed a man, well a wolf, but all I could think of was how badass that felt.

Gosh, I was fucking, over the top insane. And I loved it. I was on overdrive. Like I was high. So fucking high.

I looked around the pool of blood and dead bodies on the ground. My eyes shifted to Asher as he killed another of his victims. I could feel the power and rage radiating off him. It was damn attractive.

From my peripheral vision, I caught one of the wolves speeding toward me. Before I could attack with my dagger, I felt sharp pains spread throughout my body, starting from my stomach.

He had wounded me. Instinctively, I sent the dagger straight into his chest, and we both staggered back. He took the dagger out. I guess I missed his heart.

His smile was disgusting, even as he charged at me, but right on cue, I watched his body ripped into pieces by Asher.

I gripped my stomach with a hand, groaning as Asher turned to me, his eyes taking my bleeding stomach in shock. He reached out to touch me but I stepped back, pulling a hand up with my eyes stuck on him.

Asher froze. His eyes became unreadable, but I could capture the fleeting fear in them before he hid it. His jaw clenched hard.

My eyes moved slowly on him, taking him in. He was drenched in blood, and my eyes lifted to his.

"Princess," He was almost trembling, and he wasn't even hiding his fear anymore.

"No Asher," I finally spoke, clutching my stomach tightly, even though the pain had started to subside. I had to capture this moment. "That was so…" I paused, "...so fucking sexy," I chuckled.

*****

Asher's Point Of View

I was terrified.

No, that couldn't be the right word to describe what I felt. I felt like I was on the brink of death and would fall off if those painful words left her lips.

'You are a monster. I hate you.'

Oh, Goddess. I wouldn't be able to bear it. I knew I had lost control. I just wanted every one of them dead for attempting to even lay a dirty finger on her. But I should have been cautious, and less gruesome with the killings. What if she doesn't want me anymore?

I wouldn't be able to live.

"No Asher," She uttered, clutching her stomach tightly. Gosh, that must have hurt so badly. "That was so…." So beastly? So horrible? So despicable? I was eager to know.

"... so fucking sexy,"

My body stilled. Even Ryker was frozen. "What?"

"You were awesome, so fucking badass, Alpha," She was laughing hard, dragging her body closer to me.

I held her still in shock as she kept spewing nonsense.

She was fucking crazy. I mean she just witnessed a literal bloodbath in the most gruesome manner, plus, she just had her first kill and all she could think of was how awesome and sexy it was. She was crazy no doubt. But I loved it. My little firecracker.

"Just shut up alright," I chuckled, pressing my lips on hers to silence her. As she tried pulling her hands up to my neck she groaned in pain.

Fuck. I pulled away, checking her wound. It wasn't that deep. "We'll clean it once we get back to the pack,"

She nodded, looking around. "They were eleven,"

I looked around, noticing there were only ten bodies. "One ran away," I hissed.

"So we know nothing about them,"

"Don't ever underestimate me, princess," I held her pointing at the bastard wounded against a tree. He was still breathing but wounded.

A sweet smile appeared on her lips. "Now, I know better,"

We heard the sound of people approaching. It was Stefan, Wren, and a few pack warriors.

They paused, taking in their surroundings.

"Do I want to know what happened here?" Stefan asked, very much amused as his gaze swept through the pool of blood to Cirilla who was drenched in blood.

"Trust me, I don't think you do," Wren answered, just as amused.

I showed him the wounded prisoner, and he checked his injury, healing him only enough to keep him breathing. Then I noticed the mark on his wrist, it was a pyramid symbol. I looked around and the other bodies had it. A warrior handed over the syringe they had with them.

"It's purified silver and wolfsbane," Wren spilled a little content on his finger, inspecting it.

"And something else," I could smell a different mix to it, but I couldn't identify what it was. And this was what they wanted to inject into my mate.

"You think they knew something about Cirilla?" Stefan's voice came on.

I spared a glance at Cirilla, she was with some warriors but her eyes were on me.

"That she isn't human? Yes. They fucking knew," I growled, rage pulsing in my veins.

This was bad.