Chapter 16

Enjoy my lovelies ❤️

We are about halfway through the story now, and it feels quite strange to say this because I vividly remember starting this book off at the start of the year from just a small idea, and it's amazing to see it transform into a book that, hopefully, you guys love,

Xxxxx

----

We were getting close to home now. I could see it in the drastic change of landscape to the way Asher's feet began tapping in anticipation.

Also, in the way Laurent began humming and fidgeting nervously.

"Laurent, are you ok? Why are you so nervous?" I asked, craning my head back with genuine concern. Of course, I wanted to unravel more information about this mysterious 'she' they were conversing over yesterday, aswell.

"Bloody splendid" He declared, feigning joy, and began tapping his fingers on his knees at an even quicker rate.

"Bloody not" I muttered, turning back around in defeat, only to be greeted once more with Asher's persistent foot banging.

"Both of you, shut up! For goodness sake just be quiet, I can barely hear myself think!" I exclaimed, lashing out in pent up anger, the constant thrum of noise accumulating until I inevitably burst. Especially since I had had to put up with It for more than an hour.

"Leave me alone" Laurent muttered sullenly, like a child, "I'm having a very large dilemma and I really don't know what to do". Truth rang out loud and clear in his words, and I felt a pang of guilt for being so harsh on him.

"Okay"I started softly, as if greeting an scared animal, "what are the pros and cons of this? Make a mental list, and if the pros outweigh the cons, then go for it, it'll be worth it"

He replied after a while, as if following and processing my advice.

"Yeah,okay...okay." He croaked out, in blatant dismay but also resolute in his decision.

"Full steam ahead!" He joked in a loud English accent, his playful side emerging once more. He clearly didn't like to display his emotions, maybe he felt weak and vulnerable, similar to Asher and his opinions, or lack there of, of love.

Asher lightly shook his head, a smile adorning  his face as he sped the car up, so we were zooming down the road. The cars blurred together, conceiving half-formed images of the landscape, like a broken painting.

Nervousness began to rumble in my belly, at all the possible occurrences and how Asher will probably become a monster again when we reached the pack, and I wasn't sure I could accept him like that.

But It was beginning to be my home. In a sick kind of way considering I was practically a captive. Also, I had nothing else to call my home. Nothing was mine any more, nothing was as it seemed. Things had changed so much and only in a small capsule of time.

What am I now?  I'm still that bibliophile who is addicted to Netflix and loves vintage clothes and trying out new hairstyles, but at the same time I can barely recognise myself in the mirror. My face has become much more harder, almost like I'd matured overnight, and I looked.... stronger. Despite everything, I radiated harsher, more severe emotions. Maybe it was the Luna in me. However, I still had a softness to my features. The mate bond. It still felt surreal, even just uttering the words in my mind. Id read about it in books and wistfully dreamt about having a love so powerful. Now it was here and I was with my soulmate, who was tapping the steering wheel in rhythm to the music blasting from the radio, rocking his head back and forth as he accelerated further, the car speeding down the motorway. Everything followed in slow motion, and sounds blurred in my ears. My whole focus was on him. The bulging of his muscles as he flipped the gear, his head throwing back in mirth, his grey orbs sparking and creasing in amusement at something Laurent must of said.

As much as I tried to turn my head away, I couldn't. I was completely and unconsciously mesmerised, enchanted even.

I could feel my soul unravel and yearn out to Asher, who must of felt the pricking of my soul. He briefly turned his head off the road, and looked at with a look so pure that I forgot everything else, I forgot my family, I even forgot where I was.

It was just him and me, our souls intertwining, tendrils reaching out to each other desperately, and fusing into a golden shadow.

It happened so quickly, but it was forever imprinted upon me. The flash of gold light that burst between us was replaying over and over again in my mind as I leant back into my seat for support. The gold gradually faded away and there was a ringing in my ears as sound began biting my eardrums once more.

I sucked in a breath which I had been holding for an unquantifiable amount of time, my ribcage rattling with the force in which I repeated drawing breath into my lungs.

As if awoken I slowly turned around, meeting Laurents worried gaze.

"I've been shaking you for minutes!are you okay?! " His eyes glared daggers into mine with worry etched in his expression.

"Yeah... yes..I.. I'm..okay" I lied, breathless.

What the hell just happened?

In the books it said that there was only the bonding and then the mating.

Realisation dawned on me.

When Asher's wolf bit me, he bonded himself to me. Yet that must of only been half complete. In order for the bond to be complete, until the mating, i needed to be willing for our souls to fuse. And in that moment a few minutes ago, I was.

"Were here" Laurent declared, not as excited as before as there was still a tendril of worry on my behalf lacing his voice.

We were pulling up to the large gates which gave us access to the pack. I'd never especially noticed them before, but now they were taller than before, with pack members guarding the top of the wall for any threats.

It looked like we were entering a  high- security prison, apart from the barbed wire of course.

The guards tensed when they noticed our car, immediately acknowledging their Alpha. Even this one sign of submission made my skin crawl.

"Alpha" they chanted in unison as the gates, which appeared to be metal, thrust open.

The pack hadn't changed much in the last few days, apart from the fear on people's faces as news of the witch spread.

We zoomed through the streets, bypassing houses and playgrounds where children and mothers wept with joy at our return.

It scared me, how much trust they put in us. I was no longer just responsible for myself, I was responsible for the thousands of pack members not just in this sector, but in the entirety of the pack which covered this whole state.

We parked outside the pack house, and quickly walked into it, not wasting any time. Because truthfully, we weren't sure how much time we had left before the witch would strike again, however this time we were much more prepared.

"We will have to postpone the Luna ceremony" a voice muttered sullenly, which I then recognised as Asher's mother.

As we entered the dining room, I noticed the table of elders and hierarchy pack members, discussing our options.

"We are the strongest, most feared pack in the world!" a spindly old man spat out, "I say we fight them like the warriors we are!"

"Are we prepared to lose that many men?" J countered rhetorically, illustrating a blatant dislike to the elderly mans idea.

"Exactly-" J started before he noticed Asher, Laurent and I traipse down the hallway.

Asher sent J a nod, which he reciprocated, like they were communicating in an unspoken language, which they most likely were.

All the faces snapped around to ours, radiating relief and trust, while some flickered their gazes to Laurent warily.

"Alpha, Luna" they bowed their neck in submission , maintaining a professional, strong front to Laurent, who was a stranger to them.

"Best at ease" Asher commanded, and immediately they all returned to stiff, anticipated poses.

As we sat down at the table, they all waited patiently for Asher introduce Laurent, who was sitting down, wringing his hands nervously.

"This is my acquaintance, Laurent De Belé, he is here to even the game" Asher spoke with a sly smirk,

"Laurent is an enchanter, like the witch." He declared, pausing while shocked and relived gasps rolled around the table,

"And here's what we are going to do" Asher declared sadistically , bursting into his plan.

-

Everything was set. It took the rest of the day, but now we were more prepared than ever.

Laurent placed a charm around the pack, protecting the borders from even a trace of the witch. If her magic was detected, the form would be obliterated instantly.

Why can't I be an enchanter? I thought with a spike of jealously. I envied the amount of control and protection  he had, ensuring his safety.

We were just leaving the pack house, exhausted yet ready, when a group of females approached us, including Lola who ran forward to greet us back.

Her gaze trickled off me and Asher, followed by Laurent who was still a stranger to her.

Then she stopped in her tracks, and she was completely focused on Laurent, her stare unwavering.

I could feel the bond between them, the strength of it was almost palpable.

And I knew, Asher knew, we all knew, that they were mates.

-------

The walk home was long and laced with happiness. Laurent went with Lola back to her house so they could go and get to know each other, so it was just me and Asher skipping through the woods, the remainder of sunlight filtering through the trees, sending golden, heated rays on us.

I felt comfortable being alone with him at this stage, after last night I felt like we were becoming more open with each other. And I hoped that he wouldn't become the wicked and controlling person I know him to be when he's around his pack with me.

"What do you want to do tonight?" He asked, coming up from behind me.

"Let's just stay in, I'm quite tired from all of the travelling. We could watch a film and make tea?" I looked up at him whilst sidestepping the bushes and small wildlife scurrying through the undergrowths and trees.

"Sounds good to me"

"I wonder how Lola and Laurent are getting along" I announced with a giant grin on my face, brushing twigs and branches from my face.

"Not too well I hope" He spoke menacingly and protectively.

"Stop being so protective. This is her mate so you are going to have to let her go a bit ok? If anything she will be even happier"

"Hmm" he muffled in Grimm acquiescence.

"That reminds me, why didn't you tell me?"

"It wasn't mine to tell" he shrugged his shoulders truthfully, just as we were approaching the house.

We walked through the gate leading into the walled garden, which was beautifully structured and landscaped.

"I have never seen you in here, don't tell me you have a gardener" I looked back, suppressing a smirk.

"A lot of people have gardeners" he mumbled, extracting a laugh from me.

"Shut up" he gathered me up and hauled me onto his shoulder.

"You know, you should show me more respect".

"I should, but I won't" I replied, pounding his back as he stalked into the house, with a playful smile on my face.

The ringing off a phone, however, caught me off guard.

"Is that yours?" I asked as he placed me on the kitchen counter.

"No, it's yours. I put it on charge for you last night" he walked over to the table and unplugged my mobile, chucking it to me.

As I unlocked it, I saw that I had a voicemail left from a few hours ago from an unknown number.

God, these callers asking you to buy something get on my nerves.

I opened it up unblinkingly and placed it to my ear.

"Rose" his voice immediately sent chills running down my spine, "don't hang up. I was just calling to let you know..." he spoke smugly, my fathers slimly voice disgusting me to the core,

"You're not safe" he whispered sadistically, and the phone dropped from my hand, shattering to the floor.