Beauty and

Chapter 72 – Asher

The way Alli had dismissed me had made me feel like my presence had been unnecessary. Made me feel like a fool, despite the fact Eden had asked me to go there on her behalf. I could not shake the thought now that perhaps Bailey was wondering why I had turned up to see her before she began her new job. Would she think I didn’t think she was capable? I truly hope that wasn’t the case, or else I would owe her another apology. I seemed to be racking up a list of apologies I owed the poor girl…

Why do you care so much?’ Zion piped up as I stepped back into the packhouse.

‘What?’ I questioned.

‘Why do you care so much what the new girl thinks?’ he asks. gleefully.

‘I don’t care. I just don’t want her thinking badly of me when she has just arrived.’ I huffed.

‘So you don’t care what she thinks. But you do care if she thinks. badly of you when she has just arrived?’ Zion chuckled to

himself. ‘Go figure. But it is okay, I assume if, after a few

months, she realizes you are a total jacka** and thinks badly of you?’

‘Seriously Zion.’ I warned him.

“What?’ he asks innocently. ‘I not doing nothing.”

I stormed along the corridor angry now, by the way my wolf seemed to love irritating me, not to mention I had yet to even. have my f**g morning coffee, since Alli had booted me from the school before my coffee had been drinkable. It had still been at the hot as lava level when I had put the mug to my mouth. So drinking it hadn’t been an option.

‘Hey Asher.’ Eden’s voice rang through the mindlink just as I opined my office door, making me roll my eyes. Great, just what I needed. Her giving me a hard time now. Did I ever get a break in this b**dy place? I swear it was one thing after another…

‘Hello Eden.’

‘How is my new girl doing?’ she asked sweetly. How kind, she doesn’t even ask how I am, or how my day is going. Straight to the work she has me running around doing for her. Nice…

‘You should know, seeing as you had already messaged her.’ I said bluntly, far from impressed that she had sent me all the way to school to apparently check in with Bailey for her when Eden had already messaged her.

‘Oh, she told you.’ Eden chuckled. ‘I was kind of hoping she wouldn’t.’

‘Hmm. Imagine that. So, why did you make me rush over there?’ I demanded, far from impressed with my friend’s mate. ‘Missed my morning coffee because of you.’ I snapped.

‘Oh Ash, stop being such a grump-a-lump.’ She teased. ‘Missing one of your million daily coffees isn’t likely to harm you. May even do you some good, you know? Besides, I thought getting out of your office might do you good too. And it does look good that we are going there to show her the senior team are

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welcoming her.’

I already told you, that I welcomed her when she arrived. That was difficult enough. And you welcomed her by messaging her Eden. I don’t think I needed to get out of my office. If I do, I can. make that call. I don’t need you doing it for me.’

‘Ash, don’t be snappy. I know it is difficult, and I know you have likely reached your monthly people interaction level for this month, but we cannot risk losing her. So, go check how she got on when she is done for the day, for me, please? You know I would do it, but this mini-Caleb inside my huge belly is being a pain and making life difficult, you know that, right?’ she links, sounding almost desolate with me. Go**it. She was manipulative when she wanted to be. Making me feel sorry for her. It isn’t her fault she is stuck in the hospital…

‘Fine.’ I snapped. Hating that I was too soft. Giving in far too easily.

‘Aww, you are the best. Thanks!’ and with that she was gone, cutting the mindlink, like that was the only reason she had linked me in the first place. There and then gone, leaving me to my paperwork. Eurgh, I swear, sometimes Eden was unbearable.

After hours of paperwork and dashing to various places around the pack completing tasks of both mine and the Alpha, I realized the time was now nearing for the end of the school day, so I figured I had best make my way up to the school or else Eden would no doubt be hunting me down to give me one hell of a hard time for not doing as I was told, and quite frankly, I did not need that. I already had a headache. And I knew just how capable she was of making my headache worse…

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I rushed from the busy packhouse. Out into the sunshine, which was slightly more bearable than it had been this morning, now I had had several coffees, and I was functioning as close to normal as my body got. As I reached near the school grounds I could hear laughter, and I looked up, to see Bailey out in the grounds of the school with the children who, I assume, are her class. I stood for a moment, as I saw her smiling down at them. She was kneeling on the grass, surrounded by the youngsters, all around six years of age, and I could see her gently touching them on the head, before they touched her head in response. And she was laughing as they did. I wasn’t close enough to know what she was saying or doing, but whatever it was, the children were smiling and looking at their new teacher in awe. And strangely, the sight warmed my heart…

I walked a little closer, planning to wait until school had finished before going into the school building, already dreading the thought of seeing the other teachers. Though seeing Bailey was far from the top of my list of things I wanted to do. I continued to watch her as I waited though, intrigued by the way she was so comfortable with the children, and the way they too seemed at ease in her presence. I found myself smiling at the way her eyes seemed to light up as she smiled at the children… How she was so full of enthusiasm… Maybe Eden had been right. Maybe she was what the pack needed. She looked like a natural.

A sudden sound startled me, as what could only be described as close to a purr slipped from me, or should I say from Zion, as I watched Bailey teach her class. I quickly moved to behind a nearby tree, leaning heavily on the trunk of the tree, my body almost trembling in shock. I needed to move before she saw

me.

‘What the hell was that?’ I demanded of my wolf. Confused at

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his reaction to her. This was not how a wolf should be acting towards some random she-wolf.

But suddenly my wolf had gone quiet. There was no reaction nor response from him. He seemed to have gone awol…