Chapter 24
Asher’s p.o.v
Fuck.
“Asher? Why does this say mate?” Charlie asks confused looking at the pictures.
They were of sweetheart. With Holden, and Vincent. Hugging, kisses on the forehead.
“Asher, calm down. What’s wrong baby?” She asks, sitting on my lap.
I don’t want her. I want sweetheart. Not her.
But fuck Emily. She knows. She said that I need to be with Charlotte so the person behind everything knows that sweetheart isn’t happy with me. Why does Emily always have to make me push sweetheart away? I don’t want that.
But it’s hard. It’s too hard to pretend. I broke her more. When she fell to the floor yesterday, I was scared. I wanted to let Charlotte go, and pick her up and look after her always. She’s fragile, vulnerable. But I couldn’t.
Emily knew that someone important to me was going to return. The moon goddess told her. But we didn’t know who it was. When I saw her, I was shocked.
She was meant to be dead. Dead. 4 months. For 4 months I thought she was dead.
She died 6 months ago. I looked for her, for 2 months. 2 months. But then we found her car. Her car blown up, and the trackers said that it was her body, that was in there.
I gave up. I gave up looking for her. I told everyone to stop looking for her. And in those 4 months,we become the strongest pack. And I was happy with my pack.
I knew they took Charlotte away from me. They took Charlotte, my parents my sister, and now they plan on taking sweetheart away from. I don’t fucking think so.
“Asher, what are you thinking about?” She wraps her arms around my neck.
You. That how can someone get kidnapped and then come back. I would still have felt the mate bond between us, if she wasn’t dead. And I don’t understand that if she was kidnapped, why was her car blown up?
Charlotte said that they locked her up in a room, and gave her good food to eat, saying that they will be letting me go, and that it will kill Asher to see you. It didn’t kill me, it actually didn’t even bother me.
What bothers me is sweetheart. And that she wants to leave. I don’t really want her to leave. I want her to stay close to me. But Emily said that I need to be with Charlotte. And that I need to make Charlotte my first priority.
But it will never happen. In my heart, in my mind, sweetheart will always be my first priority.
“Asher?” She says and I look at her, and then at down at the pictures.
Who would send these to me? Why would they send them? I know about Holden. They were obviously mates, but she rejected him, and I know that these photos are old. But Vincent and sweetheart? Wasn’t sweetheart wearing this dress today?
“Asher, have you seen Vin -” Hailey walks into the room, but stops when she sees the pictures.
“What kind of fucked up joke is this?” She mumbles holding up a picture of sweetheart touching Vincent’s cheek, and whispering something.
“Hailey-” I start to say, moving Charlotte away from me. I stand up and she rolls her eyes.
“Don’t. It’s okay, Asher. I know Vincent. And I know Layla. They wouldn’t do this to me. Plus Vincent has two kids. Whoever did this, is a fucking asshole” I smile
She trusts Vincent a lot. That’s what love is. Trust. Does sweetheart trust me? I doubt it.
“Bella” we hear Vincent’s voice before he enters the room, holding sweetheart’s hand.
“We’re leaving” he says before he looks at the picture, and then back at Hailey.
“It’s not what it looks like. I swear Bella. You know I love you, and I wouldn’t cheat on you. I promise” he let’s go of sweetheart’s hand, and holds both of Hailey’s.
“Don’t worry Vincent. I trust you and I trust Layla. I trust you both.” She says and Vincent sighs, kissing her slowly.
“I love you Bella” he whispers as sweetheart picks up all the pictures, looking at them confused
“I love you too” she replies back.
“This picture. I remember this. I was with Holden, and at the theme park, remember Asher? And when Holden went, I turned around to see this guy run away. Remember when you took us to the theme park?” She looks up at me, and I nod. At least she’s talking to me
“A theme park? Weren’t you always scared of theme parks Asher?” Charlotte says
“He’s not. Asher’s not scared of anything” Sweetheart mumbles looking at the photo of her and Vincent. I smile
“This was just now. When you were crying? But I didn’t see anyone there. I didn’t smell anyone as well” she mumbles looking at Vincent
“You were crying?” Hailey whispers to him, worried.
“I just had mud in my eyes. To windy. Right tiger?” He looks at her, slightly glaring.
“Yeah. Bit Vincent there wasn’t anyone there” she repeats again.
“I know.”
“They could have used, a scent block spell” Charlotte says, laying her head on my shoulder, and wrapping her arm around mine. Sweetheart looks heartbroken. I just want to walk up to her and tell her everything is okay. That this is a plan.
But I can’t. Because if she knows, then she won’t act properly. She’ll still have that love for me, and people will see it. And if she hates me, that’s good.
“Maybe.” Hailey mumbles. Even though she’s a human, she knows every single thing about supernatural.
“It’s the spy. The spy from your pack. And it’s not Rachel. Rachel didn’t know anything about the stuff we need to know. And when she was in your bathroom, I sent her. Because she started her periods. ” Emily walks into the room, with Tyler behind her.
So Rachel’s out of the picture. Selena or Holden.
“I’m sorry Asher, but we’re all going home. If there is any problem, do call us. And we’ll be back-” Sweetheart rolls her eyes
“Some of us” Emily says and I nod
“So you’re all leaving? But I just got here? Asher, you never told me what happened to your parents?” Charlotte says and I look at sweetheart.
I remember that day. I was terrified. For sweetheart.
We will get her was written in blood, next to their bodies. I wouldn’t let them touch her. Never. She’s safe with her family.
“They’re dead.” I say and Charlotte gasps.
“Oh no. This is bad” she whispers to herself, and I look at her confused.
“What do you mean?” I ask
“Well the people that kidnapped me, said that they’ll take everyone away from you. Including your parents. Meaning Claire and Paul. This is bad, right?”
The people that kidnapped her must be the people who are after me. For some fucked up reason.
“Oh.” Emily says and then looks at sweetheart.
“Shall we go Layla?” She smiles and nods
“Thank you grandma” Sweetheart whispers
She’s not related by blood to them. They’re were friends. Her real grandparents were Emily’s friends. And her parents were Mia’s friends. And now their kids are friends. I like that. I like that they all stick together, through everything.
I want to be like that. With sweetheart.
“Asher, we’ll be leaving” Emily says and I nod, staring at sweetheart from the corner of my eye.
Will she really go? Does she want me to stop her?
They walk out of the room, sweetheart, walking slower than the rest. She stops at the door, and looks at me.
“I love you Asher” she whispers and then walks out.
I love you too sweetheart.
“Asher? She’s your mate right?” Charlotte asks and I nod
“My mate” I whisper
“Oh. If you want her to stay then go get her Asher. She loves you. Do you love her?” She asks smiling at me.
Emily did say that they’re are cameras in the rooms. With voice recorder now.
“No. I’m happy you came back Charlie. I was worried. I thought you died” it was true. A little bit.
Yes I was worried about her, but not anymore. I thought she was dead. Fucking dead. And to be honest I was happy like that. Because I found sweetheart.
“And I told you Asher. I ran away. You have to be careful okay? They might come back to get me” she hugs me tightly, placing her head on my chest.
Sweetheart. How is she feeling now. I want to run to her, tell her everything will be okay. But will it? Will it really be okay?
I’m going to kill all these asshole, and bring sweetheart back. So we can be happy. Together.