Chapter 27

Third Person POV

Asher had never been more embarrassed in his entire life.

As the door to his room closed behind him, it felt like his heart was closing too. Sienna had done something so unnecessary to him, so cruel.

Something he’d never expected her to do.

Looking back, he was utterly relieved that her wolf was dormant — because if it hadn’t been, she’d have sensed the lie to his story.

Wolves could pick up on all the little nuances far better than just the simple human mind. He’d have been outed immediately.

Something else that bit at him was the fact that she still had never asked about the divorce. Did she really not care?

But wasn’t it better she wasn’t asking? If she asked, he’d just have to lie to her again. There were enough lies to last a lifetime.

And after what she’d done to him just now, his own trust in her had plummeted. He felt used, in the worst of ways.

His heart was racing in his chest so hard it made him uncomfortable. He sat at the edge of the bed, his throat tight, appalled to feel tears heating up behind his eyes.

The story he’d told her wasn’t entirely a lie though. There were bits and pieces of the truth left in there — his parents really were dead. He had studied under the Elder’s.

And she’d accepted that, because his real pain, the loss of his family, the tragedy that fell on his shoulders at such a young age — all of that agony could never be faked.

His hands shook, and he took a few moments to compile himself, splashing water on his face and changing shirts.

Then he slipped out of the house, glad to see Sienna had probably locked herself in her room in shame, and headed over to Blackmoon.

An hour later, Asher sat with Lucius, telling him everything that had just happened. The weight off his chest — his heart — had lifted, even if just a tiny bit.

“She is still so young,” Lucius murmured, a distant look in his eyes as he processed everything he’d just heard.

“Only by what, four years? She’s acting like a child.” Asher huffed, shaking his head slightly.

“As much as I hate to say it, you have to give her a little room to make those mistakes. She did just lose her parents and find herself in a pretty impossible position.” Lucius winced at the truth of it.

“I can’t believe I’ve lied so much, Lucius. All I’ve done is dig my grave even deeper than ever — I’ll never be able to climb out of it.”

Asher wasn’t a liar - he was just protecting himself.

“Unfortunately, at this point, there’s no use in looking back at your mistakes. They’ve been made and they’ll be dealt with.” Lucius sighed, standing to pace around the room.

“If she ever finds out about me — ”

“We’ll do our best to keep it hidden until we can reveal it, like it has been for years. You told your story and it worked — sit with that for a while.”

Lucius paced over to a map of the packs on the wall nearby, his eyes narrowing.

“With Sienna not here… what are your thoughts on the raid on Nightfall?” Lucius asked, turning to face Asher again.

“A fantastic idea,” Asher answered, leaning back into the leather couch. “He doesn’t deserve that post — he’s not a reliable leader.”

“I agree with absolutely no bias.” Lucius faced the map again, tapping at Nightfall. “I assume you’ve heard about the partnerships I’ve managed to pull?”

“Of course. They’re coming to Blackmoon?” Asher asked, knowing just how much those partnerships had meant to Julian. Somehow, Lucius had managed to pull one of the most major ones that supplied a lot Nightfall’s most important, valuable things.

“As of now, yes,” Lucius grinned, strolling back towards the couches. “But I worry about Nightwind’s state.”

“I do too, every day.” Asher rubbed his thumbs along the bridge of his nose. “It’s falling apart.”

“I have a plan,” Lucius said softly, like someone might overhear. “Just trust me on it.”

“I always trust you — no questions asked,” Asher smiled, and meant every word. Lucius was a man he could trust no matter what happened, through thick and thin.

“We’ll fix this before it becomes irreparable. Just please, Asher,” Lucius sighed again, meeting Asher’s gaze. “Fix things with Sienna.”

“I don’t know if I can.” Asher’s words came out very stubborn, though they were true. Things with Sienna had gotten exceptionally messy.

“You have something with her,” Lucius pressed, unafraid to push Asher to his limits to convince him of the truth. “I see it, and I know you do too.”

Asher remembered the way her touch felt against him, how absolutely electric it had been. He’d never felt anything else like it in his life.

That had to count for something.

“She is special,” Asher finally admitted. “And she’s something I can’t quite explain.”

“Exactly.” Lucius stabbed a finger towards him. “Forget Mia, alright? Focus on Sienna.”

He sat beside Asher, a bright smile on his face.

“But our relationship is built on lies,” Asher winced, an ache spreading through his chest.

You care for her, you idiot. You feel this for real — it’s not the faked bond. It’s real and true.

“Lies that can eventually be explained,” Lucius added. “Because whether you like it or not, I see something in you and her both — a connection.”

“I know.” Asher had always known it, almost from that first night with Sienna.

The way she’d lit every atom inside and out of him up.

Her sweet smile, plastered in his memories forever.

Everything about her.

“Talk to her,” Lucius said, a hope in his voice that ignited something in Asher. Hope for the future, for fixing the lies he’d buried himself in.

Could it be done?

A beat of silence passed through the room before Lucius spoke up again.

“What Julian did is not okay. I never much liked that man, and now, any lingering respect I had for him is gone.” Lucius narrowed his eyes, fury glowing in them. “I want to take him down.”

“You’ve helped more than you even know as it is,” Asher responded, his words full of gratefulness.

It was true — without Lucius, so many things wouldn’t have been possible. On the exterior, Lucius appeared to be a cold, power driven leader focused mostly on the wellbeing of his pack, and his pack alone.

But what so many didn’t get to see about him was his humorous side, the honest and good to the core man.

Asher considered himself endlessly lucky to know that part of him.

“Things will be okay,” Lucius said, patting Asher on the knee. “Go back to her.”

Asher met Lucius’ eyes, seeing that hope reflected in them again. A hope that drove him forward.

“I will.” Asher stood, smiling at his friend once more before bidding him goodnight, stepping out into the cold evening.

He’d been away for a few hours now, enough time for Sienna to cool down and expect his arrival back.

Maybe they could talk.

Maybe there was a spark of hope that they could fix things.