Chapter 39

Third Person POV

Asher had no idea how he was supposed to feel. There he sat in the waiting room, his nerves on the edge, waiting for Sienna.

The Elder’s wouldn’t have called her there if it weren’t something very important — and with all the things Mia had stacked up against Sienna, it was sure to lean on the much more negative side.

Sienna’s major inspection wasn’t for another few months, but that didn’t mean they couldn’t warn her.

He thrummed his fingers on his knee, a half hour passing before he heard the doors open, his attention snapping up.

Sienna did not look happy. Not one bit.

Oh dear.

He knew better than to ask what happened right then. Within a second, he stood, placed right at her side, and followed her out of the building.

When they were hardly ten feet away, she burst out crying.

“Hey,” he whispered, guiding her to a bench a little further away, wanting to be out of sight of anyone in the Council.

She pressed against him, burying her face into his shoulder, trying so hard not to cry but failing miserably.

“They’re already thinking of replacing me,” she wept, gripping onto his arm. “They’re not even giving me a chance.”

“There’s still time to turn this around,” he murmured, stroking his fingers through her hair. Seeing her this way hurt him, and the sad truth was, he really couldn’t help her more than he already was.

This was up to her, and he knew with all his heart that she could succeed.

“How can they not see my improvement?” she croaked, the pain in her voice nearly breaking his heart.

“They’re being harder on you than they should. But let’s think about what we can do to prove ourselves, okay?” For now, they were in this together, and he wasn’t going to let her down.

“Mia is ruining this for me,” she wailed, her words laced with venom. “I know she’s making it all look worse than it really is.”

“You have me and Lucius on your side — and Lucius might damn well be one of the best people you could ever have backing you.”

“Will it really be enough?” She sounded so defeated.

“Yes,” he assured her. “Let’s get back to our safe place, okay? Maybe it’s best not to talk about this anymore out here.”

Where anyone could hear.

She nodded, and within half an hour, they were back at the Alpha house.

As soon as they arrived, it was like she turned the cold shoulder on him. They walked through that door, and the girl who had been crying on his shoulder, seeking out his comfort, was long gone.

“I’m surprised you’re not with Mia,” she said icily, and that’s when Asher knew, she was jealous.

“Why would I be?” he frowned, trying his best to brush it off. She was looking for a fight, and he wasn’t going to provide it.

“I smelled her in your room.”

“You were smelling my room?” Asher’s eyebrows raised in amusement, and he had to hold back a grin.

“I notice unfamiliar scents in my house.” He could tell she was embarrassed, and it was, honestly, really amusing.

“Well,” Asher laughed. “She came by after you left and was nosy. I managed to keep her out of your room.”

“Lovely,” Sienna muttered. “Probably looking for anything she can pit against me.”

“News flash for her — there isn’t anything.” Asher smiled, trying his best to diffuse the tension.

The tiniest flash of a smile flickered at the edges of her lips, gone quicker than it came. She turned her back to him and strolled to her room, shutting the door without another word.

A few hours later, Asher found himself sitting with Lucius over at Blackmoon, telling him all about the meeting with Sienna and the Elder’s Council.

“That is not good news,” Lucius said, wincing. “Seems like the time limit is really kicking in.”

“And it’s not even Julian’s doing,” Asher sighed, running a hand through his hair.

“But if we could shift the focus to Julian and all the things he’s been doing wrong…” Lucius trailed off, meeting Asher’s eyes.

“…then maybe the negativity around Sienna would lighten up,” Asher grinned over at him.

They still finished each other’s sentences like they did so many years ago.

“And how do we do that, you ask?” Lucius smirked. “Well, we set him up in such a way that he can only be found guilty.”

“You have a plan.” Asher’s eyes flared with curiosity. “Do tell.”

“We bait Julian into attacking on his own. We know he already sent those guards, so he’s primed to do it again.” Lucius brain was cranking away.

“So,” he continued on, “we lay the ground at my charity event in a few weeks. Give him an irresistible bit of insider information — all a lie, of course — and force him into a raid.”

“Then catch him red handed and voila…an inexcusable offense that the Elder’s won’t be able to overlook.” Lucius kissed his fingers, throwing them up in the air. “He won’t be able to talk his way out of that.”

“Not at all. You think that’ll really get rid of him?” Asher thought aloud. “He seems a little bit like a leech.”

Lucius laughed aloud, leaning back into his leather couch. “I have a plan for everything, my friend.”

“You always do,” Asher beamed back, his eyes bright with hope. “We can keep her safe.”

Lucius locked eyes with him, a thoughtful look on his face. “You’re really going to divorce her?”

Asher was taken aback, not expecting the conversation to have taken that turn. “I have to.”

“No, you don’t. Why not just tell her the truth?” Lucius sat up, suddenly looking extremely serious.

“You know how she is when it comes to Prince Alaric,” Asher sighed, shaking his head. “She despises him.”

“Only because she doesn’t know him. She doesn’t know the truth.” Lucius made sure Asher was looking at him as he continued. “You can show her the truth.”

“I want to,” Asher said hoarsely, his voice filled with melancholy. “But I dug myself in too deep now, Lucius. Won’t she hate me if I tell her?”

“Not when she knows the full story.” Something about the way Lucius spoke curbed Asher’s nerves, but the sad truth was, he just couldn’t tell her.

He was in too deep with the lies, and at least now, he and Sienna could be somewhat civil.

“Eventually.” Asher shrugged, looking at Lucius sadly. “I just don’t think it’s the right time.”

“It’s your choice.” Lucius nodded, honoring his decision, ever the best friend. “You know I’ll support whatever you choose.”

It sounded like there was a but coming.

“But…” he sighed, swiping a stray strand of his hair out of his eyes. “It’s hard for me to lie to her.”

Annoyance bristled in Asher’s veins, the jealousy swelling to the surface. “I’ve noticed you getting closer.”

“It feels like betrayal.” Lucius met his eyes, conflict in his own. “But I would never do anything to out your secret.”

Asher couldn’t shake the growing tension that had begun to spread between him and Lucius.

Did he really mean it?