Chapter 50 Chapter 50

Chapter 50 Chapter 50
  Asher’s POV
  I watched in stunned silence as Zara moved between the bodies, her hands glowing with a soft, otherworldly light. One by one, my people came back to life, their chests rising with breath again. Relief flooded me—it felt like witnessing a miracle.
  “Asher… who is she? How is she doing this?” Isabella whispered, her eyes wide in awe.
  “I’ll explain everything later,” I said, not taking my eyes off the scene. She gave a small nod and turned back toward the others.
  Then my gaze shifted to Zachary—knocked out cold, lying motionless on the floor.
  “What are we going to do with him?” Michael asked, a strange flicker of excitement in his voice.
  “Let his people take him,” I replied calmly.
  Michael’s brows furrowed. “What do you mean? After everything he’s done, you just want to let him go?” He stepped closer, clearly baffled. “That’s a mistake, Asher. He’ll come back stronger.”
  I gave him a small, knowing smile and stepped forward. Facing Zachary’s followers, I spoke clearly, my voice cold with warning.
  “Take your Alpha and leave. When he wakes up, tell him this—I’m letting him go this time. But if he pulls this shit again, I won’t spare him.”
  Terror flashed across their faces. Without a word, they grabbed Zachary and rushed off, disappearing into the distance.
  “Why did you let them go?” Sean snapped, his voice sharp with fury as he limped toward me. “He disrespected me, Asher. I can’t let that slide.”
  All I could think about was the nightmare. The image of Sean lying dead still haunted me—and I’d be damned if I ever let that become reality.
  “He’s not worth your strength,” I said quietly, forcing a smile. “Let it go.”
  Sean didn’t look convinced. His jaw clenched, but he said nothing more.
  Just then, Zara stood tall, her work complete. Everyone she’d touched had been revived.
  But the sudden sound of a scream shattered the calm.
  “Mom?” Isabella called out, rushing toward the woman who had cried out. Her mother stood frozen, her trembling hand pointing at Zara. Fear etched deep into her face.
  “H-How… how are you alive after all these years?” she stammered.
  I turned to Zara in confusion. She didn’t respond—just smiled.
  “Mom, what are you saying?” Isabella asked, voice tight with worry.
  Her mother’s eyes never left Zara. “Remember the evil spirit I told you about? The one your father battled for years?” she whispered. “It wasn’t just some legend… She is the spirit. That’s the one.”
  My breath caught. I turned to Zara, but her smile only widened, her eyes gleaming with something dark and wild.
  “What is this?” I demanded. “Zara, what is she talking about?”
  Zara threw her head back and laughed—a laugh so chilling it made the hairs on my arms stand on end. Her body shook with it, manic and unhinged. The air turned colder.
  Everyone froze.
  “Sean, Michael—get everyone out. Now!” I barked, snapping out of the haze.
  They didn’t ask questions. They moved quickly, ushering people out, their footsteps echoing through the space like the opening notes of something much, much darker.
  “I won’t hurt anyone,” Zara said, her voice calm, her lips curled into a sweet, unsettling smile. “If that had been my intention, I would have done it long ago. So there’s no need to worry—I’m not here to cause harm.”
  “Then why are you here?” Isabella’s mother stepped forward, her voice trembling. “Why have you come back after all these years?”
  Zara’s smile faltered for a moment, replaced by a flicker of something darker. “I came for one thing,” she said, her tone sharper now. “And you know I never leave without getting what I want.”
  “What do you want?” Isabella asked, her brows furrowed.
  Zara didn’t answer her immediately. Instead, she looked at me, a twisted smirk dancing on her lips. Then, slowly, deliberately, she pointed at me.
  “He knows,” she said, almost sing-song, her voice laced with madness. “He knows exactly why I’m here.”
  My heart dropped. No. Not now. Not like this.
  Isabella turned to me, her expression tense. “Asher, what is she talking about? What does she want from you?”
  I forced a shaky smile. “It’s nothing, really. She just… wants a place to stay. Only for a while.”
  “That’s a lie,” Isabella’s mother snapped, stepping between us. Her eyes never left mine. “You can’t keep her near you. This woman is evil. She’ll destroy everything. We need to get her away from here—now.”
  Zara let out a laugh—sharp, cold, too loud for the room. “You still talk too much,” she said, flashing her teeth. “You know I don’t leave without what I was promised. A deal is a deal. And if I get angry…” She tilted her head, her voice turning into a growl. “I’ll wipe out your entire race. Every. Last. One.”
  My stomach twisted. What the hell have I done? The bet. The promise. I ran a hand through my hair, suddenly feeling like the ground beneath me was about to collapse.
  “I’ll take responsibility for her,” I said, even though I barely believed the words myself. “She won’t hurt anyone.”
  The silence that followed was suffocating.
  “Take her to the guest house,” I told one of the pack members, my voice strained. “The one that no one uses. Keep her there.”
  He nodded and approached Zara. She didn’t resist—just smiled at me again, eyes gleaming, and walked with him. But as she reached the doorway, she paused and turned. That smile again—haunting, knowing—before she disappeared.
  “Asher, I don’t like this,” Isabella said, anger simmering in her tone. “My mom says she’s dangerous. Why won’t you listen to her? Why are you protecting her?”
  “Isabella, I think we should be thankful instead,” Tessa interjected gently. “That woman—whoever she really is—saved us all. We would’ve died if she hadn’t shown up when she did.”
  “I don’t care who she is,” she added, her voice firm now. “I’m just grateful she saved us. That has to count for something.”
  But I knew better. Gratitude wouldn’t be enough to protect us from what I’d brought into our lives.
  “Tessa, you don’t get it,” Isabella snapped, her voice trembling with concern. “Nothing about this feels okay. That scream—we all heard how inhuman it was. Aren’t you even a little worried she might be worse than what we went through with Zachary?”
  Isabella’s mother stepped forward, her face pale and grim. “Zara is bad news. But she won’t hurt anyone who doesn’t harm her. Still, if she doesn’t get what she came for…” Her voice dropped, “She won’t hesitate to burn everything down.”
  “I’m here,” I said, forcing calm into my voice. “And nothing will go wrong. I’ll make sure of it.”
  Isabella gave me a hard, cold stare. “For your sake, I hope you’re right. Because I don’t trust her—and I don’t trust your judgment with her around.”
  She turned to her mother and sister. “Come on, Mom. Tessa.”
  Without another word, they left, and I stood there alone in the warehouse, the silence around me suddenly deafening. I ran a hand through my hair.
  Maybe I had made a grave mistake.
  But no. This was Betty’s child she wanted, not mine. She could take the child and disappear. That had been the deal… hadn’t it?
  A few weeks later…
  Things had settled. On the surface, at least.
  I was back at my company, piecing things together, rebuilding what had crumbled during the chaos. Zachary hadn’t shown his face since our last encounter—good. Maybe he’d finally understood not to test me again.
  Zara had remained quiet. She never left the guest house, and for that, I was grateful. No one had been hurt. No blood. No threats. Not yet.
  I parked my car and walked into the house. The familiar warmth of home wrapped around me—until I saw her. Isabella.
  She was curled up on the couch, waiting.
  “I’m glad you’re here, baby,” I said quickly, striding toward her and pulling her into a tight hug. “I missed you.”
  She chuckled as we pulled apart. “It hasn’t even been a full day.”
  “It felt like years.” I kissed her forehead, breathing her in, grounding myself in her presence.
  But then her expression shifted—soft but serious.
  “I came because I have something important to tell you,” she said, her hands brushing over her stomach.
  A slow smile spread across her face.
  “I’m pregnant, Asher. We’re going to have a baby.”
  The world stopped.
  I blinked. My heart slammed against my ribs.
  She was smiling, glowing—happy. I should’ve felt the same. I wanted to feel the same.
  And I did. For a second.
  I wrapped her in a tight hug, my lips brushing her hair. “You have no idea how happy that makes me,” I whispered.
  But then—
  Her voice. Zara’s voice.
  “If I don’t get what was promised, I’ll wipe out your race.”
  “A child. That was the deal.”
  My blood ran cold. My arms loosened around Isabella as the truth hit me like a thunderclap.
  Not Betty’s child.
  Mine.
  No. No, no, no.
  What have I done?