Chapter 3

Ashley.

I wasn't sure for how long I was quiet, but I knew it was a lot. An awful lot too. My mind reeled with a million and one things as I tried to process the string of words that just slid past his lips.

I'm a wolf. A werewolf.

My subconscious mocked me. What was he thinking when he said that? Did he realize that I was a full grown adult and not some child in kindergarten that he could sell lies to? No, no, he was obviously joking or perhaps it was some kind of prank. Maybe all of last night was a prank. A well thought-out type of prank. But now that he'd ended it with the line of being a werewolf, I wasn't exactly sure comedy was for him.

“Haha.” There was nothing humorous in my laugh. If anything, it sounded stale and you could easily tell I was faking it. “ You're joking.”

“No, I'm not.” He shook his head briskly. At that moment, I watched a part of his hair fall onto his face, obscuring a little part of his eye. “ I'm serious. I'm a werewolf.”

“You're a werewolf?” I repeated. This was unbelievable. I had no idea which was hilarious, this guy's audacity or the fact that he was expecting me to buy all of this bullshit. A lot of people always told me I looked young, way younger than my age even, but I could bet on my life and my grandmother's grave that they didn't mean it this way. “ A werewolf?”

“Yes.” He was literally whining and it surprised me. “ Why's that so hard to believe?”

“Because last time I checked, werewolves don't exist!” I said and he flinched. “Werewolves are only mythical creatures that exist only in fairy tales and movies and in case you haven't realized, this is very much reality.”

“Listen to me.” He cooed, as he took a couple of steps towards me. Immediately, I matched his pace and took a couple more back. “ I know this might sound crazy but you have to believe me.”

“Oh, so you do know you sound crazy?” I chuckled dryly. With the number of times I'd chuckled in the past minute, I wouldn't be surprised if he thought deep down that I was going crazy. But who wouldn't? A werewolf, really? “ I think it'll be better if you pack up all your bullshit and give it to someone else. Not me. I'm definitely the wrong person.”

“But you saw what happened last night.” He pressed on. “You were there, weren't you? You watched us fight and you definitely saw me when I morphed back into a human.”

“No!” I shook my head immediately. “ I thought I knew what I saw but right now, I'm not sure anymore. I have no idea what I saw.”

“Yes, you do.” He nodded encouragingly. “ I promise your eyes weren't playing tricks on you.”

“You don't know that.” There was no way I was going to let him talk me into believing his werewolf shit. “ You don't know shit…..”

“But I know that you saw me.” He cut me off immediately. “ And what about when we got here last night? Before you could even apply ointments and tend to me, I was already healing. And it's like you said yourself, I shouldn't even be standing right now. But here I am, literally moving my limbs and talking to you like I didn't just encounter a near-death experience last night.”

“Stop. It.” I enunciated each word as slowly as I could. Maybe if I did that, it would help him understand faster. “ Just fucking stop it.”

“No matter how hard you try not to believe it, it's not going to change anything.” He shot back at me. “The truth is the truth and the earlier you accept it, the easier it makes all of this.”

Was he serious right now? There was no way he expected me to believe that right? It was a prank, nothing more. I was sure of it. All that was left was for him and probably his partners to jump out of some corner of my room and shout surprise!

“ Look, you can cut the act now.” I started clapping out of the blue as I continued. “ Come on, show me the cameras. It was a great prank. For a minute there, you almost got me.”

“Alright.” He nodded once. “ Why don't you ask me anything? Maybe that'll help.”

“I want to know everything about your kind.” I let out after a minute's worth of silence. “ If you're real that is.”

“Werewolves have always been thought to be mythical creatures but we're not.” He started and I found myself listening with rapt attention. “Sometimes we live amongst humans or separate ourselves totally from the human world. It all depends on the pack you're part of. Our leaders are alphas and they're other ranks too. Omegas, betas, gammas, you name them.”

“Wow.” I muttered breathlessly as the truth dawned on me. “ Wow, just wow.”

“I know this is a lot to take in. “ I could literally feel the care and concern in his voice. “ And all I just said is barely surface knowledge. We also have mates that the moon goddess gives us and stuff like that.”

“Wow.” I slumped onto the chair just next to me. “ I …”

“Can I ask you a question?” Without giving me the luxury of answering, he pressed on. “Why did you rescue me last night? Why didn't you leave me to die?”

“ I just couldn't. “ I shrugged. “ If I had left you there, you could have died. Or not.”

“Thank you.” He chuckled. “ I appreciate it.”

“Yeah.” I said. “ But you have to leave. Now.”

“Why?” I swear I heard him gasp. “ Why would I do that?”

“Because you don't belong here.” I let out through gritted teeth. “ You need to leave and never come back. Pretend that none of this ever happened. Do you understand?”

“I'm afraid I can't do that.” My head whipped towards him so fast I thought I would snap my neck into two. “ I can't leave.”

“And why's that?” I raised an eyebrow. “ Why can't you leave?”

“Because you're my mate.” Goosebumps crept up on the surface of my skin. “My fated mate.”