Chapter 90 – Asher
Sitting at my desk sorting through yet more papers for Caleb. Who knew an Alpha had so much paperwork to do? Thankfully, the baby had arrived now, but I had done the decent thing and told. Caleb to take a couple more weeks off to allow him to spend some time at home with his family. Bond with his new baby, Freya, and allow Eden some time to rest with Caleb at home to help, though no doubt she would see it as having him under her feet.
Even once he was back at work, she would be inundated with offers of help, but still, I wanted him to have that chance to spend time with his new pup. Those first few weeks are ones you never have the chance to get back, or so i am told… But, at least, I know I am getting close to the end of having this
additional pressure upon me.
Zion is in desperate need of a run. But, I have had to cut my daily runs short these last few days with the amount of work that needed doing because I didn’t want to leave Caleb with a stack of work to return to. Though I was finding it increasingly harder to focus. My mind so often drifts to Isla… and now Bailey too. But, I couldn’t solve this thing with Bailey and gain the answers I needed because she seemed unwilling to talk to me. So, I simply buried my head within the work and did what I did best and avoided people.
While sitting at my desk, the phone rang, which always confused me, which likely sounds ridiculous, because obviously that is what telephones are for, to take calls, but everyone in the pack can mindlink, so we so often use that instead, rather than
using the phone, so phone calls are rare unless they are external. So I answered, truly not having the energy to deal with. talking to others.
“Hello, Autumn Valley Pack, Beta Asher speaking, how can I help?” I said, trying my hardest to sound polite, they would have to make do with that. Cheerful was outside of my abilities, especially today.
“Ah Beta Asher, just the person, or Alpha Caleb, but you will do.” A voice said, and the moment they spoke, I recognized it as the annoying father of Bailey. Wonderful. I was tired. Over worked, and over stressed. The last thing I needed to be dealing with was this over–excitable fool.
Nothing like insulting me either, with the ‘You will do‘ statement, was there? Eurgh… I wish I hadn’t answered the phone now…
‘Should have gone for a run like I asked you to.‘ Zion snarled, he was getting really snappy of late.
‘Hmm, wish I had.”
‘Hang up then and go.‘ He growls. But I ignore him, pushing him back, before he tries to take over, or else he would force a shift and I would be running through the packhouse destroying everything in my wake in my wolf form.
“What is it I can help with?” I forced myself to ask, cutting conversation with Zion.
“I wanted to see how Bailey is doing.” Her Dad asked, and I couldn’t help but wonder why the hell he didn’t just call her himself. She was his daughter after all.
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“And you can’t ask her that yourself?” I spoke my thoughts, not caring if he liked it or not.
even
Yet the weird one simply laughs. “See you have got happier since I left.” He said with a hint of sarcasm, cheeky fucker. “But, I don’t want to be pestering her, and not only that we have a lot going on in our pack, and I know if I call she will be wanting to know about it all, and then she will be worried about all that. I just want her to be enjoying her new job. I don’t expect you to understand, you big buffoon, you aren’t a father, but I worry about her.” He says, but the thing is, I think I do understand. Because, the truly irritating thing is, I worry about her too…
“May I ask if things are improving in your pack?” I said, urging him to share the information. Hoping it may answer some of the many questions bouncing around inside of my own mind.
“No, you may not.”
“Figured as much. So, I assume you don’t want to know that someone in your pack called Bailey then?” I hinted at knowing. some information, in the hope it might make him a little more willing to share information with me.
“What?” he snapped. “Are you being serious, Beta? And how would you know that?”
“Because she was sitting with me when the call came through. She would not tell me what was happening, but I am concerned for your daughter, Beta Donovan.” I told him.
“Do you know who it was?” he demanded, but I don’t let the tone of his voice anger me, because in truth, if I was in his situation I know I would sound equally as angry, if not more so. He wanted
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to protect Bailey. And, despite the awkwardness between us, so did I.
“No, sadly I do not, as she ran off Unwilling to give any information. But he was quite aggressive. His words sounded nasty. And they upset her. I ask that you consider calling her, to see if she will open up to you, because she would not open up to me. And, I assume you will not tell me the issues she is facing, so I may be able to help?” I said with a sigh.
I heard the Beta at the other end of the phone sighing too. “I am sorry Beta Asher, but that is not my place to decide to share that information. That would be Bailey’s place if she chooses to open up to you. But, maybe I misjudged you. It seems you aren’t that much of a bad guy after all. Even if you have a face like a shriveled up lemon. I will call Bai, and see if she will talk to me. I have a feeling I know who called her, and if it is him, we have problems.” He said, hanging up, without so much as a thank you or a goodbye. Angering me further, but also leaving me filled with fear for the girl I know I should not care about, but for some reason, I am beginning to, and anger for the man who seems to have this hold over her…
Zion is rippling closer to the surface now, and I know there will be no pushing him back. I need to go for a run, and I need a proper run. One that gives him a chance to run until he is in pain. from exertion. I rushed from my office down the corridor toward the doors of the packhouse, fighting with Zion for control. He will be shifting the first chance he gets. He needs this chance to burn off the surge of energy pulsing through him because of the anger he is fighting.
I went to push the door open and a petite body slammed into me, with her head down. I assumed, she was not paying
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attention to where she was going… though in truth I was more. focused on keeping Zion pushed back… I realized in haste it was Bailey, and in the impact of knocking into one another my foot stood firmly upon her toes, as I heard her gasp sharply in pain. Zion whimpered suddenly at the thought of us causing her pain, and I quickly retreated with my foot, moving away from her.
I quickly allowed my eyes to look over her, trying to establish if she was okay, hating the thought I may have hurt her. But anger rages through me at the sight of her, recalling the pain of her pushing me away. The hurt she caused me… and a scowl took over my face as I snarled. “Do you just walk around in a fucking daydream? Watch where you are going and that sort of thing likely wouldn’t happen.”
The look of shock upon Bailey’s face was one I think will haunt my dreams, it was one of terror. She should not fear me, but now I think she might, as I quickly stormed away from her…
Zion was now whimpering while I battled my own emotions. Why is she having this effect on me? I cannot get the way she looked at me out of my mind…
‘Perhaps if you treated her a little better, then she would not be terrified of you, you dumb fuck.‘ Zion snarled.
‘Who are you calling a dumb fuck?’ I snapped. ‘She was the one who threw my offer of kindness and support back in my face.‘
‘Hmm, let me see… You, I believe, you dumb fuck. Do you not like it? I think it suits you. Dumb fuck. Dumb fuck Dumb fuck. Zion chuckled.
‘Zion.’ I warned him.
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‘What? I got more if you would like?‘ He began. ‘Asshat? Dickbreath? Rumpleforeksin? Buttmonkey? Besides, you know I am right, you are a dumb fuck for treating her that way. But, you keep acting like a poor baby. She was upset and scared. I think it is normal to push people away. Especially if she doesn’t think she can trust anyone. And let’s face it, you hadn’t exactly shown her you were trustworthy before that. Fuckwit.‘ Zion hissed, he was getting close to me blocking him, and he likely knew it, with all the insults he was throwing at me.
I stormed my way across the path around the back of the packhouse toward the treeline of the nearby forest which would allow me to shift, and allow Zion the freedom he needed to take his anger out on some prey, and burn of the over–spilling energy seeping from him.
‘Well, it was difficult for me to even let her get that close to me. For me to even be that caring, did she not realize that?‘ I snapped once more.
‘Oh for fuck’s sake Asher, I think she may have had other things on her mind than how you were feeling at that moment. But you acting like this now may mean we lose her.‘ He growls and with that he is gone. He has blocked me. He is within the farthest reaches of my mind, and unreachable. I have pissed him off. But, that is nothing unusual, and it isn’t the first time. Looks like I’m not going for a run… or perhaps I should say, he isn’t. But, what bothers me more, is what the hell did he mean we are going to lose her? Why would he care?