CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
It took quite a long time for the Sanctuary to revert back to its initial state, instead of looking like a battlefield. Asher made sure that everyone was accounted for. It has been a hard blow to discover that two of his most trusted sentinels were dead in the forest.
What concerned him more was the disappearance of his uncle and aunt. He remembered seeing them both just before the attack, but couldn’t find any trace of them after. Part of him hoped they hid somewhere. Were they captured without his knowledge? Improbable. Nonetheless, he sent sentinels to patrol the area, searched the building and checked if they had taken a vehicle to go into town before the attack.
Problems were piling up too fast, and he didn’t know where they were coming from. Since the blood trial, he hadn’t a chance to talk to the witch, to Valeria, about it. All of it. He glanced in her direction and saw her helping with the repairs to the kitchen. Her face was void of expression, except for the deep lines of concern on her forehead. She had changed into a pair of jeans and a gray hoodie, her brown hair tied back in a ponytail. Dressed like that, she appeared normal, but he knew better. He had seen what she was capable of. Strangely enough, she had refrained from using her magic since the attack. He suspected that one flick of her little finger could have repaired those windows instantly, but she didn’t do any flicking of any sort. One of the many mysteries he intended to uncover as quickly as possible.
“Weird that something so normal could be so enticing.”
Ian came closer to him, but Asher didn’t look at him.
“Tread very carefully, Ian.”
“About what?”
At the smile in his voice, Asher turned. For the first time since he came to Sanctuary, the wolf seemed relaxed, normal.
“You accepted the result of the trial, Ian. I won’t allow any member of Sanctuary to attack her. Don’t forget that you’re one wrong step away from going into a cage. It’s only because you seem to have gained your sanity back that I allow you to roam free. And that we are short-handed.”
“Oh, I wasn’t talking about attacking her. I’m over that, and you’re right, the trial was evidence enough. I think she was truly blind to the nature of her family until now. I saw her shocked expression when I talked about her fiancé, of what he had done.”
Asher nodded. At that moment, her face had been an open book. For a second, Valeria showed surprise and joy, and then it shattered.
“And I like her. She’s got courage. I thought after attacking her, she would shy away from me, but she didn’t. I admire that.”
Asher didn’t like the tone of Ian’s voice but didn’t say a word, biting back a snarl.
“I think it’s what she did for Maya that got to me. Selfless, that’s the word. And when I did the trial on her, the taste of her skin…”
Asher reacted. He caught the dark wolf and threw him on the ground, one knee on his sternum, one hand wrapped around his throat, claws slowly elongating. He was barely able to restrain himself as blood slowly dripped from the scratches on the dark wolf.
“Leave her alone.” His voice was changing, on the verge of a complete transformation.
To his surprise, Ian smiled and stretched more comfortably on the ground.
“Ah. Finally. I thought that might do the trick.”
Asher shook his head, trying to dispel the rage that filled him. “What trick?”
“You like her. From the start, from that time in the forest, something happened between you two.”
Asher pushed himself to his feet and peered up to see that all assigned to the repairs were watching them. Valeria frowned at him and he turned back to Ian.
He took a deep, calming breath. “I’m not controlling her, she has free will now…”
Ian rolled his eyes and got to his feet. “I doubt her will is on me, not from her scent during the trial.”
Asher shook his head. “There are too many dangers against Sanctuary. I won’t allow my focus to slip and risk the lives under my care.” He knew he couldn’t fail them. Any of them.
Ian blocked his view, forcing him to glance at his face.
“Asher, I have the greatest respect for what you’ve done for me, and for everyone here. And that’s why I’ll give you this piece of advice from a man who has lost everything, and almost his mind. You cannot allow duty to block your perspective. Without perspective, you might overlook the one solution that could keep us all safe. And you sane.”
“You think the witch is the one solution for keeping us safe?”
“I have no clue. I don’t know. I’m only saying this: keep an open mind. And if you’re too dumb to at least explore that possibility to the end, I will make my move and make certain she forgets your name. Even if tasting her and keeping her for myself is forbidden, as per the laws of the High Council.”
Asher growled again as Ian laughed and walked into the house, making a show by winking at Valeria.
Damn. He didn’t know if he missed the taciturn and tormented wolf after all.
Asher stepped away and made sure to secure the grounds before nightfall, which took most of the remaining day. They had all been awake for 24 hours, but safety was their first priority. Once he was satisfied with the state of the grounds and his troops, who were bone weary and hungry, he went back to the sanctuary. Days were growing shorter now as fall was at its peak. Most lights were out inside the manor, except some upstairs and in the kitchen. He stopped when he saw Valeria, sitting at the table in the dim light, a cup of tea in her hands. She hadn’t changed from her working clothes and looked beat. Glancing at him with the same blank face, she nodded.
“There’s chili in the oven. Bread, too.”
Asher's stomach rumbled at the words, but he remained glued in place.
For a long moment, they only stared at each other, before he forced himself to move. Ian’s words came to mind, and he blatantly ignored them.
“Is everything alright in here? Everybody in bed already?”
Even with his back to her, he knew she was staring at him. He filled a bowl with chili and took two pieces of bread before going to the table. He sat in front of her and started eating. His body craved food, and it took many spoonsful before his stomach felt more settled. After a moment of silence, Asher looked up and saw her watching him. He didn’t know why, but something irritated him.
“I suppose I’d be thrown out of the Lancaster household for eating like that.” His voice was harsh. He wasn’t excusing himself for being who he was. He came from a rowdy and loving household. Damned be the opinion of the Lancasters. “Well, I don’t give a damn. I prefer my life to a spoiled brat’s existence.”
Valeria examined him for a moment before looking into her cup again. “Don’t speak about what you don’t know, wolf.”
Asher let his spoon fall in his empty bowl before getting to his feet and refilling it.
“Oh, let me see. I doubt you had to fight to get something to eat. I don’t think Lionel Lancaster lived in a small house bursting people, everybody had to sleep one on top of another. Of course not. Valeria Lancaster had a room of her own and a silver spoon in her mouth. Cuddled by mommy and daddy.”
“Fuck you, wolf.” Fire was back in her golden eyes, and with such violence, it almost gave him pause.
“Oh, I see, we’re back to endearments.”
“You don’t know the luck you had growing up. The freedom you enjoyed. You were poor and struggling? So what? I was rich, protected and alone. I see the way Robert and Ellen care about you. That’s not something that could be bought with money. My mother was the only one who took an interest in me, but if she did it in front of my father, there were repercussions. The only kind words from his mouth were when he told me that I wasn’t so disappointing after all. Despite my efforts, there was nothing I could say or do to make him soften about me. I had hoped, though, the last time I saw him that he cared. That he even loved me. For two years, I sacrificed everything to protect him. For what? You want my silver spoon, take it. I don’t want it because it’s only brought me disappointment and pain.”
She pushed herself up.
“Sit down.”
He knew it was the wrong thing to say with her jaw clenching and her eyes blazing.
“I’m tired of taking orders, wolf.”
Asher sighed. Sometimes, the alpha inside him forgot basic courtesy. “Valeria, please, sit down. It wasn’t an order. Merely a request. I don’t want to eat alone tonight.”
He knew it was a cheap shot, but one that worked as she sat back down.
“I’m not one of your pack members. Don’t order me around like that.”
Asher angled his head and took a bite of bread, chewing thoughtfully before answering.
“Now, you’re the one not understanding. This sanctuary, it relies on my leadership, on the cohesion of everyone to survive. You think following my orders is submitting when in fact it’s surviving. Everyone here has a role, it’s all about teamwork. Now that you’re part of this sanctuary, what you do and don’t do have repercussions.”
“About that. I’m leaving tomorrow morning.”
Asher nodded, trying to appear calm while a part of him went into overdrive. Without knowing why, he wasn’t ready to let her go.
“I see.”
“It will be easier for you to keep this Sanctuary safe with me gone. The head-hunters won’t come here searching for me again, as I’ll make sure to leave a clear trail out. Plus, you won’t get in trouble for giving refuge to a murderess if ever the High Council says I’m one.”
Asher wiped his mouth and leaned back in his chair. “About that, I have called the High Council.”
Valeria froze, staring at him with panicked eyes, ready to bolt. “You didn’t.”
“Hear me out. I had to tell them about the attack. If a sanctuary is in danger, I can’t do otherwise, Valeria.”
“Shit. What have you done?”
“Valeria, you might want to know what I found out.”
She settled again, but he could still feel restless energy coming from her.
“You were right. Those men weren’t Enforcers. The High Council hasn’t sanctioned any actions for more than six months now. In fact, all of them are under investigation, and Lionel Lancaster is under home detention at Lancaster Estates. They suspect him to have attempted a coup, trying to overthrow the Territory Council.”
“What?”
He knew what might be shocked by his words, but truth was better than deceit. “You heard me. But there’s more. I asked about you, not telling them that you were here, and they said that you were in hiding, probably from Lionel’s wrath, as you and your mother tried to escape him. You got away, but your mom couldn’t because she was too sick.”
“My mother is not sick, she’s dead.”
Asher’s heart ached at what he was about to reveal next. “She’s not dead. She’s in some sort of coma at Lancaster Estates. She’s still alive, Valeria.”
Valeria felt like she couldn’t breathe, her eyes wide and lost, as if she was focusing beyond him.
He reached out to touch her hand when she jumped off her seat, dashed out the door and ran towards the forest. Asher sprinted after her. He could have caught up with Valeria quickly, but he kept his distance, as she frequently stumbled on roots and bumped into trees. The narrow slice of moonlight barely cut through the branches, making it difficult for her human eyes to see any sort of trail. Asher could see as clearly as day, but for her, she must have felt as if moving in a dark maze. From the corner of his eyes, his sentinels closed in, but he signaled them to stay away.
Valeria slowed down after a while, breathing hard, sobbing and coughing a little. She stopped twice and screamed. He knew too well the emotions swirling inside her, and he watched as she dropped to her knees near a stream. For a long moment, she stayed immobile, knees and hands in mud, tendrils of brown hair that escaped her ponytail flowing around her face. From a distance, he saw her body shaking and tears falling to the ground. Only a long moment later did she sat back, looking at her hands on her knees.
Asher hesitated, but deep down, he couldn’t leave her like that. Damn the rules. As he walked towards her, he made sure to make enough noise so as not to startle her. He knew she heard him, but Valeria didn’t acknowledge his presence. She continued to stare at her hands, tears silently sliding down her cheeks.
The night was calm, and although he could sense the sentinels at a distance, they were mostly alone under the moonlight. Asher sat down beside her, ignoring the damp moss and mud. What could he say? He was debating if there was something that would put the pieces of her life back together, when he knew deep down that there was none. He offered comfort the only way he knew. Werewolves and shifters communicated a lot by touch. Contact made strenuous and arduous situations more bearable for them. He moved to position himself behind her, putting his legs on either side of her hips, his arms encircling her. She was tense for a moment, but slowly yielded in his embrace. He knew she was still crying, even though no sound came out. He tightened his hold, and after a while, one of her dirty hands came to rest on his forearm.