The Huntress

Part 4:Asher

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She ran and ran, her thoughts mingling into one, her heart beating fast, and her breath getting shorter and shorter. She stopped suddenly and rested her back at the trunk of a tree. She was deep in the forest, the only place where no one could hunt her. She took some deep breaths and tried to focus.

He was her mate, and she was sure of it. In an alternate timeline, she would be the happiest person in the world. She finally met her mate, and he was quite good looking. His spring green eyes were the first that caught her attention, but she had, also, noticed his clean-shaven face and his sharp jawline.

Something inside her stirred, confusing her emotions and thoughts.

"We have a plan to follow. We must stick to it,'' she muttered.

"How can you resist?" Lyra asked her.

Every werewolf had an inner self, their wolf, who had a unique name and represented their animal instinct and everything that made them werewolves. When Laurel transformed into her wolf form, it was her wolf, Lyra, that would take over and lead her. Now, Lyra was upset that she wouldn't talk to him and accept him as she should do.

"I have to, and you know why. If you care for him, then you'll understand that he will be safer away from me."

"We can give him a chance. Maybe things can change. You and he might be different."

"Enough, Lyra. The decision is made!"

She was living in this particular timeline, and the one thing she didn't need was a mate. She could never get to know him and live with him. It was something she decided long ago. She was a loner, and a mate could only bring more problems into her life. Also, when he would get to know her, he would run away. She knew it. No one could bear her past and everything she carried within her heart.

Her heart was screaming to get back to him, but Laurel shushed it.

She would stay away from him, for he was the hope she could never deserve.

Two days later, Laurel was back in her everyday life. She hadn't seen her mate again, and the killer was nowhere to be found. Lyra was talking about her mate every morning after waking up and every night before drifting into sleep. Laurel didn't bother to stop her because she was hoping that Lyra would get tired and stop protesting.

''You should do something with that problem of yours. You kept mumbling last time,'' Sara informed her while they were walking toward the cafeteria.

''What was I saying?'' asked Laurel after a moment's pause. ''Don't let it be about vampires or murder or blood, please,'' she thought.

''I couldn't figure out. You seemed stressed.''

A small sigh of relief escaped her lips.

''It must be the paper I have to deliver,'' she said while screaming with joy internally.

''You know that if you need something, I am here for you, right?''

''I know, Sara, I know, but it's nothing,'' she said and tried to convince her friend, but the tight and worried eyes of Sara made her understand that she failed.

''Okay. Now, let's go before the others start complaining,'' said Sara, not entirely convinced, and they hurried to meet their friends.

Tim was sharing the last updates of the police's search. He was running the university page, and newspaper and he always knew everything that happened there.

''So, you are telling that they know nothing.''

''Yet,'' said Tim, highlighting the word a little bit too much.

''Great, now I can sleep peacefully,'' said Sara sarcastically.

''Hey, guys, have you seen Asher?'' asked Laurel. ''I haven't seen him since the party. Is he okay?''

The others shrugged their shoulders. No one had seen him since the party, not even Tim.

''That's odd,'' said Laurel. ''He hasn't returned any of my messages, and I am getting worried.''

''Maybe he went to his parents' house,'' suggested someone.

''Yeah, maybe,'' said Laurel thoughtfully.

Asher's parents didn't approve of their son studying, instead of running the family business in their hometown. She knew how distant he was with his family, and, especially, with his sister. She had married someone because he had enough money to save the business, which at that time was at the point of bankruptcy. Asher had other plans for his future. He wanted to study and meet new people. A life in his hometown was never his dream.

For those reasons, the young woman was skeptical. Asher wouldn't have returned to his family unless it was a matter of life or death. Something bad had happened to him and, she hoped that he would find him before the worst thing could happen.

Later that night, Laurel was at her usual patrol. Everything seemed quiet. The students were still scared, and most of them didn't go around at night. It was easier for her to not worry about most of them. Her fear, though, was only increasing and her worry about Asher was more prominent than ever. She saw a pair of guys, probably drunk, talking loudly and walking strangely. She knew them. They were some idiots who only cared about drinking and messing around. They went towards the dorms, and she started walking to the other side of the campus.

It wasn't long ago when she heard footsteps. She hid in the shadows and waited while holding her breath. The sound of the footsteps kept nearing her until it reached her. She looked at the person, and she immediately recognized her friend, Asher.

''Asher!'' she exclaimed. ''Where have you been?'' She raced to him and hugged him.

The moment she did that, she understood that something was different. Asher was different. His eyes couldn't focus on her, and his tawny skin was oddly pale.

''Asher, what happened?'' she asked him carefully.

''I thought you were tired and went home,'' he managed to say.

''What? What do you mean?'' she asked, but soon she realized. He meant the party. That was two days ago. He smelled different, and she was trying to deny what her senses were telling her.

''Asher, what is the last thing you remember?''

''I... I remember the party.''

''And? Did you meet someone?''

''There was a man, he greeted me... and then....'' His eyes were blank and big as if seeing a ghost.

''Then what, Asher?'' she asked, her heart beating fast, ready to explode.

''He... I was scared, Laurel. He did bad things, terrible things,'' he muttered and started shaking.

Laurel was holding his hands, trying to steady him.

''Did he make you drink something?''

Asher didn't answer, only stared at her. He finally nodded ''yes'', as fragments of memory started showing up.

''It's okay, Ash. I'm here for you,'' she said and quickly snapped his neck.