Asa is running, running from her captor and everything she's known for the past two years. With her daughter in her arms and a handful of secrets, she crosses the Northern border into safety. Stay hidden. Stay Safe. That's the name of the game. But...
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Asa could smell their blood for miles. There must have been dozens of injured wolves traveling from beyond the border. It filled her with a fear she hadn't felt in days. She knew immediately that Malachi was involved in some way or another. It brought out a fresh sense of panic that had Asa turning and running back to the packhouse. She must be with Luna. He was getting closer.
Her paws hit the green earth silently, but she felt loud. She sensed a female wolf nearby, on patrol perhaps, although she made no noise to alert Asa of her presence. It only made her run faster.
No one could see her wolf. It was too dangerous. They would know instantly who she was or more accurately what she was capable of. She would not be used for her powers ever again. News of a healer in the pack with a baby would spread like wildfire and Malachi would come for her faster than she could run.
Just before she reached the clearing, she shifted, shivering.
You can help them. Her wolf growled in her ear. You have the power to end their suffering and you choose to stand on the sidelines.
Asa almost growled aloud as she reached the side door. She chose to ignore her wolf instead as her feet met the stairs.
"Asa?" Ella called uncertainly. "Is that you?"
With a confused expression, Asa met Ella's eyes at the top of the stairs. Luna was asleep peacefully in her arms, just the way she had left her. It filled Asa with a sense of relief.
"Thank you for keeping an eye on her for me-" Asa began, but Ella interrupted.
"You- you are a healer?"
Panic swept across Asa in an instant. How did she know? How could she know? Asa had been very careful not to use her powers, not to shift in view of anyone and she'd even dyed her hair before she'd escaped.
"What are you talking about?" Asa finally asked as she made it to the top of the stairs. She reached out for her daughter as if she were her lifeline.
Please, Asa thought desperately. Please don't ask me again.
"Your hair is white," Ella said incredulously. "Did you dye it before?"
Asa snatched her hands back and pulled her hair over her shoulder into view. Her heart was racing in her chest, her breath labored and uncontrollable. How could this be?
You shifted, remember? You can't hide me forever.
The words were sarcastic and bitter sounding even in Asa's own mind.
What use would it be to hide her gift now? How would she keep her daughter safe? Who would protect her? Zane? The thought made her want to scream. She would rely on no man, Alpha or not.
She'd run as far as she could run. She had planned her escape for months carefully, hoarding her supplies, building allies she could trust and endured Malachi's cruel injustices against her and others. Some who hadn't been as lucky as she had been. Anger. Fear. Frustration. Hopelessness. And at the end, determination.
She would not be in his clutches again and neither would Luna. She would stop at nothing to ensure her daughter's safety.
Asa felt Ella's free hand reach her shoulder and slide down her arm until she was touching Asa's hand. "You can trust me, Asa. If it's something you can't talk about, a secret you need me to keep, I will do it for you." She paused as Asa turned to meet her gaze. Ella's eyes were wide with compassion, her expression open, stare unwavering. "You can trust me." She said again. "But Zane needs to know."
"How could I keep this a secret now?" Asa spat bitterly. "Every time I shift, my hair will change back and I can't deny my wolf any longer." She didn't know it was true until the words came out of her mouth, but her heart swelled with the truth.
"What do I need to know?" A deep voice thundered from a distance. Asa knew it was Zane without looking below her to the bottom of the stairs. It made her shiver, her wolf purring in her head to tell him everything.
Ella released Asa's hand and bowed her head in respect. "I—"
"There are dozens of survivors from a nearby pack. Mostly women and children. You are needed at the hospital." Zane interjected coolly as he climbed the stairs.
During the time it took for Ella to hand over Luna, Asa could feel Zane's piercing eyes, scanning her, burning into her. It made her face hot with the burn of her blush.
Before a word could be spoken, the sound of the front door slamming interrupted. Holly came running up the stairs. Asa recognized her from the hospital. Her hair was thrown up in a lazy bun. She was wearing wrinkled, navy blue scrubs, a stethoscope around her neck and her eyes told the story of a deep exhaustion of more than just a physical kind.
"I'm sorry to interrupt, Alpha." She said with a bow of respect. "But you must come quickly. Miriam needs to speak with you now. She said it was urgent and she cannot leave the hospital."
Asa's heart dropped to her stomach as Holly's eyes swept over Asa. "You should come too."
Zane's eyes quickly darted to Asa. She thought she saw a flicker of fear touch his eyes, but before she could be sure he turned away.
