Battle Scars

Chapter 1

                            Asher's POV
Ugh...I'm Asher Rhodes. I'm 26. I'm the alpha of my pack. Yeah, yeah. I'm young. I've heard that for years. Anyway...I've got a younger sister that lives with my parents while, I'm in a very big house with my daughter, Pixella. She's 6. Her mom was my first mate. When I became alpha, I heard the sentence...nobody wants to hear...she rejected me. She rejected me in front of our daughter. She claims she can't handle being a luna.

I wasn't going to force her into anything. She just relinquished her parental rights. She abandoned Pixella. I'm still struggling at being alpha and a dad at the same time. It's not easy. I only have my family to help me. Pixella's mom's family abandoned her too.

It's difficult for me sometimes. I hate going away on "Missions". I'm worried...I won't come back and she'll be all alone. She'll have no parents then. Scars are all over me. They're inside me and on my body. My heart has been trying to heal from my mate rejection for the past few years now.

Every time...we see her mom in public...my stomach drops. Pixella gets upset and shuts down. She won't talk for hours or days. She shuts herself off from the world. It breaks my heart.

She's a child. She should be happy. She should be running around with her friends causing trouble. Instead...she isolates herself after she sees her mom. That shit is just a whole another level of painful for me. She runs up to me when she's better.

"Hey my little butterfly. How do you feel?"

"Okay."

"Define "Okay" for me."

"I'm still sad about Clara."

"Oh sweetie....you're calling her by her name now?"

She nodded.

This is bad.

She's never called her that.

"Butterfly...I'm sorry. I-I wish, I could make you feel even more better."

She started hugging me.

"I love you daddy."

"I love you too bug."

I moved some of her long blonde hair out of her face. I started smelling something sweet.

What's that?

"Do you smell that too?"

"Smell what daddy?"

"Strawberries."

I started walking around the house.

It's getting stronger.

Evan: You're right.

"Stay inside Pixie. I'll be right back."

"But it's cold!"

"I'll be okay."

I grabbed a sweater and put it on. I opened the front door and started looking around.

"Hello? Anyone here?"

I started walking around my house. The smell got stronger. I paused and started becoming more aware of my surroundings. The smell went away.

This is strange.