Bound by Lies & Fate

Chapter 32: Ashton

She fucking wants him; she was going to be claimed by him. I shift into my wolf and go for a run, I run as far as the forest line is and turn back into my human form. I pace back and forth. I'm getting angrier. "FUUUUCK!" I scream at the top of my lungs. "She is mine, not his!" I say to myself. I feel the presence of another wolf behind me, and I turn around and see Jax and Spencer's wolves walking slowly up to me, bowing their heads. See, this is what I want Eden to be; to bow to me, tell me to claim her, and then none of this would be a problem.

Jax and Spencer turn back into humans and just look at me, waiting for my next move. These guys are as loyal as they come. They have been my best friends since we were pups. They can tell I am not myself now. I am starting to go moon mad, and I know I'm trying to hide it, but I nearly hurt Eden at the café. I could feel her slipping away and I would have killed anyone if he took her from me.

"She wants him. Of course, she fucking wants him. He is just as strong as me. I am losing everything to that asshole!"

Jax is the first to talk "She only wants him because you haven't marked her." I look at him and growl. Wrong thing to say, my wolf is angry and grabs him and pushes him toward a tree

"She is in her prime," Jax explains.

"Jax, enough," Spencer calls to him.

"Are you willing to lose everything because of your morals?" Jax growls at me.

I push him away. I can't force her to stay, she needs to choose this. "I won't force her," I say to the ground. Spencer is the first to speak from our minute of silence

"We know. You need to tell her everything. She will choose you, but you are holding back."

I smell smoke in the distance, both Jax and Spencer smell the same thing. We all shift quickly and start running towards the fire. We shift back to humans as we see the part of the whisky plant in flames. I see people run out of the building. It looks like one of the silos is on fire, and there are wolves everywhere trying to grab water. As we are instructing people to safety, I see Lexi run out of the plant and into the forest. I run after her and catch up to her quickly. I pull her up and push her into a tree. Being naked isn't an issue around her right now. I am livid and I am struggling not to control my wolf to not rip her neck open. She squirms in my arms. I hear Spencer come up behind me and growl.

"I didn't do it". She shouts.

I growl in her face. "Why are you running, then?"

"Because," She looks worried. I smell fear on her.

"Because why?" I growl in her face.

"I don't want to see you – I am humiliated by you picking that half-breed, and I knew I shouldn't be here, But I heard them talking and wanted to warn my friends". My anger towards her grows as she says "half breed."

I push her further into the tree "Who?!" I shout in her face.

"I can't tell you."

I shout louder "Lexi, I am close to ripping your throat out, and right now, I could easily pin this fire on you. What do you know?"

She sighs into my face. "Is she better than me? A better Luna?" I grow tired of her games

"This is not the time, Lexi. Tell us what you know," Spencer replies behind me. I can see her face waiting for my response.

"Yes, Lexi she is my Luna. I pick her." I see her face drop and I know she is defeated.

"My dad and some other guy I saw before, a bald guy who is a wolf". Bald wolf? Drake's security guy. "They mentioned that everything is in place and that you will lose all the businesses, the plant, and her – Eden."

I growl, not directing my anger at her, but she knows that I am angry just the same "What else?."

"That's all, I swear! I wanted to warn my friends and tell them to ask for a job change. I knew I couldn't go back to the bar either."

"How do I know I can trust you, huh? How do I know that you aren't in with him?"

"I was, at first. He told me that he is securing my status, that I would be Luna. But I can't compete with her. She is a better Luna than me; everyone knows it. I know it". I can see her face fall. She is upset, and in most moments, I would console her, but this is not the time. I walk before I say something that I will regret.

"Amos, I knew it" Spencer gets me out of my thoughts.

"Bring him in, we need a chat with him".

Spencer runs off into the distance, I realize that I am standing there looking at my mill naked. The fire is contained. It helps that we have a few pack members in the fire department so they got here quickly. I know that this isn't the last of Drake's threats.

I need to make my move. I need to take Eden as mine and remove him from my life.