Obsidian Night Pack

37

"So, wait, you're telling me that Alaric nearly found out, about everything, but didn't because of some psycho warlock, that you accidentally helped escape from a life sentence? But that's not even the cherry on the cake though. Alaric became hysterical drugged you with a sedative, destroyed his office and the medical ward, and gave you like a thousand rules to follow, but you're okay with it? Because now the two of you have "talked" and he asked you on a date?"

After Alaric made me stay with him to rest, I ended up falling back asleep. It turned out that I wasn't as healed as I thought I was. Alaric left me in our room to finish off sleeping, but I woke up to a very concerned looking Ashlyn standing in front of my bed with clothes and makeup bag in hand.

"Well, when you say it like that it makes me sound crazy," I told her as I swung my legs to the floor to get up and stretch.

"You are crazy! And weird! If Sander did any of these things to me then I probably wouldn't want to go on a date with him, let alone be around him."

"Ash, I told you already, that Alaric blamed himself for what Castle did. He took it all on himself and didn't know what to do." Ash's face pinched together in disgust.

"So, he just assumed that nocking you out would be the "best" option for him?" I sighed, I didn't think Ash would understand my motives behind tolerating everything that Alaric had done to me. Mostly because she didn't have these kinds of issues with Sander.

"Ash, listen, it's my fault all of this happened and if my punishment is to have a small initiation ceremony, stay by Alaric's side and not leave the packhouse unless I'm swarmed by warriors, then I'll take it. It's better then what the alternative would be." Ash still did not seem satisfied with my explanation as to why I didn't stand my ground against Alaric.

"You mean the alternative being locked away in the pack-house for eternity.... oh wait!"

"No," I interrupted her, "I mean the part where Alaric yells at me and will never trust me again alternative." Ash sighed as she started to unpack the clothes she brought to my room for the date.

"I know telling you to "stop thinking about it" won't help. But I did tell you that it's your choice, to not tell Alaric. It's not written in stone. You can still tell him." I mused over the idea for a moment but didn't find it satisfying to tell Alaric anything. After all the trouble I'd been through and put the pack through giving up now was not worth it.

"Enough about me what happened with you and Sander?"

"Well once the word got out that you were attacked. I was scared to death, wasn't really surprised that you somehow managed to release a vile warlock to invoke wrath on the world, but that just my opinion." Ash looked back at me to see me flipping her off.

"Honestly, Clover, I was terrified," Ash paused as she reflected back on the moment, I saw her eyes filling with worry, "first it was just Sander and I talking about Bright Moon. I was so worried that he would think something was up that the whole time I couldn't calm down." Ash nervously laughed as she rubbed the back of her neck with anxiety. 

"Then the next thing I know Sander is getting a mindlink from one of the warriors that were meant to watch us. I really thought that they had caught you and in all honestly, I was about to come clean to Sander." My eyes widened with shock to find out that Ash had almost outed us, well me. It worried me, in a way it shouldn't have. It should have worried me that Ash would have gotten in trouble, not only from Sander, but by Alaric, and to a point, I did worry about it. However, I was more worried that everything would have been for nothing and that she almost ratted us out. If it were me, I know I wouldn't have said a word, which might be the most alarming thing out of it all.

"But, Sander explained that you had been attacked. I was so confused as to what could have gone so wrong in such a short amount of time, but now it all makes sense." With a vile look in her eyes, Ash glared at me. It was something that I wasn't expecting from her. 

In all of our years of friendship, Ash and I had never had an outrageous fight. We've had our heated arguments and called each other out, more than once, on our bullshit, but a yelling and screaming fight we had never done. Nor had we ever had a silent fight. When the eyes would do the talking, hold the despair or disappointment. 

"Ash, are you mad?"

"Do you have to ask?" 

"What are you mad at?! What did I do?" I laughed, which was a mistake.

"Clove, you took your own initiative to go talk to the freak of a prisoner. He lured you right into his trap and you didn't give to shits to the wind about it!" Ash yelled as she flayed her arms around her to emphasize how appalling it all was.

"Ash! I told you, Castle knew that I didn't have a wolf, he knew something was wrong. Don't you think that was a little strange?! How could I not talk to him, to see what he knew? It's not like we had people lining up out the doors to offer me information about my wolf problem."

"No, Clove, I don't think it's strange that some desperate prisoner of the Obsidian Night, who by the way was a warlock knew something about you. To which, you assumed he knew you didn't have a wolf."

"He knew!" I was stunned, usually, Ash never argued this way with me. We would sit down and say our opinions without fear of judgment from the other, but this was different. It was as if she was looking for a fight.

"Did he actually say that he knew?" 

"No, he didn't, but the way he said-"

"Oh, I'm sorry! My mistake, it was the way he "said" it. I'm so glad you risked your life on a technicality! And what's with all of these me's I thought we were both in this together?" 

"We were!" I yelled back at her. She didn't understand, she wasn't understanding. I couldn't risk her getting involved any more than she already was. I had already put her up to lying to her own mate and assisting me in stealing from our new pack. 

"We were? So what? I keep your secret, have your back these past few days, but the moment things get "too serious" on my end I'm out?"

"Ash, I'm the Luna of the pack, if I got caught, alone, it wouldn't be that bad. But you-"

"No, that's not how this friendship works. You don't just get to cut me out when you think I've had enough. I told you that Sander would understand, and I mean it. And don't even try to pull the Luna crap on me. If you're really the Luna of the Obsidian Night pack that the least you could do is start acting like it."

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Message from the author!!!

Hey, guys I just wanted to thank you all again for reading my book and apologies for the short chapter! Don't worry though there are many more to come this week! As always I just wanted to let you know how much I love writing this book and I would love to hear from you all and what you think! 

Please vote and comment or message me!

~small funny~

Something that I think you guys would find funny/ cool is that I actually base Ashlyn off of my real-life best friend. She's also the person that proofreads each chapter. For this chapter in particular she was very disappointed and sad when she read "our" imaginary fight. It upset her, now I'm making her wait to see what happens and if the fight gets resolves.