Chapter 37

Ashira's POV

An hour and a half ago...

"Go! Run, fast, Luce!"

My heartbeat is drumming like crazy. I can't sense Jacob but I can feel Aiden was around. Seth must distract them or else- well, neither way will be worse. But I choose that my best buddy won't suffer more than she's already experiencing.

Whatever it is.

Lucianna ran past me, getting her quickest pace. I knew she feel the frustration and this nerving situation right now.

I can see the North border with my enhanced sight. Two-no- three guards were there.

Shit.

Maybe I could distract them?

I was about to run faster and reaching to set there first but suddenly, I was on air!

"What the-"

"Hm, scent of Aiden. You're coming with me."

He's carrying me like I'm a sack of cotton and weigh none at all! Who is this guy!?

It's dark and I can't see him because I'm faced with his back. I'm literally carried like a sack of rice on his shoulder!

"Let me go! Who the fuck are-"

Before I could say more, we stopped.

What the fuck.

I looked around. There's no one I can sense. Not one soul. Where are we?

"Get in there." he pointed towards a mini cave under a huge tree and I just eyed it with knotted forehead before bringing my eyes to him.

I saw a tall man with bulky broad shoulders. He looked young. Maybe around Aiden's age. His voice is deep and commanding. His eyes are dark and deep which emphasize his pointed nose.

I'm not sure but I think he's familiar. It's weird but his eyes looked like Aiden's but Aiden's eyes are darker and more serious than his.

"Who are you?"

He sighed and scratched his nape as he tilt his head.

"Just get inside the cave and I'll tell you. My time is limited and there's no space for trust earning, Luna."

I eyed him for a long moment and didn't spoke a word.

He looked desperate. Frustrated. I'm not sure but there's hope and definitely lacking of fear.

Does he not fear that Aiden might come after him if he do anything to me?

"I won't harm you." He said in a deep stern voice that didn't justify his phrase at all.

I took a step back.

"I'm not too friendly with strangers."

He sighed, looked around and it seems like he's trying to sense the surrounding. I tried but my senses are still acting weird and still on Aiden-only-focus.

"Fine. I'm Zeke. I'm a rogue but I won't hurt you. I just want to talk."

"Wow. Like that was enough. I don't want a talk with you-"

"Your mate denied to have a peaceful conversation with me so my mother and I decided to reach out to you." He cut, completely ignoring my protest.

I crossed my arms around my chest and arched an eyebrow at him. Why's he bringing his mother in this situation? What is he, a child?

"If Aiden don't like the talk then I'm not-"

"Listen, I have an hour. Less, now. I don't know if you heard about my mother, her name is Zynia. I'm not sure if you heard her in your generation but she's..."

My mind stopped listening to his phrase when I heard the word Zynia.

Did he just mentioned the famous stealer, Zynia, as his mother?

This guy...

Zeke?

I'm sure he hadn't heard that Aiden's mate is a stealer. That I am a stealer. No one from the outside of my circle of friends knew about it. Even Lucy had no idea about it.

A minute passed and I tried to play safe yet my mind urges me to trust this man.

He better be sure he's not playing games with me! Fuck!

But...

How can I be sure?

I'm not certain but I had a feeling that I needed to listen. Heck, if he really is Zynia's son then we need not to search for her anymore! His son is here! In front of me.

I held my hands up in the air to stop his words that I no longer understand. He did stop talking but grunt a bit from my gesture.

Okay, he have a bit of temper.

"Fine. I'll hear you out. But if in any way that you try and hurt me, I swear to-"

"I won't. Now, can you drink half of this?"

He reached for his pocket and showed me a little bottle with red liquid inside. My forehead creased as I looked in it.

"Are you trying to poison me?"

He grunt again and started loosening the bottle's cap. "If I want to kill you, I could tear you into half right now. Or crack your neck, but I haven't." he said with nothing but sarcasm.

When I made no move, he started groaning in frustration then he drank the liquid, gulping had of it before he handed me the rest.

I looked at the mini bottle and it was left with less than half of the red fluid now.

"Oh, fuck." he said and my eyes darted to him. He looked problematic and I'm knotting my forehead with every confusion about what the hell was happening.

"Listen. This potion will help me buy some time talking with you without being tracked. It will conceal us both. Now, drink this before they found you. I over drank some and the rest will only function for an hour. Go on and drink it!"

I'm not sure if he's telling the truth but this is definitely not a poison. He drank most of it.

With uncertainty, I reached for the bottle and gulped every drop of liquid left. It tastes like rain and herbs but I felt nothing.

"Good. Now, let's use the cave to hide."

He walked towards it first and I slowly followed. Everything around me is dark now.

"I'm losing my sight." I said in a panic.

"No, that's the potion's doing. It ceases your enhanced senses so what you're feeling right now is the normal sight of a human. The effect will serve for an hour."

I growled. This is how humans sees at night? Damn. It's too dark! No wonder they got flashlights and such.

He moved fast and now, we're both seated facing each other in like two meters away.

"What's your name?"

His face is emotionless. Like he's not interested in our conversation a bit.

I cleared my throat and met his ice-cold eyes. "Ashira."

He nodded. " Well, I'll cut the chase and get straight to the point. Will that be okay?"

I nodded. "I'm sure I got questions."

"I can't promise we'll have time for that but whatever I can answer within the time allotted, I will."

I slowly nodded my head. Suddenly, I feel like the time was slowed and confusingly, I felt safe.

"This will be hard to understand if you're without knowledge of stealers and -"

"I know everything about it. Your mother's story, too." I said, cutting his words that may save us time.

He stopped talking and looked at me like he's studying my face as if I was lying.

This guy has trust issues. And for someone who's asking for my trust, he sure don't mirror the same.

"That's better. Well then, I'm the son of Zynia and Zeuracious. Familiar with the names?" He continued and arched an eyebrow as he said the question.

I only nodded because every fucking time that I'll speak, the crease on his forehead turns deep and deeper.

"Okay. This talk will end faster than it should be." he looked me straight in the eyes and his expression is too serious than I can feel the intensity of his gaze from the dark. "I need your help. Aiden refuses to talk with me and he's yet to know who I am. The last time, I enjoyed toying with him and ended pissing him off. But now, my mother is ill and I need his help."

I stopped myself from snorting but I feel like this man does not know how to 'ask for help'.

At all.

I sighed. Well, I'm the one who can understand better than this rude-tempered rogue. Right? I'll just let this go since as far as I can think of, I have no choice.

"How could I help then?"

He sighed. "I'm his cousin. I need you to tell him that we're related. Your pack elder knew this but he thinks Aiden would think he's betraying the pack if he'll be the one to convince him so I came to you."

Pack elder knew- what? I've been at Prime for days but I haven't met the pack elder. Ugh. I'll just shrug this topic off for now.

"That's it?"

"Listen, this is important. My mother is deadly sick and it's because of Jorhia's curse. The only thing that can cure her is Zeuracious' blood."

My forehead knotted and I tilt my head on the side as I narrow my eyes at him. Did I heard him right?

"Are you forgetting you're his son? Or was that a lie?"

If he needed his father's blood, then he got it on hi fucking nerve!

He made a 'tsk' sound and I can see how irritated he was when he rolls his eyes. Ohh-kay?

"My blood won't do because it's mixed with my mother's. Aiden is the only relative left and his blood is what we need."

Like hell I'll know that his blood wont work for Zynia! Ugh! This guy is frustrating. I'm angered but somehow, I just sighed and shrugged it again.

"Aiden is hard to please. I'm not sure he'll help you at all." I started to say. Thats true though.

Knowing him? Ugh. I can only imagine what he'll say.

He sighed and opened his mouth to speak but I utter another phrase.

"But I'll try. I'll tell him what you told me though I'm not certain of the chance that he'll agree. Or even believe..."

I'm not even lying. I promised I won't butt in with Aiden's decisions but I think I'll make an exception for this one.

I'm a stealer and if this Zeke is what he's claiming to be, then I need to see his mother. Alive and safe from whatever curse that evil bad kind gave.

"That's enough for me. If he won't agree, I'll go the hard way. I only need his blood, I could get it with a scratch."

"Are you crazy? You're telling those things about my mate to ME? I thought you meant no harm."

"I'm not saying I could win over him. But I could manage a few wounds to make him bleed."

"Before you could do that, you're already dead. Don't you dare-"

"I'm only saying. That's the least plan I'd like to take if ever he won't approve so let's hope he will."

I sighed. Ugh. Why does he had to spout some nonsense threat-like phrases? That freaked me out!

"How will you know his response? You got a phone or something so I can reach you?"

He shook his head then looked away.

"If he agrees, tell him to meet me at the same spot we first, uh, talk. The day after tomorrow."

I went silent and various thoughts flowed inside my head like water. Its too crazy.

Am I doing the right thing?

If ever Aiden agrees and both of them met, I'm sure Aiden won't be harmed. The only wolf I could see bleeding in their picture is Zeke. If ever.

"Okay..."

Suddenly, my head started spinning and Zeke seems to be like a hologram. What the fuck?!

I feel like I jug a lot of alcohol from how my head is spinning right now.

"I-My head..."

"Wha-Fuck. That's the side effect of the potion. This is sooner than what it supposed to be."

"What? W-W-What will happen to me?"

"You'll pass out soon. I need to sneak you near the ancestral."

"What? Why-"

"No more questions. Just remember every words I said, Luna."

Everything turned dark.

Present...

"We'll talk tomorrow."

I groaned from how his voice came out stern and firm like what he said was final. And it shouldn't!

The pack doctor already left and everyone awaits downstairs. As I expected, nothing was wrong with me. I felt no pain or anything aside from a slight lost of my five senses. But that must be the potion Zeke gave me.

And what I did not expect is how Aiden would react with the news I said. And his resistance is annoying me!

"Didn't I made it clear that this can't wait for tomorrow?" I said, pulling myself up to sit so my gaze could level with his.

He clenched his jaw as he watched me with those golden-brown eyes which now a shade darker.

"Lay. Down."

"No! I'm perfectly fine! And you're being unreasonable. He is your cousin! The son of Zynia. The stealer that could help us know more of-"

"How sure were you?" he shot a question that made me run riddles and silenced my thoughts. What!

Oh yes, why am I so sure? I didn't had any doubt as I was talking to Zeke. I believed him. I just do.

And now as Aiden asked me that, its like everything dawned to me. What the fuck was I thinking?

"Trust no one, Ashira. You mentioned a potion, that must've gotten into your head."

I kept silent. I know his words made sense but a part of me strongly insists on considering Zeke's good intentions.

All I can remember is that I was snatched while I was running behind Lucy. I didn't know how it happen because it's too fast and Zeke held me strong in his arms as he carried me away to West.

"I'm not sure..." I said after a long while of silence. "He said the potion was to conceal our presence. I don't think he's harmless. He drank it, too."

He knotted his forehead and tilt his head to the side. "Tomorrow, Ashira." He said in a deep, raspy sexy voice.

My inner self immediately adored his perfect jawline and oh God, that voice! I'm being distracted again!

I hate myself right now that I'm feeling this way like I'm famished but not for food. Definitely not for food.

Focuuus! You got something important to say, Ashira!

But I can't at all. I'm already fuming my libido and the sight of his handsome face and chiseled body only added the fire. Not just that, even the sexy moments we shared came to me like flood. It made me boil even more.

I saw how his forehead creased even more. Oh, fuck. Fuck. Fuck. He caught the scent!

He smirked and closed his eyes tight as he bow his head then looked at me through his lashes. Oh, damn. Can this man be less attractive? My head is not on its right track!

"Are you trying to seduce me right now?" He said in a playful tone and my cheeks flared red!

"I'm not!"

He smiled sheepishly and shook his head again. Damn! I'm the one being seduced right now and its not even his intention to make me feel this way!

Aiden bit his lower lip and tilt his head to the side again. Oh fuck. Another sight of his perfect side view face and perfect nose!

And my head screams something like 'I'll bite your lip for you!'

I'm fucked.

"You're tempting but that won't work on me right now, Ash. We'll talk about the Rogue tomorrow. For now, I need you to rest."

I groaned loudly and kicked my foot on the poor carpeted floor.

My eyes caught him biting his lip and fighting a smile and I frowned more.

"Fine!"

"Mm-hmm. Let's get you to bed now."

Oh, Aiden. There's only one thing I'd like to do in bed right now.