Chapter 32: Chapter 32: Heal

Rose

I rub my eyes, feeling drained and exhausted even though the day has only begun. But because I met with Asher during the day, I’ve been awake for hours before the rest of my Clan usually wakes up and gets their day started.

Not that I need much sleep, but I’ve been more tired than usual these last few weeks. I can’t pretend that all the stress from the situation with him isn’t the culprit because it probably is.

Just another reason I should cut him out of my life. That’d be the rational thing to do.

But I already know I won’t. How could I?

“Rose! Rose!”

I jolt in my seat. Who is that?

Whoever it is is pounding on my door, almost so hard it could break.

“Fucking hell,” I mutter, rushing to the door. “Who is it?”

I whip the door open, ready to chew someone out for disturbing me and ignoring the sign in front of the door once again!

That’s how all my problems started, didn’t it? An unwanted visitor was pounding on my door and disturbing my peace.

“Margaery?” I ask, shocked. I wouldn’t have imagined the other Black Opal sister would be on my territory, given our precarious situation. “What’re you doing here? Isn’t it kind of late for you guys?”

“Please! It’s Asher!”

“Huh?” I ask, leaning against the doorframe casually as I cross my arms over my chest, hiding my concern. As far as I know, Asher hasn’t told anyone about our friendship. “You mean the Alpha?”

“Cut the bullshit!” She sputters. “I know you two have been seeing each other, but I can’t get into all of that right now! He is badly hurt. I was able to get him to the cabin-”

“How do you know about the cabin?” I exclaim. “And who hurt him? What happened?”

“Not important!” She shouts. “He needs a healer! Someone good and someone discreet! Can you help?”

I bite my lip, dragging my fingers through my hair.

What’s wrong with Asher? How was he hurt?

“How badly are we talking?” I ask.

“Rose, I wouldn’t be here begging for your help if it wasn’t really bad.”

“Alright, alright,” I reply, rushing inside toward my phone. “I’ll call someone and be at the cabin in a few minutes. Go watch over him, and I’ll find someone.”

“Thank you!” She cries with relief. “Thank you! Thank you!”

I ignore her praise, too focused on getting help for Asher.

Is that why I felt that punch in the gut feeling earlier? Did I have a premonition that he was going to be hurt? Or did I feel it as it was happening?

How is that possible?

“Hello?”

I’m taken aback by the voice on the other end of the line. I forgot I dialed. God, my mind is all over the place right now.

“Hey, I need to ask you a favor. Can you be at the location I’m about to send you ASAP?”

“For what?” He asks, yawning. “Y’know, most other creatures sleep at this hour.”

“You owe me!”

“I don’t owe you shit, Rose,” he sputters back, scoffing.

“You pretended to be my long-lost brother to get information on me!” I growl into the phone, already fed up with his antics. “And the only reason I kept your number after I found out is because I knew I might be able to get a favor out of you one day!”

“Alright, alright. Fair enough,” he says with a sigh. “What do you need?”

“One of my friends is badly hurt,” I explain, keeping it vague. “He needs someone to heal him discreetly.”

“Shit, the location you sent me is close to Black Opal and River Run,” he mutters. “I-I don’t know if I can.”

“Do I need to remind you of the hell you put me through?” I guilt-trip, trying to pull at what few heartstrings he has. “Seriously, I need your help!”

“Okay, okay, okay!” He replies with an annoyed groan as I hear some shuffling. “I’ll be there in a few minutes.”

“Perfect,” I reply, letting out a breath I didn’t know I was holding.

“Is there something else you want to say?” He teases, and I can practically see his stupid smirk through the phone.

Part of me wishes it were true, the lie he told me two years ago. It turned a lot of heads when I became Clan Leader at only nineteen, not having been in that Clan, or any clan, at all. But he turned up a few months before I turned twenty, claiming to be my half-brother. He even mentioned my mother, the real one, by name, which gave his story some weight.

I still don’t know how he figured that out or who he worked for. Part of me still struggles to parse out what was real and what was all an act regarding our friendship. When I found out the truth, which had only taken me a few months, I was hurt. My longing for family is a sore subject, and he twisted the knife.

Despite feeling a genuine connection with him, the betrayal was too much to bear. So, I forced him out of my life.

Part of me is sad, though… Sad that it couldn’t have been real.

But that doesn’t matter now. I need to appease him because I need his help. So, I throw on the most sugar-sweet tone I can muster.

“Thank you, Dante.”

The knot in my stomach only tightens, almost to the point where it couldn’t possibly be unwraveled, as I draw closer and closer to the cabin.

My superior hearing means I can hear his screams and moans of pain from a distance, making it harder and harder for me to walk through that door and see what state he’s in. But I know he needs me.

So I run as fast as I can.

I’m at his side in seconds, my hands shaking and eyes widening in horror as I survey his back, torn to shreds. I-I don’t think there’s one patch of intact skin any longer. He looks like he’s been through a meat grinder, blood dripping down his sides and onto the floor.

Margaery has him lying on his stomach on the table, a pillow under his face that he’s using as a muffle for his screams.

“Oh my God!” I scream, the cry ripping through my throat. “Ash! What happened?”

He turns his head to the side, looking at me as he screws his eyes shut, passing out. His body relaxes, his breathing slow.

“He’s been going in and out of consciousness,” Margaery explains. “Did you get a healer?”

“Yes, he’ll be here soon,” I answer, reaching for Asher’s limp hand and taking it in mine. I sit next to him, bringing his knuckles to my lips.

“Margaery, what happened to him?” I croak, tears rolling down my cheeks. “She did this, didn’t she?” I add, spite dripping from my words.

Margaery nods, her hands on her hips. “He was trying to leave her today,” she explains. “I don’t know what happened before that; he’ll have to tell you. But he was packing a bag to leave, and she wasn’t going to allow that.”

“Fuck,” I hiss. “Wh-What do we do? Maybe he can stay here? Does she know about the cabin?”

“I don’t think so,” Margaery answers. “I only know because I know Asher better than anyone. I’ve known about this cabin for some time. I came here once to see if he was here after he’d been gone for a while since I was worried. I saw you two together.”

I press my lips in a line, turning away.

“Don’t feel embarrassed,” she says. “I don’t blame him for seeking comfort given who he is mates with.” She pauses, taking a deep breath. “But to answer your other question. No, he can’t stay here.”

“Why?” I ask.

“She has his family,” she explains. “That’s why his back is like this. She made up that his three younger brothers had stolen from multiple businesses, and she was going to flog them publicly. She wanted to show him that even if she had no control over him anymore, she had control over his family. Which means he’s trapped here. He took the lashings for them.”

“My God,” I whisper, shaking my head in disbelief. “I-I can’t even imagine. Wh-What’s he going to do? He can’t go back there!”

“Who knows what she’ll do to his family if he isn’t back tomorrow,” Margaery answers softly. “I have to return once the healer gets here to ensure she doesn’t send people out to look for him.”

“It can’t be safe for you either,” I insist. “Get his family together, and all of you come here. I can house you on my territory somehow.”

“I can’t,” she says, sounding dejected. “She’s got his family on surveillance; she’ll know if I go there to get them. Besides, I can’t leave my pack with her. Not with how insane she’s getting.”

“I understand,” I whisper, knowing that if I were in her shoes, I wouldn’t be able to leave my people in the hands of a lunatic either. “But things can’t go on the way they are.”

“I know,” she answers. “But we can figure that out later. What’s important is that Asher gets the help he needs.”

“He will,” I assure her. “The healer should be here any minute now. Why don’t you get back and make sure she doesn’t find him? I’ll stay with him and make sure he’s alright.”

Margaery nods, brushing herself off. “Alright. J-Just make sure he gets back to Black Opal tomorrow morning.”

“I have a feeling he’ll know he has to,” I answer. “It’ll be a matter of if I have the strength to let him go.”

She rests her hand on my shoulder. “I’m glad he has someone who genuinely loves him.”

My eyes widen, and I stutter, “I-I didn’t say th-that!”

“I can see it in your eyes,” she says with a small smile. “It’s not a bad thing. He needs all the love he can get.”

I sigh, biting my lip, his face still slack, my hands tightly wrapped around his.

I kiss his knuckles again.

“I’ve got to get going,” she says, breaking the silence. “I’m sure we’ll see each other again soon.”

“We will,” I assure her as she nods, turning and exiting the cabin. Headed for a feeding frenzy, I’m sure.

I feel awful for her.

My worst fears are true, and my stomach lurches. All the hell I gave Asher earlier feels so stupid now, given what he’s been dealing with. No wonder he’s hidden things from me. He was probably trying to shield me from the truth.

I kiss his cheek and whisper in his ear, even though I don’t know if he can hear, “I’m here, Ash. I’m right here. I’m not going anywhere.”

“My friend, my ass,” I hear from behind me, followed by a scoff.

I roll my eyes, whipping my head over my shoulder. “Took you long enough!”

He smiles, his bright blue eyes shining through the darkness of the dimly lit cabin.

He grimaces when he looks at Asher’s back. “Fuck, that is gnarly.”

“Can you help him?” I ask.

“I’ll make it look like nothing ever happened to him,” he says, his voice devoid of snarkiness this time as he rests his hand on my shoulder. “He’ll be alright. Don’t worry.”

“And there’s no catch?” I plea. There is almost always some price to pay when it comes to Dante, at least from the little I know. He’s shrouded in mystery, and I haven’t entirely parsed what is true and what was a lie.

“No catch,” he promises. “I owe you this, Rose. This will hurt, so hold his hand and be there for him. I’ve got the rest.”

“Alright,” I whisper, gripping Asher’s hand even tighter.

“Ready?” Dante asks.

I nod, keeping my eyes on Asher’s face. “I’m right here, Ash. I’m right here.”

His eyes shoot open as Dante begins his work, letting out a pained scream as he squeezes my hand back, his face shoved into the pillow as he wails, banging the table with his other fist.

My heart breaks, practically ripped out of my chest, as I watch the man I love writhe in pain.

This is going to be a long night.