Chapter 15

Here's an early update!!!

Sorry if I'm being quite inactive! I have my exams until the end of June but I'll still definitely update, but it might take me a bit longer.

Anddddd.... we've reached 2k!!!I cannot thank all of you enough,

Thank you for all of your support, Enjoy❤️

~~~~~~

My eyes fluttered open, and I primarily became aware to the intensity of sunlight filtering through windows to the right of me.

I was in a small room, adorned with hippy decorations on the walls and a cute little kitchen painted light blue like the sky.

I was lain on a single bed, with thin, bright bedsheets enveloping me.

Throwing them off, I swung my legs over onto the white wooden floorboards and noticed my suitcase propped against the pastel yellow door.

Almost instinctively, i peered down at my attire and smelt my shirt. As i thought, there was an aroma of food grease and sweat staining the material.

In disgust, I wandered over to my bag and thrust it open, the contents spilling out onto the floor as I flicked through the clothes.

Perspiration was tickling my brows, tendrils of heat seeping through the house, a clear indicator of the humid atmosphere awaiting me.

In consideration of that factor, I wiggled into a bikini, because a girl always needs to be prepared, and threw on a white lace mini dress with sunglasses and sandals.

Feeling ready to conquer the world, I pulled the door open, however, stumbled as I peered out onto the view in front of me.

That little liar!

A beautiful, tropical beach shone like a dazzling jewel in dark mud, the turquoise waters begging me to wander into them and survey the unique marine life. Even the sand was stunning. It was the purest of white and ivories, mixed together into a bright, enticing bundle of starlight.

Stepping forward, I immediately felt the suns rays bombarding my body, scorching my skin.

The sand felt like a warm bath, enveloping my feet as I staggered forward slowly, taking in the atmosphere around me.

Palm trees surrounded the beach hut and lined the beach as far as I could see. Other houses were nowhere in sight, and civilisation seemed lost in that moment.

Well, apart from 2 figures congregated by the waves. I could only just make out that they were men from where I stood, and I was pretty sure I saw Asher.

With that knowledge, I trundled over, the wind lightly blowing my dress up, my hair flying through to the rhythm of the gusts of lukewarm air, cooling my skin.

As I edged closer, Asher's head whipped around, as if he sensed my presence. He temporarily discarded his conversation with the unknown man, and kept his eyes firmly on mine, with something like delight sparking in his grey depths.

I wandered up to Asher's steady form and instinctively edged my body close to his as I peered at Asher's acquaintance; the help our pack needed.

He truly was like nothing I'd even seen. He had short, fluffy, pastel pink hair with highlights of turquoise, styled in a messy quiff.

He appeared to be in his mid-20s, and his unique golden eyes stood out in contrast to his dark skin.

"I'm Laurent. You must be Rose, it's a pleasure to meet you" He spoke, a light French accent protruding through his otherwise perfect English.

"Nice to meet you too", I smiled up at the quirky form in front of me, and shook his hand adorned in rings in greeting.

"Where are we?" I asked him in complete awe, as my head surveyed the beautiful landscape for the hundredth time.

"This, my dear, is paradise" he grinned devilishly, his golden eyes like molten  copper, crinkling in bliss.

He knew that's not what I meant, but I didn't bother to ask again, my body quaked in anticipation of uncovering the plan Asher no doubt struck Laurent with at his first opportunity.

"Can you help us?" I inquired, looking up at him with hope in my eyes.

He threw me a conflicted look.

"Ash, are you sure about this?" He glared up at the large male next to me, who, surprisingly, had been quiet for the past few minutes.

"She's ready. I know she wants to find you. But it depends on you, are you ready to have her and to leave this life you've built for yourself?"

"This is no life, my friend" he clapped Asher back, a sullen look on his face.

"As long as your ok with this" Asher declared firmly, his worry shining through his voice.

"The amount you've done for me Ash, it's the least I could do"

He spoke with a strained smile and anyone could tell that he was nervous.

"She will accept you, don't worry" I heard Asher whisper into Laurents ear as they hugged.

Who was this mysterious 'She'? I thought, my detective side emerging.

"Anyway" Laurent cleared his throat, "stay here for tonight and we will head off tomorrow morning, I know you haven't had any sleep Ash and I want you both to experience the island for a night!" He exclaimed with a deep, easy laugh.

"Where to first?" I looked up at him, excitement and laughter In my eyes.

"Let's snorkel! The fish and coral in this sea is amazing!" Laurent exclaimed, as he began unbuttoning his top and throwing his shorts off.

"This will be brilliant! I'm so excited" I squealed, flipping my sandals and sunglasses off, throwing them onto the sand.

I was just about to lift my dress off when Asher released a throaty growl.

Laurent, who was only steps away, simply laughed it off. He and Asher must be really good friends if he didn't back down to him.

"My friend, I have a mate. You know this. So, let's go!" He shouted merrily, his French accent laced into his words.

"Asher, stop, it's fine." I spoke softly in an attempt to calm him. If anything, self consciousness was blossoming within me. I bare no resemblance to a supermodel, my stomach is not flat by any means- most likely from my love of sugar, and I have a non-existent thigh gap, and the smallest breasts imaginable.

With shaky breaths, I waited until both the men were in the water, splashing salt water at each other, to throw off my dress and run into the Luke-warm water.

My nervousness only ceased when the water was lapping above my breasts, and I knew that my stomach and lower body was out of sight.

"Oh god, we forgot to get the snorkelling equipment" I mentally face palmed myself for my forgetfulness.

"Honey, I got this" Laurent smirked confidently from in front of me. I could feel Asher's hot breathes against my neck and his body from behind me, which only made my one breath hitch in my throat.

Before I could comprehend, Laurent thrust his hands out of the water, cupping them. He had a glassy- layer covering his eye, and looking down, I saw sparks flutter between both of his hands before a large flash erupted, and 3 snorkels were piled in his hands.

"There we go" he said merrily, handing them out to us.

I took mine, my mouth opened In bewilderment.

"You...yo...ur...wh..wha..-" I spluttered.

"I'm an enchanter, sweetheart. Now close your pretty mouth before flies start nesting in there and let's go snorkelling!"

~~~

It was amazing. Probably one of the best experiences of my life; one of the those unshakable memories which are too unique and brilliant to ever be lost in the cavities of my mind.

As we emerged from the ocean, the sun was setting, and the palm trees were silhouetted against the red sky. Asher remained close to me, like he had for the whole day, no more than arms distance away. Maybe he was nervous because we were in a new place?

I don't know really. This past week i had especially honed my boxing and defence skills in the training class. I was a fast learner, and was already feeling confident in myself if anything were to ever happen, I would be able to protect myself. Don't get me wrong, I still hadn't bested Asher yet, but a victory was in the near future, I could feel it.

"There's this beautiful beach restaurant on the other side of the island, so I've booked us in for some dinner"

My rumbling stomach rejoiced at the news.

"I thought you lived in complete solitude" I joked, nudging his arm teasingly.

"Ha. The locals just couldn't resist my charm. They practically begged me to live here. I think there's only 100 people ish living here, so I've got to know everyone.They don't communicate with the modern world anyway, this place is vintage if vintage dates back to the caveman era"

I laughed out, my stomach bouncing up and down as i smiled in amusement.

"I'll meet you in 20 minutes, you better be ready!" He shouldn't before flashing off when we reached the beach hut I was sleeping in earlier.

"Is this not his house?" I asked Asher, my eyebrows furrowing in confusion.

"No, this is something he created for us when we arrived this morning"

"Wow" I exclaimed, impressed at the skills Laurent possessed. It must be amazing to be an enchanter!

But also lonely my subconscious countered.

As we traipsed In, I noticed another door near the bed, which most likely lead to the bathroom.

"I'm gonna go for a shower" I shouted, peering behind momentarily only to find Asher staring at me with a sultry look in his eyes. He lunged over to me slowly, as if dragging out the tension steaming between us.

Goddamn mate bond I sneered mentally, although my body did nothing to prevent it.

He stopped only inches away from me, and I was forced to drag my head upwards in order to look at him in the eyes.

"You're so beautiful" he whispered to himself, but my ears caught on and a blush spread across my cheeks.

"I want you to know how sorry I am for everything before. You didn't deserve it and I'm sorry. It won't happen again" he spoke sincerely.

And he meant it. I could tell. By the sad look in his grey depths, to the way his mouth turned down in worry.

I suppose in that moment I decided he was worthy of my forgiveness.

"Okay" I croaked out, "never do that to me again. Never make me feel weak like that. Never hurt me again. Never make me feel worthless like that-" I sobbed on the final part, tears pooling in my eyes as Asher leant down and swooped me up into a large hug. My whole body was cradled in his as I cried into his shirt while he silently caressed me, rubbing my back in warmth.

When all of my tears had dried up, I lifted my head up and peered down to Asher, who brought his hands up to swipe the moisture off my cheeks.

A bubble of laughter arose within me, as I sniffled

"god I'm so emotional" I muttered, half-embarrassed.

He removed my hands, which were covering my face, and simply whispered, "it's ok", which sent a bundle of warmth through me.

I allowed myself to revel in our intimate position for one more moment before slightly reluctantly peeling my body away from his, and edging towards the bathroom.

I leaned against the door when I got there, looking back at Asher who was simply staring at me, his eyes radiating endless emotions.

"Thank you" I croaked out, knowing full well he would hear me due to his werewolf abilities.

"No, thank you" I heard, or at least thought I heard, as I closed the bathroom door. He spoke the words so quietly I assessed whether they were a figment of my imagination or not.

I showered in record time, mainly due to my hunger and excitement to explore the island further, and I pushed what happened with Asher earlier to the back of my mind. I felt satisfied, a feeling i hadn't felt in a while, mainly because I felt like Asher and I had received closure. And maybe, just maybe, we could have a better relationship.

I wrapped a towel around my body and decided to let my hair dry naturally.

As I emerged, I saw Asher lain down on the bed in a fresh set of clothes.

"Did you not have a shower?" I asked in mock disgust. Gosh, I've gone a week plus without a shower multiple times , who am I to judge.

"Yeah I did actually" he laughed, "There's an outside shower".

"That is beyond good to know" I feigned relief as I bounced over to my suitcase and filtered through my clothes options.

"Urghhhhh" I murmured in anger, as I was unable to find anything to wear.

"Here," Asher came up from behind me, his hand circling my bare back as his front pressed into my back. I held my  breath as my heart rate exceeded the healthy limit.

"Wear this" he breathed, passing me a black maxi skirt and long sleeved flowy black lace top.

"Not bad Bronzy, not bad indeed"

"I'm rather good at Fashion, you see, but my favourite outfit includes.....a lack of clothes" he murmured into my skin as I bit my lip so a moan wouldn't escape.

"Let's go let's go!" Laurent slammed the door open, "Ahhhh oh god oh god, my eyes are closed I swear"

As soon as the door opened, Asher twisted his body in front of mine protectively, but most likely due to my near-naked state. I wrapped that towel tighter up my body.

"Give me 5 minutes please" I peered over Asher to look at Laurents frozen form. He looked scared to death, most likely because of the deadly look Asher was giving him.

"5 minutes. Yep. Take all the time you need. But hurry up I'm starving"

The door slammed behind him in time with the sexual tension between Asher and I.

As I turned around to look at him, he was looking directly at me.

Practically in unison, we burst out laughing. The kind of tears-streaming-down-your-face and my-stomach-aches kind of laugh.

"I'll leave you to get dressed" he smiled in amusement, waiting outside the hut no doubt giving Laurent a few choice words.

Rapidly, I threw on the clothes and peered at myself in the mirror, pleased with my appearance, before greeting the cold wind and the 2 men watching the darkened waves hit the sand.

"Let's go boys" I shouted, marvelling when they both turned around and obeyed me.

"Right little Luna you are" Laurent snaked his arm around my head, messing up my hair.

Pushing him off, I moved my eyes off Laurent and visually searched for Asher.

"I'm here" he whispered into my ear smoothly, sending tingles down my spine.

I felt like we were 2 sides of the same coin, and we just bonded with each other on every level possible.

But would this all crumble when we went back to the pack?

What if he decides he just doesn't....want me anymore?

Don't get connected I repeated in my head over and over again in a hope to try and implant that impression into my mind and believe it.

I couldn't help these securities that blossomed within me, and I felt like when we took 2 steps forward, I contributed to those 4 steps back.

Maybe I should just forget all of these stupid notions, and finally trust somebody. I suppose trust is one of those difficult things for me, mainly because of my dad. He doesn't even deserve that title, he's never been a father figure to me; just a disgusting low life.

"Rose? Let's go!" Laurent shoved my arm, pulling me back into reality.

"Yeah, yeah, sorry." I replied, still a little bit out of it.

"Everything ok?" Asher asked, looking down at my face, as if looking for any signs of negativity.

"Fine" I conjured up my most reassuring smile. But I knew he could see through it. Despite this, he didn't push it, respecting my privacy.

And I respected him for that.

"I can't be bothered to walk. So everyone gather, join hands and i will portal us there"

"Lazy" I commented with an amused smile.

We complied, and I closed my eyes, waiting for us to be transported. All I felt was a splash of electricity buzz through my veins before opening my eyes and being greeted with a small beachside bar. It was not modern by any standards, but it had alcohol and a food menu so it was good enough for me.

As we wandered up, the buzz of voices grew louder and more welcoming.

"Laurent. Tú bring amigos..sí?" A balding, short man with olive skin and bright chocolate eyes glared up at us warmly.

"Diego!" Laurent welcomed him into a hug.

"Podemos tener tres menús por favor?"

"Sí, sí!" The barman handed out 3 makeshift menus with 4 dishes printed on, all local produce only.

We ordered very quickly, all of us victims of hunger, and I decided on the catch of the day with vegetables and some type of cultural dish the islanders invented themselves.

Laurent stirred up the dinner time conversation.

"So, Rose, tell me about your family"

I coughed on my drink, spluttering it down my top. I could feel Asher tense next to me. Good riddance. It was his fault, and Laurent has just squeezed an opened wound.

"Me, my twin sister, my mum and my stepdad moved to America around 2 months ago. That was when I met Asher, and i left to go and live with Asher and the pack. My family saw Asher as a werewolf and they had to be hypnotised into forgetting about everything and move back to England. To them, I am attending school in some Asian country and they think I am perfectly safe. As for my dad, he is just...a nobody." I finished, downing my bottle of beer with it.

I glared over at a speechless, sympathetic Laurent with a a stern look on my face.

"I don't want your sympathy"I muttered dismissively. "It's ok" I plastered a small smile on my face.

The conversation took a much lighter turn after that, and the food was delicious and satisfying. But Asher barely talked during the whole dinner.

We got back to the hut and made plans to meet again in at 7 o clock in the morning in order to leave and head back to the pack as quickly as possible.

After that, Laurent left and we headed inside. There was an elephant in the room, metaphorical of course, and the tension was palpable.

I grabbed shorts and a vest top, then proceeded to trod into the bathroom, slamming the door behind me as I stripped, dressed and completed my nighttime routine.

Silence was the only sound ringing loud and clear in the room, even when I reentered the main living space and collapsed onto the bed.

I saw Asher on the floor, creating a makeshift bed with pillows and blankets, but still looking extremely uncomfortable.

I looked at the large double bed spread out underneath me.

"Come here" I slumped down, pushing my body under the covers and staring up at the ivory ceiling with an unknown emotion swirling within me.

He obeyed my commands accordingly, still not breathing a word as he moved his body under the thin covering.

"I meant what I said before. When I said I forgive you, I meant it. But things need to change. I want to have contact with my family. Just 1 call every week, thats all I want because this hurts. I miss them, and this will help so much. I'm not asking your permission, I'm doing this one way or another but it would be nice if you had my back" I murmured smoothly, my voice slightly breaking with each emotional word passing my lips.

"I do. I shouldn't of done this in the first place. I was out of order. I'm sorry. I trust you" He declared, turning his body to look at me. I angled my body in the same way, so I could just make out his features in the darkness.

"It's in the past now" I affirmed, "and we are living in the present"

"I...I don't deserve you Rose Roberts" he looked at me with a crestfallen smile.

I leaned forward, embracing him, feeling his muscles flex around my back as his head nuzzled into my neck. My legs mingled with his as I gently caressed his back with my fingertips.

And We stayed in  position until the sun began her ascent.

----

We have finally met my darling Laurent!!

He is one of my favourite characters purely because of his quirky and unique personality!!

What are your opinions??

-

There will definitely be more of Laurents storyline as the book progresses bc I love him so much and I think he is a really complex and interesting character that hopefully you guys love aswell!!

Thank you for everything, I love you and thank you all more than you know for reading and voting for my book ❤️❤️

Have a good day wherever you are,

Xxx