Blood on the Moon

Asher

I walk with my hands in my pockets, my head on a swivel to ensure nobody is following me. I take a deep breath, letting Cato’s tracking skills to the forefront to see if we can pick up on any unfamiliar scent.

After what Gen said earlier, I can’t take any chances.

Luckily, it doesn’t seem like anyone is following me here, so Rose and I are safe.

I hate that I’m putting her in danger. If Gen ever found out about this… Who knows what she’d do. I know it’s selfish, and I should probably end things to keep her safe, but… She’s the only one keeping me sane.

I could really use a friend right now. Genevive’s threats are still swirling in my mind, and I’m afraid. Truly, I am terrified of what is to come and what she might do next. I can only hope she’s bluffing, and if I play it cool for a while, maybe she’ll back off, but… How long can I do that for?

How long will it take before my temper snaps? What then?

And what happens when my feelings for Rose grow? When I can’t deny them any longer?

I walk into the cabin, her sweet aroma already in the air, and the second it hits my nose, something stirs. Something deep and primal.

Cato growls.

Mate!

My eyes widen as I stand in the doorway, dumbfounded.

Cato, what the fuck was that? That’s not funny!

Mate! Mate! Mate!

What’s gotten into you? Stop playing tricks on me! This isn’t going to make me feel better if that’s what you’re trying to do.

Talk to our mate.

“Asher?”

My head snaps up, and when I meet her eyes, it’s different this time. A low growl rumbles in my throat as my nails dig into my palms, my pants tight.

I need her. Right now.

Claim her. Claim our mate.

Do you have any idea what you’re saying, Cato?

A lump forms in my throat when I reply, “Hey, Rose.”

My voice cracks, sweat pouring from my temples, my body ravaged by nerves and arousal.

This feels nothing like when I first met Genevieve.

She must not have been our real mate. Rose is our mate.

Then why are you only saying this now? What the fuck is going on? Have you lost your mind, Cato? You’re the one who kept telling me to stop seeing her!

I was wrong. Asher, I’m telling you, she is our mate. I feel it in my soul.

“You look…” Rose trails off. “Asher, is everything alright?”

She takes a deep breath, and her eyes glow a little red. She must smell it all over me. How badly I want her.

Give in.

We can’t! Genevive will smell it all over us. Our mate will smell it all over us.

She isn’t our mate. Doesn’t it all make sense now?

No! Nothing makes sense!

“Everything’s fine,” I lie, running my hand through my hair and taking a deep breath.

This is all some kind of misunderstanding—a misappropriation of feelings. There’s no what I have two mates.

You don’t have two mates.

I sit and ask Rose, ignoring him, “How’ve you been?”

“Asher, there’s clearly something going on,” she insists when she takes her rightful place next to me. Without thinking, my hand rests on her thigh, and I grip her, taking a long breath of her scent.

Fuck, it is intoxicating.

“Ash,” she says breathlessly, her eyes glued to my hand on her thigh.

I cough, patting her before removing my hand. “You just seem a little tense, that’s all,” I save. “Just comforting you.”

’I seem tense?” She scoffs. “You’re pouring sweat right now and smell like you just came out of a brothel!”

“A brothel?” I ask, laughing. “What makes you say that?”

“You’re dripping with…” She trails off, not wanting to finish the sentence.

“Just came back from spending time with Gen,” I reply, hating how her eyes grow slightly colder when I say the words.

My own heart breaks a little.

As if she’ll believe that. She knows we hate Genevieve.

“Are things getting better with her?” She asks, her hand on my shoulder.

Even under the shirt, her skin not directly touching mine, I feel like I’m on fire in the most pleasant way. She’s lighting me up, sparks flying up and down my spine, jolting my heart awake.

I feel like I’ve been hibernating for years, and she’s just started me back up.

But how? Why? What the fuck is going on?

She’s our true mate. Mark her, Asher. Mark our mate.

Are you insane, Cato? She’s a vampire; she can’t be our mate. Secondly, we already have a mate! The crux of all our problems is that we already have a mate. Maybe you just want Rose to be our mate. Trust me, I would rather that be the case, too. But it’s impossible.

The Moon Goddess has mated a human and a wolf before. Don’t forget the stories of Saemel’s War.

I’m fully aware of that history; we are neighbors with River Run. That doesn’t mean a vampire and a wolf would ever be mates. That only happened because Caelynn had a phantom wolf dormant in her the whole time.

I’m telling you that she is our mate. I can feel it. I’ve never been so sure about anything in my life.

Weren’t you this sure about Genevieve?

“Asher, you’re clearly preoccupied with something,” Rose says impatiently. “And I don’t buy the story you’re giving. I thought we would be more honest with each other after what happened?”

“It’s fine,” I insist. “Everything is okay. Don’t worry about it.”

“Don’t worry about it?” She cries, standing. “You’re sitting on this couch, looking like a lost puppy! You’re aroused but also extremely sad! I can see the conflict all over you! Please, Asher, if we are friends, I need you to clue me in on what’s happening!”

“Nothing is happening!” I shout, my teeth clenched. “Stop pushing me!”

“I’m tired of handling you with kiddy gloves!” She screams. “I’ve given you space and time, and all you’ve done is take advantage of it, and now you’re lying to my face! I’m sick of it!”

Apologize to her! Tell her the truth!

We can’t tell her the truth. Are you mad? Do you understand the danger that would put her in when Genevieve is still a threat?

Even if she is our mate, which I’m not convinced of, do you have any idea what would happen if we gave in to those feelings? If I let myself feel the way I want to feel about her?

Do you think I could ever pull myself away from her? Force myself to sleep next to Genevive every night once I tell Rose the truth?

Then don’t go back to Genevieve. We shouldn’t; she’s not our real mate. Nothing is tying us to her anymore.

Have you completely forgotten our conversation with Margaery? We are still tied to her, whether we like it or not! And she is a threat. A threat that needs to be dealt with before I can pull anyone else into my fucked up life.

Especially Rose.

“Are you even listening to me?”

“Sorry,” I mumble. “Cato is yelling in my ear.”

“About what?” She asks. “What is going on with you?”

“It’s really none of your business,” I retort.

“None of my business?” She scoffs, rolling her eyes. “You’ve been jerking me around for months! I think I have the right to ask questions about why you’re sitting here doing whatever it is you’re doing!”

“I’m not doing anything,” I protest. “I just have a lot on my mind. Is it so bad that I want time to escape rather than talk about it?”

“So that’s what I am? An escape?” She asks, her eyes watery. “Is that all this is? I’m a little distraction from the problems you’ve got with the woman you really love?”

“Don’t go there, Rose,” I warn. “Don’t make it seem you’re some kind of side piece when we’ve kept things-”

She interrupts, “Don’t you dare say we’ve kept things platonic!”

“Have we not?” I ask.

“I almost came on your leg, Asher!” She shrieks, her eyes wild as her nails dig through her hair.

“And we talked about that,” I reply calmly, but my heart races. “I apologized, and we set boundaries going forward.”

“That doesn’t erase what happened,” she replies. “And it doesn’t erase how you’re looking at me now!”

“I think you’re projecting feelings you have for me onto me,” I argue, even though the words feel disgusting as they come out.

You sound like Genevieve.

“Shit,” I hiss. “Rose, I didn’t mean that. I-”

“Save it,” she snaps. “You had me feeling sorry for you. You had me feeling… Fuck! It doesn’t even matter now! All I want is the truth, Asher! Something is going on with you, and you’re refusing to tell me. ’Fess up, or I’m leaving.”

“It’s complicated, Rose.”

A tear slips down my cheek, and I quickly wipe it away.

Just tell her. Tell her she’s our mate. She won’t look so sad anymore if you tell her the truth about how you feel for her. She thinks you’re using her callously. She believes you don’t care.

Maybe it’s better that way? Maybe it’s best if she believes a lie? Then perhaps she’ll stay away from me, and that’ll keep her safe. Goddess knows I can’t stay away; I’m not strong enough.

But maybe I am strong enough to make her decide for me?

If I tell the truth… If I open up and tell her what she means to me, there’s no going back. You can’t put the cat back in the bag or have your cake and eat it, too.

If I tell her that I’m falling in love with her, there’s no way I could ever leave her side. No longer could I pretend to be the Alpha of Black Opal and be Gen’s sham-doting mate.

But isn’t that the role I have to play? To keep myself and everyone I love safe? My family? Margaery?

Rose?

What would be the consequences of leaving Gen? Is that something I’m even capable of doing?

Is it right to confess my feelings to Rose when I have all this unfinished business?

“Fine,” Rose says, shaking her head scornfully. “I’m leaving.”

I open my mouth to tell her to wait, to come back.

But I don’t. I keep my mouth shut. Like I always do.

The door slams behind her.