by Lola Gabriel
The branches scraped her skin as she continued to race through the snow-covered forest, but for some reason, the foliage seemed thicker the further she ran. Asra felt her lungs strain and she came to a stop, leaning against a tree with a trunk almost twice her size. She glanced up and couldn't even see the full moon shining brightly in the night sky. The trees overhead obscured any light from the moon, and it grew dark and cold around her. It was a strange sensation to Asra to actually feel the cold on her skin. She glanced around her in panic, not sure what she wanted to do, or could do, to get out of this forest. A high-pitched scream in the distance made her whirl around, and she searched for the source of the outcry. Another scream joined in, and another, until soon it sounded like a whole choir of screams, filled with terror and panic.
Asra started to run again, noticing flickers of orange up ahead. She was almost certain that it was fire, and she picked up her pace. The screaming stopped all of a sudden, and a deafening silence fell onto the forest. Asra struggled through the trees and stepped out onto a circular clearing.
Her chest immediately tightened when she saw her entire coven hanging from the branches of the trees, and a cold gasp escaped from her throat. A pain erupted in her heart as her eyes filled with tears.
“No...” she breathed and shook her head. “No.”
She lowered her gaze, not being able to look at the tormented faces of the members of her coven, her family for as long as she could remember.
She wiped the tears that ran down her cheeks, and as she glanced up again, she saw her mother and grandmother, hanging side by side.
“No!” she cried out and ran over to them. “Mom, no.” Tears continued to stream down her cheeks as the pain in her heart intensified.
Asra’s knees gave way from under her, and she fell down onto the snow, sobbing uncontrollably.
A rustle of leaves made her body jolt, and as she looked over her shoulder, she noticed two piercing green eyes glowing in the dark. Panic set in as a pitch-black wolf stepped out into the moonlight and bared its teeth at her. Her heart pounded in her chest, and her breathing became ragged and unsteady.
“Did you do this?” she called out to the wolf.
Seeming unaffected by her question, it came even closer, its sharp teeth glimmering in the moonlight. Its head was low, ready to attack, and Asra scrambled to her feet.
“Answer me!” she commanded. “Did you do this?”
The wolf came to a complete standstill, and to Asra’s surprise, it transformed into a human.
She almost couldn't believe her eyes when she saw Cole standing where the wolf had been a mere moment ago.
“You did this?” she asked one last time.
“No, you did.”
His words cut her up like a million daggers, and she shook her head. “No, I would never do this to them. They’re my family.”
Asra felt pressure on her throat and reached for her neck, only to find a noose tightly secured around her neck with a thick rope.
“What are you doing?” she screamed frantically.
“Your grandmother tried to warn you, but you were too stubborn to listen. Now you’re going to hang for that,” he said simply, kicking the stool out from under her feet.
The noose tightened even more, and Asra clawed at it in a desperate attempt to free herself, but she couldn't.
She was solely responsible for the execution of her entire coven.
And for her own.
Asra’s body jolted into an upright position, and she gasped for air. Even though she was in her bed, in the safety of her own home, her dream had been not only incredibly vivid and real, but it served as a warning to her.
She ran her fingers through her hair and glanced over at Cole, who was still fast asleep beside her, and she caught her breath. She slid out of bed, quickly got herself dressed and headed to the basement. She grabbed a book on dream evaluation, but she feared her dream was as clear as day. She couldn't see Cole any longer, or have anything to do with him. Her grandmother and mother had been right all along. The wolves were the reason why the coven had lost so many members, and now she was once again placing them in harm’s way. She didn't want any witch to suffer because of her stupid mistake.
As she passed her bedroom going to the kitchen, she paused for a moment, peering in at Cole. Although every inch of her heart wanted him, she had to think of her coven and their safety.
Asra clenched her jaw, trying hard to suppress her emotions, and proceeded to the kitchen, where she filled the kettle with water and placed it on the stove top. She reached for the tin of tea leaves on top of the shelf overhead and placed it on the counter.
The images of her mother and grandmother hanging from two branches were still fresh in her mind, and she feared they would still be there for a long time.
Asra didn't move from the spot she stood in as she waited for the water to boil, trying to gather her thoughts, as well as the courage to tell Cole to not only go, but that they could not see one another again.
Ever.
Asra didn't want to, of course. Cole had made her feel things she had never thought possible, but it didn't matter. Her grandmother had made it perfectly clear that she had to stay as far away from the wolves as possible, and this was the only way. Asra knew her heart would most likely be broken into a million sharp shards that would cut so deep she would bleed out within seconds, but she had to think about her coven.
Their safety.
She couldn't jeopardize their safety because she found the one person who was perfect for her, who understood her, and who she hadn't been able to stop thinking about since she first saw him in the hardware store.
Frazzled by the thoughts in her mind, she scooped the tea leaves into the metal strainer and placed it inside the cup. She carefully poured the water into the cup and placed the kettle on the knitted kettle cozy. A sigh escaped her throat and her shoulders drooped.
The floorboards creaked behind her, and in one swift motion, she grabbed a butcher’s knife from the knife block and turned around.
“Wow,” Cole said, holding his hands in front of him, clearly shocked by the sharp knife pointed directly at him.
“Sorry,” she breathed and lowered the knife.
“Is everything okay?” he asked hesitantly.
“Yes. I’m just not used to having someone in my house,” she admitted.
It was true. Asra much rather preferred living on her own than at her grandmother’s home, even though she had grown up there. Asra was fiercely independent at times, and she enjoyed the quiet. At her grandmother’s home, there were simply too many people, too much noise, and she felt as though she was constantly watched, waiting to make a mistake.
Cynical and paranoid, maybe, but she wouldn't put anything past her grandmother.
“I know the feeling, but it does get lonely,” he said, approaching her.
He looked much more casual at that moment, even though he wore exactly the same clothes, and he was definitely not making it easy for Asra to chase him away. His brown hair was messy, but Asra loved it, and she smiled tentatively at him for a moment. After realizing that she wasn't making it any easier on herself, she turned away, but not before Cole wrapped his arms around her.
“How did you sleep?” he asked in her ear.
“I had a nightmare,” she answered simply.
“Ah, those suck,” he whispered and released her. “Do you want to talk about it?”
“Not really,” she sighed.
“It does help to talk about it,” he pointed out.
“Are you a shrink now?” she snapped unexpectedly, instantly regretting it.
“Sorry, I was just trying to make you feel better. I know all about having bad dreams. I’ve been getting them ever since the fire, so it’s been a while,” he answered, and she looked at him. There was a softness in his eyes, like he sympathized with her, and it broke her heart.
“I was running through the woods, and I didn't know where I was going. It was p
itch dark and cold and...” Her voice trailed off as she shivered, reminded of the horrible sight of her coven. “I reached a clearing and saw all the members of my coven hanging from the trees. They were all dead.”
Cole’s face paled slightly, and he bit his bottom lip. “I’m so sorry.”
“Don’t be. It was my fault.” She lowered her gaze and shook her head.
“How could it be your fault?”
Her eyes met his and she sighed. “Because you told me that it was. You were there, in your wolf form, black fur, luminous green eyes. You transformed into a human, and you told me that this was all my fault. I killed them all because I didn't listen.”
“Babe, it was just a dream,” he said with a frown and approached her again.
“No, it wasn't just a dream,” she countered and stepped out of the way. “They’re not just dreams to us, they’re predictions, warnings.”
“Warning you about what?” he asked.
“That my coven is in danger if I continue to have anything to do with you,” Asra answered.
“What? That’s ridiculous. How can you think that? I won’t do anything to them,” Cole said with a frown. “You don't think that I’d do anything to hurt them, or you, do you?”
Asra bit her bottom lip and looked at him. She knew he would never, she truly believed it, but still haunted by the visualizations and realism of her dream. She now wondered whether her grandmother had been right about them. Why would she have a dream about the situation if it did not mean anything?
All of Asra’s dreams had meant something, even if it had been in some obscure and metaphorical way.
She watched as his shoulders slumped slightly after her hesitation.
“You do, don’t you?” Cole muttered and stepped closer to her. “You think that I am as dangerous and sly as those notes say in those books of yours, don’t you?”
“Cole...”
“You think that I’ll hurt you, right?” he asked, but was only answered by the silence in the room.
Asra wanted to yell out that she knew he would never hurt her or cause any harm to her coven. She wanted to believe that he was the good man she knew he was, but there was something in the back of her mind that still bothered her about him.
He was a wolf, the only enemy of the witches.
Her only enemy, only she didn't want him to be.
Despite only knowing him for a very short while, she knew she loved him, as they were connected by more than the norm. Their bond was strong and apparently everlasting, but nothing as strong as the bond of family.
Right?
She lowered her gaze and heard him sigh.
“If that’s what you think of me, then maybe you’re not the person I thought you were,” Cole eventually said, his words shooting through her heart like a hundred arrows.
“Cole, I think you should go,” she said quietly.
Cole crossed his arms across his chest and glared at her, his green eyes intently focused on her. “You can’t tell me that you feel nothing for me, because I know you don’t.”
“If I did, then I’d be lying, but this isn't about you and me.”
“It doesn't matter what your family thinks about me, Asra. This is about you and me. If your family truly wants you to be happy, then they wouldn't stand in your way,” he said and took her hand in his, his fingers gently caressing her knuckles.
Asra felt her resistance start to crumble and she pulled her hand free from his embrace. “No. I can’t do that to them.”
Although Asra didn't want to do this, she knew that their relationship was doomed from the start, and it didn't help to pretend that everything was going to be okay when it was clearly the start of a feud between her family and Cole. She didn't want him to be subjected to the hatred of her grandmother, as well as the other members of the coven. Asra was well aware of how the coven felt about the wolves and how they perceived them, and nothing either of them could do was going to change their minds. She didn't want him to be in harm’s way, so pushing him away from her was the only way she knew how to protect him.
Asra inhaled slowly through her nose, composing herself as she said the words that brought her near to tears, but she kept herself strong. “You should go. Last night was a mistake.”
“You don’t honestly believe that, do you?” he asked, reaching for her.
“Please don’t. We can’t be together. We’re just too different,” Asra said. “It just can’t happen.”
Cole lowered his gaze for a moment. “Look, whatever your mother or your grandmother said—”
“This has not got anything to do with what they said to me,” she said. “I’m trying to do the right thing for my family. I don’t want them to come to harm, and I don't want you to be in danger.”
“I can take care of myself, Asra,” Cole contended. “If you want me to go, then I will.”
“I want you to go,” she said, her voice cracking from the sadness she felt.
Cole pursed his lips briefly and nodded. “Fine.”
He turned away, and she heard his footsteps travel along the hallway to the front door. The door opened and closed as a tear ran down Asra’s cheek and she closed her eyes.
Cole’s motorcycle roared to life outside and pulled out of her driveway with screeching tires, riding out of her life.
Asra started to sob and slid down onto the tiled floor where she wept until there were no more tears.
No more feelings.
Nothing at all.
8
Cole inhaled the fresh mountain air as he stood near the peak of Broken Top Mountain and surveyed the beautiful view before him. The sky was clear, a bright azure color, the speckles of white clouds lay scattered overhead, and the snow on the mountain tops was gradually disappearing as spring slowly took hold. To Cole, it felt as though winter had truly lasted forever, especially with the chill he had inside him after he and Asra split paths.
It had been difficult for him to imagine his life without her, and to live his life apart from her, but there was nothing he could do to rectify the situation. If she didn't want to be with him, that was on her. It was her decision, and he would never force her to do anything she didn't want to do.
Of course he missed her and thought of her every minute of the day, but he didn't go anywhere near her, or her home, or her work. He wanted to see her, needed to see her, but he respected her wishes.
Even though Mash and Orin seemed a bit worried about him, they didn't talk to him about it. They knew him well enough to know that his personal life was no one’s business but his own.
Cole was grateful for his two Betas, who had grown close to him since the day they met, and he now considered them his brothers, although he would give anything to see his own brothers again. He often wondered where they were, whether they were still alive, and if they were doing well.
“Cole?”
Cole was brought back to the present moment as Mash placed his hand on Cole’s shoulder and Cole turned to him.
“Are you okay, buddy?” Mash asked.
Even though Cole was a couple of decades older than Mash, and the Alpha, Mash still insisted on calling him ‘buddy’ from time to time. It wasn't condescending or patronizing to Cole; he understood that Mash didn't mean it in any of those ways. Mash was a really good friend to Cole, and had been for quite some time now. Cole trusted him with his life and vice versa.
“If I say I’m fine, will you not ask me again?” Cole asked with a shrug.
“Probably not,” Mash chuckled. “I’m worried about you.”
“You shouldn't be. I am a big boy. I can look after myself,” Cole answered.
“Look, I don’t know a lot about this whole situation with that girl you were seeing a while back—”
“Asra.”
It felt strange to say her name out loud. He hadn't talked about her much since the last day he saw her. It was just too painful to talk about right now, and even though he appreciated the support his two Betas gave him,
he wasn't ready to share those details with them.
“Asra, right. I don’t know what the deal was with you and her, but you’re torn up about her,” Mash said, and Cole turned away from him. “I’m not saying all this to piss you off, Cole, I just want you to know that I’m here for you if you want to talk, and even if you don't want to talk about it, that’s okay, but...”
Cole turned back to him with a frown and studied him intently. “What?”
“I’ve never seen you like this,” Mash pointed out.
Cole rubbed the back of his neck in agitation. “She was the girl, Mash. The girl. You know.”
Mash’s eyebrows shot up and he asked, “You imprinted on her?”
“Yes.” Cole lowered his gaze again and took a few deep breaths. “She’s a witch.”
“What did she do?” Mash asked.
Cole smiled briefly and shook his head. “No, I mean she’s an actual witch.”
“What?” Mash asked.
“I know, right? I sure have a gift for picking all the wrong women,” Cole muttered.
“Alora was the wrong woman, but not Asra.”
“You don't even know her,” Cole argued.
“I know, but a woman who has such an impact on you must definitely be something special,” Mash pointed out.
“She was special. She was amazing, actually. She made me feel things I had never felt before,” Cole said, and his expression softened. “She had this smile that lit up the sun. She was so beautiful.”
“Then what’s the problem?”
“I have a bit of a history with her coven,” Cole admitted. “My father wasn't exactly the perfect Alpha of his pack when I was younger. He was very narrow-minded at one stage, and while we lived in Massachusetts in the late seventeenth century, my father caused a bit of an uprising against the witches of the state.”
“You mean the trials?” Mash asked in disbelief and Cole nodded wordlessly. “They hate your father, and by default, you as well.”
“The Wylde name isn't always a good thing to have. It commands respect, sure, but there was a lot of blood spilled by the Wyldes, in the name of honor and prosperity, or so my father said. I think he was just on a power trip and wanted to prove he was as strong as he thought he was. He didn't want respect; he just wanted to make a name for himself, and for us. He didn't really care if it was for being famous, or infamous.”
