Arabella's POV

I followed Ash and Ger without a word, my breath catching in my throat as we approached the border.

Ash's fists were clenched,jaws tight, and his stride was purposeful. Ger walked beside him, calm yet alert. I had to pick up my pace to keep up with their determined march.

When we reached the border, a group of rogues stood waiting, their expressions dripping with hostility. The tallest of them, his face marred by scars and burns, stepped forward with a sneer. "We are here to settle a score," he growled, his gaze locking onto Asher.

"This is our territory. State your business or leave."

Ash's voice was cold, authoritative, and unyielding. "This is Blood Crescent land. Say your piece and get out."

The rogue's grin twisted into something sinister. "Our business is with you, Darkheart. You took something that belongs to us, and we are here to take it back." His predatory gaze flickered over to me, sending a chill down my spine.

Ash stepped in front of me, blocking the rogue's view. "You will regret those words," he said, his voice dripping with menace.

The rogue ignored him, addressing his pack with a jeering tone. "Boys, it's been a while since we tasted women. Shall we have some fun before we kill them?"

Sickening laughter erupted from the rogues, their leers making my stomach churn.

Ash's fury as if burst at that instant. "I will pluck your eyes out and feed them to the ravens," he snarled, lunging at the scarred man.

Chaos erupted.

The warriors of the pack charged forward to meet the rogues head-on, the air filled with snarls, growls, and the clash of metal.

Ger stayed close to me, his silver sword flashing in the moonlight matching his silver hair as he took down rogue after rogue with brutal efficiency.

I tried to stay calm, but the chaos around me stirred something deep within. A prickling sensation crawled up my arms, a familiar and unwelcome force I had not felt in years. Panic bubbled in my chest as I fought to suppress it.

Then, a soft, mocking voice whispered in my mind. "You are not ready for this. They will kill you, just like they killed the others."

I whipped my head around, but no one was there. The voice was coming from within me.

Ash's roar snapped me back to reality. He was locked in a vicious fight with the scarred rogue leader, their strength evenly matched. But the rogue suddenly broke away and lunged straight for me.

I froze as he closed the distance. My instincts screamed at me to move, but my feet were rooted in place.

Then, as if on autopilot, I dodged to the side. Energy surged through me, too powerful to contain. My hand shot out, and a bolt of force slammed into the rogue's chest, sending him flying.

Everything stopped. The rogues and my pack alike turned to stare at me.

The rogue leader recovered quickly, rising to his feet with a snarl. Another rogue charged at me, but before I could react, Ger stepped in, his sword slicing cleanly through the attacker's neck.

"Are you alright?" Ger called out, his eyes scanning me.

I nodded quickly, though my knees were trembling. The voice in my head laughed cruelly. "You should have stayed hidden. Let us take over, or you will get yourself killed."

I staggered, the world spinning around me. The energy inside me was too much to handle, threatening to consume me.

Ash's hand suddenly gripped my shoulder, grounding me. His strength was overwhelming as he drove his knee into one rogue's stomach and slashed another's throat with a swift, brutal motion.

"Stay with me," he murmured, his eyes locking onto mine. For a brief moment, I saw something in his gaze that was not disdain or indifference, neither was it love.

The rogue leader charged again, but this time, Ash and I moved as one. I placed my hand on his arm, letting the energy within me flow into him. His strength surged, and a wild grin spread across his face.

"Let's finish this," he said, his voice low but resolute.

The rogue's eyes widened in fear. "No..." he started, but it was too late. I unleashed the energy, channeling it through Ash. It hit the rogue leader , tearing through him with devastating force. His screams echoed in the night, then fell silent.

The remaining rogues hesitated, their morale shattered. Ash stood over their leader's lifeless body, his voice a deadly growl. "Run, or you will join him."

The rogues fled, disappearing into the woods.

As the dust settled, the energy within me began to fade. My body felt heavy, my limbs weakened. The voices in my head were silent, but an eerie emptiness replaced them.

Ash turned to me, his expression unreadable. But before he could say a word, darkness crept in, and I collapsed into the void.

Author's POV

Arabella's head spun, her vision blurring as she stumbled forward. She tried to steady herself, but her body gave way. Darkness closed in, and the last thing she felt was a pair of strong arms catching her before she fell.

When she came to, the first thing she noticed was the sound of hurried footsteps and a low, tense voice. She cracked her eyes open slightly, her vision still hazy, and recognized Ash's face hovering above her.

"Stay with me, Bella. Don't you dare give up now," he muttered, his tone sharp but filled with an undertone of worry.

Arabella wanted to respond, to tell him she was fine, but her lips would not move. Her body felt like lead.

The jostling stopped, and she heard the familiar creak of a wooden door. A new voice joined Ash's, the tone brisk and professional.

"What happened? Lay her down here. Quickly."

Arabella felt herself being placed gently onto a soft surface. The sudden stillness made her realize how heavy her limbs felt. Her head lolled to the side as she tried to focus on the voices around her.

"She fainted," Ger's voice rang out again, frustration lacing his words. "She has been pushing herself too hard I think. Tell us what's wrong with her."

There was a pause. "I will need to examine her first, Alpha, unless you think I am a wizard. Step back and let me work."

Arabella wanted to laugh at the subtle jab at Ash's overbearing nature but settled for a faint groan.

"Arabella, can you hear me?" The healer's voice was softer now, coaxing. She felt the touch of cool fingers on her wrist, then her forehead.

She managed a weak nod. "...Yes," she rasped, her throat dry.

"Good. That is good," the healer murmured. He continued his examination, checking her pulse and lifting her eyelids to peer into her eyes. "You are severely dehydrated, and your body is overworked. When was the last time you ate properly?"

Arabella blinked, her thoughts sluggish. She could not remember. Everything felt like a blur.

"I knew it," Asher muttered. "She has been pushing herself too hard over the years. Always stubborn.No one had to die to become a doctor."

The healer gave a soft hum of agreement. "She needs rest and proper care. I will keep her here under observation for tonight."

"No. She is coming back with me," Asher argued immediately.

Arabella felt a twinge of amusement at his tone, but it was quickly overshadowed by the healer's calm response.

"Alpha, she is not moving from this bed until I say so. If you want her to recover, you will let her stay. Now, if you are done barking orders, please step aside."

Arabella's lips twitched into the faintest hint of a smile as Asher huffed in reluctant agreement.

"Fine. But if anything happens to her..."

"Yes, yes, annihilate my bloodline, blah blah," the healer interrupted dismissively. "Now, will you let me do my job?"

Arabella wanted to chuckle, but the effort was too much. She drifted off again, the voices around her fading as exhaustion claimed her once more.

Asher could not help himself as snippets from their past came floating by -

( start of flash back)

"And don't come crying to me when you realize no one else wants you either."

Asher knew exactly what he was doing.

" Come on! Dress up and leave! "

He growled at Moana as soon as Arabella left.

" But, Asher, we were having so much fun... let's continue a little longer... "

" Grab your dress and get out of here! "

Moana literally ran for her life grabbing her clothes as Asher smashed the entire cupboard with lines of bottles, wrecking his fist and the room.

( end of flashback)

Rejecting Arabella was not easy. She was a pure soul. And he loved her way too much to do that. He loved her more than he loved his throne. He would have run away if he could with her and lived a life on a deserted island, away from all the pack responsibility and politics.

But he could not.

Not with his father terminally ill and him being the only child.

It was not about his happiness, it was about a lot of innocent lives.

He could not risk dragging her down along with him.

When he hurt her , a part of him wished she would find someone to heal her from what he did. But another part , the selfish part, wanted her to return.

He wanted to hold her in his arms again.

He did not expect that he would have to summon her so soon and under such terrible circumstances.

He was happy.

He felt like his soul was back. He was finally breathing. But with her return, came another dread. The dread of losing her forever.

Asher tossed in his chair back at his room, the bottle of liquor half empty in his hand.

He chugged it down hoping to catch some sleep before the big event the next day.

Leaving her with the healer as soon as she returned to the pack was the worst that he could think off... It was as if it was setting off that trigger.

Arabella's POV

Where is everyone?

I scratched my head, glancing around the empty dormitory. The room was so eerily quiet it made me feel like I was the last person on Earth...or at least in the dorm.

Still groggy from another restless night, I could barely shake off the fog clouding my mind.

Ahh! Now that I remembered I had fainted at the border.

Was it Ash who brought me back? Was I not taken to the healer? How did I come back to the pack house? When did I come back?

Rubbing my eyes, I tried to clear away the haze as I grabbed a towel and my brush, making my way to the washroom.

Turning the corner, lost in my own thoughts, I bumped into someone. The impact jolted me, snapping me out of my trance. "Oops! Sorry!" I mumbled, stepping back, my voice still heavy with sleep.

"Good morning, Arabella! Are you just waking up?" Lizzy's bright eyes sparkled with an energy I sorely lacked. I forced a weak smile, embarrassed.

"Yeah, I couldn't sleep last night," I admitted, frustration lacing my tone.It was not a lie. I did not sleep, I had a total blackout!

Or maybe is was the pain. Whatever.

"Where is everyone, by the way?" I finally asked. Lizzy's eyebrows shot up in mild surprise. "Huh? You don't know? Today is a Pack holiday! We are celebrating the old Luna's birthday. Everyone's busy with the arrangements," she chirped, her voice brimming with excitement.

"Damn!" I muttered under my breath as it dawned on me. How could I forget? Ash's mother's birthday was a huge deal for the pack.

I rushed to freshen up, scrubbing away the remnants of my restless night. Ash hadn't officially assigned me a role in the pack, but I could still find a way to be useful while I was there.

I wandered to the mini hall, then headed toward the grand hall near Ash's mother's estate.

"Hi, Josh! How's it going? Need any help?" I asked, spotting Veronica's brother. He used to have a huge crush on me back in the days.

"Hi,Bella!Yeah, sure. Can you put these lights around the main door?" he asked, handing me a tangled bundle. "Just make sure they are well-spaced and don't overlap, alright?And please don't eletrocute yourself!" He winked, after adding. "See you around. You look more beautiful than when you left! "

"Got it," I said, giving him a thumbs-up and a silly wink as I walked off with the lights.

I was halfway through stringing them when I accidentally stepped on someone's foot. I stumbled back a few steps, bracing myself to protect the fragile lights in my hand.

Looking up, I saw her.

Moana.

The Goddess seemed to have poured every ounce of beauty into that woman. She was lean but curved in all the right places, her blonde hair and porcelain skin making her look almost too over weight. Volumptious would not be the right word. She was a dirty bitch!

Really? Moan, of all people?Ahhh! My bad luck!

"Watch where you are going!" She snapped, her tone dripping with irritation.

"Maybe you should take your own advice," I shot back, steadying myself and attempting to walk past her. The last thing I wanted was to engage with that venomous woman.

Her eyes narrowed as her lips curled into a slow, smug smile.

"Well, well, well. Look who decided to grace us with her presence," she drawled, her voice dripping with mockery. "Arabella, isn't it?"

Her words hit me like a punch to the gut. Memories surged forward, unbidden and cruel.

I could still hear Ash's voice as if it were yesterday. "You are not what I need, Arabella. I need a mate who can stand by my side, not someone with a schoolgirl crush. I need a woman with lineage, not an orphan."

I closed my eyes, willing the painful memories away.

The memory of his icy disdain stung as deeply now as it had then.

"Arabella!" Moana's voice yanked me back to the present. She was snapping her fingers in front of my face. "Hello? Did you hear me?"

I blinked, shaking off the haunting memory. "What do you want?" I asked, my tone was sharper than intended.

She smirked, her hostility barely veiled. "You're really back, huh? Causing a stir already. Did you know rogues attacked the moment you set foot in our territory? Bad omen, if you ask me."

Her words prickled my nerves, but I forced myself to stay calm. "I am here to support the pack," I replied coolly. "Unlike you, I have spent my years bettering myself.I am a doctor now. The pack more than needs me. "

Her smirk deepened. "Support or stir up trouble? You always had a knack for drama."

"I don't have time for this," I said, shoving past her.

She leaned closer, her voice a venomous whisper. "This is not over. Stay out of my way, Arabella, or you will regret it."

My heart pounded, but I refused to back down. "Do your worst,woman. I am not afraid of you."