Chapter-18

                                                                         Asher

I wasn’t sure how I was supposed to react as I spied the dead white wolf lying on the cold floor. Her coat was white as snow and in her eyes there was a blank, hollow look that immediately made me avert my gaze. It was a really depressing sight.

“What is this?” Mac whispered.

“That’s what I want to know,” I mumbled. “What is this?”

“What do you think?” Logan asked.

“A dead white wolf?” I offered.

“It’s not just some dead white wolf, Ash. It’s been fifteen days since we spotted her here…” Noah said.

“And your point is?” I demanded.

“Look closely. It hasn’t decayed, and that’s not normal. Look at that spotless white coat. This should have been a lump of bones and fur, if anything,” Logan said.

“And that’s not all. Look into her eyes…” Noah added. Even though I didn’t want to, I did move closer to take a glance. At first, nothing seemed out of…ordinary. But as I moved even closer, forcing myself to look into those dead, golden orbs, I finally saw what my brothers were implying. And my stomach heaved, prompting me to quickly move back.

What the fuck was this?

“Are th…those?” I whispered, feeling sick.

“Blood…pouring down her eyes. It's dried now,” Logan muttered. “We were just as shocked,”

“I…I don’t understand. What the fuck is going on?”

“Frankly, we don’t know either, but this is what has dad all freaked out about.” Noah said. "And freaked out is putting it mildly. He is going crazy."

“But why? It’s just a dead wolf,” I said, even though a part of me knew it was more than that.

“It’s not just some dead white wolf. We are not sure what it is, but it’s fucking not just a dead wolf. The damn thing hasn’t decayed in fifteen days, even if it’s clearly dead as a nail. How is that possible? And there is no mark of injury anywhere on her body, yet there is blood spilling down her eyes.” Logan said.

"How did you find her?" I inquired.

"Noah and I were hunting, and the stag we were after somehow ran over to this part. We were so preoccupied we didn't register when we crossed over the pack boundaries and got here. At first, we thought it was some lone white wolf resting or something. But when we took a closer look it shocked us to see that she was dead," Logan answered.

“So what do you think it is? Some kind of prank or something? Magic?” I inquired, refusing to look at that thing. “Who in hell is sick enough to do this?”

“No idea, but if you were to believe Elder Silas, this is supposed to be a bad omen,” Noah said. "According to him, white wolves are rare and considered the most sacred of all, symbolizing peace and purity," Noah explained. “The fact that there are blood tears spilling down her eyes and she was found here of all places seems like a warning of sorts. Whether this is something beyond our understanding or some stupid antics of an enemy pack, we won’t know. But safe to say, dad has taken this very seriously…”

“A warning of what?” I frowned.

“Goddess knows,” Logan sighed. “But…winter is coming,”

“And?”

“Elder Ansel predicted that this was going to be one of the worst winters we have faced. And the last time something like this happened was thirty-four years ago, the time of the Cold War,” Noah said.

“You believe Elder Ansel? What is he now? A weather expert?” I grimaced. "Winters are always hard, anyway. It has got nothing to do with something that happened thirty-four years ago."

“No, but he is one of the Elders and has been around long enough to know about this kind of stuff. I do feel the winter is going to be a bad one this year. Notice the stillness around? That’s a sign,” Logan said. "And not a good one."

“Okay, but what in heaven's name has that got to do with me settling down with a mate?” I grimaced.

“Dad’s just paranoid. The Cold War has left enough lingering ghosts of the past, even if it’s been thirty-four years. Even if GrayCrest won, that war was kind of traumatizing for everyone. But mostly I think the main point is the Reawakening Ceremony,” Noah said.

“Remind me, what is that again?” I said, even though the words did ring a bell.

“Goddess Ash,” Logan grimaced, and I could almost see his wolf, Axel, roll his eyes at me. “It’s the ceremony where the pack’s soul is reawakened so that our ancestors can bless us and bring renewal and prosperity to the pack. It’s a very special ceremony that takes place every fifty years.”

“Seriously, what has that got to do with me finding a mate?” I grumbled.

“The ceremony is performed by the Alpha and Luna of the pack. Last time it was Alpha Carter and Luna Athena, our grandparents. It’s our turn this year and the ceremony won’t be complete without your mate, the youngest Luna of the pack. The GrayCrest rightfully has three Alpha leaders and hence each of our mates holds the position of the Luna. And hence, why we need your Luna to make sure the ceremony is properly performed," Noah said.

“And it really can’t happen without me?” I scowled inwardly.

“No, it can’t,” Logan said. “You are the pack's Alpha. This isn’t something to take lightly, Asher. The Reawakening Ceremony is a very sacred affair, and it has to be done right. And if indeed Elder Ansel is right, and this is some kind of warning, then we had better take this seriously. That is why dad is so adamant about you finding a mate. Not only does the pack need its youngest Luna for the reawakening, but if this indeed is some kind of warning, then it needs all of us to face whatever is to come together.”

“So…it’s either Ivy for you,” Noah muttered. “Or…” He didn’t need to complete the rest.

“Or someone like that blonde…” Noel said, sounding disgusted. “Ugh, no way!”

Dismay washed over me. This was so damn fucked up. Now what was I supposed to do? In my head, making the choice wasn’t the problem. Clearly, it was better to choose my mate than sit through an embarrassing mating ball and waste my energy scouring through all those women who would do anything to be the Luna of GrayCrest. I knew Ivy wasn’t just uninterested in me, but also in the add-ons that came with the title of being my mate. She had integrity and I guess that’s one of the most important qualities a Luna should possess.

No, the choice wasn’t the problem. The problem was how was I going to get her to…

Marry me?