Ashwagandha plant..... Ashton Pearce.
No wonder the names sounded so alike.......
Ashton stood in the silence of the lighthouse, the man’s final words still echoed repeatedly in his mind like a haunting melody or more like a broken record. His heart pounded against his chest, his mind reeled with the reality, of how real the revelation was.
The flower—the power it held—it was far more dangerous than he could have ever imagined. And now, it was his burden to bear. But there was something else gnawing at his insides, something darker. The mention of sacrifice—of a blood offering—chilled him to the core. How far was he willing to go? And who, or what, was he supposed to sacrifice?
The flower’s petal, it was still warm in his hand, it pulsed gently, as if it could sense his unease. He wanted to crush it, to destroy the source of all this madness, but he knew that wasn’t an option. Not when Elizabeth’
Ashton stood motionless in the darkness of the lighthouse, the silence felt so deafening around him. His mind raced with the thoughts of the stranger’s words, and the petal in his hand pulsed with a faint glow,there was an eerie reminder about the path he had just chosen. A life for power. The very idea gnawed at his conscience, unsettling him in ways he couldn't fully express. He knew now that whatever revenge he needed this was time to do it.He took a deep breath, his throat felt as dry as sandpaper. The stranger had vanished into the night, but the burden of his presence still made it feel as if he was there, it was heavy and so suffocating. Ashton needed answers, he badly needed guidance—but there was no one to turn to. He was all alone, and yet… not entirely though."Elizabeth," he muttered, his voice wasn't even that audible. The thought of her being somehow tie
The cold morning mist clung to the ground as Ashton made his way to Thomas’ apartment, his mind still racing with the events of the previous night. His hands tightened into fists at his sides, the memory of Elizabeth’s pleading eyes still burning into him. The flower’s glow pulsed faintly from within his pocket, an ever-present reminder of the grim path that lay before him.There’s got to be another way, he told himself for the hundredth time. There’s always another way.But despite his best efforts to convince himself, the dread was still there. Ashton wasn’t just up against some random mystical force—he was tangled in something ancient and far more powerful than he ever could have imagined. He needed help. And there was only one person who might understand the weight of this situation.Thomas.He quickened his pace, his shoes slapping against the wet pavement as the fog seemed to close in around him, as if the w
Ashton leaned back in his chair, staring at the dimming light outside Thomas’ window. The books scattered across the table spoke of myths, prophecies, and sacrifices—each one more cryptic than the last. The weight of what was happening was crushing. The truth was sinking in.There really might be no way out.Thomas sat across from him, equally exhausted, his eyes bloodshot from hours of reading. The quiet between them had grown heavier, and Ashton could feel the tension building. He knew Thomas was waiting for him to say something, to offer a solution. But Ashton had nothing. Nothing but doubt and fear.Finally, Thomas broke the silence."You can’t be seriously thinking of going through with this, Ashton. You’re telling me that there’s no other way—no loophole, no tri
The silence in Thomas' study was quite a heavy one suffocating blanket, wrapping itself around Ashton as he tried to process what Thomas had just said. The idea, the possibility that the flower’s curse could be satisfied by his own sacrifice, sent some sort of a wave of cold dread rippling through him.Ashton stared at the table, his hands trembled as they resting over the pages of an old tome filled with cryptic inscriptions and faded ink. His mind swirled with questions, fears, and the weight of the choices laid before him.Thomas sat across from him, his arms crossed, his eyes serious."You don’t have to decide now," he said, his voice low but steady. "But we need to consider it. If there's a chance this curse can be broken without dragging someone else into it—without killing anyone you care about—then we need to at least explore it."Ashton clenched his fists, the roughness of the ancient paper brushing against his
It was all happening so fast, the events that led to the making of the alpha, I mean the official making of the alpha in the presence of the pack members. And by extension, the making of the new Luna and Beta. We were all summoned to the pack meeting ground to commence the ceremony officially. I watched Kaiden get unto the podium of the pack meeting ground and my heart couldn't grow any larger at the sight of my man. I watched him go and stand beside the pack Shaman who was facing the pack members. The pack Shaman turned and backed away from the pack and from Kaiden and I saw the way she began her incantations. She raised up her hand, stretching them straight into the air as she began to speak so incoherently to the skies. Her eyes were were open and looking towards the sky. Every of the pack members were eagerly watching her. We were all anticipating the word from the moon goddess. A sign that she was approved of the new Alpha. I watched while I prayed so desperately. I prayed tha
I had sensed her presence way before she appeared in my line of sight. My werewolf instincts had picked up her scent the moment she was within a few miles of where I was sparring with the tree trunk. The fresh morning air had graciously carried her delicate fragrance to me. I was actually getting familiar with her scent, her mix of wildflowers and something uniquely hers. It was a scent that had become quite disturbingly familiar over the past few weeks. I couldn't stop it though. She was always everywhere, in the dinner room, at the corridors, at the stable, ah and last night, we were just so close to each other.I continued to pummel the tree trunk, and I continued to pretend to not have noticed her, while I enjoyed having her watch me. It was no longer difficult to act like I were oblivious to her presence; I'd become quite good at hiding and masking my true feelings. But I couldn't ignore the way her eyes remained on me, the intensity of it was hitting a spot in my heart
Ashton spotted the deer, oblivious of my cunning approach, feeding very comfortably at the grasses. It was very far from it's home and family. Unknown to it, it was gonna be my special dinner tonight. I quietly advanced towards it, careful to not let my feet scrunch against any dead twigs to avert it's attention from it's merry lunch to my approach. Claws drawn and teeth bare, I was half transformed as I stepped quietly towards my prey.Steady.Quietly.Almost there. I steeled myself.Suddenly the rustling of bushes and the instant flight of a school of woodpeckers from a huge tree trunk diversed my attention as they made scurrying noises away from the tree, unintentionally, I stepped on a dry twig and it broke with a somewhat loud crack.Crap!I looked up at my prey to see that it was now staring directly at me. I was busted so I decided to go along with plan B. My sweet and assumedly spicy delicious dinner knew what was
Rebecca returned to the bustling hall and the man's stern gaze met hers. He gestured towards a distinguished guest, and my heart sank as I observed the well-built figure of the guy before me. His sharp features and piercing eyes marked him as a formidable werewolf, undoubtedly a fitting candidate for a future mate."Emma," my father announced, "meet Jude, the third son of the Alpha of the Crescent Moon Pack. I believe you two have much to discuss." Father said giving me a look that spoke, mess this up and I won't forgive you.I approached Jude, trying to hide my reluctance behind a charming smile. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Jude."He nodded, acknowledging the formalities. "Likewise, Emma."As we exchanged pleasantries, I couldn't shake the feeling that our connection was destined to be more than just a courteous meeting. My father's eyes bore into mine, silently urging me to make a favorable impression.In an attempt to break the ice, I sh