f*******n Flames

Chapter 02| The Crime

Chapter 02| The Crime

Ashley's POV

My eyes drooped open and my heart beat fast. I shifted my tongue to the different parts of my mouth and stood up, feeling something sharp. I ignored it, standing up tiredly and stretching, making sure to not wake the other sleeping maids who didn't have morning shifts today.

I walked to the bathroom tiredly and held the door with my fingers tight, almost leaving an imprint. For some reason, I felt stronger and my mind wasn't awake yet.

"Bring the pancakes, Alicia," I heard and turned to the door with my eyes still moving slowly. Where was Alicia? And who said that? My ears perked up again and I heard some slow and calculated footsteps, making my mind ring danger.

Without knowing, I posed a defensive stance and waited for the person to open the bathroom door. Two loud sighs were heard immediately I saw it was Riya, the maid from yesterday. She held her chest and I looked at her confused, smelling a weak scent from her.

"It's just you, oh," She said, walking in like a robot. She cleaned her eyes tiredly and took her brush. "I think the Beta was here, or Iziah passed by the room just now. The aura is lingering, it's sort of powerful too," She complained again tiredly and I nodded too, taking my brush.

"Maybe."

"What the f**k?" She turned to me and my eyes widened at the fear in her voice.

"What is it?"

"It's you! Wait a minute, isn't your birthday today?" She asked and my heart beat faster.

"Yeah, you should wish me a Happy Birthday instead of cursing at me," I replied hourly, blaming my mood on the morning air.

"Happy Birthday," She said immediately and I turned to her, my brush stopping to move as she spat out. Did she just listen to me?

"Thank you," I answered with my mood, coming back to life. After some time, she turned to me again, with her eyes widened more than before.

"You just compelled me. Like ordered me," She complained and I chuckled incredulously.

"What the hell are you talking about, Riya?" I questioned in a light mood and she shook her head, turning to me.

"Listen to me, I think- I don't know how but, I think your wolf has awakened," She slowly said her words, cautiously and I nodded at the tone flow.

When it registered in my head, a cheeky smile enveloped my face, causing my looks to appear more mischievous and happy than babyish. And her breath hung in the air and I stopped smiling.

"Why aren't we smiling?" I asked her, exasperated. "I've waited for her for a long time."

Riya just nodded still looking afraid of me, "Smile again," She ordered which made me have a bit of disgust within and I didn't know why. I did as she said and she held the sides of my face, turning me to look at myself in the mirror.

When I did, my heart flew into the air. My fangs were sharp! And my eyes had gone from brown to icy blue, and I felt it, my aura. It was powerful, almost like-

I turned back to her and she nodded, dropping her toothbrush, "You smell like a growing Alpha, Ashley. That's an Alpha wolf in you, and I don't know why, your mum and dad are-"

"-dead. I was brought in here as an orphan. And I was considered weak. But as far as I can remember, they were Omegas too," I finished up and she shook her head.

"Two Omega wolves can't give birth to this, look, Ashley, we tell no one about this," She cautioned, and I nodded, confused. When did she start caring about me?

"The scent-" I started but she looked out of the bathroom to check and looked back at me, shaking her head.

"It only comes off in waves when you're mad, or you feel threatened. Your wolf must have read the room and is trying to protect you. You smell like a normal Omega wolf now, which is weird. But try not to get mad today."

I nodded and we both walked out, proceeding to get ready and I could not stop thinking. What if Iziah's friends stared at my a*s today? What if the other maids disgusted me in the kitchen? I sighed and wore my maiden dress. It seemed a bit too tight.

I walked to the mirror to check it out and paused again. My curls were softer and longer, and my breasts were firmer. I touched my hair and sighed loudly at the softness, it was almost like it was wet but it wasn't. It was just more beautiful. I was more beautiful.

"Ashley."

I heard a whisper from downstairs and realized it was Riya. She must have known that I could hear her.

I ran out of the room and went downstairs in a rush. My legs went hard on the staircase and I sighed when I remembered that I had not gone to visit Luna Anna that morning. Getting down, I saw Riya at the bottom of the stairs, holding two rakes which made me confused.

"Garden duty," She bit out tiredly and gave me one of them. "I'm sorry, this is all my fault. I told the chief maid that it was your birthday today to attract lesser work but I sort of forgot-"

I chuckled and she stopped talking, with a surprised look on her face. Had she expected me to be mad? Riya didn't know me much and hell, it was just this morning that she started talking so much but, she didn't seem that bad of a person.

"You're laughing," She said, in more of a questioning tone than a statement.

I nodded and started walking outside. "It's not your fault. They hate me. She would have done that for another maid but not me," My eyes squinted as we walked under the sun. She walked quietly beside me, not saying anything after that, and I wondered if I was sounding compelling again.

The grass was soft and I didn't like stepping on them, they were someone's duty.

My ears perked up as I picked up a lot of grunts and blows from in front of us. When we got there, we passed without heads down as usual. The women too were strong and Luna Anna made sure of that, that was I loved her and loved the lack even though it was messed up for me in so many ways.

My heart thumped faster as a familiar scent I liked so much wafted through my nose. Chocolate and Cinnamon. It was like someone had lit a candle, or sprayed a perfume. I loved it and it made my mouth water.

I ignored it and continued digging the grass till something tingled inside of me. The scent grew stronger and stronger, almost tearing my head to pieces. I wanted to run towards it and have a big drag of it so that my body would become calm, but I couldn't look away from the dry leaves I was raking.

"Garfield!" Someone called across the field, his aura radiating everywhere. I looked up and my heart got stuck in my throat if that was even possible.

Iziah.

He was bare-chested and his abs were defined. His curly hair was cut short to his neck, but his curls were almost like mine, wet and f*****g attractive. When had he cut it? I wondered.

I wanted to run to him and it made me confused. A voice in me was talking in whispers but I couldn't understand the words till I closed my eyes and listened deeply, and when I did, the whispers were gone, I sighed loudly and suddenly a calm voice in my head, almost like mine bit out.

"Mine."

I almost choked.

My wolf just spoke to me for the first time, and what it could say was that Iziah was mine. I tried thinking otherwise but all my energy was pointing to him.

"Ashley," I heard a whisper and it brought me back to the garden and I took in clean breaths as her hands were on my shoulders.

"Yes?" I said between puffs and she rubbed my back as I bent down all of a sudden.

"You-you were radiating just now. And you plus Iziah was just too much. He was looking at you but then he walked out."

I nodded at her words, also deciding to take a break, "I need a break too, I'll be back soon. I need to see the Luna," I told her and she nodded, agreeing immediately.

I stood up and walked the other way, instead of going the way we took, I didn't want to see him again. He must have felt it, but he didn't do anything. He must not want me as a mate.

Luna Anna joked about us being together before in our presence about a year ago and he had walked out of the room fuming and by her laughter, she didn't give a f**k. Did she know already?

I ran upstairs, ready to tell her everything, ready to tell her about my wolf and everything else. The guards were nowhere to be found and it made me worried, so I walked to her chamber doors and knocked.

I looked to the end of the hall and saw a shadow figure, and my legs moved. Without thinking, I followed it and went to the end of the hall, gasping when I saw the guards sleeping. They were snoring like there was no tomorrow and it made me worried.

I ran back, with my legs moving faster than my shadow, and opened the door with a bang.

"Luna!"

"No, no, please no. Luna, no!" I shouted as I knelt beside her.

My brain shut down at the sight and I held her bleeding body, she seemed to be unhurt and there were silver pills in her hands. But they looked planted. "Somebody help!"

Tears were leaving my eyes and I felt like I was blinded. Luna Anna was the closest thing I had to a mother, and I had just lost her. Iziah also was an orphan now. And I cried and cried, for me, for my Luna, for my mate, and the pack.