Coming Home

Prologue

Ashton woke up and looked out her window. The sun was still below the horizon and her sisters soft snores drifted to her ears. She turned and looked at her twin Ashley and sighed.

Today was their birthday. As well as Rhydian's and Chris'. And that meant a lot of food and preparations. She and her sister were in charge of that. (As with every form of domestic manual labour in the pack house.) And the sooner they got up to it, the better.

"Wake up Ashley," Ashton said gently as she got up from the bed.

"Is it time already?" Ashley asked sleepily. "What time is it?" She asked rubbing her eyes and groaned before yawning wide.

"Time you got up," Ashton said sassily to her older sister.

"f**k you," Ashley replied sticking out her tongue at Ashton as the sleep faced from her eyes.

"f**k you too," Ashton replied sticking her tongue out back at her sister. They looked at each other and burst out laughing.

They might be the only omega's in the pack, and they might be hated by every one including their own brother, and possibly their mate, but Ashton wouldn't trade the last 16 years of her life for anything. She might be weak and pathetic but her sister was strong enough for both of them. And they loved each other dearly. Losing their parents to death and their brother's love, made them cling all the more tightly to each other. At school and in the pack.

Nothing would ever separate them.

*****

The party was good. Ashton looked down from the top banister of the first floor and over the ballroom were the festivities were being held. Today, she'd clocked 16 and Xavier snd Chris had clocked 18.

Her chest filled with pride as she looked at the splendid decorations and saw the pack members enjoying the food she and Ashley had taken their time to prepare.

Not that they would ever admit it openly that they liked the food.

Bastards.

Ashton hated them. Hated them for how they mistreated she and her sister. How they blamed them for things they had no control over.

She hated her brother, Asher, for not protecting them. She hated her older sister, Ashlyn, for abandoning them even though the three of them had been close and she'd promised to always look out fot them.

But most of all, she hated herself for being as pathetic and weak as every one believed.

She wasn't strong. Not like Ashley. She'd always been the weaker of the two of them.

And that was why she was hiding herself up here. Tonight, she'd probably find her mate. She didn't want to see the disappointment in his face when he realised they were bonded to one another for life. No one wants a weakling as a mate. In fact, among wolves, it was almost a sin, to be weak.

Somewhere in the crowd, Ashley was there dressed as a waitres and serving drinks. Never mind that it was also their birthday. Who cared?

Ashton was so lost in thought that she didn't notice the guy coming up the stairs until he called out to her.

"Ashton." His voice was deep and angry. She froze then turned to face him. " What the f**k do you think you're doing up here when there's an event down there?"

Ashton' s knees knocked together as she looked down in fear.

"Nothing Gamma Chris," she mumbled. "I'm sorry."

"Just get down," Chris muttered turning his back to her. "Your sister needs help." He desceneed the steps and then paused when he realised she wasn't moving. "Do I need to repeat myself?"

Ashton shook herself and hurried past him and down the stairs, muttering a "Sorry Gamma Chris," to him as she passed him.

Chris watched her small body descend hurriedly. He could smell the fear coming off her and he shook his head. Her movements were slightly hampered with a limp and he knew it was from the beating she'd gotten yesterday. It pained him to see how his pack treated her and her sister. Hell! It pained him to see how Asher and Ashlyn treated them. But there was nothing he could do about it.

He might be the Gamma, but he couldn't go against the pack. If not that his position as Gamma would come to risk, he'd have stood up for the girls. But sadly, his father would hear none of it. Damned old man was set in his ways and couldn't see that blaming the girls for the deaths of his best friend (and ex-Beta) and his mate, was wrong. His only consolation was that his mom did what she could for them.

"And Aston?" he called out to the girl as she was about to come down from the bottom of the staircase.

She turned to face him with scared blue eyes causing his heart to constrict. No one should be afraid like this. No one, he thought sadly however his face was blank and hard.

"Yes Gamma Chris?"

"Happy birthday to you and Ashley."

And with that, he continued descending and walked past the shocked girl.

****

Rhydian's eyes went over the room searching though he couldn't tell you what it was he was looking for even if his life depended on it. Today, he clocked 18. And his father handed the responsibility of being Alpha to him.

He should be happy and at peace. He was now Alpha. And his pack loved him almost as much as he loved it. All that was left was for him to find his mate. Apparently, none of the females around was his mate. Not even Cara his girlfriend of three years. Male werewolves usually tended to find their mates from the age of 15. But only if the mate was up to fifteen. Females... till they were 16.

Suddenly, Arios, his wolf, got jumpy.

'What is it Ari?" he asked the wolf startled by his sudden excitement. Arios was normally calm and level-headed. This was out of character for him.

Arios paced in his head excitedly before uttering the words.

"Mate."

****

Rhydian's nose picked up her scent as he went round cautiously following his wolf's instructions. She melt like pineapples and fresh milk. Natural and completely alluring. He's never thought the combination would be pleasing.

As the smell grew stronger, he quickened his pace. Suddenly, he caught a flash of platinum white hair and his heart leaped. He walked forward and frowned when he noticed she was passing drinks around and being shoved carelessly by his pack members.

His wolf growled at the disrespect. How dare they mistreat his Luna?

As he neared her, she tensed and he knew she'd gotten his scent too. He turned her around to face him, relishing the sparks that ran up his hand as he touched her. Her beautiful, blue eyes widened in pleasure and recognition.

'What the hell?!' Ashton Price?! What kind of sick joke was this? The weakest female in the pack could NOT be his mate!

He looked down at her from his towering 6'6" and into her beautiful blue eyes which were wide with hope and fear. But there was a kind of sad resolve in them as well.

She knew what was coming. She'd seen the change in his eyes the moment he realised who she was. And she mentally prepared herself and Siarien, her wolf, for it.

"He won't DARE?!" Siarien growled lowly in fear. But even the wolf knew that he would.

"You know he would Siri," Ashton told her wolf. And her wolf whispered softly in her head before she retreated into the back of Ashton's mind.

Rhydian grabbed her hand and dragged her away from the group that she'd been serving. He growled softly as he heard them snickering to one another about how clumsy Ashton was. About how she'd probably done something to annoy the Alpha and was now gonna get it.

Arios wanted to come out and rip their heads of for laughing at his mate. But Rhydian didn't care. He didn't want the b***h anyway.

"Shut up, you stupid mutt," he muttered under his breath.

"They're direspecting our mate," the wolf growled at him. "How can you just let them?"

"You know why," Rhydian replied simply.

Arios got more agitated with the blank reply. Rhydian was blocking him from accessing his thoughts and he didn't know what he was planning.

Wait...

"I hope you're not going to do what I think you're about to do?" Arios growled at him. Rhydian's frowning silence was answer enough for him.

"Don't you DARE REJECT HER you bastard!!!" he roared inside Rhydians head. "Don't y-" Rhydian cut him off and stopped walking.

Stupid mutt...

He turned around to face Ashton who by now was crying silently. He hadn't said anything yet, but she was already feeling the pain of the rejection.

She looked down, unable to look into his eyes that were as green as the leaves of the forest. Already, it was taking all her effort not to scream.

Pathetic, Rhydian mused to himself as he saw her looking down. Was this the person who was made for him? He shook his head. The Mother definitely made a mistake this time. There was no way in he'll this... thing!... could ever be a good Luna.

He needed someone strong. Someone with spine. Someone who could stand proudly behind him as he faced the world to protect their pack.

Someone who could bear beautiful, strong, healthy pups to carry on The Legacy.

He needed a real woman. A real she-wolf.

And Ashton Price was anything but...

He took in a deep breath to calm himself down as his entire being protested against what he was about to do.

"I, Rhydian Marcus Stone, son of Lychus, Son of the Moon, reject you, Ashton Price, daughter of Lycinis, Daughter of the Moon, as my mate.

And with that, he destroyed her heart finally.

They both heard the sound of breaking glass which showed the fracturing of their bond. On Ashton s side, her heart was broken completely.

'Why?'

The single question played over and over in her head. Why did he do this? But she knew why.

She was weak. Pathetic. Useless. "That's no justification for rejecting us," Siaren whimpered sadly and her heart broke even more when she heard the sadness and sorrow in her wolf's voice.

He watched her as she hung her head. Her hair fell a bit over her face and his hands itched to move the straight locks from her face. He wanted to see her face properly. To see what she was feeling.

With great will power, he resisted and forced down the feeling of guilt. From the part of her face he could see, he saw a single tear trail down her cheek and his heart constricted in his chest. This was wrong. On soooo many levels. He shouldn't be making her cry. He shouldn't be pushing her away.

Ashton choked down the grief and pain. She might be weak but today... tonight... she'd be strong. She won't let the pain break her more than it already had.

No more.

She drew in a shaky breath as she raised her head. She looked him straight in the eyes with her own hard ones shocking him by the strength and ferocity of her resolve.

"I, Ashton Price, daughter of Lycinis Daughter of the Moon, reject you Rhydian Marcus Stone, son of Lychus, Son of the Moon, as my mate and Alpha."

Her voice never wavered. The hard edge to it shocked him more than anything. He felt the bond fracture even more and his stomach twisted painfully, but he kept the pain from his face. He hadn't expected her to accept the rejection so easily. He'd expected her to... beg?

"Excuse me Rhydian."

Her voice jolted him out his shock. She'd called him Rhydian. And then it dawned on him that she'd broken the pack bond to her. She'd rejected him twice over.

As mate and Alpha.

She made to move walk past him. He turned sharply and caught her hand. The sparks were less noticeable now, but they were still there.

"Wait," he growled. How could she just walk out on him?!

"What?" she asked.

The coldness of her tone shocked him again. What's with the new attitude? She's never been this... this... cool. Unfeeling.

He was dumbfounded as he looked into her icy, blue orbs that were blank and void of any emotion.

No anger. No sadness. No sorrow. Nothing.

What the f**k?

His tongue was stuck to the roof of his mouth. What exactly did he want to say.

Ashton looked at him with a carefully blank expression. But inside she was memorizing his face and relishing the feel of his hands on her's for the last time.

Subtly, she rotated her palm till it was touching his palm. The new contact plufied the weak connection. But not enough.

"Happy birthday Alpha Rhydian," she said walking away.

She left the room ignoring the people around her. She saw Asher as she made her way up the stairs.

Their eyes met for a minute and he saw her. Saw the pain her blank stare hid. He saw and knew something was wrong. His heart constructed with guilt. He'd mistreated her for something he knew was not really her fault. Today was her birthday. She was supposed to find her mate today.

"When you find your mate," he whispers to the little girl sleeping on us lap. "I'll be there and I'll make sure to tell him not to hurt you," he vowed.

"And if he does, I'll break his neck, you hear me... Ashton?"

He kissed the top of her head and carried her inside the house and into her cot. He patted her head one last time before leaving the room.

Ashton... He'd failed her. Both him and Ashlyn. They'd failed their little sisters.

Something snapped in his head and he frowned. Surprise flickered over his face as he realised she'd broken the sibling bond. He tried to reach her through the pack bond but she was... gone.

"Hey, did you feel that?" Ashlyn's in his head through the sibling bond.

"Yeah. It's Ashton. She broke her tie to the pack and... us." The hurt was clear in his voice. He made to move forward and the staring spell was broken.

Ashton moved on up the stairs not once looking back down.

When she got to get room she heard crying inside and opened the door to see... Ashley.

Ashley looked up and their eyes met. Ashton gave a soft nod and walked to their small wardrobe. She took out a suitcase and filled it with all of their things.

She took her time more for Ashley's benefit than fir herself.

She'd been rejected too. She understood. They might be twins, but Ashley and she dealt with pain differently. Ashley dealt with pain by crying till she was spent and exhausted.

Her coping mechanism was to run.

But she knew that this pain was not something Ashley could just cry over and it would go. It would live with her like and old, festering wound. Ripping her up over and over again.

It was best if they both left.

****

They'd crossed the border about 6 hours ago. It was about 9 in the morning and they were on a bus headed for New York.

They had no money. No family. No friends. And certainly, no where to stay.

But they had each other. They might not be identical, but... they didn't care.

As long as they were together, they had all they needed