The One The Whole Town Abandoned

Chapter 4 Learning the Truth

Dominic's POV

I watch Ashleigh walk nervously away from me after her last comment. She said she likes me hitting on her and doesn't mind it at all because I make her feel good, which makes me smile so much. This is a good start for getting me, my mate... I might have a chance at this. A better chance than I actually thought. I take a couple of big bites, just loving this food she suggested.

I watch her cross the room until that Alpha's son grabs her arm and I stiffen up instantly. I keep chewing just observing from afar.

My friends see my reaction as they turn to see what's going to happen next, because they know I won't hesitate to kill for my mate... Us Alphas are way overprotective of who we care about... So before I cause any problems, I watch to see how she will react.

I don't like that boy grabbing her like that. I want to rip that arm off completely.

Miles says to me so protectively as I feel a rumble in my chest letting out a growl at the situation.

Ash glares at him and demands he let her go. I hate what I hear next, coming out of his mouth. "Come on Ash, you know you like it." I go to stand up but she instantly answers with so much spite, "If I liked it DUMB*SS, then I wouldn't ask you to let me go. Now let me the f*#k go before we have a problem.. last warning." I sit back down wondering if he will listen and of course, being an Alpha, he won't listen to being bossed around. So he keeps a hold of her arm with a smirk on his face that I just want to punch off... She quickly puts him into a hold that has him on his knees in front of everyone in the bar as she says louder, "Now when I tell you to NOT f*#king touch me, that means DON'T F*#KING TOUCH ME."

This makes me smile so big with pride. She is so strong for a human. I love it.

She will be a wonderful Luna. She doesn't take crap from anyone.

Miles says to me, that I completely agree with him.

Yes, she will as long as we can convince her to be the Luna.

We're brought out of our talk as we hear the Luna of the Willows Pack yell across the room and finish when she is right next to Ashleigh. "Ashleigh let him go... How many times a week do I have to deal with you treating my son like s**t? You're lucky you're good at your job or I would have fired you long ago! Don't put your hands on my son again or I WILL fire you!"

This just pisses me off that Ashleigh automatically gets blamed without even hearing her side or hearing any type of explanation. What is the Luna's problem?

I watch Ashleigh's jaw clench as she holds her tongue, then hands the Luna her apron she was wearing, before going behind the bar, grabbing her jacket, and walking out the front door.

"I'm going to follow her to make sure she is OK. I'll meet you guys back at the pack territory. I'm going to run in wolf form so I won't get caught." They nod as I get up from the table. I stop and I see that Mike guy, heading out the door behind her. This shouldn't be good. So I decided to go out the back door I see by the restrooms. Once I make it outside before I quickly strip down and shift into Miles, the large plain black wolf that he is, with bright gold eyes. He takes my clothes in his mouth and hides behind a tree watching Ashleigh walk to the sidewalk path leading into the rest of town.

I hear Mike call her from afar, so I sneak through the trees and bushes to get a close look and to hear what they are saying just in case she needs my help. I'm only a couple of feet away so I hear what he is saying clearly. "Ash wait up."

"What the f*#k do you want Mike? You get me in trouble with your mom every single week for something you know I didn't do.. and now my job is on the line? You know I need my job! So what could you possibly have to say to me right now that won't make me want to slap you?" She asks with so much spite and anger in her voice as she has her hands on her hips.

"I was just wondering if I could join you in going home. I would pay to make up for your loss of money tonight," he says to her with a huge mischievous grin on his face which makes me growl in my chest.

"Excuse me?! Who the hell do you think you are? You have some real nerve, Mike!" She says as she goes to slap him on the face, but he catches her hand, stopping it right before she hits him in the face with her wrist.

"Come on Ash, I have heard all the stories... I know you didn't get raped years ago... you really just wanted it.. and just didn't want to look bad in front of everyone.. the only problem is you got stuck with your burden of a daughter from it." he says to her, pissing me off instantly... She got raped when she was younger and ended up getting pregnant. Who would do that to her? What's wrong with the people around here?

"I don't care what you say or think about me, but I never wanted any of it, no matter what you and everyone else say... My baby girl is the only good thing that came from all this... So DON'T YOU EVER SAY ANYTHING ABOUT HER AGAIN! You can say what you want about me, but not about her. She is innocent and has nothing to do with the torture I have gone through that resulted in her. Now leave me alone." She says swiping her hand from his as he grabs it again, flipping her around quickly, pulling her closer to him.

I drop my clothes that are in my mouth as I walk out of the trees and darkness, slowly exposing my huge dark wolf, growling at him while baring my teeth. He sees me and knows who I am by my size and color. His eyes go wide as he lets Ashleigh's arm go reluctantly.

He stares me down until he just turns around mad, storming back to the bar.

Ashleigh watches him leave confused as she turns to look at me. She looks a little scared, so I just sit down to try to look as unthreatening as possible, because I'm almost as big as she is just in wolf form. She looks confused, so I step closer to her slowly as I nudge my muzzle under her hand. With curiosity now replacing the confusion, she bends down at eye level.

She has tears running down her cheeks as she looks down. Which makes me whine as I nudge her chin trying to keep it up.

"I know you probably can't understand me but.. Thank you for helping me, you probably shouldn't be around me for too long though... I wouldn't want anything to happen to you and you're way too handsome and majestic to be hated... But being around the supposed town harlot will make you hated and despised by all. Something as stunning as you doesn't deserve that." She says so sadly as she pets my soft fur gently and I whine, putting my muzzle under her chin again, hating seeing her sad like that.

She giggles and says, "I'll be fine, you're somehow too sweet... I'm used to getting this kind of treatment. It happens all the time... I don't care how they treat me. I swear I don't. I'm just crying because of the treatment my poor innocent baby gets because of me... She was the unlucky one when she got stuck with me as a mom.. she is so perfect and deserves the world, that I can't seem to give her no matter how hard I try." She says so sadly as she grunts in frustration and stands up.

"I'm crazy... I'm going crazy.. talking to a wolf.. because I feel comfortable... what is happening to me? I need to get home to my baby.. um... I know you can't understand me, but thanks again." She says as she bends down and kisses my nose, leaving the area quickly. But in the process, she drops her wallet and doesn't even notice. So I grab it along with my clothes in my mouth as I follow her through the woods, staying hidden.

She is talking to herself almost as if she is arguing with herself, but I'm just far enough away that I can't hear what she is saying... She walks across town alone until she reaches a small apartment building. She makes it to her little apartment, walking to her door and unlocking it. She is on the bottom floor, which makes things easy for me to see her. The windows are open in the main area. So when she opens the door, I can see a girl standing up from the couch looking confused... She walks up to her and wipes away tears from her cheeks saying, "Did Mike harass you again Phoenix?" She just nods but doesn't answer and tries to walk past. This girl grabs her arm and pulls her back.

"Phoenix! You need to tell someone about the way he treats you! This is ridiculous, he does this to you all the time!" She yells, but not with hate, it's with so much love because she cares for her and doesn't want to see her like that.

"Stef, what do you expect to happen if I tell someone? You saw what happened to me the last time I went for help when I got raped... They said I was a harlot and homewrecker when I never did any of that! But no one chose to believe me, everyone but you turned their backs on me! That's why I won't tell them who the father is, because I'm afraid when he gets out of jail he will try to take her away from me with the help of all the sh*tty people in this place who believed the lies told about me. Because for some reason this teacher is somehow a complete saint after raping a 16-year-old girl! Everyone hates me because of him and I don't want him to know she is his. You know I would die before letting anyone take her from me! Everyone in this place automatically blames me all the time, so do you really think they will believe me if I say something? Because I know they won't and I need this job, that's why I keep my mouth shut after all this time. I make great money there and still have time with Aurora." She says with so much anger laced through every single word, pacing back and forth.

"I'm sorry Phi. I know, I know... I just hate how you get treated here... I'm going to miss you when you finally get to go, but I know it will be amazing for you guys to get away from the negativity here... When you go, are you going to tell your parents?" She asks as Ashleigh grabs the laundry basket on the couch picking out something to change into before she answers.

She says she will be leaving soon, but to where and when? I can't let her go if she is going to go anywhere... She could go with me and I could protect her and her baby girl with my life.

I keep watching her as she strips her shirt off, I don't want to stare out of respect for her, but I can't seem to look away from the masterpiece in front of me.

"No of course not... I wouldn't tell them where I would be going.. they jumped on the 'let's hate Ash' bandwagon long ago. They don't deserve to be around her or me." She says with so much more anger than before, because I'm sure that hurt her worse with her parents betraying her... This girl just didn't get a break.

I find my gaze drifting to her exposed upper body, she has some stretch marks on her belly but they are beautiful in their own way, like tiger stripes. They stick out but in an intriguing way, making me want to touch every last one. She is just gorgeous in every single way.

She even seems like such a good mother because of her love for her daughter in every word she expresses about her and it breaks my heart to know everyone has turned on her in her time of need. But at least she had this friend here.

Ashleigh strips off her blue jeans, exposing her nice thick thighs that I just want to sink my teeth into... I find myself in a daze just staring while she grabs some shorts to put on. "So did you get to keep the money you made this time, so at least something good happened on your shift?" her friend asks reluctantly as if she doesn't want to know the answer.

"I did get some of the tips tonight so that helped, but something interesting did happen tonight... um.. this guy from out of town, hot as hell like some kind of Greek God.. was flirting with me tonight, surprisingly enough. It was nice to actually be noticed and not because he was trying to get something from me. Just being nice, it was refreshing, to say the least." She says about me making me so happy.

"Ooooh will you see him again?" her friend asks as I see her shake her head. "I'm sure he was probably just being nice to me, but like I said he is from out of town, so I bet I probably won't see him ever again. It doesn't matter anyway. When guys find out about my baby girl they run for the hills. He probably would have done the same." She says a little sadly before adding. "How was she tonight?" Ashleigh asks her friend, swiftly changing the subject.

"She had a fever before and I gave her medicine.. but I think it's because, as you said, her molars are coming in.. but Other than that she was wonderful as usual." Her friend says to her as she hugs Ashleigh and gets hugged in return.

"Thanks for everything Stef, I know I could never have survived this long if it wasn't for you." Ashleigh says to her friend as I notice the friend kisses her on the cheek, then turns and says, "Of course, you know how much I love both of you and always will... You're the only good people in this whole town... I'm lucky to have you two! I'll see you at the same time tomorrow Phoenix." She blows her a kiss as she walks out the front door. I quickly hide a little further away from the window, not wanting her to see me.

I wonder why her friend calls her Phoenix. It's not like it's anything close to her name, so there has got to be an actual reason for it.

I think to myself curiously as I hear a sound in Ashleigh's apartment, gaining my attention once again. Ashleigh is folding the laundry, separating them, and listening to music. She sings and dances to herself around the room, looking even more graceful than before. She seems a little more at peace when the music is playing, taking her away from her stresses even if it's just for a moment. I know that feeling.

She turns around and jumps so high saying. "Baby, what are you doing up?" Out of the hall comes this beautiful little girl, maybe 5 or so. Long black hair and beautiful big brown eyes. "Mommy I don't feel good." The little girl says to her as Ashleigh gets on her knees in front of the little girl putting the underside of her forearm to her forehead.

"Yea, you feel like you have a fever again baby. It's because you keep getting big, even though I tell you to stop growing and stay my baby forever!" She says with humor, making her daughter smile as she continues, "I don't know if you remember but you have those new teeth coming in... Come on Aurora, let's get you some medicine and we can lay you back down to get some sleep, Ok?"

She stands up, picking up her little girl into her arms protectively, and walks down the hall... I walk to the side like a creeper and go to the next window. There is a tiny corner of the window that's not covered up by blinds. I lay down across the ground staring into the tiny bit of open window.

She lays her daughter down on the bed and she gives her a measured amount of medicine, then pulls the comforter up to her shoulders, tucking her in as her daughter says, "Mommy can you please lay with me and sing to me?"

"Of course sunshine, anything for you." She says so sweetly as she lies down behind her daughter. She wraps her arms around her, playing with her daughter's hair which is just as long as hers. She starts by humming to her, then she starts to sing the Bob Marley song Three little birds in the most melodic voice I have ever heard in my life. It just sends chills up my spine hearing her singing voice.

"Don't worry about a thing

Cause every little thing gonna be all right

Singing don't worry about a thing

Cause every little thing gonna be all right..

Rise up this morning

Smiled with the rising sun

Three little birds

Pitch by my doorstep

Singing sweet songs

Of melodies pure and true

She hums just as beautifully to her daughter for a small moment before singly softly in her ear.

"Cause every little thing gonna be all right" She sings softly like a whisper, as she stares at her daughter who is now asleep. She kisses the temple of her head and snuggles with her daughter as she stays in bed with her and eventually falls asleep right next to her, still holding her in the motherly embrace. I stay for a little while, making sure she is Ok at least for now before I have to go.

I finally tear myself away, to run back to the pack property after I know she is asleep and safe. I hate leaving her, but I know I can't just stay out there all night because someone will see me and I don't want to risk scaring her or even her daughter right now, since Ashleigh was fine with both of my forms earlier, which is a huge step in the right direction.

I'll have to go back to see her tomorrow to return her wallet and of course, just see her again. That's why I held onto her wallet so I have an excuse to go see her without looking like a complete stalker. I shift back into my human form, grabbing my things as I walk into the pack house as quietly as possible since it's late.

I walk down the hallway and to my room, then lay down on my bed thinking of the amazing mate I had just found... How did I get so lucky? I let out a deep breath, thinking of everything I have discovered tonight... I need to find a way to win her trust and get her to talk to me... I'm just so glad she was Ok with me as myself and as a wolf. That's almost half the battle... Along with the fact that she does want to leave, moving away from this town as well. That makes my job a little easier, but not by much. I not only have to earn her trust, but I have to earn her daughter's trust now too... I just keep thinking about every detail until sleep somehow consumes me.