The Alpha’s Broken Healer (The Alpha and The Princess 1)

New powers

The days were passing peacefully enough. Ashlyn was meeting more and more of the pack and exploring more and more of the land. She was slowly regaining her stamina, healing quickly and putting on a little weight. Dr Jenkins, after she had been at Darkmoon about a week, did repeat blood tests and said everything was looking healthier. Ashlyn was happy here, she would sit on the edge of the woods and sketch random wolves, never being sure who they were until they would come and find her to ask if they could see the sketch. She always shared it with them, making a photocopy for them to keep. It seemed to be some kind of honour to be drawn by Ashlyn, though no one actually asked her outright to draw them, after a week of this when she came out to draw there suddenly seemed to be a lot of people around, some just watching her and plenty in wolf form running around hoping to catch her eye. They didn't seem to realise she needed them to be still so she usually ended up drawing whoever was stillest. Micah had asked her to work on a picture of Xavier and his mate Emery for the anniversary of their mating in a few weeks. He told them both that Ash liked drawing wolves to get them to pose for her, she did sketches of them together and on their own, in both forms. Putting the individual pictures into small canvases that could be hung in offices or sat on desks, she drew Xaviers wolf into a tiny little miniature to go in a locket for Emery, she works in an office and a picture of a wolf might be suspicious, but a locket? She could wear that whenever she likes. 

Near enough everyone she came into contact with was respectful and nice to her. A few didn't believe in her powers and would touch her waiting to see what she would pick up from them, Ashlyn was never wrong, but often these people regretted it. She found one male who was dating a girl he knew wasn't his mate and telling she was so that she would sleep with him, another woman who was planning to reject her mate once he had spent more money on her. A man who was plotting to challenge Micah for the pack after drugging him. Needless to say, they all believed after meeting her. 

Ash had been with the pack for around two weeks when, one day, she was in the flower garden with Jay and her camera. She looked over a flower bed that wasn't in bloom, the summer flowers starting to die back down to the earth now that September was fast approaching, wishing idly that she could see it flowering. In the blink of an eye, the flower bed was in full colour once more. Brilliant reds and vibrant yellows, sunset oranges, brightest sky blues, greenest leaves, amazing purples and even bright pinks. Ashlyn gasped loudly, turning to Jay “was that me?” She whispered. Jay laughed a little and rubbed her shoulder “well it sure as hell wasn't me honey… you want me to get Micah” “no…. No… he doesn’t need to know everything” Ashlyn replied distractedly, she was still staring at the flowers. 

The flowers weren’t the first strange occurrence over the last two weeks. Ashlyn had found her eyes changing at times, they looked purple almost. She seemed to be able to show more people her thoughts and desires, that was rather embarrassing, Mrs Black had been trying a new recipe for chicken, Ash was testing it for her, nodding appreciatively and making all the right noises while secretly hating it, something had gone terribly wrong. Mrs Black chuckled and patted Ash’s shoulder “Well at-least you tried it, thank you for being kind dear” she said shaking her head as she tried some herself. Deciding that she must have missed something out when she was following the recipe, she threw the food out and invited Ash to make some cakes instead. She had also noticed that her hands seemed to glow, sometimes they even left a glow on things. One time, she had caught Mark looking through her sketch pad for any pictures of him, he knew she didn't like people looking through it without her invitation, she had gotten angry and taken it off it, telling him to leave it alone in no uncertain terms, the blueish, purple glow had sank into her sketch pad then, the next day, she handed it to Micah to look at a drawing of him in his office, and he had been thrown backwards onto his backside in the mud. Ashlyn was horrified, Micah, or it might have been Zander, she still wasn't sure all the time who it was, laughed loudly, seemingly delighted at being thrown like that. “What was that?” He asked, clearly knowing no one had touched him, he figured it was Ash, Ash had no answer and just shook her head. She looked down at her Sketch pad, which was faintly glowing again “I’m sorry… I don't know” she mumbled, her voice trailing off. 

It was a few days after the incident with the plants that she was called into Rowans office. He had a smaller office down the hall from Micah’s, they were sharing before Micah threw his dad out and told him to go find his own office. Mark lead the way and Ash followed. Micah was already in the office when Ashlyn entered. At Rowans invitation, she sat down in the chair facing his office. “Ashlyn, I hear you are settling in well. It seems however, that my son has been slightly derelict in his duties as Alpha, and so I feel the need to step in, yet again” with that, he sent a scathing look in Micahs direction “You have not yet been officially welcomed into the pack, we hold a ceremony, which will obviously have to be altered a little, in which we welcome and accept you and you accept us. I suspect then you will be able access the mind link like other pack members. Would you be willing to do this?” Rowan asked. Micah was stood against the wall watching Ashlyn hopefully, but clearly giving her space to make her own choice, as hard as it is for him, Ash could tell that he was even trying to hold his emotions back from their bond so that she didn't feel them. 

“What does the ceremony entail Rowan?” Ashlyn asked, she wanted to know exactly what she was agreeing to before she committed.

“Well, we, as your Alpha’s would promise to protect and shelter you, to provide for you if necessary, to respect you as a person and to not demand anything of you that we wouldn't do ourselves or which would put you in unnecessary danger of any kind. You would swear to follow the rules of the pack, which again are fairly straight forward, don't hurt anyone without reason, don't expose us, don't break any lycan laws though I doubt you could break many if you wanted to, they are largely written assuming no one other than a wolf will be subject to them. We would cut your hand and Micah’s, you would seal the bond by joining hands. After that you should hear the mind link in your head. Usually we would go for a run to introduce your wolf to the pack but maybe we could just leave it open for anyone who wishes for their wolf to meet you can shift and come to say hello? There’s a party with music and food and alcohol for those of us who are of age. And thats that” Rowan explained. 

The plan didn't seem to be unreasonable to Ashlyn. “So I’m just agreeing to respect the rules and not tell anyone who doesn’t already know about you guys?” 

Both Micah and Rowan nodded before Rowan added “That is essentially it yes, you will have to make more promises if you accept Micah and become the packs Luna in time, when you are of age of course.”

A muscle ticked in Micah’s jaw, the thought of Ash leaving him was something he couldn't even consider. He hoped that Ash wouldn't consider it either. 

“I didn't realise I had a choice in the matter, I figured we were just kinda stuck together” Ash said with a shrug, trying to ignore Micah looking like she was torturing his puppy. “I just kinda let things happen because it seemed to be what the bond wanted and i figured it would happen sooner or later”

Rowan again shot a dark look at his son “This information shouldn’t have been concealed from you. Should you wish, you can reject Micah, but I caution you not to do so lightly. Rejection causes immense pain for both parties, which will only end with time if both parties agree on the rejection. It can even kill some mates. You will both be stronger with each other. You have been brought together for a reason, that may not be clear right now but it will be in time.”

Ashlyn nodded and Micah looked mutinous. Rowan continued regardless “you would be welcome here regardless of what happens between you and Micah, or we would help you get settled elsewhere, with the mages or in the human world if that is your wish and you are old enough to be able to do so.” 

Ashlyn was speechless at that. She didn't know what she was supposed to say, so she said nothing. “The other thing I wanted to talk to you about is the mage he college are sending to help you. He has sent word that his current assignment is finished. He is heading back to college to finish up the paperwork and grab some different equipment, he will arrive in 3 days time. To that end, I would like to make you a member of the pack tomorrow if you have no objections, it will give us more authority to hang onto you here, if that is what you wish. The mages may try to take you to their college for training, they would not allow Micah on the property, as I’m sure you can imagine, that would be unpleasant for him and likely for you unless you reject your bond.” Rowan explained. 

“I don’t want to leave yet. I’ll become part of the pack tomorrow. What do I need to do to prepare?” Ashlyn said confidently after a few moments. Not looking at Micah. She was annoyed with him for hiding something so big from her. 

Micahs shoulders dropped, his whole posture relaxed, Ash could feel his relief at her words. It was Rowan who answered her though “No sweet girl. You just need to show up, agree to some statements that will be read out to you, shake hands with Micah and maybe have an excuse for a new dress, if you go visit the shop down the road, Charlie might have something to fit you”

Ash nodded and smiled “thank you Rowan, I have a dress I think though.”

Rowan smiled and dismissed them. Micah lead Ash down to the dining hall for dinner.