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

The real Ash

The following day dawned, bright and warm, probably one of the last days of good weather of the summer. The party was due to start at 3pm, with the ceremony being held around 5. Ashlyn found herself more nervous than she thought she would be. She spent the morning in the suite, Micah was around but she was making him earn his way back into her good books. She had even made him sleep alone last night, having stolen a shirt of his from the clean laundry, it smelt like him, and knowing that he was nearby was enough to let Ashlyn sleep. She didn't sleep as well as she did when she shared a bed with him but enough. In the name of getting back on her good side, Micah brought Ash breakfast in bed, he had managed to persuade someone to make her favourite for him, she was presented with a pile of sausage, spam, hash browns and toast. More than enough to feed 3 people. Micah hovered in the doorway until Ash relented and let him join her, “this doesn't mean you are forgiven though” she warned him. They dug in to the food and finished it between them, Ash was sure that Micah ate most of it, but she didn't mind, she was full.

They whiled away an hour playing cards before Jay descended with her younger sister, Lynne. “Ash, I brought help!” Ash looked up at Jay and the girl with her, slightly confused “uh… for what?” Ash asked. “Well to get you ready of course Ash. This is Lynne, my sister, shes your age. Thought it would be good for you to make friends your age too.” Lynne smiled and waved at Ash in the typical teenage way, Ash returned the gesture. “Urm… ok… I was just going to have a shower and put my dress on but…” she stood up, smiling to Micah, “I’ll see you down there then?” Micah growled but stalked into his room to get his suit. He would get ready in his office downstairs. The girls were all giggling as they went into Ash’s room. Micah doesn’t do gaggles of giggling girls. He liked it when Ash giggled at him, but that was different, she wasn't annoying. 

After telling them that she didn't have any makeup, she’d never used it before, both Jay and Lynne looked appalled. They left while she showered, to collect their makeup and hair styling products. When Ash came back out of her bathroom, wearing a thin, satiny dressing gown over her underwear, there were makeup palettes and brushes all over, a hair dryer and what looked like a torture implement but Ash knew was a curling tongue. By 2:50, Ash was ready. She barely recognised herself. Her face was was tastefully covered with such a light coating of makeup that you could hardly tell she was wearing any, but it smoothed everything out on her face, making her look almost air brushed. Her eyes look brighter, her lips were coated with shiny lip gloss. Her hair was loose around her with the exception of two strands which are french braided from her temples around to the back of her head to meet in the middle, where they are gathered into a small bobble and left to fall down her back. The ends of the rest of her hair have been highly curled. Jay was amazed at just how much hair Ash actually had. The girls had already done their own hair and makeup between helping Ash and each took turns to change, Ash took her dress and shoes into Micah’s room. She was wearing a black hell bunny style dress with red pentagrams, planchette’s, bats and cats on, that came to her knees with a slightly dipping neck line. She had a red choker around her neck, fish net stockings and red dr martins on her feet. It was her first opportunity to really show off her own style to the pack. Not even Micah knew what she was wearing today. Ash hoped it was ok. She wasn’t worried about the pack being upset by her style, most people seemed to be very accepting. Well she had still to properly meet Micah’s mother, but fingers crossed. Ash liked how the dress made her skin look paler and her hair redder, she liked the skirt with all its under skirts making it puff out a little. But mostly she didn't think the burlesque corset dress that Micah had bought because she loved it, would be appropriate in the slightest. Ash and Lynne said she looked stunning. They dropped her off at Micah’s office door. 

Ash walked into the office, Micah had to look twice to make sure it was her, he was about to send her away because he was waiting for her. His jaw almost dropped, he just about managed to keep his mouth closed. “Wow” is all he said. Standing up and walking towards her. The gothy, grungy look was a new one, most people picked a cocktail dress or a long elegant gown for the ceremony, wanting to make a perfect impression, few decided to show off their personal style, and Micah had never seen someone go with this much personal flair before. Micah reached out for her hair, gently playing with a lock “I love this….” Just about stopping himself from rubbing his hair in it and saying things that made him sound like the ultimate creep, like how he wanted to kiss her and lock her in the office with him, to keep her for himself. ‘Shes 15. Shes only 15’ he and Zander had to keep reminding each other when one or the other got too engrossed in their thoughts. She might be their mate but she wasn't ready for anything more than they currently had right now.

Ash was caught off guard by Micah in his suit. She hadn’t seen him properly dressed up before now. She took a deep breath as she looked him up and down when he stood. The black pants and jacket fit him perfectly, clinging in all the right spots, the shirt looked like it was painted on over his chest. Ash had swapped his tie for a red one she found in his closet, she figured he would understand why now. Since that first morning in his bed they hadn’t really had any more intimate contact, they shared a bed most night, but other than waking up with Micah having wormed his hands under her top to her bare stomach, they didn't do anything edging towards inappropriate. Ashlyn knew that Micah wanted more but was holding back because of her age, she appreciated it, but she was highly attracted to him and he was never far from her mind, and regardless of what he was or wasn't wearing, the sight of him always made her stomach clench with the unfamiliar tingles of arousal. Ash was slowly gaining confidence around Micah, she would initiate a simple touch, like holding his hand more, and she was much better at telling him what she wanted and didn’t want.

“We’d better head down Ash, do you need a jacket or anything?” Ash shook her head and reached out for Micahs arm. Together they took the lift down to the ground floor and out into the garden. The crowd that had gathered already cheered and whooped to welcome Ash to her party, she blushed and shuffled closer to Micah. Micah lead the way around the party, introducing her to everyone, Ash knew she would never remember all the names in a million years. They got drinks and then took a seat on the edge of the stage. People wandered over to talk to them. Loki sat on Ash’s other side, telling bad jokes and trying to convince Micah to let Ash have one drink. Jay and Lynne came to stand with them for a while, and Mark. Jessy the nurse came over to say hello.