Loving The Alpha I Once Bullied

02 - Kill Me

How merciless were the heavens to grant Ciara a mate after all these years of solitude.

‘Why now? And why him?’ Ciara thought as she stared at the man seated next to her.

After the underground auction event came to an end, Ashton had swiftly undone all her chains and covered her naked body with his coat. Then, he placed her in his car and began the journey to Black Star Pack.

Ciara couldn’t help but sneak glances at Ashton. No more was the boy who couldn’t hold her gaze for five seconds. She was also not the girl who derived pleasure in trampling over broken bodies.

Six years was more than enough time to change a person.

“How did you end up at a place like that?” Ashton suddenly asked, his voice was void of criticism. He sounded like he genuinely wanted to know the reason why she was there.

But what could Ciara say? How could she explain to him that karma had gotten to her? All she could do was pretend not to hear his question and gatekeep her story.

A few moments passed, and Ashton realized that he was not going to get an answer to his question. So he asked another one.

“Where have you been all these years?”

This was a question Ciara could answer.

“Drifting,” she replied. Her voice was so humble and hoarse, so unrecognizable to both herself and Ashton.

“Why did you never drift towards the Black Star Pack? I could’ve sheltered you. I could’ve—”

“Please, don’t say things like that. Please.” A desperate plea escaped from Ciara’s lips.

She knew that he was speaking the truth. If after being banished six years ago, she went to the Black Star Pack and sought refuge, Ashton would’ve welcomed her with open arms. But at the detriment of his sparkling clean reputation.

“I won’t bring up the past anymore.” Ashton sighed in defeat, closing that chapter. Ciara was slightly relieved.

After a fairly long drive, the two arrived at the Black Star Pack House. Other than the few wolves standing guard at the front of the house, there was no one else around.

How could there be when dawn hadn’t broken yet? Like a thief scared of the light, Ashton shielded Ciara’s identity from the guards and led her quietly into the pack house.

He only stopped covering her small build with his larger frame when they both arrived at a room—his room.

“I’ll set up a warm bath for you,” Ashton said after he led Ciara to settle down on his bed, and then disappeared into the bathroom.

Anxiety surged in Ciara’s heart.

‘Why wasn’t he talking about the mate bond?’ Ciara thought. ‘Why did he bring me to his home, his room? What did he want to do with me?’

A chilling realization swept over Ciara as she drew an assumption of her own.

Ashton bought her at the auction, and twenty million dollars was not a small amount of money to spend.

Though Ashton was revered by people for being the incarnate of the Moon Goddess’s Saint, there was no way he would pass up the opportunity to take revenge on her.

He would prove that he was a man like any other who wouldn’t hesitate to spread her legs and have his way with her, even if she was unwilling.

At this thought, Ciara flung Ashton’s coat to the floor and laid down on the bed, waiting to be used like the toy she believed she was.

A minute passed before Ashton walked out of the bathroom and discovered Ciara waiting to be devoured. He quickly picked up his coat and covered her up.

“What are you doing?” he asked, his tone filled with pity.

“Just put it in. It might hurt because of the untreated bruises on my body, but I can take it.” Ciara said, a bit too boldly. “How many times do we have to do it for your money to be repaid in full?”

Ashton was dumbfounded.

“Put what in?” he cried aloud, reaching to place her in a sitting position.

“... You don’t want to have s*x with me?” Ciara questioned awkwardly.

Ashton’s heart shattered. Was this what that host meant when he said that she had been groomed perfectly? Oh, heavens.

“I didn’t buy you so that I could sleep with you,” Ashton clarified after a beat.

Ciara’s lips curved into a lifeless smile.

“Okay, then. Kill me.”

“What?”

“If you didn’t buy me to sleep with me, then you did it to kill me. I won’t judge you. My crimes are worthy of death. Go ahead.” Ciara made herself defenseless in front of Ashton.

“Stop it. Did I say I was going to kill you or sleep with you during the auction? Just what do you think of me? How could I ever…” Ashton trailed off without completing his sentence. He heaved a sigh, then continued speaking.

“You felt the mate bond between us, didn’t you?” He addressed the most important issue at hand.

Ciara nodded slowly.

“The bond feels incredibly fragile and weak. What happened to your wolf? Why can’t I sense it?” Ashton’s tone carried worry.

During the auction, he had not felt Ciara’s wolf, not even once. Which was insane since she had an alpha wolf. Though she rarely used her wolf form, her wolf aura was still very dominant. And yet, Ashton had not felt the presence of her wolf.

Ciara calmly responded to his question by saying, “My wolf has been sealed.”

Ashton’s eyes bulged. “Sealed? How come? Did the auction host tamper with your wolf? How could he do such a thing?”

“It wasn’t them.” Ciara’s gaze fell to her lap. Her next words carried deep grief and bitterness. “It was Jake.”

Six years ago after Ciara had been banished from her pack for her evil doings, she was still full of pride and believed that she was innocent and right.

She had sneaked back to the Moon Blessed Pack to try her luck one last time with Jake, her first love. Things had not gone the way it played out in her head.

Jake had accused her of trying to attack him and his mate once again. In the dead of the night, he and some other wolves dragged her to a powerful witch’s abode and performed a spell that sealed her wolf.

The spell had not only sealed her wolf but also tampered with her life force—the very essence of her being. Her bright and powerful life force born from her top-notch bloodline became embarrassingly weak.

Ciara was currently even weaker than an average human being. How she had survived for six years without her wolf and a weak life force… she would take that story to the grave without telling a single soul.

After seeing the closed off look on Ciara’s face, Ashton knew that it was time to put a pause to his questioning.

“It is alright,” he said with a light smile on his lips. “I’ll help you regain your wolf and mend your life force.”

Ashton had expected Ciara to cheer up a little bit after hearing his proclamation, but she did the opposite. Her face contorted into one of strong resolve as she said:

“I don’t want my wolf anymore, nor do I want to mend my life force. I don’t want to be a werewolf again.”