Run, Ash!
1647 Words
Ash's POV
Something told me I should be worried about the way they left so suddenly, but I honestly couldn’t think straight. The butterflies in my stomach felt strong enough to lift me off the ground, fluttering wildly, making my skin tingle and my thoughts scatter like leaves in a storm.
Dale had kissed me.
Dale had kissed me.
The memory looped endlessly in my mind, the warmth of his lips, soft yet insistent, the faint taste of pine and earth from the forest around us. His fingers had brushed my jawline, tentative at first, then surer, as if he’d been holding back for far too long.
By the time I reached the rogue pack territory, the sky was already darkening. Our small cottage stood at the edge of the trees, weathered wood blending seamlessly with the shadows, smoke curling lazily from the chimney.
Nana was waiting in front of it like she always did, arms crossed over her chest, her face unreadable beneath the silver strands of hair escaping her braid. Her eyes, sharp as a hawk’s, pinned me in place.
“You’re late,” she said, her voice cutting through the evening chill like a blade.
“Oh… Nan, don’t be so rigid. I was with Jasmine.” I forced a lightness into my tone, hoping it masked the flush still warming my cheeks.
“You shouldn’t trust anyone,” she replied sharply, the same warning she had given me my whole life, drilled into me since I was small enough to hide in her cloak. Trust no one, reveal nothing, survive.
There’s more to my secret. I guess I should start over properly, let the words settle like dust after a long run.
My name is Ash Rivers, but depending on what gender I take on, I’m Ashley or Asher. Most of my life I’ve lived as a boy, because I am the last surviving Silverborne wolf. The name alone carries weight, a curse whispered in frightened tones around campfires.
The Silverborne were said to be born from the blessing of the Moon Goddess herself. We were faster, stronger, gifted with abilities other wolves feared, silver aura that could heal or destroy, veins that shimmered like liquid moonlight when our power surged. Legends spoke of us as guardians, but fear twists legends.
But there was one problem.
Our blood was silver.
A threat, a rarity that made us targets, coveted by some for power, hunted by others for the danger we posed.
Then came the prophecy, a false one Nana always insisted, fabricated by jealous alphas. That the Silverborne would betray the Moon Goddess and wipe out all werewolves. Packs that already hated us, envied us, used it as an excuse. They attacked when we were weakest, on the night of the blood red moon, when our powers dimmed under the eclipse.
My father was accused of treason first, dragged before the council in chains. Our pack was burned to the ground that same night.
Nana found me in the forest, curled beneath a hollow log, left behind to die because I was too small to fight, too weak to shift yet.
I live as a boy to survive. The girl child was never found, and sometimes they still search for traces of silver, scouts sniffing borders, rumors traded like currency.
Nana has trained me for revenge. Relentless drills from dawn to dusk, combat forms, stealth, poisons, strategy. Against all twelve packs. Against their heirs, the ones who would inherit the thrones built on my family’s ashes.
But…
I never wanted that life. The weight of vengeance sat heavy on my shoulders, a chain I couldn’t break.
I wanted Dale.
Hopefully marry him with kids of my own.
Ugh. I wish it were that simple.
“You’re lost in thought again,” Nana said, her voice pulling me back. She hadn’t moved, still blocking the path like a sentinel. “When will you agree to go to Valemount? Your admission is already settled, just move in…won't you?”
“Good night, Nan,” I replied with a forced grin, slipping inside before she could say anything else, before her words could burrow deeper into the cracks already forming in my resolve.
The door shut behind me with a soft thud, sealing out the night. I leaned against it for a moment, eyes closed, replaying the kiss one more time before forcing myself to bed.
I barely slept that night.
Every time I closed my eyes, I felt Dale’s lips again, the way his hand lingered on my arm, thumb tracing slow circles that sent shivers racing across my skin. The way his voice softened when he spoke to me alone, dropping to a husky murmur that made my wolf stir restlessly.
I rolled over on my bed, staring at the rough-hewn ceiling beams, moonlight filtering through cracks in the shutters.
This was dangerous.
I knew that. Knew it in my bones.
But knowing didn’t stop my heart from racing, didn’t quiet the hopeful whisper that maybe, just maybe, he felt it too.
Morning came too fast, gray light seeping in like smoke.
Something felt off the moment I stepped outside. The forest was quiet, but not peaceful, birds silent, wind holding its breath. My chest felt tight for no clear reason, an instinctive warning prickling along my spine.
Jasmine usually called me every morning using the old pack signal. Three short whistles. One long. Nothing fancy, just our way since we were pups.
Today, there was nothing. No echo through the trees.
Was the pack really in danger last night, or was it something else?
The closer I got, the more crowded it became. Wolves everywhere, familiar faces, but distant now. Laughter ringing out, music drifting on the breeze, decorations hanging from trees, ribbons in pack colors, lanterns swaying gently.
My steps slowed, confusion knotting in my gut.
“What’s going on?” I asked a wolf rushing past me, his arms full of flowers.
He barely spared me a glance. “Alpha’s son is having his mating ceremony.”
The words slammed into me like a physical blow.
Alpha’s son.
My breath caught, sharp and painful.
Dale?
I broke into a run, heart pounding in my ears.
Guards stopped me at the entrance of the main house, their bulk blocking the path.
“You can’t go in,” one of them said, voice gruff.
“Move,” I snapped, desperation fueling me.
I shoved past them before they could react fully, feeling it then, that sharp pull inside my chest. My aura flaring without my permission, silver threads flickering at the edges of my vision.
I tried to suppress it, breathing deep, willing it down.
I couldn’t risk it. Not here, not now.
But I couldn’t stop either. Not until I saw.
The garden was filled with people. Flowers everywhere, white blooms woven into arches, petals scattered on the ground. Candles flickered in glass holders, casting warm glows. Celebration in full bloom.
And there he was.
Dale stood near the center, dressed in ceremonial clothes, dark tunic embroidered with the pack crest, posture stiff and formal. When his eyes met mine across the crowd, he looked away immediately.
That hurt more than anything else. The deliberate avoidance, like I was already erased.
“Tell me it isn’t true,” I said, walking toward him through the parting crowd. My voice shook, raw. “Tell me this is some sick joke.”
He didn’t answer. Didn’t even turn.
“Dale,” I whispered, closer now. “Who is your mate?”
Jasmine came into my view then, stepping out from the shadows of the arch.
She stood just a few steps behind him, elegant in a flowing dress.
Relief rushed through me before my brain caught up, warm, foolish relief.
“Jasmine,” I said, rushing toward her instead. “You’re here. Did you know about this? About Dale having a mate?”
She didn’t smile. She had a strange expression on her face, it didn't quite sit right with me…apology?
Then I saw it.
A mating mark.
Fresh. Dark. Clear against the pale skin of her neck, the intricate swirl of the mating bond.
“No,” I breathed, the world tilting.
My legs felt weak, knees threatening to buckle.
“No no no,” I said, shaking my head violently. “That’s not real. That’s not possible.”
Jasmine crossed her arms, her expression hardening, but beneath that I could see the panic in her eyes.
“Ash,” she said softly. “Calm down.”
“Don’t tell me to calm down,” I snapped, voice rising. “You wouldn’t do this to me. You wouldn’t.”
Dale finally spoke. His voice was cold, distant, like speaking to a stranger.
“Enough.”
I turned to him, stunned, the word piercing deeper than any claw.
“Do you easily go back on your actions? Is this how little you think of…me?” My voice cracked on the last word
My chest burned, agony spreading like wildfire.
Jasmine stepped closer, her voice dropping low so only I could hear, laced with despair.
I stumbled back, the world spinning, colors blurring through unshed tears.
“I'm sorry Ash, I promise, I didn't mean to hurt you.” She said, when I looked at her eyes, they were glittering with unshed tears.
“You did…I trusted you…” before I could complete my words, she grabbed my hands, her eyes wide with plea.
“You need to go away…away from us. I can't live with myself seeing what I did to you, and Dale needs to forget you.”
I stumbled backwards at her words.
“It's shameless of me to ask but go, run Ash, run.”
Run.
That was the only word in my head, pounding like a drum.
So I did.
- Writer
