chapter 4

Ashton carried Maya in his arms as he disappeared into the woods.

He didn't know where his impulse came from but he knew that if he didn't save her, he will regret it for the rest of his life.

Something in him also seemed to awaken, something he hadn't felt for a long time.

….

Back at Lily's house…..

The wind winders pack was welcoming their guests.

The celebration had already begun but the protagonist was nowhere to be seen.

Every pack leader was around and only Alpha Ashton has not shown his face.

Many of the ladies were starting to feel restless.

They had dressed up simply because they wanted to impress that one person, but if he did not even come, what was the need of looking all glorious?

They approached Lily, who had assured them again and again that Alpha Ashton will definitely come.

"How come we don't see him?"

"Maybe he was held up somewhere but I'm sure he will show up," Lily assured, but deep down she was feeling restless.

Although she already had a mate and was about to be crowned luna, she couldn't control her thoughts from having some wishful thinking.

She had laid her eyes on Alpha Ashton just once and she had never forgotten about his looks.

She wished that he could come even for a few seconds.

But the ladies were bound to be disappointed as the person they hoped for did not turn up. All they saw was his beta and after saying a few apologetic words, he immediately left.

His Alpha had given him an important mission. He did not have the luxury of engaging in small talk.

Beta Theo left as soon as he showed his face.

Although other alphas showed their displeasure, there was nothing they could do because Ashton was not one to be messed with.

…..

At the Ash band pack, all the pack members were shocked when they saw their alpha walk in with a lady in his arms.

They thought that he has found his mate and they were especially excited about the news.

Soon, the news spread like wildfire and it already reached the old man, Ashton's grandfather's ears.

He immediately dropped what he was doing to rush to the pack house.

If his grandson had truly found his mate, that would be amazing.

He was worried that the young lad would continue to be irritated and that he won't be able to calm his pack down.

He was too old but did not have a mate, even as a leader, it did not look on him.

But if he found himself a strong mate, then he will be relieved.

Ashton on the other hand called the medical team the moment he arrived.

He had no time to think about anything else.

The medical team was summoned and the experts immediately assembled in their alpha's private villa.

When they heard that their alpha had brought a woman home, they were shocked just like everyone else.

"Alpha….."

"She is in the master bedroom. Do a thorough check and if there is anything, report to me directly." Ashton said.

The medical team lowered their heads and nodded. The vibe their alpha was giving off was very oppressive. They did not dare slack off.

After the medical team left, Ashton headed toward his study room.

He sat in the darkness without doing anything. His thoughts had wandered elsewhere. It had been a long time since he thought of that incident.

Ashton switched on the lights and opened his drawer. From the drawer, be removed an old photo. The photo was old and even yellowed, the edges had also turned white due to constant rubbing.

He stared at the photo, his gaze deep and unfathomable.

He was only brought back to his senses when he heard a commotion outside. His grandfather was making a fuse about seeing his grandson.

He had once placed a strict order that no one was allowed to enter his study room even if it was his most beloved grandfather.

After some time, his mind linked with the guards at the door to let his grandfather in.

Gael was angry as he looked at his grandson.

"I'm your grandfather, must you be this strict to even your family?"

"I'm your Alpha!" Ashton said in a deep voice. His aura also changed.

Gael could only lower his shoulders. Although he was his grandfather and was once an alpha, his reign ended centuries ago.

He did not have the energy to go against his grandfather.

"Okay. Can you stop applying your pressure on me? I'm just here to meet my granddaughter-in-law."

Ashton was shocked.

He had only brought a woman home and everyone assumed that he had found his mate.

But it was understandable after it was rare for him to make such a move.

"And what makes you think that?" Ashton asked.

"Everyone knows that you brought a woman with you. That has never happened before. It seems the meeting this time with other packs bowed some fruits."

"I didn't attend the meeting. And stop making your thoughts run wild. I only happened to save someone, that's all." Ashton said.

He did not want to explain anything because he honestly had no idea who that woman was or what her name was.

He could only wait patiently for Theo to report back to him.

Grandfather Gael was disappointed. He had no choice but to leave. He knew that his grandson was tight-lipped, and if he did not want to talk about it, no one will ever force him.

But just as he was about to leave, he saw Ashton staring at a photo.

If he remembered correctly….

"This photo again? Is this the reason why you have locked yourself away from finding your mate?"

"Let me tell you, she will never come back. She had probably been eaten by rogues a long time ago. Her body has never been found."

"Grandfather!" Ashton roared. His nails elongated and his eyes were shown with a deep blue color. An indication that he was truly angry.

Seeing that he has touched a sensitive spot, Gael immediately left.

It has always been like that over the years. Whenever that topic was brought up, they will always end up at each other's throats.

….

Back at the wind winders pack...

The ceremony had come to an end. Mark has officially become the alpha of his pack.

He was not as excited as he thought because the person he wanted to see was nowhere to be seen.

Beta Theo had gone back to where his alpha had saved Maya and following the scent, he immediately identified the two men.

Since they were guarding the pack against the outside, he did not have to lure them away.

Theo moved at a lightning speed and before any of them could react, someone had clung to their necks and invaded their minds.

Theo used some special abilities to attack the guards.

Although they were no match for him even if he approached them directly, he did not want to be discovered so he could only use some special methods.

The guards were caught off guard and before they could react, the person who attacked them was long gone.

But they felt that their secrets had been unknowingly exposed, which made them panic.

After gathering some more information, Theo left to report to his alpha.

Mark on the hand had sent people to look for Maya.

They found out that Maya was not in the servant's quarters. Although everything of hers was intact, she was nowhere to be found.

They took one of her belonging and followed her scent up to the lake.

After they arrived at the lake, they found nothing else. They could only return and report it to Mark.

Mark was shocked. Did Maya jump into the lake and committed suicide?

Did she not want to see him anymore?

He tried looking for the man he found abusing Maya, but the man had also disappeared.