11. Asher
CHAPTER ELEVEN
ASHER
Gael had been gone for maybe half an hour, but it felt like longer. I stood at the cabin window, watching the line of trees for any sign of his return.
The old structure was hidden enough, but the gnawing thought of being found still twisted in my gut.
Gael was out there, scouting the area, making sure we were safe.
And I was here, feeling the restless itch of recovery and the sting of my own helplessness.
My leg was healing. Faster than I’d expected, faster than it should have.
Whether it was luck, stubbornness, or Gael’s careful tending, I didn’t know. The pain was now a dull throb instead of a blazing fire.
Although I occasionally felt sharp bursts of pain, I could walk without collapsing, and that small victory fueled a dangerous need to prove I was still capable.
I couldn’t just sit here and wait. Taking a steadying breath, I pushed the door open.
The hinges groaned in protest, but the cool forest air hit my face, grounding me.
I limped out onto the soft earth, my boots sinking into the mossy ground.
The wind rustled through the trees, carrying the scent of pine and damp leaves. For a moment, I let it soothe me, my muscles unclenching just a little.
I took a few careful steps, testing my balance. My leg held. The ache was there, but it was manageable.
I walked further, my confidence building with each step.
There was something liberating about moving under my own power, even if it wasn’t graceful.
The cabin disappeared behind me as I made my way toward the trees. A sharp crack in the distance made me stop cold.
I straightened, every nerve firing to attention. My breath stilled in my lungs, and I listened.
The silence stretched, but my gut twisted with certainty. Someone was here.
Gael wouldn’t make a sound like that. He moved like a shadow, fluid and silent. This was different. Deliberate, almost taunting.
I turned, my eyes scanning the trees. Every shadow seemed to breathe, every branch a potential threat.
My pulse hammered in my ears, and I cursed under my breath. My leg was almost healed, but almost wouldn’t cut it if things turned violent.
Then I saw him. Declan stepped out from behind a tree, his expression carved from stone.
His dark hair was tousled, his clothes marked with the grime of travel, but his cold and calculating eyes were as sharp as ever.
He looked at me, and something flickered there. Pity? Regret? I couldn’t tell, and I wasn’t sure I wanted to know.
“Declan,” I said, my voice low and wary.
My fingers curled into fists, though I knew I didn’t stand a chance if it came down to a fight.
“Asher.” He spoke my name with a sigh, like he was tired already.
He took a step closer, his hands loose at his sides.
I swallowed, forcing down the instinct to run. “How did you find us?”
He tilted his head, his mouth a thin line. “I’ve been tracking you for days. You’re not exactly hard to find.”
I tensed, my weight shifting onto my good leg. “So what now? You finish what those other hunters started?”
Declan’s jaw tightened. “If I wanted you dead, you’d be dead already.”
“Comforting.” My voice dripped with sarcasm, but the tremor in my hands betrayed me.
I didn’t want to show fear, but it was clawing up my throat anyway. He sighed again, a weariness in his eyes that made him look older.
“I’m not here to kill you. I’m here to warn you,” Declan said.
“Warn me?” I laughed bitterly. “That’s rich, coming from the guy who tried to put a bullet in my head.”
His eyes darkened. “That wasn’t personal You’d do the same in my shoes…if you were your old self.”
I didn’t deny the accusation. Declan was right.
“And now?” I snapped. “Is this personal?”
He didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he looked past me, his gaze distant. When he spoke, his voice was quieter, almost reluctant.
“You and your vampire were never our primary target. My team was sent here to take care of an ancient monster. Once that’s dealt with…” He trailed off, his eyes locking back onto mine. “You and Gael are next.”
The words hung between us, a cold blade slicing through my chest.
I swallowed hard. “Why are you telling me this?”
He hesitated, his jaw clenching and unclenching like he was wrestling with his thoughts.
Finally, he said, “Donovan.”
My breath caught. Donovan . Guilt hit me. The last time Donovan and I spoke, he told me to forget Finn and move on.
My stomach twisted.
“After our confrontation, I contacted Donovan. We’ve worked together in a few missions and I consider him a friend,” Declan continued. “He still cares, even if he doesn’t show it. He asked me to give you a chance. A warning.”
I laughed, hollow and bitter. “A chance to do what? Run? Hide? You know that’s not an option.”
“Leave Gael.” Declan’s voice was flat, clinical. “I won’t try to understand your obsession with this monster, but it’s not too late for you to return to Donovan, to the Guild.”
A sharp, painful ache bloomed in my chest. Leave Gael. It was the smart choice. The safe choice.
The choice that ensured I’d survive, ensured I’d avoid the tangled mess of danger and emotion he represented.
But the thought of walking away felt like carving out a piece of myself.
It was unbearable, the idea of turning my back on him, on everything we’d endured together.
I tried to rationalize it, to remind myself that I’d been fine before him. But the lie tasted bitter.
I didn’t know when it had happened. When Gael had gone from being my enemy to something else, something undefinable.
Somewhere along the line, the sharp edges of hatred had dulled, replaced by something far more complicated.
Was it trust? The way I instinctively knew he’d have my back in a fight?
The way I could let my guard down, even just a little, because I knew he wouldn’t let me fall?
Respect? That was there too. The grudging admiration for his strength, his resilience, his unwavering determination, even when the odds were stacked against him.
Maybe it was more. A dangerous thought. A forbidden one.
My breath hitched. The idea felt too big, too impossible, but it clung to me like a shadow, refusing to let go.
The safe choice was clear, but my heart was no longer listening to reason. Gael wasn’t just an ally or even just a complication.
I shook my head. “I can’t.”
Declan’s eyes narrowed. “Can’t or won’t?”
“Does it matter?” My voice was raw, my throat tight. “I’m not leaving him.”
Declan exhaled slowly, disappointment etched into every line of his face. “You’re making a mistake.”
“Maybe.” I met his gaze, forcing strength into my words. “But it’s my mistake to make.”
For a moment, neither of us spoke. The forest seemed to hold its breath, waiting.
Then Declan’s shoulders sagged, and something like sorrow flickered across his face.
“I wish things were different,” he said softly. “But they’re not.”
“Yeah.” My voice cracked. “Me too.”
He took a step back, fading into the shadows. “Take the warning, Asher. When the time comes, you won’t get another.”
I nodded, my chest heavy. “I know.”
He hesitated, then pulled something from his pack. A burner phone.
“It’s untraceable. Donovan’s number is programmed in. Maybe your brother can talk some sense into you,” Declan said.
I took it. His gaze lingered on me for a moment longer, unreadable and heavy, before he turned and disappeared into the trees.
The silence rushed back, overwhelming and empty, leaving me alone with the weight of his words and the cold device in my hand.
After tucking the phone into the pocket of my jacket, I let out a shaky breath, my body trembling from the effort of holding myself together.
My mind raced, trying to piece everything together. Who was Declan to Donovan?
Declan had mentioned they were friends, but the way he said it hinted at something more. Something deeper.
Unlike Finn, Donovan wasn’t the type to spill his thoughts or confide in anyone, not even his own family.
He kept his secrets locked up tight, his emotions even tighter.
I’d learned long ago not to expect answers from him unless he chose to give them, and he rarely did.
And Finn… Where was he now? Him and his vampire?
Gabriel. The name left a bitter taste in my mouth, but not because Finn had chosen him. I just couldn’t shake the nagging worry about what their future held.
At the very least, with the heat squarely on Gael and me, the hunters wouldn’t have the time or resources to bother with Finn.
That thought brought a small measure of relief, but it was fleeting. Declan’s words gnawed at me.
If Donovan and Declan were close, closer than I could understand, what did that mean for me? Was Declan warning me because of some sense of loyalty to Donovan?
The tremble in my body grew harder to suppress, frustration and fear mingling into an exhausting knot of tension.
My family, my brothers, this entire mess. It felt like it was spinning out of control.
I took another shaky breath, forcing myself to push the thoughts away. I couldn’t afford to break down now.
Not when Gael and I were barely hanging on. Not when the world around us was teetering on the edge of chaos.
Finn and Donovan would have to wait. My focus had to stay here, on surviving, on keeping us both alive.
For now, that was all that mattered.
I turned back toward the cabin, my steps slow and heavy. Declan’s words still echoed in my head. Maybe he was right.
Maybe staying with Gael would get me killed.
But as I limped through the door and saw Gael standing there, his eyes sharp with concern, I knew I couldn’t walk away.
The pull between us was stronger than fear, stronger than reason.
“I told you to stay inside,” Gael said, his gaze sweeping over me. He frowned. “You’re pale. What happened?”
I shook my head, trying to smile. “Just went for a walk. Pushed it a little too hard, I guess.”
He didn’t look convinced, but he didn’t press.
Instead, he stepped closer, his hand hovering near my shoulder like he wanted to steady me but wasn’t sure he should.
“You should sit down,” he murmured.
I met his eyes, my chest tightening.
“Yeah,” I whispered. “Maybe I should.”
His fingers brushed my arm, a fleeting touch that sent heat curling through me. I sank into the chair, exhaustion pulling at me. Gael lingered, his eyes searching mine.
“Everything’s okay?” he asked softly.
I forced a smile, the lie bitter on my tongue. “Yeah. Everything’s fine.”
He nodded, but I saw the doubt in his eyes. He stayed close, his presence a silent comfort. And as much as I wanted to tell him the truth, to warn him, I couldn’t.
Not yet. Because for now, we had this fragile moment, and I wasn’t ready to shatter it.