Chapter 7 Ashwiyaa
Chapter seven
Ashwiyaa
“She wears black, just like her soul, yet her heart is made of gold.”
It’s nearly midday when we decide it’s time to eat.
With the sun high in the sky, we venture into town, still feeling the lingering crispness of the morning air.
The aroma of freshly brewed coffee and sizzling bacon wafts through the streets, guiding us toward the cozy diner on the corner.
The establishment has a comforting and nostalgic atmosphere that instantly makes me relaxed.
My stomach growls loudly and Kai’s hand tightens around mine.
“Sorry for delaying breakfast, beautiful.”
My fingers trace the tiny braid behind my ear, and I rest my head on his arm as we walk. “Nothing to be sorry for.”
“I delayed food. Though it’s not all my fault that my appetite was elsewhere.”
A grin takes over my face as I think back to our morning together.
Pulling open the door, Kai leads us into the bustling diner.
At the counter, the owner, a short, stocky man with brown hair and round glasses, spots Kai.
He’s wiping down a mug, the movements efficient and practiced, but the moment he sees us, a broad smile spreads across his face.
He waves at Kai, clearly recognizing him, but as his attention shifts to me, the smile falters, and his eyes widen in surprise.
I can almost see the thoughts racing behind his eyes as he takes in my presence.
There is something about me that makes humans instinctively wary, as if their sixth sense is alerting them to potential danger.
Kai leans over, his lips brushing against my temple and sending a wave of warmth through me. “Go find us a seat. I just gotta ask Mitch something.”
“Okay,” I reply.
I venture through the crowded diner in search of an available seat.
I sensed Rose the second we got out of Kai’s truck up the street, along with the two brownies, who are currently in the upstairs apartment.
My attention goes back over to the owner—I don’t smell any magic on him.
I wonder if he knows he is sharing his home and diner with brownies.
It’s unlikely, but I won’t interfere since they are a source of good luck.
“You going to pick that up?”
“Sorry.”
My head snaps toward the voices.
“I don’t know why my dad keeps you employed here. You’re an ugly train wreck.”
Instantly, my eyes lock on the scene unfolding just a few feet away.
A teenage boy, tall and broad-shouldered, looms over Rose.
Her posture is submissive, head down, eyes glued to the floor as she scrambles to collect the menus that have been scattered across the tiled floor.
Her short brown bob that falls like a curtain over her face hides her expression from view.
She’s trying so hard to disappear, to become invisible.
The boy’s stance is anything but casual—his shoulders are squared, chest puffed out, as if he’s trying to intimidate her by sheer force of presence.
Behind him, three other teens are crammed into a booth, exchanging amused glances and snickers, their laughter barely stifled as they watch the interaction unfold.
One of them playfully shoves another, as if this is all just some great joke, a source of entertainment to pass the time.
It’s clear that this is a strategic move to assert dominance.
You can read it a mile off that he has it bad for Rose, but she isn’t part of the “in crowd” and this is the only way the numbnut can be seen speaking with her.
Rose’s fingers tremble slightly as she reaches for the last menu that’s slid under a chair, and then she stands.
“Now, get us our order,” he snaps, and clicks his fingers at her.
The air crackles with tension at the callousness in his tone, and my anger surges like a raging fire. Before I have even registered my own movements, I find myself positioned firmly between the two. The laughter from the booth behind him abruptly cuts off as I face him.
The sharp scent of apprehension hangs in the air as I step up to him. I extend my fingernail, feeling its lengthened edge, and poke him in the chest.
“Who do you think you’re talking to?” I scowl.
“The waitress,” he says in a tone that suggests I’m stupid, but I don’t miss the slight wince.
My teeth clench together as my anger burns hotter. I lean in closer to him and drop my voice. “I’ll boil the flesh from your bones and drink from your skull, if you so much as look in her direction again, you tiny, little—”
Out of nowhere, Kai swiftly lifts me off the ground and effortlessly slings me over his shoulder. I was so consumed by my anger that his presence caught me completely off guard.
“Right . . . someone needs food,” he jokes, his muscular arm wrapped firmly around my thighs as his other hand playfully taps me on the ass.
With a low rumble in my chest, I flip my hair back and cast a glare over my shoulder at him.
Kai ignores me and turns, heading toward the exit.
I raise my head and lock eyes with the obnoxious teenager who believes he’s the epitome of attractiveness, shooting him a fierce look.
“I will cut you,” I whisper, knowing full well he can hear me, as can everyone else in the diner.
Next, I catch sight of Rose’s bewildered expression, and I respond with a mischievous wink. The door to the diner swings open, and Kai steps out into the cold and carefully deposits me in front of him, his touch deliberate and cautious.
He grins, raising an eyebrow and letting a twinkle of amusement flicker in his clear-blue eyes. “Do you feel better?”
“Marginally,” I reply, crossing my arms.
Kai shakes his head, clearly unsure of what to say.
“He was being—”
Kai raises his palm up to stop me. “I know, Ash, but you can’t go around threatening teenage boys for being dicks.”
“Rose doesn’t deserve to be treated that way!” I snap.
“I’m not disagreeing with you, but maybe just take it down a little bit.” Kai’s warm hands cup my shoulders, and he smiles. “Don’t get me wrong, watching you tear him to pieces in there was fucking hot, but it doesn’t bode well for your image if you go around threatening teenagers.”
I can’t stop my lips from twitching, and my frown eases, a sense of calm soaking into my skin.
“You think I’m hot?”
Kai’s head drops, and his hands squeeze my shoulders. My gaze lingers on the top of his head, captivated by the movement of his blonde hair as he chuckles.
“Damn, Ash. Is that all you heard?” he asks, lifting his head.
Biting my lip, I give a shrug. I did hear him, and I know he’s right, but sometimes I let my anger get away from me.
“Do you think he will leave her alone now?” I ask, nervous for Rose.
Kai smirks, sending my insides into a frenzy. “Baby, he won’t ever look her way again.”
The sound of the door opening catches our attention, and we turn to see Rose exiting the diner. Her fingers twist together anxiously as she stands there, unsure.
“Thank you, Ash,” she whispers.
I take a few steps closer and her eyes widen.
I sense her fear, and a heavy feeling settles in the pit of my stomach.
One day, they will no longer fear me. I never harm those who do not deserve it.
True, my magic may be dark and twisted, and it remains misunderstood by them, but my intention is for the pack to see that I would never harm them .
. . unless they present me with a legitimate reason to do so.
“Why do you let him speak to you like that?” I ask curiously.
Rose is a shifter, one of the youngest members of the group, and she holds the lowest rank as an omega. However, being a shifter, she knows she shouldn’t allow this human boy to walk all over her.
“He’s the boss’s son.”
“And?”
Rose’s mouth opens and closes several times, and Kai steps up to my side, slinging his arm over my shoulders.
“Ash is right. If he is giving you a hard time, tell Mitch—”
“Or better yet, kick him in the balls.”
Kai drops his head, a deep sigh escaping his lips, and he absentmindedly rubs his forehead with his thumb and forefinger. Rose’s gaze flickers back and forth between us, and a playful grin spreads across my face.
“If he gives you any more trouble, tell me.”
“Us. Tell us, Rose,” Kai adds hastily, squeezing me gently to his side.
I cross my arms and glance up at him. “Don’t you trust me?”
“Oh, I trust you with certain things, but when it comes to this, no, not at all.”
“Why?”
“You’re kinda dark and scary,” Rose says, and her eyes immediately drop to the ground when I look at her.
“I wouldn’t describe myself as dark and scary,” I say, trying to keep my voice even. “We all have our shadows, Rose. Quirks that either attract or frighten people. I simply choose not to silence mine.”
Rose’s warm-brown eyes lift to mine, and she stares at me for several moments.
A glimmer of hope grows in my chest like a seed sprouting after the rain.
I sense that she is not afraid of me right now, and it feels like a small win.
Kai’s arms wrap around me from behind and his lips press to the back of my head.
“I’m sorry,” Rose says, her voice soft and laced with regret.
I frown, taken aback by the unexpected apology. “What for?”
She sighs, her shoulders slumping slightly. “For judging you based on my fears. It was wrong. There’s just a spark in your eyes, like—”
“Madness?” Kai chuckles.
Her words hit me harder than I expected. My body fades instinctively, and my heart thumps loud and fast in my chest. Without a second thought, I materialize right in front of her, wrapping my arms around her in a tight embrace.
“Jesus, Ash. You can’t do that out in the open!” Kai’s voice cuts through the moment, his tone a mix of concern and exasperation.
I step back from Rose, a small smile playing on my lips. Glancing over my shoulder at Kai, I meet his gaze. “Jesus isn’t going to help you,” I tease, my smile widening at his familiar, half-frustrated expression.
Kai shakes his head, his lips twitching as if he’s fighting back a grin.