Page 112 of Crystal Luna
The air around Ash thickened as he tried to wrangle his emotions. If Vel could feel it too, she didn’t let on.
“I picked a fight with Rayan, knowing he would take it—even if it meant beating him to the point of unconsciousness. Heath stopped us because Rayan wouldn’t let Marvin step in.”
He could feel that there was more to that, but wasn’t sure if pushing her to talk about it would be a good idea.
Ash was just as curious, but keeping his short fuse in check wasn’t an easy task.
“He sent everyone away,” she continued after a few moments. “He knew I was truly upset with him and not Rayan. I guess I just lost it. I wanted to hurt him like he was hurting me. He promised me that my whole world would heal once I found my mate. He let me see how deeply he loved Laureen and I wanted just that. He promised me.”
“What… happened?” Ash pressed out between gritted teeth.
“I fell apart in his arms.”
Ash’s body practically vibrated, anger flooding through his mind.
“Did he sleep with you?” Isaiah asked, afraid Ash’s wording wouldn’t be as kind.
“No.”
There was more to it and everyone in the room knew it. Unable to sit any longer Ash stood up, breaths deep and heavy as he tried to keep his wolf at bay. “He touched you. He knew you were ours and he still refused to keep his hands off you.”
Her head snapped around, her jaw visibly working as she clenched her teeth. “I’m not yours.”
“You are, whether you fucking like it or not. You’re our luna and he disrespected that.”
“Do you really think I’m nothing but a piece of property to you?”
“You’re not our property, Vel,” Isaiah jumped in, quickly trying to defuse the situation. “But by our customs someone’s mate shouldn’t be touched by someone else.”
“Even if I wanted it? That’s only if the mate doesn’t want it. But I did.”
Ash’s anger broke through the surface and even Isaiah flinched as he crushed a hole in the wall next to him.
“I want him, Asher,” Vel’s tone was surprisingly calm. She knew exactly what her words were doing. “He’s the one I want sitting next to me. He’s the one I want wiping my tears away. It’s him I want in my bed. Not Isaiah. Not you. Heath.”
Ash slammed a second hole in the wall before he stormed out the door, slamming it so hard the window rattled.
Vel calmly leaned against the headboard, returning her attention to her milkshake.
Isaiah took the opportunity to sit back and truly study her. Even when Ash had lost his temper, she hadn’t flinched. She wasn’t afraid of him anymore. He knew from the first time he’d seen her that she’d changed, but that moment solidified it.
“Did you choose to become a warrior?”
“Why does that matter?”
“It speaks of your character if it was a choice versus a requirement. I want to understand you better. I don’t know this version of you yet.”
“Yes, it was a choice.”
“One you excelled in.”
She proudly squared her shoulders and nodded.
“Ax has already expressed that he’d like to help you continue your training.”
“Okay,” she said simply. With the milkshake gone, she set the empty cup aside and slipped under the blanket, signalling the end of the conversation.
He laid down as well, listening for Ash’s mind. They didn’t need words to understand each other. Isaiah knew that Ash regretted his actions and was worried Vel would be afraid of him. Once he’d cooled off, Ash returned to the hotel room. He carefully sat on the bed, reaching out for his mate.