Ashton slumped down onto the bed beside Anna, sighing deeply as he leaned back against the pillows. It had been a long, gruelling day of training, and he was exhausted. But something was still weighing heavily on his mind, something that he needed to discuss with Anna. freewebnovel. com
Although he wanted to believe Tarek, Ashton knew he couldn't. His stories had too many inconsistencies, and Tarek didn't have proper answers to address them.
There was a way he could ensure that Tarek wasn't lying to him, but the method seemed... unethical. However, it was a sure-shot way to get answers from him.
"Hey," he said, turning to her. "Can we talk about something?"
"Of course," she replied, sitting up and giving him her full attention.
"It's about Tarek," he said hesitantly. "As Mazton said, we don't have much time and waiting for Tarek to tell everything truthfully seems-"
"Ashton, stop beating around the bush. You don't have to do that around me, of all people."
Ashton took a deep breath and nodded. He knew the words about to come out of his mouth weren't the most respectful towards Tarek, but in his mind, it was the only way to keep him in line and, at the same time, knock off a task for his evolution.
"I don't know if it's my desperation speaking or what, but I just can't shake the feeling that we need to do something to ensure his loyalty." He blurted out.
Anna frowned. "What do you mean, 'do something'?"
"I mean...turning him," Ashton said, his voice barely above a whisper. "Making him a werewolf, like us. Once he's part of the pack, he can't go against my wishes once I instruct him to tell the complete truth about the Cult."
"Ashton, are you serious?" Anna's eyes widened in surprise. "That's a huge decision, one that shouldn't be made lightly."
"I know," he said, running a hand through his hair. "But think about it. If Tarek were a werewolf, he wouldn't be able to betray us, and he'd be one of us, completely loyal to our cause."
"But what about his free will?" Anna asked. "What about his desires and wishes?"
Ashton sat up, taking her hands into his, "You're a part of my pack. Have I ever abused your trust in me?"
"It is different between you and me." Anna shook her head. "I love you and owe you my life. Even if you wanted to exploit me, I wouldn't mind it because I know I'd be long dead if it hadn't been for you-"
"I know, I know," Ashton said, frustration creeping into his voice. "But we can't afford to take any chances. We need to know that Tarek is with us, that he's on our side. And if turning him is the only way to do that, then maybe it's worth it."
Anna sighed, leaning back against the pillows. "I don't know, Ashton. It just seems like such a drastic solution. And what if it goes wrong? What if he resents us for it?"
"I know," Ashton said, running a hand through his hair. "But I just can't shake the feeling that it's the right thing to do. We can't afford to take any chances. Not when it comes to the Cult."
Ashton looked everywhere but into Anna's eyes, and he knew what she was saying was utterly true.
Tarek might agree to turn at first, but then he might resent them for it, as he might think there was no choice but to obey them to prove his innocence. Cornering him like that would do them more harm than good.
There was a long silence between them as they both pondered the idea. Finally, Anna spoke up.
"If we do this," she said, "we need to be sure. We need to know that it's what Tarek wants, that he's willing to make this sacrifice for us. And we need to be prepared for the consequences, both good and bad."
Ashton nodded slowly, his mind racing with the implications of what they were discussing. It was a huge decision, one that would change Tarek's life forever. But at the same time, it might be the only way to ensure their survival.
"I'll talk to him," he said finally. "I'll explain everything to him and see how he feels about it. And we'll go from there."
Ashton lay back down on the bed, his mind racing with thoughts of what was to come. He knew the risks were high, but he also knew they had no other choice, as they needed Tarek on their side if they were going to survive.
However, before they could ponder further about what to do with Tarek, Ashton received a call from Otiga. He picked it up to see Otiga's face on the screen. She had a playful smile on her lips, and he could tell that she was in a good mood.
"Someone looks happy," Ashton said with a grin, greeting her.
Otiga laughed, "Oh, stop it, you. I was just wondering if you were free right now."
"I'm sorry, Otiga; I know you're a beautiful lady, but I'm happy in a committed relationship and can't do booty calls." Ashton joked as Anna punched him, pushing him away from the camera.
"Ignore this horny fucker," Anna shook her head. "Tell me, what's up?"
"Haha, thanks for keeping him in check," Otiga replied. "Just tell him I might have found something that would interest him."
"What?" Ashton asked as Anna tried to push him down.
"You won't take my booty calls, but what if it was a booty call from the type of monster you've been looking for?"
Ashton was intrigued, "What do you mean?"
"I found you a job request that requires hunting down a mythical grade being," she replied. "And the last time I remember talking with you, you mentioned something about consuming the flesh of a mythical creature."
"Just the thing I wanted to hear!" Ashton immediately perked up. "But have you checked the authenticity of the request? I don't want to fall into yet another one of the Cult's traps."
"Yup, everything checks out." She smiled. "I'm not the one to repeat my mistakes."
"Great! So when do we leave?"
"I have made the arrangements. We can leave sometime in the next week."
Ashton nodded, "Got it. I'll see you then."
As Otiga signed off, Ashton couldn't help but feel a rush of excitement. Hunting down a mythical creature was the biggest obstacle in the path of his evolution.
With that being taken care of, he could move along a lot faster and maybe, just maybe, he would evolve into a Grade-A being before dealing with the Cult.
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