Chapter 172: Confrontation
Ashton knew that if he waited any longer he would lose him again, and thus going with his instincts he adjusted Caleb properly and laid him down before he followed him. At that moment he almost forgot about the plan of calling him. Why almost? Cause part of him was adamant to keep Caleb safe.
He followed him as he walked down the lane. At the end of the road he took a turn that led him off the main road and was directed towards an abandoned river bank. Ashton wasn’t sure what Axel was aiming for, but he kept following him nonetheless. Axel stopped abruptly and took an empty chair as he whistled an ominous song (or at least that’s what it seemed like) and rocked his legs aimlessly.
As the night got darker he heard him say, “You really think I don’t know that you are here”. If it weren’t for Ashton’s wolf hearing he wouldn’t have noticed. Ashton tried to follow his gaze to see whom he was talking to, until his gaze shifted to where Ashton was hiding. He was hiding behind the bushes so it was hard to spot him with naked eyes, but somehow Axel’s gaze was fixated on him which made Ashton unnerve.
“Yes, you, the rogue Valestine wolf” Axel declared.
Ashton could hear his heartbeat rise despite trying his best to maintain an expressionless demeanour and it’s possible that as a vampire so could Axel. A vampire was usually sensitive to these things as it helped them catch their prey. Coming out of the bushes Ashton greeted him, “Axel”
“I see you know my name” He smirked. “I wonder how that is” his tone had a heavy loaded sarcasm that said otherwise.
“Yeah...” Ashton fumbled.
.....
“So what’s the reason you are stalking me? I thought we agreed to steer clear of each other” He tilted his head with a deadly stare. Ashton was usually not the one to get intimidated, but he could feel a bit unnerved with his aura. “Then suddenly you go ahead and take one of my people captive”
Ashton’s eyes widened as soon as he realised that Axel was aware of the situation. Did he know the real reason Ashton was here? Ashton wondered. “Sorry about that, but she did attack us” He tried the same tactic Caleb applied on Lily as in shifting the blame.
“Cause you went looking for her. You really think you can fool me? Just like that?” Axel snickered. “I know I look younger than you, but let me assure you I am older than your forefathers”.
“...” Ashton remained quiet as he failed to come up with an appropriate excuse.
“What do you want from me?” Axel asked.
“I want some information,” Ashton admitted honestly.
“You really have a unique way of asking favors” He scoffed. “But no, I won’t help you with anything.”
“Just he-”
“You attacked one of my kind despite our deal, you must pay the consequences.” Axel declared in a grave voice making a chill run through Ashton’s spine. He was worried where this was headed but he was glad that he didn’t bring Caleb with him. The last thing he needed was to be his mate in danger.
“Consequences?” Ashton challenged.
“Do not be so cocky, I know how to deal with the Valestine wolf. In my lifetime I have managed to kill a few” He snickered.
“I am not a Valestine wolf,” Ashton challenged.
“Of course you are.” Axel smirked. “The ability to hide in plain sight by masking your scent, that is definitely a Valestine trait.” He scoffed. Wait, so it wasn’t because he was a pureblooded Alpha? So his skill wasn’t as unique as he thought? Ashton wasn’t sure whether he was sad or relieved by this revelation.
“So that’s why you are here” Axel, who noticed the subtle changes in Ashton’s face mumbled. “you want to know more about Valestine” Axel snickered. “I will be careful not to tell you more”.
Was he a mind reader? Ashton wondered. All his life he had been very good at hiding his emotions. The one person who is best at deducing them was his mother, followed by Caleb who still wasn’t half as good as Mrs Parker. Then how come this guy accurately interpreted him so well?
“So what do you want? Kill me?” Ashton challenged.
“Killing you would be easier, I have other ways to deal with you” He smiled.
“Like what?” Ashton challenged. A smirk appeared on Axel’s lips followed by a shriek from his opponent.
Ashton fell on the ground clutching his chest as the pain and agony took all over him. Pain and agony of what? He had no idea. Whatever was happening with Ashton was vaguely similar to his rut, except his rut caused disarray of emotions, this time, it was purely pain.
What was happening to him? Was Axel doing this to him? Can Vampires do such a thing? He wondered. “You didn’t think you were the only one special around here did you?” That statement from Axel confirmed that indeed it wasn’t a regular Vampire quality. Then, what was he? Was Axel not a Vampire? If not, then what?
He couldn’t fathom for longer as the agony increased in intensity. He recalled Lily being scared of him and he could imagine why, “Ughhhh” He screamed despite his best to suppress his groans. The pain was too much, as if he was on the verge of his death. As if the pain would itself be enough to kill him. Except he had to endure everything but death.
“How does it feel?” Axel snickered. “Not enough? Don’t worry, this is just the tip of the iceberg of what I plan to do. I haven’t even touched you and you are already on the ground.” He let out an evil laugh. “Perhaps from the next time you would be careful.” He paused. ” Oh wait, you have to be alive to be there ‘ the next’ time” He snickered.
As much as the pain was suffocating him, he would like to stuff Axel’s mouth first to stop him from talking. Ashton was never the talkative one, and he absolutely hated talkative ones like Axel. The pain increased in spike as Ashton fought back his tears that threatened to escape his eyes, “STOP”! He heard a familiar voice speak.
Dread filled Ashton as soon as he recognised his voice. He didn’t want anyone but himself to be a part of this mess, let alone his mate. How did he find him? Or right, the mate bond. Caleb knew something was wrong with Ashton thanks to the bond they share. This was the first time Ashton hated their mate bond. “Let go of him”! Caleb shouted.
“Why should I”? Axel smirked. “You didn’t spare when one of mine begged to be let out. In fact you were the one who caged her” He snorted. “This is your mate right? Let’s see how you feel to see one of your own, that too your mate, suffer”.
Caleb crouched down beside Ashton who was writhing in pain. It seemed as if Ashton was trying to say something, but his words mixed with groan turned so incoherent that they were beyond anyone’s ability to decipher. [Get out of here!] Ashton shouted in Caleb’s head.
[NO. I am your mate and I deserve to be here, you don’t get to tell me what to do or what not to do] Caleb reprimanded him in his mind before turning to Axel. ” Let. him. Go” He spat.
” Or else?” Axel snorted. “A Valestine wolf, that too a pureblooded one can’t stop me, you think an omega can?” He mocked. Caleb blinked as he realised Axel knew his identity as well? Just how good was this guy at deciphering things?
“Do not underestimate me for my blood status. I am known to surprise people.” Caleb challenged,
A boisterous laughter followed Caleb’s comment, “Is that so? Surprise me” He smiled and soon Caleb himself was suffocating in pain. Unlike Ashton, he didn’t hit the ground. He had an experience of fighting pain thanks to his heat, but unlike his heat where most of the pain was localised at the abdomen thus pain was in his head.
Axel’s smile faded a bit as he saw Caleb stand on his own, and naturally the intensity of his pain increased which was in par with Ashton’s pain now. Ashton, who could tell that Caleb was having it as bad as him, writhed in the ground helpless to help his mate.
Caleb dropped to the ground, but didn’t lay on it like Ashton. He was simply on his knees as he tried to focus and battle whatever the hell Axel was trying on them. He focused on the current situation and glared at Axel. Axel smirked until Caleb pushed himself up from the ground. Caleb started to come towards him and with each step he took he could feel the pain rising, but what encouraged him was what accompanied the pain, that is the fading of Axel’s smirk.
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