POV: Asher Thorne
The bell above the café door chimed as Asher walked in, followed by Jack, Alex, and Maicha. Their usual booth sat in the corner, near the window where the light poured in soft and gold.
It was supposed to be a normal stop.Coffee. A few jokes. Some time to unwind after that brutal meeting with his father.
But the moment his eyes landed on the counter, he froze.
She was there.
Aira Moonstone.
Wearing that faded apron, sleeves rolled up, quietly wiping down the espresso machine like the rest of the world didn't exist.
But she existed for him.
Too much.
Too quietly.
"There she is again…" his wolf whispered, ears twitching."Go to her. Protect her."
He clenched his fists.
"She's an omega," he hissed back in his mind. "She's not strong. She's not… meant for me."
"She's more than any of them."
Asher sat down hard at the booth, trying to shake the thoughts from his head.
"Forget her. Focus."
But it was impossible. His eyes kept dragging back to her. The delicate way her fingers moved. The way she offered a tired smile to the next customer in line, as if this was all she had left to give—and she still gave it.
Then the door opened again.
The perfume hit first.Then the voice.
"Ashyy~"
Irene.
Asher's jaw tensed. His wolf instantly recoiled.
She slinked over to him like a predator playing dress-up, her heels clicking on the tiled floor, her lips already curled in a smirk.
"Miss me?" she purred, wrapping her arms around his shoulders.
"Leave," his wolf growled.
But Asher… didn't listen.
Instead, he looked at Aira again—just for a second.
She hadn't turned. Hadn't reacted. But something in the air shifted around her.
He could feel it.
She knew.
And suddenly—rage bubbled in his chest. Not at her. Not at Irene.
At himself.
Why did she affect him like this?
Why did it matter what she thought?
She wasn't his mate. She wasn't—
But she felt like everything he'd been waiting for.
So Asher did the only thing his pride knew how to do.
He pulled Irene into his lap.
She gasped—then grinned.Always eager. Always ready.
And when his lips crashed into hers, the world around him went eerily quiet.
Even his wolf stopped speaking.
Because it knew what this was.
A lie.
When Asher finally pulled away, Irene giggled and leaned into him like she already belonged there.
But Asher didn't feel anything.
Not desire.
Not pride.
Just… empty.
Across the café, Aira still hadn't looked.
She finished pouring a cappuccino. Passed it to a customer. Smiled faintly.
Like nothing had happened.
Like she'd expected it.
And for some reason, that made his chest ache.
"Why do I feel like I've just done something I'll regret forever?" he muttered under his breath.
Jack raised an eyebrow.
"What?"
Asher didn't answer.He just stared at the back of Aira's head.
And felt his wolf mourn something he hadn't even lost yet.