Asher's Beloved

Chapter 21

"I-Ivanna?"

She replies in a heartbeat. "I'm here."

My knees buckle in relief and I sink to the floor, trying to stifle my sobs. "I'm so sorry about what happened."

"Last I remember, I took over and tried protecting you." I can sense her amusement.

"No!" I shake my head vehemently. "If Blithe hadn't forced me to teleport, you would have never shifted. I wasn't strong enough to fight her compulsion!"

"Stop feeling guilty, you humans are so sensitive." She snorts and I can feel her rolling her eyes. "I wanted to protect you, granted I should have waited for Zoya but I lost control and now I pay the price for it. You didn't give me control, I took it. You didn't tell me to protect you, it was my first instinct. If I hear or feel you blaming yourself ever again for my state, I'll find a way to shift and kill you myself!"

A half sob, half laugh escapes me at her words. I feel her soothing my mind, making me sigh heavily and rest my head against the tiled wall. "Aren't you sad that you can't shift anymore?"

"I am." She murmurs and I can sense her resting her head on her paws. "But I can't moan about it forever, can I?"

"Absolutely not! I'll find a way to remove myself from you two if you annoy me." I chuckle lightly when Zoya interrupts.

"Zoya! Did you miss me?!" Ivanna teases cheekily as I stand and grab the shampoo bottle.

"Would've preferred that witch to have killed you if I'm honest." Zoya replies in a bored tone but I can feel the slight worry she holds for Ivanna.

I wash my hair and body as quickly as I can, sighing in content when I finally feel clean. Turning off the water, I dry myself off and change into a pair of black leggings with a white sweater and shoes. When I come out of the bathroom, nobody is in the room so I put my clothes on my bed and decide to leave. I'm desperate to see Asher and have him hold me in his arms again.

Opening the door, I step out but jump in surprise when two bodies move with me. Looking up, I see Vito and Corbin's eyes lighting up at the sight of me. They hug me gently before following me up to mine and Asher's bedroom. Standing by the doors, I send them both a shaky smile before twisting the doorknob and entering.

The door shuts behind me as I take in the familiar room, it's neat and clean which confirms that Asher really didn't leave my side much. The sound of water coming from the bathroom alerts me that he's here, my nerves going haywire instantly. I take a seat on our bed, waiting for him to be done with his shower.

All too soon, I hear the water turn off and within minutes, Asher walks out of the bathroom in a black sweatshirt and jeans. He's drying his hair with the towel as he walks but freezes when his eyes land on mine.

"Hi." I whisper, waving slightly.

"You're...what...how?" He walks over to me slowly, eyes wide in disbelief. "Please don't tell me I'm dreaming."

"You're not. I woke up in the infirmary and – Asher!" I yelp when he drops to his knees, wrapping his arms around my back as he nestles his nose into the crook of my neck.

I start to cry at the sound of his sobs, his body shaking underneath my touch. Wrapping my arms around him tightly, I soothe him as best as I can. He pulls away, peppering kisses over every inch of bare skin he can find. I laugh at his actions, wiping tears from his cheeks.

"I missed you so much." He breathes, cupping my face with one hand and resting his forehead against mine.

I can't help but to embrace him again, resting my head where his heart lies. The beats are slow yet steady, occurring every few minutes. I remember how freaked out I was at the start but now it calms me immensely. He kisses the base of my neck every now and then while rubbing my back.