Ashley's POV
I groaned crawling from the wreckage of the once neatly kept and well cared for hedges, now covered in twigs, leaves and to my disgust, soil.
It always had a more grimy and chunky texture to it.
I was never one for gardening.
There was no time for hating on gardening though, I rose to my feet and burst into an adrenaline fuelled sprint , despite my body screaming at me to sit down.
There was an ache in my ankle, either sprained or broken, I couldn't tell, thank you adrenaline.
Ignoring some of the strange looks I got as I sprinted down the alley ways, I tried looking for some way to signal either Andrew or robin, I did have an emergency flare but that would alert everyone to me in seconds.
Everyone seemed to move out of my way confused, though I could tell they were still warriors, well built, muscles, trained features.
I was really out of my depth, I was a stealth soldier not a front line out in the open soldier.
Sure I wasn't short, above average for a human female, but didn't compare to werewolves, for them, being six foot was the average for any adult, or at least close.
"STOP HER!" I heard Damien's voice boom behind me, but surprisingly he didn't call out for me being ghost.
Maybe because he knew that if any soldier knew then it's likely they'd kill me on the spot for the glory of taking down the infamous ghost.
Immediately I had wolves trying to get in my way and surround me, clearly underestimating me as I slipped around then as fast as possible, grabbing onto the back of a delivery lorry, climbing on top of the trailer.
They must have thought I was some common criminal, not a real threat to them, but that didn't stop them from running after me.
Their yelling and demands, too drowned out by the sound of blood rushing in my ears from my racing and pounding heart, I didn't know how to get myself out of this one.
I wasn't used to taking on so many opponents, I was a fighter in the shadows
'fuck...fuck what do I do?!' I thought to myself, making sure my hood was still on my head right, I didn't want my face to be seen and put all over the news.
I was suddenly jerked almost falling off the trailer when it came to a stop, I stared down at the wolves who were snarling and yelling at me.
I panicked looking around, 'what the hell do I even do now!?' I backed up on the truck, there was no way I was out running these guys, I only had so many blades and so many tablets, I was backed into a wall and I didn't see a way out.
"Come down, Now, and I promise no harm will come to you" Damien yelled in a terrifying yet calm voice.
Everyone seemed to create a path between him and the lorry at his presence, bearing their necks holding their heads low in submission, they had been so aggressive before, it made me shiver realising his power in person.
Even I was feeling the weight of his power, it felt like a pressure was weighing on my chest and mind forcing me to stand down, but I couldn't look away from him.
It was absolutely suffocating.
I was trapped staring into his eyes, what kind of crazy mind fuckery is this!?
It's creepy!
He approached the trailer standing a few feet away from it, arms crossed over his chest, his hair looked to be a mess, he had stubble on his face.
He was clearly less composed than what he had been when I first arrived here.
The only thing I could think of to explain it was he was obsessed with me and this stupid mate bond was driving him crazy, absolute animal, it was horrifying.
"Do not test my patients in front of my pack, you've caused enough trouble" he said with a commanding voice.
I felt my heart wanting to jump out of my throat with the amount of anxiety that was coursing through my veins, it felt searing hot causing my body to heat up.
I felt sick, everyone's eyes were on me, I was trembling like I was about to fall apart.
I felt weak, the powerful mysterious ghost was scared of being in public.
This was humiliating.
He seemed to notice some of my anxiety and his eyes softened for just a moment before he let out a deafening loud snarl to his pack wolves.
He seemed to communicate with them as his eyes glossed over for a moment, definitely using another weird mind trick.
The crowd seemed to slowly step away keeping their heads low, only occasionally daring to steal a glance up at me, maybe to make sure I wasn't running away, or maybe out of curiosity.
The only eyes that never left mine were Damien's piercing green eyes, they had me locked in a trance once again.
The sound of a loud engine revving and racing towards us caught my attention but I couldn't look away until the culprit, a deep black and familiar jeep, came crashing through the crowd, blocking my view to Damien.
The car spun around and drifted, knocking the crowd over shocking everyone.
The window was open and I have never been so happy to see Andrew in my life, he had found me! Oh thank my lucky stars!
"GET IN!" was all he shouted as he spun the wheels ready to take off, and that was all the prompting I needed, sprinting to the end of the trailer and leaping off feet first through an open window.
It wasn't a graceful landing but at least I was in the protection of this jeep now
Much better than being out in the open.
"NO!" Was all I heard Damien yell as the jeep sped off, never had I been so glad that Robin had modified this thing to be a speedy tank.
Because it didn't take long for the wolves to come sprinting after us.
Their snarls and growls rang through the air, even over the roar of the engine, their massive forms chasing after us, snapping their jaws at the car, trying to get ahold of it.
Their wolves were massive, bigger than normal wolves, at least twice the size, their eyes fierce colours blazing against their fur.
My heart was pounding in my chest so loud and fast I thought it would explode.
Andrew wasted no time in speeding down different streets, drifting and swerving like a mad man, he was an incredible driver, he had an instinct for this kind of thing.
Honestly I'd never met anyone with such a skill, but I was glad he was one of my closest friends.
"I knew you shouldn't have come! I just knew it but did you listen to me? noooooo did you listen to Rose? Nooooooo did you listen to Robin? The smartest person in our group? NOOOOOO!" he yelled at me while swinging us around.
"Less lecturing more escape driving!" I yelled back gripping the seat trying to put a seatbelt on so I didn't get thrown around.
"I follow you Ash I do, I trust you but sometimes you're crazy! Oh we should have listened to Robin! Why am I being the voice of reason?! you're the leader!"
"You're starting to sound like a mother!" I yelled back as I grabbed a gas canister and threw it out the window.
Wolfs-bane makes one smelly gas.
"Well I am! Mother Andrew is very mad at you!" He yelled at me, joking was his coping mechanism.
We both were interrupted when the jeep was rammed into from the back, I looked behind us and froze seeing a massive black wolf running towards us, bigger than the others.
How was that even possible!?
What was he eating? The souls of the innocent or something!?
It's eyes were a piercing gold colour so I didn't recognise him at first, but the feeling of my mind being pried into quickly reminded me.
It was Damien, or his wolf? Jenny had told me wolves eyes would change if their wolf was in control.
For her it was pale green eyes to bright baby blue eyes.
"Andrew we've got a mutt on our tail and I'm pretty sure this one is alpha Steele, and he is definitely going to rip us both apart!" I said frantically while gripping the door handle.
"I'm trying! Do not distract the driver Ash! Now get your ass in gear and grab a gun!" He yelled, swerving the car around a sharp corner, swinging us around over some grass verges. It took me a second to get myself to lean forward and open the glove compartment, inside was a small pistol hand gun, kept for emergencies.
We were rammed again from our side trying to pin us up against a row of buildings, scaring us both.
I looked to the side to see Damien's wolf with its teeth sunken into the door trying to rip it off, the sound of its snarling shaking the whole jeep like a horrifying starved monster.
"ASHLEY!" Andrew yelled at me, snapping me back to reality.
I pointed the gun at him and for a moment I saw a look of hurt in its eyes, like he didn't expect me to harm him, I felt a pain in my chest staring back at him.
But I had already subconsciously pulled the trigger, I must have moved from the headshot I originally tried to aim for as I watched the bullet sink into the mutt's shoulder.
He let go of the car door letting out a painted howl, Andrew didn't waste a second and slammed the car into his side allowing us to get away as wolves surrounded their alpha to make sure he was alright.
With that Andrew managed to take another exit and head straight out of the city, heading off road and into the darkness.
Thankfully the rain helped mask the jeeps scent of burning tires, we didn't have to worry about fuel seeing as this jeep was electric.
To be honest I was surprised they didn't continue to follow us, they definitely had the numbers to do so...
Maybe they wanted me alive for a trial or didn't see it worth the effort?
It was strange, something felt strange about this, maybe I was over thinking about this but I could still feel someone prying into my mind again, golden eyes staring into my mind.
I held my head in my hands before trembling and overwhelmed emotions spilled out of my eyes in its liquid fury.
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The drive back was a mix of silent moments and moments where Andrew was lecturing me about all that happened, how worried he was, how we should have listened to Robin, how we were in "so much trouble we might as well self combust"
his words not mine.
By the time we got back Robin and Rose were pacing outside with medical kits, Robins mechanic gear on the porch.
When they saw us approaching it didn't take long before Robin ran up to my door, tearing it open and pulling me out "what were you thinking!? I was so worried I told you this was a bad idea!"
He pulled me out and looked me over, I felt nauseous from how scared I was, trembling and shaking still.
"Are you hurt? Are you ok? All I heard was that bastard's voice and then nothing! Then Andrew shot off from his station and came to get you and all I heard after that was the distress signal of your jeep!"
My head was throbbing, it felt like it was going to explode, I felt hot tears threatening to fall free.
This was too much, the anxiety, the fear, the feeling of doom hanging over me.
I just couldn't handle it right now.
"Robin please! just....just give me five minutes" I yelled running off to our shared room, I needed my tablets, I needed a shower I just.
I wanted to be alone.
I didn't waste much time tearing off my clothes and stepping into a steaming hot shower, I just wanted to melt away into the drain pipe and never come back.
I was in way over my head with this and I could have put everyone in danger.
I'd never forgive myself if the others got caught because of me.
It was basically a guarantee they'd be executed.
My adrenaline had worn off and my ankle was in so much pain I could tell it was swollen, I could feel the throbbing hot pain as my blood pulsed around the broken area.
I had to lean on the wall for support, this was going to be such an inconvenience until it healed
It hurt a lot, I can't believe I had been walking on this, it was definitely fractured somewhere, the other probably sprained.
I definitely wasn't going to be going anywhere for a while.
I let myself soak in the water for a while before getting out and towel drying, being especially careful on my ankles, sucking in a sharp breath every time I touched the fractured one.
I changed into some lazy clothes, a typical T-shirt, sweat pants and socks, comfy definitely, I could care less that I looked like a hobo.
I limped back to the bed I had been sleeping on and pulled out a first aid kit from the nightstand.
Wrapping a support around my sprained ankle and placing a splint around the others, wrapping it in cotton before layering on some tighter bandages for extra support and compression to keep everything in place.
It would take a while to heal, I was hoping only a few weeks, I couldn't be out of commission for months.
At least a sprained ankle would likely heal faster, at least I hoped it would, walking was going to be a pain, quite literally, until I healed correctly and was back into fighting condition.
I was dreading the phone call that I'd have to make, I was already dreading the lecture and ranting.
I couldn't bare the idea of their disappointment, especially Mr McClang, he raised me better than this, stronger, smarter.
If my parents could see me now.....
I was a disgrace! Their blood spilled and here I was fumbling like an idiot in the one thing I was good at!
I felt a wave of Shame and guilt all over me from every angle, it was overwhelming, I felt uncontrolled tremors overtake my body.
Like sharp talon fingertips scraping up my skin.
The hot tears that had been pricking my eyes earlier were flowing without resistance now, pouring down my cheeks, falling onto my lap as I sat there hunched, crying silently to myself.
Fisted cleaning the fabric so tight my knuckles went white, I couldn't stop the tears, I hated the pathetic sounds of crying I was making.
I felt weak, I felt stupid....I couldn't afford to be such a cry baby, these kinds of emotions and tantrums were just going to get me killed, get my friends killed.
I was Ghost for god sake!!
I should be composed!
Level headed!
I should be a figure my team could rely on and here I was crying like a child!
My breathing was becoming erratic, my body felt hot and prickly, my hearing was all muffled and all I could see was the blurry image of my fists.
I felt so out of reality, completely lost in my crying and freak out that I didn't notice when Robin walked in.
I flinched away when he placed a hand on my shoulder, snapping my head to look at him, I was ready to snap at him to leave me alone but quickly calmed down when I saw his calm yet concerned face looking at me.
I sat there panting for a second wiping my eyes furiously to try and stop crying, I choked on my own words trying to save my poor reputation right now but nothing came out.
He stared at me for a few seconds before he pulled me into a tight hug, wrapping his arms around me and rubbing my back soothingly, my tears started all over again as I buried my face into his shoulder, gripping onto his back as I started to sob into his shirt, muffling my cries into him.
He just held me while I cried, rubbing my back and whispering soft words to help me calm down, comforting me.
I have no idea how long I cried like that.
Just keeping my face pressed into his shoulder gripping his shirt for support, my grip loosening slowly.
"I know you don't like looking so vulnerable in front of the others...but they won't see you any different, this is a stressful situation, you got hurt, it's ok to cry" he spoke in a soothing calm voice.
"I know...but I don't want to look weak" I mumbled out in my now hoarse voice.
"Ash you've got to stop letting what those old farts tell you get in your head, it's not weak to cry, it's normal....I cry sometimes, does that make me weak?"
"No! You're far from weak!" I snapped at him "don't say something so stupid you.....wait I see what you just did"
He smirked at me proud of his little reverse trick.
He chuckled a little and helped me sit up and sighed a little bit "yeah, well that just proves my point, you are not weak" he said and smiled at me.
I smiled back before chuckling a little rubbing my face and sighing, I felt exhausted now.
"Come on...you get some sleep, I'll handle things for now, I'll come wake you when the big shots start yelling at me down the phone, they never respect the tech guy" he said with a playful sigh.
"Fine fine....I'll get some sleep" I say as I flopped back on the bed, grateful my heavy head finally hit the soft pillows.
Robin smiled and got up hitting the light switch on his way out.
"Robin?"
"Yeeeees?" He asked slowly reversing to look at me again.
"Thanks, I know I'm a mess"
"Oh please, your mess is my mess, I've got your back, thick and thin....now sleep!"
I chuckled a little "sir yes sir!"
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WC:3107
Damn I'm tired, I'm getting this out a little late for me, but I still hope you enjoyed it!
As always have a good night or day everyone
Until next time
Byeeeee💖