CHAPTER 1 Ashina

Ashina's POV

At the beginning, it's all cliche and normal.

"So, you're Ashina Hartz?"

I nodded and smiled lightly. I applied as a waitress in a bar near our village. The salary is not that big, but that'll do for me, especially because I didn't want to depend on my step-mother and step-father's support for me.

"You're not yet legal. How am I supposed to hire you?" The red headed middle aged woman raised her brow.

I gasped yet was so ready for my answer. "I'm turning eighteen next year, and I promise my age will not be a hindrance for me to work in your business." I convinced her.

She seems hesitant about my reasoning, but I can also see that she's convinced by the way she protrudes her lips. She couldn't do anything. I may be seventeen, but my body looks mature and almost like a well-grown woman. She later glanced at me and suddenly her brows furrowed.

"What's wrong with your hair?" she asked.

"Uhm, they're alright." I stuttered a bit.

"Your roots are white, yet the ends are black. Did you dye it?" she asked curiously.

I get her. My roots started to grow white a few months ago. My stepmother explained to me that my mother used to have long silver-white hair, who I've known to be Luna. I didn't have time to explain everything to her, so I just changed the subject.

"Please hire me. I need this." I spoke.

She sighed. And that's how I get to work for my needs. See? It's all normal. Just a teenage lady who seeks experience and dreams of being an independent woman.

"Mom," I called my step-mother one morning.

"Ash, it's almost night. I told you that you don't need to work. Are we starving you for you to pursue that?" she asked wearily.

I just grinned and reached for the loaf of bread on the table.

"I need this experience, trust me." I convinced her confidently.

She sighed and shook her head. Obviously, she doesn't like the idea of me going to work everyday.

"We are so fine in this country, Ash. What experience are you still talking about?"

"Hmm, are you gonna send me away too like what my parents did?" I asked with a smile on my face.

Her face became serious.

"I'm joking." I laughed and came to her to kiss her on the cheeks. "Bye, I'll be home early."

She was about to say something but words didn't come out of her mouth. I sighed thinking about what we've talked about. I hope she'll not dwell on it that much.

It's true, my mother is Luna and my father is an Alpha, which makes them the leader of their clan. I don't know, somewhere far from here where I will not be able to see them.

I'm a human. And I have no doubt about it, since I've been living like one since then. No changes at all.. I don't smell pheromones just like what my step- parents used to tell me and convinced them that maybe it's the reason why my parents gave me away, because I'm not like them.

I'm fine here. I love my life and I don't have any hope of seeing them and living the life of being a werewolf. I desire to be normal. I don't look forward to being one of them.

Not until this one night happened.

"Ash, are you alright?" my co-hostess asked me.

Shivered traveled down my spine as I felt the unfamiliar sense of me. It's like some strong force is trying to be unleashed inside of me. My breathing started to get heavy and I smelled the strongest scent I've ever smelled all throughout the years of my existence.

"Y-yeah, can you bring this to table two?" I pleaded.

"Of course, you should rest. You look fidgety." she uttered, and left.

I sniffed more when she left. I rubbed my arms as I felt my hairs standing up. I concentrated as I'm still feeling the heat inside of me. It's like I need to do something to let this pressure inside of me lash out.

"I think I need to go home now." I spoke to myself.

I told my boss that I'll do under-time because I'm not feeling well. Gladly, she understood and let me go.

I was in a hurry as I walked into the dark parking area of the bar and as I got closer the scent became stronger and stronger. It sits into my nose and it seems to affect my senses more. I'm more alert and more like a predator looking for its prey.

I shook my head and walked, but soon my steps halted. My eyes went straight into the car and into the man that's inside it.

The smell of warm fur and a strong scent of mixed cedar wood and musk embraced my nose. It made me dizzy, and as I grew more of that scent, my teeth clenched and rubbed into each other.

I groaned inside and shook my head, almost waking up to the slightest sense that's following my inner persona. I turned my back three-sixty and walked my way home.

That went on for how many days, weeks, and soon became a month. I stared at myself in the mirror. My deep winter gray eyes are now wide open; my white strands of hair are now half the length of my hair.

And that's when I realize this is not normal anymore. I tried to conceal it all, but not all the time, can I do it.

The image of the lean and tall man appeared again one night at the bar. I stared at him with the same overwhelming feeling I'm having every time I'm seeing him. His lashes were long and it made his eyes even more enigmatic. His hair is the darkest shade of black, the same as his eyes.

I gulped. I wonder how it would feel if I ran my nose into his neck. His smell is out of this world. I clenched my teeth again while feeling the slow revolving of my world.

His dangerous eyes suddenly darted into me. My mind suddenly went back into the realm of reality, seeing his eyes curiously and madly looking at me. I turned my back again so that I would not see him, trying to act so normal.

"Ash, I'm sorry. I feel so sick today, can you please bring this to the mart and ask for a refund. It's broken." My step-mom handed me a box, I think some electrical wires.

"Of course, just rest mom." I suggested and walked my way to the nearest mart.

And again, with the accidental and unpredictable encounter. I bit my lip, confirming the reason why I'm suddenly feeling the unfamiliar itch under my skin while I'm nearing the mart.

As soon as I opened the glass door I saw him on the counter and I gulped nervously because his head turned in my direction right away. His cold eyes beamed as he raised an eyebrow at me.

There you go again. My heart beat is going wild, just like what it is whenever he's around. I couldn't take my eyes off him. My body was ogling deep inside, but I tried to remain calm. His scent is too strong and my face is heating as he continues to stare at me.

He walked into my direction and halted in front of me. I almost cursed when he stopped. What now? He should have gotten away before I could not even stop myself.

He cocked his head on the other side as he checked me out. I'm suddenly feeling conscious wearing my simple pair of clothes.

"Move aside, miss. You're blocking my way." Coldness dripped into his tone.

I gasped and immediately moved aside, realizing that I'm causing congestion at the door. I shut my eyes tight as his presence bids it's goodbye.

There, I'm sure that he's the one who's triggering this static inside of me. I need to know why I feel like that every time he's around.