Chapter 3 THE SAVIOUR

AMELIA'S POV

"What are you girls doing," Asher asked them and Cressida slowly got up from my body with an innocent look on her face.

"Uh-oh," Elsa remarked with an Oops expression and she let go of Louisa who immediately rushed to me.

"It is not what it looks like Asher, we were only playing a prank," Cressida said with a soft smile on her face, toying with her hair and blushing slightly like she did not just try to blind me with her claws.

She looked like a completely different person, her icy eyes seemed warm and inviting and her claws were gone.

Louisa hugged me tightly, sighing in relief that Asher had gotten here when he did, if he had been even a second later, then it would have been too late.

"It's not what it looks like?! You were literally about to blind her!" Asher asked them, looking physically angry, his hands were shaking and I had never seen his brown eyes look so enraged before, they looked almost red with anger, even Cressida looked shocked by his reaction.

Asher had never defended me before, he had mostly been indifferent about me and Louisa's friendship so even I was surprised.

"Wait, what?!" Cressida asked, taken aback by his reaction.

"Why are you so mad? I already told you that it was just a little prank, I mean I wasn't really going to do it, I just wanted to scare her a bit," She lied effortlessly.

I just stared at her still in shock from what had just happened, there were tears already drying on my cheeks. I had never felt such fear before, all I could do was sob lightly into Louisa's shoulder as she rubbed my back.

"You are fine Amelia, it is all over now," she whispered into my ear, still rubbing my back and comforting me

"You are just a sick person Cressida and I will see to it that you and your sister get the punishment that you deserve," Asher promised them, with his brown eyes still glowing red at them, almost like his wolf was about to come out.

"Why do you care so much, to the extent that you will go as far as to threaten me, because of that strange looking Omega?!!!" She shouted at him and just like that her disguise was broken.

She no longer appeared like the innocent girl she was pretending to be, her icy eyes gleamed with fresh hatred and disgust as she glanced at me.

"I did not threaten you Cressida, I am only you informing you of what I plan to do, I will make sure that you and your little accomplice here get the full punishment of your actions today!!!" He spat back at her with venom in his eyes.

Suddenly Cressida started to laugh, she laughed so hard that she held her belly.

Louisa and I exchanged looks of confusion between ourselves as we stared at her.

"Oh sweet sweet Asher," she mocked him, strolling around him as she spoke.

"What punishment would it be then?" She asked him, trailing a finger down his back.

Asher turned to face her and caught her finger in a flash, then he flung her hand away from him.

"Oh come on Asher, you aren't delusional are you? What is the worst that is going to happen? No one in the pack cares about that freak, NO ONE!!!" She repeated angrily.

Asher opened his mouth to say something, but he thought about it and kept quiet.

"You aren't even worth my time," He said to her degradingly and even though she smiled at him nonchalantly, I could see the pain in her eyes at his statement.

"Come on guys, let's get out of here," Asher said, dragging us along with him.

He and Louisa walked with me to the front of my house, he was silent during the walk back.

Louisa nudged me into the house and I smiled at her gratefully, but I couldn't enter yet, I had to thank Asher, if not for him the worst could have happened.

"Asher I... I wanted to thank you for-"

"Save it Omega," he hushed me harshly, and I looked up at him in surprise.

"I thought... I thought you helped me because you cared," I said to him, he was confusing me now, why had he bothered to save me if he was still going to treat me like everyone else.

"Cared about you? An Omega? Don't be ridiculous, while I don't care about you Amelia, I also don't like to see people get hurt," He said to me and my mouth just opened up slightly, still in surprise.

"You don't get to talk to her like that!" Louisa shouted at her brother

"No Lou, it's fine, thank you for your help today Asher, I will never forget it," I said to him calmly, even though all I could feel was hurt and sadness on the inside, I kept my composure.

I was not deserving of kindness apparently.

My throat felt tight, like if I stayed here a second longer, I would break into tears

"Bye Louisa," I greeted her for a final time before I turned back and left them in front of my house.

******

My mother was sleeping on the couch when I entered the house.

I walked in silently not wanting to disturb her, besides she looked tired, she probably had a long day from working all day long to provide for us.

My mother worked as a laborer in one of the farms belonging to the Clarkes, ever since my father died when I was young, that was all she did, it was all she knew how to do, to work and toil on another person's farm to put food on our table.

It was how Louisa and I had met in the first place.

"Where have you been all day?" She asked me suddenly just as I was about to enter my room, I turned back shocked that she was awake to find her sitting up and looking at me.

We looked so similar and yet so different. My mother with her long black hair and blue eyes, me with my white hair and blue eyes, sometimes I wondered whether she resented me for being so different.

Maybe if I was normal and pretty, I could have gotten someone from the nobility to want to mate with me, someone that could have changed my family's story forever.

"I... I was at the forest," I stuttered out and she stood up and walked towards me, looking at me closely.

"What is wrong with you? Did anything happen to you?" She asked me, her eyes staring into mine intently as she touched my face.

"No mum... I..." I didn't want her to know that I was being bullied.

She knew that people didn't like me in the pack already and she suspected that I was being harrassed, but me admitting it to her was just going to make her feel guilty.

"What happened to you Amelia, why do you look so down?" She asked me, concern reflected in her eyes.

"I wish I had never been born," I said to her, breaking down in tears, unable to hold myself anymore.

"Oh my darling," She cooed, holding me in her arms while I cried.

I didn't tell her what had happened, I couldn't bring myself to.

After that day, all I did was just stay at home, I didn't care if the Davenport sisters had been punished, all I cared about was just staying home and at least having some peace.

A week later, Louisa showed up at my house.

I didn't want to let her in, when I saw her all I could think about Asher and how he had looked at me.

"Hey, I am sorry that I couldn't come and see you sooner, my brother has been having a fool meltdown regarding what happened and he made my parents ground me," Louisa ranted, as she pushed past me and entered the house.

"Oh.." I mumbled, unsure of what to say

"Asher told my father and you know my father is pretty cozy with Alpha Jackson, so the punishment was that Cressida and Elsa would not be allowed into the party," She giggled excitedly, staring at me with a bright smile.

That wasn't the punishment that they deserved, but it was the worst thing that could happen to them, I was sure that Cressida was punching her walls by now. Everybody, especially every maiden of mating age wanted to meet Alpha Jackson and get that fairytale ending where he would immediately choose them as his mate, but I guess that wasn't to be for the Davenport Sisters.

"Do you know what I think?" She asked me suddenly, pulling me with her to the couch.

"I think that we should go to Alpha Jackson's party," she said to me suddenly and I looked at her, barely able to hide my shock.

I knew she was going, but her planning to drag me along with her was just a bad idea waiting to happen

"WHAT!!!" I exclaimed, "Why would I do that? After what just happened, why would I go to the Alpha's house?" I asked her, it sounded completely crazy.

"Because no one will expect it, and I want you to have that experience, you know get to see the pack in a different light," she continued, sounding more and more crazy.

"Wait but how does that help me, the guards wouldn't even allow me in there as soon as they see me. I can understand that you want to help Louisa, but we have to be realistic," I told her frankly, hoping to cut this discussion short.

"And I am being realistic, I am saying that you will go as someone else," she said to me, with a cunning smile on her lips, her eyes glinting mischievously

"Like a disguise?" I asked her, slightly intrigued

"Yes, we could dye your hair black or I could give you a wig and then we can use mascara to change your lashes and I could make your brows black," she suggested to me, her hand was on my chin as she turned my face side to side, regarding me

It sounded too easy, for me to change my looks and suddenly feel and become a whole new person

It sounded tempting.

I wondered how it would actually feel to be someone else for a day.

I wondered how it would feel to be Cinderella at the ball.

"So what do you think?" She asked

What if we get caught?

But at the same time, it will be just for a day.

What is the worst that could happen?

"Yes," I agreed, "Let's do it," I said and she cheered happily, pulling me in for a hug

***

The next evening I was dressed in a long black gown that Louisa had lent to me, my face and hair had been utterly transformed.

I looked at my new self in the mirror and I was stunned by how different I looked.