I Am Nothing Without You

Jolie

"Forget everything that happened between us," a low, commanding voice came from the darkness, pulling me out of sleep.

The light from the street lamp outside the window casts a faded strip on the massive figure frozen in the doorway. I unmistakably recognize my man in the one who entered.

"Asher? Is that you?" I sleepily sit up in bed, clutching the blanket to my chest. "You left..."

"He came back," he chuckled and turned his back to me, as if demonstrating condescension. "To say something important."

I managed to see an expensive suit made of rare fabric, similar to satin, the color of dark chocolate, and a white shirt, open a few buttons, exposing a masculine, muscular chest.

I had already seen this exact suit on him once, it seemed that an Alpha's son never wears things twice, but simply throws them away, since he can afford everything.

I always looked at him with admiration, and now is no exception. Handsome... What those amber eyes worth - the abyss is of vice, and lips, as if created only for kisses.

Asher Black is so huge that he takes up half of a tiny room in the servants' quarters. He is the son of my Alpha, for whom I work as a maid. An experienced, adult man, endowed with serious power.

There is a secret relationship between us, which is forbidden by the rules, but I fell madly in love with him and lost my head from his icy beauty and hurricane charisma.

"What's wrong with your voice?" It's three in the morning, the room is gloomy and quiet.

"I have a slight cold."

We had a big fight a few days ago. He hasn't called me all this time, hasn't even written. And he went to another city for a dinner party with the Alpha Black his father.

"I'm telling you straight - I'm fed up with everything."

"Asher... What are you talking about now?" I'm horrified.

"I want you to disappear. Forever!"

"What do you mean? I don't understand anything."

"Not only from my house but from my life."

"Did you explain it so clearly?" Panic rises in my throat, and my heart starts pounding wildly.

"What?"

But how...

This is some kind of joke?

He can't be serious, can he? He told me such things that everything inside me trembled. He made me believe that happiness between us was possible and that he would find a way not to keep our relationship a secret.

No, no, no.

He can't leave me! Especially now! When I... I have to tell him important news! My period is late, I took a test, and it showed two stripes. Tears started running down my cheeks...

I wrapped myself tighter in the blanket, feeling very sick.

"You can't do this to me. I'm pregnant."

"What do you mean pregnant?" He clenches his fists but continues to stand with his back to me, like a titanium mountain.

"Literally. You are the father of the child because you are my first and only."

"Now that's debatable."

"What do you mean, Asher?" a ragged wheeze escapes from her chest. It feels like someone just spat in my face.

"Don't take me for an idiot, Jolie!" he grins. "I saw it all perfectly well, with my own eyes. How my father cornered you!"

"It wasn't like that!"

"Enough! Not another word." A wad of bills falls onto the bed with a slap...

"I'll give you more than he did. You'll have an abortion with the change."

I look at this dirty money and drown in horror. I don't believe what's happening now. Asher... It's not him! It's as if he's been replaced. He would never have dared to talk to me with such a cynical intonation.

"This is your child! Your tiny copy..."

"It's not a fact that it's mine. Anyway, it doesn't matter," wolf waves his hand, "I don't need heir from a maid. I'll soon become Alpha, and this will be a disgrace to my reputation."

Ah, so that's it.

So he ran.

Decided to get rid of unnecessary ballast... like me.

Orphans. Girls from the street! I sob, covering my mouth with my hand.

"Wipe your tears, Jolie. You are a grown girl and you should have understood what a connection with someone like me could mean for you. Get dressed, my people will take you to the hospital. There is no time to hesitate until someone finds out about the unwanted pregnancy, otherwise serious problems will arise." Still did not turn to face me.

Ashamed to look into my eyes?

His broad, powerful back speaks to me. Demonstrates condescension...

And leaves.

I throw money after him, curl up in a ball on the bed, and cry.

Fool...

What a fool I am!

I am just the daughter of a maid, and he is the future Alpha. Could there have been anything in common between us? But it was incredibly difficult to stop...

Asher Black knows how to win the heart of absolutely any girl. He has the appearance of a predator, and a magnetic look, and his wealth allows him to buy an entire Black Hills. Only a robot could not resist such a wolf.

Chic bouquets, diamond earrings, flirting... it's all nothing more than mockery and falsehood! He was playing with me. The rich wolf was having fun!

I assumed how our cruel romance could end, but I could not stop. Because I fell in love... The world around me became somehow pink, unreal when I first saw the son of a famous Alpha.

You can't command a damned heart...

I emerge from the vivid memories and I hurry to the kindergarten to see Merry. I promised to pick up the baby early!

Five minutes, I'm almost at the kindergarten. I stop at the pedestrian crossing, letting a car pass. I step onto the zebra crossing...

I hear the roar of an engine, I turn around in horror. An SUV is rushing at me at full speed, blinding me with its headlights. I don't have time to think, I just cover my face with my hands.

A strong blow.

A scream burns my throat.

I am thrown into the darkness...

***

Asher

A few days later

"Alpha Asher Black! Well, you came... What an honor!" choking with delight, the head of an orphanage number five shakes my hand endlessly. Her eyes shine, and she looks at me as if I were something sacred. "We have been waiting for you very, very much. Come inside, please!"

The rest of the institution's employees peer out of the windows, looking at my motorcade of five cars and the people in dark clothes surrounding me from all sides. The only thing missing is a helicopter to give a full picture of the scale of my power, but I decided to keep it modest today, so as not to attract the attention of journalists. I hate show-offs.

Asher's wolf 'Oh, really, you hate to show off?' Asher ignores his wolf' sound.

We move to the entrance. A short tour begins, where they account for every penny, every nail, and board bought with great zeal.

I regularly do charity work, and all small packs of Black Hills are now my responsibility. A couple of million a month is a drop in the ocean for me. I am happy to help those in need and I don't like to blab about it.

'Buddy, you do good deeds silently, without setting yourself the goal of becoming famous.'

'Yes, I very rarely visit the sites to which I donate.'

But this time the head of the orphanage, Valentina, begged me to come and see what the main building of the orphanage looked like after the restoration. When my Beta showed me the letter from the head with the photographs, my heart sank with sadness. I decided to take care of it immediately.

I am far from an angel, I have a difficult, unbearable character, but these terrible photographs with damp, peeling walls, holes in the floors, and rusty, half-collapsed beds, touched all the strings of my soul. I immediately gave the order to the fund to accept the new facility.

"Alpha, it's time to move, the meeting with the Alpha Red will take place in three hours," my Beta, Jason, whispered in my ear. "I was just informed that the helicopter is waiting."

I nod. I turn back to Valentina, who is chattering incessantly, smiling from ear to ear. She is bursting with joy.

"And what wonderful beds they installed! New, high-quality, made with love! And our floors are now smooth, without dents, the linoleum is simply awesome! And the windows? Have you seen the windows? The best company on the market! They will last forever!"

"Valentina" I stop her with a gesture because it seems to me that she is about to jump on me from above and kiss me on both cheeks, "I am very glad that I could be useful to you, but it is time for me to go."

"Wait! You haven't seen the assembly hall yet! The kids have prepared a surprise for you there! They were looking forward to your visit, preparing, rehearsing. The kids call you a wizard... And they are very grateful for everything you have done for them. Please, come in! Stay another five minutes."

From the very top floor of the building, a piano melody is heard, children's laughter is heard, and there is a smell of something sweet and soulful. Childhood, probably...

"Okay then."

"Sure, sure, I'll give you a signal, you enter immediately on my command."

As usual, the guards enter first, scouting out the situation, then I do. I look around. The hall is spacious, and bright, with large windows, a terry carpet underfoot, and a tapestry decorated with flowers.

"Guys, are you ready? Let's go!"

The room is half-filled with children of different ages. Seeing me, they quieted down, lined up in neat rows, and began to sing "Grasshopper" in chorus, dancing.

I couldn't help but smile slightly. It became very warm inside, and my heart sank with emotion, missing a beat. The girls were twirling around the hall in fluffy skirts, the boys were stamping their feet next to them in elegant bow ties.

After finishing their performance, several kids ran up to me to give me gifts they had made with their own hands. One little toddler even kissed me on the cheek when I squatted down to take the kids' drawings.

I felt incredible emotions, which made me want to come here regularly if I felt sad. On command, my people began handing out toys and sweets to the children.

At that moment, I realized that I had not lived this day in vain and that I had done at least something good. But I would have to pay for it for a long time, atoning for my guilt with good deeds. For the mistakes of the past...

I was about to leave when suddenly my gaze accidentally caught on a small, dark-haired girl who kept to herself. She was the tiniest and most fragile among the other children. The little girl huddled in a corner, near the window, sitting with her back to me, playing with a doll. I don't know what came over me, but I moved towards her as if hypnotized.

At first, it seemed to me that she was crying, that the other children were bullying her and she was hiding in this way, but as I got closer, I realized that she was crying.

I've lost all thoughts in my head.

It seems I... saw a small copy of myself.

* * *

The manager's words are heard behind me, but I can no longer hear her speech. Everything is swimming before my eyes, the world is swaying, and there is an unpleasant ringing in my ears.

The little one is sitting with her back to me and playing with a shabby doll, while the other children are receiving presents.

Her long, curly hair, a rich black color, which falls in a lush shock to her waist, catches my eye. On the top of her head is a red bow, on her waist is a lush tulle skirt that looks incredibly huge because of her thinness, and on her feet are red sandals. The strap on one is unfastened.

"Why aren't you getting a present?"

Asher POV

I take a step forward, squatting down. I reach for her little foot to fasten the strap. I touch it carefully...

"I'm allergic to chocolate!" the little one snorts resentfully.

Well, well.

Me too.

She turns around, and I freeze.

Those eyes, those lips, that nose.

As if I were looking at my reflection.

"Baby, who's your mother?" I grab her by the shoulders and shake her a little. "And how did you end up in an orphanage?"

The teacher's voice is heard behind me: "Her mother is in the hospital. In serious condition..."

"Her name! Tell me her mother's name!" I don't notice how I raise my growl. I almost start screaming.

My wolf shaking all over because before my eyes flashed blue eyes like the ocean and hair, the color of the sun. I don't know why, but out of all the women I've met in the last five years, I unconsciously remembered her.

"Angelina Smith."

Your ass...

My intuition didn't let me down.

"What hospital is she in? And what's wrong with her?"

"I don't know if we can divulge information..." the young teacher stutters, looking at me in shock.

"I can do anything."

"Miss, why are you hesitating here? Have you forgotten who you're talking to?" the head teacher pushes her aside with a guilty face. "I beg your pardon. She's in the third city hospital. Unconscious. Hit by a car."

I sniff the air, trying to control myself, for the sake of image, that's how it should be, but inside me, the third world war has begun. My wolf was in horrible condition.

"What's the girl's name? How old is she?"

"Merry... Five years old."

I find my Beta behind Valentina.

"Jason! Cancel the meeting with the Alpha Red! Immediately! Let's go to the hospital."

I pick up the baby in my arms and greedily press her to my chest. I am instantly saturated with her warmth, so familiar and unearthly that the third world war in my soul reaches its apogee. And I confidently walk to the exit, carrying my daughter in my arms, like the most priceless treasure in life. My wolf happily accepted my daughter.

"Wait! A..." The headmistress worries about her ward.

"I'm taking the girl," confidently and without hesitation. "I'm taking custody of her."

We resolve matters in the orphanage in five minutes. In exchange for a guarantee of silence and for a quick fuss over the paperwork, I promise the headmistress to restore the second building of the institution in the coming months.

"Remember! No one should know that I took a child from the orphanage, do you understand?" Gossip is of no use now. Especially before the elections for Alpha King.

Valentina nodded quickly.

Having rewarded the headmistress with a menacing look, I leave her office.

"And warn the rest of your colleagues. My people will monitor this."

"Oh, what are you saying? You've done so much for us, so you can count on us."

"Okay."

Merry, accompanied by a nanny, is waiting for me in the hall. She's already changed and ready. The girl is dressed very modestly: an old pink down jacket that's too small, winter boots, and a hat with a fluffy pompom.

They must be short of money. What am I talking about if I found the girl in an orphanage? I'll shower her with toys and clothes. My daughter will never go hungry or wear rags again! I'll give my child the best.

Merry holds the nanny's hand and looks at our approaching crowd with frightened eyes. With her other hand, she hugs the same ugly doll with multi-colored hair that she played with in the assembly hall. I have a feeling that this is her only toy.

Shame on you. Shame on you, Asher!

Your child is in rags, maybe even starving, and you dine on gold plates with members of the Alpha family on weekends and fly to the Maldives on vacation.

I almost got there, but Beta slows me down. "Alpha, what are you doing? Are you crazy? Did you seriously take a child from an orphanage? Tell me this is just a PR stunt!"

"Seriously."

You can tell from his face how stunned my Beta is. "And you don't care what your father will say about this?"

"No," I shrug my shoulders indifferently. Because he won't recognize her. This girl, I'm more than sure, is my biological daughter.

Either mine or... she's my father's illegitimate daughter. But Merry doesn't look like my father. She's my copy. There can be no doubt, but I'll take a paternity test. And for now, my head is a complete mess!

Julie...

How could you deceive me and hide my child from me for so many years?

I take a step towards Merry, squat down, and pick up the girl in my arms. So light! She weighs no more than a feather in my huge hands.

"And who are you, Uncle? You didn't introduce yourself, it's impolite," she puffs out her cheeks and now looks like a funny hamster.

Ha! And the little one has character.

I recognize my handwriting. "Call me Asher." I decide not to tell Merry yet, who oh, that's who I am. Let's wait for the DNA test.

"The subject is leaving, everyone gets ready and keep your eyes peeled," my security chief announces into the earpiece.

We're leaving...

It's the North Pole outside.

It's started snowing, which, according to weather forecasters, should turn into a blizzard.

Merry hides her face in the collar of my coat, saving herself from the icy gusts of wind, and grabs my lapels with her little hands.

"Where are you taking me?"

"We're going to mommy's. Will you show me your mommy, baby?"

"To mommy's? Hurray!" the girl comes to life, clapping her hands as I seat her in the backseat of a powerful SUV, buckling her in with a seat belt.

"Drive. To the hospital. Quickly, but carefully. Got it? We have a child with us." I warn the driver, he nods with a responsible face, looking from the mirror at baby, who with curiosity and a sparkle in her honey-brown eyes examines the interior of the car.