The Black Sheep

Wolf

Ash touched his fingers to the spot under his left eyes. The pain was gone, the swelling never took place thanks to the cream Tory had applied and the discoloration had faded, but not cleared. The purplish black from last night had cleared up, instead, it was slightly pink and hard to see in his dark skin tone but, it was there.

He should have asked Tory for some concealer, but he didn't want to see his best friend at the moment, not yet, not after last night.

Instead, he told himself that the bruise was small and that he was sure no one would notice it. Nodding his head, he took a step into Northern star campsite, sending a quick wave to the guards on duty who in turn nodded back. He greeted about one or two dozen wolves. Some he knew by name, others only by face, as he made his way to Martez's office.

Ash knocked on the wooden pole that stood at the entrance before letting himself in. The alpha was sited behind his short desk on the floor, he glanced up at Ash, a smile making it's way to his face as he waved him in, quickly returning to the documents he needed to finish yesterday.

Ash took a seat opposite from him, silently waiting for the other to finish.

The tent was not small, but it wasn't large either. Aside from the desk, there were boxes filled with files in the corners, a few bean bags, throw pillows and spotted floormat lying beneath them all.

"You're early" Martez stated looking up, pushing aside his completed work. "And no friends this time." He adds in a teasing tone.

"They got in trouble for ditching yesterday." The omega says. Being placed as entertainers aside from waiters like they had applied was only part of it, they had to do many other things Ash didn't care enough to listen during Ruby's rant.

"What about you? If I remember correctly you've been ditching since the beginning" Martez raised a brow, Ash smirked.

"I'm a special kind of rebel"

"Oh yeah ?" Martez chuckled then paused as his gaze landed south of Ash's eye. He leaned over the short table and reach a hand out towards the omega, his palm cupping the left side of his face, and traced the bruise with his tomb.

"What happened?" He questioned.

On his way here, from the time he looked in the mirror that morning to when he first step feet in the campsite. Ash had gone over all the possible ways he could have gotten the bruise. And it wasn't the simple I fell either. 

He got hit going in through and out only door. Some impatient jerk in a line elbowed him by accident. He tripped and landed face first on a doorknob. All possible, all believable-more or less- and yet, sitting right there at the receiving end of that dark demanding gaze, he couldn't lie.

It was funny, he'd lied to Martez many times, about his title, the reason he was here, any and everything concerning the Calling of the goddess and the Ceremony of Lunmessia. But this was the first time he experienced this level of intensity.

Ash swallowed around the lump in his throat. His gaze glancing to the right, landing to the mismatched bean bags and throw pillows before meeting back with Martez's who had narrowed his eyes in suspicion by now.

"Ash, who did-" He began to say but-thank the goddess-was cut by a heavy knock and a familiar voice.

"Alpha, it's about Vallery" Dawn called on the other side of the tent. Martez's pulled back, but not before sending the secret omega a look towards a that suggested that the conversation wasn't over.

Ash sighed in relief, as the alpha called Dawn in. The tall blond, bowed in greetings for his alpha before his gaze landed on Ash who waved.

"What happened?" Martez's questioned and as if remembering his earlier sense of urgency he spoke in a fast hast pace.