“Hey, Brody!” A friend of the boy's called out from a distance.

Brody looked back at the one who'd called him then back at Asher, who said to him, “I think they're waiting for you…Brody.”

“What's your name?” he asked.

“Asher. Asher Grey,” he replied with a grin.

“Oh, like the color of your hair?” Brody pointed up at it.

Asher scoffed, that was somewhat inaccurate, but the kid did have a valid point.

“You're new around here, aren't you?”

“Is it that obvious?” He chuckled, and the boy shrugged his shoulders.

“Well, it's a really small town. Everybody kinda knows everybody—makes it easier to detect strangers.”

“Hmm. I see.” For some reason, Asher was fascinated by this boy. He didn't know why, but he was.

“Hey, Brody, come on!” his friends called louder this time.

“I think you should go,” Asher said to him.

Brody waved him goodbye and ran off to his friends.

Asher looked around and saw the ladies doing their laundry to his right-hand side. They were staring at him. Some cast flirtatious eyes on him while others were trying to figure him out.

He was there looking for a woman who would follow him back home. Maybe he would try his luck with these ladies, probably the flirtatious ones.

Just then, a dog began to bark at him, snarling dangerously with a drooling mouth. It flashed its canines at him, threatening to launch an attack. Asher glared at the animal, revealing but a fraction of the glow of his wolf's black eyes to the barking dog.

The glare sent the dog running and seeking refuge. It hid behind a tree, whimpering and shuddering.

Amazed and shocked, the ladies turned to the terror-struck dog and then to Asher. They tried to understand what had just happened, but before they could give it much thought, Asher walked away, leaving them to their assumptions.

He arrived at a small market and aimlessly walked around, admiring some things and detesting some others. The place was noisy, filled with people going about their daily trade. He had not seen this many humans in one place in a long time. Why would he? His duty was with the Pack. Speaking of, that was the reason he was here.

He stopped, marveling at the incredible talents of a salesman who knew the right words to say in order to attract customers. The trader was standing on an elevated structure and was surrounded by those interested in buying what he was selling.

“Grow your hair with my specially made balm!” The salesman's voice was so loud and full of life. “I call it the balm of regeneration!”

Asher thought that was the lamest name for a product that he'd ever heard in all his life, yet the man was attracting a lot of attention. His gestures and confidence were a testament to how long he had been doing that.

“Sir!” He pointed at a bald old man, “I can tell that you need my balm of regeneration.” He winked at the man who was already approaching him.

Asher scoffed, and just as he looked away, he saw a boy no more than fifteen years old, picking the pocket of an elderly man so smoothly and soon making away with it undetected.

Asher restrained himself from going after that little thief and teaching him some manners. He reminded himself that this wasn't his territory, and he didn't want unnecessary attention drawn to himself, so he let it go.

However, there was something that he just couldn't turn a blind eye to. He saw Brody crying and tugging on the feet of a man who was ordering the destruction of a tent, which contained goods for sale. There was a man being beaten up by some hefty men as Brody continued to beg the one calling the shots.

He figured that the man being beaten up was Brody's father or guardian, and maybe he owed those thugs some money, which was why they were doing this. Asher tried to ignore this, but Brody soon set eyes on him and called out to him.

“Asher, please help us!” The boy's voice melted his heart, and he truly wanted to intervene, but he didn't want to risk getting involved. “Please…they'll destroy everything.” He wept.

“Get off me!” The man whose leg he was tugging on kicked him in the face, and Brody fell hard on the ground.

Asher's eyes shimmered in the sunlight as he fumed with balled fists. He blinked a couple of times, and the glowing stopped.