Finally Found Her

Ashley didn't sleep through the rest of the night. She couldn't go back to sleep after she had woken up. She just lay on the bed, turning from side to side, remembering what had happened after she slept off that time.

She stayed up thinking of the people she had just had an encounter with. What they said disturbed her so much she couldn't wait to let Damon know.

She didn't know if he was aware already that those people were coming soon. She didn't know their own definition of the soon and prayed it wouldn't be so soon.

When the day broke Ashley didn't waste time in getting ready. She was scared and didn't feel like going to work. Immediately she was dressed and all good, she left the room, hurrying out to look for Damon.

Honestly speaking now, if he asked her to quit work she will humbly listen to him and do it. She didn't want trouble, no, war.

Those beings looked like they would cause war if they had to.

**************

Damon sat on the edge of his bed feeling stupid and angry at himself.

He compelled her again. How foolish of him to do that when he knew really well that she could remember later on. He cursed himself for going to her room in the first place.

He had wanted them to have dinner together again but after she said that she had eaten, he didn't want to force her.

After she left him and went to her room, Damon couldn't help himself. He wanted to see her so badly that he couldn't stop himself from going to her room and at the end of the day after having the satisfaction of seeing her he foolishly compelled her to forget.

Damon felt so stupid. If she remembers this again later on he was going to be in trouble. He caused it for himself anyways. She would probably not forgive him this time.

When the morning came, he got ready as usual. He didn't sleep through the night at all, he hadn't even had sleep since he had that dream of Irene many nights ago.

When Damon came out of his room, he looked at Ashley's, he didn't know what she was doing. She was always supposed to be ready before him but he didn't understand how he always got ready before her.

He looked away and walked to the elevator this time. Not long after he got to the living room, he heard his name. When he turned around he found Ashley rushing in.

She was dressed up for work but didn't seem too composed. Damon put in hands in his pockets and tilted his head as he watched her with raised eye brows.

He sensed fear. She was afraid, why? She didn't make it visible but he could feel it.

"What's wrong?" He asked her.

"I.... We.... I need to talk to you." She stuttered. "Maybe in the car." She said looking around and Damon understood.

Something was definitely wrong. He could send everybody away and let her talk but since they had to be at work on time it will probably be better if they do it in the car while on their way to work.

When they were seated inside the car, Ashley turned to him before he could start the engine.

"I don't know if it's safe again to go to work." She said.

"What do you mean?"

Ashley drew in a sharp breath then adjusted herself to face him properly before she started. "I didn't tell you before but one of these people that are after you have come to my dreams before. Long before the one that came to my house did. He said he came because he wanted to know if I was 'the one' which I don't really understand."

Okay, he already knew that without her telling him, but where was she heading?

"He came again last night. This time, there were three others with him. And they made it clear that they were coming soon, saying that it is going to be hell on earth for us once they arrive."

Damon was shocked. He had forgotten they could go to her dreams, no matter how he tried to protect her they could still hurt her through her dreams. Why did he feel so useless right now?

"Did they hurt you?" He asked her.

"Not really but I was tied and when I woke up it felt so real. There are still a few visible rope marks." She said showing him her wrists.

Damon couldn't contain his anger anymore as he saw the marks on her wrists. He held on to the steering wheel so tightly it looked like he was going to rip it off any minute. Not like it would calm him down but it would feel good damaging something at least.

He would make it hell on earth for them instead, he vowed.

"They said they would be here very soon. Do you know how soon?" She asked him.

Damon was too angry to even give a reply to her question. He needed to get away from her now or she would also become scared of him.

"Damon." She called and when he looked up at her she flinched.

He was not shocked she did though. He was sure he looked scary. "I'm sorry." He said trying to calm down his anger.

He didn't remember the last time he told somebody that. But here he was telling this woman, and he wasn't sure if it was just because of how he scared her just now or because he had been telling her that he was trying to protect her all this while and yet it didn't look like that.

He saw her narrow her eyes. "For what?"

He had told her that he didn't want to hear the word again but now he was the one telling it to her, how good of him.

He cleared his throat. "You should know about them." He said ignoring her question.

"The people in your dreams. They are the main people I talked about that are after me and there are just four of them, like you saw already. They call themselves the SAGE. It's an acronym for all of their names." Damon said, watching her expression as he spoke. She listened calmly while he spoke.

"The one that you said came to you before now was probably their leader, Sebastian. And what he said about wanting to know if you were 'the one' is a very complicated matter."

Ashley looked thoughtful. "One of them said hurting me is the best way to hurt you." She said. Then nodding slowly, she continued. "That is why I am being involved in all of this. Wait! I think I understand the meaning of 'the one'. He wanted to find the person good and fit for the job. The one they would be sure that hurting him or her would really get to you." She finished as if realizing something.

"But how and why is it me?" Ashley wondered. "I feel just so unfortunate." She said, more to herself.

She wasn't completely right on her realization but she wasn't wrong either. Damon had not told her all this yet and now she was finding explanations little by little from the people he was trying to keep her away from.

Why did it sound like they were sure Ashley was his mate? Even he wasn't sure.

'Oh, Damon you're just being stupid again' he scolded himself. There was every proof here that Ashley was his woman and he was just the one deliberately not wanting to see them.

First, even though it could also be just because he was hiding her that made the SAGE think she was the one but the anger that built up in him every time he heard that they visited her dreams or tried to hurt her and he felt late again wasn't ordinary. If he didn't hold himself he knew he could burn the whole place down.

Next, the strong urge felt to protect Ashley wasn't also just ordinary. That was definitely the same urge demons got to protect their mates. He should have known since he had had one before.

And then the way he felt towards her. She behaves so much like Irene which obviously was what made him feel attracted and drawn to her. He liked when she got furious and mad at him. It really woke something up inside him. She was brave and strong just like Irene. Even though they didn't have the same colour of hair but they had the same type of eyes. Hazel eyes and he had even said it himself to Sephirah that this one was was different, it wasn't just anybody having the same type of eyes.

He had known all this while but was too unaccepting to admit it to himself. Maybe because he had searched for hundreds of years and he felt there still had to be more years of search before he found her. But why would he even think that way? What was he becoming? A stupid person?

Was this what his mother had talked about when she said he would find what would make him know she was the one when he met with her?

Ashley had almost all the qualities Irene had, she even came back alot more better, she was more brave and more outspoken than her former self. He had confirmed it all now.

This lady sitting here with him was Irene's reincarnation. The lady he had spent four hundred years with humans looking for, the lady whose death turned him into a monster, the one whose touch made him shiver strangely, the lady who made him long to be with a woman again, he had finally found her. His love, his everything.

Goodness, he didn't want to believe he was becoming emotional already. This woman has really brought back so much of his old self. He wanted to hug her but he held himself back. The lady was already confused, he shouldn't add to her confusion by doing that.

Explaining this part he just realized or rather just decided to believe, to her now was something he would have to think well on before doing. Of course, those beings would have seen how protective he was of her and that would be why they all guessed she was the one.

After looking at her for a very long time, realizing things, when he came back to reality he saw her wearing a worried look. He quickly tried to remember if she asked anything.

Right, she felt unfortunate it had to be her. He suddenly felt bad that she did.

"I won't let them hurt anyone of us. I promise." He hoped that after promising now again he would be able to keep his word and not let her down.

"Let's get you to work or you would be very late." Damon said again. The anger and excitement he felt now were equal to each other.

Excitement that he found his mate and anger that a lot of things caused.

"Are you sure? I don't think it's safe anywhere now." She said, her face showing a hint of fear again.

"I have eyes on you at work, you will be fine." Damon assured maybe himself or her, he didn't know.

But hopefully she would be fine.

Hopefully.