Lycan King’s Nemesis

Ash??

“I feel like killing you right now, dickhead! How dare you do that to her? She is our mate!” Fangs whined, jumping about in anger as he tried to unleash but I reined him in, standing at my favourite spot over the cliff that overlooked the wide expense of my Kingdom as I looked on aimlessly.

I knew I had gone overboard last night with what I did to our mate. But I will never feel guilty over it. I warned her. I gave her a chance to back out. To come to me and accept my rejection. But she was stubborn.

What was she thinking? That I will change my mind? I scoffed and took a swig from the bottle of black Whiskey I came out with. “You keep whining like an old crow but it won’t change nothing, Fangs.”

“I hope you choke on that substance and die!” He has never been this mad. But I understand.

“This is just the beginning,” I ventured, not even trying to pacify him. He growled and tried once more causing me to stagger back, my eyes changed colour but I gritted my teeth hard and shook my head to gain back control. “Stop it, Fangs. Don’t forget who’s in charge.”

“If you don’t want her, I want her. If anything happens to her I will never forgive you.”

“She is a werewolf, does that mean anything to you? Her kind broke our heart years ago, how could you forget that?”

“Because it’s years ago as you said. Besides, I never wanted that wench! She wasn’t our mate.”

I rolled my eyes and was on the verge of taking another swig when my ears caught the sound of horse hooves galloping towards me, my nose immediately sniffing out my Beta’s scent before he came into view.

I gave him a bored glance and was about to continue my sightseeing when Williams’s voice came forth as he jumped off the horse. “What did you do, Ashton?”

“What?” I scratched my hair strung in different directions.

“How could you?” He came and pushed me to the side to face him. I bared my fangs in warning, fast growing mad.

“I will not allow you use me to defend yourself, coward!” Fangs said and started withdrawing. “Fight for yourself.” And then he went silent.

“You can try to intimidate me all you like but I won’t back down in telling you the truth. You crossed the line,” Williams continued, baring his fangs in return.

“She deserved it.” I batted him off and took another swig. “I told y’all I don’t want her.”

“She’s your mate!” He thundered. “You fucked your mate against her will, do you know what could happen to you? Do you want to earn the wrath of the goddess?”

“Like I give a fuck about the goddess anymore,” I snorted. “She caused all these.”

“She has a reason for everything. Have you thought about that perhaps, Emma wasn’t the one for you?”

“Then why did the goddess allow me meet her?”

“Because… many people come into our lives but they are just for a season. They are not meant to go through life with us. There was a reason for that which only the goddess knew. Don’t allow that bitterness make you throw away something good.”

“Then I will gladly lose it, my friend,” I concluded, my eyes drowsy by now. I have been here since the wee hours of morning drinking and watching dawn descend on us, hating myself for my action, still, refusing to feel remorse.

I hate her. I hate that I feel attracted to her. To our bond. I hate that everyone thinks I am a bad person forgetting that her kind hurt me first. They stole something from me and now just like every other thing in my life, they want me to accept this one like nothing bad ever happened to me.

“Ashton,” William sighed seeing as I wasn’t falling for his guilt trip. “I know you are still hurting, but it’s been years now. You have to let go. That woman never deserved you. I told you from the very day you brought her here but you refused to accept counselling.”

“Now, I am bitten and I don’t intend being bitten twice.”

“Gwen is your mate.”

“And I will never accept her. I might have wed her but that is as far as it shall go. She will never have my heart. Now, I am no longer interested in this conversation.”

“What are you going to do then?”

The question seem to delight me. I smiled roguishly, only one thought in my mind. “I am going to live, Will. I will continue living my life. If she thinks I will honor her, then she is even stupider than her clansmen.”

I moved towards Striker, my horse, and patted his manes, preparing to swing up but as though he was also against me, he whined and shifted away. “Oh, C’mon, not you too.” He kicked his feet and neighed so loudly.

Now, that’s it. I touched him and used my power to keep him still and climb, then yanked on the reins to take off. “See you at the council meeting, Williams.” I gulped down the remaining substance and threw away the bottle as I jerked harder at the reins to increase the gallop.

I was disappointed when I saw the familiar gates of the palace and at sighting me the guards threw it wide open to let me in with their heads bowed in subservience. I nodded and moved on, albeit now in a slower trot.

I ambled towards the stables, jumped down from the stallion and brushed back my hair that was scattered further by the wind and tried to look presentable. There were still visitors around the palace after the wedding and I didn’t want them to see me looking pathetic.

As tradition demands, the wedding guests are supposed to stay in the palace for a week with the newlyweds until we are fully settled in.

If only they know.

“Hey, Ash…” I stopped at the voice of Merit walking in her usual powerful gait towards me from the left side of the building as I was about to go in.

I smiled. “How are you, Merit?” I crossed my arms on my chest.

She shrugged indifferently “As you can see I am fine. Where did you run off to this morning? I thought being married to your mate, you will be playing husband roles this morning.”

I could smell the sarcasm. My smile fell. “Well, some of us lack in that aspect; being good husbands. Thank your stars you escaped that punishment.”

She assessed me intently and then came closer to stop in front of me. “You don’t look happy, are you?”

“I am happy,” I was fast to deny. Of course, Merit knew me. I also know her and knew she has always wanted that position as my Lycan queen. I knew it must have pained her dearly when she was informed about the change of plans and not having the power to do anything about it.

She was my friend and trained with me in the same regiment before I was pronounced King by my late father. I liked her. But merely because I admired her good training skills and how strict she is when it comes to duty.

And perhaps, I do regret not marrying her because then I would have been free to do what I wanted without anyone breathing down my head, particularly the animal in me; Fangs.

Her right hand lifted up and touched my face. “I know you are not, Ashton. I know you.” By now the breath from her mouth was fanning my face. “I also know you despise her.”

“Me_”

“That girl deserves to suffer for everything her kind did to you, Ash… everything.” She took my left hand and placed it on her left cheek. “And I am here to help you make her suffer.”

I smirked, liking her insinuation.

She leaned into me, with her right hand grabbing around my neck, her upper body rubbing into me as she whispered into my left ear, “What other way can you make a woman suffer but by fucking another woman right under the same roof a day after her wedding.” She pulled away, grinning invitingly at me and then before I realize what she was going to do, she placed her lips on mine.

Someone cleared her throat and impulsively I jumped back, my eyes going to the door to see my young-looking mate, her face ashen as she regarded me sadly. Her throat moved as she swallowed and looked down at her intertwined hands.

She looked miserable.

…