Lycan King’s Nemesis

**GWEN**

Ashton would never change. I am a woman holding a whiny thread of hope that my mate would finally see me. That he would forget about his past. About the woman that broke his heart and focused on what he had with me.

It was ironic that my heart was broken the same as his, yet, here I was willing to try again, while he was doing the same thing my best friend did to me, and even at that, he still thought me the enemy.

Abby said he had changed, he was going to be good to me. But when he barged through that door like a bull, charging in like he owned the place straight at me I saw him just the way I had always seen him.

A bully.

A monster.

“Get away from me, you narcissistic bastard!” I took off before he would get to me. I couldn’t believe Abby betrayed me. I trusted her and she brought him here.

I ran blindly with tears falling down my face. I didn’t see my path, all I wanted was to hide away until Tyler got back and saved me. Nevertheless, before I could get to the stairs, huge arms encircled my waist and hauled me against his chest.

“Please, listen to me, Gwen.” His sultry voice whispered into my right ear. At this time I couldn’t decipher if it was as a result of my raging hormones, my overhyped sex drive for the last few weeks or because of the bond, I found myself mellowed by his gentle touch and the accompanying soothing voice.

He knew my weakness and he utilized it to his advantage all the damn time. “I don’t care what you have to say, Ashton. I am done with you.”

“You are still mine.”

“I belong to no one.” I got the little strength to thrash in his arms despite him being more powerful than me. “Let me go.”

“Not until you grant me audience, please.” There was a tinge of desperation in his tone that got my attention. He wanted my audience, fine I will grant it to him.

“Then, let me go and I will listen to you.” I let out, meaning it.

He took some time letting me go, all this time taking a bunch of my hair into his nose and sniffing down to my neck. “Gosh, little wolf, you only have to drive a spade through my chest to kill me than put me through this level of suffering again.”

My abdomen clenched. When he said things like that, I was one second away from falling apart. I scurried away fast from him to the other side, my hands over my chest.

“Is that what you have to say?” I asked when I had recovered a little. “I see what is happening here. Because you miss my warmth that is why you look for me. To warm your bed.”

“That’s not true.” He grabbed my wrist before I could escape again. “You have to come back home, little wolf. This is not your home.”

“And that place ain’t either!” I spat, ripping my hand off. “You treat me like an outsider and the others do not respect me and you think I should be happy about that? What kind of man are you?”

“I accept.” He lifted his hands. “I was horrible to you and I might not be perfect, still, we are mates and should stay together. Under the same roof. What do you think the people would think when they found out you live with another man?”

“I don’t care what they will think. I have rejected you.”

“And I didn’t accept, which means we are still mates.”

“I thought you always wanted me gone, why fighting now? Because you want to fuck me?”

“I could always fuck any woman I want if you think that’s why I’m after you.”

“Then what? You are mad I was the one that rejected you and you couldn’t deal with that? Isn’t it? Fine, go ahead and do it. Reject me.”

“I’m not doing that.”

“What do you want, Ashton?!” I thundered, flaring my hands. “I can’t continue to be that woman with you anymore. Not when I can have a place like this with peace, happiness and quiet. I am myself here, Ashton.”

“Tyler is my sister’s.”

“And if you have any sense of decency you will recognize that what we have is a platonic relationship and nothing intimate. Your sister knows that even though she betrayed me.”

“Gwen…”

“I don’t need your explanation, Abby,” I cut her off. I didn’t even see her behind him. “I trusted you and you brought him here.”

“I didn’t!” She shouted. “I swear I didn’t.”

“And you still lie to me.”

“She didn’t,” Ashton intervened. “I followed her from the palace and took a chance to see if the door would open and luckily it did. I knew Tyler was out. After all, I have been seeing her sneaking in from time and suspected there must be someone else in here.”

I huffed, rolling my eyes. “It doesn’t matter, Ashton. I can’t be your Queen any longer. I am planning to move away from here to somewhere distant.”

“That’s insane. You can’t survive as a rogue.”

“I am not the weakling you think I am.” I threw at his face.

His lips stretched in a straight line, his scowl returning. “You know what, Gwen? Now that I know where you are Gwen, I’m not going to chase you anymore. I am going to allow you to come back to the palace by yourself, and if you refuse to, I am going to execute Tyler before everyone for hiding you from me.”

“What! You can’t do that. I made him do it.”

“It doesn’t matter.” His jaw worked.

“He is your sister’s mate.”

“I don’t care. She is an accomplice to him and the only reason she is not going to be executed as well is because of my mother. So, it’s your choice. If you think I’m joking, then see if he would return home tonight.”

He turned to leave. “You bastard!”

The door slammed in my face. The nerve of him! He would not dare do that!

“I am so sorry, Gwen. I forgot to lock the door after I entered. This is all my fault.” Abby pleaded, pacing the ground with me.

“Do you think he would carry out his threat?” I asked.

“Uh… well, yes, Gwen. Ashton is a man of his word.”

“But Tyler is innocent!”

“He wants you to return to the palace. If you care for Tyler then that shouldn’t be too much to ask.”

“You are supposed to be on my side!” I stopped to lash at her

“I am on your side which is why I am asking you to do the right thing. We have to be rational.”

“Urgh!” I gritted and stormed off to my room. I needed to think.

That evening, Tyler didn’t come home. I lingered by the door, I went outside, waiting for him. But he didn’t show up.

I was growing frantic and Abby was nowhere to be found. If only I had my wolf I would have mind-linked her to ask if she had seen him.

I knew what was amiss. Ashton had carried out his threat. He wanted me back by all means.

So, I packed my bags. If he wanted me back, I was going to go back to save my best friend, but him, he was going to wish I was never back. It was not by force to be Queen and since he was forcing me, he would live with the consequences of that.

??

**ASHTON**

The time was ticking on the wall and in my ear, very audible. It appeared Fangs was very alert, awaiting in anticipation when our mate would arrive. By now she must have realized her crush was not returning and would have no choice but to come back to save him.

That loser!

I made sure they beat him up for lying to me. The effrontery of him. He thought because he had my secret, he could behave anyhow he wanted and went scot-free. Not where my mate was concerned.

She said she found peace with him. Did she know how that made me feel? I have lived without peace for almost a decade after my heart was shattered by her kind.

And she came and despite everything I did to make her leave, she insisted on staying. Eventually, when my walls began breaking apart she decided to turn to that loser. It irked me more that my sister was too blind to see what was happening under her nose!

What did the werewolf have over her? A spell? It had to be it, because if there was one thing I knew about my sister; she was a jealous lover and never shared.

The night passed, and she didn’t show up.

The next morning, I was ready to kill anyone who as much as crossed my part or got on my wrong side. I was deeply incensed and whatever wrong I did today, it will be on my mate!

‘MATE!’ Fangs roused, wagging his tail vigorously. ‘MATE IS HERE! SHE IS BACK!’

My heart leapt, the anger dissipating at once to be replaced by enthusiasm. I needed to see her. I needed to be sure Fangs wasn’t pulling my legs. I took the staircase two at a time.

…