Lycan King’s Nemesis

**GWEN**

“He is still not speaking to you?” Abby asked me, wagging her fingers in front of her mouth as she gobbled the hot spaghetti.

I gave her a sad shrug. “He doesn’t even sleep in the same room with me. And when he sneaks in at night thinking I’m asleep, it is to pick his clothes and sneak out. He is so stubborn!” I hissed haughtily. Most times I wanted to stand up and tell him to his face he was full of shit!

There I lay missing him like he was my next breath and he was busy being tenacious all because I won’t bend to his will and send my family away.

One week! One good week and he still won’t speak to me. And guess what? I have been doing my best to keep my family happy as much as I could despite his indifference. In fact, today, Tyler offered to take them on tour around the pack, and I didn’t waste time to agree.

Hence I came here. I couldn’t stay there, alone and bored. Charlotte was hardly around as she went on with her life with her new friends. She met my parents four days ago and she was delighted and welcomed them, asking them to feel free and part of the family

Unlike that narcissistic brute!

“Then let him be.” Abby finished her bowl of spag and stew and threw the plates into the sink. “Who cares? That’s who he is, always wanting others to do what he wants. If you continue like that, you will die doing his bidding. I am his sister, I am speaking from experience.” She turned to leave the room.

I looked at the dirty dishes in the sink and shook my head. I was starting to pity Tyler who she had literally turned into her maid. He does everything around the house with her doing nothing but giving him more headaches. He complained to me the other day to advise her to retrace her steps and stop acting like a Princess in his house.

Ha!

“What do you think I should do?” I ran after her.

“I just told you,” She picked up a magazine, flipped through it boorishly, threw it to the side, and picked another. There were many of them. “Let him be.”

“Until when?”

“Until he comes to his senses.” She dropped the last one and faced me, fingers crossed on her knees. “You have your family, enjoy yourself. Pretend not to care he exists and see him running back to you. My brother can be like that.”

“It’s been one week.”

“Too little if you ask me. When are your parents leaving?”

“Not yet,” I answered too quickly. I didn’t even want them to go. Kill me, but damn it, I wanted them to remain to irk Ashton the more. If they left now, he would think he won. I needed his attention, nonetheless, I needed him to respect me more.

“Good for you. Relish in their presence.” She snapped. “Gosh, I’m starting to get tired of being in here.”

I relaxed on the couch and looked outside the window. “You have to for say two weeks. Knowing Ashton, I won’t be shocked if he has someone watching the house.”

“You don’t have to tell me. I know what the oaf is capable of.”

“About your art stuff, you mentioned, how about I get you materials?”

Her eyes home brightly like I offered her a piece of meat. “You will do that for me?”

“Why not?”

“Mother will kill me if she ever finds out I disobeyed her and paint.”

“Your brother is chasing his dream of owning a ranch. He is still alive.” I reminded her.

Her eyes dulled, her mouth slanting down. “That’s true. However, we are different. I might be smart-mouthed, but I don’t have the balls.”

“You do,” I patted her right flank. “You only underestimate yourself.”

“Gwen…” She took my arms and shifted close until her head was on me. “You are the sister I never had. I am so sorry for lashing out at you a week ago.”

“Oh, C’mon, I deserved more than that.”

“No, you didn’t. You have such a good heart and what you tried to do was out of it.”

“And then, I hurt you. I nearly lost my mate too.”

We started ahead in silence, our minds taking charge of the remnant of whatever we didn’t need to say out loud. I was glad Abby was fine now or was getting better now. She informed me that she and Tyler had decided to go slow until they were sure of what they had for each other and ready to face Ashton and Charlotte about it. According to her, she was not going to hide away anymore the way she did with Williams.

I was satisfied with that.

“Have you discussed about his burial?” She asked me, ambling to the door to open it when a knock sounded there. Tyler’s style of knock.

“I haven’t heard. But once I do, you will hear.”

“Hey,” I made my way to join them in the foyer.

“Hey,” Tyler came in, looking worn-put. “Goddess, that sister of yours is fire. How come you are this… calm and collected with such a fireball for a sibling.”

I was chuckling before he ended. I knew Theresa would not make things easy on him. “She’s always been like that.”

“Damn! And she’s pregnant.”

“Yeah…” I cleared my throat. “Pregnancy looks good on her, I guess.”

Tyler perceiving his statement made a mark on me sharply hissed under his breath. “Hey, Gwen, don’t think it. Don’t even go there.”

I shook my head with a forced smile as I glanced behind me if I had all my things. “Don’t mind me, Ty, I get easily spooked by these things.” I touched his powerful biceps. “Thanks for today. For taking my family expressed despite them being werewolves.”

“They’re cool. Your Dad is the coolest guy ever, I must admit and he won’t stop talking about you.” Exactly my Dad.

“What was the villager’s reaction like?”Text property © Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org.

“Who gives a fuck? They kept staring as if they fell from the sky. Won’t come near though.”

“Ashton would grow horns if he realized they were around the village.”

“And you think he wasn’t heard,” He scoffed. “You underestimate your man.” He made his way to the kitchen and the next thing. “Abigail you have to clean up your own damn dishes! I’m not your fucken maid!”

“Oh, dear…” I said under my breath. “I’m leaving.”

“You have to save me,” Abby begged, giving me puppy eyes.

“Abigail!” Ty dashed out of the kitchen. “C’mon have pity on me.” He hissed at her, feigning a sorrowful expression.

“I’m your Princess,” Abby huffed. “You don’t expect me to do dishes. I have never done that all my life.”

“Guys, I can send a maid here to do the house chores if you want,” That could exacerbate the incessant ‘sibling’ fight.

“Fine, I will do the dishes today!” Abby stomped her feet and scurried to the kitchen. “You are the most unromantic man I have ever seen in my life!” She whined as she went.

Ty shared a horrified look with me. I shrugged amusingly, opened the door and left.

The driver opened the door for me and I waved at Ty as the car pulled away.

Entering the palace, the car stopped in front of the mansion and I stepped out, picking up my small pouch from the car seat. As I turned, I came face to face with Julian. He seemed to be looking for something.

“Hey,” I greeted him. We haven’t really been together alone like this since they came. He was no longer the best friend I used to have.

“Hey,” his eyes skimmed through me and stopped at my wrist. Figuring why his eyes were there, I stylishly covered my wrist with the other hand. “You still have it.” He said, hinting at a smile.

“It’s meant to be worn. Not for any special reason.” I replied curtly.

“Gwen…”

“We don’t have to speak to each other, Jules. You are my sister’s now. I don’t want her to see us… together.”

“We used to be best friends.”

“Was.” I snagged. “It’s in the past now. We both have responsibilities bigger than childish things like that. And you of all people should understand what that means.”

His eyes pierced into me so deeply that they left holes. In those eyes, I spotted guilt. Of course, he should feel remorse for how heartless he was. “I’m sorry, Gwen. For everything.”

“It’s alright, Jules… I mean, Julian. As I said, it’s all in the past now. Let’s focus on the present.”

“Are you ever going to truly, truly forgive me for what I did to you?”

“You didn’t do anything to me, Julian. We are in a better place. Whatever happened between us was fated by the goddess. So, perhaps I deserve to be grateful to you for betraying me. That way I met the love of my life.”

“You honestly love him?”

“And why does hearing that disturb you so much, wolfman?” We both jerked apart at hearing a voice say from behind us. I didn’t see him come out. Ashton.

…