Lycan King’s Nemesis

GWEN

I couldn’t believe what I just heard. Ashton killed his ex? But… how? How is that even possible? I tried to wrap my head around it but the more I tried, I kept arriving at a dead end in my head.

By now, my appetite was gone and like him, I found my hand frozen, my spoon lowering to my ceramic ware. Right at that point, even the white lights from the spiralling chandelier suddenly appeared dark and everything around me seemed to turn vile, my food inclusive, like venom in my mouth.

He killed a werewolf and yet he hated us and saw us as the problem. Meanwhile, we were the ones supposed to demonstrate such behaviour towards him. We were the ones hurt. The ones wronged. Who killed their lover because they broke their heart? Is Ashton this much of a monster? How much of this man do I not know?

“Unfuckenbelievable!” Charlotte cried out, slapping the grey napkin she had been using to wipe her hands roughly on the table as if the poor object was the present cause of her wrath. “You-what in hell’s name have you done, son?”

“I’m sorry, Mother,” He let out remorsefully. “I.. there is no single excuse for such an atrocious act.”

“Of course, you have nothing to say but to bow your head in shame for such wickedness!” She was not giving him space. “You always hated the werewolves and we joined in your blind irk not knowing you are the villain rather than the victim. Do you know how I feel right now sitting before a werewolf family realizing my son murdered their own out of what?…”

“Sorry to interrupt,” My mother suddenly intruded, her voice a bit shaky. “I don’t know if it’s what Im thinking but hearing your son say he killed his former lover called Emma, Im obliged to ask if perhaps he spoke of Emma Hills?” She was looking at Charlotte as she asked. I also looked towards Charlotte, not knowing why my mother was asking yet wanting to hear her response.

“Uhm…”Charlotte’s eyes flicked to Ashton, the sides of her lips quirking, looking like she was hesitating to reply or maybe she didn’t know. “It’s been a while I can’t remember which surname the poor pup had gone by… Ashton?”

“Yes,” Ashton returned rapidly. “That was her. Brunette, blue eyes, sharp-witted, petite but strong.” As the words of her features flowed from his lips as though she was standing before him and not dead a long time ago, I was conflicted between being jealous or angry that he killed her. And why is my mom asking?

“Shit!” That was my mom.

“Mom?” I voiced, flicking my orbs her way. Her pallor had gone ashen, tears beginning to glisten in her lids. “Mom, w-what’s happening?” I had to ask in confusion, my thoughts jumbled.

“She was my daughter,” My Dad imbibed since this conversation began. His words were sombre and full of distraught. “We lost her before…” I didn’t need him to finish before I understood what he meant. “It was a long time ago and we were in so much grief when we had you guys we pledged not to tell you about it and moved on.”

“Dad! Mom!” My sister and I cried in unison. “We had another sister?” I couldn’t believe my ears. My parents seemed to be trained in this business of keeping secrets.

“I-I’m sorry,” Ashton tailed beside me. I wondered how much it took him to say that as it came out strangled. “It turned out I was not a saint anyway. I-I am a man who was so drowned in pain that all I cared about was to inflict that pain on others the best I could. I couldn’t let myself stay unhappy knowing she was having her happy ever after somewhere with another man so… I’m sorry.”

My Dad exhaled loudly in… I didn’t know. “She was very stubborn and never listened to us when we asked her to stay away from you at the beginning.” My father was known for his cold diplomacy. He was that man that won’t show his emotions but his peaceful words would pierce like needles. “She got what she deserved.”

“She didn’t deserve that at all,” Ashton countered. “I am the one who doesn’t deserve your daughters, sir. Especially Gwendolyn.” A tear fell down my face, my stomach churning. I felt like puking. “You brought them up well. I am the devil.”

A loud screech in the room signified Charlotte standing up from her chair. “I don’t think I can assimilate this without a glass of something strong. Son,” Her flawless face warped into a feigned tight smile. “… meet me in my private chamber. You have a lot to explain.” As she took a sharp bend to bypass the maid standing behind her, with her emerald flowing gown finely tucked between her red painted fingers, her sharp ocean blues found Abby. “You too.”

After she left, the place became quiet, and seeing as I couldn’t stand perceiving the scent of the very man who killed my unknown sister and still tortured me these past months, hating my kind for nothing, I knew one more second spent there and I would do something drastic. So, as quietly as I could, I took my leave.

Thankfully, no one stopped me.

In the next few minutes, I was dashing through the woods, my paws hitting the ground at resounding thuds, breaking every barrier that stood between me and black earth; dispersing my anger without holding anything back. In the midst of it, it began raining heavily. That didn’t stop me.

I kept running until I felt like my limps would decapitate and still, I didn’t stop.

When eventually i transformed back, I was soaked wet and shivering from the cold. My teeth clattered, my skin white and my legs unable to move. I was feeling very dizzy. Scared. For myself. I didn’t know what I was going to do but one thing was for sure, it was hard for me to forgive Ashton for what he did.

My vision began stuttering, causing me to stagger forward, extending my hands to catch something, anything, but finding nothing. I felt my spirit leave my body long before I felt my body swaying over space and then darkness pulling me in. It was callous I must say.

At long last, I felt peace as my body connected to Earth and everything went blank.

ASHTON

“How could you not tell me?” My mother screamed, puffing smoke from the cigarette perched between her fingers. She seldom did that unless she was very furious.

My mother was addicted to these things.

But, say it to your own detriment.

“I-I am deeply sorry, Mother,” I could only muster. “I knew you would skim me alive if I did. Hell, I was in so much pain I didn’t want to seek the counsel of anyone that might make me change my mind.” I was by the study window as I spoke, looking outside.Content property of NôvelDra/ma.Org.

Where was my mate now?

“You put me in the most embarrassing position of my life out there,” She went on, garnering back my attention. “I tried with you, didn’t I, son? Where did I go wrong?”

“More than I could say, Mother. Forgive me.” She hissed and gradually flopped down on one of the ash sofas by her favourite spot and looked outside, her nose in the air. She looked back inside, bending over to drop the cigar on the ashtray, and then looked back outside. “Ti’s almost winter. The rain would grow worse.”

What my mother can say.

I stayed mute.

When her eyes found me further, they had tamed down. She lifted her forefinger and wagged at me. “Go and clean up your own mess. I am done doing that for you… Gwen is the perfect woman for you. If you lose her, its… on you. And..”She yanked the hem of her gown up and swished it as if to blow off dust. “Mend ways with the werewolves. You owe them.”

“Yes, mother.”

“I need my space.” She waved me away in dismissal, focusing back out.

I bowed whilst making a committal sound in my throat and left.

On my way down the hall, Fangs began whimpering, starting to jump about. “What, Fangs? I am not in the mood.”

“Mate!” He groaned. My ears perked. Gwen? “She’s in trouble!”

My gait increased and soon I was jogging and then running. I didn’t care that it was raining heavily. In fact at the front door when Mousy tried to speak to me, I growled at him, transformed and sprinted down the path until I disappeared into the woods, catching her scent the moment I was in.

I found her lying along the path, unalive.

unconscious.

I picked her up and dashed through the woods back to the house, mind-linking the main pack Doctor on my way in to come immediately.

He came. With a nurse.

“She’s pregnant, Your Highness,” he said to me thirty minutes later after examining her. “Two months gone already.”

“What!” I shut up from the chair I had been sitting on watching them. “What!” I reiterated, still in shock. She’s pregnant?

“Congratulations, Your Highness. You are going to be a father.” He said, his face spotting a full-blown smile. The nurse beside him seemed to be on cloud nine.

They had no idea how I was feeling right now.

“I am going to be a father,” I said exactly what he said, tears pulling in my orbs and streaking down. “Goddess.” Then, my eyes flipped to the woman lying motionless on the bed, the one whom my heart presently beat out of turn for.

“She’s going to be fine,” He said as if reading my mind.

…