The Beginning of Justice

NERO’S POV 

I stood facing the window, with hate filled in my heart. The feeling kept both a burning heat and a freezing coldness to it that made me wonder how they could even work together.

To say I was shocked when I saw Athena walk down the aisle was an understatement. Although she looked gorgeous in her wedding dress, she should not have been in it in the first place. I remember how my breath hitched in my throat as I stared down her body, taking note of the gown she was dressed it that hugged her petite body perfectly, showing off her curves.

I was not one to ever notice anything about her but in a bit to keep myself from running off the stage, I kept my eyes glued to her. It gave the guests the idea that I adored her and I know my eyes look it. 

“Just beautiful.” A thought escaped before I could suppress it.

Every step she took reminded me that shit was about to get real. No one had to tell me that she was shaking in her steps, somehow I knew she was.

I created images on Zara in the dress instead of Athena since my mind somehow stayed fixated on her.

Zavier and I had planned perfectly to make her disappear before the wedding. He was to go her room as she got ready with the guise of checking in on her, drug her with chloroform and haul her body through the back door of the wing she was in. And if asked by any suspected party, he could use the excuse of going over by his sister’s grave since they had talked about her being mated to me. He would tell people that he could not bear to see someone else walk down the aisle his twin was supposed to.

And that would have been the perfect excuse indeed. But to my disappointment, he not only resumed his place by my side as best man, Athena arrived as well.

The door opened and as I turned to see who had walked in, I saw her. Behind her were my mother and her personal maid, each on Athena’s side. If this had been Zara I would be beaming with joy by now for my bride has been brought to me. But instead of joy, disdain was the only thing I could feel. 

She deserves pain and all that it entails. I will make sure of it, my promise to Zara will be fulfilled one way or another and Athena will regret ever agreeing to my mother’s wishes to be my mate.

If she had been a random person, I believe there would have been ways I could have persuaded her to let me go and be with another man. I myself would have been the one to arrange someone to mate with her instead, making sure she had nothing to regret but not in this case. Not when my parents were the ones overseeing the course of the wedding and our marriage.

I know they want me to mate with her tonight. But it cannot be done. I refuse to taint memories of Zara and I with her.

“I don’t want her in my chamber mother, please get her out.” I said dismissively, the coldness in my heart freezing some more.

“Nonsense, Athena is your mate now and she will be in your chamber as your wife, as she should.” My mother answered with a glared.

Her answer was not what I wanted to hear though. 

“I still mourn for Zara; I cannot be with anyone else before that.” I lied partially. True I was still mourning the love of my life, but that doesn’t mean I would ever want to stay or be intimate with Athena.

“You’re a married man now son, thinking about another other than your wife is itself an adultery. Forget about Zara, she’s not coming back and focus on your new life and move on.” My mother states, the authority in her voice letting me know that it was an order she was giving me.

“Athena stays, that’s final.”

My mother cupped Athena’s face and kissed her forehead, blessing her as her daughter making me resent every bit of action.

With a scowl on my face, I faced Athena when my mother left. She was seated on my bed tainting it with her sins.

“I know I am not who you wanted,” I heard her say. “But I promise to be a good wife and mate to you Nero.”

I meant to tell her that I could never want her, to make her understand the efforts I was going to put into staying away from her or anything that had to do with her if I could. But those damn images of her walking down the aisle once again flooded my mind.

She looked beyond stunning and I felt tempted to tell her that. But, what about my promise to both Zara and Zavier? I have to honour my word. I have to keep my hatred for her burning.

I walked to where she sat and crouched in front of her a sinister smile making its way on my lips. I gently lifted a hand to her face and cupped it, I don’t know if the look on my face looked gentle or remained cold like it was. Athena stiffened to my touch, and I felt a spark on my palm but I ignored the feeling. It was something I craved with Zara but never felt. I should be glad that a spark could form between us but I don’t want it to. Do I?

I stared at her fear stricken eyes as I caressed her cheek. It was as though she knew I was up to no good. My hand moved to her neck and her breath hitched under my grip.

“You’re right; you’re not what I wanted or who. And get this; I will never want you Athena, not in this life or the next. You will always be a reminder that I could have had a happy life but it was yanked from me. I would not spare a glance at you because all I’ll ever see is why this flaming torch of hate in my heart burns for you. I will resent you all the days of my life and I promise, oh I promise I will make you regret ever considering spending a life with me. You will hate life and all that it carries, this I promise you Athena.”

I watched as her face contorted in pain as I pressed on her neck hard. I could see her start to turn red from the blood trapped. She was gasping for air and it gave me great pleasure to see her in such pain, knowing I could do more to her. I was so close to giving into my desire to end her, cut off the air she was barely breathing in from my hold. I could feel my wolf take over as the grip turned tighter as her eyes began to roll. She was being pulled into the afterlife and I loved it knowing I had control this much control over her.

I forced my wolf back and took full control of my body. “Kill her!” he growled in my mind but I smiled instead. “Not yet buddy, she hasn’t suffered enough.”

I realised my hand from her neck and wiped it on my pants as I stood up. Athena gasped for air the colours on her face returning.

“Choking you to death is too easy a death for you, I have to make you feel the different types of pain there is. And I’m going to make sure I enjoy every last bit of torment.”

Perhaps this marriage is not such a bad thing after all. I could use it to my advantage to make her suffer however I please  and this is just the beginning.