AsherI needed no one to tell me how much Xenra liked Akira. She was so fond of her and would never ask her to leave her alone.Akira, at her words, quickly giggled, "I'm sorry about that; it's just that I've missed you so much," she stated, her words dripping with excitement."It's okay," Xenra responded, with a small smile on her face, and then sat back in her spot.Akira quickly drew the other chair closer to her, her face broadened with a wide smile."Oh, Xenra, you don't know how much I've missed you. How have you been? You're not looking any different, still the same, so beautiful and young," Akira's words tumbled out in a rush as she spoke."I've missed you too, Akira. I'll take that as a compliment." She stated, causing my brows to twitch.A compliment? Xenra never needed anyone to tell her how beautiful she was. She was so full of pride that she needed no acknowledgement from anyone.'What the hell has happened to her? That's so weird and unlike Xenra. How can someone change
AsherMy attention was suddenly pulled towards the emerging figure of Lena. The fierce look on her face hinted at the determination in her heart. It was clear the small smile she had on her face was only a mask over the hatred in her heart.'Not now! I hope this one would not make the situation worse!' I reasoned within me and then drew in a deep breath to prepare myself for whatever was coming."Good day, old friend!" Lena greeted her, her lips slightly twisted as she stared at her. I could tell she was only trying to be courteous.The vampire queen, at her words, spun towards the direction of Lena, who was standing beside her.Her brows creased with small lines while I observed closely. "Good day!" She stressed, but from the look on her face, I could guess she was confused.Her next words confirmed my suspicion, as she bluntly spoke without any reservation. "Sorry, have we met before?" She asked.Okay. Now that was really weird. How could Xenra forget Lena?Lena, at her words, chuck
AsherSilence had descended upon us at her words, as nobody told anybody to mind their own meal, not after she had totally put I and Lena beneath her.I was lost in my own thoughts too, pondering her drastic change when Lena's words broke the awkward peace that hovered around us."Why are you not behaving like the vampire queen we used to know?" She asked, her eyes glinting with mischief, mirroring the mockery in her heart.The vampire queen's head jerked up at her words, and her brows drew together, but before she could say a word, Lena's words cut through, wrapped with amusement."Or is it that you suffered an amnesia or a loss of identity and self-worth?" She asked, without breaking her gaze off the vampire queen, laughing at her own words, which she had found funny.The vampire queen's lips curled into a small smile at her words, while Akira's brows furrowed together in clear annoyance, but before Lena's laughter could subside, Akira's voice cut through her laughter, "Not everyone
AsherPartly occupied with thoughts, I stood up to leave when Akira suddenly stopped laughing. "Not so fast, brother!" She called back my attention, halting me in my tracks.She got up and walked over to where I stood, with a broad smile on her face, and twirled her index finger at my face as she teased me. "I saw the way you were looking at the vampire queen all the time; I think you still like her." Her words wrapped with a warm chuckle as she spoke, staring at my face like she was indirectly saying, "You've been caught!"Like her? I couldn't stop the loud chuckle that escaped my lips at her words. Like, where the hell did she get that from?Typical of Akira, I knew she wouldn't stop insinuating whatever she felt, except her disbelief had been cleared."Oh please, Akira, not now," I told her, after my laughter had died down and I wanted to walk away."You're trying to run away from it because you've been caught, right?" She said as she broke out from behind me and stood before me w
XenraI emerged from the garden, carrying a basket of different varieties of fruits, just as Akira had instructed me.As I strolled towards the palace, my mind was partly occupied with the news I had heard about the arrival of the vampire queen. I was still trying to comprehend the logic when the voice of the reporting guard broke into my thoughts."The vampire queen is departing!" He announced with a loud, firm voice. His words snapped me back to the present and stirred a sudden sense of urgency within me. I halted in my tracks immediately. "The vampire queen, let me quickly hide for my life." I muttered beneath my breath. I had just taken three determined steps towards the other side of the flower rows when I halted in my tracks again. "No, wait! That's not right; why should I be running away from the impersonator?" I reasoned beneath my breath.As I tried to get myself to think of something to do at that moment, something dropped in my heart."Yes! I'm going to take a cover and
Xenra"Why me?" I yelled and kicked the broken fragments of the verse. My muscles tightened, and my body itched.I couldn't contain the anger brewing inside of me any longer. With every passing second, it burnt hotter like a furnace, and I needed to let it loose.With three heavy steps, I moved to the other side of the wall, where our clothes were hung on the rope, and yanked them off the rope. With that same determination burning within me, I threw them towards the door, screaming at the top of my lungs, which sent the clothes flying towards different directions.Yet, I wasn't satisfied at all. I went to my bed, and pulled the blankets off, squeezed them roughly, and threw them towards the cracked window."Why did you do this to me, moon goddess? Why me?" I shouted at the top of my voice."I hate you, moon goddess! You deceived me. I hate you so much." I cried my heart out, and at the same time turned towards my bed that lay bare and tried to push it off."You've brought shame and d
Leo"If she hadn't left the room or gone into exile that day, what then happened to her?" Raymond's question broke into the thoughts that had kept me busy.I snapped back to the present to find his fingers resting on his jaw, it turned out that he was only thinking out loud."As far as we know, Alpha, the lady that came here that day was Xenra." His voice came again, causing me to tap my fingers on the mahogany desk, as my mind raced with calculations,I was trying to reconcile my findings at the brothel, with what I had observed the day Xenra visited."Here!" I pointed at the rough sketch of Maltos' castle, which I had drawn. The rough sketch lay bare on the mahogany desk, and I encircled Maltos' palace with my index finger; it was the home of the Vampire queen."What really happened in there that night?" I pondered out loud, causing Raymond to lean closer as he took a closer look at the rough sketch, as if he could see some invisible inscription.I was still trying to get the sligh
Leo"I almost blew our cover today," Lena's voice pierced through the satisfaction I had derived from the deep-seated resentment she had for Asher and the vampire queen.My brows furrowed as I snapped back to the present. I fixed my gaze on her, to find her gaze turned inwardly, with an unreadable expression on her face; it was clear she had drifted into thought.Her words made my heart skip a beat, and with every passing second, I felt a growing anxiety within me."What did you tell him?" I asked, my words tumbled out in a rush as I stared at her, echoing the rising desperation that had settled in my heart."I almost couldn't hold back," her words came again, dripping calmly; a total contrast to the desperate swirling within me."What happened? What did you tell him?" I asked again, my voice a little firmer this time around, my gaze fixed intently on her.At my words, she turned towards me, and her lips curled upwards into a small smile, but it was empty. It was meant to reassure me
RoyceMy fists clenched beside me as I watched the Alpha gradually regain his breath pace. Deep within me, I was seething; my teeth were gritted as I stared furiously at him.I wanted to kick and hit hard against the wall at his narrow escape from death's grip, but since I wasn't alone, I knew I had to keep my anger in."The Alpha needs to get some rest." It was the annoying fat Omega's voice that pierced through the fog of anger that had settled in my heart.If it were before, she would have been the one to excuse us, while I stayed watch over the Alpha, but at that moment, I saw it as an opportunity to slip out of his presence and let my anger out.'After all, who cares if anything happens to him while I'm away? It'd be an opportunity to get rid of two birds with one lucky opportunity.' I pondered within myself.With a small bow of my head towards the feeble Alpha whose face was beginning to bubble up with life again, I made my way out of his sight, my steps heavy with determination
XenraSince it was still early, I made my way into Maltos' palace in an attempt to get as much information as I could.I needed to get into my secret chambers before the guards assumed their various posts. I knew I had to do it discretely and not attract any attention to myself.As I casually walked towards the hallway that led to my secret library, I was deeply engrossed in the thoughts of conveying the secret book to the room given to me when I saw maids and guards running helter skelter in and out of the chamber that used to be mine.My curiosity piqued, and I swiftly walked towards one of the guards."Excuse me," I called his attention, which halted him in his tracks. "What is going on?" I asked the guard, who was already panting really hard."It's the Alpha; he's having his seizure, and nobody can help," his words tumbled out in one breath."The vampire queen can't help as well; he's..." He was still trying to catch his breath when I dashed into the room.I didn't need him to com
Asher.My eyes slowly opened to the brightness of a new day, and my vision gradually adjusted to the smiling face of the vampire queen, who was staring down at me."Are you okay?" I asked, my brows furrowing as I stared at her.At my words, she nodded her head fervently, and the smile on her face broadened."I am," she said. "I was just admiring your handsome face. I love how you were sleeping like a baby, the peace you exuded, the calmness." She chuckled."You were really good last night," she purred. "It has been a long time since I had such great sex." Her voice was filled with warmth as she basked in the afterglow of great sex.For about five seconds, I couldn't get myself to respond to her; the Xenra I knew had never complimented me before, no matter how good the sex was.She had always held onto her pride, demanding I admit to how good she was. This total reversal of hers was really weird.It was that realisation that left me speechless, but after about five seconds, I snapped o
AsherBefore I could get myself to say another word to her, she pressed on,"I know what that portrait is all about; I know it was me in my teens. I was only trying to pull your leg." She explained calmly, although the crease in her forehead spoke otherwise."Oh," I responded calmly, even though deep within me I was satisfied with what she had just said.As if she could read my thoughts, she continued, "Come on, Asher, it's been a while; I only wanted to have fun with you. You don't have to give me that serious look." She said, her words tinged with desperation.At her words, I forced a small smile to my face and said, "Yeah, I understand." Even though deep within me, I understood nothing.A cloud of silence descended upon us, and after about six seconds of not saying a word to each other, her voice came again."Anyways, let's talk about something else," she said. "How about your mate?"My brows twitched at her words, and I began to wonder what she was trying to do. "She's fine," I
Asher"Oh, that portrait?" The vampire queen responded with a smile on her face and placed her hand on the portrait as though she was admiring it.But from the glint in her eyes, she looked as if she was thinking about something, which made my brows crease slightly, and I began to wonder what was going on.Xenra would never hesitate to share the story she had always delighted in. It was one of the things she loved talking about, and even though she hardly expressed her emotions, the excited glint in her eyes whenever she shared that story always betrayed her stoic composure. As I sat calmly observing her reaction, my smile remained plastered on my face, even as I attempted to maintain a friendly air around us."Well, there's nothing really special about it, apart from the fact that it has always brought smiles to my face whenever I stare at it." She answered after about seven seconds had passed, her words wrapped in warmth, After which she pulled her head backwards and burst into la
AsherWe arrived in Maltos' Castle to find the vampire queen and her entourage waiting for us at the entrance of her mansion. As soon as I stepped down from the chariot, she walked towards me, "Asher!" She exclaimed, her eyes glinting with warmth,"What a pleasant surprise!" Her words were wrapped with warmth as we closed up the distance between us."I just wanted to surprise you, vampire queen." I answered in a matching intensity even though there was no smile on my face."I wasn't really happy you had to go through the stress of coming to my pack when you could have just given the orders, and I'd be there." I added calmly.At my words, the vampire queen's lips spread into a barely noticeable smile, which complimented the image of the Xenra I had in my head."That's so thoughtful of you," she responded calmly.I was still trying to accept the reflection of the old Xenra when the vampire queen took my hand and placed a tender kiss on the back of my palm.Her actions made my brows scr
Xenra"Please, Alpha, I'm so tired; I'm drained, there's no iota of strength left in me, and I'm about to faint." I pressed on, my voice breaking as I stared straight into Asher's eyes.But he stood there with his hands hanging on his waist, his forehead deeply furrowed in frustration, yet he didn't say a word to me.From the expression on his face, I didn't need anyone to tell me how angry he was, but then, I also knew he was doing his best to keep his anger in.But since he seemed unyielding to my pleas, I pressed further, despite the fact that he was seething. "Please, Alpha, can I just go back to the pack?" I asked again, "I don't want to be a burden to you anymore."But as soon as the words left my lips, he flared up, "Indeed! You won't just turn back and go to the pack; you'll turn back and go to the land of the dead, where you'd never return!" He stated, his voice heavy with anger, as his words tumbled out in a rush.His anger was clearly written on his face as he growled.At
XenraMy lips curled into a smirk as I watched Asher's Beta, Royce, climb into the chariot. Deep within me, I was glad my plan was working. As we continued our journey, I couldn't help but savour the fact that I had put up a good show."This is just the beginning," I muttered under my breath.As I dwelled in the euphoria of the moment, I resolved deep within myself to leave a lasting impression in the heart of Asher, for I was determined to get his attention and make him conscious of me.I wasn't going to relent in getting my way back into his life, and nothing would stop me from doing so.As I dwelled on it, I felt my blood boil with a fierce determination."By the time I've succeeded in finding my way back into your life, I'll get everything I want and leave you miserable." I whispered, my words heavy with determination.As I relished the satisfaction I was feeling, my mind began to race with calculations as I sought what else to do at that moment.I knew I had to utilise every opp
RoyceAs I watched the Alpha walk back to the chariot, I felt my chest tightening with wrath. The fact that he kept talking down on me in the presence of everything greatly infuriated me. My teeth gritted as I seethed, even as I pondered how long I had to endure his humiliation. As he got close to the chariot, I snapped out of my thoughts and swore within myself, 'Very soon I'd put an end to this nonsense.' As soon as he settled into the chariot, I pulled my gaze away from him to avoid letting my anger give me away.As I turned away from him, my gaze fell on the faces of the guards who were staring at me with pity on their faces, and I flared up."What the hell are you staring at? Get back to work!" I yelled at them, my voice bearing the weight of the anger brewing within me.At my words, they all dispatched like scared chicks to their various posts.At that moment, I whipped towards Xenra, who was still struggling to get herself up from the ground, and I flinched in anger."Will