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
AsherI kept pacing to and fro in my room space, the scene of how I had responded to Akira, replaying in my head like a haunting ghost that wouldn't let me be.The fact that I had raised my voice at Akira for the first time ever made me miserable.Seconds stretched into minutes. Ten and then fifteen minutes had passed, yet I couldn't get myself to focus on anything else, apart from the words I said to my baby sister, Akira."Well, she deserved it," I argued with the thoughts that had gotten me busy.I wanted to convince myself that she deserved the way I had spoken to her and the words I had said to her, but then, there was this nudge at the depth of my heart that kept hitting on the walls of defence I had erected ag
Asher"Tell me, brother, was my maid the reason why you were treated the way you were? Is she the reason why Xenra rejected you?" Akira's words came again, her question piercing through the fog of confusion that had settled upon me, but more than that, it stirred something else within me—anger.I pulled my gaze from her as my lips twitched with a restrained anger, even as her words hit on my nerves."Answer me, brother!" Akira demanded with a sharp, shrill voice."Akira, enough!" I said in a matching intensity, even as I wanted to end every conversation about her annoying maid, which was the reason behind the misunderstanding between us."It's not enough, brother. All you did was transfer your aggression upon my innocent m
Xenra"Xenra!" The unmistakable, shrill voice of Zara sliced through the quietness hanging over the path leading to the maid's quarters.I turned towards the direction where the voice had come to find Zara running towards me with her arms outstretched, ready for a hug.Before I could say a word, she threw herself at me, wrapping her hands tightly around me, giggling and bouncing with excitement."It's so nice to have you back!" She exclaimed, almost screaming, her words trembling with happiness.She held onto me for a while, and by the time she parted, her lips were broadly spread apart."So tell me, tell me, tell me everything that happened during your stay in the vampire queen's kingdom," she begged, her words tumbling out in a rush, her eyes wide with excitement.But all I could do was to giggle, indulging in her warmth and excitement.As we began to walk towards our room, she held my hands. "Xenra, I'm so happy you're back with every member of your being. You don't know how worrie
LenaI silently puffed out a breath as I settled into the chair's backrest. "That was close!" I mouthed even as I tried to still my racing heart.I screwed my eyes shut, and my mind began to travel back to what Lena had told me. As the memories lingered, it almost took everything I had to resist the urge to bang my head, even as I recalled what she had told me.'You're such a moron, Lena, how could you forget the story of how they met?' I asked myself, greatly displeased about the fact that I almost blew up my cover.Gradually, I began to give in to the memories that strolled past me, the memories of how Lena had told me everything.It was one of those days when I had visited her pack after months of bonding with her. On that particular day, she took me to her favourite peach tree.Although it wasn't the first time we had spent time under that tree, nor was I oblivious to the fact that she lived in that particular spot, that day my curiosity heightened since I knew I had to learn as
AsherFinally everything was ready, and it was time to leave.As I walked towards the chariot with Lena tugging closely beside me, I saw Xenra take three steps backwards from the side of the chariot where she stood.Her withdrawal pierced me in the heart, as I didn't need anyone to tell me she was avoiding me.In that instant, a great pang of sadness settled in my heart, accompanied by a looming guilt about everything that had happened.As I settled into the chariot, I couldn't stop the questions that swirled within me.'Why's Xenra behaving like that?' I asked myself, but no matter how I thought about it, I just couldn't understand why she had decided to stay away from me.'Did I really do something wrong?' My question rang in my head, causing my brows to slightly furrow.Right there, my mind began to replay what had happened ever since that night, and no matter how much I thought about it, I just couldn't wrap my head around what the reason was.I turned towards her, but she swiftly
XenraI watched with a heavy heart as the guards carried their belongings to the horses. Although I had arranged my belongings and had taken them outside, I couldn't find the courage to take them to the horses that were already prepared for departure.While they went about their businesses, I found myself walking towards the entrance of the palace hall, where I stood a few feet away.As I fixed my gaze on the inscription above the door of the palace hall, where "Maltos' castle" was boldly written,A great sense of nostalgia washed over me, evoking memories of my reign as the vampire queen, dressed in my regalia and escorted by Marcus during my official duties.As the memories lingered, I felt greatly reluctant to leave. A great pang of sadness settled in my heart, and longing tugged along, especially since I knew I had to leave, and as I gave in to those feelings within me, I swore,"I promise you, I'll come back home as who I really am and not as a stranger in my home." My gaze fix
XenraAs I resolved within myself, the soft rattling on the door snapped me out of the thoughts that had kept me busy.In that instant, I jolted and began to walk towards the door, but after two steps, I halted in my tracks."Wait, what has gotten over you?" I mused, my brows deeply furrowed as I pondered why I was behaving frantically.But I didn't even have the time to ponder it, as the rattle on the door snapped me back to action.In that instant, I snapped back to the present, took a deep breath, and straightened my spine, even as I prepared myself for whatever was coming.I had thought it was Lena or one of those people I didn't want to see, like Asher or the impersonator, so I prepared myself for any upcoming confrontation.As I walked gently this time around to the door, I heard the unmistakable voice of Marcus, "It's me, my lady." He said, with a small, hushed tone.As soon as I heard his voice, I let out the breath I didn't know I was holding and doubled my steps to the door.
XenraMy steps were fast as I dashed through the part that led to my room. With a loud bang, I slammed the door shut, feeling my heart banging hard against my chest."What was I looking at?" I muttered beneath my breath, wondering why I had stood still like an idiot, watching Asher and Lena have their intimate moment.No matter how I thought about it, I just couldn't understand what got me so entranced that I forgot my senses.But as my thoughts lingered, I felt a looming anger within me, gradually coursing through my veins, until I was completely absorbed in it.I was angry that I had seen them kissing; I was angry about the fact that I had bumped into them at that very moment; I was angry that I was affected by it; and I was more angry that I was angry about it."What is really wrong with me?" I asked and paced back and forth, sighing in frustration with a loud puff of breath.Ever since that night with Asher, I haven't been myself. I just couldn't understand why it felt so difficul
Asher"What are you still doing? Get out!" Lena ordered, the anger laced in her voice unmistakable."How dare you stare at us that way?" She glared at Xenra, who was standing with her head lowered."See how you were looking at us as if you wanted my man to yourself," Lena spat, her voice heavy with menace. "Just because you were able to help alleviate his symptoms, you think you have the right to be where we are?" Lena threw her question to Xenra, who clearly couldn't get herself to say a word to her.I opened my mouth to speak, but after about two seconds, I closed it and pushed back the words that had formed in my throat back to the pit of my stomach.I wanted to tell Lena that it was enough; I wanted to tell her she was being too harsh on Xenra, but then, I knew I shouldn't.I didn't want Lena to get suspicious of anything or even have an opinion. So I had to refrain from intervening in it.Yet, Lena wasn't satisfied with what she had just said, as she continued talking down on Xe
AsherWith my mind deeply engrossed in thought, I found myself walking towards the patio. As I settled into the couch in the middle, my gaze fell on the peace lilies beside the screen wall. Although the sight of the blooming lilies was calming, my mind drifted yet again, back to the scene of that night—the night I had with Xenra.No matter how hard I tried, I just couldn't stop the flashbacks that had continuously plagued my mind like flies, buzzing around me at the faintest opportunity.Although the sex I had with her was purely out of impulse, I just couldn't understand why I was unable to move on from that night; I couldn't understand why I was so affected by what had happened between us.As I gave myself fully to it all, the unmistakable voice of my wolf, Aanon, resonated within me."I think she's familiar," Aanon's voice rumbled within me, snapping me out of her looming presence."What do you mean?" I asked him, curious about what he was talking about."She feels like someone w
AsherWith my mind deeply engrossed in thought, I found myself walking towards the patio. As I settled into the couch in the middle, my gaze fell on the peace lilies beside the screen wall. Although the sight of the blooming lilies was calming, my mind drifted yet again, back to the scene of that night—the night I had with Xenra.No matter how hard I tried, I just couldn't stop the flashbacks that had continuously plagued my mind like flies, buzzing around me at the faintest opportunity.Although the sex I had with her was purely out of impulse, I just couldn't understand why I was unable to move on from that night; I couldn't understand why I was so affected by what had happened between us.As I gave myself fully to it all, the unmistakable voice of my wolf, Aanon, resonated within me."I think she's familiar," Aanon's voice rumbled within me, snapping me out of her looming presence."What do you mean?" I asked him, curious about what he was talking about."She feels like someone w