The Alpha King's Nemesis-Chapter 16: Haunted Dreams ()

Once again, there she was, with fiery red hair, eyes as bright as a blazing flame and a silhouette encased in the enchanting glow of the moon, shaming even the moon, so much so that it bled.

She sauntered across his dream, fiery red tresses swaying ever so slowly in the wind, her form doused in a haze of fog, concealing from his view what he most desired to see...

A face, just a glimpse that could give him the semblance of an identity, if only the creator had granted him that much, he would have mustered every manpower at his disposal and scoured the very ends of the Earth till he found her.

He had tried chasing once, years back when the red haired angel first walked his dreams, chase and chase he had,

His little legs carrying him closer and closer whilst his dreams took her further and further away till she disappeared completely, leaving him desperate and broken.

He had realized then that he was not allowed to chase, not allowed to see her, not allowed to know her.

Whatever she was, perhaps just a figment of his imagination that his mind had conjured up in a bid to find some warmth for his ever cold heart,

Or perhaps a reality from a time he had long forgotten, a glimpse of a memory that transcended this lifetime.

Whatever it was, one thing was clear...he was not allowed to know, he was not allowed to have questions and he certainly was not allowed to seek answers...but why then was he allowed to love? To desire?

He knew the boundaries had been clearly set, boundaries that were set in his own dreams without his knowledge or consent,

He knew this and yet night after night he hoped, even when often times her back was turned to him, her head tilted up, gazing up into the bleeding moon, yet he hoped... that she would spare him even just a glance.

And then rarely his hope would bear fruits, she would turn to him, her head tilting ever so slightly in his direction,

Just far enough that he got a glimpse of those fiery red orbs but not any further, leaving him to awaken panting, his mind clouded with desperate, maddening desire.

They said the one meant for you was the woman of your dreams, they said that sometimes the Creator forged a bond so powerful that it transcended time and realities,

A bond so rare that even he could not understand it, a bond of two hearts melded as one, two halves of the same soul, an everlasting fate, the truest bond of mates.

A bond so strong that each knew the other even before they truly knew each other and loved the other even before they knew what love was

Askel had heard this one too many times and had felt it just as often, only that for him, the woman of his dreams, the woman whom he felt...whom he knew was meant for him, she was a complete and absolute stranger.

Askel knew her, at least he would have liked to believe he did, for this one woman had haunted his every dream right from his childhood,

She had not always been a woman too, a little red haired bubbly child skipping through the woods at first and then Askel grew and she also grew along with him.

Now she walked his dreams a grown young woman, powerful, enchanting and simply breathtaking.

Although Askel wondered how he knew all of this when he had never actually seen the face of the fiery red haired angel, yet Askel wondered why he felt there was more to her than just a vice conjured up by his mind.

Could he still call a stranger to one whom he had seen night after night, one who lived in his every thought and consumed his very mind?

Or could one claim to be familiar with a figment of your own imagination, an entity that existed only in your dreams with neither name nor face attached to it... just a presence that left an unforgettable impact.

In the beginning, Askel had still hoped she was real and that she truly was the one meant for him, but as Askel grew to know himself, to know who he was and what he was... Askel knew his hopes were nothing more than just that, hopes.

The beast within him was ancient and powerful, bloodthirsty and dark, and it had taken a liking for messing with Askel’s mind and thoughts right from when he was nary more than a child.

Askel knew the red haired angel was just another one of it’s games, infact, it was it’s oldest game yet and the only one Askel still had not been able to overcome.

However if one were to place the games aside, the beast within had changed other things too, for as long as Askel could remember, he could sense things long before they happened,

Not so far that he could be considered a seer, but far enough that he knew what to expect in a moment or two,

When his father had passed on, Askel had sensed that deep dark aura of death sinking low over him and so he had known and his father had known too, that he would not make it.

The supernatural world counted him honorable for stepping up to his father’s place with even more excellence than his father had, for foregoing past grudges,

For proving a worthy heir, for returning in time to take the reigns of the pack before the impact of his father’s death was felt,

Yet what they did not know was that, Askel was not a honorable son...far from it, instead Askel had been ready, he was ready because he had known it was time.

Now, as the sun rays shone down through his closed lids, Askel sensed something coming, something different, something he had never sensed before.

What it was, Askel was not certain but he had sensed it already and so as always...he would be ready.

_____________

"My King." A voice called up to Askel where he lay high up on a tree branch, his robes dangling over the branch down the tree as the sun rays encased him.

This voice belonged to Dechlan Knights, Third in command of the Royal Lycan Pack.

"I left strict orders that I was not to be disturbed, Dechlan." Askel murmured in a quiet but cold tone.

"Forgive me, the Alphas of the Ethereal domain have begun arriving for your enthronement, Her grace is seeing to their lodgings and other needs." Dechlan reported.

"What has it got to do with me? These matters are rightfully handled by my mother." Askel replied in an uninterested tone.

"Her grace insists you return to the palace, propriety demands that the new Alpha King personally welcome the arriving Alphas." Dechlan replied respectfully.

"Nonsense." Askel murmured in a dismissive tone. 𝗳𝚛𝚎𝚎𝘄𝕖𝕓𝕟𝕠𝚟𝚎𝕝.𝗰𝕠𝐦

"The elders also await your presence in the royal hall, there are hundreds of reports awaiting your approval." Dechlan reasoned.

After a short moment and Askel still did not respond or make any attempts to descend the tree, Dechlan continued speaking.

"My King, your enthronement draws closer and you do not seem any less reluctant than you have always been to claim your rightful throne. Her grace fears you may leave once again." Dechlan admitted quietly.

"Then... the world had my father, there was no place for me then..." Askel murmured in response.

"My King..." Dechlan said in a sad tone.

"Now... I am all the Royal Lycan Pack has left, all the Ethereal domain has left...all my mother has left. I know my responsibilities as Alpha King, I have always carried them with pride, nothing changes yet still." Askel continued.

His eyes fluttered open slowly and he lifted a hand to shield his eyes from the sunlight.

"I have seen to all the reports on my table and have dispatched orders accordingly and if you had taken a moment to confirm before rushing over here to hound me, then you would have noticed this. I do not need you to remind me on how to run my pack or my domain Dechlan."

"Multiple rogue sightings have been reported too close to my borders and they venture closer still since my father’s passing, you are in charge of border security,"

"I reckon you will pay more attention within the coming month, with so many guests present, it is highly unlikely not to expect some unwanted disturbances." Askel said in a dark tone.

"Forgive me, my king. I had thought..." Dechlan trailed off, not knowing how to continue, he was clearly feeling guilty to have misunderstood Askel’s intentions.

"That I was still drowned in grief at my father’s passing? Or too petty to forego my grudge with him that I would forsake my heritage?...We had our differences indeed, perharps too much differences but he was my father and I will not fail him." Askel clarified.

"I understand, My King." Dechlan replied.

"I will be crowned and assume my father’s throne in two weeks, tell my mother to be rest assured. I know what is expected of me."

"Now return to the palace, Luther has your orders. If I am to be Alpha King, I will have the rogues understand that approaching my borders is certain death." Askel said in a tone of deadly promise.

Dechlan bowed and took his leave even as Askel’s eyes fluttered closed once again and he drifted back to sleep where his dreams were graced by a certain fiery red haired angel.