The Alpha King's Nemesis-Chapter 169: Complicated ()

Zariah breathed a quiet sigh as she dried herself and pulled on a robe, stepping out of the washroom and back into her bedroom.

Askel had been gone for a half hour now and Zariah had allowed herself doze off in the bath tub and now her skin and fingers were chilling cold to touch from being in the water too long.

"It seems being a half blooded mer does not make me anymore attuned to water." Zariah murmured with a shake off her head.

It would not be long now before any of the crimson wolves would come check on Zariah and Zariah knew she would be getting an earful if she was found up and about.

However, Zariah had been in the confines of this room for a month and a half already, it was long enough, all she wanted at this point was to feel the sun on her face, maybe then she would finally feel like she was truly alive.

Zariah fetched herself a change of clothing and quickly changed into it, strength was slowly returning to her muscles and though Zariah felt more like a human than herself, what she wanted most now was to just take a walk outside the ethereal palace.

If Nile, Darren or Allen met her here, Zariah knew she could kiss that walk goodbye and so she quickly strapped on a pair of boots and headed out of her room.

Zariah walked down the hallway, her gaze roaming around the palace as she went on.

It had only been a few months since she had left this palace for the Sea Kingdom but somehow, everything looked strange and unfamiliar to Zariah.

"This is what returning from the brink of death feels like, I should know it best." Zariah reminded herself in a quiet tone.

Truly, surviving a near death experience made the world hold a strange and new beauty to it, Zariah had felt this before when she awakened in the crimson territory to realize she had been granted another chance at life.

"Sneaking out?" A familiar voice asked from behind and Zariah winced slightly as she glanced over her shoulder but was relieved to find it was only Kristen.

"Hi..." Zariah greeted, waving at Kristen with a sheepish smile on her lips.

"Hey there cousin." Kristen returned Zariah’s greeting.

The word reminded Zariah that truly she had recently discovered her ties with the Coral Mer Sea before everything with the winter woods had happened.

"So?" Kristen asked, drawing Zariah back to his original question.

"Well... I felt a little stuffy and I just wanted to take a walk, get some air." Zariah explained.

"I do not think Nile will be pleased to know you’ve ignored his caution." Kristen pointed out as they continued walking down the hall.

"Nile doesn’t have to know...does he? I mean it’s just us two here." Zariah tried hopefully.

"That would be hard to do even if I wanted to, he’d know I was lying immediately... I haven’t yet figured out how these mind link of yours work and so I’m not sure how to keep him out of my head." Kristen revealed with a casual shrug.

Zariah raised a brow before her eyes widened in understanding.

"Nile marked you, didn’t he?" Zariah asked knowingly and Kristen nodded, a sheepish smile on his lips.

"That lover boy, just look at him doing it all while I was gone." Zariah commented with a shake of her head.

Kristen laughed quietly at Zariah’s accusation, a blush coloring his cheeks.

"You two have my heartfelt congratulations, truly. Let me know when we have to set the bonding ceremony, there would be much to prepare back home for one of my elemental lords." Zariah said with a bright smile.

"The bonding ceremony?" Kristen asked curiously.

Zariah chuckled quietly as she recalled Kristen was a merman and knew nothing of their ways.

"The bonding ceremony is a ritual performed to celebrate the union of mates who have completely consummated the mate bond."

"It is a tradition of the Crimson Moon Pack for every mated pair to receive the blessing of the Creator. The equivalent of this for humans would be called a wedding, though some wolf packs still hold wedding ceremonies." Zariah explained.

"Ah... I see." Kristen nodded in understanding.

"This ceremony must be held in Crimson Moon Pack? I would want you to oversee it in person when that day comes." Kristen admitted.

"But of course, who else would do it?" Zariah asked with a raised brow.

"Zari, that would mean leaving the Ethereal Palace. I do not believe King Askel would allow it." Kristen pointed out the obvious.

Zariah frowned slightly, it dawned on her that her situation had now become complicated.

There was no possible way she could expect to handle her duties as Crimson Alpha whilst it was clear she would have to uproot her life over to the Ethereal Palace if she chose to bond with Askel.

"I will speak with my council, sort things out. Either ways, I will not have your bonding ceremony handled by anyone else, you can trust that." Zariah assured.

They fell into silence as they walked through the courtyard of the Ethereal Palace and it took a while before Kristen broke the silence.

"And yours?" Kristen asked curiously.

"My...what?" Zariah asked uncertainly.

"Your bonding ceremony, Zari. I’m certain my father would love to be present for it. Between the crimson wolves and the ethereal wolves, have you considered how you want it to be?" Kristen explained better.

"Or have you not even considered your bond with King Askel?" Kristen asked when Zariah just stared back at him blankly

"The thing is...Askel and I haven’t gotten to the marking bit just yet." Zariah explained.

"Forgive me, with how deeply you two care for each other, I just assumed." Kristen apologized.

Zariah shook her head slightly.

’Was caring deeply for each other all it took?’ Zariah wondered to herself.

Now that Zariah thought about it, mate bonds had never been so complicated in the first place.

Two people meant for each other, it was fate, there was never the need for questions or doubts...it was always a blind leap and absolute trust in the Creator’s choice.

When had it all become so complicated for Zariah?