The Alpha King's Nemesis-Chapter 224: Choose To Love ()

"Alpha Zariah! Look! Askel is returning to normal!" Lucas’s excited exclamation was what interrupted Zariah’s quiet sobs.

Zariah was not certain for how long she had been clinging onto Askel, whispering reassurances and sobbing her heart out, it could have been an hour or a few hours, with how drained Zariah felt, Zariah could not tell.

Her knees had already gone numb from how long she had been kneeling but Zariah did not mind it in the slightest, not when she could feel Askel’s flesh burning beneath her arms and feel his tears soaking up her shirt.

Zariah slowly pulled away from Askel, her arms were slightly hurt where the silver had touched but it was not so severe, Zariah guessed without her wolf, even silver was not as effective on her anymore.

Zariah glanced over Askel quickly, sure enough, all the signs of the partial shift, the patches of fur, the black markings, claws and elongated canines had all disappeared and now Askel just stared at her, a drained look in his eyes.

It seemed like he was staring at Zariah but Zariah could tell Askel’s gaze was unfocused.

At the same moment, his eyes rolled to the back of his head and Askel slumped in Zariah’s arms, losing consciousness.

"Quickly, get these things off him!" Zariah yelled to Lucas.

Lucas swiftly complied and Zariah held onto Askel as Lucas took off the silver cuffs pinning him down to the ground.

Zariah winced visibly as the burnt flesh beneath the cuff around his neck was exposed and a sob was caught in her throat but Zariah forced it down. She would have all the time to cry after Askel was settled and taken care of.

Askel’s weight weighed down on Zariah and without her wolf strength, she could barely hold him up.

"Help me get him to his washroom." Zariah asked Lucas in a helpless tone.

Lucas lifted Askel up into his arms, carrying him out of the underground basement and Zariah quickly followed after them.

Lucas took Askel to his washroom like Zariah had asked and Zariah quickly filled the wooden tub with water, ensuring the temperature was stable before she nodded to Lucas.

Lucas then placed Askel in the water and stepped aside, standing by the door in case Zariah still required his help, though he did not leave, Lucas made sure to stand far enough away and give Zariah all the space he knew she needed at this time.

Zariah’s gaze was pained and silent tears slipped out her eyes as she gently washed the dirt and grime off of Askel’s skin, careful to avoid the wounds left behind by the silver.

It took Zariah a short time to thoroughly clean Askel up, paying close attention to his hair which she gently but thoroughly towel dried afterwards.

Zariah turned to Lucas who had already fetched a clean, neatly folded set of clothing.

Zariah smiled gratefully and Lucas returned the smile, no words were said but the icy and tense atmosphere between them had disappeared, left behind in the darkness of the underground basement where Lucas had watched Zariah cry her heart out and apologize fervently to Askel.

With Lucas’s help, Zariah changed Askel into a fresh set of clothing before Lucas carried Askel over to his bed.

Zariah pulled the covers back as Lucas set Askel down and then she pulled the covers over Askel, tucking him in before she sat at his side.

Through it all, Askel was sound asleep. Zariah could tell the battle to reclaim control of his body had drained him but he had done it to come back to her and words could not describe how grateful Zariah actually was.

Zariah took Askel’s hand in hers, lifting it to her cheek as she stared down at him.

"When he wakes up, he will be a bit muddled and might be momentarily confused but he will be fine after a short time." Lucas informed Zariah.

Zariah sensed when Lucas quietly retreated from the room and took his leave but she did not acknowledge it.

Zariah’s mind was overwhelmed with many thoughts. Now that it was clear to her that Askel was not the mastermind from the previous lifetime, the thought of what Askel’s fate had been then burdened Zariah greatly.

At least Zariah knew how everyone else had met their end, she knew what to guard against and how to avoid such a fate, but it was not the same for Askel.

What had happened to Askel in the past lifetime? Why had she never heard anything about him after his coronation, until her death?

Zariah could not figure it out, and there was no one who could provide Zariah with the answers she needed.

Zariah breathed a heavy sigh, tucking Askel’s hand beneath the covers, she got up to her feet and headed out.

Zariah was in desperate need of some fresh air and it all of a sudden felt like there was none of that within close proximity.

Leaving Askel’s quarters, Zariah walked aimlessly down the hall. She did not go in search of her subordinates, Zariah guessed Lucas would already have reassured them that all was well.

Zariah just kept on walking till she was out in the courtyard of the Ethereal Palace and even then, she kept on walking.

Zariah did not stop until she arrived at a clearing in the woods and it was there she sat on a rock, staring at her reflection in the small lake in the clearing.

"Whatever his fate was, the fact remains we never met in that lifetime. Now that we have, I still have a chance to make things right...if I do not know what to guard against in the future, all I can do is stick close by his side and protect him with everything I have..." Zariah thought to herself.

"If I get to the mastermind first, then everyone will be fine. But I cannot carry on dwelling on the past when not even the present is assured...he does not deserve a woman who is nothing but a shadow of a past lifetime, he deserves better...he deserves a better me." Zariah decided.

It was settled in Zariah’s heart now, if she could not control anything else in this lifetime, at least she could choose to love... love rightly and truly and there was just one man deserving of her love.