The Alpha King's Nemesis-Chapter 29: Arrived ()

"My King, report from border patrol, the Crimson wolves have arrived. They are being escorted to the Ethereal palace at this moment." Luther reported.

Askel lifted up his gaze from where he stared out dazedly over his balcony, an action he had found himself engaged in quite frequently ever since he had returned empty handed, with no traces of his mate left behind.

Askel could not understand just what he had done wrong, just how he had erred that the Creator would dangle his mate right before his eyes and now leave him with no methods of finding her.

Whoever she was, her scent was completely masked, Askel had only picked it up because they were mates and yet there was no possible way to find a scent trail, try as he might.

Askel had searched for a day and a night, all to no avail, there were no traces of her to be found whatsoever, even in the exact spot Askel had found her battling a group of rogues.

She had been donning a large cloak with a hood that cast her features in shadows, Askel had not even seen a face to go by, there was nothing of her left behind, no signs that she had ever been there.

No scent trail, no foot prints, no twigs snapped in the course of her running away from him, nothing at all, as though she had never existed and Askel had just conjured up that scenario out of his desperation to find his mate.

Yet Askel knew it had not been his imagination at all, the remains of the rogues Askel had killed had been right where he had left it as well as the evidence of the battle.

However Askel had returned without finding any clues, with his enthronement taking place today, he could not ignore his promise to his mother.

"Go with Elder Lance and Dechlan to receive them at the palace gates. Have them settled in." Askel instructed absent mindedly.

"And you, My King? The coronation has already begun, the Ethereal Alphas are already seated in the throne room. The attendants sent by her grace await outside with your royal robes." Luther added, Askel nodded slowly.

"They can place them in my receiving room and take their leave, then have Dechlan and Elder Lance handle the guests, you come with me." Askel ordered but frowned as he felt his mother’s presence prying his mind.

"Speak." Askel demanded as he lowered his mind block, allowing his mother to communicate her words to him through their mind link.

"I requested that they assist you in getting ready, My King. I understand you are opposed to strange company in your personal quarters but please make an exception this time." Queen Sancia’s voice filled Askel’s mind.

"Hmmm." Askel thought back as he shut off their mind connection and turned to Luther with a nod of permission.

Luther left to carry out his orders while Askel returned his gaze to staring over his balcony, his mind fully occupied by a brief memory that began and ended with that dreamy scent of morning dew, wild roses and a smoky undertone.

That heady scent that clouded his every thought and had his beast howling with a fierce possessiveness.

A scent that drove him to drunkenness more surely than the most potent brew of wine, a scent he would give anything if it meant he could drown in it for the rest of his existence...

A scent that he was not certain he would have the fortune to find again... and the thought of this stirred a terrible ache in Askel’s heart.

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"We will help you wash and be at ease before the coronation, My King." A doe eyed she wolf offered in a coy tone as she lowered her head to a bow, stepping forward with Askel’s neatly folded inner robes laid across her outstretched arm.

Askel’s face furrowed into a frown as he felt the lustful look of the unmated she wolf on him, the thick scent of her arousal clouding the air, Askel frowned knowing his mother had gotten at it again.

Of ten attendants that had been sent over to help Askel dressed, all were unmated and clearly infatuated with Askel, as much as they tried to conceal it, their desire was clear in their gazes and their scents.

Askel did not need to ask to know exactly what they meant by ’be at ease’, as an unmated male Alpha, he was expected to possess great sexual appetite which a host of unmated she wolves were more than willing to satisfy.

Askel found it distasteful that his mother had still not given up on tending to matters like this, the woman had never been one to recognize boundaries, especially when it came to her only child, Askel.

Askel had left the Royal Lycan Pack for years now and had only returned when he heard news of his father’s condition, yet his mother had immediately resumed her routine of sending in unmated she wolves who she knew desired to be sexually intimate with him.

Even now when she knew clearly that Askel had now confirmed the existence of his mate, she still remained adamant in her methods.

Sometimes Askel wondered if the disagreement with his father had been what had truly made him forsake the Royal Lycan Pack or perhaps his anger and dissatisfaction with this Ethereal palace had builded with the actions of both his father and his mother.

"You, leave." Askel ordered the female in a low growl grabbed his inner robes held by the she wolf and headed into his wash room.

Askel heard the terrified whimpering of the she wolf as she darted away from Askel’s quarters.

Askel placed down his outer robe on a marble platform before he shed off his clothing and headed towards his bath pool.

Askel did not bother glancing at his reflection in his bath pool, he knew exactly what he would see, those familiar pitch black markings spreading all over his skin.

The black markings curved and swirled, stretching down from his neck all around his hands, down his chest and back and covered his legs.

It swirled in an intricate design, seeming to be runes of some sort but Askel knew better, these were the markings left behind by the beast in him.

A constant reminder that he himself had now become one with it, one with the beast and that he would live out the rest of his existence with it’s hideous markings marring his skin.

Askel hated it, he loathed it and so as always he turned his gaze away from his own reflection and stepped into his bath pool.

Askel washed up at a slow and easy pace, he found it rather laughable that today would be his enthronement,

This very same throne of the Alpha King he so detested for his father’s treacherous methods of rulership, this very same throne that both his parents cherished more than the life of their own son.

That crown that his father was willing to sacrifice Askel’s life to protect time and time again, that same crown would be worn by Askel from today.

However at the same time, it was a crown he had been raised for all his life, despite all the odds, the Ethereal domain was his to protect,

He was the legitimate heir to the throne of the Alpha King, his people looked up to him for guidance and he held a duty to his people and to the supernatural realm and this was the only reason Askel had returned. 𝕗𝕣𝐞𝐞𝘄𝐞𝚋𝚗𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹.𝚌𝕠𝚖

Askel stepped out of his bath pool and dried himself before he donned his outer robes and headed out to his quarters where the other attendants awaited.

Askel stood calmly as the she wolves handled the rest of his dressing, placing the pitch black royal robes over his shoulders.

"I will escort My King to the throne room." Luther said with a low bow, Askel hummed in response as he lead the way out of his quarters.

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Zariah sat crossed leg on the large queen sized bed adorned with luxurious beddings.

Zariah found the overly decorated guest room rather unsuited for her tastes, but Zariah guessed this level of extravagance was expected of the Ethereal palace.

Zariah and her company had been received by a Dechlan Knights, the Third in command of the Royal Lycan Pack along with an Elder of the Royal Lycan Pack.

This reception from high ranked wolves displayed a great level of respect for Crimson Moon.

Zariah however could see right through their facade, as at this time, the name of the Crimson Moon was still the most highly revered in the supernatural realm.

It was a given that the Royal Lycan Pack were mandated to accord the first emissaries of Crimson Moon in decades the highest respect.

Yet who could know more clearly than Zariah the true intentions of the Alpha King towards Crimson Moon?

"Zari, the enthronement of the Alpha King commences soon. Will we not be in attendance?" Allen’s voice reached Zariah.

"It is just a right of propriety, what is there to attend personally? One representative is enough, Nile is most familiar with propriety and etiquette. We can always observe through Nile’s eyes." Zariah murmured, her eyes still firmly shut.