The Alpha King's Nemesis-Chapter 40: Unwelcome Guest ()

"Let the Ethereal domain know, I have found my mate, my beloved...my other half. Zariah... the one and only Ethereal Queen of wolves... Zariah, my Queen." King Askel declared with the full extent of his dominance, his lips stretched in an adoring smile.

Zariah’s mind exploded with rage at the declaration, her hands scrunching up into tight fists whilst she tried to maintain a calm facade.

She was yet to get her mind wrapped around this horrifying situation and King Askel dared make such an insane declaration in the presence of representatives from all across the supernatural realm.

Zariah’s mind was in a state of panic, she could not decide on a reaction to this situation, the situation was simply too impossible.

How could she of all people be mated to Askel Vance Niolen? The Alpha King who had ruined her life?

How could she be mated to the bane of her existence? The one person she hated more than anything else in the world? The one person she had vowed to destroy?

She was supposed to be his nemesis? But Queen? Just what sort of depraved joke was the creator playing on her?

Zariah could not understand, she could not understand why things like this always happened to her, why she was the only one who got messed with in the most malicious ways.

All her life, she had lived only for her people, for her duty, that was until that monster waltzed into her life and destroyed everything she knew, everything she had worked so hard to protect.

And now when she was barely picking up the painful shards into which she had been broken,

Now when she could barely breathe through the pain and regrets constantly grasping at her throat, strangling the new life out of her when she had barely begun to live it,

It was at this time that fate had slammed another horrifying twist in her face,

Zariah wondered what exactly she had done so wrong to deserve this constant punishment in the guise of the mate bond.

Zariah loathed it, she loathed it with all that she was, she so desperately wished she could rip out that hateful mate bond and crush it beneath her feet.

"Come, there will be no need to take a seat at the table for the crimson wolves, sit with me." King Askel said in a tender tone, stretching his hand out to her.

Zariah could see the joy and gratitude in his eyes as he gaze down at her and Zariah hated that the words she so desperately wished to say were now caught in her throat.

The cruel words that would dash his hope and condemn him to the pain of a shattered mate bond, the words of rejection.

Zariah squeezed her hand so tight that her fingernails dug into her skin, drawing blood.

The sharp pain brought Zariah back to her senses and her gaze hardened, her aura turning cold and deadly.

Zariah watched King Askel’s eyes widen as her aura changed and she could see the hurt reflected in his eyes as she took a step back, once again putting distance between them.

"No, although the Crimson Moon has come as an emissary and are willing to extend our support to the Royal Lycans based on our long standing kinship,"

"The Crimson wolves will not mingle or familiarize unnecessarily with the Royal Lycans beyond what our alliance allows." Zariah clarified in a dark tone.

The hurt in his eyes grew even more clear as his outstretched hand slowly dropped to his side.

"I understand your responsibility to speak as Head warrior of the Crimson Moon, but we have only just found each other today ’Mhíjani’." He pleaded in a low tone.

Zariah felt her heart stop for a moment at the endearment he had used and how it had rolled off his tongue with such tenderness and care, as though he had waited all his life to say that word,

’Mhíjani’, in the ancient wolven tongue, the language Zariah had mastered before she could speak, the word directly translated to ’Queen of My Heart’.

Zariah cursed herself within her mind for her weakness, she could not believe she had suffered all she did in her previous lifetime,

She could not believe she had gone through such excruciating pain only for her knees to grow weak all because of an endearment in the ancient wolven tongue.

Zariah swallowed down the mirthless laughter that bubbled up her throat, Zariah found she truly was laughable.

" I hope that you can put our differences aside and would you think of me alone, just for today? My wolf is uneasy, sit at my side please...it would do my heart good." King Askel added, once again covering the gap Zariah had created by taking a step back.

Zariah’s gaze remained cold and unmoved, she could not believe this was the very same Alpha King who had ruined her in the previous lifetime.

Here he was, uncaring of all the eyes of the representatives from across the supernatural realm fixed on him, uncaring for the pride of the royal bloodline of the Ethereal domain,

Declaring his feelings without restraint, exposing his weakness in a courtyard full of enemies.

’How disappointing.’ Zariah thought distastefully.

Just as Zariah opened her mouth to cruelly reject his offer, finally intending to say the words stuck in her throat, a piercing screech rang across the courtyard, coming from an unidentified distance.

And then came a loud, earth shaking explosion and then panicked screams thereafter.

Zariah did not have the time to react before she was pulled behind a broad figure, King Askel’s muscular form shielding her protectively as a ferocious snarl escaped his lips.

Zariah made to step out from behind him, but his grip on her hand was firm and unmoving as his eyes roved round the courtyard to identify the danger.

"Stay Mhíjani, I will not have you hurt." He instructed in a voice that was both wolf and man speaking at once, his words coming out in an animalistic growl.

"Do not patronize me, King Askel." Zariah warned fiercely as she ripped her hand from his grip and stepped out from behind him.

The Crimson wolves who had been frozen in shock since King Askel had declared Zariah as his mate finally regained their bearings and rushed to take their place at Zariah’s side.

"Luther! Report!" King Askel growled out as his second in command arrived at his side at his summon.

"An demon wraith My King! It appeared at the South gate and has broken through! It is headed straight for this courtyard and should be here any moment!" Luther reported.

"And what exactly were the Royal Lycan warriors doing?!" King Askel growled in an eerily calm tone as dozens of Royal Lycan warriors rushed into the courtyard.

"Forgive our incompetence My King, there was a minor disturbance at the border, Lord Dechlan led some warriors to see to it. The demon wraith must have slipped in during that process." A Royal Lycan warrior reported.

"You incompetence will be seen to later, for the time being, form a protective barrier around the courtyard... Luther, see to this unwelcome guest yourself." King Askel instructed.

"There is no need for panic, the banquet may continue as usual. Not to mention one demon wraith, even a hundred of them are no match for King Askel." A soft, melodious voice rang across the courtyard, earning the guests laughter in agreement.

Zariah felt the voice reminded her of how she assumed a siren would sound like, although Zariah had never personally heard how a siren sounded, she had read much of the merfolk and had made her own assumptions

Zariah spared a glance at the silver skinned female who sauntered up to them, a small grin settled on her lips, exposing her razor sharp teeth.

Zariah’s nose tingled as the stinging scent of sea salt invaded her nostrils and Zariah scrunched up her nose slightly.

"I am rather famished after all this excitement, we should all sit and have a bite of these delicacies, wouldn’t you agree, Askel?" The silver skinned female asked in a cheery tone.

She then passed a strange glance to Zariah who stood beside King Askel and sauntered over to her seat.

King Askel grunted quietly and Zariah took the initiative to head over to the table prepared for the Crimson Moon before he could object, her party following closely behind her.

Zariah could feel King Askel’s gaze trail her movement as she left his side, wordlessly turning down his offer to seat at his side.

King Askel seemed about ready to object to Zariah’s decision but was cut off before he could speak.

"Askel dearest, the main course has just been served and the banquet cannot begin without it’s host... there are still more of our guests waiting to offer their congratulations.." The woman standing behind King Askel interjected.

According to King Askel’s address to this woman, her regal bearing and facial familiarities with King Askel,

Zariah understood this woman was Queen Sancia Niolen, previous Alpha Queen and mother to Alpha King Askel Vance Niolen.

King Askel’s longing gaze lingered on Zariah for a moment longer before he returned to his seat.

Although Zariah ignored his gaze, she released the breath she had been holding in relief when he reluctantly turned his gaze away and sulked his way back to his throne.