The Alpha King's Nemesis-Chapter 64: Say The Word, Whenever ()

Askel watched her from a distance, if Askel was being honest, he had been watching her for a while now and although Askel knew it was inappropriate, he just could not take his eyes off of her.

There she stood in the courtyard, surrounded by beautiful peonies, her hands were crossed behind her back, her head tilted up to the moon and her eyes closed.

Her lush red tresses cascaded down her back, fluttering ever so slightly in the wind and on her lips, a small, almost unnoticeable smile was set.

Askel felt his heart constricting in pain and longing, just standing there, his mate looked so serene and peaceful,

There was not a trace of the cold and wary disposition with which she always regarded him, her expression was relaxed and easy,

Askel had always found himself on the receiving end of her narrowed glare that he was not sure he had ever seen her so relaxed before,

It had been little more than a week since she had stormed into his life, catching him completely off guard and sending him spiralling down an abyss of desire that he could not crawl out of even if he tried,

An abyss he did not even wish to crawl out off, for every feeling, every emotion she stirred within his ever cold heart, Askel cherished it dearly.

And heavens! How she stirred his heart!

The tremble, the flutter, the lurch, the jump, the skip, the painful constriction, all the ways in which his heart reacted to her without his control were feelings Askel had long forgotten how to feel,

Askel could not understand, he could not understand exactly what he had done wrong to deserve such disdain from his mate,

He had waited to find her all his life,

He had dreamt of it...of her at every waking moment,

He had loved her even before he knew what love was...

She was his wasn’t she? So Askel wondered why...

Just why did she not want him?

An entire day had passed since Askel declared his intentions to depart for the Sea Kingdom, all preparations were completed and he was to depart at dawn,

For the entire day, Askel had waited and waited for her to come to him or to at least allow him go to her,

She had forbidden him from going to her unless to deliberate on matters of the supernatural realm,

She had made it clear she was not interested to discuss any further on anything related to them and their relationship,

They had spent the entire day sitting across from one another on a meeting table and Askel had waited and waited for her to pass him even just the slightest gaze that showed she cared,

He would be leaving for the Sea Kingdom, although he did not plan to be gone for long himself, only the Creator knew just what he would find upon arrival at the Sea Kingdom,

If there was more to the impending war that met the eye, as Ethereal King, Askel held the responsibility to look into it,

If there was truly anything the Sea King was hiding, then Askel knew he would have to do the needful to eradicate any possible danger to the safety of the supernatural realm,

Although Askel was no longer a member of the supernatural council, it did not change the fact that the Royal Lycan Pack was a figurehead that kept the peace alliance intact all these centuries,

If the peace alliance was broken, there would be far too great consequences and Askel knew the supernatural realm had greater foes to face, foes they would need to face together.

Askel had only just found his mate and even up till this moment, he could not bear the thought of leaving her side,

Yet even as Askel announced his decision to accept the Sea King’s invitation, she had not even spared him a glance,

Clearly Askel was the only one who cared about not leaving her side, the only one whose heart ached terribly at the mere thought that his duty would be taking him away from her and there was nothing he could do about it,

Askel’s wolf whined sorrowfully in his head as they watched their mate, wanting more than anything to storm over to her and take her in their arms, to show her exactly who she belonged to,

Yet knowing that would only serve to further drive her away from him.

Askel could not bear it, he could not bear this distance, this cold regard she accorded him, this unfeeling look in her eyes,

’What had hurt her so?’ Askel wondered in pain,

Who had broken his beloved so terribly that she would not even dare take a chance with him?

Askel hoped whoever it was, he was already burning in the deepest, darkest parts of hell, for if he wasn’t, Askel would make it so.

"My King, the High Oracle requests an audience." Luther reported, coming up behind Askel.

"I will be with him shortly." Askel replied in a dismissive tone.

Luther lingered for a moment, gazing between Askel and his mate whom he stared at from a distance,

"This distance just isn’t right, My King." Luther pointed out, gesturing between Askel and his mate.

"You do not understand." Askel murmured quietly,

"Perhaps, but what I do understand is that Zariah is My King’s mate...yours, that is all that matters."

"My King departs tomorrow, I will accompany you but My Queen will remain behind. If you have anything you wish to say...you do not stand over here thinking of it, that is not the Askel I know."

"You go over there and speak and once you begin to speak, My Queen will have to listen." Luther said,

"She has only had the Crimson Moon all her life, I fear Mhíjani does not wish for that to change...not for me at least." Askel replied with a sigh,

"It is your responsibility to change that Askel, you would be doing the Ethereal Domain a great dishonor if you let us loose our Ethereal Queen." Luther insisted,

"Loose her?... Never." Askel growled out, his hands clenched in tight fists.

"Ah...My King has your own plans, I see? Then I guess I was worried for nothing." Luther said with a quiet chuckle.

Luther then retreated, heading away whilst Askel remained in the same position he stood for a moment longer before he headed towards his mate.

Askel knew she had already sensed his presence long before he reached her, it was clear in how her head tilted ever so slightly and her relaxed expression gave way for the usual cold expression.

"If you love this courtyard, then it is yours..." Askel said as he came to a stop beside her.

Askel watched her reaction, her eyes fluttered open slowly yet she did not pass him a glance.

"You are only visiting the Sea Kingdom and you have begun passing down your inheritance...well I am not the right person to say those words to." She murmured in a blank tone,

Askel’s lips twitched slightly, as cold and unwelcoming as her tone was, her words had unknowingly revealed she had at some point pondered the fact that he was heading into uncertain dangers.

Whether in relief or concern, Askel was not sure, but he refused to dampen his elation with such thoughts, in any case, he was satisfied if only for the fact that he had crossed her mind.

"You are the only person I wish to say any words to, and there is so much more than those words I wish to say." Askel admitted honestly.

"It matters not how much you say, I have said all there is to be said." She relied in a blank tone,

Her words had Askel’s heart constricting in pain but he forced it away, he had finally found his red haired angel, the object of his every desire and the woman who had long commanded his heart,

Askel felt he would be damned before he let her words no matter how hurtful dissuade him.

"Then do not say anymore, it’s fine to just listen." Askel replied with a small smile.

And just as Askel had said, she said not a word, merely stood there and stared ahead,

Yet every inch of him pulsed in awareness of her and trembled in longing,

Just standing there, she completed him in ways he had never thought possible... and Askel knew then just as he had known the very first moment he caught a whiff of her addicting scent,

He knew that it could only ever be her...no one else would do and so he said the words on his mind,

Not because he hoped they could convince her, but because his heart swelled with so much love, he just could not restrain himself.

"I never thought there would come a day where I stand side by side with my mate and yet I’m unable to reach out to her..."

"I never thought there would come a day I would find my mate even, I didn’t consider myself deserving or worthy of such blessing." Askel admitted, chuckling quietly.

"If this is fate toying with me Mhíjani, then I hope for this game to continue forever...as long as I can have you by my side, I am willing to be a pawn in the hands of the creator." Askel’s voice was thick with emotions as he spoke,

He did not attempt to conceal his emotions like he usually did, Askel had never been a man of many words, and so in the few words he was able, he hoped to bare his heart to her,

And if he had to be vulnerable to anyone, then it would only be her.

"Say the word Zari, I do not care for anything else, just say the word whenever and I am yours, body, heart and soul." Askel whispered, his eyes fluttering closed as he tamed the overwhelming desire to hold her.

Askel turned to her, lifting a hand to her face, he gently tilted her head to his, leaned down and placed a light kiss on her forehead, lingering far longer than he had intended.

But when Askel pulled away, he knew it was time to leave or Creator help him, he would never be able to.

"If you do not have enough love to spare, my love for you is enough for two...let me love you Zari, that is all I ask." Askel murmured his final words before he spun around and headed back to the castle,

His heart a broken mess, but overflowing with love for her...his Queen, Zariah Torin.