The Alpha King's Nemesis-Chapter 78: Apprehended ()

Zariah’s eyes fluttered open, glancing around her room, a small smile settled on her lips when she took in the open sea that was visible through the transparent walls on a side of her room.

There were curtains set to be lowered in the case that Zariah would not prefer the view but Zariah had gone to sleep with them hanging up,

Waking up to the view of the sea and sea life swimming about was an entirely different feeling and a strange sense of calm Zariah had not felt in a long time rested over her.

Zariah noticed her meditation had been way more effective in this way and her heart felt at ease.

Zariah would have thought she would find the Sea Kingdom unfamiliar and would have difficulty getting accustomed,

But it had only been a night and Zariah felt she could sleep all day with the quiet sound of the sea waters lulling her.

However since sleeping all day was clearly not an option, Zariah felt waking up to this beautiful sight was still just perfect. 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝚠𝕖𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝕖𝚕.𝚌𝗼𝗺

Zariah rose to her feet and headed over to the transparent wall, placing a hand on it lightly as she stared out into the deep blue sea.

"Too bad...I do not have the luxury to enjoy the sight." Zariah murmured with a regretful smile as she retreated into her room and picking up a change of clothes which had been delivered the night before,

Zariah made to head into her washroom, however when she looked around her bedroom, she saw no other doors.

"What the...?" Zariah murmured, realizing she had not even taken note of the fact that there were no doors in her bedroom other than the entrance door, which meant, there was no washroom.

Zariah could not believe this, she wondered just how she had missed the fact that the merfolk would not require all the amenities they used above surface and so there was actually the possibility that they did not have a bathroom.

It was then Zariah recalled she had seen two other doors in the main hall of their shared quarters.

Zariah heaved a sigh of relief as she walked out of her room on bare feet, heading towards the first of the two doors.

Zariah open the door and jumped backwards when sea water sprayed all over her, Zariah quickly shut the door wondering just how there was a door leading into the open sea and for some reason, the water had not surged into the room the moment she opened the door.

Zariah shrugged casually as she pulled the door open again.

The ambient noise from the sea waters was clear to Zariah’s sensitive ears and her lips stretched into a small smile as she stretched her hand out, grazing it lightly through the water.

By some magical mechanism, the water just flowed by, restrained by an invisible force so it did not flow into the residence.

Zariah marvelled at the beauty of this Sea Kingdom, even the world within the Crimson Barrier could not compare to this at all,

Zariah sighed as she recalled they would soon have to leave for the Sea Oracle’s cave and she needed to get herself decent.

Zariah pushed the door closed, although her hair was drenched wet by the spraying water, her clothing remained completely dry due to the enchantment.

Zariah headed towards the other door, now certain that was the washroom, however as she reached a hand to open it, the door opened of it’s own accord and out stepped a bare chested King Askel.

Zariah blinked as her eyes came in contact with ripped, well defined muscles and she felt her heart skip slightly.

Zariah suddenly felt as though her lips had gone dry and she let her tongue out to wet her dry lips whilst she tried to steady her uneven breathing.

’Keep your eyes up!’ Zariah cautioned herself, however against her own will, her gaze still trailed right down, following the slow trail of a water droplet,

And much to Zariah’s horror, she found herself disappointed when the water droplet disappeared beneath the waist line of his breeches, leaving only a slight glimpse of his v-line and the rest was up to her wild imaginations.

Zariah gulped audibly as she took a step back and that was when she finally noticed something other than the pure male sensuality King Askel exuded by just standing there, drying his hair.

Zariah’s eyes widened slightly as she caught sight of the first jagged scar stretching from his shoulder, down to below his chest.

The scar had clearly been left by a wound so deep, not even the accelerated healing abilities of a wolf shifter could have aided it, and there were dozens more of them splayed over his chest,

Some were large claw marks, and others smaller piercing scars and some looked alarmingly like whip marks.

"Silver..." Zariah murmured aloud, knowing that was the only explanation for why an Alpha King as powerful as King Askel would still have scars.

Zariah heart constricted painfully as all other thoughts flitted away from her mind and all she could think of was what exactly had King Askel gone through to leave him in such a state?

Zariah took a step forward, her gaze fixed on the largest of the scars and without thinking much of it, she reached a hand out to the scar,

Just as Zariah’s hand was about to make contact with King Askel’s skin, he flinched backwards and it was in that moment that Zariah’s senses returned to her,

Zariah quickly stepped back, her hand dropping to her side as she lifted her gaze up to him.

"I apologise, I didn’t mean to..." Zariah began in a perfunctory tone as she mentally lectured herself on her silliness.

It had only taken a moment of sympathy and she had completely forgotten the blood feud she shared with this man, Zariah could not believe she had allowed herself feel hurt over him.

It was good at least one of them still had their senses intact and King Askel had avoided her touch.

Zariah bit her lip against the sinking feeling in her chest over the thought that King Askel had actually avoided her touch.

’This is what you wanted Zari.’ Zariah reminded herself sternly as she made to move past King Askel, unable to complete her sentence.

King Askel stepped in the way however, blocking Zariah from leaving.

"No...no Mhíjani, I’m the one who should be sorry...I...if you touch me... I..." King Askel began to explain.

"You don’t have to explain it to me King Askel, we are both here only to execute our duties and I have stepped out of line. I understand and I apologise." Zariah said in an unfazed tone.

"No... you don’t understand." King Askel insisted, still blocking Zariah’s path.

"I... being in such close proximity to you and sensing your approval of us... it’s difficult to restrain my wolf. By the creator, my desire for you is maddening!"

"I could barely focus on anything else all night other than the sound of your heartbeat and your heavenly scent and the fact that there is only a thin wall separating us."

"This is the closest we have been since we met... and I...it took every ounce of self control in me not to break through that wall and come to you... I’ve been trying to keep myself from doing the things you do not want me to..."

"This is my second cold shower in the past six hours. I do not wish to hurt you in anyway Mhíjani...but if you touch me... I will loose control." King Askel explained in a low tone.

The vulnerability in his gaze stunned Zariah to silence and the sound of her own accelerated heart beat was all that resounded in her ears.

"I... you..." Zariah stuttered,

Zariah was at a loss on what to say, what did one say when your sworn enemy confessed to his desire for you?

Wasn’t the normal reaction to feel disgusted or angered by it, so why then did Zariah feel her heart fluttering and swelling with warmth and that familiar tender feeling?

Why then was she struggling against her own heart and it’s desire to reach out to this man, to hold him and to comfort him?

Why did the tender words of this monster completely upturn her resolve so much so that she could not even recall her anger and hatred at this moment?

Why did she feel the desperate need to take away his pain and every hurt he had ever felt?

Why did she feel the need to protect him?

So many questions rang through Zariah’s mind of which she had no answer to, however a low, weak voice in Zariah’s mind seemed to have the answer.

"Mate...mine..." The voice whispered weakly and Zariah’s eyes widened in shock as the familiar voice of her wolf Torin echoed through her mind.

Zariah did not have the time to wrap her head around the situation as the very next moment, the door to their shared quarters was opened and in stormed Princess Shariah and Prince Treyton along with over ten battle mers.

"What is the meaning of this?" King Askel asked in a dark tone, stepping forward and pulling Zariah behind him.

"By order of the Sea King, Lady Zariah Torin...you are coming with us!" Princess Shariah announced in a deadly tone.