Lycan King's Nemesis

(Undergoing editing) **GWEN**

At first, I was dumbstruck by the words as they hit my ears. Then, came the excitement, the innermost excitement of hearing him say them to me at the most unexpected time. Was he serious? He loved me? He truly, truly loved me or he was only seeking a way to get to me? It made me want to open the door.

"I mean it," He confirmed, as though reading my mind. And there was so much eagerness in his voice that numbed every doubt in my head and had me rushing to fling open the door at once.

There he was still sitting, his face morphed into elation to show the level of content that came from making such huge confession. He didn't hold back.

"You do?" Tears were still in my eyes, albeit, they seemed frozen.

"I have never been more certain, baby. I didn't even know when it happened." He rose to his knees, him before me, humble as I have never seen him before. "Slowly, you drove into my core, cutting off defense severely built over the years and the funniest part is I didn't fight it. Fuck, maybe I did until I realized it was a losing battle."

Was I dreaming? Someone pinch me, please. Wait, don't, I do not want to wake up. "Ashton..."

"Wait," he crashed forward and held my arms captive, looking up at me with so much passion my heart melted like an avalanche of ice. "You do not have to accept it, my little wolf. I only needed you to know so you will realize that you have me. I have fought against this feeling for so long that I had began to allow it destroy another soul." His orifice slid downward in grief. "I was a fool for thinking I could make you pay for the sins of another. It was not your fault and you didn't deserve that."

In my life, I had fallen in love twice and experienced heartbreak twice. But never have I envisaged that a man would kneel in front of me and make me feel so special and it had to be the second man who I fell for, who broke my heart and is still in his own way, mending it.

The way my heart was tightening, I was definitely going to collapse if I don't try to breathe. The walls were closing in, everything burning into fantasy land that accommodated only Ashton and me. In our own little heaven, where there were no duties, simply us and our love.

"I love you too, Ashton," I cooed in love, sagging my shoulders in relief. I couldn't hate him even though I desperately desired to. He had succeeded in claiming my heart, mind, and body that I might go mad without him.

I once thought no man could have my heart the way Julian did, standing here with this huge beast kneeling in front of me, drawing me close until his head was in my stomach and I was cradling him like my babe, I understood what they said about living a lie. Because, honestly, I had lived a lie with such an assumption.

"Thank you." He lifted his head to kiss my stomach. "We will have our own child at the right time, okay?" He said. "And if we can't, we look for an alternative."

My hands cupped the two sides of his head, pushing my finger through his brown curls to caress his scalp whilst striving to look directly into his eyes to confirm the truth in his statement. "Do you mean that?"

"There is no other way, Gwen." He shrugged casually. "It's obvious I can't live without you and feigning otherwise would be plain foolery so why try? Frankly, I would love nothing more than to see you pregnant with my child, yet, if it means losing you, I will rather live in peace with another means."

"Ash..." I bent low to deeply kiss his forehead and nodded his head back to my stomach. "You have warmed my heart with your every word this moment and I will continue to pray until the goddess would bless me with your child because it's what I want too. To carry your child. Our child."

I stepped back and tugged at his shoulders until he stood and I hugged him. I was small against him and that was what made it more beautiful. I held him, relishing in the fire that emanated from him which rather than burn me, warmed every region of me.

"Come here." He tore away, took my wrist, and went back in, closing the door after us. We strolled all the way to the bed and climbed in, him going behind me to cuddle me to him. He stoked my hair. "It feels so good to have you in my arms after such a long time." He admitted hoarsely, the breath from him fanning the back of my neck.

"I missed you more," I sighed, my arms engulfing his strong ones about me. "What about your sister? What do you think we should do?" I needed to know if he had other plans.

His loud huff was an indication of how callous this territory was. "I have men out searching for her. Everywhere they think she could be, including the home of the rogue." "Tyler knows nothing about her whereabouts." I deadpanned.

"Was that where you went earlier with my horse?" Oh, so he knows? That treacherous little twat must have informed him despite my tip. "I-I..."

"Speak freely, Gwen. I don't bite."

"I had to verify myself that she was not with him."

"That was a good one, my love. I must admit I do not like seeing you with him, but I won't pretend not to know how important this is to everyone in this palace."

I nodded, my eyes pointed at the closed window. "We will find her."

"I know."

After that, I didn't ascertain when I slept off, only waking up to a loud snore beside me. A very good snore. I rotated to my left-through good graces- as a result of how hard it was- thanks to the muscular arms keeping me captive.

Ashton was in a deep slumber. A peaceful one for that matter that left his mouth open, oozing loud noise. Snoring irritated me to nuts, albeit as I stared at the love of my life still in bed with me, enjoying his sleep, I was carried away. Forgetting that he had woken me, I allowed myself savor this unprecedented moment much longer.

I shifted until his arm was loose and placed my hand under my head and observed him closely.

How come I didn't notice his chin had this amount of stubble? Or that his hair had grown past the shoulder length. It was now looking to long and would need trimming. As for the wrinkles scattered in the contour areas of his face, I would associate that to the present predicaments facing us in the Kingdom. Oh, my poor husband. When this is all over by the Goddess's grace, we will need a lot of repose. Him, especially.

He let out a large gust of air and began coughing, his jobless left hand finding his chest to beat slowly. Instinctively, the motherly instinct in me made me move my hand forward and helped him tap. Accompanied by saying 'sorry'. The act must have woken him up as I spied a beautiful set of ocean blue through thick black lashes which latched on me for a minute trying to dissect where he was. Then, he smiled. "My love."

"Go back to sleep, it's still early," I whispered, leaning in to peck his temple. "A little ugly cough."

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He groaned. "Okay, please wake me early enough, I have to go to the border this morning."

"Okay, I will." I slid down the bed facing upwards. I couldn't get enough of this moment. It was still like I was in dream. How could I move so swiftly from sorrows to such an amount of happiness? Like very fast!

The man of my dreams was here and I was in his arms. I didn't wake up this morning to find out everything was in my head. It was real. Everything he said last night.

Goddess.

Was it happening? My redemption? Was there still more test for me to pass? Please, goddess, permanent this because I didn't think I could do without this.

"Try to catch some sleep too, my little wolf. You have big bags under your... eyes." He slurred off, emitting a snore as he fell into another round of sleep.

I didn't respond instead I was smiling sheepishly. Does he think I would be able to sleep again? Hmmn, I was literally on cloud nine. I was floating without a parachute to aid my fall. And this man thought I could sleep. With him here? After all the statements he made last night? The love he professed?

Never!

If anything, I needed to grab a trumpet and blow at the center of the pack that I now had my man back! He loved me! He fucken loved me! He said it himself last night.

Wait, I needed to ascertain he didn't say it out of pity yesterday, just to be sure I was not jumping for joy over nothing.

I tapped him gently. "Ash...?"

"Mmm," he hummed, scratched his stubble, and peeped at me. "Are you okay?"

"Yes... may I ask you something?"

He was fully awake, worry etched in his facade as he took my right cheek in his big palm. "What is it, my love? Ask away."

"About last night..." I scooted closer. "When... when you said you loved me... did you mean it?"

His sigh was audible, falling back on the end and taking me with him. "Sweetness, you had me worried over that? Of course, I meant every word I said. I love you more than anything. You do not believe me?"

"I do," I enthused, shooting off his arms. "You can go back to sleep. Don't mind my foolish self. I was only..."

He placed his hand on my neck and drew me close until I was on top of him. "It's okay, love. Can I sleep now?"

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"Yes!"

Yes, you can!

Oh, if only Abby was here! I needed to share this with someone. Tyler! Since Abigail was not here, he is going to be my pot of ears.

One hour later, I woke Ashton and he prepared and left for his meeting. While me, I quickly dressed even before Kora made it to the room, I was fully kitted, and danced out of the room.

She was astonished her expression spoke volumes. For the first time, she caught me singing. The look on her face would be captured for posterity

Fast I reached the garage and slid into the car and without question, the driver drove me to Tyler's place.

You came early," He said immediately he opened the door.

"That is because, my friend, I bear good news." I rushed past him into the sitting room.

When he came, as usual, he went straight to the kitchen and came back with a tray of biscuits and that favorite tea I liked. "What good news could be greater than finding Abby?" His eyes were askew in askance as he dropped the tray. I was sitting forward, incapable of holding back any longer.

"He loves me!"

"Who?" He stood tall, confused. "What are you talking about?"

I clapped my hands in excitement and giggled in delight at how comical his expression was now. It appeared everything seemed funny to me nowadays. "Ashton, of course!" I hollered. "Who else? He said it himself. He confessed it to me right there in front of my doorstep and this morning he confirmed his words were genuine."

Tyler didn't say a word nor did he show any form of expression to relay what was going on in his head. Just moped.

"What?" I flailed my hands openly. "You are not happy for me?" My brows arched. "I thought you would be happy for me. I haven't been happy in a long time, Ty."

"I... I am happy for you, Gwen," He eventually uttered. Dryly. He wiped his hand down his face and went to sit opposite me. "I'm only shocked that should be important to you now when the Kingdom is falling apart. When Abby, your friend, is missing."

Now, when he put it like that, my heart flopped. In guilt. "Ty... that's not fair."

"Of course, that won't be fair because it's all about you." An angry voice bristled from behind, causing me to make an arm-twisting flip around in that direction.

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