Lycan King's Nemesis

GWEN

"She will be alright, Sal." Was the first thing I heard in my head before gradually, my environment registered. I didn't open my eyes immediately not because I didn't want to as I could hear the succinct fear in my father's voice as he reassured my mother that someone going to be alright, but I couldn't as a result of the bright light focused on my vision, causing my head to bang.

Then, the next thing that occurred to me was that I was lying on a bed. I recalled vividly I had gone to the woods to clear my head. I ran. I also recalled everything going dark.

Abruptly, my lids snapped open followed by a loud wince.

"Gwen!" My mother careened, hurrying to my bedside. "You are awake."

How did I get here? "Windows," I breathe, bristling when she caressed my upper arm in a motherly gesture.

"Oh." Father went to shift the curtains and curb the light, leaving the room in a dimly lit state. He came to stand beside mother and they watched me like hawks.

"How did I get back?" My eyes were skating around as I asked. I wagged my toenails-an abnormal thought of going crippled crossing my mind.

"Your husband," Mother's voice was croaky. Had she been crying? I flickered my orbs at her face. Her expression showed everything I assumed. "He was so worried."

And again, I wondered why they were not mad at him for what he had done. "He is a monster," I brisked in a harsh tone.

"Yet, your husband and the father of your child,"

My eyeballs expanded. "W-what...." My head bent to my stomach and back at my mom. "I am not pregnant."

"Yes, you are, my child." Her face was a mask of joy. "The doctor confirmed it last night."

Tears instantly stung my eyes. How... how is that even possible?

"You are two months gone, baby." My father's voice reeked with happiness.

"But..." How could I be pregnant and I didn't know? And it had to be now?

I shook my head. "I can't stay here anymore," I concluded.

"But... Ashton is your husband and this is now your new home." Mother reminded me, her tone distorted.

"I can't stay here!" I literally screamed at my mom. "I-I can not stay married to a man who has done nothing but ruin the lives of others for his selfish satisfaction. Ashton is a monster. He doesn't care about anyone but himself. I would rather go away than risk letting my child know a man like him as a father."

"It's okay, baby," Father stooped down and massaged my right shoulder. "We will talk about it. For now, you have to rest. If you wake up again and think the same, then we will leave immediately if that will make you happy."

That was what I yearned to hear. I thought I finally found my happy place with Ashton, but now, I feel like I have been living in denial. Ashton is sick. And until he came to terms with that and worked on himself, he would always hurt everyone in his path. I loved him so damn much it hurts, yet, sometimes, love isn't enough.

ASHTON

The brown bars of the rusty old doors of the dungeon clanged loudly as the guard opened it for me. From within, I could hear the repeated fuzzy cusses and knew it was from none other than Sweetbaby himself.

He had been here for a few days but I decided to ignore him to make him feel the cruelties of being held captive and rendered incapacitated, that way he learned of my supremacy over him.

Even though in a hard way.

"I will kill your King whence I lay my hands on him." His voice reverberated through the filmy walls of the dungeon.

"Shut the fuck up, old skunk or I will rip your smelly guts off you." One of my guards challenged him.

I reached them in time. "Leave us," I mouthed, my eyes on the lanky fella clinging to the cell bars, his pupils red as he accessed me coldly.

"It's nice to see you too, Sweetbaby," I drawled, my fingers reaching up to scratch my invisible beards. "How long has it been?"

His response was to spit at my feet. My lashes lowered to it. At least he spared my face.

The corners of my lips lifted up in a smug smirk. "It's glad to know your fierce spirit hasn't been broken."

"You will remain nothing but an animal to me, Ashton. An animal!"

"Yes, I heard you the first time." I waved him off, coolly. I am still reeling from the excitement of becoming a father I most likely won't take him too seriously. "I merely want to know why you sent your men to invade my territory on a special day in my pack. You killed my best friend."

"You are such a foolish King you do not even know what happens under your nose. Oh..." He began chuckling deriliously. "... I get it. The King fell in love and fell out of wisdom." I was still grinning, despite dreaming of ripping his heart out. "Is that all you have to say?" I quizzed, crossing my hungry arms over my chest and reclining backwards. "That still didn't answer my question."

"I don't owe you anything! I only seek for your head and until the day I have it, I can't lower myself to speak to an animal... go talk to your so-called deltan and of course, the obsidian eyes bastard you bought for your own selfish profit." That finally got me.

"What are you talking about?" I asked, my expression becoming stoic.

His response was a toothy laugh that rang in the eerie hallways, down to my stomach.

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Very nauseating.

"I won't repeat myself, human. What do you me-"

"I mean what I mean... Go decode it, beast!"

I balled my fist, hiding my claws that retracted as Fangs were losing his shit and cared for nothing but to taste the blood of the impudent human before us. But I had more important things to do. Oh, Goddess help me let it not be what I was thinking.

"Troy!"

A guard appeared from the corner.

"Your Highness."

"Make sure his head is delivered to me on a clean platter,"

"Yes, your highness."

"You will rot in hell, you vile beast!" Sweetbaby's voice followed me out of the dungeon.

I went to the stables and mounted Striker, and headed out.

"Open the damn door, you traitor!" I banged at Tyler's door the moment I got there.

"What do y-" He didn't get to finish his statement as he unbolted the lock before my fist found his face.

I tackled him to the ground, sending measured punches to his face to make sure I destroyed him beyond recognition.

"Stop it!" Abby's voice assailed from the stairs as she ran to us, grabbed my shoulders, and pulled. "You will kill him, please stop." She cried.

I was blinded by rage all I wanted was to indeed kill the fucker.

"Please, just stop." She kept pulling.

Hearing the helplessness in her tone, made me stutter and then very slowly, my breathe ragged, I stood up and moved away. I covered my face with my hands in disbelief, still fighting to control my fury. "Argh!"

"I'm sorry," She was muttering to him. I shifted on my feet until I was facing them. Seeing the way she cuddled the traitor, mothering him, caused more fury to explode in me.

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"Get away from him!" I commanded her.

"I will not hee-"

"Get the fuck away from him!" There was more venom in my tone this time and she knew better than to disobey me. She stood haughtily and scurried away. I pointed at Tyler, my chest still heaving. "He is not good for you." "I love him!" Was her blatant comeback. "Something you may never know."

"Say all you want but you can't be with him because he is a traitor. He was the one who masterminded the killing of Williams. He and Merit. They don't mean well for us. He doesn't mean well for you," I emphasized. "They connived with the humans to attack us on the night of the ball."

"I don't believe you," She shrieked, more tears pouring from her eyes. "Now that you are on bad terms with your mate you also want me to suffer with you. What kind of man are you? Tyler will never do something like that."

"Ask him." Was my simple response, nodding in the direction of Tyler still sitting on the floor, looking bummed out.

Her watery blues found him and held him. "Is-Is that true, Ty?" Her voice trembled, almost like she knew the truth, yet was hinging on a miracle. "Did you betray us?"

"I'm sorry, Abby," The rogue let out softly, his eyes watering like hers. "The human deceived me. I-I was desperate to have a place in this world but not to the detriment of hurting the only family I have come to know. I swear he promised not to hurt anyone, and I had his word." He stood up, inching closer to Abigail who was fully trembling as she sobbed. "I was deceived too and I am sorry."

I scoffed audibly, not believing a word he said.

When I came back to the palace, I was worn out and emotionally drained. I made my way to the room, leaving else aside. My heart swelled knowing that in the midst of all the chaos happening around me, something right was in the mix. A new beginning.

The minute I opened the door, I found my mate dressing up. More happiness bobbled inside at seeing her awake from her unconscious state. "Gwen..."

"Im leaving with my parents, Ashton," was the first comment to me. "I can't continue in this sham of a marriage anymore."

"Gwen," I reached her side and without thinking about it, fell on my knees. "Drive a sword through my heart, do anything but don't say that to me."

She pushed me away when I tried to touch her, her eyes gone from the kind ones they used to be, to a frigid ice. Not like my little wolf's.

"There is nothing you can do to change my mind, Ashton," She persisted, every word resolute. 'I have made up my mind. Once I have your child, I will send you words. As for now, I need my space. And so do you."

And like that, she took her black shawl, wrapped it around her shoulders and left the room, leaving me kneeling there watching the love of my life leave. And for the second time, my heart was devastated.

I felt raw pain sizzle through me.