Lycan King's Nemesis

ASHTON

Five months later...

When I was a pup, Dad would often rouse me from sleep very early in the morning to walk miles, run, and do several things that would be considered abnormal for a pup of my age. Back then, I often looked forward to it with a grudgeful heart, wishing to be like every other pup who enjoyed their morning respite with no discomfort, all in the name of me being a future Lycan King.

My mother, was the exact same if not stricter than my dad so I couldn't even look to her for salvation.

After the death of my father which forced me to become King at an earlier age, I came to appreciate everything he did for me, and even more so, my mother for her hardhandedness. But today, I could wholeheartedly say that in all those training, if there was one aspect they never prepared me for, it was the emptiness, the big hole, the depression in our heart that was created when we lost a loved one.

The harsh blow dealt on us by love.

"My decision is final," My voice carried in the room full of my elders as we engaged in our weekly meeting in the conference room at the palace. "We go to war with the vampires."

"But, My King," Malachi, the interim Beta I had appointed, pending when I was mentally settled enough to choose a new one. "Don't you think the elders should sleep on this?" As he spoke, his eyes washed over the awed-eyed men seated around the conference room, their expressions highly disagreeable with my decision. "I mean, with all due respect I dare say it would be reckless to carry out such a feat seeing as we no longer have a chief guardian too, and our warriors are unprepared."

I growled. "We were born prepared, Malachi." My voice brooked no argument. "Before that traitor was appointed, we did well for ourselves, and in my command, y'all must do as I say." Of course, I had expelled the rogue immediately after the revelation about his ungrateful stunt.

An eerie breeze blew across the room, followed by the loud squeal of my chair as I stood, running my cold orbs across the room at the cowards who couldn't even meet my eyes. "My decision is final." With that, I left the room.

I ran into Mother at the door the moment the door was open, and it turned out she was apparently eavesdropping. "Ahem," She cleared her throat, her blue embers showcasing she was caught unaware and therefore embarrassed. "Mother, it's not like you were restricted from coming in."

"I am retired, son. Now, walk with me," She ordained, making a sweeping surveillance gesture as she packed up her orange caped gown and ambled down the well-lit hall.

Outside was humid, the trees appearing more plush and denser as a result of the serial rain. I smell showers in the air for tonight. This was the season for my horses; the weather and fresh hays. Business would have commenced... if only I was happy.

"Why do you want to go to war with the vampires, again?" My mother's sultry interrogation infiltrated my head space.

"Mother, you can't convince me otherwise."

"Well, the last time I checked, with your Queen absent, I have been forced back into a position I thought to have escaped months ago, which automatically made everything once more my business. So..." "That wretched bastard Vladimir had the guts to dance with my woman during the ball... He even..."I faltered, my blood boiling as I reminisced that night, my fists balling. "He even tried to seduce her." "Ashton!"

"Mother."

"You dare tell me that you plan on attacking a Kingdom of blood thirsty creatures just because their King was reckless around your... your former woman?"

My jaw flexed, my stomach knots twisting in rage. "Mother... Gwen is still my wife."

"Then, where is she?"

"Mother, you of all people should..."

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"You are being very selfish, and I hate to break it to you, son, your wife was right. You do most things only because it favours you. What about others? Have you thought about the men that would go down at the war? Their families? The innocent vampires that would also die simply because their King was-was stupid."

"Mother..."

"I promised your father I was going to make an honest and gentle man of you before a wise King and I lived all my life doing that. I left here a year ago, believing I concluded on my part of that bargain when I found you a lovely wife and the goddess fulfilled her part by blessing you with a child. Gwen was a gift you left slip out of your hands, now, I am not going to allow you to make more wrongful decisions that would destroy this Kingdom. And oh... I know about your horses and I'm not mad at you for disobeying me on that one."

As I watched my mother go, my body froze with cold, not from the weather, but from her words. I was mad. I was very mad at everything, everyone, that all I desired to do every day was cause more havoc if only it would heal a little of this heart wound I had. If only it would help me even a little not think about my little wolf and how she would be faring away from me, with my child.

Most days I woke up, making up my mind to visit her, beg her more to come back, but I knew that would prove futile. She despised me now with everything in her and until I received that letter summoning me to see my child, I couldn't defy her and go to her.

Oh, how much I missed Williams. Goddess rest his soul. If he were to be here, he would surely have a word or two of solace for me, or be the one to help me keep an eye on her. But now, he was six feet, his soul somewhere unreachable. I turned around and matched back into the house.

In my study, I uncorked a bottle of Scottish Scotch and poured it into a reflector dumping it into my mouth at once. I poured another one, dropped the bottle in the bar, and strolled to the back windows to stare directly at three of my mounts as they grazed in the meadow, fully contented. How I wished to be like them.

Now, that I know that my mother knew about them, I will consider investing my time into my ranch business, that way I would have minimal time to think about Gwen or all the other thoughts that embittered me. There was a knock at the door which came ajar as I looked there, and Abigail peeped in. She came in, and gradually closed the door, standing there in contemplation as if afraid of my reaction to her. As she should be.

"What do you want?" I thundered. "I thought I told you to hide away until you have given birth to that traitor." And yes, it turned out the rogue implanted his seed in her. You can imagine how I felt when I found out. "Ash..." She approached quietly. "Please, I don't want any fight," she said. "I only want to talk."

"There is nothing you want to say I care about." I left the window and strolled to the middle of the room, close to my desk and lowered the glass on it. By now, my eyes were heavy as if I was feeling sleepy. "You are a disgrace to this family." "I don't care what you say, Ashton." Her hands rose and fell as she spoke, her eyes not leaving me. Her bump was becoming more visible now and the more I looked at it, the angrier I got. "I have been obeying you and hiding away. But whether you like it or not, Ash, this baby is now ours and there is nothing we can do about it. As a matter of fact, if asked if I wished for anything in the past to be different, I... I would answer no." My teeth gritted; my eyes dipped as I glared at her.

"But you are my blood, and I can't continue like this with you, Ash. I love you so much to understand you are hurting and so are we all. Divided we can't do anything about the situation but together, so much can be achieved." Tears began to trickle as she spoke, causing my heart to soften a notch. Like it or not, this was part of the reason I asked her to hide away, with her standing there looking like that, it caused feelings I wasn't willing to acknowledge to surface.

It reminded me so much about Gwendolyn.

"I need to be alone..."

"You need to stop hurting yourself and, in that way, stop hurting others, Ash," She persisted. "You need to forgive the past, forgive everyone and realize no matter what happens, we love you."

"I said

"Please..." She reached my side at Lycan speed and took my left hand in hers, hugging herself against it. "I missed us."

Tears pulled in my eyes and flowed down, the last barrier breaking down.

"Please, forgive me."

I didn't expect to fall this easily but before you know it, we were hugging each other and crying like we were pups. I have never allowed myself this many emotions around anyone but right now at this point with my sister, I gave in and wept hard. "We will weather through the storm, brother..."

...