Chapter 155

ASHER

I’m drowning in paperwork, documents stacked on every surface of my office, reports that need signing, meetings that need attending. The past few weeks have been a blur of responsibilities, royal duties, and managing the pack. I’ve been doing everything I can to give Isabella space—space she needs to process everything, to forgive us. It’s the least I can do for her.

Tonight, I have to catch a flight to California for a summit. I’m folding clothes, tossing them into my suitcase mechanically, trying to focus on the next task at hand. The sooner I get out of here, the less chance there is to screw things up further. I hear footsteps behind me, and when I turn, Jax and Knox are standing at the door.

"You're really leaving without talking to her?" Jax asks, leaning against the doorframe, his arms crossed. Knox is more direct, walking in and shutting the door behind him.

"You can’t keep avoiding her, Ash. It’s been weeks."

I sigh, rubbing my face with my hands. "I’m not avoiding her. I’m giving her time. She needs space."

"Space?" Jax lets out a small laugh, though there’s no humor in it. "She’s probably taking that as indifference. Like you don’t care."

Knox nods in agreement, stepping closer. "She’s talking to us again, slowly. Things are getting better with her. You’re the only one who keeps your distance."

I shake my head, frustrated. "You don’t get it. I have responsibilities. I can’t drop everything because she’s upset with me. I have a kingdom to run."

Jax rolls his eyes. "We’re not asking you to drop everything, Asher. We’re asking you to talk to her. She probably thinks you don’t care about making things right."

I stuff a shirt into the suitcase, the frustration building. I know they’re right. I know deep down I’ve been keeping my distance because I’m scared of what she might say. What if she can’t forgive me? What if my presence only makes things worse?

"Fine," I snap, zipping up the suitcase. "I’ll talk to her. But I’m not going to grovel. I’ve done what I had to do. She needs to understand that."

I walk past them, determined to settle this before I leave. I find Isabella in the living room, sitting on the couch with a book in her hands. She looks up, her expression guarded as I approach.

"We need to talk," I say, and her eyes narrow, already on edge.

She closes the book and sits up straight, waiting. I can feel the tension between us, thick and heavy, and I don’t know how to start.

"I’m leaving for California tonight," I begin, my voice steady, though inside I’m anything but calm. "I’ve been busy. But I want you to know I’m doing all of this for us. For Luca. For the future."

She stares at me, her green eyes hard. "You think avoiding me is doing something for us?" Her tone is sharp, and it hits me harder than I expect.

"I’m giving you time. I thought that’s what you wanted," I respond, frustration creeping into my voice.

She shakes her head, standing up, the distance between us growing. "I needed you. But you’ve been hiding behind your responsibilities, and now it just feels like you don’t care."

"Of course I care!" I snap, louder than I intended. "I’m trying to fix this, but I can’t fix it if I’m not handling my duties. I’m not just a mate. I’m a king. I have responsibilities, Isa."

"And what about your responsibility to me?" Her voice breaks, and it shatters something inside me. "I don’t need a king, Asher. I need you."

Her words hit me like a punch to the gut, and for a moment, I don’t know what to say. I’m failing her. But how can I balance it all?

"I’m doing my best," I mutter, feeling the weight of everything pressing down on me. "I don’t have time to argue about this. I need to go."

Her face hardens, and I know I’ve lost whatever ground I might’ve gained. I wanted to talk things out, but we’ve only made it worse.

"Go, then," she says, her voice cold now. "Go be the king."

I grab my suitcase, the frustration boiling over. "I’ll be back in a few days."

She doesn’t respond, just turns her back to me, and I can feel the tension between us solidify into something heavier, something that won’t be easily dissolved. I don’t say another word. I leave, the door closing behind me with a finality that makes my chest tighten.

As I drive away, the anger subsides and guilt settles in. I’ve handled this all wrong, but there’s no turning back now.

JAX

As soon as I heard the door slam, I exchanged a look with Knox. We hadn’t meant to eavesdrop, but it was hard not to when you could practically feel the tension between Asher and Isabella in the air.

"That didn’t sound good," Knox muttered, running a hand through his hair, his face tight with worry.

I leaned against the banister, arms crossed, frustration bubbling under my skin. "No, it didn’t. I don’t know what the hell he was thinking, talking to her like that."

"He’s trying, Jax. In his own messed-up way." Knox’s voice was softer now, like he was trying to convince himself more than me. "He’s drowning in everything. The crown, the pack, all of it. He thinks staying away is what she needs, but it’s only making things worse."

I nodded, staring down at the floor. "Yeah, I get that. But he’s pushing her further away, and if he’s not careful, he’s gonna lose her." The thought of that made my chest feel tight, like I couldn’t breathe. After everything that’s happened, the idea of losing Isabella felt unbearable.

Knox exhaled slowly, stepping closer. "You think she’ll forgive us? All of us?"

I rubbed the back of my neck, feeling the weight of his question. "I don’t know, man. She’s angry, and she has every right to be. But she hasn’t left. She’s still here. That has to mean something, right?"

Knox nodded, but I could see the doubt flickering in his eyes. "Maybe. But we can’t keep fumbling like this. Asher leaving like that... it’s not gonna help."

I glanced at the door, the silence in the house almost too loud now. "Yeah," I said quietly. "I don’t know what’s gonna happen either. But we need to figure it out fast, before it’s too late."