Chapter 69

Chapter 69
Asher’s POV

The chamber was filled with fragrances in preparation for the mating night. Roses and candlewax. Isabella sat at the edge of the bed, her gown falling slightly off her shoulders, exposing her tender skin. She looked at me as I walked in, and I knew what was in her mind. She was still upset about how the ceremony had gone.

I pulled off my coat and hung it on the stand. Then I emptied the remaining wine in the bottle and finished it in a single gulp. 

‘’You didn’t mark me.’’ Her voice cut through the fog in my head.

I dropped the cup with a loud thud. ‘’Watch your tone with me,’’ I sneered.

She continued defiantly. ‘’You humiliated me in front of the pack, Asher. Your wolf did not accept me.’’ She stood up. ‘’Do you think no one noticed?’’

I slammed my fist against the wooden table, and in three long strides I was in front of her. I gripped her jaw firmly, enough to stop her mouth from moving. ‘’You still don’t get it, do you?’’ I leaned closer, my eyes narrowing. ‘’I am Alpha, and you don’t question me. Not ever.’’

She whimpered and she closed her eyes. I loved to see that. Fear. Submission. I wasn’t like her weak father whom she could walk all over.

‘’You will play your part,’’ I continued, my thumb pressing against her cheeks. ‘’Silently and obediently. You will refer to me as your Lord and Alpha. You will smile, bow and look pretty as my Luna. Whether my wolf sings for you or not is no business of yours. Do you understand?’’

She nodded vehemently.

I released my grip on her jaw. ‘’Speak.’’

‘’Yes, my Lord and Alpha.’’

‘’Good,’’I said. ‘’Now that we’ve set the tone for this marriage, everyone is happy.’’

I pushed her onto the bed, peeling away the gown from her shoulder and claiming her mouth with a force that would silence her doubts. Even if my wolf rejected her, she’d know I was fully capable of my roles. 

But my mind betrayed me. It wasn’t Isabella’s lips I tasted. It wasn’t her skin beneath my hands. It was Layla’s. Her eyes looked into mine as we burnt with passion. The fragrance of her skin.
‘’Layla..’’ I murmured.

And the world went still suddenly as lucidity filled my mind. I wasn’t with Layla. This was mating night with my Luna.

She stiffened beneath me and her eyes flew open, tears gathering at the corners. Her lips parted to speak, but she swallowed it. 

I withdrew, rising from the bed and pulled my shirt over my bare shirt. I didn’t look at her but I could hear her gentle sobs. Without a word, I pulled up my trousers and walked towards the door.

‘’Where are you going?’’ she asked, her voice trembling.

I stopped only for a moment before I walked out of the room.

—

I had no idea where I was headed to, but I knew I needed to go someplace far away. The room felt like it was choking me. The air of the castle was not enough. And so, I found myself at the temple.

It was dark and silent. The air which should be filled with incense was filled with the smell of dust and must. I paced across the floor like a caged beast, my boots grinding against stones and dirt.

Damn her. Damn the ghost of Layla that would keep haunting me.

My wolf prowled restlessly and memories clawed their way to the surface.

The numerous visits to this temple in my attempt to make her mine. Her repeated rejection. She had said no to me a thousand times, until she stopped talking altogether. She’d just stare at me blankly and ask if I had any request for the moon goddess. And I'd say I wanted the moon goddess to make her mine. She was too beautiful to waste her life as a priestess. She’d hit the drum, and submit my request. 

Until the night she succumbed to the attraction between us. I stopped pacing and stared at a spot in particular. My lips curved in a smile and I bit my lips. I had promised her the world, right here in this temple, as our naked bodies comforted each other and she drew patterns on my arms. I didn’t know if she believed me, but I meant it. Every damn word.

‘’Foolish nonsense,’’ I cursed under my breath, raking my hand through my hair. 

A sound outside suddenly interrupted my thought. Soft, rustling sound. I froze and listened. Who could be walking around the temple at this time? Was it Isabella? Did she follow me here?
I moved quietly towards the exit, squinting my eyes into the darkness.

It was a woman. Her dress matched the darkness, but her silver white hair gleamed under the moonlight. She was fixed on a spot, looking at the floor. It was the site, the exact site where Layla had burnt. My heart raced. Why was she here? And why was she looking at the spot Layla had died.

It was her, wasn’t it? What more proof did I need?

I stepped forward, towards her but she was too engrossed in her thoughts to even hear me coming.

‘’Layla,’’ I called out, my wolf surging forward with equal anguish and hunger.

She turned to me suddenly and shrieked. I stepped closer and she moved backwards. ‘’What - Why are you here?’’ she asked. Her face looked like she had seen a ghost, but I was the one seeing a ghost. I caught her hand and she tried to pull it away.

‘’Layla,’’ I repeated.

She blinked. ‘’Alpha Asher,’’ she started to say but I pulled her towards my chest. She placed a hand between us. My breath was coming out in rasps. 

‘’What are you doing?’’ she asked.

I looked at her. ‘’What I should have done the first time I set my eyes on you again.’’