Chapter 53 Turned on
Chapter 53: Asher
"Asher, all I did was give her a list," Albert said in an even tone. "Not some dagger... Please Asher, just try to calm down—"
"Don't tell me to fucking calm down!" I snapped, glaring at him with blazing eyes. "Do you know what you have done?"
His wise eyes dimmed and he frowned.
"You have ruined the very plan you told me about! You allowed her to do that, Albert! You freaking sold me out!" I yelled in one breath.
"Asher, don't make this seem like I betrayed you. All I did was follow the right protocol to avoid sanctions and questions," he defended and my eyes rolled in disbelief.
"Oh so now it's my fault?"
"I am not saying that it is. All I am trying to pass across to you is that, she is the Luna. You made her Luna. Of course I will let her perform her duties whether you admit them or not." He countered.
His words fueled both guilt and rage inside of me. And before I could stop myself, I stalked towards him with clenched fists.
"Do you even know what this means? Having Axel and Violet under my roof at a time like this?"
Albert blinked once. But he didn't step away. He faced me.
"You will have to stand side by side like the true royal couple that you are. The perfect image for the festival," he said.
Rage flashed through me like lightning and before I knew it, I grabbed his collar. Hard.
"You fucking told me to make Angel my date for the festival? You said the Aphrodisiac worked on the first female I saw and you promised to help me get infatuated with Angel!" I growled in his face. "So how the fuck is this going to work now?"
"The plan still remains the same, Asher... Welcoming the guests isn't supposed to take the whole night," he winced through the pressure around his neck.
For the second time that day, I got the maddening desire to kill someone. And just like the first time, I couldn't do it.
Irritated even more at myself, I shoved him aside, his body hitting the table. "Make sure this works, Albert. I don't care what you have to do, but make sure it fucking works!"
Not sparing him a second glance, I stormed out of the war room and headed back to my study.
Everything around me disgusted and irritated me. I hated that the perfect plan I thought I had was suddenly messed up.
I hated that in the middle of all the madness and anger, my wolf was having a party!
And in the end I realized that I was an idiot. I should have known this would happen. I should have known that Scarlett would play her cards too.
No matter how much I tried to keep her away from me, she managed to crawl back. Every single time.
And now, not even the fact that I had her locked in that isolation chamber helped me feel better.
If anything, I felt worse.
"Damn you, Scarlett!" I hissed, slamming the door to my study close.
My chest heaved so fast, I hated every second of it. I hated how my emotions conflicted when it came to her.
Nothing I did made it better. My heart, my brain and my body seemed to be in constant battle to what to feel and do.
In fact, the thought of her locked away should have made me happy or at least satisfied. But it didn't.
It stirred guilt and unease through me. It left me wondering how I was going to survive the festival now that she was impossibly involved.
I paced the length of the study, trying to calculate how the plan could still work. Because even with Albert's assurances, I knew that old man was playing this game in Scarlett's favour.
And I blamed myself. I should have listened to my instincts when he brought the approval form for the stupid festival.
I should have known that it was a fucking trap.
Fuck!
Thinking about that wasn't even helping me. I should rather find a solution. Maybe I'll not drink the damned Aphrodisiac at all.
"No," I growled to myself. That wasn't going to work.
The drink was a tradition I couldn't refuse. In fact, I had to do the opening for the ceremony.
Damn it!
"Wait—" I paused again. Maybe I could get the drink replaced...
A small grin formed on my face as it clicked. Yes, that was it.
All I had to do was replace the damned content of the glass, so that I wouldn't subject myself to an impossible connection—
My phone suddenly buzzed on my desk, the sound snapping me out of my thoughts.
With a frown, I quickly walked to it and my eyes narrowed as I saw the caller. It was Willow.
Of course, she must have heard about the festival too. Damn it!
I considered ignoring the call but I knew better than to do that. It was best to deal with her once and for all.
With a sigh, I picked the call and placed it to my ear.
"Willow," I said and she instantly snarled like my voice irritated her.
"You’re such a fool!" she spat, in a voice that clawed into my ears. "Why would you agree to the festival, Asher?"
My heart tightened as my own self-hate only increased. "Look, it has already happened. What do you want?" I growled defensively.
"I want you to grow some balls, you imbecile!" She snapped. "How can you be so weak?"
"Do not insult me, Willow! Know your damned place!" I shot back, as my ego got badly bruised.
"Oh now you care about getting insulted?" She sang, chuckling darkly. "What happened to that ego when that little child of Talon manipulated you into doing this?"
"Don't say what you don't know, Willow! I wanted the festival to hold because I knew that it will help me get closer to Angel." I lied, desperately trying to regain control. "Don't you know that the festival isn't just about Love but Lust too?"
"Oh spare me the jargon. Do you really think you feel either of those emotions for Angel?" She countered and my throat felt like it was being choked with broken glasses.
"I do lust for her. And the drinks will help in amplifying it!" I shot back.
"Keep lying to yourself. I hope your cock gets the same message. Because at this point it's better you think with your cock than your love infested brain!" She snarled in a cold tone that clawed on my skin like blades.
I growled low in my throat in a very embarrassing tone. “I know what I’m doing.”
She resumed her laughter but in a slow and cruel manner that made my gut drop.
“Do you?" She hissed. "Because Asher darling, I don't think you know what you are doing at all.”
Cold, humiliating air shot at me as I blinked, unable to respond.
"Let me help you, just in case you decide to use that dead brain of yours," she hissed, her voice drumming with life. "The drinks you speak of— whether love or lust— it doesn't perform magic tricks. They don't create new attractions. They just multiply what's already there."
My jaw clentched just as tight as my fists. My foolishness was now as clear as day and I couldn't even deny it.
"Deny it as much as you want but you love Scarlett," Willow continued. "So when the drink hits your system— which ever one you take— just know that you'll want her. Only her."
The brutal truth in her words made my stomach turn.
Willow was right. I couldn't resist Scarlett. Even without the drink, I was already burning with need for her.
In fact even just thinking about her, brought the image of her body; her soft curves and perfect lips...
I could imagine her curled up on that dungeon floor and just like that, I felt it again. That misplaced primal ache to claim her. To bury myself deep inside her and listen to her scream my name in pleasure...
Fuck.
"You can't outrun your connection, Asher," Willow's voice slithered through my thoughts. "Your only option is to cancel this obnoxious festival. Right now."
And just like that, she ended the call, leaving me shaking with thousand emotions. I was angry, I was infuriated. But I was also turned on.
I couldn't cancel the festival. Not when the invites have already being sent and responses received.
No, I would become a laughing stock if I did that. Besides, the council would write me off as a clown.
If I couldn't organize a simple festival, how could I handle the entire realm?
These thoughts settled my decision. The festival would go on.
And my horniness?
I would have to start practicing to get my satisfaction with Angel. After all, she was the only sane thing in my life.
Fueled with these, I went into her room and found her curled on the bed with nothing but a red lacey thong around on her ass.
Perfect. It was just what I needed.