67:It’s not over

67:It’s not over
“The crime of Athena is grave. The elders council has decided to burn her alive, my king.” Elder 1 said after a long silence of murmuring and whispers.

“No one will lay a hand on her!” Alaris growled, his voice laced with poison and threat.

“If a strand of her hair goes missing, I will not show any mercy.” His voice was low and laced with venom. Burn her alive? Never.

“But my king, she killed an imperial child.” Elder 2 protested, and Alaris slammed his hand on the armrest and rose to his feet, his brows furrowed and jaw clenched.

“She is mine to protect. No one is allowed to touch her.” He said firmly, his breath hot.

The elders turned to each other and whispered amongst themselves. After what seemed like forever, they turned to face the king.

“She will no longer be burnt alive.” Elder 1 said, and Alaris's shoulder relaxed; his breath became lighter.

“The elders have decided that you, the king, must make another baby with the concubine Ladya. It is this way only; can Athena be pardoned?” Elder 1 said, his voice dropping and rising, and Alaris’s jaw clenched. They are pushing him, aren’t they? Did they realise the woman they are accusing is the woman he loves? The soon-to-become dragon queen?

“You must make another baby with the concubine, Ladya.” The elders chorused, and Alaris shut his eyes and opened them slowly, suppressing the beast that was begging to be unleashed.

Sleep with another woman? He can’t do that to Athena. The thought of it even made his stomach churn.

He scanned their faces. He didn’t say anything; not yet. His words were laws, and he can’t take them back.

His lips parted, and as the words were about to leave his mouth, Endrado walked in, face covered with beads of sweat. If he looked worse the first time, then he looks like a walking corpse now.

“My king,” Endrado called and bowed his head.

“Athena is innocent….” He paused and bit his tongue.

“The concubine Ladya tripped and fell during an altercation with the maid.” Endrado said, drawing in a sharp breath.

“Do you have any evidence backing your claim, Endrado?” An elder asked. Their faces were laced with disbelief. They couldn’t believe their ears.

“Yes, elder. Here is footage of the incident.” They turned around and saw Jason walk in carrying a laptop, and Alaris let out the air he didn’t realise he had been holding.

“You can see that Athena was three steps away from Ladya, and she didn’t raise her hands. Ladya fell by herself. No one pushed her.” Jason pointed at the video playing on the monitor, and the elders took turns to watch it.

It was difficult for them to hide their disappointments, as it was evident on their faces. Why would Alaris go so far to defend a woman he was not yet married to? Why did Endrado testify for her? They all had the same questions on theirinds, and none of it made sense to them.

“This matter is dismissed.” Alaris said, his voice loud and laced with authority.

“I will not make another baby with Ladya. Return to your homes.” He said with a note of finality and vanished into thin air, leaving them gritting their teeth in fury.

“This is not over, Athena.” Endrado mumbled under his breath, hands curled into fists by his side before turning into specks of dust that dispersed into the air.

The temperature of the cell suddenly skyrocketed, and Athena felt another presence in the cell with her. His scents hit her nose so hard and immediately, she knew who it was. Her wolf purred in her head, and her heart danced in her chest.

“You came for me?” She whispered, suddenly ashamed of facing him.

“I came for you.” His deep voice tugged at a string in her heart, and her stomach fluttered with butterflies. He took gentle steps towards where she lay curled up, and his eyes narrowed and turned dark when he saw the bruise on her shoulder.

He growled inwardly, afraid of frightening her.

“Whoever did this will pay.” He vowed silently and crouched before putting his thumb in his mouth and brushing it against the bruise.

She whimpered, arched her back and immediately sat up.

“I fell and bruised my back.” She quickly said, biting back a cry as the stinging sensation travelled down every part of her shoulder. She wanted to touch the bruise and scratch it, but she restricted her hands and endured the brief torture.

‘What a bad liar,’ he thought, and it aroused his mind. Who could she be protecting, and why?

“Be careful next time. I don’t like what is mine, bruised.” His voice was sultry, his teeth aching at the sight of the blood that dried on her skin. Athena gulped loudly, feeling his eyes on her. It was as if she was naked before him and he was consuming her with his eyes. It was as if he could see her deepest secret, and there was no way she could hide from him.

“Your mini vacation has come to an end, my wolf.” He said, exhaling, and picked her up into his arms in a bridal way. Her body tensed, and she immediately snuggled closer and hid her head in his chest. She felt safe and at peace.

They appeared in the bedroom, and Alaris headed straight for the bathroom. He placed her on the ground, and her legs wobbled, but he supported her with his hands before she could fall.

The bathroom was filled with steam and the sweet, calming scents of essential oil. She was barely out of prison for a minute, and now he wanted her to bathe him? Could he not let her rest?

She looked around searching for the new pair of washcloths, and her eyes found them, but the zipper of her dress at the back hissed and suddenly exposed her back to the warm air.

She stiffened and watched his fingers graze her shoulder as they tugged the dress off her shoulders before it fell to the ground, leaving her with only a white cotton panty and a blue lace bra.

Alaris’s eyes lingered on her skin, and his teeth ached and itched. He took a step backward, not taking his eyes off her, and swallowed hard. His hard shaft pressed against his trousers, begging to be set free and let into her garden.

“I will bath you.” His voice was husky, and her sex itched and throbbed, making her rub her thighs together.