~Alaya
Sinful was watching me carefully for a reaction, which I fight to keep hidden.
This is meant to be the man that left me at the alter. He hurt me. Apparently. The feeling of surprise is one I let Sinful see, but the utter confusion, I keep to myself. He has to believe Aspen is Marcus, even if I hadn’t had this part of the plan explained to me. Another reason I need to strangle my mate.
An idea sparks into my mind at that moment. An act of confirmation, to perhaps sell the story. But also, the urge to do this itches at my fingertips.
I walk straight up to Aspen and slap him across the face.
Everyone in the room is clearly stunned. Aspen clenches his jaw, try to mask the pain from the hit. Rubbing my hands together, I back up a few steps, glancing at Sinful to see him smirking at both me and Aspen.
“I can’t say you didn’t deserve that,” he remarked, folding his arms over his chest. If only Sinful knew that Aspen wasn’t Marcus.
When no one speaks, Sinful continues, “well, Alaya, it’s your choice. What would you like to happen to him?”
I expected either Asher of Aspen to make some kind of expression. Nothing. Both seemed calm and collected, naturally assuming I would be the one to get Aspen out of this situation. A part of me wants to demand Sinful kill Aspen on the spot, just to see their reactions. Instead, I try to scramble for an excuse to give him more time.
“I don’t know,” I say quickly. Something flares in Asher’s eyes, making me continue. “I don’t want him dead… I need another day to think.”
Sinful deems my words believable, and nods at Aspen, raising an eyebrow. We are all waiting for Sinful to make the final decision on what would happen to Aspen. He seems to be considering something, before he turns his full attention back to Aspen.
“You’re lucky,” he remarks. “Tomorrow, your fate will be decided.”
I’m not sure how to react. I need time to talk to Aspen, however, it doesn’t seem like I’ll get it. Sinful will expect an answer from me tomorrow, and will surely be suspicious when I tell him to let Aspen walk free? Asher is staring at me directly, and Sinful pushes Aspen toward a door, getting him out of our line of sight. I’m not sure where he will end up, but right now, I don’t care.
The moment I turn towards Asher, I growl. “Care to share with me what the hell is going on?”
Asher places his finger to his lips, knowing Sinful would be able to still hear us. Grabbing my arm, he drags me from the room, toward the pool. Seriously?
He closes the door after him as we enter the pool area, the what wafting up from the surface helping to calm my tense shoulders. If Asher decides he wants to be cryptic and secretive now, then I’m going to have to push him straight into the pool.
“I apologise at sudden this is,” Asher says smoothly, turning to face me. Narrowing my eyes, I place my hands on my hips.
“That’s not an answer.”
Asher surprises me, as he kicks off his shoes and socks, shrugging calmly. I watch every movement, contemplating what he is doing. Is he trying to distract me? It’s not going to work. The fact that he is my mate doesn’t make me any less furious at him for doing this, from keeping all these secrets.
“It’s a part of the plan,” he tells me slowly, as if to make me feel foolish. It’s his way of deflecting to question at hand, rather than answering it. The thought of that only makes me more livid at him.
“The plan I’m not supposed to know about?”
He nods.
Sighing in frustration, I throw my hands up. “If you don’t explain to me why I’m here, and what this ridiculous plan is right now, I’m going to leave this place, and find someone else willing to send me home.”
I’m not completely sure if this is an option, but I’m willing to pursue it if it means getting out of the molten golden gaze of Asher. Even if he is my mate…
“Go ahead,” he replies breezily. I watch as he shrugs his jacket off. What in the world does he think he’s doing?
“That’s it?” I growl.
“Absolutely. That is, if you discount the fact that I will hunt you down and drag you back here without any mercy,” he continues, his time grabbing the hem of his shirt to pull it over his head.
I avert my eyes quickly. “Why?”
“Because I can,” he tell me, a smirk playing on his lips.
What is with him today? Is the steam getting to his head? I’ve never seen him act like this, especially not toward me. I had been warned about him coming onto me earlier, however, I see no evidence of him even seeing me in any other light than as a part of his sick plan. Now that he is my mate, I can feel the attention, as it burns its way through my body, reaching my toes with curl in my shoes.
“I’m supposed to tell Sinful about what will happen to Aspen tomorrow,” I remind him, hoping he would hear the urgency in my voice. “He wants answers. Answers I don’t have, unless you want to fess up.”
Asher regards me for a moment, like a lion at the edge of its den, the colour of his eyes being similar to what his mane would be. I take a shuddering step back.
“You don’t want to know the plan,” Asher tells me, matching my step toward me, the muscles of his well defined torso moving with him. “I’ve been keeping it from you for a reason, Alaya.”
“I know-”
He places his finger up, hushing me. That’s starting to be my least favourite gesture of his. Holding my ground, I refuse to give up our intense eye contact right now. He stands directly in front of me, so I can smell the sweetest jasmine scent coming off of him. It’s hard to force my body not to react to that.
“No, you don’t know,” he murmurs. “You see, I’m good at keeping secrets. So good, some of the most cunning immortals don’t feel as though they know me. Believe or not, I’m holding myself back from you, for your own protection.”
“You don’t get to decide whether I need protecting or not,” I snap.
Deliberately, his gaze travels down from my eyes, burning their own path, to my lips, and further down, until they land on my shoes.
“You should take those off,” he remarks. I scowl.
“Your lack of focus is disturbing. I’m not going swimming with you-”
Before I could even finish my sentence, Asher stepped right out of his pants in an impressively bold maneuver, leaving himself in only his underwear and he turns and dives straight into the pool. The splash hit’s my pants and shoes, making me growl. I’m not used to Asher acting like this in front of me, and now that I have what I’ve been asking for, I don’t want it anymore.
He emerges in a spray of water, shaking his head rapidly, hitting me with more water I stumble back to attempt to avoid. The smile on his face is beautifully unfamiliar.
“Asher,” I snap, clapping my hands together. “I’m two seconds from leaving his place.”
“Oh come on, jump in with me, I promise you won’t regret it,” I tempts, tipping under the water again as if to avoid my answer. Rolling my eyes, I fold my arms, tapping my fingers against my biceps as I wait for him to give me his attention.
“No happening.”
He swam to the edge of the pool. “You’ll find I’m a lot more honest when I’m inside water.”
Sighing deeply, I glance over my shoulder, looking through the glass. I have a feeling Asher is keeping me distracted from something, which I’m tempted to find out what that is. The playful, devious look dancing in his eyes is evidence enough to that.
“You’ll find me a lot more reasonable outside of water,” I say.
“Debateable.”
“Come on, I’m willing to tell you why I’m protecting you if you come in here,” he says, motioning across the surface of the pool. “You can get out straight away if that makes you feel better.”
I swallow, considering my options. Curiously, I slowly pull my shoes off. He’s going to answer my question whether he wants to or not. All the while, I’ll be keeping all my clothes on unlike him, even if they weigh me to the bottom. At least he won’t be there…
Asher grins as he sees my intentions, pushing back against the water to give me room to clamber in. It feels odd, the water soaking my pants, and then my shirt, and I finally give in, and sink below the surface.
“Finally,” Asher breathes, swimming closer until we are almost touching, his arms coming to rest on either side of me on the pool wall. The proximity is unnerving.
“Come on,” I prompt. “Care to explain a few things?”
He smiles, his warm breath against my face a completely contrast to the cool water.
“I’m protecting you,” he murmurs, “because of this.”
Before I could protest, his fingers came up to clasp my chin, and brings his lips to mine.