Anxiety creeping in….
Although I ate a very filling and comforting meal, I still ended up feeling quite hungry about 30 minutes later. I decided to make my way to the kitchen to get something to eat, so I grabbed the tray that contained the empty bowl and platter used to bring my food.
I still wasn’t strong enough to walk around easily, so I carefully made my way out as I approached the stairs. I went to the kitchen and dropped the dirty dishes in the sink. After scanning the place to ensure I was still the only one there, I checked inside the fridge. I looked around to see what I could have, but I couldn’t find anything I really wanted at that moment. I eventually opted for a large apple, which I cut into thin slices and ate with some peanut butter. The snack was very filling, so after finishing it, I drank some water and started back to my room.
On my way, I overheard Simon and Lucas having a discussion. Even though I didn’t want to eavesdrop, I somehow managed to hear and understand what they were talking about. Obviously, they couldn’t be talking about anyone else but me. In fact, the main subject of discussion throughout the house during this period was no one else. Ashley this, Ashley that! Whether anyone liked it or not, my name had slowly become an anthem, constantly being sung all over the house daily.
I was taken aback when I heard Simon saying something about me being sold off.
“Listen, Lucas, I seriously don’t know about you, but I’m extremely tired of everything that has been going on in this house since we brought Ashley in.”
“Oh, come on, Simon, don’t start with this again.”
“No, but it’s the truth. That lady has done more harm than good since she came here, and you know it.”
“Oh, so now you can say that. Weren’t you the exact same person constantly brooding and thinking about what we had in the car the other day? You’ve even been wishing for more to happen since the incident, so what changed?”
“Nothing! I’m not afraid to admit it, in fact. Yes, Ashley shares a bond with us whether we like it or not; one so deep and intricate that an outsider would not be able to make sense of it. I’m not afraid to mention that I am attracted to her physically, but let’s not be blinded to the other side of the story as well. If it’s not spiritual, then it’s something physical. On the other hand, if it’s not physical, then it’s emotional, and it keeps going like that. It’s very worrisome that every drama that unfolds in this house is related to Ashley in one way or another.”
“And so you want us to just leave our mate like that? I thought you would at least feel something ever since the mating season started, but it looks like you haven’t gotten anything at all.”
“Hold on now, don’t get me wrong. I might be as ruthless as people constantly say I am, but one thing I am not is someone without my wolf. Just like everybody else, I have a wolf, and he’s not dead. This further means that I am prone to the mating bond coming off strong on me, just as it is with you. But sometimes we just have to stand firm on certain things for the greater good of our stance as kings.”
“So what is your point exactly?”
“I really feel we should sell her off to another kingdom, at least for a short while until we sort out all these things going on in the kingdom before they use her to get to us.”
“What? Sell her off?”
“Yes!”
“Simon, what the heck? Why would you even think of such a thing?”
“And what do you expect? I have responsibilities as the king of the kingdom. I need to stay focused and keep things under control.”
“And I don’t? I don’t have responsibilities as the king as well? Come on, Simon, let’s not go into this in such a way.”
“Well, I’m just telling you what I feel would be best for us. They literally took her out of the house without anybody finding out. This has never happened in the mansion before, and it’s alarming, especially since we have more guards now than we ever had in the past!”
“Even I am surprised at how that happened, but I believe everything will soon be over once we catch those involved.” I heard Simon scoff, which made me even sadder. I didn’t want to keep hearing what they had to say, so I ran upstairs. I knew I had limited energy to waste carelessly, but listening to everything they said broke my heart, and I didn’t want to hear any more. As soon as I got to my bedroom, I panted heavily as I tried to catch my breath. The thought of being sold off to another pack house gave me so much anxiety. Flashbacks from my experience at the previous pack house, where I was forcefully made to stay before being sold here, kept coming back. Although I had been trying to forget and completely heal from that, hearing Simon and Lucas’s conversation brought my whole healing journey to a fruitless end. It was as if everything I had worked so hard to forget, and the progress I had made in my healing journey, had all come crashing down, and I was back to square one.
I lay on the bed very quietly, the deafening sound of silence hitting me hard. I couldn’t tell how long I remained in the same spot; time seemed irrelevant and immaterial to me. I stayed like that for as long as time could count, I guess. The firm knock on the door finally brought me back to reality, and I got up to see that it was already evening.
“Ashley,” I heard from outside, and I didn’t need anyone to tell me it was Simon standing in front of the door. I quickly pulled myself together and opened the door for him. On a normal day, Simon would never consider coming close to my bedroom door, let alone actually entering. However, he shocked me the moment he walked in and sat on my bed. I stood with the door in my hand, trying to gather myself after the shock of everything that had just played out in front of me within five seconds.
“Aren’t you going to sit?” he asked, snapping me out of whatever world I had taken myself to.
“Oh, right!” I responded, shutting the door carefully before walking closer to the bed where he was sitting casually. I took note of how he was sitting and his body movements, no matter how small. From what I could see, something about his demeanor seemed to have changed, but what was it?
“Please, sit,” he offered, pointing to the bed close to him. Knowing how Simon truly is, I found that offer to be a trap, a huge one in fact.
“Oh, that’s alright, Your Highness. I think I want to stand,” I said, forcing a laugh to make things less tense for me in the room. He didn’t say anything for a short while, which made me extremely worried. I looked over to see his facial expression, but it was nearly impossible to tell what he was thinking. All it took was a stare that held so much power that I had no option but to obey his initial and only command.
“Good. So now I guess you are probably wondering why I am here. You see, I think there are certain things you haven’t quite gotten used to despite the fact that you have been here for months now.” I gulped nervously, constantly looking between his lips and eyes as he spoke.
“First of all,” he started, maintaining extreme eye contact with me, “you were brought here as a slave. In case you don’t understand what I mean when I say this, because it seems like you never do, I mean you were brought into this mansion as an item, a piece of property, someone Lucas and I have every right to lay claim over.” I looked down at the floor as tears started welling up in my eyes. If I thought things had gotten bad and I was back to square one, then this time it was worse; it felt like I was at square zero.
“Look at me when I’m talking to you,” he said, raising my gaze to meet him. One would expect him to look remorseful or at least sorry for making me feel bad, but how could I forget? Simon was definitely not like the others. Instead, his face carried so much confidence and pride, almost as if he felt the need to add to what he had said.
“I’m not saying this to make you feel bad, but if it does, then I guess the truth cannot taste sweet for everyone; someone has to find it bitter.” I bit the insides of my lips to help control myself.
“Listen, legally you belong to Lucas and me. But apparently, as the moon goddess would have it, you also happen to be our fated mate. I am not going to dispute that fact or try to push it aside. So in this way, too, you belong to Lucas and me. Whatever we choose to do with you is our business, and your only purpose is to serve and please us as your mates. So whatever hurt or emotions you seem to be feeling, they are not necessary.” A tear carelessly dropped from my left eye, but I still maintained eye contact with him. Come to think of it, this was the first time I had stared so intently at him. I wanted to cry out and express my hurt, but with him, I had to just suck it all up.
“Why are you crying, huh?” he said, wiping off the tear that had dropped so carelessly. “You’re weak!”
“No,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper.
“Did you say something?” he asked, and I shook my head, fearing that he would probably do something I would dread. He remained silent for a short while before finally letting go of my face.
“As I was saying, you belong to Lucas and me in every possible way, so I don’t expect you to feel bad about whatever decision we make on your behalf. I seriously don’t understand why you felt bad when you heard me suggest that we should have you sold off for some time while we sort things out.” My eyes widened in shock as soon as he mentioned this. How in the world did he know I was standing outside listening to everything they were saying?
“Don’t be so surprised, I have my ways,” he said, raising a brow, and possibly his ego as well.
“Listen, Ashley, you’re weak-a weak omega! If we keep you in the house, as weak and defenseless as you are, our enemies will continue to use you to get to us. Or wait, don’t you know that is what they have started doing now?”
I stood there, my heart racing as Simon’s words sank in. The gravity of the situation weighed heavily on me, but I couldn’t let him see just how terrified I was.
“But your highness,” I began, my voice trembling despite my efforts to steady it, “I’ve been doing everything I can to stay out of trouble and not cause any problems for you or Lucas. I don’t understand why selling me off is even an option.”
Simon’s expression hardened. “It’s not about what you’ve done or haven’t done, Ashley. It’s about what you represent. Your presence here, in this house, has become a liability. You are the weakest link, and our enemies know that. They’ll exploit it every chance they get.”
I swallowed hard, trying to fight back the tears threatening to spill over. “But I thought… I thought I was more than just a pawn. I thought being your mate meant something.”
Simon’s gaze softened, just slightly, but his tone remained firm. “It does mean something, Ashley, but this is bigger than just you or me. It’s about protecting the kingdom. If selling you off, even temporarily, is what’s needed to keep everyone safe, then that’s what I’ll do if the need arises.”