Kayla
I was surprised when Asher came back inside the chamber and didn’t tell me to leave. I was expecting him to come in and bring Emily to replace me. None of that happened.
We stared into each other’s eyes like we always did and there were so many unspoken words between us. I wanted to confess my true feelings to him but ever since Emily showed up, it seemed like I had lost my willpower to speak.
Before she came I had the right to Asher as his wife but I didn’t even know my status or rights anymore.
I tried not to think about it but deep in my heart I will always be Asher Pendragon’s wife. I knew it would be difficult to let go of the feelings and memories about him. He gave me so much to remember and cherish in such a short time and I will forever treasure the moments we shared together.
My heart broke immediately when he grabbed something from the dresser table and turned to leave. “I may not be back until morning.” He said over his shoulder.
I placed one foot on the ground ready to stop him but on second thought, I didn’t go after him. I couldn’t force Asher to stay with me, this was his decision to make.
I sighed, not knowing what to do. This was going to be harder than I thought.
I covered my face with the satin-white sheets when he left. It was obvious that he had made his choice and decided to comply with Emily’s request. The thought of him in bed with her was enough to disconnect the oxygen flow to my brain.
Physical pain was nothing compared to what I felt at the moment.
I wanted to scream at him, no. I wanted to scream at both of them for bringing me into this mess. I shouldn’t have to suffer like this. All I ever wanted was to be loved by Asher. Was that even too much to ask for?
I barely slept the entire night without Asher by my side. It was difficult and painful, especially having an idea of where and who he spent his night with.
The next morning, I opened my eyes just in time to see him walk back in. I checked the time and was shocked when I saw it was already past ten. He had stayed in bed with her all night even to the late hours of the morning.
I felt a stabbing pain in my chest followed by anger that fueled my veins.
I angrily got out of bed and faced him while blocking his way to the lavatory. His captivating and alluring scent hit me hard and it only made me angrier. Asher looked down at me and studied every feature of my face. I tried not to think about how beautiful his eyes seemed to me right now or how good it felt to be near him again. Instead, I focused on the anger that was slowly spiraling out of control.
“How could you do this to me?” I yelled at him
His eyes widened as his blazing gaze stared into mine as if he wasn’t sure how to respond to my question. “Why did you spend the night in her chamber? How could you?” I screamed harder.
I knew that Emily was still his wife while I was no longer his but I just couldn’t stop the pain. The more hurt I felt, the more I wanted to scream at Asher.
He looked taken aback by my outburst. He took a step towards me and I took one back, keeping some distance between us. It was the only way that I could ensure that I didn’t get lost in him.
“Kayla,” he called in a gentle voice. “Please listen to me.”
“How could you?” I cried before slamming my fists against his hard chest. I felt defeated and lost. I couldn’t stand the thought of him with anyone else but me, no matter who the person was to him, I just couldn’t take it.
He grabbed both of my hands, pushed them over my head against the wall, and leaned into me. “Listen to me, Kayla.” He growled. “I wasn’t with her last night. I spent the night in the training grounds…I swear with my life.”
I paused after hearing his confession. I couldn’t understand how the anger within me melted like icy flakes.
He gently leaned his forehead against mine. “I wasn’t with her. You must believe me, please.”
I opened my mouth to speak when I heard hasty footsteps approaching and before I could blink, there was a knock on the door, and Asher and I slowly rearranged ourselves.
“Come in,” He called.
“We have a visitor,” Robin informed us after poking his head through the door. Judging by his sore mood, I could already tell that it wasn’t someone that I should be happy about.
We followed him out of the chamber and down the stairs. Emily was talking to someone that I immediately recognized. It was that woman who tried to insult me at my welcome party. Emily’s mother, Louisiana.
“Did you invite her over here?” Robin asked his brother.
Before Asher could respond to his question, Emily rushed to his side and grabbed his arm.
“Oh, Asher.” she cried. “It feels so good to see my second mother again.”
Louisiana walked towards us with tears in her eyes. “I couldn’t believe the news when I heard it. My precious daughter Emily is back.”
I narrowed my eyes, something didn’t seem right about this entire thing. She seemed too calm for someone who just found out that her daughter wasn’t dead. “But ma’am, how did you find out about Emily? No one has spoken a word about it and we’re yet to inform the council.” I said,
She stared at me with rage. “One of the merchants in the outskirts village informed me they spotted someone that looked like Emily. I came here immediately to tell Alpha Asher the news but instead, I was surprised to see her here alive and healthy.”
“You don’t look that surprised if you ask me,” Robin mumbled. At least I wasn’t the only one who noticed it.
“Robin,” Asher said his name in a warning tone.
“This is so beautiful. Now you and Asher can be together like you’ve been in the past. There is nothing that would separate you two anymore.” Louisiana said to Emily with hopeful eyes.
My heart couldn’t take hearing any of this. I turned around and walked out of there. I didn’t stop walking until I was out in the woods. I inhaled the cool air, closed my eyes, and leaned against the tree for support.
“You can never have his heart.”
I opened my eyes to find myself face-to-face with the woman who made my life miserable even before I knew that she was alive.
I narrowed my eyes. “You don’t know anything.”
She laughed. “I know that he hasn’t been able to take his eyes off me since I returned. He’s my mate and I know that he loved me since the moment he first saw me and he has never stopped loving me. I knew that this marriage between you people was a farce. He used you because he was lonely and was hurting over me. Whatever little moments you two have had, I’m sure it was only because of the pain he felt after losing me. And now that I am back, believe me, Asher will be mine again. He will never love someone like you. It’s so clear that you are not his spec.
Asher is a good person and he doesn’t know how to tell you to get lost. But after I spoke with him, he came to agree with me.
He had always given me exactly what I wanted and he wouldn’t stop now. Not for you.”
“Is that why I am still the one he spends the night with while you stay in the guest chamber?” I asked and didn’t wait for her to answer me as I stormed back into the house. I needed to move away from her.
Even though I said those things to her, there was no denying that her words affected me badly.
A lot of the things she said were true. When Asher and I got married he was vulnerable and hurting because he thought Emily was dead. I could still remember the moments when he talked about her and how much her death had hurt him.
Was I just an escape for Asher? Was that all it was?”