Lycan King's Nemesis
Chapter 69

ASH??

I couldn't express how delighted I was that this was happening. My dream was finally coming true here in my Kingdom, after so many years of plotting, waiting, and hoping. To say I have been jittery over the last few days about how today would turn out; how my people were going to welcome this new development.

I intentionally made the horse race to be at the forefront during this game event. That way if my people didn't like it we could easily move on with the other tournaments they were used to over the years. However, judging from the way they responded, as I paved my way back to the shield for the royalties, my heart was appeased. I felt proud of myself more than I have ever been.

That was until I found the seat formally harbouring my mate empty, and when I touched it, cold. Meaning she has been gone for a while.

Did she even see me ride?

Did she see the efforts I put into getting her attention from that vermin to me?

I couldn't bear it. So hard I've tried to withhold myself from striking the head of my guardians. From being reckless and forgetting my fist on his face, killing the bastard for often stealing my shine in the eyes of my mate. Nonetheless, I can't help but say my patience is fast dwindling.

Especially, after seeing her ogling his bare body without any shame, rancour or fear that I was right here, beside her. It was as though I ceased to exist at that point, with only him mattering to her.

"Where is she?" I asked Williams who was wiping his face with a towel behind me. He paused, his grey eyes scanning the two vacant seats in front of him-one for Gwen and one for Abby.

"They were here when I left." He looked ahead. "How am I supposed to even know when we were together all these while?"

I snapped my eyes to the royal guards standing tall without a blink at the left side of the aisle. In two powerful strides, I reached the ones by the right, easy to have seen where they went to. "Where are the Queen and Princess?"

The first man bowed his head quickly. "I saw the Queen speaking to the head of guardians a few minutes ago in that corner," he pointed down the stairs at the same time I saw both of them snickering as they made their way to us, stopping once they saw us.

I tensed, anger boiling over. The happiness I felt from initially, the one that made me want to be nice to my mate even if for today, rapidly evaporated. I covered the remaining space keeping us, snatched her left hand, dragging her away from the crowd down to the royal car.

"How dare you?" She yanked her hand off, wincing as she moved farther away from me, rubbing the point I held her tenderly. I might have been too rough, but I don't care. "How dare you disgrace me so openly before my people?" I fumed. "What did I do again, Ashton?" She hissed, confusion written all over her face.

"Sneaking off with him wasn't enough and yet after I had severely warned you against the rogue, you decided to flaunt my order and go to him. Have you no shame?"

She shook her head, tentatively raising her finger to touch her temple. Is she calling me bluff? Do I sound stupid to her? Or is she truly having a headache?

"You couldn't even put up with watching me perform. Was the game too boring for you to endure that you will rather spend time with him than watch your own_" "Stop," She flared up her right hand in the air, her head tilted up at me. Defiantly. "Enough, Ashton. Can you even listen to yourself?" She snorted. "I watched every one of your performances. You know that. I only left after the other riders started because I needed to tell Tyler I will be participating in the sparring game tomorrow and needed us to train this evening. Him, me and Abby."

My anger slowly dissipated, replaced by embarrassment. Now she will think I care so much about her opinion. Why didn't I even wait till later when I was calm? I wiped my right hand over my face.

"Come to think of it, before you start acting like you care so much about what I think of your performance," she proceeded in a biting tone. ".. don't forget you didn't tell me about the horse race! You act so perfect and call werewolves manipulative and all those names. Have you stopped to think that perhaps you are the bigger problem here? You don't discuss anything with me, Ashton. Anything. I only hear from either your sister or Tyler who you despise yet is one of the reasons I am still sane with all your shenanigans."

"That doesn't mean you should be with him all the time."

"He is my friend. And you have no right to tell me who to keep as a friend when I don't tell you to stop parading around with your mistress where every eye would see you two without thinking of how that will make me feel." I opened my mouth to tell her I wasn't doing that, but she flipped her hair away from her face and stomped off.

Well, maybe I overreacted. Now I am starting to act like some jealous teenager. Ugh! I kicked a pebble as I made my way back.

Throughout the remainder of the horse race, I kept flicking my eyes to my mate and as if she was intent to ignore me she was immersed in a serious chat with Abby. A very interesting one that had her laughing most of the time and clapping her hands loudly.

After enduring that phase and another silent phase on our way home-we shared the same car- once we got to the palace, she didn't allow the car to come to a halt before she flung the door open and walked out.

Merit who was sitting at the front came to open the door for me. "Your Majesty," she bowed her head. "There will be a meeting with the other Deltas tonight at the santonium. We would be honoured if you will be there to address the new recruits."

My eyes transited to the front doors where my mate just hiked in, contemplating if I would rather try to sort this out or honour the duty of my pack. It was a difficult decision considering what just happened. What is happening to me? "I will think about it and give you feedback before the end of the day, Merit." I stepped away from the car. "By the way, you did well back there."

She beamed brightly with a slight bow. "All thanks to you, your Majesty. The horse race was such a fine idea and I must say the people are impressed with the new addition."

With a prideful nod, I made my way inside.

Instead of going to my study as I occasionally did, I found my legs moving in the direction of my mate's new abode. I knocked once.

"Go away, Ashton, I'm not in the mood for your unhealthy tantrums. I need rest."

I grinned wolfishly. At least she spoke to me. I knocked once more. I heard hurried footfalls before the door swung open and to my chagrin, she shrieked, "I SAID GO AWAY FROM HERE?"

"Fuck!"

Just once I swept my eyes from her head to her naked feet and back to her long hair that was cascading freely over her face, I lost it, took one large step forward, seized the back of her neck, and clashed our mouths together, in response.

...