11. Tayla

Chapter eleven

Tayla

I stood by the window in my room, staring out at the fields of flowers and trees and lawn that stretched into the distance from the castle grounds. My eyes moved to Asher, who was having a friendly duel with one of the guards. When we came back after making love to each other, I just couldn't sleep.

I brought my hand to touch the mark on my neck, feeling the rough spot where he had bit. The pain had gone, and it was just the mark that was now there. So it was true we were mates—I had felt it intensely, and now the mark made sure everyone else knew it as well.

The memory of our intimate night was still fresh in my mind as if it just happened. My body trembled at the memory. The pink blush was still in my cheeks and I wasn’t sure it would go away anytime soon if I continued thinking about what had happened between us.

Asher was a tall man with a muscular chest, and his torso was well-defined. His hair had fallen down to his face as the moonlight captured us there in the woods.

While I continued daydreaming, I heard a knock on my door and turned around to see a maid standing there.

The maid bowed her head. “Food is ready, ma’am.”

“I will be down soon,” I said, turning my gaze back to the field to see that Asher was now walking back toward the castle. He was breathing heavily and only wearing black pants. As if sensing my gaze from up high, he looked up to my window, and a smirk graced his lips.

I blushed sheepishly before moving away from his gaze. I brought my hand to my chest to feel my heart beating fast and full. I thought it was going to explode.

I hurried to the bathroom and dabbed my cheeks with a wet towel before heading to eat breakfast downstairs. I met Asher seated at the table, now wearing a white long-sleeved tunic. The white sleeves stuck into his sweaty body like a second skin.

As we ate peacefully, I just couldn't get Asher out of my mind. The events of last night lingered in my head, making my cheeks turn warm and pink again.

I didn't even realize he was staring at me until I felt his warm fingers touch the back of my hand. I raised my head and saw Asher moving closer to me. I quickly stood up with a dumbfounded expression.

I was lost in his black eyes that was darker than the midnight sky. His expression softened, hinting at both love and passion.

“The feeling I had last night,” I began. “You are my mate, Asher.”

“That's true,” he nodded. “I'm glad you’ve found out…”

I didn't know how to react or what to do just then. He grabbed my hand, which had been gently resting on the table, and kissed the back of it. I felt a cold, electric shiver run throughout my whole body.

And then, just as if I had thought of it, he leaned closer and gently captured my lips with his mouth. One of his hands slid to the side of my neck, and he angled it to a better position as he continued to kiss me. The servants who were present in the dining room began to retreat slowly. They left the dining room, leaving the both of us alone.

He slid his tongue into my mouth, exploring every part with his tongue as it danced around mine. His hands felt demanding and rough, and they were making me lose my mind with pleasure.

When he pulled back, I was breathing heavily. Not knowing what to do, I placed my hand on his hard chest, feeling how his chest heaved in and out.

My eyes moved back to his lips, and I gulped softly, feeling my heart skip a beat.

“We should finish eating breakfast, don’t you think?” he said.

I nodded my head and sat down in the chair, picking up my fork as I continued.

Once we were done eating, we stood up to leave. I walked behind Asher to the living room, where I met a young lady about my age. Where had she come from? She had dirty blonde hair and hazel eyes.

“Good morning, Asher.” The woman leaned closer and kissed him on his cheek.

Who was she, and what was she doing here?

“Good morning, Aurelia. I wasn't expecting to see you today,” Asher said, turning to me.

“Tayla met Aurelia, my distant relative,” he said. “Aurelia, this is my mate, Tayla.”

I turned to the woman with a warm smile. “Hi, Aurelia. It’s nice to meet you.”

“I will be in the court house for some time. Please have a good time with Aurelia.” Asher said before departing with a kiss on the cheek.

“Do you have spare time to spend with me upstairs today?” she asked.

I nodded my head and followed her upstairs.

“So, how long have you two been together?” Aurelia asked. “You know I live very far from here, so I don't visit the pack often.”

“About a year,” I responded.

“A year?” She snapped her head towards me. “Why didn't Asher send me a letter that he already found a mate. How dare he not tell me…”

"I don't really have any memory of him. I fell unconscious recently in an accident and lost my memory," I explained.

We continued down a long corridor until we reached a more remote room. She opened the door before stepping inside.

"This is my room," she said with a small smile, turning to me. The room was large, like mine, but full of brocade embroidered chairs, velvet curtains, and expensive trinkets on almost every surface.

"So, how has life been for you since you lost consciousness?" she asked. What an odd question, I thought.

"I'm still trying to accept everything. Asher has been nothing but kind toward me," I hesitated, not wanting to say anything else about him.

"Hmm,” she smiled. “I'm happy for both of you.”

"But there is something about him,” I said, staring at her. “He doesn't seem to care about the hardships our people are facing. All he cares about is his position as the Alpha. Maybe you could talk to him and make him understand that he needs to ease their suffering," I suggested.

Aurelia licked her dried lips. "I think you have a better chance of making him listen than I do. Asher doesn't listen to anyone, and he believes he can make decisions on his own. He’d be open to anything you, his mate, might say, though.

“Come,” she said, and I sat down on the green chair in front of her. She brought out a small velvet cloth and unwrapped it. My eyes fell on the pearl necklace.

“This belonged to the late Luna,” she said, bringing the necklace out. “It was passed to me after she died.”

“Oh, she must have been a lovely woman,” I said.

“Asher cherished her quite a lot,” she brought the necklace to my neck.

“What are you doing?” I asked.

“You should take it. Asher will love seeing you in it,” she said.

I opened my mouth to protest but then closed it back when I saw it around my neck.

“It looks good on you,” she complimented. “We should go to the gathering today to meet those people in need. It has been a long time since I went there.”

I stood up from the chair, staring at my reflection in the mirror a little longer. It was beautiful.

“Come, let’s go,” she said. Why not, I figured. I followed her downstairs, and we went to a waiting carriage.

When we arrived at the local gathering twenty minutes later, we saw women wailing for their lost ones. This wasn’t exactly how I had expected my day to go. There weren't many children around and the mothers made sure to cling to the ones that still were.

“You are the wife of Asher, aren't you?” one of the women asked, getting up from the ground. She stared at me with sad eyes.

I opened my mouth without not knowing what to say. She then rushed to my feet, kneeling down in front of me.

“Is it only when our children are all dead that Asher will realize the tragedy the pack is facing?” she asked. “Please help us to beg Alpha Asher to do something about the deaths of our children and the missing ones. Just last week, ten children went missing, and we found only two dead this week,” she explained.

I quickly knelt down in front of the woman in the dirt.

My heart ached at the sight of the people. My jaw clenched as I held back tears.

“I will speak to Asher,” I promised them. “I will do everything in my power as the Luna of this pack to ensure that they find the missing children and that they are given justice.”

I stretched my hand out, and the woman slowly rose from the ground with a sigh of relief.

“Thank you,” she said, attempting to bow her head. I brought my hand to stop her.

“It is my duty as the Luna of this pack to make sure there is peace within it,” I said.

Just then, two little children not more than the age of four years ran towards me, and I pulled them into a warm hug.

“What is your name?” One of the girls asked.

I smiled, dipping my finger into her cheek dimple. “My name is Tayla, but you can call me Ms. Tay.”

“Ms. Tay?”

“Yes,” I nodded with a smile, my eyes moving to the loosened pink bow on her dress. “Let me fix this.”

With each passing second with them, I could see their faces lighten up. After spending quality time with them, Aurelia and I had to head back to the castle.

I met Asher in the rose garden upon our return.

“Where have you been?” he asked, worried.

“I went with Aurelia to tour around the pack,” I said.

“How was it?” he questioned further.

“It felt good been around the people,” I replied. “But there were reports that eight children haven't been found yet since they went missing last week.”

“And?” He tilted his head with a scowl.

“What I am trying to say is that even if you don't have time to help the people find the killer, then I should help—”

“Help?” he scoffed. “You have no experience in dealing with the pack. Your job as the Luna is to be with me, the Alpha, and support me.”

“But the children are dying,” I said, frowning slightly. Anger was starting to grow within me. “And how you treated that woman the other day wasn’t right, Asher. She had just lost her daughter, and she needed assurance that everything would be fine. Instead, you pushed her to the ground. What kind of man does that to a grieving mother? Everyone is afraid of you because of your—”

“Because of…?” He stepped closer, his temper flaring. “Because I'm cold and mean toward them? I have told you to stay away from the dynamics of this pack. I will take care of it myself.”

“But–”

“I know what I'm doing, Tayla. I don't need you to show me how to rule the pack when you have no experience. I lost my father because of those peasants. They need to have a taste of what it feels like to lose a loved one. This will be the last time you ever bring up such a conversation, or you will be punished, do you understand?”

I slowly nodded my head, but I didn’t agree with him inside. His eyes moved to the pearl necklace on my neck, and his frown deepened.

“What are you doing with my mother's belongings?” he questioned.

“Au…. Aurelia gave it to me,” I mumbled.

He ground his teeth in anger before yanking the pearl necklace from my neck. With a gasp, I saw the pearls scatter everywhere on the ground. How cruel.

“No one is allowed to go near my mom's belongings!” He roared. “If you need a pearl necklace, I will ask the merchant to make one for you. Don't go around wearing things that belong to my mother. You have no right.”

I nodded, closing my eyes for a brief moment. My heart ached at his harsh words, but I remained calm.

“I need you in my room in less than ten minutes,” he said, turning and starting to walk away.

“For what?” I frowned.

“We are married, Tayla,” he said. “We are not supposed to sleep in different rooms.”

I sighed before turning around and left to my room to freshen up. I slid into the black lingerie and stared at my reflection in the mirror. I did not want to be near him. I was so mad.

“Ms. Tayla, you will be alright,” Nora assured me.

“Am I at fault for trying to intervene for the people of this pack, Nora?” I asked, turning to her. “Should I just stand back and watch them suffer?”

Her expression turned gentle. “Ms. Tayla, you are not wrong for trying to help the people. You are good for doing that.”

“Is he always like this, then?” I asked.

“He has always been angry toward the people ever since he lost his parents. He’s had this deep feeling of anger and hurt inside him for a long time.”

I sighed. “But that's not fair. Children are going missing almost every day in the pack.”

“You should give him some time…he could change,” she said. “Someday, he will come to realize that his actions are hurting the people.”

“I’ll try to keep that in mind,” I nodded, turning around and leaving the room.

I walked the halls aimlessly and when I looked up I was in front of his room, but he wasn't there. I walked to the couch and sat down.

Finally, the door opened. I turned my head to see Asher step out of the bathroom. His cologne filled the air, and I couldn't help but sniff it. My anger melted away instantly, though I would bring up the topic again another day—sooner rather than later.

He approached me, his gentle hand reaching out for mine, and I stood up from the chair. His hand slid to my waist as he pulled me closer. Just one touch from him, and I could feel my toes curling up. I slowly closed my eyes, waiting for him, and he captured my lips.

Asher kissed me slowly, drawing me closer to him. He kissed me as if his whole life depended on it. I could feel my heart racing with every moment we savored. One hand rested on my waist while the other one was on the side of my neck.

I felt a pleasure run down my spine.

His other hand went to the edge of my lingerie, and without wasting time, he tore it off my body.

I continued standing there as he kissed me. He pulled me closer, pressing my body into his firm muscles. He then lifted me into his arms and slowly walked toward the bed.

I moved from side to side in a seductive display, as I was placed on its plush surface. I lay there eager for him to fill me.

As he began to undress himself, his gaze never left me. With every second that passed, I felt my soul leave my body. Once he was naked, he walked closer before grabbing my neck in a seductive way.

I moaned, my back falling to the bed as he crashed his lips on mine again. The kiss shifted from soft to aggressive. He bit my bottom lip slightly before soothing it with the warm air from his mouth.

My body trembled beneath him. A cool breeze blew in from an open window. I gasped, feeling the cold air swept against my skin. He caught my legs before spreading them.

He smirked, knowing full well the effect he had on me. I looked down to see he wasn't fully hard yet, but he positioned himself in front of my core. Without wasting any time, he slid in, and I could feel him growing inside me with every second.

I moaned, my eyes rolling all the way to my head as he thrust in and out of me.

“Asher,” I moaned as he continued to thrust in. With every stroke, I could feel my wolf growling in my body. I grabbed the sheets, loud screams escaping my mouth as I could no longer hold it back.

I felt bolts of shock and electricity run throughout my entire body as he continued to grind in me.

“I'm…about to….” Asher stuttered, and I felt him shitter with release inside of me.

The feeling pulsed in my mind and groin before returning me to a calmer state. As I closed my eyes, digging my nails into his skin, I felt myself being pulled into a different place.

I saw myself being chased by someone.

It felt as if I was running from some unseen threat, yet I didn't know what was pursuing me. And then, the image of myself falling to the ground surfaced.