6. Tayla

Chapter six

Tayla

The next morning, I woke from a restless sleep. I stood up from the bed, bringing my hand to wipe the sweat from my forehead. After taking my bath and sliding into a comfortable cotton gown, I went downstairs for breakfast, but Asher wasn't there. Instead, I found Nora and the other maids arranging food on the table.

“Where is Asher?” I directed to Nora.

“He departed this morning for the courthouse,”

The table had been set for four, and the dining chairs all sat empty, so I turned to her.

“Join me for breakfast,” I pleaded.

She shook her head. “Alpha Asher wouldn't be pleased if he saw me dining with you.”

“But he's not here,” I countered, settling in a chair. “Moreover, it's lonely in the castle.”

She hesitated for a moment before settling down next to me. As she picked up the spoon to eat, my gaze lingered on her briefly before returning to the plate in front of me.

We sat in silence for a while before I finally spoke up, “Can you tell me about my life before I lost consciousness? What was I like? What did I love doing most?”

Because right now, I feel like a blank sheet. I didn't feel anything, and accepting that I once had this life is a struggle.

Nora's eyes softened with understanding as she poured tea into my cup. “Well, Ms. Tayla, you've always been a kind and sweet person. You had a passion for reading books and would spend most of your time in the library. And as for Asher…” she trailed off, her voice fading at the end as she returned her gaze to the pancake on her plate.

I leaned forward, desperate for any information that could help me understand. “Alpha Asher? How long have we been together? Was I in love with him?”

Nora avoided my gaze at first before she raised her head to look at me. “You and Alpha Asher have been married for a year now. You were deeply in love with him before the incident, and he adored you too.”

I exhaled slowly, trying to release the tension coiled tight in my chest. The conflict raged on inside me: my apparent past devotion warring with my current unease.

The thought of Asher's eyes on me, dark and unreadable. Caused a shiver to run down my spine—was it fear or desire? I couldn't tell, and that uncertainty terrified me more than anything else.

"You okay?" Her words broke my vision and I had to catch my breath before I continued my investigation.

“Tell me more about his family. Does he have any?”

The maid shook her head. “They're dead.”

“Oh. What happened?”

“Ms. Tayla, it's complicated. His mother, sister, and father died in the same year. Ever since then, he changed a lot.”

“What do you mean he changed a lot?” I asked, feeling confused.

The door burst open, cutting off my conversation. I turned my head to see Asher walk in. Nora quickly stood up from the dining chair and bowed her head. Before she could leave, Asher grabbed her wrist, pushing her back into the chair.

“Asher,” I stood up, and he glared at me.

“What are you doing with her?” but he was directing his venom at Nora. Why was he ignoring me?

“I was the one who asked her to stay with me. I was lonely in the dining room. Alone. And I wanted someone around.” he looked shocked when his eyes met mine.

His eyes drank me in and he let go of Nora, turning all his attention to me. He was looking at me with such desire I felt my core clench in longing.

“If you are lonely, then you should come to my room. In this castle, you are only allowed to be around me and not with the maids,”

Well he knew how to quench the flames. What is he talking about?

“Am I not allowed to have friends?” I challenged.

He frowned. “I am your husband and Alpha. If you need someone to talk to, then you come to me and not the maids. You are Luna, and you are not supposed to be around such peasants.”

“Peasants?” I frowned. “You need to understand that I just woke up from a long sleep, and I don't know anything. I need to clarify from others that what you are telling me is true.”

“So, are you saying that I am lying?” He tilted his head.

“I never said you were lying, but for me to be certain who I am..”

“I told you we are married,”

“I need proof. Like there are no portraits of us in the castle…and all you say is we have been married for one year.”

The heat from his chest seeped in the thin fabric I wore. My heart raced as his eyes locked onto mine, dark and intense. The air between us crackled with electricity, making it hard to breathe. I found myself leaning in, drawn by an invisible force I couldn't explain.

“You will re-learn everything else, the past is the past” his deep voice amplified the feeling.

“I lost my memories, and I don't know anything about you.and when I ask, you close up,” I spoke softly, trying to focus on the conversation.

The door closed with a bang and his hand cradled my lower back when I jumped back, startled. His firm muscles supported my body with ease.

Heat flooded my cheeks. Every fiber of my being screamed to close the distance, to taste him, to lose myself in his embrace. But I held back, gripping the edge of the table to anchor myself.

“I need to be around my people to understand better. Maybe being with them would help me remember,” I stood determined.

“Yah ok.” He licked his lips. “But I want to be your first friend.”

“Friend”

He didn't move, didn't speak. Just kept looking at me with that smoldering intensity that made my knees weak. I bit my lip, fighting the urge to throw caution to the wind.

Time seemed to stand still as we hovered on the precipice of something dangerous and thrilling. I could almost feel the phantom press of his lips against mine, the memory of a kiss that hadn't happened yet.

Taking a hesitant step forward, I leaned in, closing the distance between us to press my lips against his.

It was electric, as Asher wrapped his arms around me pressing into the kiss. His attention wholly focused on our unexpected embrace.

Pulling back, I found him still staring at me, clearly taken aback by the sudden kiss. I couldn't fathom where the courage had come from, equally surprised by my own actions.

What was happening to me? Why did I kiss him?

Instinctively, I took a step backward.

But he had other plans, he wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me into another kiss. A deep penetrating kiss, it was too rough; he devoured me, and I felt a bit uncomfortable with the wave of emotions I was feeling. The electricity of the connection had me wanting more but a small part of dark fog in my brain conflicted and I didnt know what feeling to trust.

With lighting speed, I was lifted and flew to the wall, he was so fast. He pushed me against the firm surface, and my back hit it with a light thud. Shocked, I tried to push him away, but he caught my wrists, holding them firmly. I struggled against his grasp until he finally pulled back, both of us breathless.

My lips felt swollen from his intense kiss, and I was breathing heavily, my chest rising and falling rapidly as I continued to stare at him.

"We shouldn't," I whispered, my voice betraying me with its breathless quality.

"Why am I not allowed to love you as much as I want to?" he yelled.

I flinched, taking a step backward at his loud voice. Why was he so mean to me? Why couldn't he just give me some time to understand things better? If he continued like this my memory might not return to me.

Raising my head to meet his gaze, the frustration etched on his face caused me to turn away. How could I explain the storm inside me when I barely understood it myself? My brain was filled with a gray haze and everything was so close but still so far away.

That strange sensation stirred again, a restless energy that seemed to have a mind of its own. It whined—a sound I couldn't quite place—as Asher looked deep into my eyes. Was this... normal?

Maybe the accident scrambled more than just my memories, I thought bitterly . Maybe it rewired my very instincts .

"I don't know you," I said, pulling my hands from his."I'm just... processing," I managed to say, the words feeling inadequate.

Asher's brow furrowed, concerned etching lines around his eyes. I glimpsed the man I fell in love with and I tried to hold on to the feeling. But then that restless energy surged again, and I had to fight the urge to step back.

If we were so deeply in love , I wondered, why does something inside me recoil at his touch?

I searched Asher's face, hoping for a spark of recognition, a flood of returned memories. Instead, I found only more questions, more confusion.

"Give it time," Asher said, as if reading my thoughts.

Time. That's what I needed. Time to sort out these conflicting emotions, to understand why my body and mind seemed at war with each other.

As Asher turned away, that restless energy settled, leaving me hollow and drained. I was lost in my own life, a stranger to myself. And the path back to who I used to be seemed more uncertain than ever.

I raised my hand, almost grabbing his shoulder to take one more kiss from him. But I turned around and walked out the room.

Returning to my room, I stood in front of the mirror, bringing my hand to touch my lips. I felt a shiver run across my back.

Asher's not into talking things out, which was frustrating for me since he felt like a total stranger to me. I didn't even know anything about our people yet.

But I did want to get to know him better. No, I needed to talk to someone else. I still needed to reach out to Nora and learn more about Asher and the others. Maybe learning from her will jump start my memory because Asher was not being helpful!

Remembering what happened yesterday and how the Beta of the pack had been harsh with his mate, I shook my head in confusion.

Wanting to relieve myself of the swarming thoughts in my head, I lay on my bed to sleep. A knock on the door woke me, and I stood up before walking to the door.

Reaching there, I met Asher standing in front of my room with a tray of fruit, crackers, and cheeses in his hand.

"Asher?" I was surprised that he had brought food to me in my room.

"I brought you lunch," he stated, and I pulled the door open for him to walk inside the room. He placed the tray on the table.

Thinking he was going to wait while I ate the food, but the smile on my face dropped when he turned around.

"Enjoy your food," he remarked.

"Asher," I uttered, and he turned around with a raised brow.

"What do you want?" he inquired.

I wanted to convey that he should stay so I could get to know him better, but seeing the look on his face, I shook my head.

"Nothing. I was just going to ask for water," I said with a small smile.

"The maid will bring you water," he replied curtly.

I nodded and watched him leave the room. My heart sank to my stomach. Even though I didn't like the fact that I was married to him, I still wanted to know him better to help me regain my memories. Perhaps the love I had for him before would return, and we could continue with our lives.

But his behavior toward me was cold. I agree he must have felt distant during the days I was unconscious, but I was awake now. He should be doing things that could help me remember—shouldn’t he?

Or had his love for me vanished? If he didn't love me, then why didn't he let me go? Just then, the door opened, and I turned to see Nora. She walked in with the jug of water and poured it into a glass. She noticed the expression on my face.

"Ms. Tayla, you look annoyed. Did someone do something to anger you?" she asked.

"Has Asher always been cold and distant like this?" I looked up at her with tears in my eyes.

"Ms. Tayla, you are the closest one to him and should know what is wrong with him," she remarked.

“I am trying to accept that I am married, but he isn't making it easy for me,” I sighed.

“You know you just woke up after a long time. You should give him some time, and he will get better,” she said.

"And the other day, I went to see our people, and they looked sad and hungry," I mumbled. "Everyone is sad. What's happening?"

"Ms. Tayla," Nora paused before standing up straight and looking at me. "It's because of what's happening in the pack that everyone is like that," Nora explained.

"What happened to the pack?" I asked.

"There have been deaths among the children for years now," Nora replied.

"Deaths?" I looked at her, confused.

She nodded with a sigh. “They go missing, and come back…”

And she said it was only among children. What was happening? Who was killing these children? And why didn't Asher say anything about it to me?

"It has been going on like that for years. The killer seems to be targeting young children," Nora said. "They kidnap these children, and after a few days or weeks, we find them dead in the pack. Their bodies turned rotten, with their eyes and other parts missing," she explained.

I was horrified after hearing the news. Was there a killer in the pack? No wonder the people looked scared, and they were not in good condition.

"What about Asher? What is he doing about the killer?" I inquired.

"Nothing," Nora shook her head.

I frowned. He was not doing anything about the children going missing in the pack? What kind of an Alpha was he? What kind of man was he?

"You may leave," I directed, and she exited the room quietly.

I stood up from the bed and walked out of the room. I headed towards Asher's room, and when I arrived, I opened the door without knocking.

"What's wrong?" he inquired upon seeing my expression. "Have you finished lunch already?"

“I don't have an appetite.”

“Why?”

“I’m told our people have been suffering for years now, and this is all you care about?” I frowned. “Why didn't you tell me everything from the beginning?”

"What are you talking about?" He stood up from the sofa, matching my frown.

"The deaths of the children in the pack. It has been happening for years now, and you are not doing anything about it?" I questioned. “Is that true?”

Upon hearing me, he hissed. “So what do you expect me to do about it? I have more important things to worry about than the peasants of this pack.”

I looked at him, taken aback by his response. These were innocent children dying! And he dared to call them peasants. Was this man really sane?

“These are innocent children. They're dying under your watch, and you sit back doing nothing? You are the Alpha, and you are supposed to protect them.”

He snapped at me with one hand clenched into a tight fist.

“I don't care! My only priority here is maintaining my status as the Alpha of the Celoria pack and not babysitting a bunch of useless kids. You have no right to come up to me and question me on how to rule my pack!”

I looked at him, shocked. My lips parted as I continued to stare at him. What if these were his children? Our kids? Would he have still acted ignorant? Why was he so uncaring?

“You are so heartless and cruel! Why would you turn a blind eye to innocent children dying in the pack? You need to do something to stop this killer from hurting more children.”

He walked up to me with a deep frown. “I am the Alpha, and I will do whatever it takes to protect my position and not the peasants of this pack. Now, if you will excuse me, I have important things to do in the courthouse.”

And with a slam of the door, he stormed off.