ATHENA’S POV
My heart was pounding as I looked at Zara’s body on the ground. I couldn’t believe what had just happened. She was dead.
I felt a wave of guilt wash over me as I looked up at Nero wondering what he would think of me now that I had taken down his beloved Zara.
He in turn was staring down at me with hatred in his eyes, and I knew he blamed me for what had happened.
I stared down at her lifeless body, my mind racing. What would happen now? Would Nero still want me, knowing that I had been responsible for Zara’s death?
The crowd too fell silent for what felt like an eternity, stunned at what had just happened. I could feel all eyes on me, waiting for my reaction. But what were they expecting from me? What could I do?
I looked around at the faces of the people in the crowd, too frozen to say or do anything only wondering what they thought of me now. Was I a hero or a villain? The silence made it hard to tell.
But then cheers erupted, signalling the end of. The joyous noise only made me feel worse. I had won, but at what cost?
As I walked down from the podium, I couldn’t help but feel like my world had come to an end. I had never been involved in such violence before, and I didn’t know how to process it killing someone. I knew that I had defended myself, but that didn’t make me feel any better about what had happened.
Tears had filled my eyes and blurred my vision as I walked without a sense of direction, my body swaying here and there from exhaustion and shock.
I felt my body start to fall and the tears kept falling, but before I hit the ground, someone caught me. “She’s dead because of me. It is all my fault.” I said sobbing without even knowing who had caught me.
The victory meant nothing to me now. All I could think about was Zara’s blood stained lying on the ground. My heart was heavy with guilt, and I knew that this burden would haunt me for the rest of my life.
“No darling, you only did what you had to do to survive, it was either your life or hers and you chose yours. There is absolutely nothing to feel guilty for.” The Queen said as she hugged me tight.
I wanted to believe everything she said but the pain in my heart didn’t want me to believe it. My mind tried to tell me that it was all okay but I was at war with myself.
I peeled away from the Queen and started to walk towards him when I saw that he had also stepped down from his chair. I wanted him to believe that I didn’t push her because I didn’t. Even though from the look in his eye I knew that was what he believed.
“Nero,” my voice said in a whisper as I tried to talk to him.
I tried to find the words to explain myself, to tell him that it was self-defence that I didn’t mean to kill Zara. But the words wouldn’t come. And all I could do was stare back at him, feeling like a monster.
He had tears in his eyes. He wasn’t just shedding them in pain but anger. He looked ready to snap and his eyes held venom and hatred in them.
But wasn’t that what I deserved? For all the pain that I had caused him, ripping out his heart by taking away the woman he wanted as his mate.
The cheering crowd had calmed down, and all I could hear was the sound of my own heart breaking. I never wanted this to happen. All I wanted was to prove myself, to show everyone that I was strong enough to compete and win his hand as a mate.
“You killed her.” Nero said suddenly, his eyes pitch black. “All you had to do was tell her to tap out or you tap out. But you killed her.” He said, venom finding its way out of his mouth piercing my chest.
“She tapped out. You saw that, but then she came at me, what was I supposed to do? Let her kill me after I had won?” I asked.
“Yes! That’s what you should have done. You think I give a fuck about you living or dying?” he said angrily as he stalked towards me.
“That is enough Nero. You will leave her alone. She has done nothing wrong but defend herself. Zara should have let it go when she lost and not act like a crazed woman throwing a tantrum.” The Queen said defending me from his anger.
Nero looked at me one more time his eyes glaring at me and I could see him visibly shaking.
Nero said nothing as he turned and walked away. I stood there, alone with my thoughts and my guilt. I didn’t know what to do next, or where to go from here.
The crowd had been asked to leave, somehow the turn of events becoming unexpected and they slowly began to disperse. I made my way over to Zara’s body. I knelt down beside her, feeling tears beginning to form in my eyes.
“I’m sorry,” I whispered to her, even though I knew she could no longer hear me. “I never meant for this to happen. I never wanted anyone to die because of me.”
But my words were empty. They couldn’t bring her back. “I just….”
I fell butt first to the ground as I was pushed by someone. The tears in my eyes made it impossible to see who it was until they feel. I blinked a few times, feeling hands wrap around my throat. They were pressing so hard my vision started to blur again only this time; someone was out to get me.
When I saw who it was, I didn’t even have it in me to struggle. I was being choked by Zavier, Zara’s twin.
“Let go of her Zavier!” The Queen screamed in panic.
Zavier wasn’t even paying attention to her. His eyes were fixed on me and they looked primal. He wanted a life for a life and he was determined to get it.
“You deserve to die you stupid bitch. She should have won and not you.”
My lunges were screaming for air, and my neck felt broken. It hurt too much to move much less to breath. But I needed air fast.
My hands found his and I tried with the very little strength left in my to pry him off. My arms flared around, needing something to grab and hit him with because my life had begun to slip out through those hands of his.
“Le….t g…o” was the only thing that I managed to croak out.
“A life for a life. She has to die for killing my sister.” He screamed as he was being pulled away by the guards. I would have thought that my vision would have cleared when he released his hold on me but it didn’t.
My neck muscles had gotten too weak to move or allow my throat take in air. The world spun around me, the voices dying down into an inaudible buzzing in the ear and I was pulled into an awaiting darkness.
I was going to join Zara where she was and my body felt ready for it.
ATHENA I slowly opened my eyes, hearing the sounds of birds chirping. I felt groggy and pain shot through me as I tried to sit up. I looked around the room and noticed that I was in my chamber. I had no memory of being here. Did the fight not happen? At this thought, the memory of it hit me like a ton of bricks. For a moment, I thought it may have been just a bad dream, but the weight of the guilt confirmed that the incident had actually taken place. The sound of Zara's lifeless body hitting the ground echoed in my ears, and the horrified gasps of the crowd still rang in my head. I couldn't remember how I ended up in my chambers, but it hardly mattered. What mattered was that I had killed someone. It wasn't supposed to happen like this. The mating games were supposed to be a celebration of life and love, but now like other aggressive wolves, I too stained with blood and death. I slipped out of bed, the need to run filling my chest. There was no way I was going to stay and have an
ATHENA’S POV I stood in front of the mirror staring at the woman beautifully dressed not recognising her. She looked like a bride, ready for her groom but the look in her eyes shows nothing but pain. “Am I truly deserving of this? I did win the fight but is it really worth being with a man that would never love me?” I asked myself. The Queen who was seated behind me seems to have sensed my uncertainty. She smiled at me before standing to her feet and marching towards me. She’s elegantly dressed in a purple dinner gown, beaded with royal apparels that pronounced her beauty to anyone who saw her. She has been by my side since the beginning of the preparations, not leaving me or me her. I tried sometimes to find reasons to escape her for just a few minutes but she seems to always be ready for me. “You look beautiful darling; Nero is going to have his eyes glued on you.” She said staring at me through the mirror. “I’m so proud of you Athena, your parents would be too.” I felt tears s
NERO’S POV I stood facing the window, with hate filled in my heart. The feeling kept both a burning heat and a freezing coldness to it that made me wonder how they could even work together.To say I was shocked when I saw Athena walk down the aisle was an understatement. Although she looked gorgeous in her wedding dress, she should not have been in it in the first place. I remember how my breath hitched in my throat as I stared down her body, taking note of the gown she was dressed it that hugged her petite body perfectly, showing off her curves.I was not one to ever notice anything about her but in a bit to keep myself from running off the stage, I kept my eyes glued to her. It gave the guests the idea that I adored her and I know my eyes look it. “Just beautiful.” A thought escaped before I could suppress it.Every step she took reminded me that shit was about to get real. No one had to tell me that she was shaking in her steps, somehow I knew she was.I created images on Zara in
ATHENA’S POV To say I was humiliated by Nero would be an understatement. The way my body actively freezes in fear anytime he comes near me. The first week Zara passed, his emotions were well written on his face but now, he’s merely a shadow of his true self. The way he hides his emotions is as if he has been doing it for years that the practice has somewhat become his lifestyle. His eyes sure hold a fire in them, the type that was cold. I know he doesn’t care for me but hearing him say it out loud like that did hurt, it felt like he had his hand on my heart and clenched on it. I know things between us will be hard but maybe trying wouldn’t be such a bad idea. “I don’t care what my mother told you.” He said facing the window. “But I don’t want you in my room for any second longer. So this is what you will do, at night I want you gone. I don’t care where you sleep, but you will not be in this room at night with me. Understand?” His voice was harsh as he spoke and I didn’t need to l
NERO’S POV PREVIOUS NIGHT Zavier sat across from me in his living room. The house that once filled with voices and laughter was now only gloomy. My heart ached knowing that some part of it was my fault. It’s been a few days since the wedding and Zavier and I haven’t had much time to talk like I hoped we would. My father has now pulled me into more of the pack’s affairs. In his words, he said it was time for me to take over most of the deals like I wasn’t already doing so. I was already running things and doing the heavy work while he focused on the paper side of things. Zavier cleared his throat as he stared at me. “I expected you to come sooner.” He said his voice having some kind of accusation in it. “Pack work, Dad insisted.” I said curtly. “Or you were enjoying your time with your new bride forgetting the promise you made to me and my sister.” He said the accusation sounding more obvious now. “It was your job to get rid of her. You insisted you were going to be the one to do
ATHENA’S POVI could feel Nero’s gaze on me when I came out of the bathroom and my nervousness shot to a hundred as he stared at me. There was so much I wanted to tell him but perhaps someday.I walked downstairs to where I was supposed to wait for the Queen to find her waiting for me instead. From the stairs, I picked up my pace and headed down the stairs.“Forgive me your majesty, I didn’t realize you were already waiting.” I said my palms sweaty.“You’re mated to my son Athena, you’re his wife, I’d rather you call me mother instead.” The Queen said with a smile causing my own lips to stretch in one too.I nodded and she gestured to her side where some clothes were folded. “Here, change into this instead; we’re heading to the training grown. You could burn off some of your pent up frustrations in there.” She handed me the clothes and I did as she asked, I changed into the set of clothes and stepped out. The fabric from the short was smooth, and I couldn’t help but run my hands on t
NERO’S POVAthena returned in an outfit different from the one she walked out of the room wearing. The anger I held onto as I waited for her to return with my mother depilated when she walked in. She looked sexy wearing shorts and all my curiosity about how she looked under her nightgown earlier was nearly satisfied.There was my mate, looking sexy as hell. It wasn’t as if I hadn’t seen her in shorts. The idea that she was my mate even though I don’t want her to be walking around like that made me feel things I didn’t want to feel.Every time I try to forget about Zara and focus on my present life, I see Zavier’s broken face pictured in my mind. It always makes me wonder what Zara would think of me when in a fraction of a second I try to forget about her when her body was barely cold in the ground.I don’t want Athena, I could never want her like that and I wished that my body didn’t act on its own so that staying away from her could be easier.She had a smile on her face and her chee
ATHENA’S POV I ran as fast as I could into the palace building. I could feel Nero’s feet striding towards me from behind and I picked up my pace. I didn’t want to stop until I got to my room where I hoped I could lock myself in my room. A few meters away was Nero’s bedroom and I had just taken a step past it when an arm grabbed me and pulled me into the room. I stared back at Nero with tears in my eyes. Everyday his hatred for me seemed to grow deeper and there was no way for me to stop it. I knew he was going to hurt me and each time I was close to him, I always had my guard up but it did stop it from hurting when he said something harsh. “I get that you hate me and you’re right, I’ll stay away from you from now on.” I croaked hoping that whatever pain he wanted to inflict would end soon. Nero looked at me with the same anger and hatred he always had but this time it was definitely mixed with something else. I wanted to stare at him for longer but not because I wanted to get lost