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 it, what happened?” I asked, averting my eyes from the coffee table I had been staring at completely changing the topic.
“Your mother happened.” He grimaced.
My brows raised and arched in confusion as I stared at him waiting for an answer.
“I had everything ready to go. Luna decided to stay close to her. From the moment Athena woke up to the time she got dress, your mother stayed glued to her. And the one time she finally left her side, I approached the door but the guard didn’t let him in even though I told him I had a message for Athena from you. He insisted I tell him what it was instead and that no one was allowed inside Athena’s room. I considered climbing through her window but taking her away from that height was near impossible.”
Zavier shook his head like he had missed a great opportunity. And I knew exactly how it felt.
When I saw her walk down the aisle, shock and confusion surged through me and the only thing I could do was stare at her. Doing that did a good job of taking my mind off everything. When she continued to walk for a moment it was just us in the room. Everything else didn’t matter and I was so tempted to smile and gush at her beauty.
The truth is, Athena isn’t an ugly girl. My heart just never wanted her till date. And when I met Zara for the first time, it was as though we were taken to the times the moon goddess gave every wolf a mate. Zara was my mate and I was hers.
“I wasn’t cozying up to Athena. I had just been busy with work with my father.” I said to him.
I let myself drown in the bottle of whiskey he kept on the table. I just wanted something to numb down the feeling I had. I wanted to feel something else entirely.
By the time I left his place, I was drunk but I managed to make it to the palace.
PRESENT TIME
I woke up with a banging headache and a knock on the door, more like banging. I groaned out of bed and walked to it ready to give Athena a piece of my mind. I realised I locked it but that shouldn’t have given her a reason to bang on the door like that.
I froze in my spot when I saw my mother’s furious eyes.
“Shit!” I murmured. Athena was hiding behind her as she berated me.
Once she was gone and Athena was in the room, I noticed how shaky her body was. I stared at the gown she was wearing. It was nothing sexy yet I was captivated by it. It fell freely against her body like something my mother wears but I was curious to know how she looked underneath it.
I controlled the urge to walk up to her and claim her and make her do her duties like a wife should. What snapped me out of my daze were two things; first Zavier’s voice making me promise I would get justice for Zara and my mother barging into the room.
“Athena, do get dressed and meet me downstairs alright. I want you to go somewhere with me.” she said with a sweet smile on her face. when our eyes met, she glared at me before walking out.
I rolled my eyes and headed back to bed because of my throbbing headache. I wondered where my mother was taking her but at the same time I didn’t want to know.
When Athena appeared from the bathroom I groaned internally. Hating her was going to be tougher than I thought it would be.
“Fucking hell.” I muttered under my breath. Her hair draped down her back creating images in my mind that I didn’t want seeping in.
She didn’t spare me glance as she walked out of the room.
I lay on my back and decided to go freshen up and get ready for the day as well. My father and I had a meeting and I couldn’t afford to miss it.
I took a sip of my drink as an Alpha of a small pack walked into the throne room. My father and I were seated on a small rounded table where a few council men were.
As the Alpha spoke, he raised a request that left me gritting my teeth in utter rage.
“I know for a fact that you know that my son is already married. He cannot and will not take another mate.” My father said shutting every idea the Alpha had.
“We all know she is not who your son wanted to be with. If given the chance my daughter can be a better mate and bride than his current. Didn’t she murder your girlfriend at the games? Will you really be able to live with a murderer for the rest of your lives?” the Alpha whose name I had no clue of said, his eyes trained on me.
Perhaps he loved how riled I got from his words because then he smirked for what? I don’t know.
“You will show respect to the Prince and his mate!” my father ordered causing him to bow but the smirk on his face remained.
“It’s alright father.” I said dismissing the man. The way he referred to Athena as a murderer didn’t sit well with me. Only Zavier and I were allowed to call her that or even make her pay. And with Zara gone, I had no desire to be with another woman for any reason. Sure I sometimes found myself checking Athena out but she’s my wife and I have every right to do so.
“If that is all you came to ask, then I’m sure you know what the answer is. I do not wish to take in any other mate for any reason. Your daughter can wait for the mating games like everyone else and participate.” I said harshly, my voice spitting out the most poisonous of venoms.
I could feel my father’s gaze on my but pretended as if I didn’t know he was staring.
“You really need to let Zara go son, do not take the words he said to heart.” He said his voice calm.
“Zara was my world, there’s no way I can ever let go of her.” I muttered standing to my feet. The meeting was done and I headed back to my room.
I felt my blood boil as I entered slamming the door; reminded that I was in a loveless marriage with the woman who made me loose the love of my life.
I paced around the room waiting for Athena to show up. I wanted to make her feel some type of pain so that she knows just exactly what she took away from me.
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
ZAVIER’S POVI checked my watch for the umpteenth time as I paced in the living room. Nero was supposed to here hours ago but as usual he bailed.Somehow I knew it just had something to do with that wench. Anything she touches seems to be taken away from me. first it was Zara and now Nero, my best friend. I wanted nothing more than for Athena to pay for killing my sister so when Nero suggested getting rid of her before the wedding, I jumped on the idea with him volunteering to do the job myself because I wanted to be alone with her to give her a taste of her own medicine. I planned to torture her for some time before finally killing her but the damn Queen wouldn’t just leave her sight. That damn woman!It was as though she knew what we had planned because the way she had things stationed was too much of a coincidence for it to have happened the way it did. Now that my friend was stuck with Athena, we were left with no other option than to find another means to rid him of her.“Wher
ATHENA’S POV I wanted the ground to dig up by itself from the sheer feel of shame that radiated from my body. I could feel it and I bet both Nero and Zavier felt it too. His body felt like a wall that had no emotion.I knew he hated me but to see him stare me down like the way he was doing brought out a new kind of fear in me. I cowered before him and hated the images of his sister charging towards me and forcing me to react.They did look alike but not so much as a random person would point them out as twins. And the way that his forehead creased was enough to tell me that bad luck has become my second name.Zavier scowled at me and immediately I realized it was best to apologise and move out of his way.“I’m sorry, I should have looked at where I was headed.”His eyes turned dark and lips curled into a sneer. Zavier growled and lunged towards me. Nero didn’t have enough time to react before Zavier went after Athena and before he could react, Athena went flying across the hallway.
ATHENA’S POV I was on the ground bleeding again. I saw Nero standing over me yelling inherent words that I couldn’t grasp. I wanted to explain myself to him but I couldn’t. My entire body felt numb and I didn’t have control of my body any more. My head throbbed in pain and tears blinded my vision until they started to spill.My eyes fluttered and I began to see a light shining just behind Nero calling out to me. In the light were my parents and they had a sad smile on their faces. I smiled back at them. I was ready to go with them, to finally let go of all the pain I was feeling and I saw myself leave my body to go with them.My father shook his head, his face still young from the way I remembered it. “No baby girl, it’s not your time yet.” He said before the light went off and so did they. I tried to call out to them but I could only hear myself whimper. I saw Nero move from his position and was replaced by someone else whom from the look of it was his mother. She was looking at me
ATHENA’S POVDeath came for me in the forms of my parents but then it told me to hold on a bit that it was not my time just yet. It was however good to see my parents again. My heart ached knowing I could not be with them once again.I got another doze of Nero’s hate for me. But did I hate him? Honestly, no. Do I want to hate him? With everything in me.Our relationship was at the point where I wanted to go the other direction but I am forced to walk in the same one as him.When I opened my eyes, I realized that I was not in my bed. I knew I wasn’t good to be. My head felt tight. I lifted a hand to touch the spot that bled earlier on to feel a cloth in its placeI forced myself up, and I sat up. With my head heavy, I dragged myself from the bed only to be hit by a big wave of dizziness. I sat back down to let the wave pass and got back on my feet when it did.Using the walls like I did when I was bleeding, I walked out of Nero’s chamber in search of a maid to have his sheets washed be
NERO’S POVWith Athena sleeping in my bed, I was forced to sleep somewhere else. I stormed to the nearby guestroom but it felt off to sleep in. For some reason it was too cold and I didn’t want it.I found myself standing in front of Athena’s room. For all the years she had been in the Palace, I had never once cared to go into her room for anything. And back then when I needed to call her for something, I made sure to stay behind the door. That was how much I evaded any space that had her in it.Now standing in front of it gave me feeling like I was invading her privacy and I didn’t know why it mattered that I cared but I did. It wasn’t like she was going to find me here, not when she’s out cold in my bed.I opened the door and the first thing I came in contact with was her scent. I found myself shutting my eyes and taking in a deep breath. My lungs filled with the sweet smell of roses and vanilla. The room felt warm against my skin, like I had come home only this was Athena’s room.I