Chapter 3:

Asher

I marched out of the room, utterly satisfied with myself.

My plan was finally in good motion. Scarlett Black, daughter of Talon Black was now mine. As soon as we got a child, everything would be perfect.

I would finally be able to regain my forefathers' wealth that had been unjustly stolen from them. I was going to restore that fallen glory.

My feet led me to my office and I poured myself a long glass of wine to celebrate. The victories were just about to start raining.

"You are too smart, Asher..." I whispered, reminiscing on how well I had played my part till now.

Poor Scarlett, she never saw it coming.

And to make it worse, even if she told her disgusting and pathetic family, none of them would believe her. To them, I was an angel sent to comfort them in their times of need, little did they know that I was their nemesis. The demon sent to reclaim their debt.

I gulped down the wine, letting the strong taste burn down my throat as I enjoyed myself.

I was already on my second bottle when the door creaked open and my beta, popped his head in.

"I thought you would still be asleep. Isn't it supposed to be your honeymoon still?"

The smile on my face dropped as his words hit me.

"Luciano, you expect me to have a good time with my enemy?" I hissed, slapping the wine glass on the table. "You expect me to feast over her while my people, my ancestors scream in pain in their graves?"

His carefree expression disappeared instantly and his eyes dropped to the ground.

"I apologize, my king." He bowed and maintained the position. "What do you plan to do, now that you have her here?"

Now that was the question to ask.

My brows furrowed and I sipped on my drink before I pointed a finger at him.

"Get the elders gathered for a council meeting as soon as the sun comes up. I need to let them know what we tend to lose or gain with this chance."

Luciano, nodded, even though I could see the questions clearly dancing in his eyes but somehow he managed to control them.

"Consider it done my king."

As he stepped out of the room, my thoughts singlehandedly went to Scarlett, the woman I had just deflowered and made mine.

My wolf hissed within me, pushing me to go to her. Comfort her in the very least but I was going to die first before I did that.

She deserved every ounce of pain that came her way-

Like a curse, her voice suddenly slipped through the underside of the door and my wolf jumped, suddenly turning hyper. "Asher."

I caged it down somewhere in my mind and glared at the door as it opened.

Her hair was no longer as messy as I had left it and her robe now covered that seductive body of hers that was making my wolf behave weakly.

To regain control, I slapped my hand on the desk and glared at her.

"What do you want? What do you want from me?"

Her face contorted into pain like my words had slapped her. Yet she kept coming, only stopping as she got in front of my table.

"I am your wife, Asher... If something... If you feel there is something wrong -please talk to me."

My wolf rolled inside of me and I knew that I had to remind not just her but the animal within me where this matter stood.

I moved away from my desk and came to stand before her. My eyes glared deeply at her.

"I have told you but it seems your ears aren't functioning Scarlett-"

"What did you tell me because till now, I do not understand what it is I have done wrong."

"You!" I screamed, grabbing her upper arms with rage. "You are wrong," I yelled.

"Your family is wrong and I want nothing to do with you except procreate. Do you get it now?"

Tears spilled down her face and she slowly shook her head, refusing to take what I was telling her -like she had a choice.

"Asher... You don't mean that-"

I didn't even let her finish.

"Fuck this." I hissed, grabbing her roughly by the arm and pulling her along with me till we got to the door where I dumped her.

"Now, listen and listen well," I growled, my hand pointing at her dumb head. "The next time you come to my space. Room or office or anywhere. I am going to throw you in the dungeon and you will remain there till I find what I want!"

With that, I slammed the door closed and returned inside, hating the way my wolf shifted within me like what I did wasn't right.

"It is right!" I yelled at myself.

Scarlett didn't deserve anything good from me or anyone. Her family brought this upon them.

"My king," Luciano's voice suddenly broke through the space and I turned to him.

"What?" I growled and he jumped, taking a few minutes to calm himself before replying.

"The council is ready. They are waiting."

I adjusted my shirt and moved out of the office, hoping for her sake, she wasn't there anymore.

Fortunately for her, she wasn't.

"Did something happen with Scarl-"

"Get the soldiers ready. I will be needing them," I cut him off, as I went on.

This was not the time to play catch up. Surely, he must have seen her. There was no point responding to him when he would be getting his answers in a couple of seconds.

The guards by the throne room opened the door as we got closer and I didn't bother acknowledging them as I went to my seat.

The elders all got to my feet, bowing as I settled in.

"You may take your seats too. We are going to have a quick session."

They all settled and as always their leader, Elder Micah got up and bowed.

"What can we do for you, our dear king?"

I took my time to study each of them before letting out what was going on in my head.

"I want each of you to send a division of men into the known lands, as rogues."

A deafening silence suddenly filled the room as they all turned to stare at one another in shock but as always, Micah was the one to speak up.

"But my king, you just married their princess and your cousin is down there with them, why this decision?"

"I want what they took from me. The known lands belonged to my ancestors. Not theirs. It was stolen from me. From us. And now, I am going to take it back."

A few faces started nodding, finally seeing the picture I was painting.

"And their princess?" Micah added.

My wolf shifted in annoyance, but I ignored it.

"She is just a pawn to my goal," I replied, getting to my feet.

"If I am going to take back the known lands, I will need to have a strong hold on it. I need an heir and she can give me that legitimate heir..." I watched their expressions change once again as they took it in.

"But while we wait for the child to come, we need to destabilize them. Axel needs to get pushed to the wall so hard, he would remember never to mess with us."

Chorused of agreement filled the room and a grin graced my face as I watched them.

"Our tactic would be chaos and peace. They must never know we are the enemies. We hit and then we act like we never did it. That's why the men you send must act like rogues. Men who are thirsty for blood. Hit them where they couldn't imagine and then when they are broken, they would beg me to become their king because they would see how incompetent Axel is."

"Yes!" They chorused once again, excitement rising in the room.

For most of them, I knew that the drive was greed but it didn't matter to me. I didn't need anything more than to prove to Axel that I owned the lands. They belonged to us and not them.

"Go now and get started," I ordered, watching as they all filed out of the room, planning how they were going to bring the Known lands into my arms in the most sinister twist game ever played in history.

"My king," a voice called, and turned my head, only to find Elder Micah, still hovering in the room.

My brows raised and I narrowed them at him. "Is there something you want?"

"Yes, my king," he said, taking a low bow, "is she aware of this?"

He didn't have to say the name. As our eyes met, I knew who he spoke of and somehow, this increased my anger.

"That shouldn't be your concern, Elder Micah. Focus on your task."

Chapter 4:

Scarlett

I could not believe what was happening to Asher.

People said when your husband or partner started acting up, it was always a character trait they had long before you met them.

Yet, Asher... He never had any of these traits. He was perfect. He was the carefree guy in the room who made loving him so easy.

Even as the thoughts filled my head, I couldn't take out the part where his words rang out in my head.

He only wanted a child from me. He had only married me to take what belonged to his family...

"No..." I whispered, unable to believe it. Asher was too perfect for this. There had to be something else bugging him.

And if I couldn't talk to him, there was one person who could know. And that was Luciano, his beta, and my friend.

Long before Uncle Greg found me in the unknown lands, Luciano had been my friend. Back when I roamed around the streets after escaping the humans who had bought me as a maid.

Luciano was there for me. Though not to a hundred percent but he did take care of me whenever he had free time from his busy schedule. I considered him my friend and surely, he would help me.

I wiped away my tears and put on another dress, making sure to hide whatever trace of pain or worry I had with makeup. When I was done, I paused in the mirror, practicing my forced smile. But not even my eyes could reflect their usual light.

I could see the crack in my heart on the mirror and my throat tightened as Asher's cruel words replayed in my head once again.

The air became hot and I was starting to hyperventilate when I sniffled and got a hold of myself.

"You are a queen now Scarlett. You have to stay strong." I whispered over the mirror before fisting my hands and heading out in search of Luciano.

I had no idea where I could find him but I hoped to find a guard who could point me out to his quarters in the palace. Before now, we usually only met in the market space where he slipped me food or a blanket.

The memories warmed me up, adding to the confidence I had managed to summon up.

"My Queen," someone suddenly said behind me and I quickly turned to find a very striking woman -one I had never seen before until now.

She had long blonde hair and eyes that moved between silver and gray. Then a face that was too pretty for anyone to forget.

"I am Stella. I am sorry I am coming to you late... I am supposed to be your assistant." She smiled and bowed.

My eyes blinked for a few seconds as I paused, trying to make out what I was going to do with her. Surely I didn't need an assistant and the words were going to leave my lips as they were when I suddenly remembered why I was out in the first place.

"Oh, yeah... Hi." I mumbled, letting my practiced smile linger on my face. "I was going to meet up with Luciano. The beta. Do you know where his quarter is?"

She raised her head and her strange eyes flashed before she nodded subtly. "I know where it is. I will take you." She stretched her hand down in the opposite direction of where I was headed. "It is this way."

She started moving ahead of me and I followed slowly, watching the way she moved carefully like she could suddenly do something strange.

Why didn't Asher tell me about her? I thought but as soon as the idea was birthed in my head, I gave myself an answer. He couldn't tell me because he was still angry with me and my family.

Which still didn't make sense and I hoped, Luciano would be able to answer all of my questions.

"We are here, my queen."

Her voice snapped me out of my thoughts and I saw that she had stopped in front of a door.

"Thank you," I said and took a step closer to the door but before I could knock, she knocked instead.

Then it occurred to me that she might want to stick around me like some bodyguard, so I quickly turned to her.

"Stella, right?"

She smiled and nodded. "Yes, my queen."

"Please, you don't have to stay. I need to speak to Luciano in private. Please."

"Oh that's not a problem, I will just wait in the reception." She gave me another bow and turned away from the door just as it was opening.

Luciano's face appeared before me and his tight expression softened.

"Scarlett... Or should I say, my queen," he said with a slight bow.

I waved my hand dismissively at his comment and offered him a small smile. "Oh Luciano please, call me Scarlett."

"Okay..." He replied and I could feel the awkwardness in his voice as he remained before me, not knowing what tondo.

I couldn't blame him. I could feel the awkwardness myself. Ever since Asher showed interest in me, we both developed an unspoken rule not to speak or even act like we knew each other. But the situation had changed. I was legally mated to Asher now and he was his beta, we had to talk.

My eyes made a quick sweep of the corridor and when I was sure no one was around, I returned my eyes to him.

"Can we talk... please?"

Luciano bit down on his teeth and also checked the corridors before pulling the door wide enough for me to get in, and then locked it as soon as I stepped in.

"You shouldn't be here." He mumbled and I turned around to face him, watching the emotions that moved over him. He knew.

"Why is Asher doing this to me?" I began, my voice barely above a whisper. "What is it my ancestors-" I paused as I remembered what he said they did to him and decided to rephrase my statement.

"Even if it is true that my ancestors took the lands from his, isn't there a way we can talk about this? A way we can make amends. I mean, I can give him my share of the lands, if he wants and I am certain not even Axel would have a problem with it."

But Luciano shook his head slowly and I could already feel the negative response he was about to give but I refused to accept it.

"I can convince my family. We can have a merger done. Anything... He just doesn't have to be like this. I can even give him the-"

"Scarlett," Luciano called, stopping me from the line of babbles I was spitting. "You know I will never lie to you. Before all of these even happened, you have been very dear to me... I can only tell you the truth."

His words were like the seconds of a bomb that was about to go off and destroy my life. And all I could do was wait for the seconds to tick-tock away as he spoke.

"Asher doesn't want just your shares..." He whispered. "He wants everything and he is not going to stop until he gets them."

My eyes blinked as it suddenly felt bitter in my throat. I couldn't fathom where all the hatred came from.

"Why?" I croaked as tears reached the surface of my eyes.

Luciano shook his head again and his hands held my upper arms. 

"Asher has lived with the guilt of failing his people and himself for so long... He has a twisted notion to rule everyone. It's almost like the curse of the old lycans'. Greed. A dark, need to rule over everyone... Nothing can stop him."

My legs suddenly felt like jelly as my world began to move over me like a rollercoaster. My heart was racing, and my wolf was screaming.

Asher couldn't be what Luciano just explained.

"But he loves me..." I said, looking up at Luciano. "He told me this himself. He is in love with me." -and if I was being sincere to myself, I loved him too.

"I am sorry, Scarlett. But Asher never loved you. You have always been a pawn. Something for him to play with so he could get his goal."

A gasp escaped my lips and the spinning of the world around me grew stronger. If Luciano wasn't holding onto me, I would have passed out.

He slowly let me to a seat and as I sat, my body trembled with denial.

"No," I mumbled like saying it over and over would make it better.

Asher had been the one to save my brother's marriage. He stood by Violet. He stood by me.

"No. Luciano," I whispered, raising my eyes to him. "I am sure that you are wrong. This must just be a condition."

Luciano left my side and moved to a table that was by the window. He pulled out something from it.

"The goddess wanted you to find me first... But if you hadn't come, I would have come to you." He took my hand and placed a phone in it. "As I said earlier, you are very dear to me, Scarlett. I can't lie to you. Neither can I sit and watch all of these happen to you."

Chapter 5: Scarlett

My wet eyes moved to the device he had placed in my hand and back to his face. "What is this?"

Luciano got up and released a deep sigh. "A recording device."

My heart skipped multiple beats and my eyes returned to the device again.

"I was worried about the switch in attitude he had after the ceremony back at your place. I tried to talk to him, but he refused to let me in..." He paused, turning to look at the sadness and denial that struggled over me.

"Earlier today, there was a meeting that can prove to you exactly what Asher wants to do to you and your family... It is a big risk I am taking to give you this because I am directly going against my King and Alpha. But..."

He lowered himself before me and his hands reached for my knees as our eyes locked. "You mean a lot to me and if I have to put my life at risk to give you the truth. Then I will."

My heart stopped beating and the world turned silent. Only Luciano's words rang out in my head. I knew he couldn't lie to me and for him to put his life on the line... There had to be some truth in this recording.

Slowly, my finger pressed the start button and I listened to the meeting. The tears I was already struggling to keep at bay started flowing stronger as I listened to the hate in Asher's voice as he instructed his people to take away the peace of my people.

Luciano was right. He was driven by greed and anger so deep it turned him into a monster.

Why else would he want to be with me only to have a child that could make his claim to the throne from my brother legitimately?

My heart broke into a million pieces as the recording continued playing. My thoughts swam back and forth from the part where he had confessed his love to me and the part where I had foolishly admitted to loving him too.

Even my damned wolf had recognized him as my mate.

But as the recording came to an end, my broken heart was patched up with anger. I wasn't some Lycan princess he could toy with.

I wasn't going to give him what he wanted. I refused to be the pawn in his game. We would play each other in this game.

"I can stop him," I mumbled as I handed the device back to Luciano.

Luciano's face morphed into a frown and he cocked his head to the side. "Scarlett, he is a Lycan. How can you stop him?"

"I am also a Lycan, Luciano. Don't forget that." My hands fisted and I got off his chair. "I would not sit back and watch him destroy what my father and my brother have suffered to come up with."

He also straightened up and the worry in his eyes was enough for my resolve to strengthen itself. Asher didn't deserve to rule people like Luciano.

If I was going to stop him, I had to make my rules around his. Instantly, I pulled out my phone from my pocket and dialed my brother's number.

"What are you doing?" Luciano cried out, taking the phone from me and stopping the call before he could pick up.

"what does it look like I am doing?" I hissed. "I am calling my brother and ending this madness at once. He thinks he can send rogues to attack my people and I will just stand back and do nothing?"

"No, he doesn't because he doesn't know that you heard him." Luciano looked flustered as he ran his fingers through his hair. "Look, the second you call your brother, Asher will fight back. And right now, no offense but your army isn't looking so good with the attack of Willow a few months back. They won't win the fight and what would happen to your people then?"

My fingers clasped together as I began to pace.

Luciano was right. If I called Axel and gave him the proof I had, he would attack straight and we couldn't win that attack. Asher was stronger than we were.

The realization made my heart sink and the tears returned to my eyes. "What can we do then?" I cried desperately helpless. "I can't- I can't just not do anything."

Luciano ran his fingers through his hair once again and placed his hand on his waist while he watched me.

"I have another idea."

With tears still in my eyes, I raised them to his and paused my pitiful thoughts.

"Asher can send rogues to attack but his true claim to the throne will stand when you give him an heir. If we can prevent that, then we can beat him."

My broken heart stopped as the thoughts rolled over in my head. It could work but how?

I was going to ask Luciano this when the sound of my phone ringing suddenly broke the tension in the room, bringing me out of my head as well.

"Hello," I answered as Luciano handed the phone back to me.

It was my brother. Axel, the first son of Talon Black.

"Scarlett, that was fast..." he teased. "Do you already miss us?"

The excitement in his voice brought even more tears to my eyes as I now understood even deeper what Luciano had just done. He stopped me from causing pain to my brother who thought he had done the right thing by marrying me off to a good guy.

A guy that was far from good. A power-hungry Lycan. A true monster.

"Yeah... yes, I missed you all and I was wondering how you are all doing?" I lied while struggling to keep away my sniffles.

"Scarlett, are you okay?"

Shit. He must have picked up the sadness from my voice.

Quickly, I broke into a forced laughter.

"Of course. I am very fine. I just miss you guys that's all. I will try and come over as soon as I get some free time, okay?"

"Hmm, okay and make sure to bring that mate of yours," Axel chuckled and I felt a part of me die.

How were they going to feel when the truth finally got to them?

I had to stop him before things got even worse.

"Sure. Bye Axel." I ended the call and sent a quick text to Uncle Greg to tighten security around the border villages, just to be extra safe.

Our army may have been shrunk down to a small size after the war Willow had brought to our doorstep but we were not going to stand by and let Asher win this. No way.

My eyes returned to Luciano and I remembered his offer.

"How do I stop myself from getting pregnant?"

"I will get you some pills to take regularly but it will take some time before it gets here... Just try not to meet with him and if you do meet, try to take lots of fruits with acids content. That should wash away his sperm in your body."

Once again my hands fisted and I nodded. "I will do just that... Thank you, Luciano. For everything and don't worry, I will protect you. My family will protect you."

He nodded, dropping his eyes to the floor. He probably thought my words were just that but I was an offspring of Talon Black. We don't make promises without keeping them. I was going to make sure he was safe at the end of this madness.

"I shall return now," I started heading to the door, determined to make Asher fail in his wicked plans.

"Scarlett," Luciano called and I paused.

"Huh?"

"Please stay safe. Don't act like you know anything yet. You need the element of surprise if you want to beat him."

I pursed my lips and nodded. "I will."

With that, I walked out of his quarters and headed back to mine.

As I got in, I locked the door and wrapped my hands around my chest. The whole truth crashed down over me and for a second I wanted to fall over the bed and cry my eyes out, but I fisted my hands and braced myself.

This was what Asher wanted. He lied to me and my family so he could enjoy the look of pain that his betrayal would bring. But he was wrong.

I was not going to give him that satisfaction even if it killed me, I would smile and show him how strong we were. My attitude was going to confuse him, play him the same way he was playing me until it drove him crazy enough to speak the truth.

Lightening never struck the same place twice. I was going to fight back with everything I had.

"My queen?"

I snapped my head to the door as I recognized Stella's voice. My brows furrowed but I unlocked the door and stared at her.

"I am sorry but you are not to lock your door except the king is with you," she said the second the door opened and my brows arched even further.