Chapter 30: Chapter 30

She quickly jumped down from Asher's body, making him chuckle at her innocence.

"Scared? You should have thought about that before making me so hard," he said laughing at her flushed face.

"My little mate, what do I do with you?"

"Is that a rhetorical question?" Ayla asked, trying to take her mind off the dampness of her underwear.

"Of course. I have a list of things I want to do. Most of them involve you screaming my name in pleasure while you release."

Ayla shot him a double-take. How could he say things like that so innocently?

"My father would have your head for thinking those things about his daughter," she said with a smug smile on her face.

He smirked. "Trust me, your father understands. You don't want to imagine how wild he is with your mother under the sheets."

She grimaced at the thought. "I did not want to know that."

"I am sure you didn't. Now let's go back to my pack and I'll show you some things on my list," he said in a deep voice.

"Was that you or Hunter?"

"Both of us." He smirked, his smirk widened as he perceived her increasing arousal.

Ayla thought back to the time she spent in the pack. She was so attracted to Asher and didn't know why. Now everything made sense. She didn't completely feel the mate bond then but something was there. She recalled being so angry at Asher's mate for not recognizing him as her mate but it was her all along.

"It seems like you tend to overthink, little mate. Now, what is running through that pretty head of yours?"

She shrugged. "Just how much of a blind bat I was in your pack. I can't believe I didn't realize I was your mate. I mean it was kinda obvious. The things you said to me, my extreme attraction to you. Heck, even your presence alone turned me on and-" she slapped her mouth shut, blushing in embarrassment as she realized what she just said.

She looked at anywhere but Asher who was grinning in elation.

"So, my presence turned you on, huh?"

She stared at him, stunned. "Is that all you got from what I said?"

"Hey, I can't help how handsome and sexy I am," he said proudly and she scoffed.

"You are so full of yourself aren't you?"

She then got an idea for payback. It was now her turn. She walked to him slowly, adding a sway to her hips. His eyes were trained on her hips as she came close to him.

"Asher," she purred.

"Yes, Jewel." He swallowed lightly, his throat tightening.

She stood on her tiptoes and moved her lips to his neck, placing a kiss on the side of his neck. She could feel him shiver, making her smirk.

"I want you to take me-" she drew an invisible line on his chest and he moaned lightly.

"-To your pack-" she kissed his naked chest.

"-Take me to your room-" she ran her tongue over his left nipple. He groaned, his breathing accelerating and he gripped her waist. She looked down for a moment and saw his erection pushing against his shorts. Ayla's eyes widened at his size; which would surely cripple her.

She went back to kissing his nipple, taking her eyes away from his monster of an erection.

"-and-" she ran her hand down his hard chest and abdomen, lingering on the waistline of his shorts like she wanted to put her hand in.

"Nothing!" She pulled her hand away and took off running, leaving Asher standing dumbfounded. Her giggles filled the forest as she ran. Then she heard footsteps behind her making her quicken her steps. She ran until he tackled her from behind and both of them fell to the ground but he turned at the last minute so she would land on top of him and not hurt herself.

Still, on top of him, she pulled her upper body up using her arms so she was staring at his face.

"Now that was not nice, was it, Jewel?" He asked darkly, but she could see the smile in his eyes.

"It's called payback," she retorted.

"Oh, really? Tell me, Jewel, who taught you how to do that?" He asked, raising a perfect brow.

Deciding to tease him even more, she replied, "I've had a lot of practice."

She realized that was a bad idea when Asher growled, his eyes turned black. She stood up from him and moved back.

'Bad move, Ayla.' Spark said then disappeared, leaving Ayla all by herself.

"How many?" Hunter growled.

"How many what?" She asked, confused.

"How many men have seen and touched what is mine?"

Her throat tightened as she remembered Mark. She kept quiet, not wanting to burst into tears.

"Tell me, Kathy, who am I adding to the list?"

She decided not to comment on his mistake. He didn't know her name.

"What's wrong, Jewel?" His voice softened as he saw her teary eyes.

"Nothing." She sniffed. He got off her and helped her up.

"Don't tell me it's nothing when I can see the tears in your eyes," He said, his eyes turning back to grey.

"Did something hurt you?" Asher asked as anger washed over him.

"I don't want to talk about it, Asher, besides, you aren't exactly a Saint yourself, your brother said so."

He frowned. "I know my past may not be the most decent but all that ended when I first set eyes on you." She looked away as guilt began to nibble on her conscience at the low blow she gave.

"I'm sorry for what I said, my emotions have just been everywhere lately," she apologized.

"It's okay, Jewel, tell me when you are ready but don't take too long."

"So, what do you want to do now?" He asked as she nodded with a sad smile, already dreading the conversation about her past.

'The list is endless,' Spark purred, projecting her thoughts into Ayla's mind. Sinful thoughts that made Ayla flush pink, all thoughts of Mark exiting her mind.

"Is that a blush I see?" Ashe quizzed with a knowing smirk on his face.

Ayla looked away, avoiding his piercing gaze.

She cleared her throat and he chuckled.

"How about I reintroduce you to my family," she suggested. "As my mate," she added and he nodded.

"Wanna ride me to the castle?" He asked, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.

She gasped, "Asher!"

"I meant my Wolf!"

He laughed as her blush deepened, obviously enjoying teasing her. He went behind a tree, shifted, and came out.

"Hello, Hunter," she greeted and he barked a response then licked her face making her giggle.

"Stop that," she said, laughing and he gave her a grin. She cleaned the slobber off her face then hoisted herself up and gripped some fur around his neck for balance. Hunter then raced back to the castle. When they got to the castle, Ayla entered the castle and found Triton, Aerial, Cynthia, and the acting Oracle in Hala's room. Ayla rushed inside on seeing her mother. Hala was unconscious with a bandage wrapped around her neck.

"How is she?" Ayla asked. Colour was slowly returning to Hala's skin and her breathing was steady.

"Better now, the trip to the moon pool helped her." Ayla sighed in relief at Cynthia's words.

"Where did she fly you off to, Precious?" Aerial asked referring to Spark.

"The wolf pack," she replied in a low voice, a little afraid of how her father and brother would take her mating.

"Why? The wolves left yesterday after the clean-up," Triton said, staring at her expectantly.

"Um, I want you guys to meet someone," Ayla said and Asher walked into the room, sporting a new pair of shorts that Kathy wondered how he got them.

Everyone wore identical confused looks on their faces. Everyone except the Oracle. "But we've already met the king of wolves," Aerial stated.

Ayla took a deep breath and said, "Asher is my mate."

"What? But how? You met him before and didn't feel the mate bond," Triton said, sitting up on the chair beside Hala's bed.

Aerial stared at Asher with a tight look on his face. "When did you start feeling the bond?"

Asher smiled. "I knew from the first day I saw her that she was mine but she only started feeling the bond-"

"When the spell was broken," the Oracle concluded, her white eyes settling on the newly reintroduced mates with a knowing look on her face.

Asher shot Ayla a confused look.

"I will explain later," she said and he nodded.

"Is this true, Precious?" Asher asked, obviously trying not to freak out.

"Yes, father, Asher is my mate."

Aerial sighed, turned to glare at Asher. "No wonder you were acting strangely the day Hala introduced you to Kathy." Asher smiled. "I have heard of your reputation and tendency to sleep with different unmated females. If you hurt my daughter or ever cause a tear to leave her eyes, I will feed you to my hound."

Asher visibly shuddered. It seemed like he had met a hound before.

"My wolf and I will do anything to make Kathy happy. The last thing we would do is hurt her."

"Your Wolf too?" Aerial stared wide-eyed at Ayla who blushed and nodded. "My heart can't take this, I need some air," Aerial said, and left the room.

Ayla turned to Triton who hadn't said anything since she dropped the bomb on them.

"Brother?"

He turned to her with a tight-lipped smile on his face before turning to Asher.

"Asher, take a walk with me, will you?"

Asher pecked her lips softly, and she blushed at the attention of everyone on them. Triton cleared his throat in annoyance and Asher followed him out of the room.

"So, mates with a Wolf. Not just any Wolf, the Alpha king," Cynthia said, grinning.

Ayla groaned. "My brother isn't taking it well and dad is so calm about it, his calmness is disturbing. I wonder how a mother will take thi-"

"A change is coming. A change bigger than anything Lunae has ever seen." The Oracle's voice cut her off.

"Change? What kind? Good or bad?" Cynthia asked.

The Oracle shook her head. "The Moon did not say."

"Did it say when or how soon?" Cynthia asked.

The Oracle shook her head again.

"I need to talk to my father, he didn't look too happy. Please, Cynthia, stay with mother."

"I won't leave her side." Ayla nodded her thanks.

She focused on the bond she shared with Aerial and tried to locate him. He was at the back of the castle.

"Precious," he called without looking at her as usual.

She sat beside him. "Is everything okay, father?"

He sighed. "Our family has been through a lot these past few months. We almost lost your mother twice and now you are mated to a wolf," he said the word 'wolf' like it burned his tongue.

"Why do you say 'wolf' that way?" She asked with a frown.

"Don't get me wrong, I don't hate wolves. I respect them a lot. Besides they helped in our battle against the shadow warriors and the clean-up. But male wolves are extremely possessive and animalistic, especially with their mates. Look, I know you are not a damsel in distress, but I don't want you to get hurt."

She felt her heartache as her father's emotions washed over her. She had been controlling whose emotions she felt and when she feels them but the intensity of her father's sadness and worry made her lose her hold on her empath powers.

She laid her head on his shoulder which he had to slump a lot for her to place her head due to their massive height difference.

"I know I am new to this world but I wanna experience it all with Asher. I might not have known him for a long time but I feel like I've known him all my life. Asher would not hurt me, father," she said.

"My brave little Princess. You remind me so much of your mother at your age, brave and daring. I trust that you know what is best for you and I respect that. If he hurts you, my hounds are always hungry," he said seriously and she laughed.

"Hounds? Seriously, father?"

"I've been keeping them for years."

She smiled.

"You are worried about something else, father," she noted and he gave her a sad smile.

"How did I think I would hide my feelings from an empath?"

"What is it?"

"I am worried about what will happen to us, to the kingdom. You are the only heir to the throne and if you leave with your mate, the kingdom will leave vulnerable with no one to rule it after the Queen dies."

"Oh my God!" She exclaimed, stood up, and walked to the other end of the wall.

She hadn't thought about that. She would have to go with Asher to his pack. What then would happen to Lunae? Things just became a lot more complicated.

She ran her hand through her hair, groaning as the white moon disappeared. It was time for a new moon.

"Does the goddess do these things on purpose?" She tried to navigate her way back to her father with the light provided by just the red moon.

He chuckled.

"She must be having fun at our expense then," Aerial replied, laughing at his daughter's obvious frustration.

"Don't laugh at me, father," she pouted, frowning in annoyance and her father laughed even more.

"Come, Precious. We have to prepare for the ceremony of the new moon. The Oracle and elders should be already coming to the castle now."

She groaned again.

"Don't worry, it will be like the last time," he assured her.

"You mean me getting my palm cut again? Painless right?" She asked sarcastically.

"Precisely that. Come on." He heaved her up and pulled her to the castle almost bearing all of her weight as she reluctantly dragged her feet along.

"Such a big baby. Accelerated healing remember?"

"How can I forget?"

She thought about Asher and what Triton was saying to him. Asher wasn't one to be intimidated so she wasn't scared the Triton would scare him off. He must be wondering where she was. Moving to his pack was something she didn't think about. She knew he wouldn't leave his pack to stay with her if she becomes Queen and she couldn't ask that of him. Things would have been a lot easier if she had another sister.

Then there would be another heir.

Just then an idea raced into her head. One that would either result in a disaster or a success. She hoped with everything inside her that it was the latter as her idea could change the history of Lunae.

Change. Could it be the message the Oracle got? The goddess must have foreseen it. It was too coincidental. The prophecy, the new moon, and her decision. She only hoped that it worked out, for her sake and Ashers.