Chapter 85
1535words
I ran my hand over my face, because as much as I wasn't pleased with what Jackson was saying to me, there was so much truth in it. Trying to chase after Ember, while I was still bonded with Kate was a serious case of going back and forth. And also very unfair to both women
"I see what you're saying, man. I see it."
"But? Because I hear a but."
"But, I'm unable to leave her alone. Where do I even begin? I'm stuck on her!"
"I don't dispute that. Believe me, I don't. Neither do I doubt the fact that you love her. But the big question is, if you love her so much, and desire to be with her by all means, then why won't you simply reject Kate? Because the way I see it, she is the main stumbling block between the both of you."
"To tell you the truth, Jackson, I really don't know. Every time the thought of losing Ember fills my mind, it feels like a vice has been tied about my neck, and then it feels like there isn't anything I wouldn't do, there isn't any length I wouldn't go to get her back, but then, when it comes to doing this one thing, when it comes to letting go of Kate, I'm incapable of doing so. I suppose there is perhaps a part of me that is simply attached to her."
"Of course there is. Your wolf Is attached to hers. It's a constant battle. The one between your wolf and your heart."
"So what do I do?"
"I've never heard of a time when anyone didn't encounter some kind of pain when they had to reject their pain. Sometimes the heartbreak is even more lethal. But you're a strong one, Alpha Paris. So you only have to make up your mind, and I believe everything else would flow from that."
I sighed and shook my head, "I'm unsure that my physical strength would be enough to deal with whatever pain would come from rejecting Kate."
"Now, don’t tell me that Alpha Paris, the man who has killed hundreds of his enemies in battle, is actually afraid of heartache."
"I'm not afraid of heartache, Jackson," I grumble, and the side of his lips turned upward,
"Well then. Just try and think it through. Because it seems to me that, whatever choice you make now, will be one that you can't really turn back on."
"You've been up here since we came back. You haven't even taken the time to get freshened up." Kate said, barging into my office, and hour after Jackson and I had worked on most of the papers that had been piling up for quite some time,
"Just because I went to a party, does not mean I simply ignored my duties, Kate. In any case, I didn't even spend that much at the damned party." is aid, sounding irritated,
"So now, it’s a damn party," Kate said, pouting when I looked up at her. The woman wore a perpetual pout if you ask me.
"Kate, I said I'd be with you later."
"and it's been an hour."
"It might be an hour yet because I'm truly trying to work."
"or perhaps you need time to consider the event with Ember."
I looked at her for a moment. Underneath all that pout and childishness, the woman could be damned well intuitive when she put her mind to it.
"you aren’t going to try and deny it then. "
"That would be cowardice, and I'm no coward. But I really am working, and require time to do so. Go back to bed, Kate. If you're sleeping when I come then I'll make sure you're covered well." I said dismissively and went back to my work.
"I'm really tired of your behavior, to be very honest."
"I'm really tired of yours too. So, I suppose that makes the both of us."
"Kate."
"Paris."
"please. Please just leave me alone for now. A man with all of the responsibilities I carry is entitled to enough quiet time to give him clarity. Why should that be too much for you to understand?"
"Is that really the path you are going to take? Really, Paris? What about me? You require your time alone to think straight, so where exactly do I stand? Where exactly does that leave me? Or do you not care how this entire thing makes me feel?"
"Kate, we can talk about this after. I promise that you are even allowed to dissect me in whatever way you please. But for now, just let me be."
She looked like she was going to lose her top, but after looking at me with the coldest of stares for a couple of seconds more, she finally balled her hands in fists, and turned away from me, slamming the door hard behind her.
I sighed when my office became quiet again, and rather than go back to my work, I simply laid my head over my papers and drifted into oblivion. It turns out I was a bit more tired than I thought.
The next day brought some random events that I had not seen coming. I mean, I suppose I should have expected Kate's ice and cold behavior, and gave her a wide berth, so I wouldn't get cut in its web. But I know it was only a matter of time until she was tired of remaining quiet.
However, the unexpected visit from the Alpha prince, Jackson, certainly caught me off guard.
"sire," I said in confusion when I went to greet him outside, for he refused to come in. I suppose that should have been my first warning of trouble,
"Alpha Paris. I've heard great things about you, Alpha Paris." Prince Axel said with an oily tone, that put me on guard,
"as I have, you, Prince Axel."
The man smiled, and something in his eyes was lethal, and I wondered what caused him to bring it all my way today,
"I'm glad that reputation precedes me. So I know whatever may be said here will have the effect and weight it requires."
"I believe you still have me confused, sire."
"Then I'll end your confusion once and for all." with the speed of light that had me confused, the man had his hand, tightened around my collar and was looking straight into my eyes with those black beads of darkness,
"you hurt someone I care about ."
I knew my place so that even If I was tempted to push him off me, or throw a punch, I could do nothing but hold back, and stare at him with redden orbs,
"What exactly is the meaning of this? Why am I being attacked in my pack land?"
"if you only knew, for how long I've been dying to do this one. Then perhaps you would have been walking around with your eyes behind your head," he said and let out a low feral growl that might have scared a weaker man
"Perhaps you would like to tell me why you have all these bad thoughts toward me."
"There's the part that you think you can do with women however you please."
"do with women however I please? You don’t know what you're talking about."
"I don't? then maybe you would like to explain in inappropriate terms why you deemed it fit to hurt Ember. Or why Kate has become your puppet in all of this."
"my love life is in no way any of your concern." I snapped and finally pushed him off me,
"That's wrong. It became my concern the very moment you dragged Ember McGregor into it. You hurt once. Once, while I sat down and did nothing, I won’t give you the chance to hurt her again."
"it's best you stay out of my relationship with Ember. It's none of your concern."
"relationship? Do you call that a relationship? Don't be ridiculous."
"I had wanted to believe it to be a fallacy, all of the whispers about the both of you. But here it is for me to see clearly with my own eyes." I said with some disbelief. It was all through, after all. The rumors of the alpha king's feelings for Ember, and I grew green with envy.
"I couldn't give a damn about what rumors that have been spread."
"Well, you should, because there are some that might believe that you are using your position to make her yours. Do you not think that would be bad for your reputation?"
"You worry about your own reputation and I'll worry about mine, thank you very much. But, at the moment though, I think you should worry more about your life," he said airily,
I narrowed my eyes in slits, "I might be hearing this incorrectly, so please, correct me if I'm wrong, sire, but are you threatening me?"
The man shrugged, ever so elegantly, "I wouldn’t call it threatening per se. But just think, wouldn't it be a horrific site, if your beta came home one of these days and found you, unalive, in your own home?"
