Chapter 86
1642words
"Are you threatening me?" I asked, looking at the man who had a calm expression, with cold merciless eyes,
"I have no reason to threaten you. I suggest you consider what I just said to be advice."
I scoffed,
" advice?"
"of course," he said conversationally,
"has it occurred to you that you might actually be abusing your power, right now?"
"abusing my power? Is that what you say I'm doing, alpha Paris?" he asked, looking amused. But I couldn't see just what made him excited, he really was righteously pissing me off.
"It's not me who is saying it. It's exactly what you're doing. First, you're using your status to try to gain Ember's affection, and since that's not enough you feel the need to come all the way here to make threats about leaving Ember alone. Has it occurred to you what you would look like if I decided to talk about this?"
But rather than respond to me, he erupted into laughter, so that I simply stood there watching him. Laughing different things to his features. It took a scary-looking tyrant and made him look youthful. Like he didn't have all the kingdoms and all the packs at his beck and all.
But then he stopped laughing and opened up his mouth and he was Prince Axel again. The one who was threatening my life,
"if only you could hear how ridiculous you sound." the man said and shook his head, "but it's enough to have gotten a good laugh from you."
"I'm not your personal clown," I said with a stoic expression,
"no. no, of course not. It's just the way you're so hell-bent on believing that I have romantic feelings toward Ember and think I give a flying damn how people would view that. But it doesn't hurt to see that she loves someone who can stand up to a fight. But what I said still stands, you're done taking advantage of such a wonderful woman. You keep your distance from Ember McGregor, because the next time I come to you about her, I won't come in peace."
And with that, he turned away.
EMBER's POV
No one has said the words, 'I told you so.' I appreciate it so much because it really would have hurt me to hear them, especially with the fact that they did tell me so.
Regardless, of whether or not they did say such things to me, the truth remained, I was falling apart. Again. This time around, Ashley wasn't by my side. Not because she was trying to be a bad friend or anything, but it was because she had a lot to do, and last time she had put it all on hold for me. I couldn't let her do it this time.
So I lied and told her that I was okay because this was exactly what I needed to have me thinking straight. She laughed and told me she knew I was lying and would visit me the next day.
Hopefully, I would be better then. But at the moment, I simply wanted to act like the world did not exist.
Because every time I wanted to believe that it couldn't get worse, but life would laugh at me and tell me it wasn't done yet.
True, the pain felt wasn't like the first separation Paris and I had, nor was it like when I had rejected Jean, but even then, the pain I felt still cut deep. I felt like I had made a mess of everything and I was unaware of where to begin, where to start again from, or if I actually could this time around.
The knock on the door told me Axel was back. He knocked the way we thought of each other when we were kids and I smiled despite my broken heart,
"hello munchkin," he said when he opened the door without waiting for my response.
I sighed and sat up, "you were out for quite some time." I said without preamble, "Did you go to see Paris?"
"is it that obvious?" he asked, walking to sit beside me,
I shrugged, "I know he is at the forefront of your mind now. And now that you're closer, I can actually smell him on you."
"I think I'm going to burn these clothes," he said with some spite and I giggled,
"Perhaps it's not that deep," I said softly
"Oh, trust me, it is," he said and shrugged out of his dress shirt,
"oh, Axel. Please don’t strip in front of me."
"We bathed in the rain together as kids." he teased and I laughed,
"as kids," I said and sighed. How much time had flown by, and then, I sighed again, "So, tell me, what happened when you got to Paris?" I said and felt the ache at the mention of Paris's name.
"Well, we were outside and I said a few things, and said a few things as well. We both had things we needed to get off our chests. "
"That's not a valid enough answer, Axel. I want the full details."
"There is not really much to it. "
"axelll."
"fine. Fine. I was pretty pissed off the entire time. He accused me of having romantic feelings for you and using my status to try and get you. And since it wasn't working, I decided to threaten him."
"Did you threaten him though?" I asked quietly. The whole thing about my brother having romantic feelings toward me did not surprise me. Most of everyone believed that because of how much time he and I spent together when we were in public and the fact that they all were not aware that we were siblings.
"I simply told him that chances were, that his beta could find him unalive on the ground."
"Axel." I moaned and he chuckled,
"oh come on. It's not that deep. In any case, he wasn't having it. He's strong. He managed to respect the title even though he didn't exactly like the man. I can respect that."
"So you all of a sudden like him?" I asked and he put his arm around my shoulder,
"far from it. I doubt there will ever be any kind of likeness between him and me. Not with everything he has put you through. He deserves to pay for everything."
I laid my head on his shoulder, "speaking of him, I want to speak to William. I want to forge ahead with our divorce. I want that divorce now more than ever. "
"That's not a problem, I know William will be happy to speak to you."
"And I suppose there lies the problem. I feel terrible that through it all, regardless of how often I've pushed him away, William has never ceased to be a good friend. Meanwhile, all I've done is be a terrible friend to him. I feel like I'm constantly taking advantage of him."
"Have you spoken to him? Has he told you he feels this way?"
"I have. He doesn't feel that way. He is simply content with being here for me, but-"
"But nothing, em. If you have a friend, one you care for, who equally cares for you, then there doesn't have to be a problem."
"I don't feel like there is a problem. I feel like I am a problem."
"but you aren't though. Paris and all of the terrible ways he has treated you have led you to believe that you are. Has led you to believe that you aren’t worth the trouble. But you are, in every possible way, you are. You've just always needed the right person to make you feel like you are. That's all."
" I don't know," I said sadly,
"but I do. So please, take my word for it, at the very least. " my brother said, and placed the palm of his hand on my cheek.
I rubbed my cheek on his palm and nodded, "Okay." I said.
"okay?"
"Okay."
~~~~
William came to visit the next day and as much as I was thankful that I didn't have to think of the things to say to make him visit me, I still panicked at the idea of him seeing me in my mess. Again.
"She'll be out soon!" I heard Axel say to him as I stood in front of the mirror. My hair was uncombed, and my eyes had bags from all of the crying, and I simply had no idea where to begin because I had zero strength left in me.
Thirty minutes later though, I had managed to tame my hair, but as for the bags, and my weakness, I was just going to have to hope in God.
"Ember." William rose at the sight of me, and I smiled. It was a weak one, but it was definitely genuine.
"Thanks for coming," I said as he drew me into his arms,
"Like I would miss a chance to see you at a time like this." I wrapped my arms around him, and rubbed my nose against him, taking comfort in his strength. I could be odd like that sometimes.
"How are you holding up, champ?" he asked, leading me to a chair, so I could sit.
"I definitely don’t feel like a champ. But I suppose there are worse feelings."
"it will pass. "
"I'm hoping for that. But I'm also aware that it won’t pass if I just stay in my room weeping."
"I'm sorry that you have to shed even so much as a tear for that man."
"I'm sorry too. Nevertheless, I'm still pushing forward. Which is why I'm ready to move on with our divorce. And I beg of you William, don't let me stop until this part is completed."
