Chapter Half-Naked Messenger
AYSU
Aysu frowned. “Why does the Alpha King wish to see me? I have no business with him.”
“Well, according to the message I received from the King, your presence is greatly needed. So, I’ll be escorting you off these grounds. Please hurry with sorting your luggage, our journey to Tarmish Pack has to start very soon.”
“Wait a minute,” Aysu pointed a finger, “who exactly are you? And why is a representative from Tarmish Pack in this foreign land?”
“Miss Aysu, that’s not for you to know. All you need to do is-”
“You are not making any sense, lady,” Gideon stepped in with fierceness. “You have not even given a reason as to why Miss Aysu has to come with you. Why would the King of Tarmish have any sort of business with her?”
The blonde woman who had a sort of intimidating height, sighed while her nipples visibly hardened due to the somewhat chilly breeze around them. If Aysu wasn’t too occupied with the message the woman was yet to clarify, she could have asked her if there was a need to be half-naked.
Instead, she asked, “What is the content of the message you received?”
“I can’t say.”
“Then, I won’t come with you. I have no idea who you are, yet you are demanding I follow you without giving a concrete reason. If you have nothing else to add, please excuse me.”
“Do you wish to know that bad?” the woman asked as though she was trying to shield Aysu from the contents of the message.
“No. I just wish to know why I have to leave this place to somewhere many kilometres away.”
“Alright then.” The so-called messenger sighed again. “The Alpha King of Tarmish wants you to come back home.”
Aysu crossed her arms. “Why is that?”
“Once you become the Luna Queen of The Night Crimson Pack, you will become a traitor. A traitor that is meant to face death.”
Aysu scoffed. The statement the woman uttered was ridiculous enough for her to scoff again. “That is a joke, isn’t it?”
With a sigh, the strange messenger added, “The moment you got married to Alpha Ximun O’Hara, you betrayed your pack.”
Aysu put aside the information on Ximun’s full name. “That makes no sense. There is no rule that says we are not allowed to mate outside the pack.”
“But you are a special case.”
“How is she a special case?” Gideon demanded. “Is this because of the curse?”
“I am afraid I have mentioned all that I know about this situation.”
Aysu still found the content of her message stupid and insane. So, instead of brooding on what the King of Tarmish was trying to cook, she decided to reach her father for clarification. So, she said to the woman, “Since you are a messenger, tell the Alpha King of Tarmish that we have no business together. I am not breaking any rules nor am I hurting anyone.”
“If the King says you are a traitor, then you are one,” the messenger replied. “It would be best if you leave everything here and return to your home.”
“Are you deaf?” Aysu refused to give in to the sternness in the lady’s voice. “I just said that I won’t leave. I have no desire to.”
“Alright then. I will deliver your reply verbatim.”
“Please do,” spat Aysu who narrowed her gaze at the woman till she walked away and left them alone in that huge space.
“I can’t believe the higher powers of the Tarmish Pack are trying to play games,” Gideon commented while he reached for her arm, perhaps because he feared that she would collapse. “What should we do? Should I speak with Alpha Ximun?”
Aysu stopped searching the ground with her eyes. She straightened her back and said, “No, we are going to contact my father. Surely, he will have something to say since he was the one that worked out my union with Alpha Ximun.”
Gideon let go of her arm. “How will we contact him though? His number is still unavailable.”
“We have to send him a message.” Aysu resumed walking but towards the building. “Hopefully, he replies very fast like last time.”
Almost two weeks passed and there was no reply from her father explaining the ridiculous encounter she had with the breast-lady. Even though she worked the messenger hawks so much they were already starting to despise her, not a single letter arrived for her.
And that made things worse in a way Aysu didn’t like. Because that could only mean that her father’s silence was acknowledging the message from the Alpha King of the Tarmish Pack.
Aysu hoped that her thoughts and fear were just as ridiculous as the situation. Of all things to be, being a traitor is the worst. So, as she recalled the message from the woman, she got to her feet and decided to opt for an option she had been trying to ignore.
“Where are you headed?” Gideon asked, his feet about to move as well.
“I have to meet Alpha Ximun. He should be able to help reach my father on a bigger scale.”
“Do you want me to come with you?”
Aysu was about to say no. But she recalled that she was yet to get used to the entire layout of the palace. “Yes, please. It would be better if both of us got lost.”
“You really don’t rate me, do you?”
“Well, do you know where Alpha Ximun is right now?” He shook his head and she smiled. “Exactly.”
“Let’s get lost together then,” said Gideon while he reached for her hand and led her out of the grand room.
About an hour later, with the help of some guards, Aysu and Gideon were able to find Alpha Ximun. He was in the throne room, where he was having a brief reading session which he reportedly ended the minute he heard Aysu was around.
Seconds later, Aysu was walking past the second door in that room and once she made eye contact with Ximun, her mind quickly conjured the memory of their embrace as well as the humiliating steamy moment they shared.
Those memories were enough to distract her, so she shook her head and told herself to focus on what she was there for.
“A few days ago, a half-naked woman approached Gideon and me,” she started. “She said she had a message from Tarmish where they are about to brand me as a traitor.”
“A few days ago? Why am I hearing of this just now?” Ximun asked.
Perhaps it was because he was seated on a majestic throne that highlighted his authority, but as he asked those questions, Aysu felt a little intimidated.
But a recall of her purpose there drew her onto the right track. She adjusted her stance and slightly tilted her head with confidence. “I wish to contact my father to debunk that ridiculous message. But he has not been responding to my many messages. So, I was wondering if you have a way to help me.”
“I see,” Ximun said. He got up and walked until he was barely inches away from her. “I understand why you would be very concerned. But, Aysu, there is a little problem.”
She was trying not to look up at him, but that statement became a reason to search the depths of his eyes which were deceptively empty at that moment.
“There is?” she asked.
And he nodded. “Your father will never reply to your messages.”
“Did you do something?”
He relaxed his position and ceased leaning in her direction. “No.”
“How do I believe you?”
“Because your father sold you to my pack for a price.”