Chapter 11- Irreplaceable

Kayla 

I held my head high and remembered what I had learned in my pack. It was important that I carried myself with grace and did nothing to embarrass myself and Asher. The moment my feet touched the first step and I came into everyone’s view, all eyes were on me as I kept moving. The place was packed with a lot of people. I searched for a familiar face in the sea of unfamiliar ones and finally found him. Asher was at the bottom of the stairs staring darkly at me, his eyes were smoldering hot and it was an effort to just breathe while holding his gaze for so long. Asher’s eyes had something feral and something enticing about them, a predator’s gaze mixed with that of a passionate Alpha. I took in lungfuls of air as I tried to calm my heart that was galloping with the speed of a hundred thousand horses. I tried not to shiver under his hot and needy gaze. 

Asher came and stood beside me in the blink of an eye and I felt my throat suddenly go dry. His gaze dipped down from my eyes to my lips and towards my chest. I felt a shudder of pleasure erupt through me and my heart began hammering on my chest as indecent thoughts made themselves apparent in my head. My nerves were tingling at the nearness and I could smell his cologne. Spice and mint. The smell was oddly attractive and when I took a deep breath to calm my jittery nerves due to our nearness, somehow a stifled moan escaped my lips. He stared at me for a while and slowly raised his hand and reached for a strand of hair as I flinched. He kept looking at me as he gently took my hand in his. 

“ Ladies and gentlemen, can I have your attention please?” 

He asked in a loud voice, turning even those heads that had been momentarily distracted while looking at the grandeur of the castle. “ First of all, I would like to thank you all for being present today. I wish to introduce my wife, your Luna, to you all. Please meet Kayla.” 

One after the other, they all came up to me and introduced themselves. It was hard to keep up with all the names. Though, a few of them did stand out. 

“It's nice to meet you, Kayla! My name is Robin,” said a tall man with slick black long hair that was trimmed right below his ear, a well-chiseled jawline, and he had deep emerald green eyes as if the woods of the entire world had gathered in his irises.

He extended his hands and a low-key growl left Asher’s mouth. Robin looked startled by Asher’s reaction and gently took his hands back, clearing his throat. 

“I am Asher’s younger brother if you need to navigate around the castle. I will be more than glad to help out Luna.”  He spoke with a smirk plastered on his face. 

“ Robin!” Asher growled in a warning tone. “ Just stay away from her. Is that clear?” 

“ Sure, whatever you say, brother,” Robin said, wiggling his brows. 

Asher guided everyone into the dining room which was big enough to accommodate all of the guests and more if there were a need for it. We got in, and Asher pulled out a seat for me and went to sit beside me. We were sitting on intricately designed chairs with velvet purple covers and golden cushions. I tried to remain calm from all the gazes that were directed my way immediately after we got seated. I tried to focus on the food in front of me, there were a variety of dishes to choose from. My eyes traveled to the basket of fruits in the center of the table and I was surprised when Asher pulled it closer as if he had read my mind. I stretched out my hand to pluck an apple from the basket and our hands touched by mistake and everything else seemed to fade around us. 

It felt as if it was just me and Asher in the room. His eyes found mine and our gaze locked. I unknowingly parted my lips and his eyes now focused on them. I saw the way his eyes darkened. His gaze was sizzling and it burned straight through me.

“ I’m really glad that you finally decided to leave the past behind and move on. I was really worried about you.” 

I flushed immediately, remembering that we were still in a room full of people that are still strangers to me. 

“ It's nice to see you trying to live again rather than keep blaming yourself for my daughter's death .” A middle-aged woman with brown hair that spilled around her shoulders and wrinkles around her eyes said unexpectedly while giving me a pointed look. 

My eyes flicked to Asher but he was not even looking at me. His eyes which were filled with desire were suddenly wiped off all the earlier emotions and he stiffened at her words and so did every other person in the room. It was obvious that no one was expecting her to talk about his dead mate when I was around. I felt the air around me suddenly go stiff like a board. The silence was so deafening that I could hear the heavy breathing of a few courtiers. 

“ The love between you and Emily was so magical and I knew no one else could replace her in your heart. She was your true mate. She was the most beautiful and kind-hearted woman you’ve had in your life. I'm glad you found someone else to fill the vacuum but it can never be special like what you shared with the real love of your life. Emily was irreplaceable.” 

I felt my throat burn and my muscles ache but more than that my heart seemed to be on fire. I was beyond humiliated by this woman’s words. She was indirectly insulting me in front of the people. It's clear as the day that she loathes me. I was still trying to process the thought of Asher having a mistress and now I'm also faced with his ex-wife’s mother. How bad could it be? Meeting your enemies on your first day, each of them having a different opinion about you. 

“ I have always wondered why a maiden would want to spend the rest of her life with someone who is not her mate. Could it be she was after the Luna title, the power, or affluence… I….” 

“ Enough!” Asher growled ferociously, his eyes flashed red with rage. I could feel the anger radiating off him rolled off in waves as he glared at her. The air suddenly grew heavy with misery and something intense, something I could not quite name. I had seen Asher angry but this was something else, far more stifling and pressuring than I had ever felt before.