Semua Bab The Mate Games: Bab 91 - Bab 100

ALTHEAIt’s been days since the king’s outburst, and I’m still here. Still breathing. Still in my room. No one’s stormed in to drag me away. No execution. No exile. Just silence.I wish that made me feel better.But it doesn’t.If anything, the waiting is worse. Like I’m walking on glass, waiting for it to crack.My maids check in constantly, but I haven’t left my room since the night of the meeting. I keep telling them I’m tired, or sick, or just need time alone. And maybe that’s true. I do need time to think. But not inside this room.The walls are closing in. My thoughts won’t stop spinning.So, today, I slip out. I wait until the halls are quiet and the sun is just starting to dip behind the west tower. I take the long way, using a narrow stairwell at the far end of the hall. One of the old ones, steep and uneven, hardly used.My maids would protest, but I don’t tell them. I don’t want company.Besides the occasional guard, the first floor is mostly empty. Quiet.I’m almost to the

ALTHEAI turn away, hunting through the shelves until I spot a small washcloth tucked behind a tin box. My fingers close around it, and I carry it over to the sink. When I turn the handle, I’m honestly surprised when water comes out—ice-cold, but clean.I take a deep breath and steady myself.The cold burns my fingers as I wet the cloth, but I don’t flinch. I just wring it out and turn back around, trying to keep my face calm, for his sake.“This might sting a little,” I warn.“It’s okay,” he whispers, voice quiet. “I’m used to it.”I move closer and gently dab the cloth against the long gouge in his shoulder. Blood smears into the fabric, and I notice how the wound stays open—red and raw and angry.It should be healing faster. He’s not just a royal werewolf; he’s the son of the strongest Alpha alive. He carries the white wolf inside him. So why is he still bleeding like this?As if he hears my thoughts, Asher speaks. “The cane my father uses… it has silver in it,” he mutters, eyes fi

ALTHEAWe stare at each other.Both of us breathing hard, both of us just… looking. Taking each other in like we’ve been starving and this is the first breath we’ve had in days. The air between us is thick—so heavy it feels like I could reach out and grab it.The room is silent. Deathly silent.Except for our own shaky, labored breathing.His chest rises. Falls. Rises again.My hands tremble where they hang at my sides.“I know you feel it too,” he says quietly.“Feel what?” My voice comes out softer than I mean for it to. Barely a whisper.His eyes are burning now. That’s the only word for it. Burning. “Feel alive. Feel on fire. Feel.”There’s an intensity in him that makes my pulse trip over itself. His jaw clenches. His fists tighten. Then he looks away, dragging a hand through his hair as he mutters something under his breath.Then his gaze crashes into mine again. “Gray,” he says, his voice cracking on the name. “When I look at you… I’m devastated. I’m drowning. I’m dying to catc

ALTHEAThe moment the guard speaks, my whole body tenses.The King.Injured.Critical condition.The words spin around in my head, trying to land, trying to make sense. I’m still reeling from Asher’s kiss, his touch, his voice, the way he said my pretty Gray like it meant something. Like I meant something. And now… this.“I—what?” I manage to say, blinking.Asher moves before I can gather myself. “Is the coast clear now?” he demands, his voice sharp.The guard nods quickly. “Yes, sir. The revolutionaries fled after the King was hit. The grounds are secure. We’ve locked down all access points.”Asher mutters a curse and drags a rough hand through his hair. It’s not the graceful sweep he usually does when he’s thinking. This is frustrated. Panicked. Almost violent. His fingers curl at the back of his neck, and then he grabs his shirt from where he tossed it aside earlier.He doesn’t look at me, not right away. But I see it. The tight set of his jaw. The way his chest rises just a little

ALTHEAI can’t shake the feeling that I’ve made a horrible mistake. No matter how much I try.After I gave Aaron the key last night, sleep never came. I tossed and turned in my bed until the sun began to rise. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw Asher’s face, his eyes, his voice, his touch. The way he said I meant something, the way I almost believed it. And now… I don’t know what I’ve done.The guilt sits heavy on my chest. Like a stone I can’t lift off. It’s too late to take it back. I know that. But it doesn’t stop me from wishing I could.This morning, no tasks are assigned. In fact everyone has kept to their rooms since the last attack. Even our breakfasts are brought to our respective rooms. The palace is quiet. Everyone’s whispering about the king’s attack. But no one has any news on how he’s faring. We’re all in the dark, but I’m surprised to find that I want him to be okay. Not particularly for him. But for Asher. I remember the look on his face when he got the news, and I don