ASHLEY'S POV
"Ashley! Ashley! Come back here!" Dante roared as he chased after me.
I pretended like I didn't hear him and increased my pace. I wasn't ready to face him yet.
"Ashley, I know you can hear me, and you can't avoid me forever." He continued, but that didn't stop me.
Then I heard him curse under his breath before he chased after me. I wanted to run when I realized he had started, but the guards had started giving me weird glances, so I decided to let him catch up.
"Ashley!" My dark-haired mate grabbed me by my wrist and turned me to face him, "Why did you leave the hall without the guards?"
"I'm sorry, you told me that there was nothing for me to worry about, so why should I go out with guards when I don't need protection?" I threw it at his face, and honestly, I couldn't explain where I started getting some boldness.
I was certain it all started after my attempt to end my life, and well, it seemed like a good thing.
"This is not a joke, Ashley. Do you know what people would say when they hear that the Luna of Lord Dante was kidnapped or worse, murdered? I would be seen as a weakling."
"Wait, so that's what all of this meant? A name for yourself? Am I truly your second chance mate or did you just cook it up so that it would look good on you that you accepted a weak, suicidal Omega to be your Luna. I'm still counting my days till I'll be tossed by you." I emptied.
I knew all these weren't true, but I just wanted to hurt him, and it was working, and it shook me when he got teary.
"How can you think such of me?" His voice was broken, and his countenance darkened.
"How do you expect me to think anything when all you tell me are lies and you keep secrets?" I didn't want to falter.
"Now tell me, little wolf," He leaned closer, his warm breath on my face, "What do you want to know."
I was surprised at how calm he was. Ryder would have hit me already.
"Let's start with the threat," I replied.
"Fine," He took a deep breath and began, "We received a note asking me to send you back to your rightful husband or they would kill you. Our suspect is Ryder."
I quickly reached my hands into my pockets and handed the photo to him, "Now, who is this?" I folded my arms on my chest.
"That's Celine, my childhood friend," Dante answered, his eyes still on the photo.
"From the look of things, it seemed like you guys had more than just friendship."
"Yes, little wolf. I liked her a lot that I thought she was my mate. She thought the same too. We were about to announce our union to the pack when she rejected me."
"She did what?" My eyes widened in shock, "Who in their right senses would reject you?" I took a step closer and held his hands.
"It's not like that," My dark-haired mate sighed, "She was already mated to a different alpha. I couldn't do anything about it, so she left."
"So you erased her from your memory?" I asked, playing with his fingers.
"It was easier to forget her that way." He paused for a while. "So that's it, and my favorite color is black and my—"
I shut him up with a kiss on his lips.
His eyes widened in shock, and he pulled back. "What was that for?" he asked, touching his lips.
"I'm so sorry," I stammered. "I don't know what came over me."
For a moment, he just stared at me, his expression unreadable. Then, without a word, he leaned in and kissed me again.
This time, his lips were more forceful, his breath hot and ragged. There was a raw, primal hunger in his kiss, something wild and untamed.
His hands gripped my waist, pulling me closer, and I could feel the tension in his body, the restrained power just beneath the surface.
His kiss deepened, and I matched his intensity, losing myself in the heat of the moment.
I could feel the beat of his heart, strong and steady, matching the wild rhythm of my own.
He growled softly, a sound that sent a shiver down my spine, and I responded with equal fervor, my hands tangling in his hair.
When he finally pulled back, we were both breathless.
His eyes, now dark and intense, locked onto mine. "I've wanted to do that for a long time," he admitted, his voice rough.
I smiled, still catching my breath. "Then why didn't you?"
He shook his head, a small smile playing on his lips. "I didn't know if you felt the same way."
I took his hand, squeezing it gently. "Now you do."
"Excuse me, Your Majesty." A guard approached us, destroying our emotional moment.
"What do you want?" Dante spoke.
"Uhm, there's someone outside the door. She claims she wants to see you and she knows you." The guard stated.
"I thought I made it clear that I do not wish to see or receive any guests until my Luna feels secure." His voice got deeper, and I felt a rosy hue spread across my skin.
"I'm sorry, my Lord. Just that this particular guest seems different." The guard bowed.
"Go, tell the guest to wait, that we are coming." Dante dismissed the guard.
"We are?" I was surprised he wanted me to go with him.
"Yes, we. No more secrets." He kissed me on my forehead.
"You're amazing." I intertwined my arms around his and rested my head on his shoulder while we headed to the door.
The instant my eyes fell on the guest, my heart dropped, goosebumps prickling across my skin as I couldn't believe my eyes.
"This is a surprise, what are you doing here?" Dante asked the lady standing in front of us.
"Shouldn't I at least get a hug?" The lady said and opened her arms for my mate to hug her.
"A-Ashley, m-meet Celine," Dante stammered. From the look on his face, he was just as shocked as I was.