It's MY MOM'S BIRTHDAY today and so, as promised Chapter 7 is here and it is dedicated to @Evelyn731 :D

Hope you like it!

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COCONUT WATER:

Where I come from, coconut tree is called as Kalpavriksha because every single part of the tree is useful in some or the other way. I love coconut. My mom never lets me scrape or grate coconuts because she knows half of it goes inside my tummy.

Last week, as I withering on the floor and doing the naagin dance during period pain, the first thing my mom asked my dad to do is get tender coconut. Coconut water is calcium and potassium rich which helps in relieving spasms, cramps and also stomach disorders that causes diarrhea and vomiting. Usually you should start drinking coconut water some 3 or 4 days before the period date to cool down your body. But drinking coconut water during the menstruation also eases body pain and to someone like me, who absolutely refuse to take pain killers, it's the best alternative.

Besides this, it also helps to rehydrate after dehydration caused by exercise.

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"Some people were matches, a bit of light and no heat. And some were furnaces, all heat but little light. And then, once in a blue moon, there was a bonfire, something so hot and bright you couldn't stand too near without burning."
― V.E. Schwab,

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CHAPTER 07 – VENGEFUL PREDATOR

The sleek black Pagani turned towards the parking area of the sprawling, picturesque mansion. Getting out of the car, in a fluid and controlled manner, Lachlan Knox straightened to his full height of six feet and four inches. Tall and broad, with hair as black as coal, eyes a stormy grey and mouth that rarely curved to form a smile, Lachlan's ruthless nature evoked fear from the best fighters of the kingdom.

The owner of Knox Security firm, Lachlan was an ultra-rich millionaire who had some highly influential clients who often needed his aid in protection. He had a reputation of being the best and he intended to protect it, intended to see a job through to completion. Every job, every client was important to him and his honour meant he kept his word and protected them. Which is why he was here, in this particular client's island. This particular client, who had absolutely no need for Lachlan's protection, had an agenda of his own, which perfectly matched Lachlan's agenda.

The night air was cold and crisp as Lachlan, casually clad in dark jeans, white shirt and a grey overshirt, calmly walked through the grounds towards the west wing of the mansion. The thud of paws made him stop in his tracks and he watched as the three dogs that guarded the mansion like hell hounds, rushed towards him.

It had been a month since he had last seen them and now the animals were wildly excited to see him. "I missed you all too," he said ruffling their furs, while they barked like mad and jumped at him.

Savage, a Rottweiler, sniffed Lachlan repeatedly, before jumping down and circling him; while Villain, a white and grey Siberian Husky and Rowdy, a brown coloured Doberman, refused to let go.

"Okay! Yes! I have brought treats" Lachlan surrendered and the dogs immediately let him go.

Pressing a button, he opened the car trunk and watched as the dogs rushed and pulled the boxes out with their jaws. There was one box for each and they were an expert at ripping open the cardboard boxes. The beasts were very well trained and like him, they too were an expert at protecting what was theirs.

Once the dogs were settled, Lachlan closed the trunk and headed towards the west wing, where his client usually stays when he is in the mansion.

He had some startling information with him and Lachlan was aware that it would surprise his client equally, but it was the kind of information they could use to their advantage.

The moment he entered the mansion, Lachlan could hear the soft music coming from upstairs and he headed there. The mansion was an old building, which was roughly about two hundred years old and built in a place, that was far away from the bustling city life, the upmarket area and the deep dark forest. Situated in an island, miles away from the Aelius Sealine, the mansion was originally built as a getaway for the royal Zeke family. With the fall of the royal family, the neglected mansion had been in a derelict condition when his client had purchased it. It had been a good investment because the landscape provided Lachlan's client with privacy, he required to conduct his... affairs.

Risky affairs which were life-threatening, but also brought huge reaping results. If it wasn't for the thrill of the risk, Lachlan would have never accepted the job from this particular client.

Tightening his grip on the iPad, Lachlan continued upstairs. There were no staff around because they had been given leave. It was a usual practice his client followed whenever he brought guests to the mansion and today, there were two such guests.

Stopping in the doorway of the gym, Lachlan announced, "I have got the information you required."

With hands crossed in an X-grip on the pull-up bar and entire naked torso above it, Acheron Zeke, known all over as just Ash, acknowledged the presence of his bodyguard, Lachlan Knox, by flickering his cold blue eyes towards him.

"And?" Acheron demanded, continuing his muscle up exercise routines with the archer positions.

"Nothing new about Alex, he is the king's guard dog but Gideon Croft, I was right about him, he is a very crafty person," Lachlan said smugly.

"So, he is not just a pretty face?" Acheron mused as he did the L-Sit position, his torso dripping with sweat.

"No. I told you the boy had potential" Lachlan shrugged, sitting on a bench.

"A potential that would have been fucking useless to me if he was the king's guard dog" Acheron growled as he shifted to V-Sit.

"He isn't loyal to the king because his loyalty has been pledged to someone else" Lachlan smirked and Acheron narrowed his eyes. "Your pretty boy who is popular all over the kingdom as a playboy and a heartbreaker is in actuality a fully mated wolf."

Acheron loosened his grip on the pull-up bar and jumped to his feet, his eyes hard and cold. "Fuck" he hissed out because it did create some problems to his plan.

"Yeah. Fuck!" Lachlan agreed. "It means she knows he is alive."

"Who is she?" he demanded aggressively, his hand clenching to form a fist. Lachlan's grey eyes zeroed in on the clenched fist and Ash immediately unclenched it.

"Minerva Zeke. The only daughter and heir of Lysander Zeke, aka the pain in your ass" Lachlan replied. "Why, whom did you think it would be?"

"No one" Acheron gritted out and picked up his towel.

"It's not that girl. The other one who has recently moved into Lysander's house" Lachlan shared watching Ash with a knowing look. "She is their distant relative but Lysander and his mate have no other family that cares for them, so it's a cover-up for the other girl. Getting any more information about her is proving to be a bit challenging as not many people know about her but she is important, Lysander has made that known to all his men. Who is she? You know anything about her?"

"No" Ash replied shaking his head. "What else do you know about Gideon's forbidden love?" he asked instead.

"It's not forbidden love, it's college love and she is his mate" Lachlan muttered and Ash turned his head to look at his bodyguard, who was studiously avoiding his gaze.

When Ash kept staring, Lachlan growled at him in warning and Ash turned his head to hide his smirk.

"No one knows. I found through one of their college mates. Your pretty boy hates the king just as much as you do."

"That was indeed a surprise, but it also makes me wonder how many other enemies does the king have?" Ash mused, leaning against the pull-up bar.

"Several, but the ones with actual guts to do something about it is only Lysander and well, you" Lachlan shrugged.

"Yes. Me. It is going to be me who is going to end his rule" Acheron gritted out, standing tall and rigid, eyes turning dark, displaying the hatred he felt towards King Stanislaus. "Not Lysander or anyone else. Me. Only me. He is my prey and mine alone" Acheron snarled.

One side of Lachlan's lip curved upwards when he heard the coldly spoken cruel words because he knew Ash was going to keep his word. Lachlan didn't know the details but he knew the hatred that Acheron felt towards the king was the same kind of hatred Lachlan felt towards his father, who was still somewhere alive in the kingdom of Scevola.

Acheron could easily kill the king and take over but he wanted to play, he wanted to fuck up the king's life and Lachlan loved that game. Death is easy and kind, but the pain isn't. Pain twists you up, smothers your feelings and eventually you become numb, like a rock. Lachlan knew that pain and so did Acheron. It was the only thing they both had in common and the only reason they were working together. They had borne extreme levels of pain which had scarred them mentally, emotionally and physically.

Nothing would ease the pain; nothing would make Lachlan forget it or get over it. But inflicting that same pain to the one who gave it to him, made him feel better and he chose that fleeting moment over everything.

He didn't know what was going on in Ash's head but like him, Ash too was pretty messed up and wouldn't rest until he got his revenge.

No. Ash and Lachlan weren't friends, but they weren't enemies either. They respected each other because they had seen each other being at their lowest and now when they were at the top of their game, they still had each other's back.

Individually, they were strong but together, Lachlan and Acheron were invincible and they made sure to stay like that until they reached their own goals.

"As if you haven't made that clear" Lachlan scoffed.

"Not very clear because Lysander continues to be a thorn in my plans" Ash hissed.

"He hates the king and has a very good reason for it too, but his plans are for the whole kingdom" Lachlan stated calmly. "Whereas yours—"

"I have no interest in that kingdom or the throne. My only interest is in drawing the king's blood. Slowly and painfully" Acheron clenched his fists.

"Today's attack did hurt him. The latest news is that the prince has slipped into a coma" Lachlan shared.

"Good. This way the little bastard will stop being a pest" Ash intoned switching off the light music.

"It was you who hit the prince?" Lachlan questioned. Ash stopped in his tracks and turned to look at him.

"I wish it had been me" he responded looking at Lachlan's stormy grey eyes. "But the bastard was already out when I entered the building."

"Yet, Xanthos rescued him" Lachlan pointed out.

"Xanthos is a hound; the king's pet" Ash shrugged pulling on his white sleeveless shirt. "His only goal in life is to please the king, his 'rescuer'."

"So, who took your name this time?" Lachlan frowned.

"Johnny. He had his men attack Saint and his friends" Ash growled. "When I got the news, I merely decided to take advantage of the situation."

"And you did to the full extent" Lachlan shook his head as Ash smirked wickedly at him. "The kingdom is shocked after losing their favourite hero Gideon and the loyal bodyguard Alex. I know Gideon is alive but what about Alex?"

"Alive."

"You are not going to kill him?"

"Oh! I will" Ash assured Lachlan as they went downstairs. "I will but only after I break every single bone in his body and completely stomp over that arrogance of his. In the meantime, Skyla is having fun with him."

"Oh, man!" Lachlan whistled and then chuckled. "She is going to crush Alex alright. She is going to destroy him. You sure she will leave anything for you?"

"She will. I brought him for her on the condition that it will be me who will use the ultimate knife. Not her" Ash spelt out succinctly as they reached the entrance.

"Looks like you are going to have a busy night" Lachlan commented as he watched the dogs run towards their master, who promptly crouched and rubbed their heads in turns.

"I am" Ash grinned as he scratched Savage's neck, which sent the Rottweiler into pure bliss. "You brought food for the rascals again?" he asked Lachlan, as he held the Rottweiler's foreleg, while it stood on his hind legs and growled playfully.

"Can't help it. I have grown attached to them. These dogs can be trusted to be loyal" Lachlan commented as Villain looked at him with big, round eyes.

"Get one for yourself then" Ash suggested. Lachlan chose to ignore that suggestion and instead looked at the east wing of the mansion, where the prisoners were currently kept.

"It's not good publicity" Lachlan finally added, looking at Ash. "The king is telling to everyone who cares to listen that Ash has attacked the throne. Wolves have been using your name for years now and you have killed each one of them. Why let Johnny walk away?"

"I can easily handle a pest like Johnny. But today, I wanted a bigger fish and I got it" Ash declared fiercely, as he let go of Savage after mock punching his face. Sensing the change in their master's mood, the dogs stiffened and growled, scanning the territory.

"Why Gideon? He was never part of your revenge" Lachlan pointed out.

"He can cripple Lysander."

"You found that out only after I told you. So, once again, why Gideon?" Lachlan narrowed his eyes suspiciously.

Ash growled at him and Lachlan took a threatening step forward, eyes as cold as the grey waters of the wintry sea, "Who. Is. She. To. You?" Lachlan spelt out through gritted teeth because he had figured out that Acheron had abducted Gideon only because of that girl. The one who was living with Lysander's family. He didn't know who she was, but he already disliked her because she was diverting Ash from his goal.

Taking Alex, the big fish was fine and yes, it would hurt the king. But taking Gideon as a prisoner, Lachlan didn't think it was a wise decision because Gideon was one of the good guys and he was loved and respected by most people in the kingdom. Taking Gideon as a prisoner, made Ash seem like a bad guy and though Ash had no problem with that image, it would affect his plans because, for his plan to work, Ash needed to have an image and reputation far better than the king.

Yes. The people in the kingdom feared Acheron Zeke, but they didn't hate him. He hadn't given any of them the grounds to hate him but abducting Gideon might sow the first seeds of hatred and Lachlan didn't like that one bit.

"Stay out of it" Ash warned clenching his fists, as his very loyal pets growled and barked lowly, noticing the tension between the two wolves. "I never interfered in your personal life. So, you don't intervene in mine."

"If she is going to be a problem—"

"She was never a problem" Ash snapped in fury. "I imprisoned Gideon because I figured out, he was betraying the king. I wanted to know why and now I do. It's not because of some girl."

"But you do know the consequences of abducting Gideon, don't you? The people in Aelius love him" Lachlan pointed out.

"They won't love him if they come to know he is betraying the throne" Ash smirked cruelly, eyes the colour of the blue iceberg.

"You are going to rat him out?" Lachlan was appalled by the idea.

"No. A stupid man would do that and I am anything but stupid. I am going to trap Lysander using Gideon."

"Do not underestimate Lysander" Lachlan warned because the wolf was of the old royal blood and the only one who had successfully rattled the king, by kidnapping and marrying the princess.

"I don't. I know very well his hatred for the king runs deep, but I will still not let him destroy the king. The king is my prey and I will not allow anyone else to kill him" Ash swore viciously and Lachlan nodded.

"Just as long your eyes are fixed on the end goal and not on some girl" Lachlan had to state that because Ash's behaviour today, unsettled him. For Lachlan knew, what it is like to get carried away from the goal and he didn't want Ash repeating what he had once foolishly done.

"I have been planning this since I was fourteen. Do you seriously think I will let it go?" Ash was insulted by Lachlan's comments.

"No. But you did let the prince go and turns out, he was the one who had abducted that girl in the first place" Lachlan shared watching Ash like a hawk, who turned rigid and clenched his jaws but his claws had come out and Lachlan shook his head when he watched that. "Some girl huh? Who is she?" Lachlan cocked an eyebrow.

"Cyane. Her name is Cyane" Ash bit out through gritted teeth.

"I know her name, but why is she bothering you?" Lachlan asked angrily.

"She's something else. Not like any other she-wolves," Acheron said with a frown.

"She is not a wolf. One of her parents is a human" Lachlan stated flatly. Ash's frown deepened but he shook his head, "You have seen her before?" Lachlan was taken aback.

"No. Yes. Just her photo. People are looking for her" Ash shared reluctantly.

"Who?"

"I don't know. All I know is that they are ready to take any information they can about her. She is important" Ash said deep in thought.

"I will look into it then" Lachlan nodded. "That's why you brought Gideon here?"

"He knows something and it's like killing two birds with a single stone" Ash shrugged, watching his dogs growl and fight playfully with each other.

"You do what you think is right but just be careful about Gideon. Don't get carried away. He's an asset" Lachlan warned.

"I don't need you to tell me that" Ash scowled; blue eyes icy.

"No. You are going to do what you want to do but if it fucks up my plan, my revenge, then I will return the favour, with interest" Lachlan swore, stormy grey eyes turning dark and sinister.

"Revenge is the only thing that has motivated me to come this far and you do know that I will do anything, go to any level, to get my revenge" Ash spelt out harshly.

"I do know that, but letting Xanthos rescue the prince was another unwise decision you took today" Lachlan added bluntly.

"No" Ash stated flatly and then one corner of his lips curled upwards, "Why would I bring that pest here? Saint was already bleeding and completely out of it. Taking him as a hostage would have been no use to me when he was half dead. For Xanthos on the other hand, rescuing the prince was just another job. The king is already nervous but today's incident will shake him up and make him lose his control. He knew his son had not been kidnapped by me but by Johnny. He knew Alex would have been enough to rescue Saint, but no, the king sent Xanthos and Gideon. He sent the best team to get his precious son because this was the perfect opportunity to him, to gain public sympathy and reverse the damage he had self-inflicted to his reputation. Johnny is reckless and petty and he has been using my name for many of his petty crimes. I know that and so does that old dog. For the king, Johnny doesn't meet the standard that is must in an enemy but Johnny did manage to kidnap his useless son and that irked him enough to want to see Johnny dead, which is why he sent Alex with Gideon and Xanthos because Alex would have effectively shut Johnny up and put the entire blame of Saint's kidnapping on me. They would have made Saint as the 'survivor' of my attacks but what the old geezer didn't expect was for me to actually show up in the place and wreck his perfect plan upside down. I showed him how close I was to kill his useless son and kill the ones he considered the best."

"Won't he be suspicious because Xanthos is still alive? He became the survivor" Lachlan furrowed his brows.

"No. Xanthos was rescued. The survivor was the other guy" Ash chuckled.

"Why two survivors? Why not just Xanthos?"

"People are curious about me... Xanthos won't be able to satisfy their curiosity. But the other guy will" Ash shrugged. "I made sure there are no loose ends. Both of them will have no answers to give to the king and it will piss him off even more because he was so close, yet so far."

"So, no one saw you?" Lachlan asked raising a hand to scratch his jaws.

"No one. Not even Gideon and Alex" Ash smirked confidently.

"That's good. Very good" Lachlan nodded in approval.

"I have told you this is everything to me," Ash said, blue eyes fixed on Lachlan's grey ones. "I have suffered for fourteen years and I will not stop until I take every single day of those fourteen years back from the old bastard. Nothing and no one can stop me."

"Never forget that," Lachlan said and then turned to leave.

___

Acheron Zeke watched the thick iron gates close automatically once Lachlan's car drove past it.

Proud and strong, that's what Lachlan was because even though Ash's chopper was within the compound walls and would easily take him back home, he preferred to go home in his car and yacht.

Ash wasn't worried if anyone followed Lachlan because he trusted Lachlan enough to know that no one could succeed in that feat. Sure, many had tried to get to him through Lachlan and Skyla but both have proven that they could protect themselves without anyone's help. Like him, Lachlan and Skyla were also driven by vengeance. A vengeance that fuelled them enough to get through anything.

"Boys" he called and his dogs, Villain, Savage and Rowdy rushed towards him. They were rescue-dogs from a shelter home, rejected by their previous owners because they were too aggressive but Ash liked and accepted them just the way they were and in return, he got their absolute loyalty. Highly trained, they feared no one and never backed down from any attack. They were so used to wolves around them that now, they didn't fear any wolves and as a team, they could even take down a werewolf.

"Come on" he motioned for them to follow him and they did.

Leading them towards the backyard garden, where they could play carelessly and rest in their respective kennels, he went inside his house, a costly investment which proved to be worth every penny.

Acheron wasn't really into real estates. It was computers that he had loved since he was young because computers diverted his mind from the abuse that went in his house, computers gave him something to focus upon and computers didn't ask for any emotions from him; neither pain nor anger. It was just a silly machine that fascinated everyone and it fascinated him too when he saw it for the first time in his neighbour's place. A kind drunkard, who had let him into his home when Ash had banged his door, asking for food because there had been none at his home for four days. When Ash had munched at the charred toast, the man had provided, he had seen the computer for the first time and to keep him entertained, the drunkard had then proceeded to switch it on but had passed out before the display had appeared.

A prodigy by birth, it hadn't taken Ash long to figure out how the computers had worked and then to avoid returning home, he had spent his evenings in his school library reading everything he could about the computers. Eventually, the drunkard, who had later become a friend had thought him about coding and Ash had paid attention to every single word, read everything he could about it and learn everything he could to put it in practice until the day he had been abducted and imprisoned.

Escaping the prison had been difficult but once he had got back to his own two feet, he had started developing software and at the age of seventeen, he had sold his first software to a hospital that desperately needed one to do their accounts.

Though he had protected his software from piracy, he hadn't been able to use his name because by then he had started walking down the path of vengeance against the king. By then, he had learned to control his rage and instead use his brain to get the vengeance.

At eighteen he decided to diversify to security apps which were also revenue generators. When he was twenty-two, he had earned enough money to bid for a certain piece of land the king had been keen on purchasing. It was his first victory against the king and losing the land had irked the king. In his desperation, the king had invited Ash for lunch so that they could negotiate but Ash had coldly declined the invitation, which had been an 'honour.'

For turning down the king, the king's soldiers had decided to punish Ash. So, the men had raped and murdered two minor girls and had buried their bodies in the land which Ash had purchased. Up until that moment, Ash had been aware that the king was a two-faced bastard but it was at that point, that Ash had fully grasped the evil present inside. The evilness that was beyond redemption.

Ash was officially born and brought up in Scevola and the rules in Scevola were very liberal. An arrest just because of a complaint from another kingdom was just not considered because at the time the government in Scevola was crippled. The king had tried to involve the police and uncover Ash's identity but Skyla Vallone, who was a lawyer by profession and who had her vendetta against the king Stanislaus had hired a lawyer to fight for Ash. Claiming he was an innocent until proven guilty, the lawyers had protected his identity and then had successfully won his case because Skyla and her friend had been able to prove that Ash hadn't been in town when the incident had occurred.

Through toll gates recordings, they had been able to show that another vehicle had passed through that road. Sadly, they hadn't been able to prove who the real killers were but Ash knew who had followed the king's orders.

Once Ash had been acquitted, the king's men had attacked Skyla. In return, Acheron had sent their ashes to the king. That was how he had earned his name and that was how the war between him and the king had started. A war that Ash had every intention of winning.

The king had to bury the matter because bringing it out on the open would have also revealed that his men had attacked Skyla.

Though proven innocent, Ash hadn't been able to forgive what had happened to those girls and so, he had built a park in that very land, where two statues of angels had also been built to honour the two girls.

Now, six years later, Ash's desire for revenge hadn't been quenched because he wanted to make the king bleed in every way possible and over the years, he had forced the king to sell several acres of land and several businesses. The palace was in debt and it was a truth that hadn't become public knowledge yet.

Entering the kitchen, he opened the fully-stocked refrigerator and pulled out a bottle of cold water. He decided on taking a shower but quickly dismissed the idea because very soon he would be covered in Alex's blood. Then, a shower would be necessary.

Walking through a passageway, Ash unlocked a door using his fingerprint and stepped into another large room, that was his own private space. It was his office whenever he was in the mansion. He pulled open the drawer and picked up the AC remote lying there. Pressing a button on the remote, he watched as the shelves moved apart, to reveal a ledge with a set of stairs leading down.

Descending the stairs that led to a secret basement, Ash pressed his thumb against a fingerprint scanner that opened another set of doors which led to his private lab that housed advanced serves, supercomputers and large monitors. In one of those large monitors, he watched Gideon trying to break free from his chains but failing miserably. His blue eyes then flickered to another monitor and one corner of his lips curved upwards as he watched Skyla dig the claws of her toes on Alex's feet.

Turning away from the screen, he sat down and turned on his laptop screen and then stiffened when he saw Cyane's photo on the screen.

The first time he had received the mail, he had stared at the photo for a long, long time.

FIND HER- ALIVE AND UNHARMED. ASAP!

Those were the words written below the photo along with some details like her age, height and hair colour. It was a message sent by a benefactor a month ago and Ash hadn't tried hard to find her but today, he did. He had found her and she had been very much alive and unharmed when he had seen her, but she had escaped from his grasp. She had escaped from the house before he could reach her and Ash, now knew she had gone back to Lysander.

His benefactor was waiting for a reply but Ash wasn't ready to give any reply to them yet because he didn't have Cyane with him. Not yet.

Instead, he closed the message and then taking large gulps of water from the bottle, he turned on the voice modification app in his computer before putting on his headphones with an attached microphone.

Twirling in his chair, Ash returned his attention to the monitor. "Good evening sunshine," he told smugly and Gideon looked directly at the monitor in his prison cell, and growled menacingly. The monitor that usually displayed Tom and Jerry cartoon, which was Ash's favourite, now displayed an anonymous male silhouette.

"Who is this?" Gideon snarled.

"I go by the name Acheron Zeke. People who hate me call me Ash. You might have heard about me. I am most wanted by your king for the crime of killing several of his pets" Ash introduced himself, his voice appearing rough and aggressively manly, through the speaker, because of the voice modification software.

"Where are the fuck are you hiding you, coward?" Gideon snarled. "If you have the guts come and stand right in front of me, then we'll talk."

"No. I don't have the guts" Ash leaned back calmly in his seat because for years people have been calling him a coward. Yes, it used to piss him off initially but with time, he had learned to let it go. "Why come in front of you, hear your abuses and then fight with you? It'll be a waste of time and energy. You do have the guts, right? Then unchain yourself and come and find me."

"Bastard" Gideon hissed and one corner of Ash's lips curved upwards.

"That I am. I am every single thing you think and even worse" Ash crossed his leg so that one ankle was resting on the thigh of the other.

"What the fuck do you want?" Gideon demanded.

"Now you are talking my language" Ash grinned, playing with a 7x7 Rubik's cube. "I want many things from you Gideon. That's why you are still alive."

"I will not betray the king for you" Gideon spoke out loud and Ash threw his head back and chuckled. He deserved an award. Before today, Ash would have never guessed that Gideon was betraying the king.

"No. Not for me. You have done it already for her, didn't you?" Ash questioned and Gideon suddenly stopped fighting against the chains and raised his lashes to reveal hazel eyes that quickly turned to a darker shade of brown. He didn't deny it, but just stared at the screen with venom in his eyes and Ash respected that.

"Minerva Zeke. True scion of the Zeke bloodline" he added and Gideon bared his fangs. "I won't hurt her. Not as long as you co-operate with me."

"You won't be able to touch her" Gideon swore. "As you said, she is a true scion of the old Zeke blood and not some cheap nameless street-rat like you who stole her family name."

Ash's blue eyes hardened and placing the Rubik's cube on the table with a snap, he straightened in his seat. "Careful princess. If you don't keep your tongue in check, I might be forced to do something about your betrayal to the throne."

"You think I give a fuck about that? Knowing the consequences, I chose to betray the throne because I want my girl to come to power. She is the rightful heir and the right person to rule this kingdom and no force can stop me from achieving that goal" Gideon promised.

Ash always knew Lysander wanted to dethrone the king but only just realized that they were planning on having Minerva take the throne. Minerva, whom they think is a right ruler for the Kingdom of Aelius.

"Wonderful vision" Ash approved.

"A vision which will soon be your reality. You are unworthy and will never be able to rule the kingdom" Gideon spat.

"Whoever said I want the Imperium throne?" Ash asked, cocking an eyebrow and Gideon seemed to be taken aback to hear such words. Ash laughed, "I don't give two flying fucks about the throne. The only vision I have is to see King Stanislaus bleed on that throne seat."

It was a vision that had kept him going for fourteen years and he was weeks away from achieving it.

"What do you want?" Gideon's eyes betrayed his confusion. "What are you after?"

"You haven't figured it out yet?"

"The king?" Gideon muttered. "Something you can get done within seconds?"

"Where is the fun in that?" Ash asked honestly. "I want to break everything he owns and then watch him crawl." That's what King Stanislaus had forced Ash to do once. Ash had once crawled under the bushes to hide from the wolves who had come to imprison him. A mere boy at the age of thirteen, he had shifted a few months ago and had been so lost and unsure of what had been happening to his body.

He hadn't forgotten the pain or the torture he had endured when he had been captured and dragged into the prison. He hadn't forgotten the abuse he had endured for years before that either.

"My vision for the king and that throne is far more beautiful than yours," Ash said seriously.

"You will kill the king, what about its people?" Gideon demanded and Ash frowned.

"What about them? They'll continue with their lives as usual" Ash shrugged because he had no intention of hurting them.

"It doesn't work that way. Stanislaus is the ruler of a kingdom. A kingdom with citizens who are loyal to him and who also hate him. There will be chaos" Gideon spat. "But what do you know about that? What do you care? You are just a crow who thinks that just because he has enough money to buy pretty feathers, he can now behave like a peacock."

"I have warned you about insulting me" Ash gritted out harshly as he held the arms of his chair in a tight grip, his claws tearing at the soft material.

"I am not the one to be cowered or have you not figured that out about me yet?" Gideon cocked a blonde eyebrow upwards.

"Spoken like a true warrior. It makes me wonder how strongly you will stick to that conviction when your truth is revealed to the kingdom. When it is made known that Minerva is your mate. Something unusual isn't it? Mates? Wolves in our time rarely find the one and when they do.... Well, you know it will not end happily for either of you. I alone might not be able to touch her, but the king... he will never let her rest in peace. You will be here and she only has her old parents and a few men—"

Ash stopped talking when he watched Gideon lunge ahead and unsuccessfully try to shift into his wolf. Ash had placed scattered silver sulphide in the room and that was why Gideon's attempts were futile.

"I will kill you if you even touch her" Gideon snarled ferociously.

"I think you got my point" Ash murmured as Gideon thrashed violently. "Now, let's talk. I will assure you that as long as you co-operate with me, no harm will come to her."

"I will never work with you, you coward. Be a man and face me instead of threatening my mate" Gideon shouted in fury.

"Ah! I'm not a man" Ash scratched his head, "You are enough of a man, right? Be a man and find out who I am and then come and kill me" Ash's grin widened when Gideon bared his fangs.

They called him a coward in this game. But how is Ash a coward when those seeking him for more than years, couldn't even find out who he is? Even if he would go and stand right in front of them, they couldn't do anything to him because they wouldn't recognize him. That was what Ash liked the best! He knew them all because he had studied them thoroughly but they didn't know anything about him.

"Calm down princess," Ash said and once again his eyes flickered to the other screen where Skyla was now using a blade to cut Alex's little finger. "I do intend to let you free. How long you will stay here depends on how honest your answers are. You lie to me, you stay locked up for another day and if you give me the truth, then you can go back to your mate."

Gideon glared at the camera with venom in his eyes and Ash smirked, "Okay, let's start. Who is Cyane to Lysander?"

Gideon's hazel eyes widened before they hardened again. The reaction came and went so quick that if Ash hadn't been so focused on him, he would have missed it.

"Ask her and she will answer you" Gideon spat.

Ash compressed his lips and shook his head, "One day extra. Next question— Why is Cyane living with Lysander?"

"Funny you have to ask me that you bastard. You left her to die in the street after you killed her friend's family. She survived your attack because she is stronger than you and the day, she recollects her memory, will also be your last day on this planet" Gideon roared in rage.

____

Aha!

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