Asher's Beloved

Chapter 6

After climbing the stairs, he stops on the floor where our bedrooms are outside a wooden door with an intricate gold handle. I gaze at him in curiosity to which he just smiles secretively in return. Asher opens the door and I follow him in, my eyes widening at the sight in front of me. It's a large library with floor to ceiling length bookshelves lining most of the walls. Metal stairs curve in a spiral to the very top with the most intricate patterns. Armchairs and couches fill the space with coffee tables and lamps, making it seem extremely cosy.

"I love this!" I breathe, my fingertips tracing the spines of familiar novels.

I pick out The Great Gatsby as soon as I spot it, smoothing my hand over its cover. By the end of my admiration of the countless of books in this library, I'm carrying over five different ones to start reading immediately. The bookshelves are filled with both classic and modern tales, all of which I can't wait to read.

A husky chuckle snaps me out of my thoughts and I look up to find Asher's eyes trained on me with humor dancing in those chocolate brown depths. I flush under his gaze, realizing that I completely ignored him in all my excitement.

"Sorry, I'm a little book crazy." I mumble, tucking a piece of hair behind my ear out of nervousness.

He walks up to me, rounding the coffee table and crouching in front of the armchair where I sit. His gaze is soft and flickering with something unbeknownst to me. My breath hitches slightly when he cups my cheek, rubbing his thumb across my cheekbone. His eyes stare directly into mine; as if looking into my soul. The intensity of it makes me squirm slightly, curious to know what he finds there.

"No need to apologize, I'm happy you love the library. You're free to spend as much time as you like in here." He laughs when I perk up in excitement.

"Really?!"

"Yes," He nods, standing again. "Although I can't let you leave I don't want you to feel like a prisoner here."

My mood deflates when I'm reminded of how I'm stuck here for a while. I know that I belong here as Asher's mate anyway, but my parents are probably worried sick right now and I just want to let them know that I'm okay. I wince as I think about how angry dad is going to be with me and knowing how overprotective he is over me, he's going to be furious to find out that I've found my mate. I don't realize I've zoned out until Asher tilts my chin up, bringing me out of my thoughts.

"It's only for a little while, I'm trying my best to find the witch." He murmurs, making me smile and nod.

"I understand but, can we not send messages or call people?"

"She's destroyed the lines of communication between the vampire realm and others. It's essentially magic that allows us to communicate with the outside world; magic that witches have the power to manipulate. I had two warlocks making sure that nobody abused our system but..." He sighs heavily, staring at the carpeted floor with a clenched jaw. "They were murdered two weeks ago when this all started."

I remain silent, mostly due to shock, but I do take his hand and squeeze it. He smiles fleetingly, appreciating the small gesture. I can see the worry in his eyes and the tenseness of his shoulders, he's no doubt tired of it all. I can't imagine the immense amount of pressure he feels to fix the problem right away. But he's only one person, I hope his people are patient and understanding.

"Would you like to stay and read with me?" I ask hesitantly, wanting to take his mind off things.

Surprisingly he agrees, sitting next to me on the couch. He asks me to read to him and so, I spend the next while reading chapters of The Great Gatsby. We talk some more too, finding out pieces of information about the other. I find out that he loves to cook but doesn't do it often because of his duties, his favorite color is blue and he likes sports and activities that are adventurous and jam packed with adrenaline.

Pretty soon, we've completely forgotten about the book and are more focused on getting to know each other. Sadly, his parents passed away in a car accident soon after he turned eighteen and he's been ruling the kingdom ever since. Grace is the only parental figure in his life and no matter how many times he's asked her to stop working, she continues to do it anyway.

"I had a great childhood though," He smiles, a faraway look in his eyes. "My parents would spend as much time as possible with Sage and I, and Dad would always put his family first. We used to have family trips twice a year."

"You mentioned a sister yesterday but I forgot to ask you about her." I look up at him in curiosity.

"Sage Antonov. She was spoilt by our parents and I." He chuckles, wrapping an arm around my shoulders. "She's two years younger than me and a nightmare to take care of."

I giggle when he rolls his eyes in a playful manner, knowing that he loves her very much judging by the tenderness in his voice. "Where is she now?"

"She was attending a friend's wedding in the northern lands but I've sent out some of my warriors to bring her back safe. Hopefully, she'll be here in the next few days. I can't risk her being out there and potentially getting hurt." He explains, making me hum in agreement.

We're both interrupted by sharp knocking and a man peeking in. He has jet black hair with hazel eyes, a muscular build that only emphasizes his toned body. He's quite tall, just like Asher. But unlike Asher's sharp features, this man has softer ones and looks more approachable. He's wearing a pair of black jeans with a white t-shirt and combat boots on his feet. When he starts walking towards us, I notice around five daggers on him which makes my eyes widen in surprise.

"Ayla, meet Dimitri. He's my second in command." He introduces us, pulling me up with him. "Dimitri, this is my beloved Ayla Romanov."

"It's nice to meet you, Ayla. I've heard many tales about your parents." He grins charmingly, shaking my hand.

"They are quite the formidable couple." I laugh, remembering the bedtime stories my parents would tell Ivan and I to get us to sleep. It was only when we grew up that we realized they were all real.

"We'll have to chat more some time, Ayla. For now, Asher is needed in the conference room." He states, looking at him with a serious expression.

"I'll see you at dinner?" Asher turns to me with an apologetic look.

I smile, squeezing his hand to let him know that it's okay. "I'll be waiting. Bye, you two."

Dimitri all but drags Asher away when he makes a move to hug me, muttering about how they are going to be late if he doesn't stop acting like a lovesick puppy. I watch them leave, chuckling at the pair as the sound of them arguing echoes in the hallway. 

More about Vulcan's past will be revealed in the next chapter. You don't want to miss it!

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Chapter 7 is already up on Inkitt! Click the link in my bio or announcement post to read my book faster!

- R.W. ♡