Asher walked back into the bedroom, thankful that his parents had cleared the bodies, but the room was still full of blood and smelt of rogues. The stench of it made his own stomach churn, let alone his mates.
“Andrew, we need to move Alisha and Iesha, they cannot sleep in this,” he declared to the doctor.
“Already sorting that out, there is a smaller room just down the hall we can use,” Andrew sighed, as Eve walked in, sorting out the drips, and monitors for Alisha ready to move her.
“I can walk,” Alisha stated, attempting to get out of bed.
“No, you are not ready to walk, Alisha, but Asher can carry you whilst we clean up the bed before moving it. There is a single bed in the new room,” Andrew stated. Granted, he was giving his Prince a chance to bond with Alisha, and Max to bond with Mia to help him, but it would be easier for Asher to carry her.
Asher nodded his head, waiting for Eve to finish off what she was doing.
“Okay, your highness. Just be very careful of this tube here, and the canular in her arm,” Eve informed Asher.
“Please, call me Asher, only those I don’t like say Your Highness,” Asher smiled at the young nurse.
Blushing slightly, Eve, looked at Alisha to make sure everything was as it should be and to not look directly at the handsome prince.
“Are you ready, Alpha?” Eve asked Alisha.
Alisha took in a deep breath and nodded, she was far from ready, because she knew that as soon as her mate scooped her into his arms, she was going to erupt in tingles and sparks and her body would react, and everyone, especially her mate would smell how much she secretly enjoyed being with him, and she was by no means ready for that.
Asher bent over and picked her up bridal style, holding her gently but firmly in his strong arms. As expected, Alisha’s body exploded with pleasure, but what she didn’t expect was to audibly gasp, and for her mate’s deep chuckle to make her situation worse, and cause her core to virtually weep in response.
“Stop laughing, it’s not funny. Stupid mate bond,” Alisha hissed, her face burning with embarrassment.
Asher looked down, there was something so endearing to him, to have her in his arms, fully aroused, embarrassed, and blushing so adorably, yet as angry as hell's fire as she fought the attraction between them. He may have worried about her rejecting him, but he knew via Max, Mia was not going to allow that to happen, and that secretly as pissed as Alisha was, she was coming around to him, even if she was justifiably angry at being forgotten, especially after all she had encountered.
Walking up the corridor, Asher slowed his steps, wanting to keep her in his arms for as long as possible, but as she began to yawn, he realised he was being selfish, and quickly walked into the new smaller clean room, and laid her on the single bed.
Alisha let out a soft groan as Asher’s arms left her body. She immediately missed him holding her. Fully exhausted, her true feelings slipped out.
“Don’t go,” She whispered so softly if it wasn’t for his royal werewolf hearing. Asher would have missed it.
Before she could change her mind, he slipped into bed beside her and pulled her onto his chest, as Eve arrived, setting up the monitors, and drips, before pushing another bed alongside. Cheryl walked in, smiling at Asher, with Iesha in her own arms, as she lay the sleeping pup in the bed adjacent to Alisha. She turned and walked out of the door, smiling once more at the man who would always be a boy to her, because he was like a grandson to her, as much as Zan her daughter's boy, and Hannah her daughter's girl. Cheryl took a deep breath, turned, and switched off the light.
As the morning sun began to climb above the trees, Alisha blinked open her eyes. Never had she felt so comfortable, or warm, a wave of contentment seemed to consume her, as her skin was covered in the pleasurable sparks she loved and hated in equal measure. Once more she felt something big and hard poking at her, around her bum cheeks, and she let out a frustrated groan.
“Morning my beautiful Alpha,” Asher’s husky morning voice greeted her.
“Seriously, Asher, can you not control that thing!” Alisha complained because try as she might, she found it more difficult not to just let go of everything she was holding on to, and have her mate claim her in every way she had dreamed of since the first time she saw him. But, she just wasn’t ready to do that yet.
“It’s morning, and again, I know you like it, I can smell your sweet arousal,” Asher chuckled, then bent down and kissed the top of her head.
Alisha felt her heart begin to beat faster at the feel of his lips on her head, and she took long slow breaths to lower her heart rate, so she didn’t set off the alarm on the monitor again.
“Cocky bastard,” Alisha muttered, as Asher chuckled, and held her closer to his chest.
“I wouldn’t kiss my head though. When I was out, I could still hear, and Andrew said I had nits,” Alisha giggled slightly.
“I know, but I really don’t care, however, I think Cheryl will be at you with the nit comb, she is doing Iesha twice a day until your wolf is strong enough to deal with the chemical smell on her and you,” Asher shrugged, knowing his own head felt a little itchy now, being so close to her.
“You do know that you have probably got them now as well?” Alisha grinned, feeling a little bit happy she had probably infected him.
“Yep, in fact, my head started to itch yesterday, but what’s mine is yours, and what yours is mine, including your nits,” Asher grinned then deliberately kissed her head again, proving to her that he was not going to be put off by a few headlice.
Alisha thought that she should possibly feel embarrassed by this, but realised that she really didn’t. In fact, she realised that other than her horny status when ever she was near Asher, she didn’t feel embarrassed around him at all. She should be happy about that, given he was her mate, but still, her annoyance at being forgotten for so long, nipped at her, and she began to feel more than a little agitated about it. However, one thing she didn’t want was for Cheryl to get her with the nit comb. Not because she was embarrassed over something she had no control over, but because of the memories of her loving mother who checked her head every Friday night, and to have a motherly type person doing that just felt wrong to her.
“So, if my nits are your nits, then you can de-bug me,” Alisha stated.
Asher could not keep the smile from his face, she was coming around to him, and he took a deep breath, and let out a satisfied sigh.
“No need to be all happy about it, I just don’t want another woman doing it. It was something mum did every Friday when I was little, and I want to preserve the memory, that is all!” Alisha huffed.
Asher grinned, not put off.
“Admit it mate, I am growing on you,” He grinned with happiness.
“Like a fucking wart!” Alisha quipped, then lowered her head so he could not see her blush.
“Well, we can do it when we get home to Crescent moon,” Asher declared.
“What? No!” Alisha responded, looking up at him with a scowl on her face.
“Alisha, you have a bounty on your head, as does Iesha, you are safer at Crescent Moon!” Asher said back to her.
Alisha wriggled out of his arms, and looked into his caramel eyes, ignoring the effect they had on her body, and shook her head.
“NO, I will not run away. I will not leave my pack, I am their Alpha, and I will lead them home to Edensor,” Alisha declared with determination.
Asher knew he should pick his battles, but this was one that was for her protection and that of Iesha, and he would not budge on it, no matter what his stubborn mate said.
“Alisha….” Asher began,
“No, get that out of your head, and stop being a royal arse. I am going home to Edensor with my pack, it is safe there anyway,” Alisha stated, her face scrunched up with anger.
“Alisha, how many times, there is a fucking bounty on your head, you cannot go there!” Chloe heard her son’s exasperated voice.
Iesha walked out of the room and looked at the queen, blinking back the tears from her eyes.
“They have been arguing like this since I woke up, both of them using bad words, make them stop” She tattled on her sister and Asher, her hazel eyes wide as she pleaded with the queen.
Chloe smiled down at Iesha, lifted the little girl into her arms, and gave her a reassuring hug.
“Don’t worry, sometimes mates argue,” Chloe smiled down at her.
“Cheryl is ready for you to do some colouring, and we are going to show her how good you are at reading. Don’t worry, I will sort this out,” Chloe declared, then placed Iesha down, and linked with Andrew to have Cheryl come and pick the little girl up and take her out of earshot.
As Cheryl arrived, and took Iesha’s hand, again telling her not to worry, and led her away, Chloe turned and stormed into the bedroom.
“Right, you two, pack that in now. You are both too busy arguing. Neither of you paid any attention to Iesha and how upset it was making her. Get a fucking grip!” Chloe said, hands on her hips.
Asher looked around for Iesha, and shame filled him, as he shook his head.
“Sorry mam,” he whispered, as Alisha’s eyes widened, placing her hand over her mouth, devastated she had upset her sister.
“Is she okay?” she instantly asked the queen.
“Yes, I sent her with Cheryl, now what the fuck is going on?” Chloe asked, looking between the pair of them who were standing toe to toe, clearly arguing, however, you could cut the sexual tension between them with a knife.
“Alisha is refusing to come to Crescent Moon, so I can keep her safe from the fucking rogues,” Asher declared, staring at his stubborn, strong-willed, and determined mate.
“I am an Alpha, Edensor is my pack, I will not run away, to the royal pack, it is MY BIRTHRIGHT to lead them. and take them home,” Alisha shouted back at him.
Chloe sighed, she understood her son, but also knew that Alisha had a point, she wanted to lead her people, and at the end of the day, she was a future queen, and Chloe needed to foster that leadership ability within her, ready for the day she would pass her crown to her future daughter-in-law.
“Asher, Alisha has a point,” Chloe began.
“But she has a bloody rogue bounty on her head, mam,” Asher complained.
“I know, and I understand your need to keep her safe. However, you have never been to Edensor since you were a pup, so you do not know the land. She will be as safe there as anywhere. There is one way in and one way out. Nobody will be able to attack it because it is surrounded by human towns and villages. Hence, why it is much sort after land,” Chloe stated.
Asher sighed, shaking his head.
“Alisha, like it or not, my son is your mate, and he is going to want to do everything he can to protect you, so how about a compromise,” Chloe said.
Asher had been around his mother all his life, and he knew when she offered a compromise between him and his siblings growing up, it meant that she was going to orchestrate something that would leave neither him nor Alisha much choice but to agree.
“Shit,” Asher muttered, as Chloe gave him a pointed look.
“I am going to Edensor, no matter what your majesty!” Alisha stubbornly replied.
“It is Chloe, and yes you are. I agree, however, Asher is going with you to ensure you are safe,” Chloe shrugged.
“What, no, I am the Alpha, I have to lead. If he comes with me, they will all treat him as the Alpha,” Alisha protested.
“No, they wouldn’t. You would lead, I would be there just to sort out security, nothing more,” Asher stated.
“What about your royal duties?” Alisha pouted.
“Yeah, I will have those, but once your security is up to scratch, I will go to them, and maybe you can come with me for some of them,” Asher’s voice softened.
“Don’t hold your breath, I want to be the Alpha of my pack, not a princess!” Alisha pouted.
Chloe could not contain her chuckle, reminding herself how she felt finding out she was a werewolf, let alone a princess when she first met Zander.
“The fact that you don’t want the job makes you perfect for it. However, before any of that, I agree, you should be the Alpha you were born to be first,” Chloe smiled.
“So…compromise?” Asher asked.
Alisha took a breath, then, not wanting to let him know his mother had won with her compromise, shrugged a little like a child, then scratched her head.
“You need to get rid of my nits before we do anything!” She declared.
“Deal.” Asher grinned, happy that at least he could keep her and Iesha safe, and that was all he cared about.
As Chloe smirked, and left the two of them alone once more, with the crisis averted. Chapter Twenty - Five – The Forgotten Mate and The Alpha Prince.