Chapter 33
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
ASHER
T he next morning, I wake before Isla and the thought of leaving her even to shower is unacceptable. I knew we needed to be careful until we figured out if there was still a threat to be worried about, but for the attack to happen on the one night when the pack is at its closest? I didn’t expect that.
I won’t be caught by surprise again.
So, after carrying Isla to the shower in our suite, we wash and get ready for what I imagine is going to be a very long day.
“What should I expect today?” she asks as we leave the room. “I can remember all the basic things about our world, but I was never queen before. I wasn’t even trained since you becoming king wasn’t supposed to happen so soon. I don’t want to do anything wrong.”
Holding her hand, I give it a gentle squeeze. “There isn’t anything you could do wrong.” I tap my head. “Just ask me if you’re confused about anything and don’t be afraid to walk away if something becomes too much for you. I don’t know what Noen is going to say today and Declan is still missing.”
A fact that infuriates me to no end. I should have hunted for him myself last night, but I needed Isla. I needed her closeness, her touch, her aura, her everything. My soul shattered the moment she cried out for me when she was being attacked.
The terror wrapped around me like a vise and I knew that being away from Isla, even if I was doing something to avenge her, would only be a distraction for me.
Her presence released the horror of having almost lost her again and I don’t intend to let her out of my sight until Declan is captured. That may mean that I can’t find the bastard myself, but I know there are other capable trackers on our island and he can’t have gotten far.
Isla looks up at me, blinking several times. “Are you going to torture Noen?”
“He hurt you, Isla,” I tell her flatly. “I’m going to do whatever I need to so that he can never do so again.”
She looks toward the ground as we continue walking, heading for the lower levels of the castle where Noen is being held. “I know and I’m not saying I don’t want you to do whatever you have to, but I don’t think I can watch that. I knew there was a chance that Noen was involved, but thinking and knowing…it’s a little different, especially now that I remember my childhood.”
That weasel manipulated her on so many occasions over the years. I know his dad was an asshole, but Noen had choices, and he chose to stay, taking the abuse because that was what kept him closest to my mate. Something that used to drive me insane and that nobody else seemed to see .
Worse, I forgot how much I hated him when he was no longer pissing me off. He’d used that same tactic on me, only pretending to miss Isla as I did as a way to bond with me. Or maybe in his twisted mind, he truly did grieve her.
Either way, I don’t know how I fell for that, but it won’t happen a second time.
It isn’t until we reach the final door to the holding rooms that Isla finally speaks again. “I’m sorry I didn’t listen before. Maybe I didn’t want to see it, or I really was that na?ve, but I know now that Noen cared for me more than he should have. It wasn’t appropriate for me to spend so much time with him and maybe if I hadn’t been so stubborn, none of this would have happened.”
I stop and pin her against the wall, my touch gentle, but my eyes and chest feel as though they’re filled with fire. “This was not your fault, Isla. No matter the choices you made, you didn’t deserve death just because you were nice to another person. Noen knew what he was doing and this is on him, end of story.”
She closes her eyes, letting out a shuddering breath as she nods before looking back up at me. “Okay.”
My fingers lightly trail along the side of her face. “Are you sure you want to do this? You don’t have to go in there with me.”
“I know.” She stands a little taller. “But I need to see his face and hear his words. I need this closure because even knowing what Mali heard and saw, I’m having a hard time associating the Noen I thought I knew with a person capable of murder.”
That, I can understand because no matter how much I hated that he wanted my mate, I never thought he’d do something like this, not truly .
“Just don’t push yourself too far,” I tell her. “And don’t be angry with me if I pull you out without your permission because I’m not comfortable with how things are going. I’ll be honest, letting you in the room with him isn’t easy for me.”
“And I love you for not trying to control my decisions.” She pushes up onto her toes and kisses me briefly. “Now, let’s get this over with.”
I reach out to Mali. “Is Noen ready for us?”
“Yes, Your Majesty,” he replies promptly. “And there’ve been no sightings of Declan, but we have a team of thirty wolves searching for him on the island. All of the ships were put on lockdown as well. Unless he decides to swim with the water dragons, he won’t get far.”
“Has anyone checked on Cain?” I ask, knowing he’s been stationed at the portal again. He’d only stayed in the castle for those first few days because Isla seemed comfortable with him and it was important to me that she have that. Now, I need to make sure our gatekeeper hasn’t been taken by surprise by Declan, allowing him to escape.
“Cain is at the portal, dressed in full armor, with his two protégé’s on standby, my king. Your father made the request once he heard of Isla’s attack.”
I’m relieved to hear that even my father has been doing his part to catch Declan. He was out of sorts yesterday and I need to go check on him and my mother to make sure they’ve found time to discuss their issues in a way that hasn’t made anything worse.
Though that’s going to have to wait.
“We’re coming in,” I tell Mali before looking back down at Isla .
“Remember,” I say to her, “you’re only staying as long as you’re comfortable and not at risk.”
She nods. “I know. I won’t push things too far.”
I believe her, but still, my chest tightens and stomach churns with the power of the seas. Letting her into the room with the man who is likely responsible for her death five centuries ago is wrong. Yet she’s right. My mate needs this and I’m going to give it to her because no matter how much I hate it, I won’t allow Noen to be something that gets between us.
Isla will have her closure and then I’ll have his head.
I open the final door that reveals Noen chained to a metal chair. The room is cold and musty and not fit for my queen, but she doesn’t even flinch when she sees him restrained.
His head is hanging limply and deep bruises have formed around his eyes and cheeks. There’s dried blood on his face, and I’m pretty sure he’s pissed himself, but that changes nothing for me.
Mali steps forward from the corner where he’s been seated all night. “King Asher, Queen Isla.” He bows for each of us. “I’ll be right outside if you need anything.”
His fists are clenched and his knuckles are bruised, making me grin. I didn’t tell him that he couldn’t touch Noen, so Mali hasn’t done anything wrong. I just didn’t expect him to react with such violence without being asked.
“Did you learn anything?” I ask, nodding briefly toward his clenched fists.
He shakes his head. “I’m sorry, my king. I know you didn’t ask me to do anything, but he threatened our kingdom and that… That wasn’t okay with me. All he ke pt saying was that he didn’t do anything, that he was only trying to stop Declan, but if that’s what he was trying to do, then why not call for you?”
That’s a damn good question and one I plan to ask, but I’m going to let Isla have her moment first because I have a feeling that when I’m done with the bastard, he won’t be waking back up anytime soon.
Mali excuses himself and exits the room. Isla can’t seem to take her eyes off Noen and I know she wants to be alone with him, in hopes of making him talk, but I don’t know that I can leave her.
“Are we just supposed to wait for him to wake?” she asks, her voice devoid of emotion.
“No, I can wake him just as soon as you’re ready,” I tell her, then I add, “I’ll jolt his consciousness with the connection I have to him as his Alpha King.”
She nods, still staring at him. “Do that. I’m ready.”
I gently grab her chin and force her to meet my gaze. “Are you sure?”
“I am.” Her eyes are filled with a determination I haven’t seen from her in much too long. “I’m going to do this.”
“Yes, you will, love.” I lean in to kiss her forehead. “And I’ll be right on the other side of that door should you need me, but you’ll need to use our bond connection to let me know. The room is soundproof.”
This is one of the bigger aspects of this situation that I hate. I won’t be able to hear their conversation, but maybe that’s for the best. Noen will know this and I trust my mate beyond measure. If there’s anything to learn from him, she really is our best option.
She swallows thickly. “I won’t put myself at risk. ”
“I know.” My arms wrap around her. “You proved that last night—not that you needed to, but the fact that you called for me instead of trying to handle the fight on your own showed me what I already know.”
Isla hugs me back and shudders. “I’m ready for this to be over. I’m ready for us to just be us , even if just for a few hours at a time.”
“Me too, love. Me too.” Lifting her chin again, I kiss her then move toward the door. “Let’s get another step closer to that.”
“I’m ready,” she confirms again, her gaze going back to Noen, and as much as it kills me to do so, I slip out of the room before I change my mind and yell into the mind of the man I currently hate most in this world.
“Wake up, you worthless piece of shit,” I snarl. “Isla is waiting to speak with you. Just know if you even flinch in her direction, I don’t care if you can help us find Declan or not, I will finish what I started last night and rip your head right from your shoulders.”
“Asher, I didn’t ? —”
I cut the connection off because if I hear his pathetic pleas, I’m going to be tempted to storm back into that room and my mate won’t get the closure she seeks.
I won’t do that to her unless I’m forced. Though I can’t deny a part of me hopes he tries something just so I can watch the life leave his eyes as I end him.
That’s the only satisfactory ending I can picture, but it will come in time, that I know for sure.