Chapter 5 The Sight of Love

Asher's POV

"Why are you leaving early? Doesn't the acceptance letter say resumption is until two weeks later?" Lucas taunts as he walks into the garage.

I hiss, overwhelmed by the need to throw it into his face that I'm leaving because of him but I force myself to stay calm as I know how that will end. He will laugh and call me delusional. I know he is getting close to some of the pack elders. If he can convince them that I'm insane and not in the right frame of mind, it's game over.

Be calm, Asher. I remind myself as I force breaths out.

I have to win for my mother. I have to win for the pack who will suffer a lot if Lucas gets to power. I have to win to thwart Geneveva's long-awaited ambition.

"Is that your business?" I retort.

He shrugs. "True. Not mine."

"Good. Stay off my business. I didn't ask you not to apply for a college degree."

He snorts. "Why do I have to do that when everything I want is here?" He pins me with a glare as he says that.

I chose to go to college to study business management but Lucas chooses to stay and learn directly from my father, probably hoping to worm his way into his heart while I'm absent.

I wish him luck with that.

The boy has serious daddy issues. And as much as he thinks his misery is my fault, I take no blame for it. However, the misery is my life is perfectly his fault. I don't torment him as he does and I didn't ask him to be born to a mistress and not the real queen.

If he wants to hate me for having naturally what he covets, he is free to do that but I'm not going to stick around and watch him make me a target again.

"Ignore him," Mother says in a weak voice.

Lucas snorts at her. "You won't ignore me in his absence, Luna." He says in a condescending tone.

I move closer to him. "If you disrespect my mother again, I will-" I stop, feeling my mother pulling me back by the arm.

"Let it go, Asher." Mother pleas.

"Or what?" Lucas asks, his eyes glinting at me with challenge. "I called her Luna. Isn't that what she is?"

"Let her go, your highness." Mother tries again, calling me by my title.

Lucas narrows his eyes at the reminder of my title and hisses as he walks away but not before I hear how much he hates me.

I feel an urge to yell at his retreating back that the feeling is mutual but a glance at my mother forces me to swallow the words. She is clearly distressed and I don't want to add to her turmoil.

How can she be patient and understanding? I can't understand her at times. I fly with rage everytime I think of what Geneveva and her devious son do to her that she takes without complaints.

"You should go." She sighs when I stand without a word, calming my nerves. "You have kept the driver waiting enough."

I snort to myself, disbelief warring in my heart. Is she kidding? She is worried about the driver when I'm worried about her?

"I love you, mother." I step closer and wrap my arms around her.

She smiles and leans on me. "I love you more, son. Don't tell your sister I said that."

I chuckle, knowing she wants me to do that. She says that to Viola too.

I disentangle from her and move to the car. I slid in and wave at her till she disappears out of sight.

"Please, play some songs." I say to the middle-aged driver.

"Which one, your highness?"

"Anyone." I mutter and rest my head with my eyes closed.

I have an hour before I get to the airport and my wolf gets jumpy anytime I'm in a plane. I picked a college far from home for that reason so I can master how to be calm during a flight. If I can calm my wolf's paranoia, I'm sure that will be a bonus point for my control mastery level. By the time I've flown to and fro campus four times, I should be able to fly without issues.

I felt proud already of achieving that milestone. Too bad my teacher isn't here to grade me.

Lucas can stay all he wants in our land with my father but I will still be the next alpha, a better and exposed man than he ever can be.

******

"I think I need a beer or more." Hank groans as we walk back to our dormitory.

It's been a month that I got to college and I love every moment of it. Viola was mad as I expected that I left without seeing her. She is betrothed to the alpha of the Zain pack, a neighbouring pack, and was on a visit to his palace when I left. She threatened to have her mate cut my balls and I laughed, telling her I couldn't wait for that.

Mother and father call a lot that my phone gets hot with the way they stalk from afar. I have made friends in my roommates and some of my coursemates.

"Are you coming, Asher?" Julius asks me.

I shake my head. My resolution is not just to be the alpha and shame Geneveva but to fall for the weakness that dragged my father down.

I have never touched a single drop of alcohol in my life and I hope to keep it that way.

"I don't drink." I confess.

"Why?" Hank turns his head to me.

I shrug. "Not interested in it."

Hank nods. "I thought you had control issues."

I flash my teeth at him in a weird grin. If only he knows that control is my slave.

"You can get something else that isn't alcohol. Or do you want to head back to the room alone?" Julius offers.

At that moment, a lady walks past us and as I catch a whiff of her scent, I know immediately that she is a werewolf. Her long black hair which is parted at the sides obscure her face but I realize I don't need to see her face to realize the truth.

She is my mate.

My wolf jumps within me as if it is high on drugs and I can't resist the slick smile on my lips.

I can't believe it. I can't believe I find someone I'm attracted to here in a faraway land.

It seems like father is finally going to have the daughter-in-law he wants. I don't know how she looks but I know that she is walking away and I need to go after her.

"I need to go, guys." I say to Hank and Julius.

"Home?"

"I have somewhere to be." I say, unable to mask the urgency in my voice. "See you back at the dorm." I say as I turn in the direction the lady passed, seeking her out with her scent and my heart which keeps expanding as I get nearer.

I know I don't ache for a mate but I will be damned if I let her slip through my fingers.

She is my ace card to forcing Geneveva and Lucas into the holes they belong in and if she sets my heart on fire without seeing her, I believe my life is about to get less miserable.