Chapter 9 : Reject Or Not

Vika's POV "What?" Henry cried out. "Seriously, you are Prince Regent Asher's mate, not Princess Devi?" "Shh…" I nodded. Henry and I were doing our laundry. I was so glad no one was passing by. Henry gaped at me, eyes as wide as his mouth. "As a heart attack," I told him. Henry rolled his eyes. "That's not even funny," he chastised me. "Come on, Henry, I know it's a big issue. I need your perspective. I don't even know what I'm going to do!" I shook my head, scratching my hair randomly. He handed me the corners of a sheet, and we lined them up, folding them together. "Well, are you going to see him again?" Henry asked, his tone strange and concerned. "Yeah, we plan to meet tonight," I said. Henry shook his head. "That is such a bad idea, and you know it," he said. I shrugged. Yes, part of me knew it was a bad idea, but every time I thought about Asher, I smiled and my stomach fluttered. "Why is it a bad idea?" I asked. "Well, he is engaged, for one," Henry pointed out. "Not to mention the obvious difference in social class. Think about it, Vik. His obligation is to the pack. If he has to, he'll reject you. You should probably keep your distance and avoid getting more attached to him." I swallowed hard, my heart already aching at the mere prospect of Asher rejecting me. He was so kind and sweet. After last night, I wasn't sure if he could, but I also knew Henry had a point. Asher was Prince Regent and probably the future Alpha. That meant he could never truly accept me as his mate. I was a servant. I grumbled to myself, tossing the folded sheet aside and grabbing some shirts to fold. "Maybe you should just reject him first and get it over with," Henry offered. I stared at him, my shirt slipping from my hands. "What?" I asked. "I can't...." I trailed off. I hadn't even considered that. There was absolutely no way I was going to reject Asher. At least, that was what I kept telling myself. "Come on, Vik, I can already tell you are smitten," Henry said. I giggled and nodded, unable to hide it. "If you keep seeing him, you're going to fall head over heels in love. You know it. But that way just lies pain and rejection." "And before I knew it, I am more surprised to find my little brother had become visionary." Henry raised an eyebrow at me. "Hey, I'm serious, Vic." "Yes, it could be a possibility." I nodded. "A very real possibility. If you reject him first, it will be painful but a clean break," he said. "You'll free yourself from more pain later on, and you'll free him to focus on his responsibilities." "I don't know, Henry," I muttered. We were silent for a while, folding clothes. Henry kept looking up at me and shaking his head. I could tell he was concerned. "Seriously, Vik, even if you do spend time with him, it isn't like he can make you his mate," Henry said sharply. "You have no idea if he is planning on actually pursuing anything with you or if he just wants to get to know what kind of female his mate is before rejecting you. He might have already decided to, no matter what." People said, "The outsider saw the best of the game." Henry verified that now, but my heart kept telling me not to make a rash decision. "Okay, I'll think about it," I said. "I love you, sis, but we are Omegas. It really sucks when your mate isn't, but that is just the way it goes," Henry said. His eyes were sympathetic. I didn't want his pity. I scoffed and rolled my eyes. "Can we talk about something else?" I asked. "Yes, but let me say one more thing…" Henry trailed off, and I nodded. "Princess Devi is engaged to Asher. She will never let him go, even if you are his mate. Also, think of what she would do to you if she found out." My back still itched from the healing whip cuts on my back. I winced and looked away from Henry. We continued folding our laundry. Henry carried the conversation, updating me on scandals and rumors floating around the castle and things with mom and dad. Even as I tried to focus on what he was saying and be part of the conversation, I couldn't stop thinking about Asher. Everything made me think of him. The light glinting off the laundry detergent as I poured it into the washer with a fresh load made me think of his eyes. Wow, yeah, clearly I was already in too deep. I pulled my cell phone out a few times, intending to text Asher and cancel our training session. Henry kept pushing me to do it. I just couldn't bring myself to type the message. There was still the big problem of him being engaged and our social statuses hanging heavily over anything we might try to build. "Vika, we're done with laundry. Time to take a break," Henry told me, waving his hand in front of my face to get my attention. I grunted, snapping out of my trance. There was lunch waiting for us in the kitchen. "Have you made a decision yet?" Henry asked me. I shrugged. "Not yet." I sighed. "I can't stop thinking about him. Maybe I should just go tonight and see what happens." "Maybe," Henry said. "You know, whatever you decide, I'll be here. Whether that is to congratulate you or pick up all the tiny pieces of your shattered heart," he told me. "Thanks ever so." At least I had a brother who could joke. Asher's POV "What?" "No, no way, man." Malcom, my best friend, grabbed my shoulders and told me, "Bad news that way. You've got to reject her." "Excuse me?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. "Asher, she is an Omega," he said. "Even if you weren't already engaged, there is a bigger problem with this picture." I sighed. I hated to admit that Malcom was right. I didn't love Princess Devi, but my father had arranged our pairing. It was the best match for the pack's strength and the continuation of my family's rule and bloodline. I didn't want to think of hurting Vika like that. The night we'd spent together, just talking, had been more intimate than anything I'd ever shared with any other female. I craved that feeling again, and only her face came to mind when I thought about it. "It isn't that big of a deal, is it?" I asked. Malcom rolled his eyes. "I know you're not that dense," he said. "You shouldn't meet with her tonight either." "Why?" I asked, irritated. Malcom chuckled and shook. I rolled my eyes. Sometimes, he could really be a pain. "Either you'll get more attached, or she will. You should reject her now. It is the best thing you can do for the pack and her," he said. "I don't believe that," I argued. "Man, what could happen?" Malcolm asked. "Say you two spend time together and really hit it off. Your feelings grow. Then, your wedding day arrives, and you have to reject her anyway. It would hurt her less if you did it now. It would free her and keep her from that humiliation." Again, Malcom made a good point. I had mixed feelings about my engagement to Devi as it was, but that wasn't something I'd get out of so easily. Besides, as much as I didn't want to admit it, I knew our different social classes mattered. "Prince Regent Asher." The sarcastic voice of my younger brother, Lucien, interrupted my conversation with Malcom. "What?" I snarled. "I'm here to challenge you to a duel," Lucien said, raising a sword. I almost laughed at him. "Alright." He came just in time. I grabbed my sword and hopped off the fence I'd been sitting on to talk to Malcom. "I've got to go but remember what I said. It is better to just rip the Band-aid off for both of you," Malcom said. He hopped off the fence too and waved. "What was that about?" Lucien asked me. "Nothing," I said. I raised my sword. As Lucien and I circled each other in the sparring ring, all I could think of was Vika and our sparring match the night before. I was so lost in that thought that I nearly missed Lucien's attack. Coming back to the moment, I parried Lucien's blade and pivoted, thrusting my arm into his back. Lucien stumbled forward, but he caught himself. With a frustrated growl, he rounded on me and attacked in anger. Big mistake. As he ran toward me, I readied my sword like I would block again. It was a fake-out. At the last minute, I stepped to the side and tripped Lucien. He fell to the ground, and I placed my sword against his neck. "You can't beat me," I told him. Lucien snarled at me, pushing the sword away. Again, all I could think of was laying with Vika in the grass under the stars. "Next time, I will defeat you!" Lucien jumped up and ran off in a huff. I ignored it. All I cared about now was meeting with Vika that night.