His Other Half

Forty-three

Ahsha

I held Ares in my arms softly rubbing his back and neck as his head rested on my chest. He placed his hand on my belly gently caressing it before he spoke. "I'm sorry." He whispered. "For cry—"

"Don't," I said. He pressed his face into my neck as I started massaging his scalp. "You don't apologize for crying," I said. "All these emotions you've bottled—" I paused. "Just don't apologize for crying," I said. We laid together for a while until I heard Ares's soft breathing. I quietly eased out of his grasp standing next to the bed looking at his sleeping face.

I made my way out of the room down the stairs, grabbing a blanket and heading into the backyard. I walked over to the center of the garden laying the blanket down on the ground before lying down. I stared up at the sky before closing my eyes picturing Pablo.

--

It was quiet for a while before I heard a soft hum. I opened my eyes seeing a steel ceiling.

I sat up and looked around seeing I was at the tombs. "Ahsha?" I turned to see Pablo. He had fewer chains on him than the last time I saw but he looked a little different this time, even with his disheveled look there was something off about him. He smiled looking up at me as I stood, my face remained neutral as I walked towards him.

He stared up at me taking in my face once I reached him. "What's wrong? What happ—"

"Did you try to banish Ares?" I asked. His mouth fell open. "Well?" I asked. "Yes." He said. "Why? You had already separated from him. There was no reason to go that far." I said. He dropped his head. "Answer me! You grew up with him. He was apart of you. You shared a fucking body—"

"Why should I be the one throw aside?" He said still looking at the ground. My mouth parted surprised. "He's nothing more than a monster. Malik had a purpose. I had a purpose." He said. "Malik would have been better off without him. The world would have been better off without him. We would have been better off without him." He said finally raising his head to look at me.

"I was supposed to come back get my body back, my power. You were supposed to be mine. I was supposed to be king." He said as his eyes bleed red. I took a step back from him. This whole time I thought Ares was the bad one but now. I shook my head.

"This has to be the bloodlust," I said looking at him seeing the veins around his eyes appeared. There was no way Pablo was able to fool everyone around him. There was no way no one could see this darkness that resided in him.

"Ahsha I love you and I swear to you that I will get out of here and when I do—" He paused. "I am going to kill Ares." He said as he stood towering over me darkness dancing across his face.

I looked up at him wide-eyed before backing away from him. "That would mean killing Malik and you wouldn't do that," I said shaking my head. He stared at me with dead eyes. "Malik made his choice." He said. My eyes ran over his body at how he didn't look like the tired weak man I had seen on my previous visits.

He seemed to be doubled the size and full of energy, I couldn't understand how that was possible. I heard the door open, but I couldn't bring myself to look away from him.

"What's with all the noise in here?" A guard asked. "Why are you standing?" Another said. Pablo stood silent not even acknowledging them. "We're talking to you." The guard asked as he came closer. I tried to grab the guard forgetting they could see or feel me. "Sit down." The guard ordered getting closer about to hit him so he would comply.

A scream was ripped from my lips as I saw Pablo plunge his teeth into the guard's neck. In a matter of seconds, the guard was dead. I heard the guard behind me gasp before a thud echoed through the room.

I turned to see the guard bleeding out on the ground. I looked up seeing a figure standing in the shadows. The only thing I could get a glimpse of was his hands before Pablo came up behind me. "See you soon baby." He said caressing my belly before kissing my neck.

--

"Ahsha!" I heard Ares yell. I opened my eyes seeing I was floating in the air. I looked down before I dropped to the ground falling Ares's arms. "What the hell was that?" he asked. I couldn't speak I was shaking. "Hey, you're okay. You're fine." He said examining me. "Mr. Ahmad somethings happened," Adam said running outback.

Ares turned and looked at him. "What? What is it?" Ares asked. "Pablo's escaped." He said. Ares's body began to shake. I can see Adam tense as he lowers his head bracing himself for whatever Ares is about to do. I grabbed his arm and he froze for a moment before turning to look at me.

Ares

We were at my grandfather's place and I was standing to the side with my arms crossed as Ahsha glanced at me every so often. I was listening to her as she explained why she was outside tonight and how she knew about Pablo.

"Someone is helping him." She said. "Who?" MY grandfather asked. "I don't know all I saw was a hand." She said. "I told you—" I paused as she turned to look at me. "I told you to stay away from him. Even after I told you—" I paused.

She walked over to me. "I needed to hear him say it." She said. "Why? Was my word not good enough? Malik's?" I asked. Her head dropped.

"I had spent so much time painting you out to be the bad guy—I couldn't accept that it was really Pablo." She said. "But you were right and I'm sorry for my part in this." She said. I closed my eyes taking a breath before pulling her into my arms. "This isn't your fault," I said. "I should have just been open with you from the beginning. This is on me." I said. "What do we do now?" She asked looking up at me. "He said he's going to kill you." She said.

"I'll never let that happen," I said. "What can we do?" I asked looking at my grandfather. "We need to find Pablo and whoever is helping him." He said. "We can't run around the city trying to hunt Pablo down. It would alarm the people and cause a panic." I said.

"Well, maybe that's what is needed. Pablo already wiped out all the guards at the tombs we can't just let our people walk around with him on the loose. He's been deprived of blood for months. He'd kill without remorse until he was filled." My grandfather said.

He was right. I let my anger endanger not only my men and mate but my people. I had to protect not only Ahsha but my people as well. "Put a curfew in place," Ahsha said. "What?" I asked. "A curfew. No civilians out after the sun goes down. You still have his chain, yes?" She asked. I nodded my head realizing where she was going.

"She's right as long as he can't walk around in the daylight and we keep the people indoors at night they should be safe," I said. "I'll make some calls." My grandfather said walking to his desk. I turned and looked at Ahsha caressing her cheek.

"Say it." She said. "You're going into protective custody," I said. "I'm already in protective custody." She said. I shook my head. "No, there is a royal coming for you, Malik, and myself. Malik and I can handle him but if he does anything to you—" "He's not going to hurt me, well at least not physically anyways." She said.

I shook my head. "You can't be sure of that," I said. "He doesn't want to hurt me." She said stepping out of my grasp. I looked at her. "What did he tell you?" I asked. "He wants your spot and he's willing to get rid of both of you to have it." She said. I fell silent at her words. He hated me that much he'd kill Malik also.

"That's when I realized he was the bad guy." She said stirring me from my thoughts. "What?" I asked. "You might've threatened to do a lot, but you never said you'd kill Malik." She said. I looked at her.

"You had all the opportunities in the world to get rid of Pablo and you didn't. You were an asshole, but you never killed a man in front of me. You never looked at me the way Pablo did even when you were pissed." She said shaking her head. I could see the conflict in her eyes.

She had spent months hating me. Months of Pablo turning her against me. Months of me and her fighting only for everything she knows to be untrue.

"I won't kill him," I said as she raised her head to look at me. "He's your mate, so I won't kill him," I said. "If you don't, he will kill you both." She said. I let Malik come forward, so we were both presents. "We promise to come back to you." We both said before pressing our forehead against hers.

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