Chapter 161 - A Dog
"What am I? A dog?" Asher remarked, glancing at Lydia and Adeline.
Asher uncomfortably rubbed his c.h.e.s.t. Whenever he saw Adeline, he felt a strange stir in his heart. Sometimes it hurted to see her, sometimes it angered him. He couldn't understand why.
There must've been a reason he wiped his own memories. But what was the reason? He wanted to figure it out as soon as possible, but seeing the ruby ring on her finger made him stray away. Why target the Queen? Especially with that crazy bastard hovering over her?
"You're going to pass me from one person to the next as if I'm an abandoned pet?" Asher asked with a deep scowl. He pointed an accusing finger towards this "Lydia" girl.
"This one looks so frail, I can snap her neck and drain her blood instantly," Asher added on in a disgruntled voice.
Instantly, Lydia turned to Adeline. "He has really changed…" she whispered in disbelief.
Lyida had never heard Asher speak this vulgarly before. His temperament was often mellow and mild.
"I am standing right here, you know," Asher snapped.
Asher was wondering why she finally came down after forever. Without her frequent visits, his meals had been neglected. Sometimes a maid would come down with a tray of stale bread and a glass of water, and nothing more.
As painful and irritating as it was to see Adeline, he preferred her more. Besides, at least he could bite into the food whilst pretending it was her soft flesh. He had never seen a more inviting neck than Adeline. But the thought of drinking blood repulsed him more than being a hybrid.
"Please treat him well," Adeline said to Lydia. She felt her heart prick with guilt. At least, her heart would be at ease seeing he would be in good hands.
"I will," Lydia firmly said. She tightened her fingers around the pill bottle. "I'll be able to suppress his urges too."
"This is what most vampires take as supplements to suppress their urges, but since we're dealing with a hybrid here, it'll be difficult," Lydia said.
Adeline slowly nodded. "Asher is also a werewolf… Would that make him crave raw meat?"
"Alright, you guys really think I am some kind of pet," Asher snapped, glaring at the both of them.
The other woman looked extremely familiar, and he could've sworn he had seen her many times before, in childhood. Suddenly, he winced. There was someone else with them in their youth. A little girl with her face blurred. Strangely enough, there were so many memories with a girl and her blurry face.
Asher didn't need to think long to believe it should've been Adeline. But he could barely remember anything about her, except his first moment with her. Back then, there was some sort of assassination and he had killed the assilaint. As a result, he was granted a status as her bodyguard.
What a cliche love story.
"... if he does crave it, we have supplies."
Asher snapped back to reality. He saw Adeline slowly nod her head. Their eyes met, and his heart skipped.
Asher rubbed his c.h.e.s.t again, uncomfortable with the affection. Whenever he looked at her, he couldn't decide between taking a bite, or kissing her. There were so many emotions running through him when he laid sight on her.
Asher couldn't describe it. But he knew she was the cause of his problems. If it wasn't for her, he wouldn't have been down here. If it wasn't for her, could he have roamed the world free?
"I'm not going to be a freeloader," Asher told them. "I'll work."
"Of course you will work," Lydia snorted. "Do you think I'm doing free charity? You'll be my bodyguard."
Asher blinked. Oh.
"Come closer, you need to take the pills. Who knows if you'll randomly attack someone when you're let out," Lydia said.
Lydia waited for him to approach the jail cell before holding out her hand where two light pink pills were found.
"It's double the usual dosage because you're a Pure-Blood," Lydia calmly said. "You'll need it."
Asher grabbed the pills and examined them. He skeptically placed them into his mouth and swallowed.
Instantly, Asher felt a bit better, as if there wasn't something pressing into his c.h.e.s.t anymore. His urges were no longer there. He glanced at Adeline and suddenly, she no longer seemed like a tasty treat.
"He looks a lot better," Lydia commented. "He's no longer eying you like a piece of meat, Addy."
Adeline didn't respond. She calmly glanced at him, but found he was already looking at her. This time, with curiosity and pain. Wordlessly, she stepped forward and unlocked the cell.
"He'll need a shower," Lydia said, crinkling her nose. "That's fine, I'll have him dealt with when we head home in a few."
"Once again, I'd like to remind both of you that you're not adopting a dog here," Asher deadpanned.
Lydia scoffed. "I wish I was adopting a dog instead."
Asher narrowed his gaze onto her. She was making it difficult for him. How could he be the bodyguard of someone he doesn't want to protect? On the brighter side, he felt more comfortable with her than he did with Adeline.
"Lydia is a good friend," Adeline said to him. "She'll treat you well, I promise Asher."
"Just like how your husband treated me well?" Asher countered.
Adeline was taken aback. "I didn't know—"
"I'm sure you didn't," Asher muttered.
Asher stepped out of the cellar, and glanced indifferently at Lydia. She was half a head shorter than him, even in heels. He warily glanced at the men standing by the door, who were presumably also Lydia's people.
"I-I have a public address in a few minutes," Adeline said to Lydia. She turned to her friend and forced a smile. "Please keep me updated on his status."
Lydia panicked. She looked like she wanted to say something, but couldn't find it in herself to do so.
"What is it?" Asher asked, "Spit it out already."
Asher was tired of just standing here. He couldn't wait to shower and wear new clothes.
"Addy…" Lydia trailed off, suddenly grabbing her friend's hand. "How about we visit a restaurant some time soon?"
Adeline naively blinked before smiling. "Sure."
"Alright, tomorrow then."
Adeline instantly nodded. "Tomorrow it is, then."
Lydia quickly perked up. Her lips were pulled into a large smile and she squealed in excitement, throwing her arms around Adeline.
"It'll be in public, though," Lydia said. "But I'll rent out the restaurant. You might be caught in a few photos… if that is alright."
Adeline tilted her head, wondering why they couldn't go to the secluded forest like last time. She supposed Lydia wasn't really craving dessert. "That's fine with me," she agreed, completely unaware of her best friend's plan.
"Perfect, see you tomorrow then!"
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