Fated

Chapter 12

Asher felt the shift in Alashia’s body as she caved into sleep. Glancing at Minerva, he asked, “Is that necklace what I think it is?”

“it’s her first incarnation’s talisman. It will protect her as long as she is not a part of our world and will offer her family the same protection as long as they are human.”

“What else did you do to it?” seeing her blush, he knew he was on the money.

“I may have enchanted it to bolster her courage.” Minerva tilted her chin up in defiance.

“She will need it,” He simply stated. “I will be seeing you, Minerva. Right now, I need to get my Beloved to bed.”

“The talisman may bring back some of her past memories, Asher. We don’t know what she went through at the hands of the king.” Minerva warned as he started to walk away.

“I am well aware of that.”

“She has been my friend in many lives, Asher. Please, keep her safe. I would like to be her friend in this one too.” Minerva vanished after that. Witches and their teleportation.

He headed back towards Alashia’s hotel room and shifted her in his arms so he could knock on the door.

“Oh boy. What happened?” Chase said upon opening the door.

“She and Minerva bonded... Over three bottles of wine.” Asher responded.

“She will hate everyone in the morning. She can barely tolerate two glasses, let alone three bottles.” Chase chuckled, amused as Asher laid her on the bed and took her slippers off.

“I’ll get her changed, she hates not sleeping in pajamas.” motioning Asher to the entryway, Chase stepped out, keeping the door open.

“is there anything I can do to make her morning more tolerable?” Asher asked, feeling guilty.

“Coffee, cream, no sugar. And a couple of Tylenol.” Chase responded. “It’ll help everyone. I’ll make sure she has water to rehydrate.”

“How livid will she be?” Asher asked, genuinely concerned.

“She’ll be mad at herself for going past per limits, then she’ll be grateful we took care of her. It’ll be fine. Did she and Minerva bond?”

“They did, indeed. I don’t think it will be a problem anymore.” Asher smiled, seeing his Beloved roll towards Ricky as he crawled in sleepily to cuddle her.

“Good. Have a good evening Asher, see you in the lobby around 9:30am?” Chase said, starting to close the door.

“Yes, you will.”

*****

Alashia awoke to find herself in a different room from her hotel. It was decorated in reds and blacks, and while she always felt like it would appeal to her, it definitely did not. She looked down and did not recognize the body she was in. It still had curves, but this body had not birthed children. There wasn’t a stretch mark to be seen, and while curvy, the abdomen only had a slight curve.

Involuntarily, her body grabbed the robe at the side of her bed, and she found herself walking towards the door. Opening it, a tall man with long hair neatly pulled back and dark red eyes stared at her.

“Leaving our chamber so soon, my Queen?” he said. His accent was thick, unrecognizable to Alashia.

She looked behind him and saw several men with their hands on swords. Swords? Where the hell was she? Who was she? She desperately wanted to escape this man. She felt in her bones she would die. Didn’t they say in dreams if you die, you will in real life?

Her body turned to run, and the man shut the doors, chasing her. She saw two beagles barking at the man profusely and before her eyes, they morphed into skinless beasts easily three times the man’s size.

“So much for one last romp before I kill you,” he muttered, grabbing her head and wrenching it from her body.

It felt so real. She looked down at her body, her normal curves, and nightgown covering her. The familiarity sent waves of calm through her.

Faintly, she heard the alarm going off behind her, and saw her phone. Turning off the alarm, she took a deep, steadying breath, feeling thirsty.

She saw the water at the side of her bed and gulped it down greedily, recognizing the pain in her head as being hung over. She grabbed the note from the side of the bed. Chase would meet her downstairs, she had just enough time to shower and dress, and if she hurried, grab a cup of coffee to quiet her mind. Today was the Wonderland Tour and she wanted to enjoy the day with her children. She brushed off the nightmare and got in to shower, determined to make today count.