The Rogue King {18+} (Book 2)

43. A Loss Of Control

Happy Wednesday and I hope you enjoy this chapter 😊

✨🌘✨

- Asmara

Hours had passed since Reagan left to speak to my father. Mere hours and yet it felt longer.

Torben had no choice but to prepare the pack for war with Des beside him. They made a good team, and I hadn't realised how good Des was at leading. I had only had a glimpse of him training the others when I walked to the training grounds with Torben, but it had been enough to see his skill.

When I said goodbye to Torben for the morning, it gave me assurance that he had such skilled fighters in his corner.

Not that he needed it. Torben could do well on his own, as I knew first-hand, but everyone needed someone to lean on once in a while. It didn't make you weak or vulnerable, it made you normal.

I had somewhere I wanted to go today. Someone I wanted to see.

I had walked the distance from the training grounds to Aicha and Felice's cabin and knocked. It was Felice who answered. His eyes were bloodshot from crying and the skin beneath his eyes was darker. It was hard to see him like that. He was a warrior and yet I felt as though I was staring past his warrior's façade into the now broken male before me. I had no right to see him like this.

He didn't look surprised I had come. I hadn't seen him or Aicha in days and it shouldn't be a surprise I'd come to visit out of respect and concern for my friends. I still didn't know what happened to them. Torben hadn't said as much, and I knew it was because it wasn't his place to. But I knew something was very wrong.

I lifted the basket of muffins I had grabbed from the kitchen on my way here and Felice barely looked at them. "I wanted to bring these and to make sure you were both okay." I felt ridiculous and I got the impression Felice didn't want to talk about it.

He was due to go back to work tomorrow and I couldn't imagine how he was going to cope when something still ate at him.

"We are okay. Thank you for the gift, I'm sure Aicha will appreciate it." He failed miserably at a smile and took the basket.

I frowned. I could feel him wanting to close the door.

"Felice." He met my gaze, and saw the way real concern coated my features. "Can I come in?"

"I don't think that's a good idea."

"Then ask her." I knew damn well he wasn't keeping me out for his sake. "If it was me in her shoes, Aicha would do it for me." I believed that with absolute certainty.

He sighed. "Give me a minute." He disappeared into the small cabin and closed the door. I waited all but five minutes when the door opened again and he stepped to the side, giving me a wide berth to walk in. "Through the corridor and to the door on your right."

I smiled and nodded and followed his directions. Their home was beautiful and cosy. Decorated in greens, whites and purples. Their floors were carpeted, sparing the kitchen and the bathroom I assumed, and the carpets were off-white which I was surprised wasn't marked or filthy.

I wracked my knuckles against the door and barely heard Aicha on the other side. "You don't have to knock, Asmara."

I opened the door and found Aicha on her bed, the basket of muffins beside her and she was already nibbling the edges of a blueberry one. "These are nice. Thank you."

I closed the door and walked to sit at the edge of her bed. The green satin sheets creased beneath me. "Are you going to tell me what's happened or do you want to speak about something else. I've missed you and if you don't want to talk about it it's fine, but at least speak to me about something, anything." She had been my only friend here for ages and I missed that. Not just the training but everything.