Chapter 244   - Two Hundred And Forty-four : What Would Be Your Choice

Gideon and She-Zukai were in the living room having a conversation unaware of what was going on in Asher's room.

"Am I the only one who's sensed that something has been weird with Asher lately," Gideon asked.

"You mean the fact he's tactically keeping his distance from all of us?" She referred.

"Yes, that fact," he answered.

"Well, not surprising, he has always been keeping his distance from me," The vampiress pointed out.

Gideon snorted," That's only because you can't keep your hands to yourself. Who goes? around flirting with their clan leader?"

"We have a long life to live as Vampires, what's the fun if we aren't spontaneous?" She argued.

"Then I hope you use that long life to figure out how to detach from your brother's body," Gideon said carelessly.

Words he came to regret once he saw her mood dampen. Gosh, his wide mouth again. He knew that topic was a touchy spot for her yet he blabbered that out loud.

"I'm sorry," Gideon apologized as soon as she shot to her feet angrily.

Everyone knew how much the girl desired a body of her own but so far no one has found a way of separating them nor find a vampire with the ability to do so.

So she had to share everything with her brother; time, space, and relationship. Rumors were circulating that she was the reason why Zukai hadn't found his mate yet since both were sharing a body and only once Zukai was free from her, would he find the other half of his soul.

"I really mean it," He grabbed her hand but she let in her brother instead- that was how both of them worked. The moment one encounters a tough situation- mental or physical - he or she lets in the respective sibling who is in a better position to handle the problem well; they are protective of each other.

"You're really an asshole," Zukai cursed him for hurting his sister.

"I didn't mean to hurt - "

The noise of a glass chattering from upstairs interrupted him.

"Did you hear that?" Zukai questioned.

"I definitely heard. That came from Asher's bedroom, what do you think it's going on in there?" Gideon responded.

"Either Asher broke his window in a fit of anger for God knows why or he's being attacked and we're sitting here idly" Zukai's words incited him to action.

They arrived just after Lia screamed, the foreshock of the blast made them stagger back a bit.

"What the hell is going on here?" Zukai was the one to ask, mystified.

Raphael was lying on the floor with his heart ripped out of his body while Asher stood, a triumphant glint in his eyes while his bloody hands gripped the organ taken from Raphael's body.

"You murderer, you killed him!" Gideon watched as an unfamiliar girl sprang on Asher who backhanded her with a force that knocked her to the ground.

Who was she and what was she doing here? How did she even get here in the first place?

"Asher, don't hurt her," pleaded Lia who had been bewildered with the whole happenings.

"She hurt you, remember?" Fired Raphael who they all thought to be Asher.

"Who is she?" Zukai asked amid the commotion.

"Someone who won't bother my mate anymore," Raphael tossed the squashed heart to the side, approaching the girl threateningly.

Fear flashed in Electra's eyes and? she began to crawl back on all fours while raving, "This is not the real Asher, this is just Raphael mimicking him!"

"What?" Gideon and Zukai shouted.

"Don't listen to her," Raphael told them," She's with Raphael, the bastard I had just killed and this is her ploy to escape, "

"Even so, shouldn't we hear her out first?" Lia questioned him, putting herself between Raphael and Electra.

"Move away, Lia. I don't want to hurt you," Raphael warned her with a darkened gaze. He wouldn't let her ruin his great plan.

"I know you won't hurt me because I'm your mate," Lia declared," So just listen to me for once, "

Gideon and Zukai stood perplexed, what were they going to do? It seemed as if this was a couple's fight and they knew better than to interrupt. Yet, the girl's accusation unsettled them, what if she was right? The last few days, Asher has been kind of out of it.

On the ground, Electra threw her head back and laughed mockingly, "You dumb woman, this imposter is going to hurt you because he's not your real? -"

"I'm sorry for doing this," Raphael said to Lia, and with the sweeping motion of his hand, she was pushed to the side by a strong gust of wind which gave him access to the now frightened Electra.

Zukai and Gideon charged at him at once, his current actions had now proved the girl's claim. No matter what, Asher would never lay a finger on his mate.

Additionally, the Asher they knew would always give people the chance to defend themselves. If he was truly innocent as he claimed, why was he trying so hard to silence the girl? He was obviously trying to hide the truth from being exposed.

Unluckily, Raphael having guessed their intentions froze them with ice- Asher's ability does come in handy.

Both of them wouldn't die since they were undead creatures but that would incapacitate them till the ice melted off their body. To Raphael, that meant time enough to do whatever he wanted.

It was as if a scale fell off Lia's eyes immediately that scene played out in front of her; her eyes were opened.

A wave of anger washed over her and she opened her mouth to scream when Raphael grabbed Electra from the ground and put her in front of him, using her as a shield and hostage.

"Trust me, you wouldn't want to do that," Raphael told her.

"And why wouldn't I do so? If you think that I would back down because of the girl, then you're in for a huge loss," She spoke through gritted teeth," She has done nothing but harm me, why would I spare her life alongside yours?"

"Well, first of all, I'm possessing Asher's body. So harm me and you can kiss goodbye to your beloved's body," he winked at her with an irritating smirk.

Lia clenched her fist, she wanted to squeeze the life out of Raphael but what he said made sense too- She couldn't afford to harm Asher's body.

"Secondly, this girl here..." He caressed Electra's cheeks," Is Asher's daughter," Raphael dropped the news.

"What?" Lia was baffled.

"You heard me, right Lia. Your perfect mate has a daughter behind your back " He disclosed comically.

"You're lying!" Lia refuted.

She refused to believe a thing that animal spoke, he was probably ruffling her feathers.

"Why would I lie to you, honey? I mean look at her eyes, it's the same as Asher's, oh I mean mine, I'm possessing his body now - lucky me," he laughed eccentrically

"Come-on honey, be a doll and tell her the truth, would you?" He urged the struggling Electra to confirm his words.

"Is it true?" Lia faced her anxiously.

Electra glared at her, "You already heard the douche speak, what more do you want to hear bimbo?"

Lia stilled, her mouth agape from shock. Asher had a child?

"Tsk tsk," Raphael clicked his tongue, "Such a pity that he isn't alive to tell the tale," his gaze moved to the figure on the ground.

"Oh my God," a wretched sob tore from Lia's lips. It now made sense to her, Raphael switched their bodies or whatever he did.

The real Asher was the one in Raphael's body? And she had assisted Raphael in killing him? She killed her mate!

Her legs wobbled and she sank to the ground, despair tearing through her. What had she done?

"I can offer you a deal, Lia" Raphael started," Come with me and I'll leave the girl alive," he proposed.

Lia lifted her tears filled face and glared at him murderously," I'm going to end you in the cruelest way possible," she promised him.

"Think clearly, she's the only surviving descendant of Asher, and the future leader of the Nicolli Clan, you wouldn't want? Asher's lineage to end, would you?"

Raphael emphasized his threat by cutting through the skin of Electra's neck with his sharp nail while the other hovered dangerously close to her heart legion.

Lia was overridden with guilt yet her head was still in gear. It was her fault that Asher had died and the Nicolli clan would surely blame her for that afterward.

No matter what Electra did to her, she had to forgive and save her life. She was the only child of Asher and as his mate, Electra was technically her child- what the fuck.

"Join me, Lia and you would never regret it," Raphael stretched his hand out to her.

Lia had just taken the first step when Dan and Sabrina appeared in the room.

"Lia, he's not Asher, stay away from him!" Sabrina yelled and cast a spell.

Unfortunately, Raphael took hold of Electra and vanished with her after throwing some weird object in the air.

"Oh no," Dan slumped to the ground beside the supposed Asher's corpse,

"We are too late,"