Growing Obsession

*Chapter 107*

Frederick

Watching Novalie from afar as years passed by was the biggest suffering I ever experienced.

Especially with my aching heart and my jealous wolf.

I had witnessed how she changed herself. From being a prim and proper lady to a bold, intimidating one. She even started worsening her reputation as well which pained me.

I even had to suffer more as soon as she started going to the brothel for women and spent most of her nights there sleeping with different men when she built her own business, Argerich Consulting by the age of 20. I watched how she looked so pleased when men were pleasing her.

I had my incantation jewelry so my wolf wasn't reacting to what I was seeing right now. And Novalie didn't even get to smell my scent. But I sure felt my heart breaking down as I so wanted to approach her and halt those men who kept kissing and touching her.

It made me sick that I couldn't do that.

"I want to she her... Novalie... Cashpian..." My words were slurry right now as I drank a lot of booze as soon as I arrived back at the Euthoria Citadel.

"Atticus... You can't. You forbade yourself to approach her..." Caspian said as he helped me go to bed. He even snatched away the wine I was drinking.

"Hey! That'sh mine!" I frowned and was about to stand up but I failed, feeling my stomach churning upside down.

I immediately ran to the lavatory to throw up in the sink. I groaned as I felt Caspian stroking my back.

"You need to halt drinking before His Majesty finds out that you are devastated. He might start investigating as to why you are being aloof for years."

I felt the corners of my eyes sting before I decided to wash my face. "Novalie... She needsh... to know... I am her... mate." I started crying. My wolf couldn't handle the pain of seeing Novalie being in the arms of many men she had bedded with. "And now, she ish... married... to another man... not to me!"

She entered into another arranged marriage by the age of 21. That was everything that made it worse.

My feelings for her had started to shred into pieces, losing my hope that I couldn't be with her and make things right.

"How long... must I keep..." I hiccuped. "...watching her from afar, Cashpian?" I turned at him and shook him. "I need her to know that-"

"You cannot even do that," he chimed in and halted me from shaking him. "You heard Prince Alucard, Prince Alistair, and Prince Alejandro who happened to speak with Lady Novalie or now she became Viscountess Westervelt. She loathed you and hated you."

More tears fell from my eyes. Then I punched him with all my might. "Thish ish your fault! I shouldn't have lishtened to you!" I held onto the sink when I felt like my world almost turned upside down.

Caspian didn't say anything and accepted my insult. The suffering of not being with our mate and now she was married to another man who wasn't even me was too difficult on me.

I so wanted to strangle that man... Reginald Westervelt... who was married to the woman I loved so much. That bastard...

Novalie was mine in the first place.

I almost slapped myself for calling her by her first name. I wasn't supposed to do it. I was a bastard to even dare to call her on her name.

But it felt so good to keep calling her.

"Novalie... I love Novalie so much... I want her to be mine... I want her to know that I am her mate..."

How must I do that? For years, I had been hiding away from her eyes. I never showed myself to the public as I didn't want to catch anyone's attention. Even to her.

I even wore a mask from the time I decided to call off our marriage. And even the time I would get to know that Novalie would come to the palace. She didn't know what I looked like. However, I never allowed myself to cross paths with her because who was I to even allow myself to approach her?

She grew to be an intimidating and dominant one and I could beg at her and step on me if she wanted to. Like how she treated her slaves or perhaps, they were known as her concubines from the reports I read.

I fucking envied those men who could worship her day and night. How long do I long to do that to her?

Admiring her from afar, I couldn't help sketching her beautiful face and stalking her more.

For the years I had been watching Novalie, I had known all the movements she had been doing. Even the time she got to start hiding her true identity as a painter... on her pseudonym, Noblete.

I hired different people to purchase her paintings in secret. Then I would secretly admire them while I worked.

I didn't even care if they were mostly focused on eroticism. Even so, I started to understand and comprehend the messages of her artworks.

I even scrutinized the way she stroked her brush against the canvas... how the lines and scribbles were bestowing us with a good outline of her... how she created messages in her artwork...

I had learned everything. Admiring them made me feel like I got close to the woman I loved.

"Look how Novalie improves her artworks, Caspian... I am really impressed... How I wish to see her and lock her here in my castle," I said dreamily as I was busy admiring the paintings she made. "Then we would get married and have pups..."

I could worship them all day, all night. I couldn't care less if my parents were finding me bizarre about purchasing paintings like this. These were the works of art of Novalie...

Dear Moon Goddess, allow me to have her... My feelings for her were already pouring out from the cup. If I didn't do something about it, I would go insane.

I heard his sigh. "Instead of admiring her secretly, why shouldn't you do something to finally approach her, Atticus?"

I felt like something threw me a bucket of cold water as my shoulders slumped, leaning to the wall next to the painting. "She is married..." I murmured dejectedly. "...with that bastard!" I raised my tone as I almost punched the painting but I gasped and realized what I almost had done.

I stepped backward. I must stay away from her painting before I would destroy it mindlessly.

I glanced up when Caspian halted in front of me and roughly grabbed my collar before he punched my face.

I fell to the ground after that, wide-eyed. "What..." I looked at him in disbelief.

Caspian had a stoic expression. "Good. You are back to yourself."

"What the fuck?" I held my jaw when I felt like it was somehow dislocated. "Do you wish to get persecuted, Caspian?" I growled.

He arched his eyebrow. "Do not make me laugh, Your Highness. I only did that to make you realize that it is not too late. You can still have her." He rolled his eyes.

I scoffed and let it slide that he punched me. But somehow, it awakened my dead being.

"She is married, you sicktard." I finally spoke.

He chuckled. "That is not the Atticus I know who doesn't give up just because he cannot have Viscountess Westervelt."

I frowned. "You are making me feel like I am not using my brain for those years I had been admiring her for 15 years."

"Because you really are, Atticus. Don't you get it?"

"Thanks," I said sarcastically. "Now, I feel worse for myself."

"Don't be freaking more dramatic than what you are now, Atticus. Halt being so dumb and do something before it shall be too late that they will get to have a pup soon."

I stiffened upon the mere mention of the pup. I looked at Caspian as he was arching his eyebrow right now.

"Their marriage can still be divorced. While conceiving a pup is a different story. Shouldn't you do something now instead of staying here and admiring her paintings?"

I fluttered my eyelids, gulping. That would be devastating as hell if that happened. If she conceived a pup, then I couldn't have her anymore.

"I must save her then..."

"Finally! Some progress!"

I frowned at his response. He smirked. I averted my gaze as I started pacing back and forth to think about what he said. I must do anything not to come to the point that they would get to have a pup. It would be hard for me to break things if I get to decide that I would take her away from her husband.

Then I glanced at the wall clock and saw that it was already six in the evening.

"We must leave now," I announced before we went to my chamber so I could change into different clothing.

Caspian nodded. "Shall I take your mask?"

I shook my head. "I need my ring." He nodded. It didn't take long for him to get it and bestow it on me.

I scrutinized the blue sapphire ring before I wore it to my forefinger. That jewelry would conceal my scent and tame my wolf. That was blessed with an incantation from the divine priestess named Priestess Mary.

I smirked. People would mistake me that I was a feudal lord. I would always go out having this as hiding my identity as a member of the royal lycan family, especially if I had to go for an expedition.

"The carriage is ready, Your Highness," Caspian announced.

I snapped back and nodded my head. We went to the carriage and drove to one of the business establishments of Marquis and Marchioness Carat named Maiden's Lair, a brothel for women.

We went to the backdoor and met Marchioness Carat who was already curtsying before us. "She is here, Your Highness."

I nodded. "Show me the way where I can see her," I commanded.

She nodded. "This way." She showed us to the right corner and asked us to follow her.

Good. She should follow my desires that I wanted to come here often, not because I was seeing men as I liked. But to see the woman I had been secretly desiring and loving for all over the years.

The marchioness brought us to a secret room where they could see their clients having to enjoy themselves with their male prostitutes. Then, my heart broke upon seeing the woman who had three men on her table. I secretly clenched my teeth.

"How long has she been staying here?"

"Fifteen minutes earlier."

"I see." That was a bit early. What I knew was she was arriving after an hour. "Leave now." I glanced at her when I saw hesitation. "Leave now or do you wish me to report you to Brother Azarius about this business you and your husband have, Marchioness Carat?" I said coldly.

She gasped, wide-eyed. "I-I shall take my leave, Your Highness. I-If there is anything you need, p-please summon me." I ignored her and gestured to my hand that she should leave.

As soon as she left, I watched Novalie kissing and being pleased by the three men. I saw the pleasing expression she had as she straddled one of them.

"Caspian. Tell me if I am a masochist already. Is it alright if I wreak havoc there and want to steal her away from those men?" I thought I could handle seeing her being with her husband but it was more heartbreaking than seeing Novalie fooling around with men.

And the fact that she was purchasing auctioned male slaves and bringing them to her home—to the Lone Crow pack where she was the Luna there and Reginald Westervelt, her husband, was the Alpha.

She also had grown more beautiful. I was admiring her beauty ever since the day I fell in love with her and my wolf had been wanting to have her.

How do I long to hear her voice as well? I only heard her voice from afar since I couldn't dare to approach her so near because I felt like I was fainting if I was near her.

"You can do that, Your Highness. But remember that she did not know you. Also, she knows how to properly fight. You know that she almost killed her husband when they argued."

I couldn't help smiling but my smile disappeared when my sensitive ears heard her moans. I almost growled in annoyance but I halted myself since I did not want to alert everyone in this underground room.

She even purchased a new male slave for that night. I couldn't help this growing jealousy poisoning my whole being. It really hurts me as well. I watched her leaving with another man as the carriage went away.

I returned to the carriage with a heavy heart. I ignored the tears falling from my eyes.

"Here." I glanced at Caspian who reached out his handkerchief. I took it and wiped the tears.

Sighing, I removed my ring and threw it aside. My wolf was raging all over because I did not do anything again to halt Novalie from fooling around with many women. He wanted to strangle me right now but I knew that I wouldn't let him take over my body to do that.

"How I wish I am also a slave of hers... That way... Perhaps, I can finally speak with her and be with her, right?" I glanced again at Caspian to gain approval.

He looked at me in disbelief. "Is that the plan you think of just now? If it is, you are insane if you will try to be her slave, Atticus."

I looked at him in shock as I gasped. Caspian must have realized what he said and had this frightening expression, shaking his head.

"No, no, no." He kept shaking his head while I nodded my head. "Damn it, Atticus. You are not going to do it!"

"I will do it," I said mindlessly as if I was being possessed, nodding my head again. "That is a good idea." I drew out a furtive smile.

"His Majesty, His Royal Highness, and His Highnesses are going to kill me, you bastard!" He shook me but my mind went elsewhere.

If becoming her slave, then there was a chance that I could really be with her... I would get to have her know that I am her mate. I would get to express how much I want her and how much I love her.

"Atticus!"

I snapped back as my face brightened upon seeing Caspian's horrified face. He must have known that I already had a plan.

"Atticus, do not fucking say it. Please!"

My smile grew bigger at his response. "I shall become Novalie's slave," I said with finality.

As soon as I said it, his shoulders slumped and released his hold on me. "No..."

"Yes..." I nodded my head. I inhaled and exhaled. "Help me plan this out, Caspian. I shall be with Novalie soon."