Episode 9.

Later That Night.

The business deal that Max and Dean attended was particularly tough and exhausting.

Dean was in the process of acquiring a company, a large casino, to add to his portfolio. Despite facing competition from other interested parties, Dean's wealth allowed him to offer the highest bid and secure the property.

Due to the late hour, they couldn't complete all the necessary paperwork that day. They decided to return to the pack with the intention of finishing the documents the following day.

Upon their return, they were warmly greeted by the omega, as usual. After the omegas was done collecting their belongings, they made their way inside the house where they encountered Athena at the entrance of the parlor.

"Welcome back, Alpha. How did the business meeting go?" Athena inquired, already informed of their whereabouts.

Dean always made it a point to inform Athena of his whereabouts, especially when accompanied by Max, to ensure the pack's security. He encouraged her to go meet her friends in the morning and then return promptly to look after the pack, as she had requested that she need to visit her friends earlier. However, Dean wasn't present to confirm if she had indeed returned early.

"The business went well, although we faced some interruptions from other interested parties," Dean explained as he headed towards his room. Athena kindly took his bag to assist him, using the opportunity to walk with him while Max observed her silently, still contemplating whether to discuss what he had seen earlier with Dean.

"So, who exactly were those men that interrupted your business? They seem fearless. If you tell me where to find them, I'll handle this personally," Athena suggested as they made their way to Dean's room.

"Don't worry, it was a minor issue that I can handle. Please don't bother yourself with it," Dean reassured her. As they reached his room, he opened the door and entered, with Athena following and closing the door behind her.

As Alpha Dean struggled to remove his shirt, Athena hurried to assist him.

"Let me help you with that," she offered, setting the brief she was carrying on a nearby table before quickly helping him take off his shirt.

"Thank you," Alpha Dean acknowledged, attempting to divert his gaze. However, Athena stopped him.

"You seem exhausted; I can sense it. You need some rest," she whispered, causing Alpha to turn towards her, and they shared a moment of eye contact.

Athena found herself admiring his physique as he approached her, drawing closer and maintaining eye contact. Sensing a growing intimacy, she tentatively reached out to touch him, only to be sharply rebuked.

"What do you think you're doing?" he exclaimed, startling her and prompting her to retract her hand, feeling disappointed and nervous.

"Sorry... it... it..." she began to stammer, but Dean cut her off.

"Yes, it is! Can you just leave already? Can't you see I am trying to change? I am waiting for you to leave," he snapped, his voice raised, causing her to lower her head slightly.

"Sorry, Alpha," she apologized and hurried out of the room, feeling ashamed and surprised by his reaction. She had hoped for a moment of closeness with him but was met with rejection.

"Hmm, don't know what the hell is wrong with her. Has she forgotten that I'm married now or what?" Dean muttered before removing his dress.

After quickly showering and dressing himself, Alpha Dean headed to the dining room, knowing that his meal would be waiting for him as usual.

Despite being accustomed to the Luna assisting him, he understood that Elena needed time to adjust to her new role and space within the pack, hence the separate accommodations.


•Dining Room•

Dean entered the dining room, expecting Elena to join him at the table as married couples typically would. However, she was not there, which didn't concern him greatly. He took his seat without much ado.

"Fetch Elena for me, ask her to join me at the table," Dean instructed Minerva, who stood by the dining room door, part of her role being to assist him in such matters when Max was not present.

Minerva silently acknowledged his request and left the room to summon Elena. Meanwhile, Max arrived at the dining room.

"I can see you're occupied, but where's your Luna? Isn't she joining you?" Max inquired upon noticing Elena's absence, hoping she would dine with Dean.

"She's on her way. I've already sent for her," Dean responded, and Max understood, preparing to give the couple some privacy.

"Alright then, I'll leave you to your meal. Perhaps we can catch up later; I have a few things to discuss with you," Max said, nodding as he turned to depart.

"Not so fast! Where do you think you're going? You need to eat too. Come, take a seat and join me," Dean insisted, surprising Max, who widened his eyes in response.

Max hesitated, "Are you sure?" Dean nodded, uncovering his food and preparing his utensils.

The table was filled with an assortment of dishes, giving Max a variety to choose from.

"Just take a seat," Dean invited, and Max complied, sitting down as requested.

"But I thought..." Max began, but Dean cut him off before he could finish.

"I understand what you were going to say, but let's focus on our meal first. You mentioned you wanted to discuss something with me while we eat," Dean prompted, as Max nodded, pausing to sip some water.

Dean opted for juice, taking a sip as Max observed. The issue was trivial as there was still plenty in the bottle for Max if he desired some.

"Yeah, I wanted to talk to you about Athena," Max started, but Dean interjected.

"Oops... I think it would be best to save that for later as you said earlier. Elena will be here soon, and I'd rather not have her overhear such a conversation that might raise doubts about my feelings for her," Dean stated, surprising Max with his response, which seemed incongruous with what Max intended to discuss.

"I don't understand. What does this have to do with Elena?" Max queried, but Dean interrupted again, eager to speak his mind.

"What doesn't it have to do with her? Athena's growing fixation on me needs to be addressed. We'll discuss it later; her behavior must be curbed," Dean declared, leaving Max perplexed by the sudden turn in the conversation.

Max clarified, "But I wasn't referring to that," causing Dean to pause mid-meal, arms folded, focusing on Max.

"Really? What specifically do you want to discuss about her then?" Dean inquired.

"It's about today. Her actions were peculiar; it may seem trivial, but she lied," Max explained, with Dean attentively listening.

"I mean she told you this morning..." Max continued, but their conversation was interrupted by Minerva's return to the dining room without Elena accompanying her.

"My Alpha, I couldn't find her, she's not around" Minerva reported, leaving Dean puzzled by her statement. Where could Elena have vanished to?

"Couldn't find who? I said bring Elena to me! Go to her room and summon her," Alpha Dean instructed, believing that Elena should have been in her room and nowhere else.

"I've checked her room; she's not there. I searched thoroughly and asked around, but no one has seen her since noon, she isn't in this pack" Minerva explained, prompting Dean and Max to exchange concerned glances.