SEQUEL: FOURTEEN

They drove up to Cali’s Cafe an hour later without bothering to book a reservation because they didn’t really need to book one. Right as they stepped into the cafe, Cali came hurrying over.
She was a bubbly human with dyed pink hair and thick black rimmed glasses, “Oh my gosh, I had no idea you guys would come again!”
Alina narrowed her eyes at her, not sharing her enthusiasm but before she could speak, Madeline took the lead.
“Could we have a conversation with you… somewhere more private?” Madeline said in a faux polite tone.
Cali quickly picked up on their tone, “Yeah sure, is something wrong?” She dropped her voice to a whisper, already leading them to the back of the cafe.
They didn’t respond till they were in Cali’s office behind the cafe, the both of them refusing the sit down although Cali offered.
“So um… what’s wrong? Did you not like the service yesterday?” She asked in concern looking genuinely troubled. She knew the kind of bad rep she would get if people as influential as Alina Costin and Madeline Gustav made a bad review of her Cafe.
Alina slammed a hand on the bubbly manager’s desk, “Where’s Iyla?”
Cali blinked, “I’m sorry, who?”
“Don’t play dumb with us,” Madeline joined in the conversation, her expression stern. “Iyla Cutler told me she knew you, she came to the cafe to meet up with us yesterday because you told her about it.” She explained in detail.
Cali looked even more lost, “There seems to be a mixup somewhere because I would never invite a friend over to meet a customer no matter the reason, that’s just store policy but regardless, I don’t know any Iyla Cutler.” She denied steadily, wondering what this was all about.
Alina and Madeline shared a look, they had feared that this was the case.
“Not to intrude…” Cali said carefully, “But it happened at my cafe and I would like to completely clear my name and be of whatever help possible.”
“Go on,” Madeline said patiently, all the animosity she had toward the human draining away.
“If you were approached by a stranger claiming to know me, they probably tracked your progress on the media because it was immediately tweeted by several people when you both showed up.”
Alina and Madeline shared another look, this time with wide eyed stares.
“Right,” Madeline said absently, already done with the conversation.
“I’m really sorry if my negligence caused you some trouble,” Cali apologized sincerely.
Alina just walked out without a further word, Madeline waving to Cali as she followed after her friend.
“So what’s our next step?” She asked as they headed back to the car without even ordering a thing.
“We’re going to Silverfall.” Alina decided, getting into the driver’s seat this time, she was the one to drive them there.
Madeline got into the passenger’s seat, noting that her best friend’s mood had been foul all day, even though she knew to step carefully around her. “Do you still want to go today?” She asked carefully. “It’s fine if you don’t want to though?”
It was still early enough in the day, they could just drive down to the airport and get on the next flight to Silverfall.
Alina huffed out a breath, they were still in the parking lot of Cali’s Cafe. She knew that she was painfully tense and her thoughts were a mess, she couldn’t go to Silverfall feeling like this.
“I want to get this over with quickly but you’re right, what should we do instead?” She said nicely.
Madeline heaved a breath of hers, a relieved smile on her face. “Why don’t we get a drink at the cafe and then drive around for a bit, if we feel up to it we could drive down to the airport.”

-^-
Roman had his personal assistant, Lou Stark, pick him up at the airport, she was indispensable and the only person he let live in his mansion with him, and that was solely because she pretty much handled everything.
“I know I told you to sightsee but I didn’t think you’d actually go through with it,” Lou said sarcastically, driving the car.
She was dressed in black cargo pants and a black muscle shirt, a gun strapped to her waist in plain view.
Roman shot her a blank look, “I didn’t sightsee,” He grumbled, sounding more defensive than he had intended to.
She laughed, “You’re free to take a vacation boss.”
“Can it,” He fired back without heat. “Is there anything that needs my attention?”
“Pretty sure you could settle in first before you start working,” Lou scolded lightly. “Besides I give you a report twice daily at your request, you already know there isn’t.”
Roman knew but he had hoped otherwise, he needed something to take his mind off what he had been up to the past few days. But it was expected that the month of the annual conference would be slow because of the important events that often followed the conference.
“But really what was the delay about?” Lou asked in a voice devoid of humor, her sharp eyes boring through him through the rearview mirror.
“I was sightseeing,” Roman replied in a dry voice, giving her a taste of her medicine.
“It must not have been very relaxing if the first thing you do, after you return, is ask for more work,” She quipped.
“I don’t remember hiring you to be my therapist.”
“What can I say? I’ve got a lot of skills,” Lou said confidently, “You’re free to keep your secrets but I’m going to find out eventually.”
Roman scoffed at her words, “It’s not exactly a secret,” He muttered, and he was right, it wasn’t.
He knew that Anton would never make the proposition if he had no intention of going through with it. It was only a matter of time now that he had agreed it, the mating would happen no matter what.
“Does it have something to do with the annual conference?” Lou asked, genuinely concerned about her Alpha King’s mood even if she had a rather odd way of showing it.
“More or less,” Roman said vaguely, building up to the moment when he would break the news to Lou.
He could have told her the very night it happened but he had still been reeling for shock, and the next night was another cluster fuck as well. Which was saying a lot considering that she had gotten a full report of what happened at the annual conference.
“Alpha King Anton approached me before the conference to make me a proposition…”
“Is he finally going to stop cockblocking us when we trade in his territory?” Lou jumped in.
Roman’s tension eased at her guess, “In their defense, our trading involves weapons, lots of it.”
Lou had a very concerned look on her face, “Are you going soft on me? Sure we shouldn’t make a detour to the hospital?”
“Anton wants me to get mated to his daughter.” He said flatly.
Lou’s response was instantaneous, she briefly lost control of the wheel, the car swerving to the side. She regained control of the car just as fast as she lost it, whirling around in her seat to give him an incredulous look.
“I’d appreciate it if you keep your eyes on the road.” He said dryly, expecting that kind of response.
It was still a surprising reaction coming from Lou because she was hardly surprised by anything, nothing ever caught her by surprise, nothing but this.
Lou parked the car, they were just right at the gates of Roman’s residence which was right at the heart of Reef City, the capital of his settlement.
“You’re going to be the next Alpha King of the entirety of Europe?” Lou bluntly asked.
“That seems to be the old geezer’s plan,” Roman shrugged.
Lou looked thoughtful, the gates opening without her having to do a single thing. The occupants of the classy building were Alpha King Roman, his personal assistant Lou Stark, and an entire slew of armed men.
They weren’t there for protection as Roman and Lou were more than capable of protecting themselves but they insisted on not letting their Alpha King’s home remain unprotected.
The upkeep of the mansion itself was handled by hired workers who came in twice a week to clean.
“It sounds like a sweet deal but the downside is the backbone of the deal itself, you and Alina, and just incompatible,” Lou said in her usual blunt manner, driving in. “So, did you agree to it?”
“Yeah,” Roman said in a distant voice, looking up at his home that was stories high. Trust Lou to hit the nail right on the head.
“Holy shit,” She said with laughter in her voice, “No wonder you look so gloomy, anyone would if they had to marry Alpha King Anton’s batshit crazy daughter.”
“It’s a political mating,” Roman said, in a bid to convince himself as well.
Because it didn’t matter if it was a political mating or not, unless he found his Fated mate, he wasn’t going to get together with anyone else. It was worse than being alone.
Lou didn’t say a word, parking the car and getting out to open the door for him.
“Somehow you saying nothing is worse than one of your sarcastic comebacks,” Roman noted, stepping out of the car.
“What can I say? This is the one time I don’t have any of those.” She said bluntly, leading the way inside.