Unspoken Desires

Kaiden's POV

The day after the tournament, I had been called by the Alpha and so I was seated in my father's study as I watched father.


The rich scent of polished wood and aged leather was all over the air, the walls were neatly arranged and lined with books on pack history and leadership.


My father, Alpha Arthur, sat behind his massive desk, while my mother, Luna Caroline, sat at a couch on the sides, her hands folded gracefully in front of her as she watched father.


Lilian was also present. She was, after all, a part of the family now.

There was some sort of suspense in the room, we all knew that something important was about to be discussed and so we waited for father to proceed.


"Kaiden," the alpha called me in his commanding and authoritative voice, "your mother and I have decided to attend a meeting that is being held in the neighboring packs.

It's an important meeting as we will be there to discuss border alliances and security.


We'll be gone for a few days, and during our absence, you'll have to be in charge." He said to me and I watched him.


His words were not really unexpected anyway, but they still hit me with some sort of responsibility that I knew was paramount.


Being in charge meant looking after the pack's daily operations and handling the disputes among the pack members.

I could do that. I have been taking up some tasks in the pack anyway. Like, you know, going on missions like the last one I had gone with my father's beta against the vampires.


I just knew that I was going to make sure that the pack matters would go smoothly.


It was a role I had been trained and groomed for, a necessary step in my journey toward becoming Alpha.


"I understand," I said as I nodded my head and met my father's gaze. "I'll make sure everything is taken care of." I assured him.


"Of course you will, we have so much faith in you, Kaiden," she said, mother said to me and I watched her. "We know you'll do very well." She said and I smiled as I nodded my head again.


"Yes mother." I said.
"And also, you must take good care of Lilian here." Mother went on and I fought the urge to roll my eyes at her.


Not again, I felt like sighing.


"And Lilian." Mother said as I watched her look at her. "You should try your best to look after Kaiden." She said to her and I just let out the sigh.


"Mother enough already. It's not like you're leaving forever or something." I said with an eye roll and she looked away from me.


The Alpha and the Luna went ahead to discuss the details of their trip and my eyes drifted to Lilian.

I wondered how she had held up after the tournament, whether she had found some peace or if the shadows under her eyes had only deepened.

I looked over to her as I wondered what it was that she was thinking at the moment.

I desperately needed to know. She wasn't looking my way. It seemed as if she had made a decision to not look at me and I understood that for her by the way.


As if reading my thoughts, my mother added, "Also try not to ignore each other too much.”


Take good care of Lilian, Kaiden."mother said. " She'll be helping around the pack house while we're away.” Make sure she feels comfortable.


I barely kept my expression neutral, but inside, my heart leapt. This was an unexpected opportunity, a chance for me to spend time with Lilian without the watchful eyes of my parents.


Perhaps I could find a way to bridge the gap between us, to apologize for my harsh words and show her that she meant more to me than just an arranged mate. I honestly didn't even know what I was saying.


After my parents left to finalize their preparations, I casually wandered through the pack house, my mind was quite occupied.


I found myself in the training grounds as I watched the younger wolves spar. Their movements were a bit energetic but still unrefined and I watched them without interest because my mind and thoughts were somewhere else.


They were fixated on the woman who occupied far too much of my mind.


The evening came and I returned to my chambers. I was restless. I paced around my room, unable to shake the restlessness that had taken over me.


The pack house was quieter than usual, a calm before the storm of my parents' departure.


A soft and somewhat reluctant knock at the door was what instantly pulled me from my thoughts and I turned and went to open it.

I opened the door and my heart skipped a beat as I watched Lilian step inside my chambers.


What was she doing here? She looked quite hesitant, her eyes seemed downcast, but she was still....what was the word? Beautiful.


She was putting on a simple dress, it was a flowing dress that quite accentuated her curves.

Her hair was unbound and it cascaded over her shoulders in loose waves.


"Lilian," I called her name in a surprised voice. "What are you doing here? I was not expecting you tonight." I asked her.


She closed the door behind her, then took a few steps into the room, her small hands were clasped in front of her.


"I thought we should talk," she replied in a soft voice and for the first time her eyes met mine.

There was a vulnerability there, a raw honesty that I had not seen before.


"About what happened yesterday?" I guessed, the memory of our argument flashing through my mind.


I felt guilty at the thought of the harsh words I'd said to her, the pain I had seen in those eyes of hers.

Lilian nodded her head.

"Yes. I wanted to apologize to you...for avoiding you, for walking away. I shouldn't have done that." She said so meekly and as much as that infuriated me, it tugged at my guilt.


I shook my head and stepped closer to her. "No, Lilian, you have nothing to apologize for.

I was the one who spoke out of turn. I shouldn't have let my emotions get the best of me.”