54
"Is the exact place stated in the address?"
The Alpha was asking when he saw the Lycan guards waiting at the pack's gate, it's truly the address. His car stopped, and he was out of it before his driver can walk round to do the opening for him.
"I think he's here." Alexia's mother almost screamed, letting door the window to face her husband.
"I think he truly meant it then." He said, pointedly looking at the newspaper nearby for his guard who got the memo. He crossed his legs together and with the newspaper now he hand, he composed himself.
Three guards of the Lycans stood by the Alpha's said guiding him towards the living room while the Alpha's driver waited outside of the pack's gate. They won't be spending long here was the Alpha had said.
"The Alpha is here ma'am and sir." The door creaked open a powerful aura was sniffed in the air by their individual noses.
At the foirstep, the Alpha paused and lowered his head in greeting and it was the Lycan king acknowledged him.
"You're welcome. We are in in fact happy to have you here."
"Yes, please take your seat." The Luna's face was smeared with glistening smile as she went to take a seat beside her husband and left the vacant one for the Alpha.
"Thank you."
Today was the promised day, and although Alexia is now fully recovered and can start going wherever she wants bit by bit, rather than staying with her and adjourning his meeting with her parents, he decided to come.
As that would perhaps heighten his chance to relate with them.
Different maids flooded in, each with a tray in their hands with either drinks and meals, which they scurried to place in between the three on the table. They made sure to give a deep bow before retreating for the kitchen.
"These are too much." There are more food than he can eat and that got him anxious, he had ate before coming over, and by now he's still full.
"We shall eat it together then." Although the Lycan king offered, he's still keeping a straight face, a signal to Steele he's not here to play.
"How's Alexia? How's she been? We couldn't even place a mind-link towards her, her phone has been dead for what? Three straight weeks?" Alexia's mother didn't hesitate before blunting out numerous questions all at once.
It was only until her husband rested his palm against hers that she understood that was emough. She smiled in anxiety, her eyes darting the areas of Steele's to make sure she hadn't make him lose interest in this meeting so soon.
"Yes, it has. She's feeling all good and at the pack house." He responded in such a way that wasn't a lie and exactly the truth too. "I don't think there's any reason for you to be worried."
"Is that so?" No matter how much she tried to smile it out, her smile got smudged along the line.
The Alpha and the Lycan king nodded at the same time.
"The last time my daughter came over she told us of you and that you are her mate, she didn't fail to tell us of how your place has been treating her…"
All at once the Alpha's eyes snapped towards the king, alerted. Wait, did Alexia tell her parents of what has been going on in the pack house or how his mother has been treating her?
His fingers folded, and his throat bobbed, little wonder they had summoned him here. Are they about to tell him to back off their daughter—
"...good." the king finished and the Alpha couldn't be any more relieved. He couldn't believe he was searching his brain for possible excuses or even the lies he's never told before.
"I doubt if that's exactly through anyway. So I want to ask you, is it?" The king added, his shoulders slumping.
His wife can understand him after all this was the same thing the spoke about and planned. They are going to make sure their darling daughter is in safe hands before mentioning the main reason they wanted him to come over.
"Yes it is." Or was it not? As far as he knows he's been treating his mate really well and there's no lying about that, the only thing that can be currently giving her issues will be his mother… the hard nut to crack.
"Good, let's eat them." When the Alpha king said, he cleared his throat because at least he can have a little of breath.
Even though he wasn't hungry he ate the best he can as the good son in-law.
"What drink will you take, we have everything." The king offered.
"Yes, alcohol?" Alexia's mother buttressed, a brow raised anticipating.
"No, I'll make do with coffee." When he refused the offer, her eyes lits up and she can see herself exchanging a stare with her husband.
Something Alpha Steele acted unaware of. If only they knew. If only they were there years when he'd always drink himself to stupor at every chance while he was in search of Alexia.
If only they knew he still does too. He's an Alpha and for someone of his possible, it's barely impossible living daily without alcohol consumption.
The Lycan queen served him the requested coffee thereafter and ten minutes later the maids came back to clear the plates and the rest of the food.
"There's something we need to speak with you about before your departure." Both Alpha Steele and the Lycan king stared intently at each other as he brought another topic up.
And Steele? He loosened his suit tie a little bit for some air as the king began.
"As you know or might not know that Alexia is our only child and take a look at me and see I'm getting old. This is as a regard of the future since we don't have a male child and wouldn't even have had any child if we hadn't found our post Alexia," Beads of sweats formed on the King's forehead as he proceeded.
His wife patting the back of his palm encouragingly.
"For the future of my pack, she's the heir and that's not a new thing to this pack or her. When death decided to come pay a visit, the throne can't be left vacant, our daughter will have to occupy it, something I still have to discuss along my council. Now the question is, are you okay with that? With your mate leaving your pack in the future to come and govern her father's pack?" He whispered his eyes darker
Steele's hands are still on his legs, his eye locked on the table as though there were something under that had caught his interest.
That was a tough question that have got there.
Of course he knew Alexia was the lost child of this couples but what he doesn't know was that he's the only child. He looked in between his entwined hands that's beginning to become sweaty.
"Exactly." The queen exclaimed, noticing the drop of his mood.
"A reason I told you we have to summon him and discuss it before it turns to something else or a matter of fight in the nearest future." She faced her husband.
"What do you think?" He asked him.
"I, I don't know. I'm trying to think of something to say." An awkward not quite a laugh bubbled out of him as he filled up his glass careful not to spill the coffee.
Maybe if he'd been told earlier we would have something to say now but as of now he's speechless, no idea coming in his head, his confusion nothing to write home about too.
"Alexia didn't inform you?" She asked and he nodded, raising the glass to his mouth to take a silence sip from his coffee.
He might be seated looking so composed but internally it was otherwise.
What they are trying to say is that sooner Alexia will have to take up the throne and leave him at his pack to do what? Rule it alone too with his mate not by his side?
This is something so tough and a mood spoiler he wished he never had to hear today.
"That was why we called you here for this discussion and I don't think it's a really huge matter but we are going to give you some time to think about it. There's still time for either one of you to start afresh…"
"...as for my daughter it won't be so hard getting her a husband in my back because she's still as pretty as ever and still so young and I know the situation is the same with you."
"Although I have marked her already?" He asked and both parents answered positively. "Yes, that doesn't matter. In this current situation, there's nothing impossible. If I am to tell you it doesn't take a minute to find her a husband, would you believe?"
"I think we should give him some time to think about it—" that where she listened to them to before tuning them out, tending to thoughts.
His heart, it's aching so badly.
'Don't show any weakness here Steele, I think it's time we bid then farewell and take a leave for our pack.' his wolf hollered at the pit of his stomach, totally angry.
'And that is the solution?' It didn't take him time to retort.
'It is. That will give us some thing to think about this heartbreaking news.'
His wolf was right, that was the right thing to do, staying here any longer will only make him more lost.
"I've heard you, Lycan. I will think about it and give you a feedback." While the couples are still whispering words among themselves he stood up and said, placing the coffee glass on the table.
They stood up too. "Make you don't take too long."
After biding them farewell, he slumped inside the backseat and face palmed himself.
"God damn it, I should I have asked her! Do I even know anything about her?" He hit his fists at car door and swung it back open as his driver opened it.
Finally they were on their way headed back to the pack, the driver taking peeks from the rearview mirror at his Alpha.
Whether or not he'd be faced with his wrath, he knows not.
****
"Where did the Alpha go to?" Kade almost jumped out of his seat when someone suddenly leaned closer and mumbled into his ear.
"Who knew you can be this scared." Alexia laughed at his reaction. "I guess it's time I tell the Alpha."
"I was just taken aback, princess. Good evening." He greeted her and smiled, standing up his feet for her, and tapping off his phone's screen.
This not the time to refuse such an offer, she took the seat, thanking him with a smile of her own.
"He will be back soon, I guess." He replied to her earlier question. He can vaguely remember the Alpha daring him to utter his location to Alexia, something he dared not.
He was phoning the Alpha, trying to place a call through when he felt that touch on his shoulder, causing him to be so scared of revealing anything to the princess.
He did tell him he's going to be pending just one to two hours there but now it's evening and he can't help the anxiousness creeping through his skin.
Should he have followed him? No, he wouldn't even accept in the first place.
"How's your mate, how's she?" Hands on the laps, she titled her head up to look at him, a wink thrown at him as he met her eyes.
She earned a laughter from him, "She's fine. We met recently—"
A loud honk resounded at the gate, and the security man rushed over to open it, immediately making way for the Alpha's sparkling sport car to enter.