55

The Alpha emerged from his car, his eyes fixed on the path before him. He passed Alexia without a glance and Kade who had rushed to meet him was not far behind, his expression concerned as he approached the Alpha's mate.

"Ma'am, you're sure you are alright?" he asked, and Alexia looked up, her hand gripping the maid's arm for support as she stood up on her seat, walking on her own. "I am fine," she added.

Alpha Steele entered his chambers, his eyes still flashing and without a word, he began to shed his suit, and threw his suit's tie to wherever.

"Bring me the strongest liquor you have." he snapped at one of the guards who quickly nodded and went away and hurried to do his bidding.

Within moments, a glass was placed in the Alpha's hand in which he downed the liquor in one swift motion, the burn of the alcohol felt down his throat.

He did not flinch at its burn as he requested for another glass of alcohol.

Ava was a thorn in his side, a distraction he could ill afford and then there's his mate who had refused to tell him the most important thing since they've been living under the same roof.

The phone on his desk rang and eyes flickered to the device, the name on the caller ID flashing across the screen.

"Devan. What is it now?" he irritatingly growled.

"Alpha. The business meeting tomorrow, will you be attending?"

"No. Tell them I am too busy to attend." He hung up." He snapped and hung up.

Alexia was also to scared to enter, all she could do was take small peeks at him from the doorhole, a reason she flinched at the presence of Ava behind her.

"What are you doing here?" They both questioned each other at the same time, Alexia straightening up and Ava trying to cover her clothing. She didn't know she'd come across anyone at the hallway…

"I asked you for first." Ava pin pointed and Alexia crossed her arms over her chest as she replied with the "Nothing." word.

"Nothing, didn't you and the Alpha just reconcile and now what? You're peeping at the doorhole unable to unable like the same way I have been doing?" She asked and when Alexia's face drained with colors, she buttered her point, "It seems like we are now in the same position and shoes after all. What a life."

Getting angry would mean the Alpha catching them at his door, and that had attract the guards too since they ain't on duty yet.

"What about you? Where are you going all dressed this way?" Alexia changed the topic, taking in the appearance of the lady before her.

"I'm going out, what do you expect?" Ava suddenly smirked and was done covering up in a matter of seconds. "I'm not like you, we are different, don't you think? Additionally I hate been in the house at day doing nothing, pathetic right?"

"You're getting tired of this house so soon?" The bad stare Alexia gave her didn't go lost on her.

"Tired? No way. But it will be more better if I can have what I'm yearning after soon enough. I hate time wastage." She twirled around blew a low whistle, for Alexia to check her out.

But she was done exchanging words with her, slowly and without the support from the wall, she just head over to her room.

"If only the Alpha was to come out and see how beautiful I look right now, I'm sure he'll be mesmerized and identity whom ought to own his best between you and I." Half yelled Ava as she took the other direction leading to the backdoor.

Before Alexia could turn around she was gone. How dare— oh, jeez, she has to stop cussing this frequently.

**
Council Meeting, Cold Moon pack

"Before we proceed, I think we should be able to ask the Alpha today if he'd done the necessary as a regard of his mate. We spoke at the lady meeting about the importance of him marking and mating with her as soon as possible, so now we are going to ask—"

"It's all been done. Can we drive to the main topic now?" Alpha seated before the council on his throne interrupted his Gamma.

They all shared a look and before anyone knows it, they can all be seen grinning and shaking each other's hands a smile etched across their faces.

"Including her marking too?" His Gamma rose up from his seat to ask again, still quite stunned.

"Yes." He spoke with empasis and released a long breath. What has got them so happy?

How happy would they have been if he told them it's been weeks he had done all those they kept on budging him about?

He didn't want to stay home today because there had be no way to avoid his mate so he decided to attend this month's meeting and not shift it to the next month.

Now that they aren't giving him the needed peace of mind he came here for, it's quite obvious he's made a mistake.

"There's one more thing."

"Yes, sure." Alpha Steele sighed dramatically.

"Since the marking and mating has been done, there's one more that needs not be delayed any further and we been wondering how to tell you but I think Joe's the time. Alpha, don't you think that next month, your mate's coronation as the Luna should be done?" The gamma's eyes stayed glued on him.

That alone was enough for his mind to take him back to yesterday with Alexia's mother, that too their last topic of discussion.

Would her coronation as the Luna be necessary when it's only a matter of time before she's off to her Alpha's pack to take up the throne and rule it, leaving him alone and without a Luna to rule this pack with him?.

He hasn't thought about it at all since then because it's as if he's torn between two bridges…. With nowhere to turn to.

"Why do you think so?" He pushed the spoon in his server coffee around in his cup waiting for his response because with a Gamma like him, it's becoming exhausting.

The Gamma mused, "It's because the pack members have been complaining regarding their lack of a Luna."

"What about my mother then? The fact that she's a former Luna doesn't seem she's still not the Luna." He waited until he was back seated before he cocked a brow across the hall.

If only there was a way he can vanish in their midst. He didn't know this was what he'd be here arguing about with then, he just ran from a frying pan into the fire.

No matter how many times he tried to dismissed the topic, they are all unyielding.

"Can you all please keep things done and hear me speak!" He hollered and the noise and murmurs in the hall immediately died down.

"It's not even up to four or five months that I'm with my mate and yet there's still this much demand? What if I was yet to find her?" He rasped.

That kept their mouth sealed.

"It's for the Pack, you must understand—"

One glare at his Gamma looked away from him entirely.

"I'm going to find something to do about that. Next topic?"

***

Alexia wondered where she had gotten the courage from when she walked all the way from her room where she was taking a test to meet Luna Celeste who's seated together with Ava, watching some movie she didn't care to look at.

"May I speak with you ma'am?" One hand rubbing her nape, she asked sitting at the tip of the long couch.

"Go ahead." Luna Celeste urged, not looking her way.

Ava who's seated with a big distance between them has her hand shaking around the TV remote control in her hand as she wondered what that was about.

Could it be that Alexia was about to expose her and have her chased out of the house? Oh no she shouldn't have trusted her with her little secret.

"It's a matter concerning the Alpha. Yesterday I just noticed he came home with a not so happy face that tells enough he's mad at me because he didn't even look my way throughout and I couldn't even go to his room. If you would please help to have a word with him."

Luna Celeste looked Ava's way to see whether she was hearing the nonsense her son's mate was spewing but Ava's eyed were on the scenery already.

She didn't know Ava was so concentrated on them because of her own interest.

"I am busy, as much as I will love to plead on your behalf to him." Alexia almost shook her head when the Luna blurted out her refusal. Will a busy person be at the living room watching a movie? If she wants to give excuses, she thinks the Luna should at least put in some effort.

"Alright, thank you ma'am" Nevertheless she kept her voice deadly calm and rose up.

As she turned around toedge, her eyes the brightest they've ever been flushed with her tears. Why's the way she's been treated by her normal?

"What did she say, Luna?" That was Ava's take to closer and asked quietly.

"She thought I am so stupid and dumb, and would go to meet my son to plead on her behalf." Luna Celeste's eyes snapped right back at her.

"Oh." Her tone is level, as if she's not fantasizing about what could have happened had she been here to expose her.

What a good lady she is. Alexia knows how to keep her mouth shut, it seems.

***

Alexia nursed the impression she should want for the Alpha perhaps she will come very soon but no such luck. By the time she's hearing honk, she was already on the bed about to fall into slumber.

"I want to go inside and take a rest." As Kade received the Alpha's suit, he said hoarsely tugging onto his tie.

"What about dinner?"

"I don't think I can have it."

Alexia waited for the entrance door to open before throwing herself into the Alpha's arms. Something he wasn't expecting.

"Welcome back." She muttered drawing back so that they can look at each other.

They maintain eye contact for ten long seconds, another cascade of tears threatening to spill out of her eyes.

Kade quickly excused them.

He wanted to push past her but she was still holding onto him so she just walked.

"Will you have your dinner now? I'm sure you're hungry and exhausted." She said pulling away from him to go to the kitchen when his tongue slipped, "I need to speak with you."

"What's that?" She asked, turning back around to look at him.

When he started to head towards his room she understood that was where he wants to have the conversation. "Can this be about what had pissed him off last night?" She wondered.

As she entered his room, she remembered it was just yesterday she can feel the hot read anger burning from him in the distance.

Which reminds her…

"What happened yesterday? Why did you come home angry? Had someone started a fight with you?"

"It's not about them, it's about you." He began and her stomach dropped. She swallowed hard, already not liking where this is going. Thus, she steeled her jaw awaiting the worst as moved closer to her.

She was walking backwards until her back met with the wall and he pulled away a little to get a look at her face, her lips too.

What's going on with him? Why couldn't he speak? Her tempting lips alone was enough for him to be dumbstruck and lose his reasoning.

He leaned down so he can reach her mouth and this time when they kiss, it's gentle. It him apologizing for giving her the attitude.