Matilda's POV:
"I think we should talk." My father's gaze was fixed on me. He had already taken off his long robe and was wearing an ordinary white shirt. His sleeves were rolled up, revealing his sturdy arms. He looked just like an ordinary father.
However, I knew that the things he wanted to talk to me about today would not be ordinary.
I looked at Gray. He looked at me with some worry, but he was very considerate in giving us some space. "I'll take my leave now. I have some things to deal with. You guys can chat."
"What's going on, Dad? You guys seem very strange today, and why is the Valet Pack coming to our place?" I was eager to get the answer to all the questions from my father.
My father's fingers trembled slightly, and his eyes darted around. This was common when he was hesitant and felt he owed me something.
It made me feel very uneasy and irritated. My father was the greatest Alpha of our pack. Even when my mother passed away, he could still deal with the pack, no matter how big or small the issue was. But now, he was shy.
"I don't want to hide it from you. This time, the Valet Pack is here to deal with something."
I wasn't surprised. Why would the strongest Valet Pack visit us for no reason?
Seeing me nod, my father opened his mouth and wanted to say something. His face was filled with sadness and pain that shouldn't belong to an Alpha. If his emotions had a flavor, my father would be bitter through and through.
I pretended to hug him in a relaxed manner. This was rare between us. "Don't worry. No matter what happens, we'll be together."
My father forced a smile. I could see that he was trying hard not to let me notice anything unusual.
"It'll be fine, Matilda." He patted my head. "They'll arrive in a while. As a Beta, you must attend. Come and find me during lunch, okay?"
My father gently and firmly blocked all my excuses not to participate. I shrugged helplessly. "Alright, I'll come to you in a while."
I said goodbye to my father and left, leaving him in the forest depth. This was my mother's favorite place in the past. Unlike me, my mother enjoyed the feeling of being surrounded by the forest. My father, of course, loved this place very much. But after my mother died, he never came back.
I guessed as to why they were visiting. They wanted to merge with our group. This was common in the packs. The weaker groups would eventually merge into the stronger groups for the better, which was a wise choice. But I wasn't sure if my father would be able to accept another Alpha into his territory to tell him what to do.
I wasn't sure if I could fight for an Alpha that I didn't know, and whether or not this Alpha would accept a female Beta was another question.
Dejected, Gray returned to the village and sat on a large rock with his arms crossed, waiting for me. "Do you need a hug?"
I wrapped my arms around him, and the strange smell on his body grew stronger. This was not an illusion.
"You smell like something else," I casually commented.
He probably didn't expect me to say this. He paused before scratching his head. "I don't know why either. Maybe I bumped into someone just now."
This was indeed not a big deal. Although the smell on his body belonged to a lady, I gently brushed it aside out of trust.
"Do you want to continue what you just did?" I deliberately kissed his cheek, making a very loud sound.
He laughed and picked me up. "Don't cry and beg me later."
"I won't!" I put my arms around his neck and kissed his chin.
A pair of piercing blue eyes looked at us. It was a stranger. I could swear that this was the most handsome and attractive person I had ever seen in my life. He was very tall. Very few people in the pack were taller than Gray, but he was taller than Gray by half a head. His blond hair was neatly combed back, revealing his full forehead, charming blue eyes, and sexy lips. His muscles were well-defined, and he was a diligent warrior. Even better, his apricot shirt was buttoned just below his chest, revealing more than half of his full chest.
He smelled so good. It was at least a hundred yards between us, but I could still smell him. It was like the forest after rain, freshly cut grass, or something that smelled so good that I couldn't describe it with my limited vocabulary.
I took a deep breath, trying to calm down. But I failed because he was staring back at me with the ocean-like surge in his eyes, making him even more attractive to me. It made me want to get close to his skin and snuggle in his warm embrace.
"It's him! He's your mate!" Lulu, my wolf, shouted from within my body.
I stood rooted to the ground, unable to believe that my mate was someone from the damn Valet Pack.
Gray also sensed that something was wrong with me. He turned around, and the two looked at each other. Then, he pulled me over and kissed me provocatively in front of a stranger to show his ownership.