Here? Now? They just had to come now, and ruin this precious moment I was having with my lovely mate. She had just revealed to me that she was ready to begin the process of accepting herself when of course my bad luck had to click into place and Greg had to arrive. I don't blame him though, or Tania. I can only hope they'll act civil around Lucinda and me.
I nodded to Conner, who stood awkwardly by the door. "Tell them we'll be down shortly."
Conner bobbed his head as if his life depended on it, his cheeks painted a deep shade of red as he scrambled to leave the room, slamming the door shut behind him.
I squeezed Raleigh's thin arms gently and she twitched, meaning she knew I was talking to her.
"Are you ready to meet Greg and Tania?" I asked, only hesitating slightly to say Tania's name. It had been a long time since I had seen Tania, and while I still looked like I was twenty, Tania probably looked nowhere near twenty anymore.
Raleigh, her face still on my neck, nodded. "Y-Yeah, I guess." Then, she paused. "Why don't you call them by their titles?"
I frowned, turning my head slightly to her as I stood. "What do you mean?"
"Like, everyone here calls you Alpha Lucien. Shouldn't that same respect be projected from Alpha to Alpha?"
I laughed shortly, ruffling Raleigh's smooth hair. "Usually, yes. An Alpha must address another Alpha by his title, but since I'm the Alpha King, I am at the highest pedestal in a wolf chain, so I do not necessarily need to invoke a title to an Alpha or Luna. You don't, either."
"Really? Isn't that rude?" Raleigh asked again.
I shrugged. "Depends on your perspective," I said.
I stood from the bed and stretched my aching limbs, smiling at the sunlight spilling from my drawn curtains. I looked behind my shoulder, catching a glimpse of Raleigh as she stood from our bed, puffing her chest as she stretched. I'm positive I heard some muscles crack, which I'm still debating was a good or bad thing.
As she padded to the window to open the blinds, I caught a better look at her profile.
She was stunning, especially in the sunlight. Her hair, glossy from what I guessed to be a shower, trickled in mesmerizing waves over her shoulder blades, kissing her backbone gently. Her round face was pulled into a pout as she assessed her problem, gears turning in her head as she sought for a solution. I noticed she walked on the side of her right foot, something I decided I'd tell Lucinda later.
She was slim, very much so. Her shirt hung loosely over her tiny frame. No matter how many sizes we'd tried at the mall, it seemed Raleigh's body was adamant on being a size short, so Cindy just bought her the smallest size. Her stomach was soft to the touch, and I often thought about what it would be like just to lay on her, to press my ear to her soft belly, and maybe one day hear or feel our pup.
I never thought I'd have a mate. At one point, I just accepted the fact that I'd be single forever. Now, though, watching my gorgeous mate pull our damp curtains and stretch her thin muscles in the teasing sun, I realized how much I adored having Raleigh, how much I cared for her How much I loved her.
The realization of my feelings hit me, cold and hard; like a large wave crashing on the beach. I hardly noticed her poke the bags holding her clothes with her foot, not being able to reach down to pick them up. It felt as if my feelings for her had suddenly intensified, and with heat coming up, my emotions were already on a roller-coaster.
While most thought heat was just for females, it also increases sexual desire in the male as well, and with me being an Alpha, that didn't help much.
Scratch that. It didn't help at all.
"Lucien? Are you mind-linking again?" Raleigh's inquisitive voice snapped me from my
perverted thoughts.
"W-What? I'm sorry, I didn't hear you." I pushed myself up from the bed and made my way over to where she was standing, staring oddly at me. "What happened?"
"Oh, nothing. Just asking if you're ready to go? I already showered." She said.
I bent down, making a big show of playfully sniffing her. "I can tell," I said, winking at her.
She pushed me away with a slight laugh, and once we were both ready, I led her to my office, where I had directed Conner to keep them in case, I was busy.
I took Raleigh's hand, feeling her nervousness ebb off her in heavy waves. "Hey, it'll be alright. I'll be right there with you." I tried to comfort.
"I know...it's just, I'm not good with first impressions." She said, wrinkling her nose. Nevertheless, she smiled at me, her way of telling me that she was ready.
Gripping her hand tighter, I pushed the door to my office open, Greg and Tania's heads whipping to me as I entered. They both bowed, Tania carefully eyeing Raleigh.
I don't think Raleigh noticed her judgmental gaze, either that or she just didn't care, which was rare. I couldn't read her mind, either. Something was blocking her thoughts from me, like a thick fog.
"Alpha King Lucien." Greg acknowledged, looking up in my eyes. "Luna Queen Raleigh."
Raleigh seemed surprised that he knew her name, but again, she didn't say anything. I was almost positive I saw Tania scowl, but I couldn't be sure.
"Alpha Greg. Luna Tania." I said. I shook their hands and Raleigh smiled at them, waving slightly
"Now, I believe some introductions are in order before we continue," I said. I nodded towards Raleigh, who hesitated for a moment before sticking her hand out.
"Nice to meet you," she grumbled. "I'm Raleigh."
Greg smiled. "Nice to finally put a face to the name, Luna Queen." He said. "My name is Alpha Gregory, and this wonderful woman here is my mate, Tania."
Raleigh quirked her lips at Tania and shook her hand. Tania forced a smile, eyeing me and puffing her chest upwards, her shirt buttons somehow popping softly. I scoffed.
She's trying to entice us. It's disgusting, Caspian snarled.
You're telling me. Raleigh is ten times more beautiful than she ever was, I sneered.
Caspian grunted in approval, and I turned my attention to the matter at hand.
"I was hoping we'd be able to give our mates some privacy," I began, "But my pack had just recently been ravaged, so I'd rather not risk them."
Greg leaned closer, intrigued. "Ravaged? How so?"
My eye twitched at Tania's somehow closer hand, but I ignored it. "There was a rogue attack yesterday. My Beta and Beta Female were killed." I explained somberly.
Greg immediately became sympathetic. "I'm sorry to hear that." He murmured, "But I too have been having rogue problems. Many packs have. That is the other thing I wanted to discuss with you today, apart from the Luna."
I frowned, humming. "Then why did I never get any report about this?" I asked.
Greg shrugged. "I don't know. Nobody was killed in any pack, however." "Did the rogue's escape?" I asked.
Greg nodded. "Most, apart from the two from my pack."
"Interrogate them. Find out as much as you can and inform me ASAP," I commanded. "Yes, Alpha."
"Good. Now, how many packs have been attacked?" I asked.
"About 30, from what I've been able to deduce," Greg replied.
I heard the wood kick under the table and I knew he and Tania were playing footsie, despite Tania's hand slowly inching to mine. I scowled. What part of 'we're broken up' and 'I have a mate and you do too' does she not understand? While Tania was one of my...longer bed-warmers, our "relationship" never went anywhere because it was mainly focused on sex, and not on the love a real relationship needs.
Not like Raleigh and I.
"Have any of the Alpha's filed reports?" I asked.
Greg shrugged. No, not that I have heard of. Perhaps the damage wasn't bad enough to file one?" He suggested.
"I'll look into it," I said. "Now, you said you had the files?"
Greg nodded and turned to Tania, who sighed dramatically and reached into her over-sized purse, fishing the orange manila folder out of the flood of cosmetics.
I took it quickly, hastily peeling the clips open. The papers slid out, eager to get out from the cramped, dusty package.
Hm...no family.... orphaned...2?! Foster home...Higgins: Cara and Henry...Building Blocks Orphanage...Foster home...Jenkins: Mary and Kate...hm, I frowned as I read all the notes and documents the City Hall and Greg had of Raleigh. Most were medical documents that I'd give to Lucinda tomorrow, but others were foster home certificates, orphanage sign-ins, school registrations, and other things.
Greg was watching me both hesitantly and patiently, while I could feel rolls of fear coming from Raleigh.
She had been through...a lot, least to say. Many foster homes, some good and others...not so much. Lexi had always been her caretaker—the orphanage she owned was for only girls, although there had seemed to be a few exceptions. My poor mate had been through hell, but she was a brave woman, my Luna. She had survived so much—she was such a strong girl.
"What does it say, Alpha? I never read them." Greg asked.
I scanned the paper until I reached the main info page. I looked to Raleigh for conformation, and she shrugged, looking away presumably to not hear.
"Well, just her school papers, medical works and birth...what?" I frowned and looked up at Greg, who was also frowning at the paper in front of us.
"There's no signature on her birth certificate?" He questioned.
Raleigh stiffened beside me, and I felt her apprehension hit me in hard waves. Like she knew something she didn't want to tell me.
"Weird. Well, we'll cross that bridge when we get there." I slammed the yellow folder shut and placed it beside me.
Raleigh's shoulders sagged with relief.
"We have some spare time if you'd like to tour the pack and have lunch?" I suggested.
Tania looked like she wanted to deny, but Greg jumped up eagerly, nodding.
"Agreed. I skipped breakfast and am quite famished. Additionally, I have yet to see the Royal pack."
I smiled, glad at least he was eager about this. I could feel Raleigh smile as well. "It would be our pleasure. If you would..."
Raleigh slipped from the chair she was sitting on and I too stood up, brushing my jeans and Tania decided she would finally speak.
"Do you mind if I have a word with you alone, Alpha King?" She questioned, her eyes flickering to her husband and Raleigh.
Raleigh looked up at me, and Greg was too busy admiring the certificates I had on my wall to care.
I sighed, bracing myself for whatever Tania would try to do before answering. "Of course, Tania. Raleigh, would you mind getting lunch ready? Also, can you show Alpha Greg down?"
Raleigh, albeit a bit slowly, nodded in affirmation and I so badly wanted to place a kiss on her plump lips instead.
Once my door shut with the dreaded click, Tania turned angrily to me.
"So, this is what you do!" She yelled. "We spent almost a year together! We affirm our love for each other! We discuss our family together! We talk about my role as Luna Queen together! All that goes down the drain once you meet a runt like her! Is that how it is Lucien?! Because if you're doing a girl like her I almost feel sorry for you."
I was listening with a blank look on my face to Tania's rant up until she decided (wrongly) to include my mate into it.
"What did you say?" I asked harshly, standing from my chair suddenly. The wheels tipped back and fell, but I was too angered to care.
Tania suddenly lost her confidence at my towering height and cowered before me once I used my Alpha voice on her.
"Nothing, Alpha King." She mumbled. I snarled, rounding the desk so I could be eye to eye to her-well, as close as eye to eye as I could get, me being quite the few heads taller than her.
"Good. Because let me make this very clear to you Tania. You were nothing to me! Hear me? Nothing! That whole year we spent together; you knew I was only using you for a short time! Look me in my eyes and tell me that I'm lying!" I snarled.
Tania whimpered and I grunted, satisfied.
"We never talked about the future. You did. We never talked about family. You did. We never
affirmed our love for each other. You did. Did it ever occur to you why I never replied?"
Tania fiddled with the hem of her dress. "I thought you were still drowsy coming off from a sex
high," She mumbled.
I sighed, pinching the bridge of my nose to calm myself down. "Look, Tania—" I sighed "I've moved on now. I know what I did to you wasn't right, and I apologize for that, but I have a mate now. A mate that I love dearly and would do anything for. You have a mate as well. And a family. Enjoy it and do me one favor."
"What is that, Alpha King?" Tania asked, her voice pinched.
I side-stepped her and moved to the door, turning the knob and opening the door slightly.
"Forget about anything we ever had."