19: Kwanbangkaew
Carl kept his face straight though his eyebrows flinched.
Kaew just announced that Carl was his female.
Right in front of Tsar, the ruler of the world's most powerful Russian mafia.
And what else…?
Oh, right! Tsar was Kaew's father.
Great! This would turn out just great.
And the fact that Kaew couldn't stay in his human form during the day was because he didn't have…
"I don't have a true soulmate?!" Kaew cried out loud, getting out of the chair and pointing at Carl.
"As far as I'm concerned, your mate is not a female," said Anan plainly.
"But he and I, uh, well, um…" Kaew blushed, too embarrassed to explain so he made a hand gesture.
"Kaew and I are already mated. I hope you understand that." Carl shook his head at Kaew.
"If you two are true soulmates, the sun or the moon shouldn't have affected Kaew anymore."
Kaew looked at Carl and Anan, wasn't sure if he was hallucinating or if he did see thunderbolts between these two as they were pressuring each other playing mind games.
"Does it mean that Mr. Carl…"
Anan nodded.
Carl kept his straight face.
"If you want to take control of your shifting ability, I need to find a true soulmate, is that right?" Kaew asked softly, feeling lost and confused.
"Listen to me, Kaew." Anan let out a big sigh, pulling his son to sit next to him so he could explain more.
Mother nature had a direct impact on werewolves. The shifting ability depended on the sun and the moon. But as time passed, society and every livelihood changed too. Werewolves began mating with humans and their heredity developed, even more than a hundred years later.
"We're not perfect. However, finding soulmates fulfill our missing pieces." Anan's brown eyes dimmed.
In his entire life, he had only desired one true love. But since Kaew's mother or his wife, Kaewgub-aok passed away, it changed his life in the worst way possible. He was exiled and traveled across the oceans and eventually met the Russian werewolf. But his heart was forever broken.
That time, it was almost the delivery date that Kaewgub-aok gave birth to his son. She asked Anan to bring her to the mountain to pick up some herbs. Though everyone warned them, especially Grandpa Kwan, Kaew's mother insisted on going there. Anan who loved his wife more than anything couldn't resist sneaking out and bringing her up to the mountain. He was reckless thinking that it wouldn't be a hassle as he held such abilities as a werewolf. However, it rained heavily that day causing a flash flood. Within a second, his wife disappeared in the flood.
"Grandpa said that you were poisoned and got hit by a truck. My mother was heartbroken and became very sick. She died while giving birth to me. Either way, you were the one to blame," Kaew explained what he had been told. His face seemed uneasy speaking about his long-gone father while his father was actually in front of him.
"I was looking for your mother's body days and nights. I was determined to look for her. After 7 days, your grandfather let other werewolves finish me. I passed out and before I knew it, I was already in a boat in Ao Thai." Anan sighed. That old fella was extremely powerful that no one would go against him.
"I didn't know that before…"
Kaew sighed too. Grandpa whom he used to know was such a kind old man and always spoiled Kaew. Life in the village was ordinary and peaceful. All werewolves there usually stayed in their dog form during the day… Was that the scenario that Grandpa made up and convinced Kaew to believe?
"Grandpa is so cruel. Don't you think so too, dad?"
"...Can you call me that again?" Anan smiled brightly.
"Da…"
"How can you prove that you're his father?" Carl asked out of the blue, killing the father-and-son bonding atmosphere.
"Not your business!"
Feeling offended, Tsar snapped a deathly stare and bared his sharp fangs at Carl. His two men in the room did the same, their eyes glowing and their claws ready to shred blood waiting for a sign from their alpha.
"I ask for an explanation. If it's true, why are you threatening me then?" Carl raised the corner of his lips, his cold eyes staring straight.
"Wow! Wow! You can control it however you like! How do you keep your tail away while having your ears and fangs out? Look, Mr. Carl! My dad and these Siberians are so cool, said Kaew in excitement, looking over three werewolves. "Aw, are you scared, Mr. Carl? Do you know that dogs that only bark don't normally bite? They're only threatening you because you're being an ass right now."
Anan looked at his werewolf pup, wondering how his son was raised with that kind of attitude. How could Kaew stay so bright and cheery when there was almost a crime scene here? Kaew's reaction made other werewolves awkward. Anan gave a sign to them and they fell back holding their fangs away.
"As I mentioned earlier, I'm willing to take any offer. If we're done here, I'll leave with Kaew now." Carl concluded.
"..." Anan shook his head before taking a cigar from a wooden box, lighting and then smoking it.
Kaew looked at his father who he had just met and then looked at Carl who wasn't his true soulmate(?). The boy sighed before putting his hand on Anan's leg.
"Can I have your number? Oh, I don't have a phone with me. Hmm, Mr. Carl, can I borrow your phone and save my dad's number?" Kaew jumped over the coffee table to Carl. He put his hand out as if to ask a dog for a paw.
"I know how to contact your father. Let's go." Carl put his hand on Kaew's and held it tight.
Anan growled in his throat, wanting to keep Kaew with him so he could talk and get to know each other more just like what fathers and sons should do after they never knew each other existed before. But he wouldn't go against Kaew if his boy wanted to go back with this poker-faced mafia. What could he say? Anan didn't want to upset Kaew as he might hate him. What if Kaew thought he was a manipulative and terrible dad who he never wanted to see again? What if he chose his mate over his father?
"Well, I'll call and talk to you later, dad," said Kaew before speaking to Carl, "by the way, I don't want anything that my dad mentioned earlier. I don't want your warehouse or your business at all. I'm already rich. I have access to unlimited Crypto. Oh! I also have lands and other assets from Grandpa."
"I'm willing to do it," spoke Carl in a soft tone before kissing Kaew's hand.
"You freaking mafia! That's my son! How dare you kiss him like that!?"
"Dad, don't fight with him anymore. Can you just share the market with him? I think it's fair if you both can do half." Kaew blinked at Anan.
Speaking of A chance to gain huge profits and expand the business in Asia, of course, he could do that for his son. But this mafia was such a pain in the ass so this could be an assurance for Kaew.
"I'll think about it. Call me next week and I'll let you know my decision."
Kaew understood and nodded at his father before smiling at the man who was holding his hand. There, there, there. Mr. Carl must be so scared. Did you see how I handled it? I'm the male. I'm the alpha. Thanks to my excellent negotiation skill, I can save Mr. Carl's business. Am I a good boy? You need to give me pats, scratch my belly, feed me great food, and take me out for a trip.
As Kaew was communicating through telepathy with Carl, one of the Siberian werewolves who was observing at the corner of the room touched his earphones before answering in Russian at the end of the line quickly. He then walked to Anan and whispered something.
"Speaking of the devil, someone's going to live such a long life." Despite his stern eyes, Anan blew the smoke from the cigar comfortably.
BAM!
The big wooden door was kicked open with full force. Carl immediately pulled Kaew behind his back while his hand pulled out a gun loaded with silver bullets. Although he wasn't sure if what he read on the internet about silver bullets would work, it was better to be prepared.
A massive man rushed in with extraordinary strength. His burning red eyes glanced over the room before growling and threatening other Sybirians who had shifted into their werewolf forms. His red furry ears arose, his sharp fangs covered with saliva looking savage as if he was coming out of the horror movies. He was much taller than the Siberians.
Kaew tried to sneak a peak behind Carl's back but he took him fully undercover. That growling sounded familiar as well as that big furry red tail knocking against the door. The tiny werewolf crawled on the floor so he could see the new intruder more clearly.
"Sandee!!!" Kaew called, excited to see his best friend.
Before Carl knew it, Kaew hurriedly run to hug that giant werewolf. His tail wagged delightfully and kept calling a name that Carl often heard of.
"Sandee! Sandee! How did you get here!? Who brought you here?! Oh, Grandpa!"
"Granpa Kwan…" Anan called the old man's name who had just arrived.
An old man walked in with his black polished wooden walking cane with an ivory handle knocking on the floor. Despite the chaos, he casually came in as if nothing happened.
Great! Besides the Russian mafia who just happens to be his father-in-law…
Here is Kaew's grandfather and best friend too.
This will turn out just fine.
Carl's eyebrows flinched again. Damn, it's almost over.
He could almost walk away from here with Kaew. And what now? Why did Kaew just jump and hug that giant dog on his waist like that? In Carl's thought, this wasn't a picture of Sandee that he imagined at all. He was supposed to be as small and adorable as Kaew… They were supposed to be cute little best friends who ran around a flower garden. Sandee who always gave good pieces of advice to Kaew wasn't supposed to look like this…
But Sandee was a giant werewolf with firm six packs and bigger chest muscles than Carl. His leg muscles and calves were trapped under tight jeans which could explode.
Carl let out a big sigh.
"Grandpa! How did you and Sandee come here?" Kaew jumped from Sandee to his grandfather, his tail wiggling uncontrollably.
"You didn't reply to us for a few days. Sandee was worried about you so he checked your GPS and found out that you were out of the country. I didn't think that… you'd be here to see… him." Kwan's gray eyes looked down at the man who was smoking a cigar into his lungs.
"Kaew, come home with me." Kwan couldn't be bothered to greet Anan. He was here to get his grandson back. That was all.
"But Grandpa… I don't want to go home yet."
"I don't accept a no. Come on now. Don't be so stubborn."
"I didn't get to follow my dream…"
"Let's go home first. We can talk about it later."
"I don't want to. Don't force me."
"You're being so childish. Let's go now."
"No, I'm not coming with you." Kaew nuzzled his head against Kwan's wrinkled arm. Why is Grandpa so strict today? Normally he doesn't have such a strong scent of heartlessness.
"Come! Sandee, take him," Grandpa Kwan commanded Sandee.
Carl rushed in to catch Kaew, click, his finger was on a trigger while pointing his gun at the giant werewolf's forehead. All eyes in the room were staring at Carl.
His stern black eyes stared at Sandee's burning red eyes without a blink. There was no fear or hesitation in their eyes.
"Waaaa, don't shoot him!" Kaew cried.
Carl sighed before lowering his gun. He didn't mean to shoot the giant werewolf as it could only make everything worse. But at the same time, he couldn't stand there and let them take Kaew so easily. He was already pissed that his werewolf boy hugged him earlier, not in a million years that he would let him take Kaew away. Never.
"Who the hell is this ordinary human?" Grandpa Kwan narrowed his eyes.
"He's Kaew's female," Anan who was observing the situation finally spoke. He put his cigar off with an ashtray.
"(o.o)," this was Grandpa Kwan.
"(O_O)," this was Sandee.
" ; ) " this was Kaew.
"..." And Carl.
The silence was so loud in the room. Everyone looked at each other as if to ask if that statement was true or not. The atmosphere gradually became warmer from the pressure before dropping below zero degrees.
"Nonsense." Grandpa Kwan was able to find his voice first.
"Hehe, Grandpa… This is my mate, Mr. Carl." Kaew nodded to confirm the fact.
"He's not your true soulmate anyway. You can't still control your shifting ability, my son." Anan emphasized the last word and Kwan wasn't pleased with that.
"Who the hell is your son, huh? He's my grandchild. Kaew, let's go home!" Kwan crushed his walking cane against the floor.
"You don't have to, Kaew. Stay with me here." Anan stood tall, confronting the alpha of the Bangkaew clan.
A new plan popped up in Carl's mind. He should just let these two clans fight against each other and in the meantime, he could just take Kaew and escape. That was simple without blood shreds for him.
"Kaew, come with me," Carl spoke silently to Kaew while looking into those bright brown eyes.
Oh my… Grandpa Kwan and Anan started arguing about their past. Grandpa wanted to forcefully take Kaew back while Anan was ready to fight him. At the same time, Sandee seemed like he was more than ready to rip Carl's head off despite worrying about Grandpa who kept knocking his cane on the floor. The giant werewolf noticed a whisper that Carl said to Kaew clearly.
What chaos. This story was supposed to be light-hearted, cheerful, and as gentle and soft as Bangkaew's fur. Why was it getting as complicated as years-long uncut Poodle's tangled fur? It was almost becoming as messy as undone dreadlocks.
Kaew pressed his lips into a straight line. The louder the argument, the longer Sandee's fangs became. Other werewolves in the room shifted into their full savage forms, their fangs, and claws out while grumbling and drooling.
"Enough!!!" Kaew shouted as he couldn't tolerate it anymore.
All eyes were on the small werewolf. Kaew's cheeks turned extremely red in anger. His furry ears and fluffy tail turned upright.
"Everyone, sit down!"
Thud
Clank
Thump
All humans and werewolves in the room: yes, sir...
"Alright. Listen up, everyone. We need to figure things out right here and right now!"