Davien P. O. V
I checked my phone to see a text from Oliver, apparently, I was being summoned to the packhouse for a meeting with the elders regarding my mate's behavior at the seminar. Apparently, I had to bring Kian along with me, for what I could guess was a trap.
How fun.
Slipping my phone into the front pocket of my black sweatpants, I refocused my attention to Kian who sat across from me on the kitchen island, with a blue bowl of cereal in front of him.
I rolled my eyes and pinched my temples. "What are you doing?" I sighed, referring to the rasins he carefully selected from the bowl and dropped at the side.
Without breaking his focus he said, "I don't like rasins."
"Of course you're a picky eater." I mumbled to myself, I reached for the glass of milk and helped myself to a bowl full of the rasins I paid good money for.
While pouring the milk, I couldn't decide what to ask him about first. The whole coincidence with Ceaser at the auction, or the meeting at the packhouse I was not looking forward to.
No matter which I chose, he would chew my ass off it, it was just a matter of which I preferred to deal with.
However before I got a chance to say anything, he spoke up first. "You ruined my plan earlier today."
"Plan? What are you talking about?" When he said earlier, did he mean at the museum or way before that, like the seminar.
"That declaration you made at the seminar." He raised his head and stole a glance at me, locking my gaze with his blue eyes. "Why did you stand up for me?"
I churned my red bowl, "What do you mean why?"
He dropped his spoon, "I'm being serious here Mr Alpha, you could've just left me on stage to get picked on and no one would've blamed you. But instead you sided with me, what exactly were you thinking?" He asked. The look in his eye made it look as though the entire thing had been eating away at him.
Did my words really bother him that much?
"The truth is I wasn't thinking-"
"Figures." He scoffed.
I rolled my eyes, "I mean, it was a no brainer. If your mate is getting chewed out in public, doesn't it make sense to stand up for them?"
His eyes darkened, "So, you only helped because of the mate bond? That makes sense, I take it, it was your instincts that merely took over…" the more he spoke, the more I got the feeling he was dissatisfied.
Cutting him off I said, "I won't lie, the mate bond was one of the reasons. But not all, I truly meant everything I said." Looking right back at him I went on, "Being born an Omega isn't a curse, and I'll do everything I can to prove that."
For a second I caught a glint of suprise in his eyes, but it was over before I could capture the image. Glossing over my words, he reached for the milk jug and helped himself to some milk.
"Idiot Alpha." He muttered to himself, a small grin plastered itself on my face. I pulled a stool close and sat down to eat late night cereal.
Despite there being a dining table, Kian chose to eat on the kitchen counter, and well, I followed. Not a word you'd catch me using on a good day.
Midway through chewing, I recalled he said something about ruining a plan, "That's right, what were you talking about? What plan?"
Kian didn't speak like I did with cereal in my mouth, he chewed slowly, and even after swallowing he drank some juice before he replied.
"I intentionally said all that earlier to give off the impression that I was naive and you disliked me." He casually said then took a bite of cereal.
"Excuse me, what?" I stared blankly at him, he sent me a questioning look, but I shook my head. I wouldn't put it past him to do something like that.
"You mean you wanted them to think you were childish? And if I had ignored you back then, it would've given everyone else the impression that I was unhappy with you as my mate. And you're saying that's what you wanted?" I waited for him to finish chewing before I could get my answer.
"More or less." He answered, then ate another bite.
"Why go through all that trouble?" I couldn't understand him or how his mind worked. Tackling two personalities would be too much of a hassle, that is considering this side of him was the real him.
He used his index finger to nudge the rasins, he set one apart from the rest, and pointed at it. "If I give off the profile of an isolated naive weak omega, and worse one hated by his own mate, it would give room for me to be underestimated." He explained, using the single rasin as himself.
"People tend to gang up on a weaker person and assert dominance, whereas, when the opponent is strong the enemies are fewer. Do you know why?" Kian spoke slowly, as though he were explaining things to a grade schooler.
This kid really pisses me off.
I narrowed my eyes but still answered nonetheless, "It's like pack dynamics. The stronger a pack, the more allying packs it will have. Rather than make enemies and start a war they're unable to combat, the opposing packs would rather gain protection and ally themselves with stronger forces."
He pointed his spoon at me, "Correct. Now that that explanations backward. What do you think would happen to a weak pack?"
"They would get preyed on by the other packs and leeched off…" midway through I got to understand what it was Kian was trying to do.
With an all knowing look he churned his cereal, "It's as you might've guessed Mr Alpha, what I want is for them to perceive me as weak. Think of it this way, you're one of the most envied Alphas in the entire district. But your mate is just a weak Omega who can't hold his own without being supported. Just what sort of people do you think I'd attract?" His eyes turned serious, he stared at my lips in anticipation of what I would say.
As though he was testing me.
"Naturally, envious women who would all want your position…" I said, but the unimpressed look on his face spoke otherwise. There was something I wasn't hitting right.
And then it hit me. Now I see.
Straightening my back, I took a good look at the other person sitting opposite me, dressed in the dark blue pyjamas I had when I was younger.
I couldn't help but think…The devil wears blue pyjamas.
"It isn't about you being weak alone, but about you being both weak and rejected. If I'm not mistaken, then you're trying to not only paint yourself as helpless, but vengeful as well." The glint of satisfaction in his eyes at my deduction made Ralph excited, the scent he released was maddening.
"Good, now Mr Alpha, who do you think would want to approach a vengeful Omega rejected by his Alpha?" Kian pulled his lips back into a half smile.
I returned his smile, "Someone wanting to bring me down from the inside. By assuming this role, you want to pluck out my enemies, don't you, Kian?"
"It looks like you actually do have a brain." He remarked in an ever serious tone, just when we were trying to get along with each other.
"And the auction?" Kian suddenly asked, "you did get it, didn't you?"
"What made you think I did?"
He drank from the juice, "It was my way of testing you, whatever you say now will determine how our relationship moving forward. So tell me, which did you get?" he leaned in, holding my gaze with his every movement.
"The painting or the Land?"
I answered. "Both."
He raised a brow, "You don't intend to give back the painting?" He asked, probably trying to test me again.
With confidence I answered with a question, "It wasn't the painting itself Ceaser was interested in, was it?"
Kian slightly arched his brows, "So you figured it out, Mr Alpha?" This time, I could sense that the way he called me had a bit of teasing attached.
Was Kian being at ease?
I prodded at my bowl, "I noticed when I ripped the rapping off, that Ceaser wasn't interested in the painting, but rather what was holding it." Switching roles, I placed both elbows on the counter and balanced my chin in-between my knuckles.
"The bastard was after the frame." I declared, earning a nod from Kian.
"That's all I needed to hear, I've made my decision." Rising from his stool he took his bowl to the sink and ran the tap. He washed his hands then sauntered over to the living room.
Halting at the kitchen entrance, he stole a glance over his shoulder, "Shall we go see what secrets that frame holds?"