From Alexandre's POV
After my last conversation with Bryan, I felt uneasy in the pit of my stomach. All I kept thinking about was why Zeno kept the big secret. I kept mulling over every conversation he and I had before he died, but nothing that would raise any suspicions came to mind. Shaking my head, I tried to eliminate the thoughts flowing through my mind and mind-linked Thiago.
He was supposed to set up two rooms for Bryan, Maribelle, and Arina. They needed to be comfortable, especially Arina, after everything she had endured.
"Thiago, have the rooms been prepared for our guests?" I asked.
"Yeah, they just finished. I placed them on the king's floor. Why is everything OK?" he asked.
"Yeah, I was just asking to ensure everything was set up. Come to my office when you are done," I told him, cutting the mind link.
At that moment, the intercom beeped, and I heard Emmitt's voice. He was the guard on duty at the front gate.
"My King, Alpha Bryan, and company request entrance," he said.
"Let them in," I replied, standing up from my desk. Thiago had just entered my office when my phone rang, and Bryan's number appeared on the Caller ID.
"Bryan, I'll meet you out..." I say before he cuts me off.
"Andre," Bryan shouted, "we're being chased."
"On my way," I said, ending the call and mind-linking my Lycan warriors.
"There's a breach at the front gate. Alpha Bryan is under attack. Get to him now!" I yelled.
"Shit hit the fan?" Thiago asked as he stood in the doorway. I nodded as we hurried out of the office. As soon as we reached the front door, we shifted into our Lycans. D'Artagnan took over as I drifted back.
In the distance, I could see cars speeding up the driveway. When D'Artagnan saw that the black SUV was about to crash into Bryan's car, he pushed forward faster.
A screech filled the air, followed by the sound of glass and metal breaking.
"All warriors, get to the black SUV and hold whoever is inside for questioning," I ordered.
As we drew nearer, I saw Bryan step out of his car. When he did, I caught the scent of pink jasmine heart blooms. It was one of the most beautiful scents I've ever encountered and it was intoxicating.
As much as I wanted to find out where the scent was coming from, I also had to find out who attacked Bryan's car. Pushing the scent away for now, I turned my attention to the SUV. The driver's door was already open, and Bryan stood beside it. He stared at me, stunned, as I shifted back into human form and glanced inside the car. After turning and looking at Bryan, we both locked eyes.
"Where's the driver?" we both asked.
Just then, Emmitt ran over, out of breath.
"Catch your breath," I told him.
"My king, the car came out of nowhere, and I couldn't see the driver. Forgive me, I failed you," he said while handing me the bag of clothes and bowing his head.
I hated that my people addressed me by my formal title. It was my father who had them addressing him as "KING."
"You don't need to ask for forgiveness. It was an honest mistake. It happens, but please don't address me as king," I replied as I took the bag.
A moment later, Thiago walked over. His face was filled with concern.
"We checked the perimeter, but there wasn't a trace of anyone anywhere. There wasn't even a scent. It's as if they magically vanished," he said.
I nodded in acknowledgment and quickly got dressed. As I put on a pair of sweatpants, Bryan said, "I have to get back to the car and check on Maribelle and Arina."
I turned at the mention of her name. I needed to see her.
"We'll go with you," I said, throwing the T-shirt over my shoulder instead of worrying about it as I glanced toward the car.
As we walked closer, I saw two women standing next to the car trunk, which had been completely crushed. As we got closer, the smell became stronger. I could feel my Lycan becoming more anxious. We stopped a mere five feet in front of them. I quickly said hello to Maribelle but kept my eyes on the girl beside her.
The five-foot-five-inch girl had hazel green eyes and thick, long eyelashes, and her waist-length black hair was tousled and hanging loosely, but it looked perfect. She looked pale, as if sick, and her eyes were dull and lifeless. Despite her severe underweight, she had a stunningly beautiful appearance.
I was so lost in her beauty that I overlooked it when Thiago introduced himself until he said, "And you might be?"
"Oh, this is Zeno's daughter, Arina," Bryan said.
When Bryan said her name and our eyes met, D'Artagnan pushed forward.
"MATE," he growled.
I was shocked. Never in a million years did I dream that I would find my mate, nor did I ever imagine that she would be my best friend's daughter. As I stood there, I did not know what to do or what to say.
I wasn't sure whether I wanted a mate myself. I saw what the bond did to my mother when Dad almost died. I had kept her from taking her own life on two occasions when we thought he had died in battle. Yet here was my mate; she was right in front of me.
D'Artagnan was ecstatic that he was already ready to mate and mark her. However, I knew I had to figure out my emotions, not to mention how she felt about the situation. I didn't want to scare or pressure her, so I nodded and held out my hand.
"Arina, it's nice to meet you. I am sorry for your loss. Zeno was like family to us all." I told her. When our hands met, I felt the tingles slide up my arm. But as quickly as they arrived, they left as she, in shock, pulled her hand away.
"You all must be tired after all that has happened. I have arranged rooms for you. You can freshen up and eat." I said as I turned and walked toward the manor.
"Is our mate all right here?" D'Artagnan asked. It was a surprise since I had not heard from him.
"I thought you were pissed off at me since you ignored me for no apparent reason." I retorted.
"A lot was going on, and I didn't want to discuss it with you," he replied.
He didn't want to talk to me? What kind of crap was that? He was supposed to be my inner best friend, and he said he intentionally ignored me.
"What the hell does that mean?" I said, annoyed by his response.
"You would have thought I was crazy," he replied.
"So you ignored me. Now you want me to answer your questions and tell you how I feel?" I replied sarcastically, shaking my head. I remained quiet as D'Artagnan retreated to the depths of my mind.
I wasn't sure what to do, but for now, I would let everything calm down and deal with the matter at hand. Everything else would have to wait.
As we approached, the front door swung open and outran my younger sister, Aella. An expression of worry was on her face. She had just returned from school two weeks ago and was still getting used to how things ran here without Dad. Several things had changed, and I knew she would have to adjust.
Aella ran up to me. A ponytail held her blonde hair, and her blue eyes were filled with worry. I was about to hug her when I felt a sharp sting on my left cheek. Although I was stunned by her slap, I understood why. The feelings were very close to home. Aella was just as impacted by Dad's near-death experiences as Mom.
"How could you just run out like that? Are you trying to get yourself killed?" Aella said, her voice trembling.
"I'm sorry, but I had to come out here as a king, you know, I have a duty to my people," I said as I grabbed her hand and hugged her.
She punched me in the stomach when she pulled away from our embrace.
"If you pull shit like that again, I swear to the goddess I'll make it so you can't have pups, and I won't stop there," she said.
As everyone laughed behind me, I turned to introduce them.
"Bryan, Maribelle, do you remember my little sister, Aella?" I said.
"We can't forget that little monster," Bryan said as he hugged Aella.
"You always left without me, so I figured I should tell on you," Aella said, giggling, as she turned toward Arina.
"Who are you?" she asked, crossing her arms in front of her.
I cleared my throat.
"Aella, I want you to meet Arina. She is Alpha Zenos' daughter". I paused and added, "And my mate."
"What? Mate? Really?" Aella gasped; that was not what my sister expected me to say.
Aella turned to me with big eyes and a huge smile.
"After all these years, the kingdom has its Queen. Congratulations, Brother. I'm happy for you." Her gaze shifted to Arina, and then she bowed.
"My Queen, welcome to the family."