Three days had passed since their quick stroll to the underground market.
In the past few days, Eugene has busied himself with getting his hands on Papirus Printing Services, successfully converting Peter Wright into becoming his eye in the journalism and media platforms of the border.
Lucian, on the other hand, tried to find out if there were any connections between his deceased mother and the border's current incidents. To his dismay, he never got a clue.
'Did my mom really just stay in this place before? Like, no interaction at all? Plus, twelve years should not be too far from now, right? More than a decade... There should be a witness or something,' Lucian pondered seriously while sitting on the window bench of their apartment. He fiddled with his necklace as he stared out of the window.
Seeing a familiar figure and a familiar hair color leisurely walking towards the building of their apartment, Lucian's eyes immediately brightened like sunlight in the morning.
He stopped fiddling with the pendant and grabbed the nearest newspaper he could get.
This image greeted Eugene the moment he opened the door to their apartment. His eyebrows rose as he looked at Lucian, who was seriously reading the daily newspaper. He walked towards the young alpha before swiftly grabbing the paper. He gazed at it for a moment as an amused chuckle escaped his lips.
"Why are you reading the newspaper from 4 days ago?" Eugene exposed Lucian without any hint of mercy.
Lucian's lips twitched after being caught in the act, but he still continued his exposed facade. "I had to check whether or not I skipped any important incidents since we came here."
"That's good then." Eugene nodded with a slight exaggeration. He plopped on his favorite single chair before closing his eyes to take a small nap.
Lucian did not talk anymore so as not to disturb the sleeping man. Instead, he grabbed another newspaper, the most recent one, and started reading it.
Actually, he's been doing the same thing for the past three days. He felt bad that while Eugene was working hard, all he could do was just aimlessly walk around the plaza or stay at home while fiddling with his necklace. Although Eugene wasn't pressuring him or anything, he was starting to feel useless at the end of the day.
So, to fool himself, he would always try to make himself look busy while Eugene was around.
However, this time, he seriously delved deeper into the newspaper. It seemed as though the heavens took pity on him when a clue appeared in his eyes.
It was found in the obituary section of the newspaper. Eugene did not have the time today to read for too long, so he probably did not reach this part of the newspaper.
On the obituary was the name "Louise Carter".
Isn't this a possible relative of Joe Carter?
Lucian was thrilled after finally seeing a dot where he could start his own investigation. He was only wearing a white dress shirt, so he hurriedly grabbed the nearest coat, which turned out to be Eugene's, and then went out of the apartment. He also made sure to leave a note to inform Eugene of his whereabouts first before leaving.
His hand was occupied with the newspaper, and his gaze lingered on it while walking fast.
Louise Carter
From Campbell Street, Northeast Border
The date of her death was too recent—just two days ago. Her cause of death was an illness—a high fever, to be exact.
Lucian was hoping that Louise Carter's relatives would know something about Joe Carter or his mother, Elizabeth Montague. Either way, he'll find ways to get funeral cards for him and Eugene.
And that way was by visiting her residence first.
...
Eugene woke up after 2 hours of sleep, his crystal-blue eyes landing on the ceiling before darting towards the window bench. His eyes narrowed after seeing the empty bench.
'Where is he...?' Eugene's eyebrows furrowed a bit as he stood up from the single chair. He noticed that his coat was nowhere to be found. 'Did he use it?'
He walked towards the table after seeing a foreign piece of paper lying there, pinned by a fountain pen. Eugene picked it up carefully before reading the content.
[Eugene, I'm going out for a short while. The address is Campbell Street. I might not have my dinner at home; just eat on your own.]
-Lucian Montague
Eugene gently stroked the beautiful handwriting, his expression so soft—he almost looked like an angel. "How can I eat on my own if you're calling this small apartment 'home'?" He chuckled softly before getting another coat to follow the address Lucian left.
He was about to twist the doorknob open when it was suddenly twisted by the person from outside. Bronze skin and glowing golden eyes greeted his view. "Eugene!" The younger alpha's pleasant voice echoed in the small corridor as Eugene's body was dragged by Lucian to settle down on the sofa.
"Close the door, Lucian," he reminded him with a chuckle.
Lucian obliged by locking the door first before he stood in front of Eugene, showing two pieces of printed paper.
Eugene tilted his head in question. He raised his gaze to meet Lucian's golden eyes before he finally asked, "What's that for?"
"For us!" Lucian pressed a card to Eugene's chest with excitement. "I got them without your help. I'm amazing, right?" he said giddily, grinning widely at Eugene.
'Come on, praise me! I can do things alone, too! See? See?'
Eugene stared at the funeral card and realized what Lucian had been doing for the past two hours. The young man must've gone through a lot of persuasion just to get an invitation to visit Louise Carter's wake tonight.
Eugene gave Lucian a beautiful smile. "Very good. You're so capable now, hmm?" he said, his hand reaching out to grab the man's waist. He then buried his face in Lucian's stomach before looking up at him. "How did you get this?"
Lucian did not mind Eugene's invasive contact, as he only focused his attention on Eugene's praise. He felt satisfied and elated at his compliments, so he answered back smugly, "It was easy. I just had to talk to them and tell them Louise Carter was my mother's long-distance friend and that I came here on behalf of my mother. I had to act like I was grieving for her death. Thankfully, the woman gave me two funeral cards since they're still in the middle of producing and distributing them."
Lucian's fingers reflexively played with Eugene's soft, golden hair. His nails purposefully scratched the sensitive scalp, which made Eugene groan in satisfaction. He buried his face back on Lucian's abs, deeper than before.
"Why did you come home early?" Eugene asked in a muffled voice, his face still buried in Lucian's body.
"I thought it would take quite some time to persuade them, but they're actually nice, so it became easier. The travel was just longer, so it took two hours." Lucian continued playing with Eugene's hair. "By the way, I asked what's the relation between Louise Carter and Joe Carter. The aunt there told me they were distant cousins. The connection is not as deep as I expected."
"Maybe we won't get much information from the wake tonight then?" Eugene murmured, shifting his face sideways so he could at least breathe a little. His right cheek was still pressing on Lucian's body, though.
Lucian shook his head. "Let's just try for now. There's nothing to lose anyway," he said calmly, his fingers raking on Eugene's scalp down to his nape. Feeling the patch on Eugene's fair and smooth skin, he unconsciously rubbed it. "This gland right here, does it feel uncomfortable when my pheromones are around? I remember you lashing out back then because I wasn't wearing any patches."
Eugene groaned. "I don't want to remember that."
"Remember it."
"No."
"So stubborn," Lucian muttered with a soft laugh, his fingers tracing the edge of the patch. He was itching to remove it from Eugene's skin. "Just answer my question."
Eugene hummed. "That time was the first time I smelled your pheromones. My alpha instinct was agitated by another foreign scent, so..." he paused and buried his nose back on Lucian's stomach.
"So?" Lucian probed. "Do you still feel agitated with my pheromones?"
The golden hair swayed from right to left, indicating that Eugene was shaking his head.
"Even a little bit?"
"No."
"Why?"
Eugene pursed his lips.
"Why?" Lucian patiently asked again. "Your alpha instinct is already fine with my presence? That easy?"
Eugene raised his head to look at Lucian. "I had to stop feeling agitated around you, or else our pheromones would just clash every time we touched. So I..." he gulped. "I instilled in my mind and body the recognition of you as my mate." His blue eyes turned misty, as if guilty of something.
"And what's wrong with it?" Lucian caressed the edge of Eugene's eyes. "You look like you'd cry anytime now."
"I'm sorry about what happened before and that I thought of you as a mate even though you don't like me yet."
Lucian smirked. 'What's with this whimpering act, you cunning blonde alpha? You apologize for everything to me, but still have the guts to say that I don't like you 'yet'? Heh, so you expect me to like you back, huh?'
His fingers pressed deeper on the sides of the older man's eyes. His smirk was now gone and was replaced with a serious face. "I've been thinking about this for a while... If you really want to pursue me like this, what about your mate? The omega one?"
Eugene's eyebrows furrowed. "What? I don't have a mate unless it's you!" His lips unconsciously moved, forming a small pout. "I'm not into omegas, unless you become an omega. I'm not into betas, unless you become a beta. I'm not into alphas either, except you. So stop thinking about it," he grumbled.
Lucian chuckled and did not talk anymore. He gently caressed the agitated man below him, whose face was slightly red from annoyance. He pinched his cheeks first before pulling away. "Alright, let's eat dinner now. We'll go to the funeral later."
"Better."
...
"Good evening, young sirs. Please come in," said the man standing by the door wearing a black suit.
The two alphas nodded their heads politely before going in. They were also wearing black coats and black trousers to show their mourning for the dead woman.
"Should we talk with the relatives first?" Lucian asked for Eugene's opinion; his quiet voice could only be heard by the alpha beside him.
Eugene nodded. "We might find a connection later."
They paid respects to Louise Carter's coffin first before proceeding to greet the aunt Lucian had met earlier. The woman easily recognized him as she hurriedly came to him with a polite smile. "Thank you for coming, Sir Logan."
"It's thanks to you, madame, for letting me visit tonight's wake. I'm with my partner, Johanne. I hope you don't mind me bringing him here," Lucian replied with a charming smile.
"Good evening, madame." Eugene nodded at the woman.
"Good evening, good evening. I don't mind another visitor here, so feel free to stay a little longer. We have foods here too." She gestured towards the table where cookies and funeral biscuits were stacked together. "Eat, eat."
Lucian chuckled. "We will, madame. But I would like to spend some time talking to you first. May I?"
"About what?" The woman named Alice Williams, Louise Carter's aunt, tilted her head in wonder. "Is it about my niece's death?"
"Oh, no. I'm just curious about something else." Lucian paused first to gauge the woman's expression. Seeing that she was willing to answer him, he continued, "Has she ever seen his cousin, Joe Carter?" Lucian inquired calmly, as if it didn't matter to him. "My mother, madame Louise Carter, and Joe Carter happened to be friends in the past, so I'm quite intrigued," he added.
Alice stared at the floor to ponder the question. "Well, I, myself, had never taken a glimpse of him. Perhaps they met each other somewhere else?"
Lucian's eyes flickered in dismay, but they were gone as soon as Alice met his golden eyes. Thankfully, she didn't catch that look. "You've never heard of him that much as well?"
"Hmm, rather than not hearing about him, actually, it's quite the opposite. In our family, he's infamous for venturing outside the border and living his life as a merchant's son," Alice answered, her eyes watching in the distance as if reminiscing over something. "Unfortunately, he died."
Lucian was close to losing hope of finding a clue about Joe Carter. He was about to thank Alice when a deep voice emerged from behind them.
"You're talking about Joe Carter, I see?"
Lucian turned back to look at the man who spoke just now. He was wearing the same black suit as any other; it's just that his grayish hair, beard, and monocle stood out. His body was too buff for a middle-aged man; thus, Lucian guessed he was probably a retired soldier.
The newly arrived man was smiling at the two alphas, but not until his gaze landed on the bronze-skinned man with attractive golden eyes. His smile faltered as he shakily grabbed Lucian's arm. "Montague... you're a Montague?" he murmured under his breath with recognizable shakiness.
"Pardon?" Lucian was shocked at the sudden contact. Thankfully, there was a coat to act as a barrier to their supposed skin-to-skin contact. He still did not like being touched by others, after all. "Sir, do I happen to know you?" he asked, hope sprouting in his almost wilting heart. If this interaction would give a clue or two about the problem, then it would be great!
Eugene watched this whole scene from the side. He did not interfere and let Lucian handle this.
Alice also looked confused, so she softly called out, "Husband, do you know Sir Logan?"
Hearing his wife calling him, the man seemed to snap out of his reverie. He removed his hand from Lucian's arm before he bowed apologetically. "Pardon me for touching you without your consent. I was just surprised to see you. By the way, I'm her husband, Oscar Williams." He stretched out his hand for a simple handshake. However, Lucian did not accept it.
"I'm sorry, I don't..." Lucian paused guiltily.
Oscar shook his head before smiling at him meaningfully. "It's fine. Even better, actually. You have to be careful of germs, am I right?"
Lucian's eyes widened in understanding. This Oscar Williams... Does he know something?
"Wife, can I have a small talk with them? Privately, if you may?" Oscar looked at his wife, Alice, sheepishly.
Alice seemed to understand the importance of the two alphas to his husband, so she nodded and curtsied as a goodbye. Once she was far enough from them, Oscar gestured for the two alphas to follow him.
They stopped at an empty corner of the room, away from everyone's eyes.
"Mr. Williams, is there something you want to tell us?" Lucian spoke as soon as they settled themselves by leaning on the wall. "You mentioned I was a Montague?"
Oscar chuckled. "Aren't you one, eh?"
"And how are you so sure that I am?" Lucian asked back with raised eyebrows, hinting at the muscular beta.
"Kid, you can fool anyone but me. I know a Montague when I see one. Golden eyes, rich bronze skin, silky black hair, noble postures... Heh," Oscar listed Lucian's features while staring at the air, as if reminiscing over someone with the same descriptions as he said.
Lucian tilted his head. "You've seen my father before?" He knew he couldn't fool the old man anymore. There was certainty in his tone that if he tried to deny once more, he would definitely be spanked by a cane.
"What 'father'? I don't know who's the patriarch of the Montagues," Oscar replied with a hint of nonchalance, fidgeting with a cigar between his fingers. He was itching to light one, but he's at a funeral, so he had to hold back.
Lucian and Eugene shared a knowing look.
"Then you've met my mother before?"
Oscar tilted his head to stare at the ceiling. "If your mother is named Elizabeth Montague, then yes." He clicked his tongue. "I've never heard of her name since she left the border. Send my regards to her," he murmured with a small smile.
"She's dead," Lucian said calmly, his golden eyes staring deeply at Oscar. Seeing how the man's casual expression froze and melted into that of a 'shock', he slowly continued, "She died while giving birth to my youngest brother, her fourth child."
Oscar heaved a deep sigh. "Damn, so I'm the only one left, huh?" he whispered with pain laced in his voice. He shifted his gaze from Lucian down to the floor. "Can we meet another day? I'll tell you everything, child. It's just that... the news is too sudden for my old body to take. I want to have some time to contemplate," he muttered with a polite smile. "If you may."
Lucian and Eugene nodded in understanding. "Please do so. Let's meet at this address." Eugene finally opened his mouth to speak as he handed out a piece of paper that contained the location of the nearest coffee house in the plaza.
When the two alphas finally left, Oscar Williams also went out and headed to the farthest area. He flicked his lighter open to light a fire in his cigar before putting it in his mouth. He took a deep inhale of the cigar before puffing out a cloud of white smoke.
He chuckled under his breath. "Damn it."
...
Lucian stared at himself in front of the mirror, tilting his head from left to right before he finally settled in place. He turned to look at Eugene, who was busy drinking his evening tea while skimming over the files sent by Mr. Wright.
"Eugene," he called out to the blonde alpha in a soft voice.
Eugene raised his eyes to look back at him. "Hmm?"
Lucian walked closer towards the man before he stopped in front of him, between Eugene's single chair and the table. "Are my features really that recognizable?" he asked while pointing at his eyes. "Do my eyes really look 'that' golden?"
Eugene laughed softly as he dropped the files on the table before spreading his arms around Lucian's waist. He always loved doing this to Lucian. Just hugging.
He sniffed Lucian's newly changed nightshirt first before answering sweetly, "Indeed. Your features are so eye-catching and prominent that people probably wouldn't forget your face even after a hundred years."
Lucian slapped Eugene's shoulder with a frown. "Be serious."
"I am serious! You're just so beautiful, so gorgeous... And you don't even know it," Eugene murmured with a hint of frustration. "Especially your eyes," he added before burying his face in Lucian's stomach.
Lucian caressed Eugene's golden locks with utmost seriousness. "It doesn't look weird at all?"
"No. Never. It's beautiful."
"Are you sure? It's not scary?"
"Some people might think it is, but not me," Eugene said with smugness. "I'm not like them, anyway."
Lucian removed his hand from Eugene's hair before touching the edge of his own eyes. "You're not just blindly boosting my ego, right?"
"I'm not a liar," Eugene responded with a frown, even taking the time to raise his head and show Lucian his sincerity through his expressive crystal-blue eyes.
Lucian smiled, his golden eyes sparkling. "Really?"
"Really."
"So you like it? My features?"
Eugene tilted his head. "Hmm, I like your personality more. But yes, this body and your face too." He smiled back, his fingers reaching out to cup Lucian's cheek. "Beautiful," he whispered with utmost affection, his fingers tracing every part of Lucian's face except his lips.
Eugene hesitated. He looked up to see Lucian's golden eyes staring at him attentively. He bit his lower lip before pulling his hand back, and then he decided to just settle it on Lucian's back instead.
"I like you."
"You're saying it again. Does it have to be every night?" Lucian laughed, rubbing Eugene's reddened earlobes. He knew that Eugene must've thought of kissing him a few seconds ago. But the man has good self-control and did not dare to proceed, probably knowing that Lucian did not gave him the signal just yet.
"If you want, I can say it every minute." Eugene buried his head back on Lucian's body, arms tightening around Lucian's waist. "I like you. I like you. I like you!"
Lucian laughed. "Alright, that's enough. We should go get some sleep now."