Sitting in the luxury cur as it drives along the road for who knows how long, Lyric gazes out the window in a daze.
He really sent her away...
She was shocked to hear that she had an uncle, and even more surprised to know that her mother was adopted.
She had always just assumed her mother ran away from her clan to be with her father.
That's usually how different species end up together so it wasn't an absurd thought. Her mother was after all a feline shifter. It would make sense for her to run away if she was mated to a werewolf.
Since werewolves and feline shifters are enemies.
Not that Lyric really cared about other shifters.
She had always been the kind of person who just mindlessly drifted through life.
Her father even suspected she would simply accept it if the world ended.
By the time they reached their destination Lyric was asleep. Really she had fallen asleep in the first 10 minutes.
Waiting impaitently at the gate was Tyler Rose. Her so-called cousin.
...
A few hours prior.
Tyler was nervous when he heard his father was calling him for something important.
Usually Lucian Rose was paitent. He had never called Tyler in on such short notice before.
Hearing his father say he could enter Tyler pushes open the door to the study only to see his father looking at his phone in annoyance.
"You called?" Tyler asks as he sits in the chair opposite Lucian.
"Yes, we're going to have a guest in a few hours. I want you to entertain her and make sure nothing unexpected happens." Lucian says as he puts down his phone.
"A guest? Why didn't you tell me a few days ago?" Tyler asks with a frown. Lucian had always informed him of guests well in advance so this was strange.
"I would have if I had known she would be coming today. I didn't expect that bastard you send her over immediately." Lucian says holding his head in frustration. He and Dominic didn't have the best relationship but they could be said to be somewhat close.
"Who is it that has such poor manners?" Tyler asks with a frown of displeasure.
"My brother-in-law. In other words your uncle." Lucian says regaining his composure.
"I have an uncle?" Tyler asks in surprise. This was new to him.
"Technically yes. When I was young my parents adopted a young girl who then became my sister. Your uncle is her mate. They have a daughter a few years younger than you. She's the one who's visiting." Lucian explains sadly. He and Lyrics mother had been close when they were young and he was excited to finally meet his niece.
"Why isn't my aunt coming?" Tyler asks curiously.
"She died a few years back. Now it's just Dominic and his daughter Lyric. Honestly she wouldn't be coming here if it weren't for a promise Dominic made when Lyric was born." Lucian says with a light smile. He was glad to know his son was interested in his family.
"How long will she be here?" Tyler asks as he mentally checks his schedule trying to rearrange things to fit in time with the guest.
"She'll be living here for a year. The original promise was 5 years but the only heir of an Alpha as powerful as Dominic can't be away for that long or people might notice her disappearance and it will put not only her but also our entire pack in danger." Lucian says seriously. He had to make sure Tyler knew the risks. Dominic has way more enemies than the Red Rose Pack and his Pack is much larger than theirs.
"An Alpha's heir? And she'll be here for that long?" Tyler was surprised. He was constantly busy with pack duties knowing he should have some experience before taking over, and this girl had the time to live in another pack for an entire year?
"Yes, Dominic immediately agreed to it as well. In fact she should be almost here now." Lucian says checking the time on his watch.
"Then I'll have someone prepare a room on the Alpha floor for her before going out to wait." Tyler says, standing to walk out of the study.
"Oh, and Tyler! I almost forgot." Lucian suddenly says making Tyler stop in his tracks and turn to face his father questioningly.
"Her father said she's... A lot of work." Lucian says awkwardly.
Tyler frowns almost imperceptibly. When he heard she was an Alpha's kid he thought she was likely to be similar to all the other Alpha's daughters. Arrogant, self-centered, annoying, but thinking that she was his cousin he didn't want to judge her before meeting her.
However hearing this he couldn't help but believe he was right. She must be just as frustrating as all the others he had met.
...
Now standing at the gate and seeing that she hadn't left the car despite having already arrived shows that she's just as arrogant as he thought she would be. She was probably waiting for someone to open her door for her.
Once the prover finished taking the luggage out of the trunk he naturally walked towards the door and opened it. Just as Tyler was about to roll his eyes he was stunned to see the driver effortlessly pick up the sleeping girl in a rabbit onesie as though he's used to it.
Lyric doesn't wake up even as the man carries her in one arm with the luggage in the other.
She just adjusts her position as she instinctively wraps her arms around the person's neck in her sleep.
"Hello, Young Alpha! I am William, the Young Lady's driver. My Alpha instructed me to entrust the Young Lady to you." The driver says politely.
Tyler just stares fixedly at the young girl. His wolf was screaming atbhim to claim her. He never thought she would be his fated mate.
"Young Alpha?" William asks, snapping Tyler out of his thoughts.
"Right, I'll show you to her room. You can leave the luggage here, a few servants will bring it up for you." Tyler says motioning for William to follow.
"Ah, wait a moment. I'll wake the Young Lady. If she doesn't see the path she'll get lost later." William says.
"Oh, alright go ahead." Tyler says, suddenly feeling nervous and excited. When she wakes up she'll know he's her mate. He was curious how she would react.
William simply drops the girl on the ground, shocking everyone watching. Surprisingly enough she doesn't react at all. She just curls up and continues to sleep on the hard gravel pathway.
"I suggest stepping away for your safety." William says as he takes a few steps back. Tyler feels rather confused but he still steps back.
"Ahem, Miss. Lyric it's time for dessert!" William says loudly and the girls eyes snap open. She immediately sits up looking around for the promised sweets. When she sees where she is her expression goes from alert to anger. Her eyes lock onto William who shivers in fear.
"Will." She says slowly. "Do you have a death wish?" She asks her voice warily calm as she gets to her feet.
"Y-Young Lady, there are candies in your luggage." He says fearfully as he takes a large step backwards.
"You said dessert. Candie is a treat." Lyric says angrily as she pounces at William who screams and runs in the opposite direction.
He doesn't make it far before Lyric tackles him to the ground with her hands on his neck.
At that moment she smells something sweet. Turning to look at the source she's delighted to see someone walk out with a plate of cupcakes.
"Nice to meet you Lyric, my name is Lucian, I'm your uncle." The person says and Lyric tears her gaze away from the sweets to look at his face.
"Cake." She says acting innocently. It would have looked less fake if she wasn't choking someone.
"You're dad told me to have some ready for when you got here." He says with a kind smile.
"For me?" She asks appearing in front of him in a split second. It's as if she teleported.
"You can have as many as you want." Lucian says handing her the plate. She immediately takes it and shoves a cupcake in her mouth happily while William gasps for air having been finally released. He once again concidered quiting his job. He had thought the same thing hundreds of times but he had never left.
Lyric happily eats all the cupcakes in the blink of an eye.
Finally after finishing them she notices a nice scent coming from nearby. She closes her eyes and sniffs the air a few times before turning to look at Tyler. Her wolf, being just as lazy as her tells her to ask him to come closer so she can claim him. Her panther was just as excited telling her to ask him to let her nap in his lap.
This could be said to be peak enthusiasm from them.
She just blinks slowly before turning away. She refused to acknowledge the mate bond.
When Lyric had looked at him Tyler was incredibly nervous but excited to see her surprised but was incredibly disappointed to see her turn away as if nothing happened.
"Sleepy." Lyric mutters looking at William who has finally recovered from the attack.
"Yes, Young Lady." William says immediately picking her up.
"Bed." She says tiredly but she doesn't go to sleep again. She also knew she had to see the path to remember the way.
"Tyler please take Lyric to her room. She should get some rest for today. It must have been a long drive." Lucian says to his son before walking back into the house with the now empty plate.
"Follow me." Tyler says glancing at Lyric longingly from the corner of his eye as he leads them to her bedroom.
"It's smaller than I thought." William mutters but the comment doesn't escape Tylers ears.
"Not as big as home. Less walking." Lyric says happily as William sets her down.
Tyler can't help the small amused smile as she slowly makes her way to the bed where she immediately flops down.
"I best be going now. If not I won't make it back before dark." William says before bowing respectfully and turning to leave.
Lyrics things had already been brought to the room while she was busy eating cupcakes and the maids had long left. That means only Lyric and Tyler were left in the room.
Tyler takes a deep breath as he gathers his courage. It had been a long time since he felt so nervous.
He slowly walked towards the bed and carefully sat down next to Lyric. Unexpectedly at that moment she jumps to her feet startling Tyler.
Lyric immediately shifts into her panther form, deliberately making herself as small as a regular cat before jumping back onto the where she curls herself up comfortably and drifts off to sleep, leaving Tyler completely dumbfounded.
A feline shifter?
He hadn't known about that.