Cindy’s POV
“My love,” I looked at Alder and found him looking at me lovingly. “Are you feeling OK? The trainees from different packs will be starting to come from here on. I was supposed to welcome them with you.”
“Yeah, I’m fine,” I replied. We spent our whole day together yesterday in our bedroom. He wanted me to have a complete rest, so he didn’t leave me alone just to make sure. Mia visited me from time to time, but when she realized that he had not left my side, she stopped coming over.
I had already taken a bath, and so was he, so after our breakfast, we would be going down to his office as we waited for the trainees. There are a total of 42 packs joined with ten representatives each and a total of 420 participants. Two hundred forty of them were males, and the remaining were all females. I was glad that there were female warriors who were interested in the training.
“Hi, Cinds,” Mia greeted, smiling. I walked in and gave her a peck on her cheeks as the men looked at us. She was the only one who called me that, and I don’t care if anyone would be able to know the reason behind that. It’s not as though they will be able to find my body running around in human territory, right?
“Women do that, always?” Lance asked,
“Only when they are close to each other,” Mia replied,
“Well, even those who had bad intentions do that. But not me. I am a very arrogant human being so that no one can do that to me.” I told him and heard my mate chuckle. I ignored him and sat down. Then, we get down to business. I was amazed at how Mia was so good at dealing with the palace’s events. She was very attentive and always made good decisions. I guess working in a restaurant taught her a lot.
“Briefings are done, so let’s go and welcome our trainees,” Alder said, and we all got up. According to him, seven packs have arrived at the border, and one of them includes the Raven Claw Pack. Then I remembered what Jessie had told me before she left. I forgot to tell Alder about Vlad being there. I looked at him and found him creasing his forehead at me.
“Uhm, well, I need to tell you something,” I said, and he faced me with his arms across his chest. He looks dominating, and I don’t think that I will be able to lie to him. It’s not that I am going to do that. It’s just that I don’t know how he will react to it. He’s a Lycan king, so I guess he was open-minded and would not think anything inappropriate, right?
“I’m waiting, my love,” he said, and hearing him calling me, made me smile,
“Well, Vlad is one of the trainees,” I said.
“As in the Alpha that rejected you?” Lance exclaimed and looked at Alder, whose face was now hardened and dim.
“You seemed excited,” he said, and I asked Lance,
“Are you?” the beta, who was confused, looked at me,
“I’m not talking to him,” my mate said,
“Oh, you’re talking to me,” I said and smiled again. In my peripheral view, I saw Mia grinning at Charles. “Well, Jessie said that he had changed a lot.”
“And that made you excited?” he asked, and jealousy was all over his face.
“Curious, yes. But I’m not excited.” I replied. He was about to say something, but the van stopped on the porch where we were waiting, and the trainees started to get out. I saw Vlad, along with his other pack members, and our eyes met. I don’t know if I was going to greet him or what, but before I could do or say anything, Alder blocked my view, and I was now staring at his broad and sexy back. “So jealous!” I exclaimed in a low voice, but I was sure that he heard it.
He started walking ahead after he put his hands behind him, and I saw his fingers wiggling as if asking me to hold him, which I did. He squeezed my hands, and it felt good. Masha is so sensitive that simple things like this make her flutter. ‘Isn’t our mate sweet?’ she asked, which made me roll my eyes at her.
“Welcome to the palace.” I heard Alder say, so I ignored her and listened to what he was going to say. “Rules are set the moment you enter the border. I assume that your alphas have informed you about them, so I don’t need to waste my time informing you about it,” he said, and the trainees all replied,
“Yes! Your Highness!” They looked like they were in military training. Well, they will be doing the same or worse during their stay here. Lance had done some training regimens for them along with Charles. I saw how they trained themselves and the warriors, and, oh boy, they all looked yummy when they were half-naked. And that is something I didn’t want Alder to know because, for sure, he would make a big deal out of it.
After a few reminders, he was done, so I asked him, “Shall I send them to their dormitories now?” He looked at me and then at Lance,
“I think I will be the one who will be sending them,” the ever-loyal beta said, smiling.
“Don’t you have things to do?” I asked,
“Well, that can wait,” he replied, looking at Alder.
“Please tell me that this is not because your king is jealous.”
“I am not!” Alder exclaimed,
“Yeah, right,” I replied and turned my back to him. He is really impossible. He knew that Lance and Charles had work to do, and yet he let them do my job. I was supposed to show the trainees their dormitories along with Mia, but since I am not going, he decided to ask Lance to do it for us.
“Come on, Mia.”
“Where are we going?” she asked, confused.
“Let’s cook snacks for the trainees instead,” I said, trying to annoy Alder even more.
“No way! There’s no way that you’re going to cook for them. I have only tasted your cooking once, and you are already cooking for others?” he said as he followed us back to the palace on our way to the kitchen. I could still hear Lance and Charles laughing behind us, and then they stopped. Alder must have warned them.
“Then let Mia and me do what we need to do,” I said. He exhaled heavily, and I knew that he still didn’t want to, but I agreed. “Don’t do this again, Alder,” I said before I looked at Mia and motioned her to follow me.
“I assume that I can go back to my duties now?” Lance asked, and I nodded, smiling, so he gave me a thumbs up.
“Alright, everyone, we will only be walking on our way to your dormitories. Make sure not to get lost along the way.” Mia said, and we walked ahead.
“Clover,” I heard Vlad call my name. I stopped and looked at him. “I wanted to–” he said, but I raised my hand facing my palm at him so he would stop.
“Save whatever you want to say to me. I just hope that you’re going to take this training seriously and lead the pack accordingly.” I told him and motioned him to continue walking. He sighed and nodded his head. At least he understood that I didn’t care. As for my mate, who was still jealous, I wondered what he was going to do or say later when I got back.