Maggie had been gone for about two days, and Aldrich had never felt time drag so slowly. Each second seemed as if the god of time had set it to half speed, and every frame of the scene was elongated frame by frame.
He felt he should probably see a psychologist. If it worked, he had become more fragile than before, especially when it came to things related to Maggie. His reactions were always subconscious and excessive.
Coincidentally, Elwin came over that day to have dinner with him.
Marvin wasn’t around, and he sat alone in his wheelchair. With no one to talk to about heart matters, he naturally wanted to spend the weekend with his child. However, this youngest son was currently one of the busiest in the werewolf society.
Unexpectedly, Aldrich had Thomas come over to personally pick Elwin up and go to the castle, saying it had been a long time since they’d met, and he wanted to have a meal together. Elwin was somewhat surprised. It seemed that once children grew up, it became very difficult for parents to expect them to rely on or share some care with their parents once there was estrangement between them. Even if he had once been the alpha of the Blue Moon Pack, he couldn’t escape this sad cycle.
So he cautiously asked, “Is it an invitation to have a proper meal together?”
Thomas looked at the man who had once been flourishing but was now spending the rest of his life sadly in a wheelchair. He was Thomas’s first master and the one whose compassion turned him from a slave into the steward of the tribe, serving only the alpha. His kindness had given the tribe new hope when it was once in despair.
But now, he was on the edge of the world, ready to be discarded at any moment. No matter what great deeds he had done, as long as he no longer had value to be exploited, he would become a piece of garbage waiting to be thrown into the trash.
For the first time, he began to wonder if Alisa’s biased remarks about the werewolf society, made while she was still here, weren’t entirely extreme. Perhaps, as a human who had seen too many dark corners, she saw things more clearly.
“You heard it right. The alpha asked me to come over and invite you to have a meal.”
Elwin showed a pleasantly surprised expression, but behind that surprise, Thomas sensed a faint desolation. Originally, this word shouldn’t have appeared on this man. So he took the initiative to push the other’s wheelchair forward, shooing away others. It wasn’t his business, but today he wanted to do it.
“I’m really sorry, Thomas, for making you do these things for me.”
“Please don’t say that.” Thomas didn’t expect that one day he would have such a humble conversation with his former master, “You will always be my master, the person I will respect and repay for the rest of my life.”
“I still remember what you looked like when you first came to the Blue Moon Pack, thin and small, looking like you had been wandering outside for a long time. I thought, how could such a small child continue to wander outside? Fortunately, you grew well later, worked hard, and were smart. I’m glad I brought you back to the Blue Moon Pack instead of letting you continue to roam.”
Thomas smiled silently. The alpha was always the one who remembered everyone’s preferences, appearances, and personalities. Although it was a pity that his two sons hadn’t inherited this trait, they had developed well in their own ways. And the person who remembered everyone and was cared for by everyone was now the loneliest.
He couldn’t help but sigh, “If Grace were still here.”
Former Luna’s reputation in the Blue Moon Pack was so good for a reason. Besides her outstanding achievements, it was her gentle and meticulous nature that endeared her to everyone. At that time, both Aldrich and Marvin had their reasons for not wanting to see Elwin, but Grace voluntarily took up the responsibility of caring for him. She spent fixed time every week, giving the original servant a day off, and then took care of Elwin’s miscellaneous matters, accompanying him for meals.
Elwin also missed this child without blood ties. He watched these three children grow up, filled with expectations and love for them. However, fate seemed to set a point somewhere, like a hurricane, stirring up the lives of these three children. He thought of Marvin and Aldrich’s mother, wondering how he would face them after his death.
“I hope Marvin and Aldrich can bring her back and let her continue her life.”
After sitting down at the dining table, Aldrich realized that it had been a long time since he had eaten alone with his father. Excluding the time he deliberately brought Maggie to meet him and Marvin, this was the first time the two of them sat together alone, just eating, without any other purpose to talk about recent events.
He knew he owed his father just as his father owed him.
“Father, we haven’t eaten together for a long time,” he said.
Elwin didn’t have much emotional reaction; he had become accustomed to these days. “It’s okay. You have more important things to do. Many people’s responsibilities rest on your shoulders, and you need to work harder than others. Neglect is inevitable.”
Aldrich also sat down. “But, Father, I actually miss you a lot. It’s not intentional to neglect you, but many times I haven’t figured out how to treat you, Marvin, and me. It was you who turned us, brothers, into a tense situation later. It was you who caused the death of my mother. Many times I hate you, but more often, I’m powerless. I want to love you but can’t. You never came to me either. Family affection also needs to be maintained, Father.”
Elwin opened his mouth, and cold air rushed into his throat. He wanted to say something, but the words were blocked by some emotion. His eyes gradually moistened, and he understood that he had made too many mistakes in these years. The only thing he hadn’t done wrong was raising these children.
“Let’s eat.” He lowered his head to cover his reddened eyes.
The father and son ate this meal in silence.
“It seems like Maggie has been gone for a while this time,” Aldrich mentioned.
Elwin, rare to feel a bit of human touch in this son, asked, “Where has she been lately?”
“She went to the High Priestess. Urania said she’s willing to teach her knowledge related to prophecy.”
“That doesn’t count as a long time.” Elwin knew Urania’s temperament. She was slow and uninterested in politics, diplomacy, and the future of the werewolves. She only did things based on her preferences. Agreeing to help Maggie was already a rare thing. You should be thankful that Maggie gets along with her; otherwise, whether you’re the alpha of the Blue Moon Pack or not, you wouldn’t have the chance to get guidance from the High Priestess.”
Aldrich’s expression held a subtle discontent that was challenging to capture. The expression flashed by in an instant, but based on his understanding of this son, Elwin could tell that at that moment, Aldrich was genuinely feeling a nuanced dissatisfaction.
“What’s wrong? Did Urania do something that displeased you?” he asked.
“Nothing,” Aldrich looked a bit awkward. “I just thought, since Maggie came here, she has never been away from me for this long.”