VIKTOR.
It has been almost fifteen minutes since Alden went to inform Rowan of my presence and I have been locked in a staring match with Gaines.
Fifteen minutes.
I swear it.
He had locked eyes with me in a defiant and challenging scowl and teg damn alpha genes in me will not let me look away.
So, yes.
Two grown men have been having a pissing sans staring match with each other to the amusement of anyone that passes by.
“She will see you,” Alden’s voice breaks the contest and we both look over at him
I didn’t even hear him walk up to us.
Childish, Viktor.
You are supposed to be more mature than this, allowing a mere pup to get under your skin.
“She will?” I ask in delighted surprise.
“She will?” Gaines asks in dismayed surprise.
“Yes, she will. But first, we need to ensure that you are alone, as you claimed,” he answers.
“Of course,” I agree. “Um, how are you going to do that?”
“We have already sent out wolves to check the perimeters and any other place they might be hiding,” he answers.
“I didn’t bring anyone. I am alone, I swear it.”
“Still, we will have to confirm it.”
I say nothing to that and we all settle in an awkward, slightly tense silence.
A few minutes later, the radio buzzes and I watch as he takes a few steps away to talk into it.
A few seconds later, he returns and gestures for Gaines to open the gates.
“He is clear, open it.”
Gaines sends me one final scowl before disabling the security system and lifting the latch from the thick metal gates to allow me to walk though.
“Thank you,” I say as I send him a beatific smile to which he just growls at and stomps away.
I can’t explain it.
It’s just… When I am here, I feel like a… child… again.
Free, teasing, a gremlin, really.
Something I can’t be when I am fulfilling my duties as an Alpha back home.
“This way,” Alden says as he turns and begins walking away, while I trail after him.
We are halfway across the settlement, just shy of the training fields when I hear a familiar high pitch scream and then the force of something hitting my legs.
“Louis!” Jhnelle exclaims as she grips my legs, hard. “You came back!”
Wow.
I didn’t realize how much I have missed this bundle of joy.
I had been doing my damnedest best, to not think about her and Rowan, focused only in trying to get the other packs on my side.
Seeing her now, as she looks up at me with her big green eyes, it just tears at me.
“I thought I would never see you again!” She says as she beams at me. “I haven’t talked to mommy because of that.”
Ah, that won’t do.
“No,” I say as I get down on one knee so that I am eye to eye with her. “You can’t be angry at your mother, at least not because of me. I did a bad thing and your mother was right to kick me out.”
“But you said you were sorry!”
“Sometimes, saying sorry isn’t enough. You will understand when you get older, some hurts are way too deep to be washed away by an apology.”
“Hmph! Well, I am glad you are back. Will you be staying again?” She asks.
“We will see,” I reply as I straighten to my full size, picking her up as I do. “But, thank you. For missing me and being on my side.”
She beams at me again before winding her arms around my neck. “You are welcome.”
I catch sight of Alden as he stands a few meters away, giving us a semblance of privacy and once he catches me looking, he moves his head towards the mansion, signaling that I have things to do.
“It was lovely seeing you again, Jhnelle, but now I have to go discuss adult things with your mommy,” I say as I let her down gently.
“Okay. But remember to apologize again so that she can forgive you and then you can come back and stay forever,” she orders with a serious look in her eyes.
“I will do my very best,” I reply with a smile before watching her run back to her teacher.
“Shall we?” Alden calls from where he stands.
“Hmm,” I answer as I head towards him.
Our walk is relatively calm and quiet, but slow.
I have a feeling he is doing that intentionally, like he is trying to frustrate me.
“Is there a reason why you are taking your time with this walk?” I ask as nicely as possible. “I know the way to her study, I can just go there by myself.”
“The Guia is not in her study and I am not allowed to leave you on your own.”
“If she is not in her study, where is she?” I ask, ignoring the latter part of his remark.
“The conference room.”
Huh?
“What is the conference room? I have never seen that before.”
“You weren’t meant to. It is the place where a wolf is judged and sentenced. It is not a place that is usually used.”
Judged and sentenced?
“Am I being judged?” I ask as I come to a halt.
“You should be,” he says as he comes to a stop next to a door. But no, you are not.”
“Then why are we going there? Why not the study?”
“The study is meant for members of the coalition, the conference room is for traitors and outsiders. And since you fall into both categories now, this is where you will meet. Now, you said you have urgent news, shall we?” He asks as he pushes open the door.
I glare at him, hoping that he can tell how irritated and unamused I am by his words before braving myself with a breath and walking in.
Here goes nothing.