***Sorry fellas, I'm just having some hard time right now and couldn't update. Plus guys this author here needs you support.***
"So, did you manage to get anything useful out of those surviving rogues you found at the warehouse?" Klade asked Kaelith as he followed him into his office, his voice laced with concern.
Kaelith let out a heavy, frustrated sigh as he dropped into his chair, dragging a hand down his light stubbled jaw. "Nothing that I could actually make sense out of." he admitted, the frustration clear in his voice. He gestured for his uncle to take a seat. ""Just a bunch of insane babbling. Whatever went down in that room scared them shitless that their minds just... broke."
Klade sank into the chair, leaning back with a thoughtful hum. ""That's the part that's not adding up for me," he said, steepling his fingers. "According to what you told me, out of that whole bloody mess, only three people came out alive: Isla and those two rogues. Well, infact, calling those two 'alive' is a stretch— they're just breathing meat sacks now." He shrugged lightly.
"You found your mate unconscious, and tied up, and the only other people who could tell you what happened have completely lost their minds." Klade tapped a finger against his lips. "It's just... convenient."
Kaelith's head snapped up, his eyes narrowing. "Where are you going on with this, Klade?" He asked, his face hardeneing, his voice low with a warning. He clearly understood the undermining meaning behind his words.
"Whoa, easy, son. I'm not accusing anyone of anything," Klade said, sitting straight, holding up his hands in surrender. "I'm just looking at the facts. It's either a damn miracle she survived... or there's a piece of this puzzle we're not seeing." Klade clarified with a slight shrug.
Kaelith's jaw clenched tightly, the muscles ticking hard. "I don't want you to start with this suspicious crap too Klade, Dad was enough already." His expression darkened, fists curling on the desk. His thoughts shifted defensively.
"You know when I found her, she was limp... out cold, tied to a fuckin' chair, covered in bruises that I think are too much for a human to bear." Kaelith's voice dropped to a raw, pained whisper. He leaned back in his chair, running a hand through his hair. "For one damn one fucking second, I thought she was gone. That I'd lost her for good." The memory sent a fresh wave of protective anger through him, his knuckles turning white.
"Kaelith, look at me. I didn't mean it like that, son. Klade said, his tone softening with genuine regret and guilt. "I'm not doubting your mate. I was just sharing my thoughts out loud, that's all. You know it's an Alpha's job to look at all the angles, even the ugly ones." He explained, clarifying his intention. He in actual hadn't intend to piss off his nephew.
"I just don't get why everyone's making this so damn difficult to accept my mate," Kaelith huffed, running an agitated hand through his already messy, silky hair.
"If youre talking about your dad, you know he loves you, kid. He's just being... Klaevan," Klade said, his voice gentle.
"You do know Klaevan loves you, Kaelith. He is your father." Kalde's expression softened, his voice turning light.
Kaelith scoffed bitterly, his eyes darting toward the ceiling.
"I know he can be difficult, son but he's just looking out for you." Klade continued, defending his brother.
"Oh yeah? Is telling me that my mate is 'not a good fit' his twisted way of looking out for me?" Kaelith challenged, looking down, locking eyes with his uncle now with a raised brow.
"Look, I don't know why Klaevan's being so stubborn about Isla, but he'll come around. He just needs time to see what you see in her," Klade reasoned, trying to play peacemaker. "Just give him time."
Kaelith just hummed noncommittally, picking up a pen and spinning it absently between his fingers. His mind was a whirlwind of thoughts and doubts.
"Anyway, did you ask Isla about what she remembers from the warehouse?" Klade asked, wisely changing the topic.
Kaelith closed his eyes, shaking his head, his expression closing off. "No. And I'm not going to. She already went through so much so and the last thing I want is to make her relive those moments."
"That's probably wise," Klade nodded with a small smile but there was a stiffness around his eyes that suggested he was holding back his true thoughts. "So I guess now you're convinced that the Doomwitch is after this and the rogues? You did interrogate the rogues that I brought."
Kaelith's eyes landed snapped up towards him as he paused spinning the pen. His uncle was right, he did interrogated the rogues he brought and they had confessed working for the Doomwitch. But still there was a nagging feeling in his gut, telling him that there was more in the dark.
"Do you think Doomwitch was behind Isla's kidnapping?" Kaelith asked, leaning forward to rest his elbows on the desk, his full attention on Klade.
"Isn't it quite obvious now? The rogues had admitted working for her and the very rogues abducted your mate. It's crystal clear to me." Klade shrugged, stating the obvious.
Kaelith hummed but didn't bother adding anything further. He had his doubts but it was better he kept them to himself for now.
"By the way," Klade said, a more cheerful, teasing note entering his voice. "When are you planning to announce your mating ceremony? It's been quite time now and every pack is eager to know about their future Luna Queen who has their Future King wrapped around her finger."
Kaelith let out a short, dry laugh. "Hmmm. Soon," Kaelith hummed. He knew the word about him finding his mate had spread like wildfire through every corner of the supernatural world and soon he'll have to hold their mating ceremony, the thing was Isla hadn't accepted him right now. "But for now I'll arrange a formal gathering. A proper introduction of Isla to the Alphas and the council."
Klade nodded in understanding as he sipped his coffee. Just then, Xavier knocked and entered the room.
"Alpha," Xavier bowed then he looked at Klade, "Alpha Klade," he greeted him.
"Ahh, Xavier! Good to see you, young man! I was wondering where you'd been hiding." Klade said with a friendly smile.
"My apologies, Alpha Klade. I was... tied up with a personal matter," Xavier replied with a formal nod, though he smiled slightly.
Klade chuckled. "No need for apologies. Well, I'll leave you two to it. Kaelith, we'll talk later." He clapped a hand on Xavier's shoulder as he passed and strode out of the office, closing the door behind him.
The moment they were alone, Xavier's posture relaxed. "Alpha, I'm really sorry I wasn't by your side for the interrogations. I should have been there."
"Come on man, you don't need to be sorry." Kaelith said, standing up and coming around the desk. He gave his Beta's shoulder a firm, reassuring pat. "You're my best friend, not just my Beta. I know you would've been there if it wasn't something serious." He leaned back against the desk edge. "I heard about what went down with Renna. Is she okay?"
Xavier's expression softened. "She's... she's better now. Stable. Thanks to Luna, actually."
"Isla? What did she had to do with it?" Kaelith asked, shocked with curiousity.
"She was the one who actually calmed Renna down. Honestly, man, I don't know how she did it even the doctor was useless." Xavier said, running a hand through his hair. "It's just that one moment we were just talking after... after I marked her and the next she snapped, hurting herself." He was still confused by how it all went wrong.
"Whoa. Congrats, man. Seriously. I'm happy for you." Kaelith smiled genuinely feeling happy for his beta. He knew very well how important marking and mating was for a wolf. It was about this whole sense of completion.
"Thanks, Alpha," Xavier said, smiling back. He still couldn't quite believe that Renna had been the one to ask to be marked completing the mate bond.
"So, what were you two talking about that set her off? And spare me the details if it's not PDA." Kaelith added with teasing grin but seriously, the last thing he wanted was a run down on his beta's sexual life.
Xavier shaked his head as he laughed. Then he looked up, and his eyes were dead serious. Kaelith immediately noticed the shift.
"Actually," Xavier began, his expression turned serious, his voice dropping, "we were talking about Luna. Right before Renna just... snapped."
All traces of humor vanished from Kaelith's face, his expression turning unreadable.
—
"I told you we shouldn't have trusted that incompetent fool with this task," a male voice grumbled, his words slightly muffled against his partner's skin. "Look what happened. He couldn't even manage to handle one simple human." His voice vibrated in the dark room, showing nothing of the two figures enterwined as one.
The room was quiet, well, almost quiet other than the creaking sound of the bed and the unfiltered echo of moans.
"Why are you fretting over it, darling?" The female's voice purred, arching her back and throwing her head back in ecstasy.
"How can I not?" the man scoffed, pulling back to trace his canines against her collarbone. "His job was simple. But instead, our minions are the ones who ended up dead. We lost a golden opportunity to make the mighty Alpha Prince fall to his knees." He sounded genuinely pissed off.
"Awww," the woman moaned, leaning forward to capture his lips in a bruising kiss. When she pulled back, her voice was a seductive whisper against his ear. "Don't waste your energy worrying. We'll have plenty more opportunities to break him." She nibbled on his earlobe.
"Right now Alpha Kaelith will be too careful and we can't afford to give him any clues or make a sloppy move. We'll wound him, deeply... but we'll do it when he's least expecting it." Her fingers tangled in his hair. "So for now, let's just let them enjoy themselves." She traced his lips and kissed violently, cluthing his hair.
The man growled low in his throat, "And what do you think we should be doing with that useless piece of shit who failed us?" he asked, breaking their kiss, his hands gripping her hips possessively. "We can't afford him further ruining our plans."
A dark, cunning smirk spread across the woman's lips, barely visible in the dim light. "We'll deal with him when the time is right. He's a liability, but for now... that piece of shit can still be useful."
The man gave a matching twisted smirk. His hold on her hips tightened, and he flipped their positions with predatory grace, pinning her beneath him, positiong her properly.