Third-person
‘No.’
Alexander denied the accusation by Kayden that he could be fond of Fiona.
There had been a moment when he had dreamt of her in that blue dress stretched out like a cat waiting for him in his bed. That perhaps he would pursue her as a mate. However, when he learned of her father’s position and her pack, that dream crumbled to ashes.
She was the daughter of a man he hated and would have his revenge. Alexander was a patient man, and good things came to those that waited. However, the sting of grief would always remain when he recalled the news of his mother’s death on the battlefield at Tamarac because of Fiona’s father.
Kayden pulled up to the hotel. “If you’re going to marry Fiona, you should give her a chance to prove herself without the shadow of her father cast over her.”
Alexander impatiently waved his hand, causing Kayden to sigh and stop speaking.
Alexander sat in the car for a long time, thinking about his next move. Coming home to the palace was a risk for him, and now he would be bringing Fiona and his child. Before taking Fiona to the palace, he had to clear some obstacles.
“Kayden, my false and insincere stepmother must have been waiting for me for a long time. It is time to go home and see my family. Take me to the palace.”
Fiona
For the past few days, I hadn’t heard any word from Alexander about coming to take me to the palace. Initially, my father had been trying to please me because of Alexander’s connections, hoping I could help him gain some benefits.
However, my father’s expression hardened as the days passed without news. I began to wonder if Alexander would come for me at all.
My brother Liam smugly claimed that I must have been abandoned because someone like Alexander could not be interested in someone as cold as me.
I ignored his snarky comments. I knew it was because of Father’s neglect towards him these few days. His rude behavior did little to stop me from making him study the finance charts of our recent investments.
If he was going to take over the pack, he had to understand how to invest and create more capital in times of hardship. Liam wasn’t happy with the prospect of managing the finances with Father watching his every calculation.
I knew Liam was nervous about stepping into my role. Yet it was meant to be and would be whether he wanted to be Alpha or not. So, Liam took every opportunity to criticize me.
“Father, what is this large deposit of money from the Blue Moon pack for?” I said, strolling into his office. He sat behind a large cherry wood desk leaning back in his chair. Papers were in his hand. He looked unhappy about something. He waved me closer.
“What was that? Money from the Blue Moon pack? Let me see.”
He slipped on his glasses and glanced at the bank statement I handed him.
“What are all these withdrawals? The money is almost gone,” I questioned. “Why are we borrowing money? Was this a loan for something? Is everything okay?”
He handed the paper back to me. “It is nothing?”
“Father, this isn’t nothing.”
He waved his hand and then studied me. “Did you hear that Baron lost his position as the heir of the Blue Moon Pack because he still wants to marry that Omega, Lily?”
I held no expression. I wasn’t happy that Baron held no value for me as Luna, but he deserved to be happy, and if he was willing to toss everything away for love, it was his choice. It just wasn’t something that often happened among the nobles. Most knew their place and what was expected.
“No, I had not heard.”
“The newly appointed heir, Baron’s cousin, Seth, has a grudge against him from their youth and is looking for reasons to send him to prison.”
“How terrible. Where will he and Lily go?”
Her father turned to look out the large window behind him, then shrugged. “It is not our worry.”
The phone rang on the desk, and father answered it. A man stepped up behind me as I retreated, blocking my path. Father blinked at the man, and fear took hold of his expression. The phone slipped from his fingers and hit the desk. The man was lean and tall, with short black hair. I didn’t recognize him. The man bowed and entered the room.
“I think my timing is just right to hear you talking about my cousin.”
I peered down the hall. How had this man entered our home without being announced?
“Who are you, sir?” I asked, moving closer to my father, ensuring I had space to shift into my wolf if needed.
The man walked around the room, admiring the many bookshelves and books. “Your father knows why I am here. Don’t you?”
Father hung up the phone and stammered. “Seth.”
“Your father has borrowed a large amount of money from the Blue Moon pack in good faith for your and Baron’s wedding. But here we are. Me,” he pointed to himself and then to me. “You. No Baron. No wedding.”
I lifted my chin, trying to take it all in and understand what was happening.
“I never got all of the money,” Father cried. “Baron took half.”
“Yes, he did because he knew he would not marry your daughter. He knew his position would be lost.” The man bowed again. “To me. Baron tried to screw me and weaken my pack. But that will not happen. I am smarter than him and stronger.”
“I’m here to collect the money you borrowed. And you will pay it in full. It is not my problem that you split it with Baron. The debt is in your name only. You have two days. Otherwise, I will see you in Werewolf Court.”
Father panicked. “I don’t have that much in liquid assets.” He walked over to Seth and pleaded with him in a low voice.
Seth laughed dryly and walked out. “Two days,” he said, disappearing.
Anger swallowed me. “How could you do this to our pack? How could you ruin everything Grandfather worked for.”
‘Two days, how could I possibly come up with such a large sum of money!’ Father slumped to the ground, rubbing his hair into a mess.
Seeing him in despair, I suppressed the anger in my heart and quickly thought of all the possible solutions to the problem, but to my despair, I found that I was almost powerless in such a short period of time.
‘Wait…there’s one person, one person who can help us!’ Father looked up with a manic glint in his eyes. ‘Go find Alpha Alexander, he’s your fiancé, and you have his child. As long as you ask him, he will definitely help us!’
Father squeezed out a pleading smile and urged me to go to Alexander. I took a deep breath and turned my head away.
“Alexander will never help us. Did you not hear him at the wedding? ”
I knew deep down that even though I was soon to become Alexander’s wife, our relationship was purely a contractual marriage. He wouldn’t be willing to come up with such a large sum of money for me. My father was destined to be disappointed this time.
“If you do not help resolve this matter, I will have to sell assets and lose everything. Your Grandfather will be thrown out of the nursing home.”
Anger rose fast, and my wolf almost took hold of me. How dare he threaten Grandfather. I didn’t want to see the pack my grandfather had worked so hard to build destroyed by my father.
I looked at my phone and hesitated for a long time before finally dialing Alexander’s number.
