Klaus
For the past twenty-four years of my life, I never slept peacefully and never woke up with a wide smile on my face.
Taking a quick hot shower, I dressed in a black hoodie and joggers before shifting to let Todd take a stroll.
“You selfish bastard, it’s not for me,” Todd complained, pointing out my thoughts and I giggled at his infantile behavior.
He inferred that I wanted to reach the packhouse as soon as possible as I was so interested in today’s training. “As if you don’t want to see our mate or not dream about our mate,” I pouted, knowing my wolf very well.
Todd always hopped in my mind and wagged his tail whenever Scarlett’s skin came into contact with mine. He loved her touch, the husky big bad wolf blushed like a puppy because of our mate.
Though most of the Alphas lived in their packhouse, we lived in our separate villa to have privacy as many pack families lived in the packhouse in harmony and my father didn’t want to live with the pack members without any rank.
An Alpha should treat all the pack members equally and like a father. That’s what the history books taught us, Alphas weren’t any kinds of Kings, they were just a leader of their packs. However, the case was different for the Alpha King and the Lycans.
“What kind of absurd action have you taken, Klaus?” My father mind-linked me. I knew it would happen sooner or later. After announcing to the public, the news will spread like a conflagration.
“The right thing, father,” I cut him short and suspended the mind-link before he could argue with me further.
The moment I reached the packhouse, all the pack members gaped at me in astonishment and murmured something to the others who were along with them. It astounded me, they always smiled at me and nodded their head at me but this time, it seemed like they were looking at me with scornful gazes.
“Brother-” Jenna’s worried voice rang through the mind-link.
Before she could finish her words, the Lamborghinis pulled up in front of the packhouse. Alpha Harold climbed out of his car followed by his whole family and Beta. The plan worked, they got the information sooner than I expected.
I wondered how they could get to know what happened in the club, in my pack to be factual. That led me to just one thing, there was someone who was giving our pack’s information to the Dark Moon Pack, confirming my doubts.
“Alpha Harold,” I said politely, giving a short nod.
He nodded his head, observing me with his serious face. I nodded my head in acquaintance with the former Alpha-Xavier Forbes.
“Alpha Klaus,” Amber bowed her head, following her royal rituals. Returning the bow, I avoided meeting her eyes.
Averting my eyes from her, I peered at the pack members who were looking our way. “I’m not the Alpha yet,” I cleared my throat.
“Pardon me?” Selena asserted with a tight-lipped smile on her face. “Seems like you weren’t taught how to treat a lady, especially when it’s your fiancee.” I understood her sarcasm very well but I wasn’t in the mood of taking shit from anybody.
“Mother, please,” Amber muttered, pressing her mother’s hand. "I fancy simple life and simple people."
“I apologize, Lady Forbes,” I bowed my head. “We don’t belong to a royal family, we’re very simple people who don’t believe in formalities,” I retorted to her taunt and Todd smirked in my mind, appreciating my savage side.
“You a-” Alex, Amber’s brother tried to charge at me and I was so ready for this but their Beta came between us and he took him away from us while Harold and Xavier stared at me with unpleasant eyes.
I mind-linked Jenna as her voice got interrupted by the arrival of Forbes and I couldn’t hear anything. “Jenny, I couldn’t hear your last message. Forbes are here so come to the packhouse along with everyone else.”
The next moment, I found my family walking toward us with fake smiles on their faces. The worry was plastered on their faces. Jenna’s guilty face told me that she had sent me the message of Forbes’ arrival.
I smiled at them to assure them that everything will be fine. As soon as they came closer, I excused myself and departed to the locker room to search for Scarlett. I had to tell her everything now before she could get to know the truth from someone else. I wanted to tell her last night but I didn’t want to spoil that moment.
After a long time, I had found her real smile returning to my mate's face, similar to the one I saw in her pack that night.
“Brother,” Jenna’s distraught voice made me halt in my steps and I swiveled my head to see her weeping. “They said that if you won’t carry your word, they’ll destroy us to teach all the packs a lesson to be a man of his words.” She broke into sobs which broke my heart.
“Shush Jenny. I’m here, nothing wrong will happen. Calm down, sissy," I assured her, comforting her by pulling her in a hug. “I’ll take care of everything, Jenny. I need you to trust me.”
Grabbing her arms, I made her look at me and wiped her face. “I promise you that nothing bad will happen,” I said, patting her hands. “Now, smile.”
A small smile appeared on her lips, relieving my pained heart. Sending her back, I checked everywhere in the locker room but Scarlett was nowhere to be found.
I stopped in my tracks when a suppressed whisper fell in my ears, “Alpha Harold, the Alpha King came here after finding Klaus’s mate, that means it wasn’t just a rumor. Alpha Klaus is betrothed to the Alpha King’s daughter.”
Another voice replied, “that might be the case but we don’t know the truth. Do you think that if Klaus would have been engaged to Dark Moon Pack’s Alpha’s daughter, Alpha Elbert wouldn’t have shown it off?”
The people were making guesses about my life and I couldn’t feel more discouraged to live a life where nothing was private.
“Your Alpha commands you to present in the packhouse’s hall right now,” my father used his Alpha voice to command me via mind-link and I had no choice left but to go back to those people who ruined my life and happiness.
As soon as I entered the room, I found our Beta Greg standing beside my father and my grandpa sitting next to Xavier.
I was worried about Scarlett, I needed to tell her about my mess. I have to.
“Why don’t you sit with dear Amber, honey?” My mother suggested, her eyes pleading for me to follow her advice.
Clenching my fists together, I sat beside Amber but didn’t bother to look at her. I had seen her in the past, she was a wonderful girl with honey straight hair and icy blue eyes. Her skin was whiter than mine, in every way, she was better than me.
I remembered her face and eyes, she was an innocent girl trapped in this engagement just like me. It wasn’t her fault either so I never disrespected her or behaved rudely with her. It’s just that I never felt attracted to her because we weren’t mates.
Amber was beautiful and an innocent girl who must have turned into a woman now yet I avoided looking at her. I felt nothing for her so I didn’t want to even look at her. I remembered our childhood memories when we didn’t understand this engagement set up and played with each other like friends.
“They look good together, don’t they?” My mother smiled at us, looking Selena’s way, hoping for her affirmation.
Selena flashed her fake smile. “My daughter is so beautiful, isn’t she?” She didn’t wait for my mother’s reply and continued, “we’re getting many calls for her hand but look at us, here we are.” She sighed sadly.
Xavier cleared his throat and drew everyone’s attention, silencing everyone. “Klaus, I would like to know your intentions regarding my granddaughter since you have found your mate.” With his words, the room’s silence turned into tension.
I aimed to stand up from the sofa but Amber clasped my arm and mouthed please so I took my seat again beside her though her behavior was anything but incongruous.