ONE NIGHT WITH MY EX'S FATHER

FAMILY TIES

ALARIC'S POV

A whole week had passed since my father's visit and as much as I wished we had put it all behind us, we hadn't.

In fact, the entire week had taken us to hell and back.

The minute my father left my residence, the entire town knew about Malia and I’s relationship.

I was never able to wrap my head around how fast news spread in town, but right now, we were at the town's mercy.

But I didn't care. I had spent every evening after work in the dining room of my father's residence in a bid to receive his blessings but he had been anything but understanding, listing everything I stood to lose from this marriage instead. And every time he made one new observation, I was getting closer to my wits end.

“I think you're yet to get over your complicated separation from Nina and you're using her as…arm candy for whenever Nina might return so you'd get an advantage or whatever over her. I don't believe you're actually in love with that harlot's daughter, I know you're better than that, son. I see it now!” My father exclaimed proudly.

The fork and knife in my hand left my hand and clattered noisily on the plate. This was definitely the last straw.

Of all the bizarre things he had said since meeting Malia, I'd never expected he would imagine that Malia was nothing to me. I felt disgusted at how he didn't even see her as a full human being.

I got up from my chair with rage and pointed at him.

“You…are unworthy of the people you ruled! And just because you sit in your high and mighty chair and wave your fingers and these people respond to your whims at every point in time, does not and will never give you as much of a pure heart and wisdom as Malia has! I will marry the love of my life and that's final! I don't give two f***s about your opinions or the opinions of anyone in this damn town at all!” I screamed in his face.

“You will do no such thing!” He called after me as I stormed away.

I stopped. Then I turned my head to have a glimpse of his face.

“Watch me”.

…

I heaved a sigh, standing in front of the door to my house.

I didn't know how I was going to tell Malia what she'd expected from the onset.

Earlier in the week when I made known my intention to her to appeal to my father's conscience, she had already accepted her fate.

I didn't like that she had given up so easily and I was determined to make her see she was worthy enough to fight for us.

Now I was going to look like a fool for fighting for us.

I walked inside to the image of my son, Kurt, confronting a rather solemn Malia.

I hated that she had always accommodated all his excesses, but now I could tell that the guilt eating her up was the most contributing factor to her silence.

“Kurt! What are you doing here?!” I demanded his attention.

The two of them turned to face me, Malia taken back, and Kurt…well, unfazed or just good at hiding his shock.

He began taking a few strides to where I stood.

“So it's true?” He started.

My facial expression remained blank and uninterested.

He was the least of my problems, especially since I'd had to pay off a few media houses from granting my father interviews, while still trying to win my father's blessings in the same week.

“You've heard. Good. I raised you better than to ask foolish questions, son” I countered.

“No! You raised me to go after my ex girlfriends it seems! What is the meaning of all of this? My social climb has increased and my gates are crowded every morning because someone leaked that Malia was my ex and my female fans think I ‘arrange’ girls for you. They all see you as an easily accessible Alpha which is just another word for worthless Alpha! Why are you doing this, dad?!” Kurt demanded, his right fist banging on the wall.

“Your ex-girlfriend…right? I didn't go after her while you were still in your little ‘agreement’ did I?” I asked him.

He could not hide his shock this time and his eyes grew wider.

“Of course I know. I have eyes everywhere and you tend to forget how influential I am” I added, a grin forming on my face.

I stepped forward to close the gap between us, placing my right hand on his left shoulder.

He shrugged, trying to make my hand slip but I planted it firmly on his shoulder for emphasis.

“You and all your female fans can go to hell and back and take my name along to ruin it even further…but it won't change the single fact that Malia will be my Luna in just weeks. You are welcome to sit and watch it all unfold or try to be rebellious and give your fans more to poke into which will still come back to bite you. I'd prefer the second option. After all, what's life without a little drama?”.

I patted his shoulder twice and walked down to where Malia stood and I knew nothing I would say would make sense in her already shaken state.

I would have to speak with the house staff on the intensive privacy Malia and I would require in the weeks leading up to our marriage.

But first, I pulled her into a hug, planting a kiss on her forehead.

She eased into my touch and my wolf was pleased.

Then I held her face up to meet my taller gaze and kissed her intensely, a slight moan escaping her lips.

I drew my lips away, leaving her wanting more.

Then my focus returned to a shocked Kurt who merely stood watching us.

“What if we take a bath together, lay in bed, and see where the rest of the day takes us, pumpkin?” I whispered in her ear.

Her ears stood and her cheeks flushed terribly.

“I love the sound of that, Alpha” she whispered back in a seductive tone.

I lifted her up to her utmost shock and carried her all the way to my wing, her laughter echoing in the walls.

This was everything she deserved over and over, and no one including my father and son, were going to tell me otherwise.