An Alpha's Dark Secret

Chapter 4: Dinner

-Madeleine-

It was still a little early for dinner, so instead she brought me to a big living room. It was bigger than ours with seating areas at both ends of it, two fireplaces, two TVs, a pool table in the middle and a bar. I knew I looked kind of funny, as I took it all in, but it was quite amazing. While the castle looked dark and mysterious on the outside, this room was lighter, with golden spirals on the white walls and beautiful pictures on the ceiling. It was true artwork, and I, as a painter, all I could do was hope I would one day be talented enough to do such detailed work.

“So, you are the brave sister we have heard so much about?” a tall and scary looking female said.

She was standing behind one of the couches, her hands grabbing the back of it, as she watched me with her beautiful silver eyes. Wow, I was ready to run just from one look from her. She did not look like someone you wanted to mess with.

“Maddy,” Kate said and nudged me. “The queen is speaking to you.”

Sorry … the queen?! So, this was the mysterious queen the king had chosen instead of the beautiful and high-status Selene Wilson? I was suddenly lost for words, as the female watched me with a small smile. What did you say to the queen exactly? Hello, just seemed to sound strange in my head, but then everyone’s attention was brought to a baby suddenly starting to cry.

“Sorry about that!” Another female said. “She must be hungry.”

I recognized her immediately. It was Selene, who was now mated to the king’s brother, and who had given birth to twins. She sat in front of the queen on the couch. Were these two … friends? She had a small baby girl in her arms, while another female held the small boy beside her. She had dark hair like the queen and olive-colored skin. She was rather small and reminded me a little of Kate. Beside her sat a very tall male with dark hair as well, and an arm around her, holding her close. They had to be mates.

Selene started to feed her baby as everyone turned their attention back to me. I felt myself gulp, as everyone looked at me. I knew a few people were missing, some of the females here didn’t have males at their side. The queen, for one.

“Have you lost your voice?” Kate whispered in my ear.

“Sorry … what?” I asked and looked at my sister.

She looked at me worried, as if she could not understand why I had been so quiet. Had she forgotten I was the quiet one?

“Are you okay, Maddy?” she asked.

I quickly nodded, before turning back to the queen who was still watching me.

“I wouldn’t say brave,” I said. “I just tried to be like my sister.”

She smiled at my words, slowly nodding, yet I could feel Kate’s eyes on me. She most likely wanted to tell me I was wrong, but I did not want to discuss it.

“Come, let us sit,” Chris said.

We sat down on the big couches. Kate beside me and Chris on her right, and then I was introduced to everyone. At least the ones in this room. Garrett, the king’s beta, was here. I was told he was mated to a human Lily, who was with Rider, the king’s brother, at the moment, in the underground hospital going over some procedures or something like that. Damian and Isabella were the couple on the other side of us, with the little boy, Ryker. Selene beside them and the queen behind her, watching over her. They really were friends, I thought. The queen was like a tiger ready to attack, should anyone be any sort of threat to Selene or her small daughter.

“So, really, Maddy, tell me how is it back home? Does mom really leave you alone?” Kate suddenly asked.

Everyone watched me intensely. It seemed like they all knew the abuse Kate and I had endured, and now I was alone with my mother. I understood why she was scared, but she didn’t have to. My mother wasn’t the same and didn’t hurt me anymore. I turned my eyes to Lucian, who had placed himself at the bar, waiting for an answer as well. While he had come by to check on me, his visits were short, and he definitely made sure to avoid his aunt.

“I am fine,” I said and turned to Kate. “Mom just spends her time with her martinis mostly.”

It didn’t really make Kate happy to hear, and I understood. Being all alone wasn’t very fun, but it was nice I didn’t always have to walk around on the very tip of my toes so she wouldn’t hear me coming.

“Are you sure? Because you know you don’t have to stay there if you don’t want to,” Kate said and took my hand.

I smiled kindly at her, so happy about the fact she still wanted to protect me, but it was time she focused on herself and her mate. I could take care of myself, and soon there would be an ocean between us anyway.

“Really, I am okay,” I said.

“You promise me?”

“Kate! Really.”

She didn’t seem to want to let this go. She still wanted to save me somehow, but I meant it when I said I didn’t want her to.

“How about we go eat some dinner?” The queen suggested, noticing the atmosphere changing.

We all nodded, before we went to get the rest and moved to the dining room. It was then I got a chance to truly meet everyone. Including the king. He was rather scary, as I stood in front of him, but he wasn’t exactly like I had imagined. I thought he would resemble my father in some way, but he didn’t. He was kind as he greeted me, actually acknowledging I existed. Rider and Lily were the same, both smiling as they said hello before taking their seats by their mates’ sides. I said hello to another male who didn’t seem to have a mate. His name was James, and while he kindly greeted me, there was something about him … a sadness maybe. I couldn’t quite say. He hid it well.

I sat down beside Chris, who had Kate on his right and me on his left. He smiled at me, as I sat down beside him, and I smiled back, but just as we were all seated, the doors to the dining room opened and in came … my heart stopped in my chest, as I saw him. He had been real! The dark and mysterious male I had seen on the top of the stairs, who had been watching me so intensely, came inside and sat down … right in front of me. I swallowed hard, as his eyes shortly locked on me before looking away. Who was he?

“Evan, glad to see you could join us,” the king said.

Evan …

My wolf purred his name inside of my head, and I felt myself move slightly around in my seat. Was I having some kind of panic attack? While my heart had stopped at the sight of him, it was now beating like crazy in my chest, and while I wanted to just stare at him, I tried my best not to. He made me in some way nervous, but not in the usual way males made me nervous. While I felt fear in my heart, it mixed with excitement, becoming some strange feeling I had no way of describing. All I knew was … I wanted him to look at me. Which was very strange because I hated it when people looked at me. I liked to stay in the background where no one noticed me, but with this male … I wanted those dark and mysterious eyes to look at me.

“So, I hear you are going to England, Madeleine. When is that?” Selene suddenly asked me, pulling me from my thoughts.

I looked away from the mysterious male in front of me, who just focused on the drink in front of him, yet I felt his eyes move towards me, as Selene asked me her question.

“In a week,” I said.

I saw Kate’s smile fade away from my words, and she looked more than just sad. She looked almost heartbroken.

“Hunter will come here, and we will travel back together,” I told her.

“I hear Hunter Dayton isn’t just any alpha,” Selene said.

I nodded.

“He isn’t. At least if I read his information correctly.”

“He should be a distant relative of yours, right, my lord?” Selene asked.

The king nodded.

“Exactly how many distant relatives do you have out there, my lord?” his beta, Garrett joked. “First Xavier, then Zane and now this Hunter.”

“Please do not remind me of Zane and his connection to me,” the king said.

Everyone laughed at that, but I had no idea exactly who this Zane was.

“And just because he has pure enough blood to have yellow eyes, does not mean we are necessarily relatives. It just means he comes from a line of very pure-blooded wolves,” he said.

Yes, I remembered his eyes in the picture. Yellow like the kings, but even if they were, I knew his blood was still not as pure as the king’s. He was the last true blood left, that had not even the tiniest bit of evidence of any human blood in it. But because of Hunter’s yellow eyes, he was considered in some way a relative to the king, and that brought status with it.

“I still don’t think you should do it,” Kate said. “You don’t have to do this for me.”

“Of course, I do,” I said. “I see how happy you two are and Lucian too. You can both be together because father took his vote back, and he only did that because I will be Hunter’s mate.”

Kate sighed, knowing I was speaking the truth, but I did not regret my choice. I would do it again if I had to.

“I don’t even understand how you were able to contact him,” Chris said. “Weren’t you being watched?”

I nodded.

“Well, I might have … tied my sheets together to make a rope and then climbed down my window to the next floor, only to sneak inside my father’s office, which my mother had forgotten to lock, after she got his phone for him. And I might have “hacked” his computer and searched his office for any information about him,” I told him.

They all stared at me shocked, and I understood. It did not sound like something I would do, and I had surprised myself as well, but I did feel a bit proud of what I had accomplished, and it made me smile, as they all watched me. Chris was the first one to laugh after recovering from the shock of my little story, and he leaned closer, placing a hand on my shoulder and smiling proudly at me, which made me feel slightly embarrassed, but as the rest joined in on the laughing, it was all quickly quieted down, as a deep and threatening growling came from the other side of the table.