Chapter 27

The chatter had stopped abruptly as soon as the four of them had entered, and there was an expectant hush that filled the room, broken only by a few quiet rumblings that may have been either growls or purrs.

Hu Yetao swallowed; he certainly didn't feel very welcome, but then, these people had a lot to lose if they couldn't trust him.

Oscar stuck close to his side, hand firmly clasping Hu Yetao's as they approached the long table on the dais.

Xiaocheng and Shui Xian both bowed their heads to the table in deferential greeting to the Board before stepping aside to stand on either side of Hu Yetao and Oscar.

Hu Yetao finally got his first look at the Board members themselves. There were five in all, and he knew that they were all full-blooded Nundu. There were two females and three males sitting on the Board. Hu Yetao's gaze swept across the five figures staring back at him, his eyes lingering on one of the females who appeared to be heavily pregnant.

Out of the corner of his eye, Hu Yetao caught Oscar bowing his head in greeting and he quickly copied, putting as much respect as he could muster into the action.

"Good evening Wangs," the elder gentleman in the center greeted with a brief smile. He had kind eyes which creased congenially when he smiled. "Good evening Mr. Yetao, it is an honor to finally meet you."

Some low grumblings from the crowd superseded his words.

Hu Yetao forced a smile, feeling his cheeks heat self-consciously. "Good evening members of the Board," he replied with a respectful nod.

"I am Xiu Silong, the Chair of this Board," he continued amiably, then glanced to the end of the table. "I shall introduce the other members of our Board; there on the end is Ying Ting."

Hu Yetao nodded at the man who had dark hair streaked with grey. Mr. Ting nodded in return but did not smile.

"He is our second-longest-running Board member after me," Mr. Silong said. "Next to Ying Ting is Su Maike."

This was the pregnant Nundu and Hu Yetao nodded at her with a tentative smile. The blonde woman merely narrowed her eyes as she slid one hand over her protruding belly, as though trying to shield it from his eyes.

Mr. Silong indicated the young man seated next to her. "This young lad is Luo Kan, who joined the Board in place of his father late last year."

"Mr. Luo," Hu Yetao greeted with another polite nod.

The angry, heated glare he received in return made him want to shrink behind Oscar. He quickly looked to the last Board member, the only other female.

"And this is Yong Dong," Mr. Silong introduced and the older woman nodded courteously. She didn't smile but she also didn't look hostile like some of the others.

"Pleased to meet you all," Hu Yetao said as graciously as he could muster under the circumstances. He hated being the center of attention but he also hated formalities and treating people as though they were better than others, no matter their social standing or professional position. He held his tongue and behaved as well-mannered as he could manage though because this was vital to a peaceful life with his mate.

Xiu Silong folded his hands on top of the table and leaned forwards. "Now gentlemen," he began with a dry chuckle, gazing down upon them both. "The clan has been in quite the bother over the two of you because this mateship was not approved in advance, and, of course, that young Mr. Oscar has aligned himself with someone so famous as his mate."

Oscar bowed his head then looked back up at the Board Chair. "That was my doing Mr. Silong, and I apologize for my haste in choosing a mate and divulging our most closely guarded secret to him without your blessing first, but please know that Hu Yetao was not aware that I had acted out of accordance with our laws."

Mr. Silong smiled at Oscar, and Hu Yetao was strongly reminded of Shen Baoping at that moment. Mr. Silong looked at Oscar with that same indulgent, fatherly expression that Hu Yetao used to receive from the late Headmaster.

"I am interested to know how this pairing came about Oscar."

Hu Yetao looked at his mate and was met with warm brown eyes before Oscar turned back to Mr. Silong.

"There isn't much to tell," Oscar explained forthrightly. "We were both drawn to each other from the start of term. Hu Yetao kept his Omega status a secret until he questioned my feelings one night and I confessed that I felt compelled to be with him, to protect him. He confessed the same and… here we are. There was no question of wanting to be with each other - exclusively and indefinitely."

Hu Yetao couldn't help but smile a little, stomach fluttering happily, repressing the distinct urge to bury his face in Oscar's neck and kiss his warm skin. He settled for giving his mate's hand a soft squeeze instead. Oscar instantly returned the gentle pressure.

"I must say it was quite the surprise," Mr. Silong replied before turning to Oscar's parents. "And were you both aware of the rather rash actions of your son?"

Xiaocheng cleared his throat before answering. "He brought Mr. Yetao to our home, introducing him as his mate, so yes we were aware of his intentions before the publication of that article."

"And do you believe he will be a suitable mate for your only son?" Mr. Silong asked with interest, his gaze thankfully turning to Shui Xian.

She gave a single nod, smiling reverently. "Yes, I believe Mr. Yetao to be a perfect match for my son. Not only is he a powerful wizard and an Omega with an immense capacity for caring, but I also do not doubt that he will look after my son to his fullest extent."

Xiu Silong nodded in approval before glancing at the other members of the Board. "Our Board has some questions for you, of course, so we shall start with Mr. Ying Ting."

Hu Yetao turned to look at the older man with the grey-streaked hair and waited, teeth gnawing nervously at his bottom lip. He knew a lot was riding on his answers and he had never considered himself a very articulate bloke at the best of times. He reminded himself that Oscar thought him to be charming to strangers and desperately held on to that belief.

"Yes." Mr. Ying shifted in his seat, gaze flicking between Hu Yetao and Oscar. "I am concerned that the ever-present media attention on Mr. Yetao will lead to the discovery of our people. Journalists are persistent and not below sinking to underhanded means to get what they want, these types of people will now be following Mr. Yetao and the Wang family around for a significant amount of time - especially once Mr. Yetao falls pregnant. How do you propose to counteract this to preserve our secret?"