7. Settling Up

Liam POV:

I reached for the keys and took the cuffs off of her wrist. She was also using a different bracelet.

I didn't record she was wearing it when we met, I was so lost in the moment.

"I will mind-link someone to pick us up. Come with me, we have to take care of her and then we can talk." That was what Alpha Randall said, startling me.

His eyes changed a few shades of color, he was mind-linking to someone.

And I noticed my eyes opened wide and my face frowned in confusion. I was expecting a long hesitancy but I just nodded and did as he asked. He was clearly in pain and fearful about his daughter, just like I was.

I lifted her up bridal style, she was sleeping trying to recover her energy.

I saw a strong, dark blonde-haired man with blue eyes approaching us on our way out of the building.

"Alpha." He bowed down to Randall and his eyes went wide after seeing Alice with my shirt around her, covered with blood. He clearly recognized her, weird. Was he the Alpha's Beta?

"Henry, I won't make it to the Royal Pack's meeting today. There's so much going on, I need you to bring Dr Susan to see Alice at the pack house, she's hurt, we're on our way, she's the best doctor and the only one I can trust right now."

"Right away, Sir." He turned his back, shifted to a big grey wolf and rushed away.

"I can call some healers but I need your permission to teleport them", I suggested.

"Absolutely not. Just to be clear, I don't trust you or anyone, mate or not. The only reason I let you live today is because she's been through a lot already, tomorrow is another day and I'll see what I'll do with you." He said, dryly, as he opened a car's back door that wasn't there before, maybe the other man drove it there.

I didn't reply to him. I was worried about Alice and having her next to me now is also calming my dragon, Alec.

I'm not going to leave her side ever again. I got in the car and closed the door. I placed Alice carefully on my lap, her head was resting on my shoulder as I held her like never wanting to let her go, whilst a naked Randall got into the driver's seat and drove our way to the pack house.

When we got there, I still carefully got out of the back seat with Alice and entered the pack house.

Randall pointed his head to the sofa in the living room, but not in a snotty way. I laid her down on her side, caring so she didn't lay on her injured back.

I sat on the floor next to her and stared at her face. She frowned as our skin lost contact.

I held her hands again and it calmed both of us down. I could swear I saw a slight smile on her face and I stood there while my other hand caressed her head and hair ever so softly praying to the Goddess that she wakes up soon.

Randall POV:

This man wasn't a werewolf. What was he?

Not that I cared at all, but I had to know. I was carefully watching his every step, but he was so lost in the moment that it was like I wasn't there at all.

I saw his painful face. He was very worried about my daughter.

Shadow relaxed a little too after I confirmed that they were actually mates when she frowned when their skin lost contact and how relaxed she seemed when their skin contacted again.

I wouldn't keep them separated; the mates' pulls are usually very strong.

I could never do it to my daughter, doesn't matter how much I dislike the idea, I'm not a complete monster, actually I am.

But not at all when it came to her and she'd never forgive me. It was bad enough to keep her locked up inside the pack house, but I must protect her. I couldn't lose her and I wasn't ready at all to tell my secret…at least not yet. I might wait a little bit more.

I couldn't remind myself of ever feeling so intense when I was with my mate, but I could see they actually meant it and that was the confirmation I needed.

"I'll take a quick shower now. Watch her. I'll be right back." I said, and he looked back at me confused and nodded.

'What now?' I thought, looking at his confused expression.

I entered the bathroom and when I looked at myself in the mirror, I noticed that I was still naked and almost covered with blood.

When I finished showering, Henry mind-linked me.

"Alpha, I'm bringing Dr Susan but about the Royal Pack's meeting…well…" he said, hesitating.

"What about it?" I encouraged him. I'm not in the mood for fighting anymore.

"Well, the Royal service said that we cannot skip for whatever reasons."

"What the fuck…what does it mean? Will they force an Alpha to attend a useless meeting that its purpose is for wild wolves to get drunk with Wolfcraig only?" I tried not to growl but I couldn't help it. I guess my mood is back again.

"Forgive me, Sir. They also mentioned that if you don't come, they will come here and take you themselves." My Beta warned me again.

"Henry, get Dr Susan here and get ready, we'll leave in a couple of hours then. I've got to find out what, in the deepest pit of the Underworld, is going on there. This is not a regular behavior of theirs. Let them know we will go, but we will be late."

It all seemed very undue, mind connections cut out in my own pack, the royal pack demanding my presence at the meeting, something was wrong.

The weirdo seemed like a good man and ever since he happened to be my daughter's mate, he may keep on some duties already.

I didn't trust him yet and I had to discover everything about him, but as mates, I was sure he would protect her with his life. That's the good thing about the bond and that's exactly what I need right now.

I got dressed properly, got some clothes and placed them in the guest's room and when I entered the living room, he was still in the same position.

"I have to go to the Royal Pack meetings or else they'll come here for me. I can't let it happen for Alice's safety. Do you think you can stay for a couple of days watching her until I get back?"

"Of course, I don't intend to leave her ever again." He said. What a motherfucker. My chest slightly growled and my eyes were glowing, Shadow was on the surface feeling challenged.

"What is your name?"

"Liam."

"Well Liam, just to be clear, she won't go anywhere with you yet. Don't you think I noticed you aren't a werewolf and my instincts are jingling saying you're hiding a lot more about it. What were you doing in my pack? For how long were you mates? Have you mated my daughter yet? If you happen to be with her, we will have to settle some things up, you hear? If you want to impress me, call me before I get back saying that Alice is awake and fine." I said as I slammed a card with my number on the glass table in the living room and my fingers dragged the card slowly to his side.

I wanted to know everything but we were running out of time and I wanted to heal Alice before getting into the annoying stuff, like this stupid meeting wasn't annoying enough.

"You're right! There are many things I haven't shared. We met this same morning about 3 hours ago and we hadn't mated yet. We were just talking when the alarm system rang. Alice got desperate and ordered me to leave. I didn't want to distress her and I pretended I'd left but I was hidden and when I turned around to see her, she wasn't there anymore. That's why I was in your pack. I was looking for her and I also don't trust you, but I trust Alice and I hate to admit it, but you're her father and you showed me today that you truly care for her safety. That's enough for me." This man has guts, I hated to admit that.

But I also frowned.

"The same here, but did you say the alarm system rang?" I asked.

How come I couldn't hear it with my high sense of hearing?

Nobody mind-linked me and I was lost at that moment.

I needed to get to the bottom of it and find out what happened.

"Yes, it did and in no time, the guards took her away", he replied.

"That's some weird shit, I'll have to investigate it. I hadn't heard a thing". I let him know and he was the one with a frowning face at that time.

"Many weird things seem to be happening. You're an Alpha, it's impossible for you not to heard it unless someone cast a spell on you or the pack", he stated. Of course, he didn't know about one of my powers. I'm immune to magic.

"How many days can you stay?" I asked him. Maybe I'll need someone looking after my daughter as I investigate it.

I wouldn't be able to be always around her at that point.

It's too dangerous and someone clearly seemed to find out about her already.

My chest growled.

"No one will ever get to touch my pup to hurt her", my wolf Shadow said in my mind and I agreed.

That was beyond any possibility.

I'd die before someone gets their filthy hands on my pup ever again or I'd kill whoever even tries to think about it.

"I can stay as long as you let me", he replied to me.

I exhaled in relief.

Shadow was relaxed, which means that he also trust this weirdo.

"All right. Now you go take a shower, I already put some clothes in the guest room." I pointed to the door and continued; "I don't want you to scare her with blood stink when she wakes up". I gushed.

We just nodded at each other. He stood up and did as I told him, sneaking a last peek at Alice.

Meanwhile, I took care of my pup, waiting for him to shower, her safety was our priority and we wouldn't talk about anything else right now.

I knelt down and ran my fingers through her hair.

"Don't worry, pup. I'll get to the bottom of it. I hadn't done all I did in the past for you to get hurt now", I whispered before I kissed her forehead in reassurance.