Chapter 15: Alexandria: Family

–Alexandria–

The dresses were all hand-made by Ophelia. I don’t know the designer, and I just realized that it’s under the Veyron company. The Ophelia Collections. Lia made sure that I wore a black one for this meeting. Formal and professional, with a top that almost looked like a trench coat and an A-line skirt. There were beautiful embroidered red petals of roses on the skirts.

By the library, there’s a table in the middle of the room, a fancy chandelier, and hundreds of shelves stacked beautifully. The shelves are from the floor to the ceiling. If you’ve been in a national library, it was way bigger. Types of paintings that I think cost more. If I was correct, these paintings were original and collected over centuries. They were in good condition. If I were to sell it, I think it’ll cost more than I expected.

I focused on the sofa where the guy, the one who saved me, is sleeping on the sofa, hugging a pink teddy bear like a baby. I think his name is Demetri.

“Sylus,” Mr. Veyron, whose name I don’t know yet, called out to someone, and I gasped when Sy sat with me, effortlessly, just appeared.

“Sy?” I asked.

“Hey, Mom. You are home.” He kissed my cheek and hugged me and Lia nearly tight.

“Sy~” Lia pushed his face.

“Wait,” I pushed him too. “Your boss is him.” I pointed at Mr. Veyron.

Sy only grinned.

“Alexandria, meet our kids.” He gestured. “You already met Ophelia,” He gestured to Lia. Ophia? “Our firstborn, Demetrius.” He gestured to Demetrius. “Then, Sylus.”

Sylus was still grinning.

“No.” I shook my head.

“No?” Mr. Veyron asked, cocking his head, puzzled.

“They are not mine, but your kids! How old are they?”

“Old enough.” He shrugged. “They are our children, my love.”

“I’m twenty! I did not remember getting pregnant, and I am not that old to have grown-up kids.” I pointed at Demetrius, who woke up from my accusations, or rather, statements. “They are not mine.”

Sylus kept on laughing while throwing pillows toward Demetrius.

Mr. Veyron sighed like he was already stressed to have a childish and stupid fiancée, which is me.

“Mom, it’s true. We are your children.” Sylus muttered, and Demetrius threw a pillow right at his face.

“Shut up, will you?” He grumbled at Sylus as he sat up. “Alright, Alexandria. We are Maximus’s children.” Now, this guy sounded so reasonable and mature.

“He’s Maximus?” I asked, pointing at their father, who looks too young to be their father.

“Yes,” Demetrius nodded.

“Maxim is a better name, though,” I said as they all stopped and stared at me.

I looked down at Lia.

“What?”

“Yes, my love. Call me that.” Mr. Veyron, who is now Maxim, smiled at me softly.

How can he still look so dangerously good-looking? I can’t call him cute. He’s smiling at me seductively. Well, at least that’s what I know. All of his types of smile would look seductive.

“Alright, go on.” I gestured to Demetrius as Sy snickered.

“So, you’ll be married to him in a few weeks. Technically, you’ll be our mother.”

“Step-young mom,” I murmured as Sy didn’t hold that laughter anymore.

“So, mom…” Demetrius continues.

“No, please don’t call me that.”

“But, you are our Mamá.” Lia looked up at me with those puppy eyes.

“Lia can call me that, but not those grown-ups.”

“Ouch.” Sy dramatically clutched his chest.

Demetrius also had a dramatic look, throwing his head back.

Lia snuggled into my chest while Maxim stared at me, his eyes wandering over my chest. What is he thinking?

“So, since we are here.” Demetrius stammered as he rubbed his forehead. “I kept forgetting things.” He looked at his father. “Are we going to kill ‘that guy’?”

“What guy?” I snapped, thinking that they must be talking about Vince. “Are you talking about my cousin?”

They were silent.

“Do you want us to get rid of him?” Maxim asked as I shook my head.

“What the hell is wrong with you?”

I realized that I have a child with me, so I covered her ears.

“Mom,” Demetrius raised his hand. “Hold your horses. It’s not Vince that I’m referring to.” He sighed.

“Okay,”

I put my hand back around Lia’s arms.

“Don’t call me, Mom.” I hissed. “I’m twenty, and what are you? A thousand years old?”

Demetrius grinned.

“I gave up,” He said and stood. “Mother, you have to know that there are people who want to hurt, and that includes your family. My siblings and I will eliminate any threats, and if that also includes your favorite cousin, Vince.”

He had this sly, unhinged smile.

“Vince did nothing.” I looked at Maxim, waiting for his support on this. But hey, who am I to have that support? He’s the one who set this up. This entire marriage arrangement that I didn’t agree with and it was made when I just came out of hell on Earth.

“Oh, my love.” Maxim chuckled. “You had no idea what he is, right?”

I frowned at him.

“He took you to the Blood Moon pack. He’s part of that pack; his mother is the Alpha’s eldest sister. He’s a hybrid. Do you have an idea that your blood can make them all go crazy? He literally took you to a place where you might die. And I won’t let that happen again.”

Happened, again? Wait? Has this happened before? They speak to me like they know me, and it's weird enough. It also made my head throb.