Chapter 22

The Lycan messenger did his job until he was attacked; someone grabbed him, breaking his neck. Noah, eyes flashing red, then dragged the body to the fire pit and burned it. Anthony needs to discover the message's contents; if the Lycan King learns Anthony is his son, it will cause significant problems for Anthony and his supposed to be his parents. Anthony's mother was killed by Samuel, who then removed the baby from her body and raised Anthony as his own, burying the mother's body in secret. Only his father, Samuel, knows the truth.

Entering his room, Anthony found Kathy asleep, the blanket pulled up to her chin, a picture of peaceful exhaustion after waiting for him. To avoid waking Kathy, he shut the balcony door, switched on the light, and shielded the lamp with his body. He opened the envelope to find a letter from the Lycan King, urgently summoning Anthony for a meeting. Since the Lycan King's kingdom is in Canada, he may have to leave Kathy alone, or bring her with him, though he doesn't trust his family. Opening the envelope, he removed the letter.

“Alpha Anthony, I've invited you to my kingdom to discuss your future.”

Staring at the letter, Anthony felt the bed shift. He glanced over his shoulder to see Kathy inching closer, a sleeping smile on her face. He stood up from the bed. To destroy the letter and keep its contents private, he burned it with a lighter. Before going back to bed, he ensured it finished burning by dropping it into the trash bin. He went to the bathroom for a shower to get rid of the sweat and the smell of dead rogue on him.

Shutting the bathroom door, Anthony entered the peaceful, tiled room. With a turn of the silver handle, a rush of hot water poured out, creating a misty cloud in the cramped space. The heat of the day cleansed him of the night's residue: blood, sweat, and the ghostly traces of violence. The weight of the Lycan King's letter and its concealed secrets overwhelmed him as he stood beneath the shower, letting the water run over his face.

With quick, efficient movements, he scrubbed away the hours, desperate to be back with Kathy before she awoke to the surrounding darkness. Finishing up, he dried himself with a towel and took a deep breath to steady his nerves. Although the world outside the bathroom was unknown, the warmth of his bed and his mate's comforting presence awaited him. He slipped into sweatpants, pulled the covers up, and snuggled Kathy close. Kathy wrapped herself around Anthony.

Kathy woke up in the middle of the night to the sound of rain lashing against her window; the dark sky was visible through the rain-streaked glass. Having washed her good hand, she carefully wiped her casted hand with a cloth, making sure the cast remained dry, before leaving the bathroom. Kathy carefully turned off the light in the bathroom. Returning to bed, she pulled the covers over herself as Anthony gently wrapped his arm around her waist.

The rain continued into the next morning. Kathy awoke to find Anthony missing from their bed. She tossed the blanket aside, searching with her eyes and ears, but the shower wasn't on. There were some clothes on the couch for some unknown reason, and the rumbling in her stomach signaled that breakfast was needed. Quickly changing, she went to the bathroom to brush her teeth, wash her face, and brush her hair before going downstairs for breakfast with Anthony. Although she was afraid of getting lost, she saw the servant walking nearby.

“Excuse me. I'm looking for the dining room; could you assist me?”

"Yes, ma'am, this way."

As Kathy followed the servant to the dining room, the smell of breakfast whetted her appetite. Looking around the hall and then down the stairs, she noticed a vase of flowers so fresh they seemed just picked from the garden.

"Those flowers are so beautiful. Does the garden grow all the flowers, fruits, and vegetables?" Kathy asked.

"Yes," the servant replied, "the royal family eats only the freshest food picked from the garden."

Kathy entered to find Anthony's family eating breakfast. Anthony saw her, rose from the table, and went to her. The door was closed by the servant.

“Good morning. Did you sleep well?”

“Yes, I did. You weren’t in bed when I woke up?”

“I am sorry. You've met my father, Samuel, so let me introduce you to my mother, Evelyn, and my brother, Noah. I want you all to meet my mate Kathy, who helped me regain my eyesight through our bond.”

“It’s nice to meet you, come and sit down with us and eat breakfast. You can tell us about your family,” said Luna Evelyn.

Kathy senses something is wrong with Anthony's family; their smiles seem forced, so she'll watch them closely. Anthony pulled out a chair and served her a plate. Her wrist is still broken. Noah's unsettling stare unnerved her. Later, the same woman who had previously been aggressive towards her entered the dining room, kissed Noah on the cheek, and sat down.

The woman immediately pointed at Kathy.

“My love Noah — that is the woman who slapped me across the face because she didn’t want to listen to me,”

Kathy tried to eat breakfast, but the loud noise made it impossible, spoiling her appetite. It also appeared Noah wasn't paying attention to Betty while she was yelling; someone finally slammed their cutlery on the table to silence her.

Betty, could you keep your voice down, please? The woman who is yelling at is Anthony's mate, and her name is Kathy,”

I slapped you because you wouldn't move, and I was late for work. You also believed I was a servant. Let's eat breakfast and then start our day.

Betty silently sat down, fixed her plate, and ate breakfast. Why does she sense such negativity in this room? She glanced at Anthony and felt his hand on her waist, rubbing it up and down in an attempt to soothe both her and himself. Once breakfast was over, the servants removed the dishes. Kathy strongly prefers not to talk about her family, especially not to them.

"Kathy, tell us about your family," Luna Evelyn asked.

I live by myself; I have no one. I was self-sufficient before Anthony's accident changed things. "It was love at first sight, but marriage and kids aren't in my immediate plans," Kathy lied. "I want to see the world first." It's not entirely false; only parts of it are untrue.

“I understand, but if you have children, you should have a son and then a daughter.”

“I hope you don’t mind me saying this, but… It doesn't matter if it's a boy or a girl, as long as the baby is healthy.”

Luna's look revealed Kathy's words struck a chord. Anthony helped Kathy from her chair.

“We are going to head to the training ground,”

Hand-in-hand, they left the dining room for training. Kathy notices the sun shining, the scent of wet grass, and the water flowing down the tree.