Chapter 32 Chapter 32: Simply Must Find Them

Chapter 32 Chapter 32: Simply Must Find Them
Klay Talcon's POV:

Where can they be? I couldn't help but think to myself as I walked up and down the paths in front of the various businesses along the Riverwalk. I simply must find them. I knew that when Alaric texted me, saying he was going to take her out, there was no way he would have wanted to stay in Copper Cliff.

That's when I just so happened to look across to the other side of the small river, and there inside the business window, I saw her. It was Leila Ryker. She was sitting there, looking at the people walking along the sidewalk, running along the river's path.

I wasted no effort as I ran back towards the cross bridge to get back to the other side. I didn't exactly know what Alaric's plans were for her, but I knew Alaric... And they couldn't be good.

As I walked up to the restaurant's front door, I waited for the other couple there to enter first. I made sure to keep my head down, as I didn't want to be recognized away from my pack, and without my Beta here with me. When I attempted to walk right on past them, someone called out to me.

"Ummm... excuse me, we don't allow servants of guests to enter through these doors," said the concierge at the front door.

The couple who was standing right there immediately turned around to look at me as if I were with them.

"He's not with us," said the man as he pulled the woman he was with to the opposite side in a defensive, protective posture.

It was at that point, but I knew I would have to speak, whereas servants, on the other hand, would keep their heads down and refrain from speaking at all.

"No, I'm here to meet someone," I told them as I looked further into the restaurant to see exactly where they were seated. "You see?" I asked in that instance. "There right over there."

"Very well, sir," said the concierge as he took a step back to stand behind his podium. "Pardon my interruption."

"No harm, no foul," I spoke as I walked right on past all of them, directly over in the direction I was headed.

However, no sooner than I reached the table, I didn't expect Leila to be the one to speak up first.

"What are you doing here?" She asked me, crossing her arms in front of her chest.

"I'm here for you," I said as I reached up, placing my hands on top of my hips. "I thought that much was obvious."

As I turned to the side to look over at Alaric, I could tell he had narrowed his eyes at me, shocked that I had figured out exactly where they were.

It wasn't that hard, honestly. I knew that Copper Cliff was too small and that he would want to take her out of town. This was the next town over, and the restaurant we were in was one of the nicer places. I understood his taste. However, I didn't exactly understand what he wanted with her, and I was determined to figure out what that was exactly.

At that moment, a waiter walked up to the table and asked, "Are you going to be joining this evening?"

"Yes, I am. However, I was running a bit late," I spoke up before Leila and Alaric had an opportunity to say anything.

"Certainly, sir," stated the waiter. "I'll proceed to locate an appropriate seating arrangement for you."

Just as he walked off, Alaric leaned forward in his seat, placing his forearm on the edge of the table in front of him whenever he gritted his teeth, "And why should I allow you to join us?"

"It's not just you sitting here, you know?" Leila spoke up at that moment, looking at him with her arms still crossed in front of her.

The expression on Alaric's face showed that he was visually defeated at that moment, and I couldn't be more pleased. At the exact same time, the waiter returned with another chair so I could sit down.

"Here you are, sir," he said as I reached out, took the chair from him, and set it more on the side where Leila was seated.

She still didn't seem pleased that I was here, but I was determined to figure out exactly what Alaric wanted with her.

"Now, is there anything that I can retrieve for you, sir, since you have arrived after I have already taken the main order?" The waiter inquired of me.

"For now, just take a glass of water," I told him as he nodded and walked off without saying anything else.

"Oh, waiter," Alaric actually called out to my surprise. "Would you bring a strawberry water?"

As I looked back at Leila, she narrowed her brows at him, wondering why he made such a request.

"She won't drink that," I spoke up right then, whenever she turned to look at me, just as I turned to look at the waiter. "If you could just bring us a Sprite with a lime wedge and a cherry, she will take that instead."

I looked back over at Leila. Her cheeks were completely flushed as she looked down into her lap, fiddling with her fingers. I couldn't help but feel bad for her. This is not exactly how I intended this evening to go, whenever I had planned on showing up here.

As the evening went on and the meal was served, I had ended up ordering something rather simple. Something that wouldn't prevent me from being involved in the conversations this whole time.

I knew what Alaric was doing. He was trying to prove just how much he knew about her. I, for one, knew Leila. She was my newly bonded mate after all, and I, alone, could read her thoughts.

'These two are acting like fools!' She said in one instance.

She barely said anything throughout dinner, mainly keeping her head down. She even picked through the food that I no doubt knew Alaric had ordered for her, not even giving her the opportunity to order for herself. Even now, he was still trying to force his way and on her choices.

"You know what," Leila finally said as she stood up to her feet, her fist tightly holding onto the napkin she was given, placing her hand down on the edge of the table with a thump. "I can't take this anymore. I can't take the two of you making bizarre requests for things you both think I will eat or drink. I have had enough!"

Without saying anything else, she walked right past me, heading for the restroom in the back of the restaurant.

"You have some nerve," Alaric called out to me as he leaned over the edge of the table. "If it wasn't for you, showing up here in the manner in which you did, everything would be fine."

"I'm not the one who brought her here with false intentions," I spouted back to him.

"If only you knew," Alaric responded.

"Fill me in, then."