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Alpha Xavier stood on the second floor, his sharp werewolf senses alert to the tense atmosphere brewing below. From his vantage point, he could see Elinor, the matriarch of their pack, berating Riya with unusual intensity. Riya, who had always been calm and obedient, now had an unfamiliar expression on her face—one of quiet resentment. This was not like her, and Alpha Xavier was surprised. He was tempted to step in immediately, but his instincts told him to wait and observe.
Riya knelt on the floor, silently focusing on her task of cleaning, her head lowered as if to avoid Elinor’s wrath. She didn’t utter a single word in her defense, her emotions seemingly bottled up. Alpha Xavier felt a low growl rise in his chest, his natural instinct to protect those under his care urging him to act. But instead of reacting emotionally, he suppressed the growl and cleared his throat loudly. He noticed how Riya’s expression immediately shifted, her resentment disappearing as if she had forced herself to bury it deep within.
Deciding it was time to intervene, Alpha Xavier descended the stairs, his steps deliberate. He approached the scene and addressed his mother with a calm yet firm tone. "What’s going on here?" he asked, his gaze shifting between Elinor and Riya.
Elinor, clearly irritated, replied with a huff. "I asked her to make sugar-coated bird's nest soup for me, but she added too much sugar. Does she want me to die from the sweetness?" Her voice was sharp, her complaint trivial in the grand scheme of things.
Alpha Xavier frowned at the absurdity of her complaint. His mother’s tendency to overreact to minor issues had always annoyed him. "Is this really such a big deal that it’s worth scolding her for?" he asked, his tone controlled but questioning.
Elinor, not one to back down, defended her actions. "She’s been working in this house for nine years, Xavier. Nine years! And she still doesn’t know how I like my food. Doesn’t that show a lack of effort on her part? Shouldn’t she have learned by now?" Elinor’s words were laced with impatience, as if she were trying to justify her behavior.
Alpha Xavier’s expression grew more serious. He thought back to Riya’s years of service. For almost a decade, she had worked tirelessly for their family, taking care of the household and enduring more than her fair share of criticism. Her loyalty and dedication deserved recognition, not nitpicking over minor mistakes. Without a word, he gestured for Riya to leave the room, allowing her a moment of reprieve. Then, he gently guided Elinor toward a nearby event room, closing the door behind them to speak privately.
Once inside, Alpha Xavier turned to his mother, his tone filled with quiet frustration. "Do you really need to make such a big deal over something so small? Think about all the work she’s done for us over the years. Most people wouldn’t stay this long, let alone put up with the things she has endured here."
Elinor crossed her arms, unwilling to concede. "What are you trying to say? I haven’t exactly treated her poorly. She’s been paid a generous salary. Do you know how much she’s earned while working here? In nine years, she’s made more than most people could dream of! She’s spent millions living in this house," Elinor retorted, clearly annoyed by his defense of Riya.
Alpha Xavier sighed, his patience wearing thin. "That’s all the more reason to appreciate her," he countered. "She’s worked hard for years, and she’s saved a lot of money in the process. But that doesn’t mean she has to stay here forever. She has the freedom to leave whenever she wants. She could start a business, live comfortably, or even retire if she chooses to. The fact that she’s still here shows her loyalty to us. We should respect that."
His frustration was evident as he continued, "She’s here because she wants to be, not because she has to be. Mom, we’re werewolves, not tyrants. Even if we had raised a dog for nine years, we’d feel attached to it. How could we treat a human being with less care? Riya isn’t just some object for us to order around."
Elinor scoffed dismissively. "Do you really think she’s here because of loyalty? Let me tell you something—Riya isn’t as innocent as you think she is. Do you know she’s been keeping a lover? And not just any lover. He’s Beta Craig’s driver. A young man who’s probably half her age! She should be ashamed of herself. She could practically be his mother!"
Alpha Xavier immediately cut her off, his voice firm. "That’s none of our business," he said sharply. "Riya is a nanny, not a slave. We have no right to interfere in her personal life, no matter what she does outside of work." He paused, his mind briefly recalling the time he had seen Riya with the driver at the pharmacy. He had chosen not to mention it then, and he had no intention of revealing it now. His mother didn’t need to know every detail.
"Riya has been good at her job for years," Alpha Xavier continued. "We hire people for their skills and character, not for their private decisions. If we judged everyone based on their personal lives, we’d have no one left to work for us."
His words left Elinor momentarily speechless. She opened her mouth to respond but found herself without a proper argument. Sensing her defeat, Alpha Xavier pressed further. "Why are you always so quick to hate people who haven’t done anything wrong? You claim to value morality, but look at the people you surround yourself with. Your closest friend, Itzel, has done far worse things than Riya ever could. And Samantha? For all her faults, she’s still a kind person. Just because her mother made mistakes doesn’t mean you can hold that against her."
Alpha Xavier’s tone softened as he realized the deeper issue at play. Changing his mother’s views, especially her resentment toward certain individuals, would take time. He wasn’t in a rush to convince her, knowing that actions would speak louder than words. Samantha’s deception had hurt him deeply, but he would wait for the right moment to reveal her true nature to Elinor. For now, he would let his mother see for herself who truly deserved her trust and who did not.