Chapter 24

"We have a trespasser"

My gaze wavered between Claire and Gabriel before wearing my shirt back. I was angry but I hid it. The fact Gabriel has ruined our steamy moment irked me to my marrows.

"Send her in." Gabriel looked to the door while I took a protective stance beside my mate. My eyes furrowed at the raggedly looking old woman who the guards ushered in. Her black hair, dirty as the mud and her black gown looking faded and tattered all over. As she stared at me meters away, Her Chestnut brown eyes looked familiar, it reminded of someone so dear. But I briskly shove those thoughts away, from her malnourished appearance alone I knew she wasn't my Pack Member.

"Kevin!" She chirped in a soft voice which sounded overly familiar and tried to reach me, but my guards held her back.

"Who is this Rogue?!" I blatantly blurted, my irritation and faint anger hinting alongside.

"I'm not a Rogue." She denied with a warm smile complementing her face. "I'm Flora, don't you remember?" She asked with a countenance that endeared. I frowned, there was only one Flora I knew.

"My goodness, look how much you've grown. My little boy—"

"Hold your horses, woman! Or you might end up in the dungeon." I briskly interjected when she tried to inch closer again.

"Don't you remember me again?! I'm your aunty!" She pitched with a slight frown.

"That's what she keeps saying when she crossed our border." Gabriel noted. I inched closer to her, lost in those eyes that told of someone. Lupus was already drawn to this woman, in fact, he trusted her, but I couldn't.

"You impersonator!" I growled.

"I'm Aunty Flora!" She pitched and immediately I felt a strong migraine hit my head. Memories of my childhood flushed in my head like a storm.

"Jason's wife!"

My eyes exclaimed and my jaw dropped. So were the reaction of the others around me. The more I kept on staring at her, the more I saw the resemblance.

"That's a lie!" I blared with no conviction.

"That's not possible!" Gabriel had finally found the courage to say.

"Aunt Flora has long disappeared from our Pack for over twenty years!" I added but my voice still lacked that conviction. Nobody knew how and why she suddenly disappeared, but I could vividly remember it was around my Father's death period it happened. Everyone including myself had thought she was perhaps dead but seeing someone who had sheer resemblance to her changed everything!

"I'm that Flora!" She persisted while she struggled in my guard’s grip. "Look at my arm, I bear the royal tattoo of the Manchesters!"

One of the guards pulled her left sleeves upwards and my eyes swiftly darted to her upper arm. I gasped noticing the black tribal circular tattoo clearly imprinted.

My guards instantly released her. Awe stricken alongside Gabriel that our long-lost sweet Flora has returned. Tears soaked my eyes as all the anger and irritation vanished. My legs drove me to her, and I couldn't help but stutter.

"Aunt Flora, is this truly you?" I mumbled and without thoughts, I hugged her. I knew it was a stupid question, but I still needed her to affirm it for me.

"Yes my dear Kevin, your favorite Aunty is back." She responded whilst patting my back gently.

"How did it happen? Why did you leave us? After all these years you finally decided to show up! We thought you were dead!" I ranted still clinging to her like my life depended on it.

"Why Aunt Flora?! Why?!" I cried while more memories of my childhood playing with her birthed.

"I'm sorry." She whispered but it didn't hold my tears. If she hadn't deserted us perhaps our lives wouldn't be this disastrous. She was the flower amongst the Manchesters.

"All that matters now is I am back." She pulled from our embrace, wiping the tears that toured down my cheeks.

"There's something important I need to tell you all." She muttered in a weak voice. I frowned.

"Where's your Father?" She asked sternly and my heart broke. My eyes lowered and just when I was about to spill the beans, she collapsed on me.

"Aunt Flora! Aunt Flora!" I tapped her rough cheek gently, but she didn't respond.

"Get the Pack Doctor at once!" Gabriel ordered while he rushed towards me alongside Claire. Her body was burning, and her breaths weren't stable either.

"Aunt Flora!" I yelled again while tears began to seep in again. I just got my aunty back; I wasn't ready to lose her. I briskly carried her in my arms before trotting up the stairs and into one of the guest rooms. Where I laid her on the bed.

The door opened again, and I had expected it to be Claire or Gabriel, but it was the Pack Doctor who sauntered in with his medical kits. How she had gotten here so fast, I didn't know, and I didn't want to bother. All I cared for was my unconscious Aunty.

"Please Alpha, You'll have to excuse me." She said in a calm tone. I heaved a sigh, secretly praying to the mood goddess to save my aunt.

"Nothing should happen to her." I stated with a stern look while she nodded.

"I'll try my best, Alpha."

"Your best better be good." I replied before easing through the door where I was greeted by the faces of Claire and Gabriel. Both of them wearing worried countenances.

"Call Uncle Walker and My Mother." I faced Gabriel. "Inform them of the latest development." He nodded before leaving. I feigned a smile at Claire who still retained her worried look.

"Why are you sad?" I asked.

"You look worried." She answered.

"No, I'm not."

"You can fool everyone around you but not me." She inched closer, holding my gaze so I found it impossible to look away. "It's written all over your face."

I hesitated for a while until I finally sighed. I intertwined my right fingers with her left before taking a snail pace across the large hallway.

"We all thought she was dead." I started with my gaze directed to the floor.

"She was always smiling, a joy giver, so innocent and of course her obsession with flowers. That's why we have a garden around the Pack House.

Nobody knows how and why she left but it happened twenty years ago. And now seeing her here with us, is like a miracle." I pursed my lips feeling her gaze on me. "Why does it have to be now?" I directed questions Claire obviously didn't have answers too.

"Why couldn't she show up earlier?" I whispered feeling pain surge in my chest.

"But that's not why you're worried." She mentioned softly. I looked into her eyes, endearing enough to make me speak my heart out.

"She asked about my Father. She obviously doesn't know things has fallen apart." I replied. "She doesn't know I killed her mate in a duel or that I put her beloved son in jail." As those words rolled out, I felt guilt surge in me and maybe Claire must have noticed. Perhaps why she tightened her grip on me, reminding me mentally that it wasn't my fault.

"Why do you blame yourself for all this? None of this was your fault." She said.

"It is, Claire." I corrected. "Perhaps if I hadn't become Alpha all this wouldn't have happened."

"And perhaps, we wouldn't have met." She added and we both stopped in our tracks. Staring deeply at each other.

"Not everything in your life is a bad thing. I'm a blessing, you once said that. So just because series of misfortunes has happened doesn't mean you shouldn't be happy of the good things. I'm your Mate Kevin and what do mates do?

They fight, support, care and show love to each other. So, if you say this is all your fault, then it is mine too."

A smile of admiration spread on my lips as those words kept repeating in my head.

"Why did the moon goddess have to mate me to someone so perfect." I mumbled while she blushed even though she tried to hide it.

"My only worry now is this important thing she wants to tell you." She sighed and I frowned for a split second.

"She probably wants to chatter about how she missed all of us."

"Or maybe it could be something else." She corrected. "She finally returned home and the first person she could ask of, is your Father."

My smile slowly faded into seriousness.

"Why couldn't she ask about her husband or even Jerry, why your Father?"

"I honestly don't know but when she wakes, I'm hoping she can tell us."

She nodded while she wrapped her arms around my waist, leaning her head against my chest.

"I can feel it in our mate bond, you're still worried." She whispered. I swallowed my saliva wondering why this mate bond thingy always reflected each other's feelings. I slowly curled mine around her waist too. Choosing to let our sparks lighten our mood.

"Have you ever been in my office?" I asked randomly. She gazed at me with surprise.

"You have an office?" She queried. "You, of all people!" She laughed while I frowned feeling a little hurt about it.

"I'm trying to be a responsible Alpha so yeah, I have an office." I answered.

"So, where's this office of yours?" She teased.

"Right beside us." My eyes darted to the green colored door beside me. She didn't even wait for me before sauntering inside.

Once I stepped in, I recalled how Gabriel and I had argued. That was the first and last time I ever entered this office.

"It need some beautiful touches." She smiled at me while she toured about the place. Running her hands on the furniture till she reached my desk, loaded with files except they were lesser than I remembered. Thanks to Gabriel.

"I guess I have to call one of those interior designers." I sighed. Not that I cared about the office in any way but for Claire.

"No need for that." She quickly answered. "Leave it to me, I wanna design my mate's office personally."

"No no no no." I wriggled my head continuously as I joined her by the desk. "You've not recovered fully yet and I don't want you to stress yourself."

"Pretty please," she pleaded trying to woo me with her pouty face.

"Claire you can't."

"Please Kev! Or do I have to kiss you before you agree?"

"Maybe," I smiled. "But it's not gonna chan—"

She cut me off with her lips. Giving me a tender kiss that easily melted my resolve.

"I'll take that as a yes." She softly said as our lips finally separated. I hated it. I hated the fact she had to tease me with a short kiss when she knows I crazily crave her.

"Fine but we'll do it together." I smiled while she grinned.

"I'm sure you'll be awfully bad in stuffs like this, but I don't have a choice." She teased.

"At least I'm good at something." I shrugged.

"And what's that?"

"Kissing." I nodded my head feeling proud of my statement.

"Flirt." She rolled her eyes. "Oh, look what we have here." Her eyes gleamed at a royal blue letter she found on the desk.

"Who still uses letter these days." I rolled my eyes while I toured away from the desk, entertaining myself with the artifacts laced in my bookshelf.

"This is no ordinary letter Kevin." She stated sternly but I shrugged her off.

"Yeah yeah who cares." I toned sarcastically.

"You should care because this letter has the Royal seal of Red Rose Pack on it."

My eyes exclaimed and I sharply turned to her. One of the best Packs letter was in my office and I didn't know!

"And it says here that the Alpha is visiting tomorrow." She added. I approached her briskly, retrieving the letter off her hands. I read through the letter over and over again just to confirm my eyes weren't playing tricks on me. And indeed, they weren't.

This letter had been mailed to me a few days ago!

"Oh no!" I blared as I stared in disbelief at Claire who seemed to be bothered too. If Red Rose was known for anything, it would be their specialty in making deadly weapons.

"What does he want?!"

Instead of a response, the door quietly opened while Gabriel sauntered in.

"Uncle Walker is here and your mother, I'm not sure if she's gonna come or not. And then I spoke with the Doctor," he sighed making me frown. "Aunt Flora seems to be suffering from extreme abuse which has happened over the years and temporary amnesia. She collapsed due to weakness and hunger, but she'll be fine."

He pursed his lips, noticing the blue letter in my hands.

"Why are you both looking at me like you've seen a ghost?" He asked while his eyes wavered between Claire and me.

"Alpha of Red Rose is visiting tomorrow." I mumbled and his eyes shot up immediately. My worries only dosed.

One of the prestigious Alpha in the continent was visiting tomorrow and my aunty wasn't doing so well either. A part of me knew that things were going to get rough in the coming hours.