You found your mate?

~Micheal~

"Careful with your head," Micheal says, using his hand to prevent Nigel's head from having a painful contact with the car door as the redhead gets out of the car.

"Mikey," Nigel slurs, cupping the Alpha's cheeks and babbling unintelligibly.

Micheal groans, cocking his head back to avoid the kiss the beta is trying to give him on his cheeks. It's funny how the idiot accuses his mate of being creepy and clingy when she's just a sober version of him when he's drunk.

Putting Nigel's arm around his shoulders, he leads him up the stairs of his mansion with difficulty. The baffoon keeps taking one step back after taking a step forward.

Micheal's frustration hits the roof when they get to the middle of the stairs. "For God's sake, Nigel! Walk forward!"

"Ah! Don't yell at me," he whines, already sobbing.

Micheal huffs when the beta puts his whole weight on him and slowly slides to sit on the ground. Sighing, the Alpha rubs his temples and lets go of his friend's hand. He should never have allowed this fool drink so much. He can't believe he forgot how much of a pain in the ass Nigel can get when he's drunk or how much his people loved to party.

The daylight served as a medium for pleasantries and stuffing their stomachs but as soon as the night came, they all turned into party animals. Danny, their Julliard reject, was the DJ. Damn, it's been a while since he saw his old high school peers. Seeing some of them with families, kids on the way, engagement rings and marriage invitations brought to light what literally everyone important in his life has been telling him. He isn't living.

Micheal can boldly say that Daisy is the first girl he has ever had something remotely close to a date with since he became an adult. The amount of joy he felt today from watching and sometimes participating in their drinking games, dance train and impressions made him feel young again. But that's the thing. He is young. He just lost his youth.

"Hmm," Nigel hums, cuddling Micheal's leg as he gets comfortable on the stairs.

The Alpha is just glad the idiot hasn't vomitted yet. Knowing the redhead, it'll happen as soon as he wakes up from his short slumber. "Okay. Let's get you to be someone else's problem before that happens."

Hauling Nigel up by his arms, he tries to get him to walk. When that doesn't work, he bends down to give him a piggyback ride up the stairs. The idiot squeezes the life out of his neck and buries his nose into Micheal's hair all the way up. Shivering in discomfort at his friend's sleepy antics, he curses the entire universe for putting him on babysitting duty.

Fiona couldn't take Nigel home because she had to stay behind to help the other women clean up. The woman even offered to help him get that troublesome human, Lockwood, the first flight out of the country on their private jet come morning. At the time, the thought of not having to set eyes on the human again after he got the text of the witch's address from one of the parole officers guarding the human far outweighed all else. Now? Now he just wished he had been the one to clean with the women and bid farewell to the human.

Finally getting to the door of his mansion, Micheal wonders if those stairs have always been that long and steep. Pushing the door open, he thanks his lucky stars that his butler, Damien, is passing by with four servants. They rush to help him the minute they sight him. He huffs when Nigel refuses to let go of his neck.

"Noooo," the redhead whines.

Annoyed, Micheal has to pry the man's arm from his neck so they can take him to a guest room.

Struggling against the three male servants, Nigel cries. "No. Don't leave again. Please."

Hearing that from his best friend makes his heart drop. He stares at the doors the servants took his friend through until he can no longer hear his voice. Clenching his fists, he takes a deep breath of resolve. Turning to Damien, he asks, "Is my grandfather asleep?"

The butler shakes his head. "No, sir. He's sitting in the clearing within the plantation. He has refused to come out or take his tea since you left."

Micheal nods. "Get me a new cup of tea."

Damien bows. "Yes sir," he says, signalling the female servant standing a few paces away.

As soon as she rushes off, Micheal makes his way to the plantation. Passing several sassafras plants, he finally sights his grandfather. The man is sitting criss crossed on the dirt floor, head lifted to the sky with his eyes closed.

"I'll leave you with him, sir," Damien says, walking back to the mansion.

Micheal ignores the raw hurt from their argument in the morning that pricks at his heart and goes to assume the same position beside the man.

Without opening his eyes, the man speaks."I see you're leaving again."

The young Alpha smiles. Always the discerning man. "I stayed for the cookout."

"Hmm," the man hums, the tension in his aura relaxing slightly.

Micheal's smile drifts into something melancholic when he sights his grandfather's subtle smile at the news. Now he understands.

Staring up at the moon high up in the sky, he sighs peacefully. "I heard you nearly offed yourself."

The old man's aura turns tense again but Micheal is sure if he spares a glance at the man, it wouldn't show in his expression.

"Who told you?" Is all the man can say after two minutes of silence.

The young Alpha shakes his head at the resign and dread in the man's voice. "I'm not going to yell at you or get mad. I did that for all of five minutes. I'm over it. I've decided that I refuse to let you pass on peacefully," he says with a soft smile, shifting his gaze to his sad grandfather. The sympathy in the man's eyes used to make him angry and afraid of the meaning behind them. He used to fear the promise of abandonment that lay within them but now? Now he sees it for what it truly is - a declaration of unconditional love from a dying soul.

"Micheal-"

"No matter how much you push me away or kick and scream, I'll devote my life to making sure you live a long miserable life watching me grow into the Alpha you want me to become. I'll...also bring my mate to see you...in a month's time." Micheal averts his eyes from his grandfather when the man's eyes widen in shock.

"You found your mate?"

Chancing a glance at the man, he blinks in surprise when he sees a bright grin on his face. This isn't one of one of his playful or teasing smiles. It's one of those the old man used to give so easily when he saw his mate dancing around the kitchen while she cooked the worst gumbo on the planet.

"That's all it took to get you to smile?" Micheal chuckles, blinking back his tears. "You simpleton."

Sandav huffs, nudging his grandson. "Stop teasing your old man and talk to me."

The young Alpha scoffs, moving away from the old man's reach. "Oh now you wanna talk to me?" He crosses his arms, fake sulking.

"Micheal," Sandav laughs, pulling at his grandson's long hair.

Micheal half gasps, half laughs as he slaps the man's hand away. "Fine. Yes, I found her. She's beautiful. Platinum blonde hair. Golden brown eyes. A smile that can light up the valley of death."

"That's disgustingly sappy," Sandav drawls but the young Alpha can see his smile getting broader. "You really like her, don't you?"

"I don't know, do I?" Micheal answers coyly.

"You cheeky bastard."

"I promise you, I'll only get worse from now on," the young Alpha says, wiggling his brows.

"Oh no," Sandav groans, his aura serene as he stares fondly at his grandson laughing. "There we go. That's the boy I remember. A smiler."

Micheal nods. "I know, gramps. I'll recover my smile...only on the condition that you recover your health."

"Micheal-"

Shaking his head, he takes the old man's hand. "At least promise to do your best."

Knowing how stubborn his grandson is, Sandav sighs. "Deal."

Happy, Micheal hugs the man. "I'll miss you."

"You're such a kid," Sandav scoffs but he still hugs him back.

"Didn't you say you wanted that?"

"That was until you reminded me how annoying you were."

Micheal laughs."You get what you wish for. Suffer in silence," he says, squeezing him tighter. He doesn't move even when he hears the footsteps of Damien and the maid bringing his grandfather's fresh tea.

Sensing the presence of others, Sandav tries to push him away. "I'm giving you five seconds to let go or I'll flip."

"Go crazy, sir. I still won't let go."

"I know." Sandav huffs, begrudgingly rubbing the big baby's back. "Have a safe trip, kid."

Finally pulling away from his grandfather, Micheal takes the tea from Damien and hands it to his grandfather. "Have a healthy month, gramps."

Smiling, the man takes it. "We'll see."