29. 'A Chat'

"Do you love her?" Lucas questioned, his gaze stern and unmoved like a mountain and boring into Michael's soul.

As soon as the two girls were out, Michael noticed that Lucas didn't wait another minute to speak to him. There seemed to be important matters he needed to discuss.

"What?" Michael looked at his father, sounding calmed but stunned.

Michael earned a look from Lucas that made it crystal clear that he was in no mood for playing and wouldn't repeat his question twice for Michael's sake. Taking his hint, Michael adjusted himself quietly under his father's cynical gaze.

"No." He answered sternly leaving no place for a discussion.

Lucas breathed soundly, clearly frustrated with his answer. He looked at Michael and scowled. There seemed no end to his displeasure with Michael's slightest 'no' and Michael could see that feeling vividly demonstrated in Lucas's eyes; he didn't try to hide it.

"It's only your wolf then?" Xavier heard the gritting of teeth and clenching of jaws quite distinctly. Lucas was getting enraged by the moment and Michael couldn't yet figure out why.

"What's with the anger?" He whined.

Lucas gave him a look as if he was silently urging him to grow up. Michael knew h'd grown up good in the past few years but his ways of handling things still reminded Lucas of his teenage mischevious boy who got in trouble for almost anything and everything.

"Michael that girl is your mate, your soulmate and your other half. You cannot avoid your duties towards her." He tried to sound reasonable but Michael couldn't comprehend the need to go over this. Surely he'd never nor would in future neglect his duties towards her.

"Dad cut to the chase." Michael shook his head keeping his voice to a minimum yet compelling enough.

"I know what you're trying to do and I suggest you don't do it." Michael's brows creased in confusion. He seemed perplexed and not in the mood to play around, his impatience was getting out of his control.

"And what that could be?" He asked as sarcasm dripped from his tone.

"Don't blame her for what—" Xavier didn't let him continue.

Michael had never disrespected her except for the times when he was possessive of her but his actions had never meant to bring her pain. His father was stressing over nothing.

"I never—" Michael attempted to speak but was quickly shushed by the angry look in Lucas's eyes and the thunder that followed shortly, silencing him from the core.

"I wasn't finished!" Lucas's voice roared in his empty study, shocking him.

Michael was a son, a heir to the most respective rank in a pack; he'd been fated to witness such cruel and rough and stern side of his father a child could only imagine. He knew his father could be soft, flirtatious, good-humoured and even loving but deep down he was still an alpha, even though a retired one at that. He was possessive, brutal, strong and cruel with his enemies.

And now Michael was going to live a piece of his brutal self.

"An alpha is the strength of a pack but a luna is the mother and no family's complete without mother's love. Your mother was my everything. Ever since growing up we've taught you to respect and love your mate once you've found her." Lucas's eyes glowed red and lethal, burning with an intensity that could make one surrender any moment by just a mere look.

"There is always a reason behind the Goddess's ways. If Evelyn is your fated mate then it could mean only one thing. This is what the Goddess was plotting all along. It's time now that it should all come to an end."

Michael growled and stood up hastily. He was out of his mind. Could it be that his ears had betrayed him? Why would Lucas say such a thing regarding the pack enmity that had been going on for such a long time?

Michael shook his head, not trusting that the person sitting before him was truly his father. Perhaps spending ten years in a coma had taken a toll on his mental health. Otherwise the previous alpha would never back down from such a challenge.

"Dad are you in your right mind?" Xavier was crawling at his skin, begging and striving to come out. Xavier was only unstable when the things got wrong with his mate or his . . .

"How could even think of forgiving that man! He, who took everything from us!" He started breathing heavily and his voice came out hoarse and hurt. His chest was heaving up and down. His nose was flared and his eyes went a dark forest green red. He was standing pointing a finger at Lucas's direction who was exceptionally calmed with Michael's outburst.

Lucas knew certainly better. He couldn't blame his child for lashing out like that.

"Mike I—" Lucas began but was cut off by a loud bang. Michael had slammed his fist forcefully on his desk.

"No you listen! I was fifteen when the title was enforced on me. I saw the misery and aftereffects of the war when you're lying peacefully in a coma! I had to go through the pain alone. I didn't even know if I was to grieve or handle a pack without a help by my side!"

Michael tore up as he cried out the last part; mad and hurt he turned around on his heels. He didn't want to face Lucas. He couldn't believe he was the same person who was capable of sacrificing his life for Anastasia but now, he was inducing Michael to back down, to give up his revenge he'd been planning for so far.

Michael rushed over to the door not being able to breathe the same air as this stranger he'd once called his dad. But he didn't forget to usher the last piece of his reflections before he ever so hurriedly stormed away from his unrecognizable father.

"You have no right to lecture me on how to treat a mate when you're so easily letting the man slip away who murdered your other half in cold blood." He admitted and not waiting for a reply, thundered away in the open hall.

Anyone who'd dare to come his way, would regret the day he was born.