8 Chapter 8: Hidden Intentions

KNOCK KNOCK!

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"Come in."

A cold, hefty masculine voice answered from inside as Xanthus knocked on the magnificent golden door of the king's chamber. Holding a perturbed look on his face, Xanthus glared once at Aldrin who didn't wish to accompany him further inside, and took his leave from the doorstep.

It was a large, magnificently decorated room with lavish golden furnishings and scented candles, along with pearl chandeliers shimmering on the ceiling. At the center of the room, two giant regal thrones were placed beside each other.

A tall, muscular, handsome middle-aged man with greyish brown hairs, dressed in exquisite royal red silk attire along with an ethereally gorgeous woman with silver white hairs, decked up in a pearl embroidered silk gown were seated next to each other. The heavenly gorgeous couple was no one other than the Alpha King Valerie and his Queen Lorelia, the supreme members of the Merciful Pack.

As soon as he walked in, vague darkness prevailed in Lorelia's big, brown eyes whereas Valerie's face lit up with a smile as he proclaimed aloud, "Xanthus...I have been expecting you for a while."

However, Xanthus didn't fail to notice her sudden dimmed expression, yet still, tried to keep a constrained smirk on his face as he boldly marched ahead. Reaching them, he tilted his head and kneeled down before them as he offered his greeting, "Pardon me for making both of you wait for me, Your Majesty and Your Highness."

Suddenly, a cold smug crafted on her face with his greeting as Lorelia squinted her gaze at him, "Xanthus, why don't you ever address us as your Father or Mother, like Illay? You know after all these years, it still hurts us a little to watch you treating us formally when we both care so much for you."

Hearing her question, a hazed expression grew apparent in his golden eyes as Xanthus mumbled in a solemn tone. "But I am not Illay...and neither...I wish to be him."

His curt answer paused them for a moment as they exchanged mysterious glances at each other. Though an irked glare towards him grew prominent on her wadded eyes, Valerie chose to maintain his calm and sounded much serene, "Xanthus, we have entrusted the future of our pack by choosing you as the crown prince. At least, our action must prove, how much we have always treasured you."

Forging a cryptic smile at his answer, Xanthus tilted his head as he responded, "I am grateful for the duty you have bestowed me with, Your Majesty. But regarding today, may I know why were you looking for me?"

"Well," Valerie retained a mysterious smug on his face as he declared in a hefty voice, "I need you to free up your schedule tomorrow. I have invited Alpha Raven to visit us tomorrow with his daughter, Melissa. After all, she is chosen to become our crown princess and your mate. So, I believe, you both should try to get close and spend time with each other, before the royal unification and your coronation takes place."

Hearing his verdict, all of a sudden, Xanthus's face grew dark with a bothered look apparent. He frowned his brows and squinted his orbs before asking him in a stiff note, "What? Tomorrow?"

Watching the tainted look on his face, Lorelia tossed a vague smile at him before she retaliated, "Xanthus, you should be pleased to have Melissa as your mate. She is the strongest and most beautiful she-alpha from the RedMoon pack. By having her as our crown princess, our Merciful pack would maintain a strong alliance with their pack, don't you think so?"

A splurge of bitterness miffed Xanthus from inside, making him silent for a moment. He clenched his arm and exhaled a sigh before he grumbled at them, "I didn't choose Melissa as my mate, nor I was certain that I could be a reliable mate for her. Though I agreed to this decision half-heartedly, what's the point in rushing it?"

"I agree with your point," Valerie's facial expression shadowed with darkness as his voice grew a bit hoarse. Peering a stiff gaze through his onyx eyes, he declaimed, but I am willing to rush this marriage because I wish to bestow our kingdom to you as soon as possible.

But that can only happen once your Royal Unification ceremony with Melissa is over and she will be considered as your mate. Xanthus, you mustn't forget the major rule of our existence, an Alpha can't take over his pack without having a partner."

Xanthus clenched his fist while averting his irked gaze down, holding a conflicted look prominent on his face as he wanted to oppose his declaration strongly. However, he couldn't. Being his mind and heart at war, several tumultuous emotions were aggravating him from the inside.

"I even overlooked the matter when I learned today you had headed out from the castle taking only Randall with you. Xanthus, even though I am not pleased to find you exploring dangers like that by yourself, I will always have my faith in you.

So, don't let me down." Valerie tossed a cold, fumed glare as he proclaimed his verdict while watching the conflicted look on his face.

Even though the ambiance was becoming suffocating for Xanthus, he still couldn't utter a word except holding a scornful, dark grimace. After a brief uncomfortable silence, he gulped and stood up on the ground with a jolt.

"I guess, the conversation must be already over for today. So, I will take my leave for now. Thank you." In a hoarse, vexed tone, Xanthus concluded his answer in a spree and bowed his head, before marching out of the room like the gush of a storm.

As soon as he marched outside, Lorelia scowled her face and her eyes glowed with a disdainful look as she uttered, "Honey, did you see the audacity of that imprudent bastard? How dare he walked out of here without your permission?"

Valerie stayed silent for a while with a solemn look on his face, as he gazed blankly towards the door through which Xanthus just walked out. From his solemn grimace, he seemed to be contemplating something inside.

But his silence made her more impatient as she continued, "I have been always uncertain about your decision to choose an insolent brat like him as the future of our pack, as well as our kingdom. I better find my Illay as the worthy future of our pack and--"

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"KEEP QUIET!"

All of a sudden, wadding his fierce dark eyes round, Valerie scowled at her in a heavy, agitated voice. His sharp roar startled her a bit, pausing her for a moment as she fidgeted.

"But...h-honey..."

"If you had given me an alpha heir...if Illay hadn't born as a beta...then do you think I would have to bear with his impudent attitude? How were we supposed to lead our pack as the strongest one ever existed, without a true-blood alpha heir!?" Valerie snapped his vexed response at her, frowning his brows deeper.

Whereas, getting the perturbed response from him, Lorelia retained a distressed gaze at him as she opposed, "How is that my Illay's fault that he was not born as an alpha!? But as far as I have raised him, compared in strength and ability to be a supreme leader of our pack, he was never less than Xanthus!"

"But an alpha is always destined to lead the pack...and Illay won't be able to achieve it, you know it well too, Lorelia." Valerie exhaled a heavy sigh as she stood up from the throne, peering a lofty gaze at her. "So the only way we have now is to treasure Xanthus's pure bloodline...until we get an alpha heir from him.

So, bear with him for a while. We have come a long way and after that, it won't be impossible for us to get rid of him, don't you think so?" A cruel, cryptic smirk sliced on his lips as he murmured.

However, hearing his ill-intention, Lorelia kept a brief silence with an uneasy look evident on her face. Breathing out a heavy sigh, she thought, 'Pardon me, honey. But I don't think I can wait that long either...'

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