Chapter Nine

LEO

"You guys know each other?" Erwin and I blurt out the same time as we look back and forth between John and Ruth in sync and they look at each other, one with shock and other with amusement.

"What a pleasant coincidence, Mr. Goodie." Ruth has already recovered from his shocked state, "I was expecting to see you soon. But I didn't think it would be this soon." He smirks and there is something not right about this. Definitely not.

"O-Oh it's good to see you too." John smiles awkwardly, sure enough he just felt the same way about that devilish smirk.

"Wait. Just wait a damn minute." Erwin holds up his palm, gesturing to stop their chitchat. He is wearing an expression of extreme distress as something really bad is happening here and his hands are tied, so he can't do anything about it. "You haven't answered my question yet. What's happening here? Why do you know…Ruth?"

"So your name is Ruth?" John then turns to his best friend to explain the situation. "Yesterday when Steve ran away from the church he was the one who found him and informed me. I told you about it earlier this morning, remember?" He adds.

My eyes widen and my head shoots up to Ruth, who is silently staring at John's face with an indescribable look in his eyes as the realization hits me hard.

Oh no… this is bad…really bad…

"Leo," Erwin suddenly spins around, making me winch, "Will you mind if I take a few minutes to talk with John?"

"Of course not." I shoot a glance at Ruth, who is still drooling over John like a total creep. "Or rather, I have something to talk about with Ruth. So please take your time."

As soon as I finish we both start to drag our best friend to a corner of the hall. Some people occasionally approach to start a conversation with me but I politely shake them off with a smile.

"So, what the fuck in the world is actually going on?" I cross my arms over my chest as a deep scowl takes over my face. "Is he the 'chick' you were talking about?"

"Oh you sure can see right through me, babe." Ruth grins, baring his full set of white beautiful teeth.

"Don't you dare to overlook me, you horny bastard!" I snap, "Do you even know what will happen if Erwin knows about it?"

Ruth's expression darkens, "I don't have anything to do with what he will do to me."

"Weren't you the one who was advising me to get along with my husband?" I give him a pointed look, "And do you think we will still get along even when he finds out about your lewd intentions for his best friend?"

"He will. You still don't know him." He says the last phase of his sentence very quietly. "Besides, it will be fine if he doesn't find out about it, right?"

"So you aren't wavering from your decision, at all?" I ask defeatedly, "You sure want to taste him."

"Of course I do." He unconsciously licks his bottom lip, "Look just how appetizing he is to be a beta."

Well, I can't argue with that. 

Yes he is a bit too cute and attractive for a beta with ink-black, equally black eyes and pale skin. If it were not for his 5.9 height and that fit body then I wouldn't recognize him as a beta.

Omegas tend to be small and pretty. They have a feminine aura around them. They usually don't exceed the height of 5.6. Alphas are big and masculine and have a strong appearance. They usually have the height over 5.11. Meanwhile betas stand in the middle of these two species. They are not masculine nor are they that fragile. They own a fit body. Their height is average too. They don't go up to 5.11.

Even the height and body logic fits for John, the face logic doesn't. Betas don't actually have attractive features. But John is really pretty. Or rather, cute.

Yes he is very cute.

"Fine." I at last admit my defeat and warn him, "Do as you wish. But if things go south then do come crawling at my feet to solve it for you."

"You know, I have got this." He winks at me, "And I know very well that you are gonna help me regardless."

I sigh. He knows me too well.

Ruth and I go back to our usual standing spot to find a disappointed Erwin and a confused John.

Maybe they had an argument?

I stand beside Erwin where I am supposed to. "Is everything all right?" I tap at his shoulder, "Are you okay?"

He quickly shrugs and turns to me with a smiling face, "I am absolutely fine!"

He is looking so handsome. I can barely breathe. Oh my god… what is he doing to me? 

I turn my face away from his grinning face, feeling blood rushing to my cheeks, "Then that's okay. Keep your cool in front of my family. No matter what they say, do not lose your charm."

"Oh that's right I thought they were coming." Erwin wonders out loud.

"Well you shouldn't think of his family this casually, buddy." Ruth playfully chimes up, who was listening to our conversation very carefully.

"Why though?" John blunts out curiously.

"Well, you see_" He starts but Erwin cuts in harshly.

"It's none of your business." He forcefully says through his gritted teeth.

I can see sparks radiating from the two alphas' eyes and canceling themselves in midair as John and I swing our heads from one to another in sync.

"What's up with them?" I raise one of my eye brows.

"Beats me." John scratches his cheek nervously.

They all know something but they are not telling me about it. It's not like it bothers me as long as I am involved in their dirty little secret.

"Seems like my nephew is having good times with his new husband." My hair stands at the end as soon as this voice enters my ear.

Everyone in this hall turns their attention to the source of this voice as a group of well-dressed people enters the hall.

Way to ruin the evening.

I can't help but think this was even though I was the one to invite them to the party just to showcase my stairs to the chairman's post.

The first one to approach us is none other than my uncle, Jean. John backs down toward the crowd as he sees his approach, meanwhile Erwin and Ruth stand tall beside me, their earlier animosity completely gone.

"Hey, uncle Jean!" Ruth greets, all smiles but it's not touching his cold green eyes as they glare over the way shorter man before him murderously.

"Long time no see, Ruth." Jean returns but there is no mischief in his voice and that makes both me and Ruth shiver in disgust.

"I hope you are doing well uncle." I quickly grab Jean's attention toward me but my skin stiffens as soon as his eyes fall over me. "He is my husband, Erwin Warner. Erwin, he is my uncle Jean Snow."

"Hey young man!" Jean reaches out for a handshake, "Hope we have a good talk tonight!"

"Nice to meet you uncle." Erwin takes the hand reached out to him, "No need to rush, the night is only starting." He smiles but this smile sends a cold wave down to my spine.

"Right, right." Jean says, all smiles. "Now allow me to introduce my son to you, James!"

James steps forward from the crowd, he was currently engrossing himself in a conversation to show me that my marriage doesn't bother him. "Yes dad. You called me?"

What an actor. He should be awarded the Oskar. And does he think I care about what he feels at all?

"He is my son James." James and Erwin shake their hands in courtesy. "James and Leo were supposed to marry each other. But who knows what happened, he dragged you between them. I suppose it was a small disagreement, right James?" His forever blooming smile doesn't dim for even an inch.

"Well, that's right." James Immediately admits, "It was when we were cuddling after we slept together. We had an argument about what we want, a baby boy or a girl."

I feel disgust and hatred crawling up to my skin that it's making me sick. I feel like I want to throw up all over their faces and shut them up. I clench my hands and unclench them to control my overwhelming disgust and hatred and to keep a straight face.

Even Ruth is speechless at this.

So, this is planned. What now? Will Erwin be able to handle it?

I can feel my palms are getting all sweaty from the tension in the air.

"Oh then I am happy that they had that argument." Erwin at last opens his mouth, "if they didn't then I wouldn't have the chance to stand here by his side today, greeting you all as your son-in-law." Erwin returns the smile as he wraps his arm around me and pulls me closer to him, setting the butterflies in my stomach wild.