XAVIER
"I thought you said he was sending his daughter to the pack? You did not say anything about him coming with her as well." I queried when my Beta, Brian told me about Alpha Dmitri's sudden interest in accompanying his daughter.
"Why is that an issue for you? You are all going to be a family soon after all." Brian replied without a flinch.
I almost threw a punch at him for not realizing how uncomfortable the news made me feel but I guess he knew but he just wanted to be nonchalant.
"Is there something you are not telling me?" I asked when I noticed he opened his mouth to speak but shut it again.
"You seem upset by the news." Brian started and I knew just where he was going with it.
"What? Shouldn't I be?" I asked
"It's just that you knew that this was going to happen all along when you agreed to Alpha Dmitri's option. You knew he was going to be your father-in-law and he was going to be frequenting your pack often to check on his daughter. But you still agreed to it and now, you are upset that the normal is taking place."
Brian had always been one to say his mind the way he felt and most times, what he said was valid but it pissed me that he knew me so well and he was telling the truth.
I knew the implications of the agreement with Alpha Dmitri and I knew it was going to come with a lot but I still agreed to it. I was in desperate need to end the war.
'If I choose to put up a fight, I do not have enough armies to go against him and his pack.' That was what I thought before agreeing to his condition.
Fighting against Alpha Dmitri would be fighting a lost war.
"You need to sulk up to it. In your own words, 'I'm doing it for the people.' You need to see it through for them." Brian finished and the urge to punch his face surged through me.
Although he was right, I had grown to detest the thought of getting married to Ivy. Even though I knew she was hopelessly in love with me I could get her to get her father, Alpha Dmitri to give us some armies and his protection.
"Did you forget that I am still your Alpha?" I replied with a frown and Brian raised his hands in mock surrender.
Accepting that he was right would sell me off as weak. And I would rather die in a war against my enemies than come off as weak.
"I'm only going to consider what you said because you are my Beta and I guess your word counts for something. But I won't agree to Alpha Dmitri coming to the pack with his daughter." I replied.
"You have been ignoring his messages and he wants to accompany his daughter to make sure that you will treat her well. There is no harm in that." Brian replied and the anger I felt some minutes ago that was calm a little sprang up again.
"On whose side are you Brian? You seem to be on Alpha Dmitri's side and I'm beginning to wonder if he has bought you off."
"I am on your side. That is why I am telling you the truth. You should at least pick up his calls. If he cancels the agreement, it means war." Brian replied matter-of-factly.
"I don't care. He is not going to step foot in my pack. I'll visit him instead. Get the car ready." I finalized and Brian walked away without saying a word.
After some minutes, Brian returned.
"The car is ready but I think there is a problem."
"What is it?"
"If we go to Alpha Dmitri's pack, it only means that we will return on the night of the bonfire."
"What about it?" I knew he was worried because I was supposed to introduce her to the pack beforehand but I really didn't care.
It was even better for me to come with Ivy to the bonfire night. Then, I don't get to say much. The pack members' assumptions would help me spread the news.
"The pack elders, the pack members..."
"They will be fine with hearing from me that night. Let's go." I led the way before he could say any other thing.
We got to Alpha Dmitri's pack after a long, silent ride and I could see the scorn on the faces of the wolves.
Surely, word has gone around the pack concerning my nonchalance and they didn't like that.
We were led to the hall like the previous time and the Alpha was having his dinner.
"Alpha Dmitri, we came just in time." I started with a cheerful voice when we walked in.
He didn't even spare me a glance.
"Why are you here?" He asked, his gaze glued to the food before him.
"Am I now forbidden to visit my soon-to-be father-in-law?"
He finally looked up at me but tore his gaze away almost immediately.
"To be frank. I don't like this agreement. If not for the love my daughter claims she has for you, I would have finished you and your pack off by now. It would all be history."
I gritted my teeth subconsciously at his words. Fragments of the memory of the last war replayed in my head. Memories of Alpha Dmitri defeating my pack, killing everyone in his path made anger sear within me.
The only thing we had was taken from us, we lost our magic and we paid dearly for it.
"Well, to be frank too, I don't like the arrangement but I guess it's thanks to your daughter we can have honest conversations like this," I replied.
'Don't do it, Xavier.' Brian's voice echoed through the mind link and that was when I remembered that I had come with someone.
I was about to tell Dmitri that I was no longer interested in the marriage and challenged him to do his worst but Brian held me back.
"I came to see you, I heard you've been trying to get to me. And I came to tell you that you do not need to come with your daughter to my pack. She's in safe hands." I drew a wide smile even though deep down I was suppressing the urge to slit his throat.