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"Anyway, I killed them all, but couldn't find the leader. Once we confirmed Valentina would be alright, your mate got Kassandra and we began our return journey. We did not stay longer than three hours there." He finished.

Silence.

The Alpha King did not say a word for a long time. Too long.

"Say something, please." Alphose was forced to say at last.

Finally, the frown dissipated from his face, he raised his head, "We will discuss this much later, Alphose. Now, I want to see our newest visitor to Naturiah. Go and get her."

Oh? Alphose blinked. Twice.

That was not what he was expecting.

If Wolfaraine was still very angry, it wasn't showing in his voice. Alphose took that as a plus on his side. "I will do that, Alpha King."

"I will survey her to know if she is truly your mate, and I will invite the cougar too."

Alphose had been hoping on that too, even as he dreaded the outcome of it. "Thank you so much, Alpha King."

"Good. Go and get her." Then, he dismissed him by picking up the piece of paper he'd dropped when Alphose entered his study .

Alphose walked to the door, remembered something, and stopped. He turned around, "How is your leg healing?" He asked, concerned.

The remaining hard edges that had appeared when the Alpha King's face when he talked about taking Ismena to the human world dissolved.

"It's healed. Completely." He appeared most relaxed as he looked down on his leg in question. A glint flashed in his eyes...as if he was remembering the 'healing process.'

"Really?" Alphose's eyes widened, "All of it?"

"All of it."

"Bloody hell!" Alphose winced, "How is Ismena? Is she alright?"

Wolfaraine arched his brows, dropped the document he was holding, crossed his arms, and leaned back on his chair in a comforting manner. "Seriously?"

The cougar Alpha shifted uncomfortably, "She is human, Your Highness. You have to take it easy on her."

A smile feathered his lips, "Ismena is strong, Alphose." Is that pride in his voice? "Contrary to what you and Mirian think, I did not kill her. She is alive and well."

"Of course, she is a very strong female, especially because she is taking you on—and I do not even mean that in a sexual way. That, is not disputable."

Wolfaraine narrowed his eyes, "What exactly do you mean by that?"

"Nothing, nothing." The Alpha King is a hard and scary male to be with, and while his people love him greatly, they prefer to love him from afar. Ismena seems to be doing a great job loving him closely and for that Alphose was grateful to her.

For the first time, for as long as he could remember, Wolfaraine was spending the day in a mood that can be termed as a great mood. A first of its kind. Alphose will forever be grateful to Ismena for that.

If any male deserves to be happy in life, it is the Alpha King. A male who has been through so many unspeakable hard times that scarred him irreparably.

"What are you thinking about in so much concentration?"

His voice snapped Alphose out of his own head, "Nothing serious. I am just happy that your wounds healed completely overnight."

"It is good to have all my senses working perfectly again, not being dulled by pain or an infected wound. You know, I could not scent much yesterday, and I could not hear far either." He admitted, "It was that bad."

Unbiddenly, Alphose remembered that very faint scent of the Alpha King he'd perceived in Nalaila's room the night before.

Now Wolfaraine said this, it made him wonder if, perhaps that scent had really been there but the Alpha King did not perceive it because his enhanced senses were dulled by his injury?

Was Ismena really in Nalaila's room knowing fully well how dangerous that is? His brows furrowed as he thought of that.

Speaking of Ismena…

It was Alphose's turn to arch his brows, "You said Ismena is alive and 'well' but according to Mirian, she has been sleeping since last night."

"She has. And so?"

Alphose narrowed his eyes, "It's early evening, Alpha King. "

Suddenly, Wolfaraine was giving that piece of the document on his desk more attention than it deserves. "I do not understand what you are implying here, Alphose."

"Oh yes, you do." He would have sworn the bridge of their leader's nose turned slightly ruby. Alphose smirked, "You gotta take it easy on her though. Trust me, you do not want to kill your own mate with your infamous large appetite for sex."

Wolfaraine rubbed the stubble of his beard on his jawline in thought.

His large appetite for sex, like Alphose put it, was not even the problem in this situation.

Yes, he does have a large appetite for sex just like every changeling does, but unlike most changelings, he can abstain from the act if it's not 'needed'.

He can do little to nothing with a female and be completely okay with it.

No, his large appetite for sex is not the problem here, but his large appetite for her. For Ismena. That, is the main problem here.

"I wish it was all because of my sexual appetite." He grunted, under his breath.

"Huh? What did you say?" Alphose did not hear correctly because he wasn't tuning in with his 'cougar ears'.

Wolfaraine only shook his head, "That is enough jest for today. Go and get me your mate, Alphose. I think it is time we become properly introduced."

Alphose was smiling when he walked out of the door. But, as the door closed behind him, the smile died slowly.

If anyone can identify a mate, it is the Alpha King of Naturiah. Soon, he will get to know if Kassandra is his mate or not.

His belly knotted in dread.