Alpha Nocturne’s Contracted Mate by A E Randell
Chapter 145 We were Just Talking about You
As they finished breakfast and sat quietly on the terrace, simply enjoying each other’s company, a very hara*s*sed-looking Allen appeared through the doors.
He looked around furtively as if expecting an ambush before his shoulders sagged in relief. He strode over to where Ann and Adam were regarding him with bemused expressions and sat heavily on a chair.
Ann and Adam exchanged a look as they took in his unusually stressed appearance.
‘I bet it’s Lexi…’ Maeve sniggered and Ann had to stop herself from laughing at the thought.
“Is everything okay?” Adam asked curiously.
Allen sighed heavily and turned to stare across the expansive grounds at the back of the balcony.
“Yeah. I’m fine, just… nevermind.” Allen answered with a hint of defeat in his eyes that actually made Ann feel a little sorry for him.
“Are you sure, Allen? You don’t look like you’re fine.” Ann asked, trying desperately to block out Maeve’s manic laughter.
“Yeah, it’s… actually no. How is she EVERYWHERE that I go?” He hissed as he ran his hands through his hair in frustration.
Adam looked a little confused.
“She? Who’s she?”
“Lexi!! Who else would I be talking about?! I open a door and she’s there, looking like she’s not doing anything suspicious or stalking me or whatever it is that she’s doing, but wherever I go, she is just… THERE all the damn time!” He hissed a little hysterically.
At that moment Lexi appeared in the doorway with a sly grin on her face as she leaned suggestively against the doorframe.
“Because it’s a small world, Beta boy. I can’t help it if your schedule aligns with my own interests can I?” she grinned wickedly, flashing her little pointy canines as she did so.
Allen froze and seemed to pale slightly.
“Why are you doing this to me?” He almost whispered as Adam looked between the two of them in amusement.
“Don’t get a complex, fur ball. I told you that it wasn’t intentional.”
“Then why are you here now!”
“Because I wanted to see my bestie of course! Where else would she be? I’ve already exhausted looking in all the other places that she might have been frequenting. It just so happened that you were inconveniently visiting them at the same time.” Lexi snorted, “Believe it or not, I have better things to do than trail around after a puppy who rolls over and begs with the click of a finger.” She sniggered.
Allen scowled and watched her warily as she sidled up to where Ann was sitting and dragged a chair next to her, looking at her with that trademark expression of innocence.
Ann gave her a knowing look, just to make sure that she knew Ann was on to her but as usual, she fluttered her eyelashes and grinned unrepentantly.
“So, bestie… what’s new?” She winked.
“Actually, we were just talking about you…” Adam offered with a sardonic smile, clearly also under no illusions that Lexi was deliberately tormenting Allen for her own amusement.
“Oh? Do tell! You know I love a good gossip! Especially when I’m the subject.” Lexi sniggered.
“We were talking about your decision to lecture here at Adam’s request,” Ann said quickly before Adam could answer.
She knew exactly how Lexi would react if she knew that there might be a little resistance to her presence here. She would take it as a personal challenge to piss as many people as possible off before leaving a steaming zone of destruction behind her when she left, and that was the last thing that Ann wanted.
“I’m a little concerned that we aren’t going to have enough room here to accommodate the interest that it’s going to garner.”
Adam almost laughed out loud at the look of hope in Allen’s eyes as he realized that he might actually get away with not being around Lexi 24/7.
“What? Do you think that talking about Daemon’s and magic is going to get that much interest?! Are you serious?!” Lexi said incredulously.
“Very serious. It won’t be long until the word is out that the Excidium Coven is behind the dark magic making a comeback, and as soon as that happens, people will want to know, who and what exactly they might be up against.” Adam interjected.
“I doubt that only our Kingdom will be affected in the long run as well. Who knows how many other people are involved? Did your father manage to make any headway with his investigations?”
Lexi shrugged noncommittally, wiping the look of surprise off her face almost instantly.
“A little. He did manage to get Narcissa to spill a few details but as soon as she started getting to the juicy stuff she had a pretty violent reaction. Apparently, the Daemon Lords like to seal their follower’s mouths… quite literally. As soon as she gave into his… ingenious methods of interrogation, the magick in the seal kicked in and rendered her mute for a
time. Pretty irritating… but also ingenious.” Lexi grimaced.
“So he has nothing else to go on?” Adam asked with a concerned frown.
Lexi laughed lightly and a smile spread slowly across her lips.
“Don’t underestimate my Papa’s capabilities.” She said darkly, “He has contacts all over his realm and is working on ingratiating his eyes and ears into the social circles that Narcissa was able to reveal. It’s just a matter of time.”
“Do you think he’ll be willing to share the details with us if he finds anything important out?” Ann asked tentatively.
“Of course! For you Ann, it’s not an issue. You grew up alongside his only daughter, he already has a soft spot for you, you know?” Lexi grinned widely. “With you as the Alpha Queen, there’s no reason that his realm and ours can’t operate on a little more friendly basis than has been in the past.”
Allen almost ch*oked on his own saliva at Lexi’s words and he spluttered loudly, outraged at her suggestion. “And have our kingdom filled with a bunch of Daemons running around?! Are you insane?!”
Lexi stared at him for a long time as her eyes narrowed dangerously.
“I think you’re failing to consider that Daemons are already here,” She whispered conspiratorially, leaning over the table towards him, “Do you think that the Rogue Daemon who oversees the Coven that Narcissa and Ada hailed from came here with consent? You already have rogues running about unchecked, but with an allied Daemon Lord then they will think twice about launching any incursions into this world. We can’t launch an offensive on their MAsteras realm… my Papa, however, can.”
Allen fumed silently as Lexi smiled sweetly at him, holding his gaze fiercely before finally, Allen’s resolve broke and he averted his eyes, looking away with a slight growl.
Satisfied, Lexi smirked to herself and turned to Ann.
“Sure, I’ll take you up on the offer of teaching outside of the pack. I’ll be damned if I’m going to be around bigoted, paranoid furballs. I have better things to do with my time than offer help where it’s not wanted.”