Chapter 52

Chapter 52 Rude Northerner

ASHER

“You’re very late, Alpha Asher. Is it customary of your Pack to keep your guests

waiting?”

The moment I stepped into the first-floor meeting room, a heavily accented voice reached my ears, and I raised my eyebrows in surprise. Though I knew the voice belonged to the King of Yurene, I was shocked by how callously I was being

spoken to.

The king stood from the couch very slowly and then extended his hand toward mine. “I jest, of course, though you do appear to be quite busy.””

I stared at his hand for a moment before I accepted it in mine. “I suppose I am quite busy. I’m sorry to keep you waiting-”

“Are you ill?” Kaleb blurted out. “You look tired-”

Lancel took a step forward in warning, but I raised a hand to stop him.

“It’s fine,” I murmured.

Kaleb studied us with a curious expression and then chuckled. “It seems the people of the South are more tense than us Northerners.”

The king of Yurene was one of the tallest men I’d ever seen. I wasn’t short by any means, but compared to his impressive stature, I felt like a child again. His hair was somewhere between gold and brown, and his deep blue eyes were dark and haunting. His appearance was sophisticated but his attire was another thing completely. He was dressed in deep leathers and furs that suggested a colder climate than it was. It made sense- Yurene’s climate was likely much colder than that of Wegalla’s.

Despite his height, he appeared to be a few years younger than me and still

had a softness to his smile.

“I suppose so,” I remarked.

Though I’d never met Kaleb before, I’d heard from my men that he was a very capable Alpha. While his father, the former king of Yurene, had taken most of their land through war and disputes, Kaleb was known to use softer policies to annex other packs into their empire. That being said, I could see a certain glint in his eyes that suggested he shouldn’t be doubted. He was cu nning and dangerous, and I needed to stay on my toes around him.

“Alpha Kaleb, this is Lancel, Bert, and my counselors,” I introduced the group to the king, and then I took a seat in the leather chair opposite him.)

“It’s a pleasure to meet you all,” Kaleb said politely.

A pair of se rvants entered the room moments later with trays in their hands. They arranged a teapot, cups, and small tiers of snacks on the table before us, and then filled each of the cups with my favorite blend of tea. My mouth watered as the smell hit my nose. I hadn’t had much of an appetite lately, but I was rather fond of tea.

“Thank you,” I addressed them as I accepted my cup.

“Yes, thank you,” Kaleb’chimed in, and when he lifted the tea to his l*ps, he inhaled deeply and smiled. “This smells lovely.”

He took a sip and his smile widened. “A wonderful selection, Alpha Asher. I must say, the tea in the South is very worthy of praise. The only praise I’ve been able to give so far.”

“It seems to me that you have had a rather bad impression of Wegalla,” I remarked, and I pushed down the feeling of irritation that had arisen.

“Yes,” Kaleb said bluntly, and then he offered a strange expression of amusement. “I didn’t expect to see an attempted kidnapping upon my arrival to Anemond.”

“A kidnapping?” I repeated back, and I set my tea cup down. My eyes flew to Lancel, but my guard looked just as confused by the king’s words.

Kaleb nodded. “Yes. My men and I were walking around the market earlier. I wanted to get a feel for Anemond before I arrived in the palace. I’ve only heard tales. of Wegalla from my father, you see, so I wanted to get to know the city myself. I was in the middle of the market when I heard a woman cry out for help. My men and I ended up finding her in the middle of an alley being pursued by a wicked man and

woman.’

“Oh my,” I uttered before I could stop myself.

“My men intervened before she could be hurt,” Kaleb continued. matter-of-factly, but his bright expression faded quickly. “But I must say, the experience left quite an impression. I didn’t realize this place was so dangerous.”

An attempted kidnapping? In Anemond? Sure, the capital could be dangerous, but something like this… it all sounded so strange. Crime hadn’t been this bad in

years.

“I will look into this,” I announced as my eyebrows creased together. “I can a*sure you, Alpha Kaleb, this kind of thing doesn’t happen around here-”

“And yet it did,” Kaleb interrupted me with a slight tilt of his head. “Do you mean to say that it was simply a stroke of bad luck, a moment of inconvenient timing?”

“It doesn’t happen around here,” I emphasized. Alpha Kaleb’s tone was tiresome. and I couldn’t believe I was being challenged like that in my own palace. I wasn’t sure how things were done in Yurene, but Kaleb was testing my patience.

The king stared at me for a moment and then chuckled.

“Then it appears we have brought you bad luck,” he remarked, and he turned his attention back to his tea.

Rather than get riled up, I decided to sip at my own and try to steady my breath. I needed to stay calm and collected. Politics between our empires forced me

to do so.

“So, what brings you here, Alpha Kaleb?” I wondered. “From our correspondence, I hadn’t expected you to come in person.”

“I thought things would be easier if I arrived myself,” Kaleb replied simply, and he shrugged. “There are many matters to discuss and I would rather be present during the conversations rather than hear them parroted back by my diplomats.”

Suddenly, a yawn escaped him.

“Are you alright?” I asked.

“Yes,” he replied. “Though, we have just traveled all along the continent to arrive here. I’m afraid I need some rest, along with my men.”

“Of course,” I said, and then I turned to Bert, the head se rvant. “Have the rooms for our guests been prepared?”

Bert nodded. “Yes, Your Majesty, the rooms are ready. The welcoming party has also been prepared in the grand dining room.”

Kaleb’s eyebrow shot up in interest and his strange smile returned to his face. “A welcoming party? I look forward to seeing your traditional southern dance.”

He rose to his feet. “Thank you for your hospitality.”

“Of course,” I replied, and I carefully stood as well. My head swam at the sudden movement, but I tried not to let it bother me. I would rest just as soon as they left.

“Follow me, Your Majesty,” Bert addressed Kaleb. The king of Yurene nodded and then urged his men forward. As they filed out the chamber door, relief began to swell within me. I was ready to be alone.

“Alpha Asher?” Kaleb spoke up before he left. He lingered in the doorway for a moment and tilted his head. “I wanted to mention the lady from earlier, the one who was nearly kidnapped. She was quite admirable, you see, and quite brave

considering the circumstances. She mentioned her name was Ca ssandra and she was a royal healer here in the palace.”

“Ca ssandra?” I said in shock, and Kaleb nodded.

“I hope that I will get to see her again at the party,” he said, and then he turned around. “She was very lovely to get along with.”