Chapter 25
We move towards the building, with Elijah and Lucas guiding us at the front.
Elijah raises his hand to knock, but before he makes contact, the door swings open.
A teenage girl greets us, her expression surprised. “Um, can I help you?” She keeps the door barely
open.
“We’re here from the Apsis Pack. Oliver should be expecting us,” Elijah responds.
“Alright. I’ll let someone know you’re here.” The girl closes the door, leaving us waiting outside.
Soon, the door opens again, this time revealing a man with deep brown hair. “You’re early,” he remarks.
Lucas stiffens, and I hear a sharp intake of breath. “Anthony?”
The man lowers his gaze. “I didn’t think you’d be here, Lucas. You look good.
Lucas keeps his eyes fixed on the man. “Anthony, I’ve missed-
“Alpha Oliver has arranged a meeting room for your group,” Anthony interrupts, cutting Lucas off quickly. He avoids looking at Lucas and seems uneasy. “Please, come with me.
Elijah glances at Lucas, clearly sensing the same strange tension that I do. This isn’t the right moment to question it, though.
We trail behind Anthony as he leads us through the house, which feels even more expansive on the
inside.
He takes us down a lengthy corridor and opens a door near the end.
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Inside, a long table that could seat sixteen people dominates the room. Anthony indicates we should
take a seat.
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“Wait here, please. I’ll return shortly.” Anthony closes the door behind him, leaving us alone. The tension in the room is palpable.
“Lucas, are you alright? What just happened back there?” Elijah asks as he settles at the table.
Emma settles herself to Elijah’s left, while I choose the seat on his opposite side. Lucas remains on his feet, shifting his weight back and forth.
サー
“It’s not worth worrying about. It really doesn’t matter,” Lucas mutters, eyes lowering to the floor. I realize I’ve never seen him looking so subdued; the usual spark is gone.
Emma addresses him directly: “Hey, good-looking, don’t push your own feelings aside. You matter as well. Come and sit.”
Elijah chimes in, “She’s right. We’ve got a few minutes, so if there’s something you want to talk about, tell me now.”
Letting out a long breath, Lucas finally takes a seat next to Emma. “Alright, since you’re asking. Right before we left the group, I discovered who my mate is.”
Emma’s eyes grow huge. “What? You never brought this up before.”
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Chapter
“It’s Anthony, isn’t it?” I say. The way Lucas looked at Anthony earlier reminded me of a heartbroken
pet.
Lucas gives a nod, avoiding all of our eyes. “Yeah.”
“Why didn’t you tell us?” Elijah questions him.
Lucas just shrugs. “It happened when everything else was going on. I had to follow you, Alpha, but Anthony asked me to remain with him. He pleaded, but I left anyway.”
Elijah’s voice is troubled as he asks, “Why didn’t you tell me what was going on?”
At last, Lucas lifts his head, a frown etched deep on his face. “You already had enough to deal with, Alpha. I didn’t want to add to your worries. I was hoping Anthony wouldn’t be here.”
“Lucas, you shouldn’t handle this by yourself. I want you to talk to me, no matter how busy I am. My problems aren’t any more important than yours,” Elijah assures him, sounding sincere and resolute in his support for the pack.
Lucas gives another nod, still silent, shutting himself down and not acting like the Lucas we know.
A few quiet minutes pass before the meeting room door swings open again. Anthony enters first, accompanied by a shorter man wearing glasses and holding a pile of papers, dressed in a crisp white shirt. He doesn’t exactly radiate the authority I’d expected from an alpha.
They both sit down across from us, and the blond man sets his papers on the table, adjusting his glasses. Anthony breaks the silence: “Alpha Oliver is occupied right now, but he’ll be here when he’s finished.” Anthony flicks his gaze toward Lucas for a split second before looking away, so quickly I almost miss it. “Before we start, do you have it?”
Elijah hesitates, then reaches into his backpack. “Yes, I do.” He places a black case in front of him, but doesn’t pass it over just yet. “Once you give us the information, I’ll hand it over.”
“That’s not what we agreed on,” Anthony replies, his tone unwavering.
Lucas interjects, eyes still downcast. “Please, Anthony, don’t make this harder than it needs to be.”
Anthony pauses. “Alpha Oliver gave me very specific directions. I won’t move forward with this meeti ng unless you hand it over,” he insists.
