Kaia

Xendith hadn't given me a chance to respond. He'd picked me up and speeded off to a restaurant.

The people in the restaurant gave an off vibe. I could tell they weren't werewolves. But that wasn't the problem right now. Xendith had called me by my last name, Duncheon. How did he know that? Had he been digging into my past? Does that mean...he knows?

"You seem to be overthinking a lot in that little head of yours, Kaia" he says, arms crossed over his chest. "Let's make this date of ours a bit more fun, shall we?"

"How?"

"We both get to ask each other three questions each. What do you say?"

I was wise enough to know that I didn't have a choice in the matter. "That's fine with me?"

"Good" He shoves the menu across the table towards me. "Feel free to order whatever"

Picking up the menu, I frowned at I read the list. Nothing here seemed edible for a werewolf.

"What sort of place is this?"

Xendith laughed. "Is that your first question?"

I shut the menu. "You and your brothers. What exactly are you? Are you S-class werewolf alphas?"

S-class werewolf alphas were likened to be as strong and powerful as Enigmas.

Since Enigmas were always assumed to be non-existent, S- class werewolf alphas were rare as well. But given the speed Xendith possessed, I assumed he and his brothers weren't just the average alphas.

"We're hybrids" Xendith clarifies. "S-class werewolf alphas with a mix of vampire"

I stilled. No wonder I found this place weird from this start. "So, this place is-"

"A vampire restaurant, correct. My turn to ask"

Why would Xendith bring me here? Everyone stared at me like a prey to be killed. I was uncomfortable.

"Relax" Xendith urges. "No one can lay a finger on you. That's exactly why I brought you here"

He clears his throat. "My turn; Did you kill Beckett's son? Honestly, I didn't mean to dig up your past but I wanted to be sure I wasn't bringing trouble into the pack. So, did you?"

My hands trembled. I hated recalling Matteo's death. "I didn't''

"Weird. Adalyn says otherwise" Xendith clicked his tongue. "Should I have called her instead of coming to you?"

My whole body froze upon hearing Adalyn's name. "You... what did you do to Adalyn?"

Xendith throws his hands up in the air. "Nothing. She's the one spreading gossip that you planned to kill Beckett's son from the very start"

I tightened my fist, boiling in rage. "Adalyn would never do that"

"Whatever. Answer the question; Did you kill Matteo or not?"

"I didn't"

Xendith sighed. "I should have brought Cali along to read your mind but I know he wouldn't do it. I guess I'll just have to take your words for it. Your turn"

Cali. The one who'd applied ointment on my ankle the other day. So, he reads mind? These alpha brothers were scary.

"Adalyn. What did you do to her?" I inquired.

"You really seem to have trust issues, don't you? I told you, I did nothing. I haven't even met up wither yet but I plan to"

"Can..." My voice trails off. "Can I come along with you? I really want to know how she's doing?"

"You can meet her after I've gotten what I want" He paused. "You seem to worry about this Adalyn even when she spreads gossips about you to others. Why is that?"

"Is that your last question?"

"You can say so"

"Adalyn was the one who'd informed me about alpha Beckett plans to kill me. If not for her, I would have been long dead. She would never spread such a gossip about me. At least not without a reason"

Xendith nods. "I see your point. Any last question you have for me?"

"You and your brothers. What are your vampire powers?"

"You already know I have speed. Pliar has an incredible healing power. Cali can read minds and Aklan, the last of the quad, has a sharp vison. He can see far and wide. Even as deep as into a person's soul. Our mother is the most powerful vampire of all time. She has a combination of these four powers and more that's why we're hoping mother would be able to buy the story of you as our mate"

"If that's the case, wouldn't your mother have seen this coming already? I mean, she would have seen you saving me from Alpha Beckett and bringing me into your pack from miles away"

"She should have but that's the fun part" Xendith says. "If Aklan never saw it, there's no way mother would have. So, if you have something, you're hiding up your sleeve; hide it well, Kaia. If I find out later-and it affects the pack in any way-you'd wish I never saved you that night"

It was a threat. One that was loud and crystal clear. I nod. "I wouldn't dare trespass you"

"I'm glad we're on the same page. Shall we head back home since you aren't hungry?"

I nod. "Can we walk? Your speeding off makes me motion sick"

Xendith chuckled. "Sure. If you say so"

We walked back to the pack mansion. There, we see Aklan spacing to and fro by the front yard. When our eyes held contact, he approached us with a sense of urgency as though something was wrong.

"Where are you two coming from?" Aklan asked. "It's so frustrating that I couldn't tell where you'd been"

"Relax. We were just on a date" Xendith replies.

"At least say something next time you're taking her out. Kaia isn't just yours, you know"

"Okay, kid"

"Who are you calling kid?" The two brothers bantered off.

It was then I realized that Xendith was right. Even with Aklan's sharp vision, he couldn't tell where Xendith and I had been.

Should I be thankful? No. I needed to find a way to fix this or else the quad brothers were going to be suspicious of me and eventually be aware of the power that I possess.

I couldn't let that happen. Never.

Xendith

I dragged Aklan inside the pack mansion to the study room on the third floor.

"Hey, use yours words" Aklan complained when we were in the study as he freed himself from my grasp.

"I had a question to ask you"

"What is it?"

"Earlier on, you said you couldn't see where I was with Kaia, was it true?"

Aklan frowned. "Would I lie about something like that?"

"Can you check to see where Mother is?"

Aklan pursed his lips. "Mother is going to kill me for this"

"That had never scared you before"

Placing a hand over his right eye, Aklan does as I'd asked. "Mother is still on her trip"

So, his powers weren't broken yet he couldn't find me when I was with Kaia. Weird.

"Don't you find that weird? The fact that you couldn't find me when I was with Kaia?"

"Weird?" Aklan scoffed. "Rather, I'm challenged. Never have I felt this much excitement my entire life"

"Excitement?"

He nods. "Yes. At least, around Kaia I wouldn't have to worry about seeing her future. Being around her would make me feel...normal"

"And you want to feel normal?" I scoffed. "Normal is boring"

"That's easy for you to say, Xendith. Every day, I look at someone I see their past, future, things I wouldn't want to see but can't help it. And the worst part is that; the bad things always happen when I see them"

I looked away. I didn't know Aklan was having such a hard time with his powers but that was the point, none of us cared about the other enough to ask.

"Honestly, I'm not even interested in this whole throne shit" Aklan admits, plunging down onto a nearby empty chair. "But Mother says once we find claim the throne, she'd help reduce my sharp vision. But you see Kaia, there I'm 100% interested"

"Could you two quiet down a little?" A voice inquires, approaching us from behind the study library.

It was Cali. He had a romance book in his hands. Now that was new. "I don't know why you'd come to the study to talk. It's called a study for a reason"

"I could say the same thing about you" Aklan teased. "Did you sneak off here to the study to read romance shit? I bet Kaia got to you too, huh?"

Cali clears his throat, looking away embarrassed. "I couldn't concentrate in my room"

"Cali, I have a question to ask you" I say. "Have you ever tried reading Kaia's mind?"

Cali shook his head. "Never. And I don't think I'm going to try that out for a while"

"Why?"

"Because I don't want to know what she thinks of us" Cali admits. "Even without reading her mind, it's clear Kaia hates our guts"

True that. But I just wanted to know if Cali's powers work on Kaia or not.

"Oh shit!" Aklan exclaims, startling I and Cali. "The pack elders are here"

I tensed up. "All four of them?"

He nods. "Yes. Do you think they found out about Kaia as our mate already?"

"If they hadn't found out by now, wouldn't that be weird?" Cali inquires. "They must be here for another reason"

"Let's go find out then"

I, Xendith and Cali moves to the pack ancestral hall on the same floor where we find the pack elders already there with Pliar. He seemed to be doing his best to ensure the pack elders were comfortable.

"I see Aklan informed the two of you of our visit" Pack elder Monroe says.

Pack elder Monroe knew the four of us like his own sons because he was close to our father while he was still alive.

Our father nearly became the pack enemy for taking our mother, a vampire for a mate. it was pack elder Monroe whom stood up for our father.

At that time, Monroe was contesting for the position as the pack elder.

Even with his duty on the line, he stood up for our father regardless. But he swore that would be the last time the rules of the pack would be bent.

That's why I was going out of my way to ensure that Kaia wasn't an enemy in disguise.

"Correct" I admit. "To what do we owe this pleasant visit to?"

"Now that you four have finally gotten a mate, you need qualifications to the throne" Pack elder Charles informs. "Academic qualifications"

"All four of us?" Aklan whines. "I don't want to go back to school"

"Just one of you" Monroe says. "But be rest assured Aklan, you'll be counted out. We can't have you using your sharp vision to cheat before an exam"

Aklan punches the air with his fist. "Yes!"

"And since Cali loves to read, he's being exempted as well" Pack elder Kitly says. "So that leaves..."

Oh fuck! That leaves Pliar and I. "I can't- "

"You can be rest assured that we never had you in mind, Xendith. You'd only cause trouble" Monroe says, turning to face Pliar. "So, Pliar as from tomorrow, you and your mate would have to enroll to Kaden university to gain some academic qualifications"

Pliar froze. "I'm going with my mate?"

Kitly nods. "Yes, is there a problem with that?"

I smirked. Of course, there was a problem with that. "School is sure going to be fun or you, Pliar. Don't you think so?"

"Shut it" Pliar snarled at me. Turning to the pack elders, Pliar assured them. "That wouldn't be a problem, pack elders"

"Then, we'll be taking our leave now" Pack elder Figgly says. He'd always been the one who spoke less amongst all four pack elders.

As soon as the pack elders left the ancestral hall, I felt a strong wind blow behind me. This aura. I recognized it all too well.

My hands began to tremble. It couldn't be. We were supposed to still have about 36hours left or more.

"There are my boys" A voice says behind me that made chill run down my spine. My prediction was correct. It was her.

Turning around, I find Mother dressed in a red gown with a heavy dark sunglass over her eyes. Red. That was what she always wore when she went to hunt.

"Mother's home. Did you miss me?"