Fate: The Alpha King and His Unexpected Mate

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Marc

After leaving Lexi to relax in the bath, I asked Daniel to meet me in my office. I instructed him to also contact Jared and find Liam. Liam was not only Lexi's mate, but now he was also my warrior. I wanted him and Jared to work closely together. We couldn't afford to let our guard down while waiting for Zach to step up.

As I was checking my emails, the guys entered the office. I could already see that at least three of the alphas I had reached out to had responded, hopefully with good news.

"Daniel, grab a map. Some of the alphas have responded. Let's try to trace Zach's steps," I said.

Daniel grabbed a map and led the other two to the conference table along the far wall. I returned to my emails. An alpha in Tallahassee recalled seeing Zach during a visit about two years ago. An alpha in Birmingham allowed him to stay to help train some warriors about three years ago. An alpha in New Orleans saw him there for Mardi Gras last year. None of this information was particularly helpful.

"It seems like he doesn't have a clear travel pattern. But if I were a witch, I would go to New Orleans. I'll ask Whitney if the coven she encountered has any ties to New Orleans. Maybe that will give us some leads," I mused.

The guys nodded in agreement. I contacted Whitney and invited her to join us. The guys were deep in conversation amongst themselves. It was a beautiful day, so I opened the French doors and stepped out onto the balcony. This was one of my favorite spots. From here, I could admire the beauty of the forest, and with our wolf hearing, I could hear the distant sound of the waterfall.

My mother contacted me to inform me that the important decisions for the Luna Ceremony had been made. She, Jack, Laura, Jess, and Lexi's mom would take care of the smaller details. I'm sure Lexi was relieved by that. I decided to contact Jack and requested that she bring lunch to the office. I took in a deep breath of fresh air before joining the guys. Liam spoke up as I began examining the map once more.

"What if Zach found the rogues from these packs he has been visiting over the years? These sightings aren't giving us a path to any destination. It seems to be taking him away from us. But it's kind of like what you said about finding a witch."

"That does sound logical. Especially since the alpha in Birmingham said that Zach was training his warriors, I'll see if he trained any other pack warriors. I asked Jack to bring us lunch. It should be ready soon."

The guys went to the sitting area while I went to my desk. Daniel and Jared were talking to Liam about how our patrols work. It seemed pretty similar to how Dark River did their patrols. We just had to use more warriors since our territory was a lot bigger than theirs.

I was just pulling up my email when Jack came in with food. I didn't realize just how hungry I was until she set the Italian sub and chips in front of me. That's what I get for skipping breakfast. I ate while sending emails. If Liam was right and Zach was taking wolves from these packs, then maybe we could get an idea of what kind of fighters these rogues were.

After what seemed like hours, I realized that it was almost two in the afternoon. I had been thinking of letting Lexi and Liam have some time to themselves, since I had some fun with her this morning. I also wanted him to run the border with Jared so he could get a feel for our patrols.

"Daniel, Jared. Can you give me and Liam a minute? I'll send him to the gym to meet you guys for a patrol run."

They nodded and left the office. I joined Liam in the sitting area, taking the empty chair.

"I was thinking. Our situation is unique, and I don't want either of us to feel neglected by Lexi. I had my moment with Lexi this morning and even though you were part of it, I know it isn't the same. I plan to run patrol tonight with Daniel and some other warriors. You and Lexi have dinner in our room. Just spend some time together as mates."

"Thanks, man. I really appreciate it. I know that as not only an alpha, but as the alpha king, it can't be easy to share a mate. I still can't believe I'm not jealous when I see her with you. It's strange. But who am I to question the Moon Goddess?"

We both laughed. I think the same thing every time I see Lexi look at Liam the way she does. But Max assures me that she loves us both equally.

'Because she does.'

'Not the time, Max.'

I rolled my eyes as he chuckled and retreated to the back of my mind. He always knew when to be a smartass. I got up and Liam followed suit.

"You go on a patrol run now with Jared. I'll have Jack take care of dinner and make sure Lexi gets there."

He nodded and walked out of the office. I went back to my computer to finalize the details of my aunt and uncle's arrival in a few days. I just wanted answers. I asked Jack to prepare a separate dinner for Lexi and Liam tonight. I told her it was an intimate dinner for the two of them and trusted her to make an appropriate meal. I also told her to make sure Lexi comes upstairs, but not until after his patrol run and she sets everything up in our room. Whitney messaged me to let me know she just spoke with the coven she mentioned and would be right up.

Liam

I had to admit, I couldn't stop thinking about having some alone time with Lexi. I meant it when I said I wasn't jealous of her and Marc, but I couldn't deny that I was excited about spending time with her without Marc being there. He was right. Our situation was unique. But I was confident that we would find a routine that worked for us. I saw Jared waiting outside the gym, so I jogged the last few feet towards him.

"Hey man. So, we're just going to do a quick patrol run. This way, you can see the entire border of the pack. There are about fifteen warriors spread out along the border. It's similar to what we were discussing in the office. Daniel and I usually take turns doing a patrol run, checking in with each warrior for an update. Marc occasionally does a run as well. Now, you'll be joining us. Doing a run is more efficient than just relying on communication, in case there's something we need to see."

I nodded, and we took off jogging. The warriors were evenly spaced out. They were close enough to assist each other quickly, but not so close as to attract unwanted attention. It was a well-organized setup.

It took us about three hours to meet with all of the warriors. Thankfully, there was nothing significant to report. We reminded them to stay vigilant and aware of their surroundings. We didn't want any surprises.

Jared and I walked back to the packhouse together. He headed to the kitchen, where it sounded like the girls were still hanging out. I went straight to our room to shower before Jack brought dinner up.

I took a quick shower and then headed to the closet. I stood there, staring at my clothes, feeling suddenly nervous. It didn't make sense - I've known Lex for her entire life, and we've already been intimate. So why should I be nervous?

Logan started to get annoyed with me, saying, "Stop acting like a child. Just put on some nice jeans and a shirt. Heck, even joggers and a t-shirt would do. It's just a dinner in your room, not a fancy five-star restaurant."

I hated to admit it, but Logan was right. I grabbed my favorite gray joggers and a black t-shirt. Just as I was about to close the closet door, there was a knock on the bedroom door. I opened it to find Jack standing there with a huge tray of food.

"I know Marc said this was an intimate dinner for you and Lexi, but I figured you didn't need a fancy meal. So, I put together some appetizers for you two - potato skins, mozzarella sticks, fried pickles, chips and salsa. There's water and a bottle of wine for after dinner."

"That's actually perfect. I was feeling nervous, like it was our first date. But this is much more relaxed. I might even light a fire in the fireplace to make it cozier. Give me ten minutes, and then you can send her up."

Jack nodded and went back downstairs. I quickly lit the fire and grabbed a light blanket from the back of a chair. I dimmed the lights a little and settled myself comfortably on the couch.

Almost exactly ten minutes later, Lexi entered the room, engrossed in her phone. She didn't notice me at first, but when she looked up, she stopped in her tracks with a big smile on her face. She made her way over to the couch, and I wrapped an arm around her shoulders as she snuggled into my side.

"Well, Liam, is this our first date?" she teased.