My Innocent Mate

XXV

"Are you sure?" Will asked.

"Yes," I said firmly. "You probably should increase the patrol numbers around the border."

"I will get right on it. But, our patrol is already so strong. Who could've snuck past all that?"

Suddenly, I remembered. "Wait! What if it's those people who ruined the gala?"

Will grew grim. "There was an investigation, but we couldn't find any clues. Perhaps, you're right. These people are certainly clever. But, what would they want with us? What's their motive?"

The quiet room was interrupted by the ringtone of my phone. It was my mom.

"Mom?" I said, curious as to why she would call me.

"Ella! It's Alpha Steven!" she called out frantically.

"Steven? What's wrong?"

"He's been poisoned!"

These two events definitely correlated with one another.

"Will he be okay? Do I need to come over?" I asked, worried.

"He's resting now. It's just strange. He seemed sick. Luciel is so worried! He's not eating or sleeping. The whole pack is unsettled."

My head began to hurt and I rubbed my temples. "Okay, okay. Thanks for telling me. I'll call Luciel."

Will looked at me with a curious face as I hung up the phone.

"My alpha also had Asher's symptoms," I said, looking at the ground. "Whoever is behind this, they're targeting the alphas."

"This situation is grimmer than I thought. We should tell Asher-"

"No, he's already paranoid as he is. I don't want to worry him anymore."

"But Ella, this is a very serious matter, a matter that should be resolved in a council with the alphas of this area," Will said.

"I'll take his place," I blurted out.

"Do you hear yourself?" he asked, bewildered.

"I know, I know! Just, arrange it and I'll deal with it from there. But, Asher must not know. I don't want him to worry about something so spontaneous," I explained, leaving the room to check up on Asher.

There was a pause of silence as Will took some time to ponder.

"Yes, ma'am..." Will said, grudgingly and followed me out of the room but turned in the opposite direction.

I had no idea what I just did, but I refused to burden Asher more.

Before entering Asher's room, I called Luciel, prating he would pick up. The call declined. One of my childhood friends seriously just declined one of my calls.

"That brat..." I muttered. "When I go back, I'm going to sock him!"

I was about to enter Asher's study when I heard a familiar female voice.

"Your mate... Ella..."

"What about her? Isn't she adorable?"

"She's kind of weak. Asher, you're an alpha. Perhaps you should reconsider-"

"Not another word Rose."

"But you have to consider-"

"Will you stop attacking my mate!" he shouted so loudly, it frightened me a little. "I don't even know who she is, so what makes you think the pack knows anything about her?"

Asher didn't know anything about me? He knows plenty about me. Well, he knows the stuff I want him to know. But, it made me so happy to think my mate was defending me.

I decided to do him a favor and knock on the door, interrupting their conversation.

"It's Ella," I prompted. "May I come in?"

I heard Asher clear his throat. "Of course."

When opening the door, I was faced with a glaring Rose and an irritated Asher.

"We didn't even hear you coming. How did you do that?" Rose asked, suspiciously.

"It was something I was taught back home," I explained. "I can't really turn it off. It just became how I walked."

Rose rolled her eyes and dismissed it before leaving the room, without saying bye.

When the coast was clear, I turned to Asher to say, "Why is it that all of the females of your pack think I'm some flower to be stepped on? I mean, I know my looks aren't that intimidating, but wolves should know not to judge someone on that ridiculous nonsense... right?"

Asher hid a lock of hair behind my ear. I felt the warmth of his giant hand and melted against it.

"Don't worry about them. They'll come around... eventually."

"Having everyone love me isn't on my priority list. You and my family are. I'll get you some coffee?"

"I don't drink coffee," he said.

An alpha who didn't drink coffee? Who was he?

"What do you drink then?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Tea," was his statement. 

"Tea?"

"Tea."

I stared at him, bewildered. He stared right back, keen on sticking to his statement. 

"Okay... I'll get right on it," I said, turning around to exit and fetch Asher some tea.

"Wait, was there anything else? Looks like something is bothering you," Asher called out.

"No, no, no!" I said, nervously. "Everything is fine."

I rushed out of the room before he could ask any more questions. He was already on to me. I figured the kitchen was downstairs. It wasn't very long before I found it. The problem, now, was where the tea bags were.

Surprisingly, Rose was there. I decided to just ignore her and search for the tea bags. As I began to open up cabinets, there were daggers stabbing my back. Rose, clearly, didn't like me.

Asher's pack had so much stuff. It was ridiculous. There were pots, pans, several utensils. It was like feeding a pack of dogs (pun intended). But, the tea bags weren't located yet. I could tell Rose was amused, watching me struggle to find something that would please Asher. It was about five minutes before she finally spoke up.

"Here's the tea for Asher," she said, sliding a cup of tea down the counter toward me before leaving.

She just played me. There was a cup of tea right here for him and she was just "holding onto it."

"Thanks," I muttered and tidied up the kitchen a little before grabbing the cup of tea, stomping up the stairs to Asher's study.

I knocked on the door before entering. There was a stack of papers on Asher's desk and he was back to work. Honestly, watching him work was draining. I couldn't even imagine doing all of that.

"Here's your tea," I prompted, setting the cup down on a coaster that was beside my mate.

"Thanks," he said, not paying any mind to me. I couldn't blame him though. With the amount he had to do, ignoring people just came second nature.

"There was something I wanted to tell you," I continued, folding my hands behind my back and surveying the room with the hundreds of books it had.

My mate grunted in response and picked up his tea.

"You see, I think... I want to stay here... for a little longer-"

Asher interrupted me. "Ella, did you just try to poison me?"