Page 40 of A Female Alpha for the Lycan Prince
“There was,” I admit. “There still is, but I can handle it better now.” Ever since my talk with Harmony, I feel like I was able to let some of the pain go. It’s still there. Marius is still my mate, and nothing about the situation has changed, but accepting it for what it is has helped. Even without my mate wanting me, I still have other things going for me. I have a lovely circle of friends and a fantastic beta; I have a group of warriors around me who I’m starting to see as really close friends; I have my pack and the support of my people; and of course, I have my father.
That’s a lot. Other people have far less and are still thankful for what they have. I’m truly privileged.
“Listen, Celine,” Dad says quietly. “I know I wasn’t always there for you when you were growing up.”
“Dad, come on, don’t go there. You lost your mate and child.”
“Yes, and you lost a mother and a brother. I shouldn’t have left you alone to grieve. You needed me to be there for you,” he argues.
“You cared for me,” I say with emphasis. “Sure, I might have felt lonely at times, and growing up without my mom was hard. But whenever I came to you, you tried to listen. You didn’t neglect me or abuse me like other alphas do when they lose their mate. You’ve held this pack and yourself together. You did the best you could do at that time.”
“I still could have done better.”
“That goes for most people,” I say evenly. “Everyone comes to a point where they could have done better.”
He blinks at me. “That was a wise thing to say.”
“Right, and now enough with the difficult talk. That’s an alpha’s order,” I joke lamely.
He laughs slightly. “Alright. Then tell me some gossip instead. I’m feeling out of touch.” His lips tug in amusement. “I heard Garret and Elias were having a little crisis. And what’s this about little Valerie befriending Marcel’s confident and wild sister? Valerie’s dad was telling me all about it during our weekly poker meeting. Oh, Brian was there too and said that Annie’s not feeling well recently. What’s up with that? Come on, share some drama with your old man.”
I chuckle in amusement, deciding I can spare half an hour before calling Liam and Alpha Elden to see if they can help me find the information I need.
Two hours later, though, I find myself at Silverlake pack grounds together with Harmony and Elias. I called Liam first to ask his opinion, and he sent me directly to his father. And well, now we are here to roam the library and talk to Alpha Elden in person.
Elden gives us the honor of greeting us in person. I consider Liam a friend, which is why I sometimes forget how scary and strong he is, but eye to eye with his father, Elden, I’m reminded that this is a family of royal lycans.
“A pleasant surprise to see you both,” Elden greets Harmony and me. He shakes our hands before nodding towards Elias. “And this young man?”
“Elias. He’s one of my elite warriors and our best tracker,” I explain.
Elias looks a bit flustered to be face to face with the infamous Elden, a true royal, but he keeps it together well, which is exactly why I chose him to accompany us. “Oh, you’re a tracker?” Elden’s head perks up in interest. His dark eyes scan Elias from head to toe for a moment before he turns to me. “Maybe he would like to join my team of trackers for today? They are currently training, and they might be able to exchange some information.”
I can see Elias’ eyes basically beaming hopefully. I nod. “We don’t want to impose.”
Elden grins. “You helped save my son. This is nothing in comparison. Family is everything.”
If he knew one of his other sons is your mate,Harmony links me suddenly.And behaved that way towards you, he would be furious.
Yeah,I agree.No surprise Marius won’t tell him.
“Alright,” Elden nods toward one of his betas. “Vincent will show Elias around.”
Vincent grins. “Nice to see you again, Queen Celine.”
I laugh. Despite Vincent looking like a scary skinhead, he’s actually a pretty nice guy. “I’m not a queen, Vince.” He always flirts with me; it reminds me of Harmony’s words about choosing a mate… maybe I should start opening my eyes to other guys.
He grabs his chest dramatically. “To me, you are!” He looks at Harmony with a wink. “You wouldn’t be too bad either.”
“Thanks, Vince,” Harmony teases. “I’m very honored to be your second choice.”
“Hey, no one wins against Queen Celine.”
We all laugh.
“No offense meant,” Vincent promises.
Elden rolls his eyes. “Just be glad that—for reasons unknown to me—they find you funny.”
