Page 21 of A Mysterious Slave for the Lycan Prince

Anthony looks torn, but Henry has his stubborn face back on. I leave them alone for now, not wanting to deal with any more of their attitude. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Anthony begrudgingly walk toward the car to check it. Henry turns away from him and walks in the opposite direction, plonking himself down at one of the benches to sulk.

I swear, If I find my mate and she falls pregnant, I’m ready! There’s nothing a baby can do that can be any worse than those two!

I continue to ignore them for now and head off to find Steve and Marcel. They haven’t gone far since Marcel knew I just wanted a moment with the insolent twins.

“You don’t need to say anything, Finn.” Steve sighs, looking depressed. “I know they’re right. I’m not intelligent.”

“Don’t let those two jealous losers get to you,” Marcel growls.

“Jealous? Why would they be jealous?” Steve asks, confused.

“Because Elodie and Elise were talking to you and took a liking to you,” I explain. “You, Anthony, and Henry are of similar age. They feel threatened by you.”

“But still… I know I don’t bring much to the table,” Steve admits. “I have the least experience here, and I have no special rank.”

“Steve,” Marcel interrupts him. “You were chosen for this journey because Alpha Celine believes in you. Hell, everyone believes in you! Alpha Celine wanted Finn to have a reliable team. They didn’t just pick your name out of a hat, Steve. They chose you specifically. And damn it! If you hadn’t asked to go through the details of everyone’s cover again, I would have. You and I were handpicked to join this mission. The freaking Council itself sent Elodie and Elise to support us. The twins, however, were chosen because—capable or not—they need an attitude adjustment!”

His words seem to raise Steve’s spirit. “Is that true?” He looks at Marcel first, then at me.

I nod. “You and Marcel were the first ones picked for this mission,” I tell him. “Celine said you are ambitious and strong and ready to prove yourself. She has total faith in you. And when she told me her choice, I felt relieved. I’m glad to have people on my team I can rely on.”

“You’ve done a lot of preparation for this trip,” Marcel adds.

“Yeah, but the story I came up with…the one about being a gamma’s heir. I only was able to do it with my sisters’ help and—”

Marcel and I chuckle. “And you think we didn’t talk to anyone?”

“I discussed my cover for weeks,” I say. “With my father, my brothers, and my closest friends.”

“Same,” Marcel admits.

“You have no reason to feel inferior,” I tell him honestly. “Take it from your brother-in-law. You know I’d tell you if you’ve messed up in any way. So, rest assured, you haven’t. You’re doing very well.”

Steve takes a deep breath while considering our words, then smiles at us. “Thanks, you two.”

“Now, let’s get going,” I announce as I give one final stretch. “Ready or not, we need to get moving.”

As we all return to the car, I’m surprised to see Anthony doing one last check of the wheels. Elise is even helping him by holding the bolts. I look over to Elodie, raising my brows in a silent question. She shrugs. “I prefer not to overthink it. Let’s just call this one a win.”

When I look at her in confusion, she clarifies. “Anthony’s into cars, and he works on them regularly. It’s nothing too special; everyone has some sort of hobby or hidden talent.” She pauses. “My sister likes motorcycles.”

“Cool,” Steve says. He’s so quick to forgive and move on, it almost breaks my heart. “I didn’t know Anthony and Elise knew so much about vehicles.”

Elodie sighs but doesn’t say anything more. I can tell she’s still really angry about Henry and Anthony’s attitude towards Steve earlier, And I think she’s developed a soft spot for Steve. Not just because he gave her sister his scarf like a gentleman, but because he is genuinely nice without having ulterior motives.

“Alright,” I holler at everyone. “Let’s pack up.”

Henry joins his brother on the ground beside the car. Marcel hands everyone a chocolate bar, ignoring our jokes about how it really feels like a school trip all of a sudden. The atmosphere is a little lighter, thanks to the banter. While Marcel chats to the girls, I pause as I notice Henry going through the tools Anthony and Elise just used. He cleans them and puts them back into the box before scratching his head, taking them back out, then rearranging them again.

What’s he doing? His actions are mind-boggling. Yet again, he proceeds to take the tools out and cleans them once more, getting more frustrated with each new attempt. Looking up, Henry notices me watching him. He becomes momentarily flustered before closing the box again and putting it aside. His hands are now clenching into fists as if holding himself back from rechecking it all.

What was…that?

I choose not to comment on it. I might want to kick his ass, but I’m not about to embarrass him out of malice. I turn my attention back to the rest of the group. To my surprise, Anthony asks Steve about his new backpack and where he bought it. It’s a very awkward interaction from his side, but at least he’s trying.

Once everything’s packed and we’re all about to climb into the car again, an enormous insect of some sort suddenly flies past, circles around us for a moment, and then flies around the car.

“Am I the only one who just saw that?” I want to know.

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