Page 6 of A Mysterious Slave for the Lycan Prince

He gives me the thumbs up. “You can count on me, boss!”

I roll my eyes. “Don’t call me boss. We’re friends, and you are Annie’s brother. That makes us family.”

“I know.” He starts stretching out his muscles as if preparing for a fight any second. “I’m just so motivated.”

“Keep your spirits up.” I chuckle. “Because I doubt everyone will be as excited.”

“Oh? Who are you thinking of?” Steve asks, surprised.

“The twins,” I say shortly.

“Which ones?”

Right, two sets of them. It’s a crazy combination indeed. “Alpha Jace’s sons,” I explain.

Steve runs his hands over his head as he contemplates what to say next. “Yeah, but I guess they’ll come around. I’m sure they are nice. Maybe they’re just nervous.”

Alpha Jace is an old family friend and I know his sons well. They’re identical twins and equal in strength, which is a rarity in our world, and because of that, they will both inherit the alpha position one day.

Frankly, I would call his sons a lot of things, butnervousis not a word I’d use. It’s not that I don’t like them. I do, but they are both rebellious and somewhat shameless. One definitely has anger issues, the other is an oversexed playboy, and they both struggle with authority. Nonetheless, they are both powerful, extremely intelligent, and with the proper motivation, would be a great asset to this team. Besides, their father asked me to take them with me.

Steve’s naivety concerning these matters is genuinely heart-warming. He grew up in a loving home with two older sisters always having his back and cherishing him for who he is. He’s been living a very sheltered life. It’s not that my home wasn’t warm and loving. I have a great relationship with my siblings and parents, but it’s different growing up as an alpha’s child and a royal lycan. We had to face our reality early on and learn to take on responsibility fast. It’s very different growing up and living with a strong-minded, powerful beast inside. We had to constantly train both our minds and bodies to be in control, or our beasts might take over. Every time I see Steve, I’m envious of how it would have been to grow up in a normal werewolf family.

When Annie introduced her family to us, my younger siblings and I immediately got along with Steve, and I’m glad they suggested him for this mission. It will be good having someone with me who has a fresh new look at things.

Steve’s head perks up. “Oh, Marcel is here too. We arrived together. I completely forgot to tell you.” He facepalms. “He said he was just going to say hi to some of the guards.”

“No problem, Steve. I figured you two would come together. You are from the same pack, after all.”

Steve flashes me a bright smile. “True!”

“Are you hungry?” I ask him. “The kitchen staff prepared hot dogs and burgers for us. I thought you guys would like that.”

“Any beer?” Steve asks with a grin.

“Yes, for after work,” I chuckle and hand him a soda instead. I’m strictly following a no-drinks-at-work policy.

A knock at the door pulls me away from our chat. I open the door to Marcel and gesture him in. Marcel is tall and muscular, but not quite as bulky as Steve. He is one of Celine’s elite warriors, and I’m grateful to have him on the team. I think she has sent him with me for extra protection. My sister says he looks a bit like a young Denzel Washington. “Hey, Finn.” He bows slightly and shakes my hand. “Thanks for the invitation.”

Once he enters, he waves at Steve and follows it with a fist bump. I don’t know Marcel well yet, but everyone seems to like him. Apparently, he is laid back and fun to have around. When he’s not fighting, that is.

“I think it’s good to get to know each other better before we set off,” I admit.

“Hey, surely you know me by now,” he says, revealing his perfectly white teeth and bright smile. “I’m easy to be around.”

“That’s good. It means I’ll have help to tackle the twins. And I mean both sets,” I say.

He grins. “I haven’t met them yet. Are they that devious?”

“Well, the girls are advisors to my cousin Prince Eric in France. They are very capable and even know a bit of witchcraft, but they are a bit…”

“Creepy?” Steve helps me.

“I was going for interesting, but creepy might fit, too.” I chuckle. “And the guys…well, you’ve probably heard of them already.”

Marcel frowns in worry. “Alpha Celine told me about them,” he admits. “And asked me to support you as much as possible. She’s counting on me, and I won’t let either of you down, Finn.”

“Oh, come on!” Steve nudges him with his elbows. “They can’t be that bad, and you get along with just about everyone.” Steve looks at me, then Marcel, before shrugging and changing the topic. “Marcel has been training me for the last few weeks.”

---