Royal Academy: The Red Wolf Clan

Chapter 9

Reed's POV

I hear Rosalie gasp when I introduce Orion's father. She doesn't move from her position at the doorway and I turn to see her watching Alpha Salazar, eyes wide and mouth gaping.

"Rosie?" I call out to her and she turns her face to me, her eyes barely focused as they look at me. She shakes her head as though to clear it and was about to say something when a low, gravely voice makes her stop short.

"So this is the future she-wolf to succeed you Alpha Reed?"

I turn back to see the owner of that voice glaring at Rosalie and I feel my blood begin to boil. A low growl escapes me but his gaze remains on my daughter who stares back at him, equally cold.

That's my girl

I chuckle at Gareth's comment and both Salazar and Rosalie look to me with confused looks on their faces. I clear my throat and nod my head for Rosalie to pay her respects to the alpha and she quickly obliges. She takes a seat beside me and I quickly mind link Seraphina to go check on Orion and let him know his father was here.

"I hope that troublesome boy has not done anything at your inconvenience alpha Reed. If he has, I apologize on his behalf, he has become a bit of a rebel since his mother passed" Alpha Salazar says nonchalantly, his eyes roaming about the room as though looking for something.

"No trouble at all Alpha. He actually assisted us with a rogue attack, so we are the ones indebted to him" I watch as my words sink in for him and he finally looks me in the eyes again.

"That runt couldn't wield a sword, and the goddess didn't bless him with a wolf. Him?! Help with rogues?! Ha!"

I heard Rosalie shift in her chair beside me and I placed a hand on her now shaking leg beneath the table to keep her calm.

"Wolf or not, your son helped us when we needed it most. He was injured so allow us to treat him here before he returns home" I feel Rosalie tense beside me when Alpha Salazar suddenly pushes back his chair to lean across the table glaring at us.

"He no longer has a home! He killed his mother and he has no wolf! He is no longer fit to return to Blue Moon territory!"

I shift Rosalie behind me as Alpha Salazar's eyes glow between their normal shade of black to a glowing grey. His canines bare themselves as his body bristles with rage. At that time, Seraphina speaks through the link letting me know that Orion had a bad reaction to hearing his father was here and that he was now sedated in his room in the medical wing.

Something isn't right here Reed. I don't think we should let him near the boy

I agree with you, love. Salazar says he killed his own mother but something tells me it's not that simple.

I feel Rosalie move behind me and I cut the link with Seraphina when my bold daughter suddenly plants herself smack in the face of the nearly shifting alpha.

"Rosalie..." I caution her but she continues to have a face off with Salazar. Gareth puffs his chest with pride as we watch our girl not back down from the challenge.

"You are on Clan territory. You do not raise your voice to this Clan's Alpha! You show him respect before I remove you myself!" Rosalie declares just as Seraphina walks in the doorway.

"Reed what the...." she starts but I wave her off, wanting to see where this was going. To my surprise, Alpha Salazar calms down and draws back while I hear Rosalie let out a heavy huff of breath to calm herself.

"Seems like, this she-wolf thinks she can take me! Do not think I am in any way intimidated by your little threat pup. I came here as an act of decency but it seems it became as I was told....a waste of my time!"

Alpha Salazar moves around the table and stops in front of Seraphina who stands in her place at the doorway unmoving. Her face is a stone cold mask and a smile pulls at the corners of my mouth as I recall that same look on Rosalie's face a few seconds ago.

This fool is looking to return to his forefathers.

Let him leave love, otherwise your daughter is going to rip his tongue out.

As though hearing our thoughts, Rosalie steps up beside her mother and glares at Alpha Salazar who shoves past Seraphina. The door slamming down the hall tells us of his departure and we all look at each other silently for a while.

"Orion is to stay here until we know exactly what transpired between him and his father" Seraphina declares and I couldn't help but notice the relief that washes over Rosalie's face. Rosalie moves to leave the room when I stop her with an arm stretched out in her path. She looks over to me and I could see she was already trying to think of a way out of what was coming next.

"Sit. You have some explaining to do"

" But dad, I was just going to check on...."

"He is asleep. You can check on him later"

"I was going to say my homework for school, but okay" Rosalie sits in a chair and I hear Seraphina snicker beside me before sitting down herself. I shoot Rosalie a knowing look and she sticks her tongue out at me.

"First things first. You know Orion from before" I watch as my always calm and collected daughter looks everywhere around the room except directly at me.

"Rosa"

The sound of her mother's warning seems to get her head in the game as she nods slightly.

"How long?" I ask and she tilts her head at me quizzically

"We met once a few years back. It was the day I ran off without you to see the birds migrating for winter" Rosalie says softly, aware that that day was not one of my brightest moments when it came to being a cool headed father.

"Is he the reason for the ceiling in your room?" Seraphina's question catches me off guard and I turn to see Rosalie's face contort into a pink picture of aghast discomfort.

"Excuse me, what now?!" I ask, my head alternating between Rosalie and her mother.

"She's over exaggerating dad. That was just me delving back into my painting. It was purely coincidental" Rosalie protests but again, her eyes don't meet mine with her answer.

"That being said, why would you step into harm's way for a boy you met but once and has no importance to you in any such way?" Seraphina looks at Rosalie who remains quiet all of a sudden.

"Your mother asked you a question Rosie"

What happened next caught us both off guard as Rosalie stood, pushing her chair back roughly and it falls to the floor. She begins to pace the floor in front of us before turning suddenly and slamming her hands onto the table between us.

"You both taught me that a true leader stands up to any threat. You said that I was the future of our clan and that I should be able to assess a situation and make a prompt decision that was for the greater good. Well, I assessed and I did what I thought was right!" Her breath comes out in ragged huffs and she looks between her mother and I, ready to fight us on anything.

"Very good" Seraphina responds and I fold my arms across my chest, a proud smile stretching across my face.

"That's my girl"

Rosalie groans before turning to pick up her chair off the floor and sit on it again. She runs her hands through her hair and looks at us once more, relief evident on her face.

"Orion is anything but what his father says him to be. He wears the crest of the Rostover family. A century old fae royal name thought to have died with its last descendant many years ago" Seraphina says and Rosalie's eyes widen at her revelation.

"Orion is fae like you mom?" Rosalie asks in a hushed tone but Seraphina shakes her head silently.

"We cannot know anything for sure until he wakes again and is willing to tell us himself"

"Alpha Salazar said he killed his own mother. He seemed very certain of that point before also stating that the boy has no place to return to" I recall the look of disgust and scorn when Alpha Salazar spoke of his own flesh and blood and I feel Gareth stir angrily in my mind.

"Orion wouldn't do such a thing dad. When he spoke of his mother when we first met, I could see the love and adoration he had for her when he told me about his necklace" Rosalie protests and Seraphina raises a hand up to calm her.

"Nobody is pointing fingers Rosa. But we know nothing of this boy except he was in the company of a rogue pack headed by a man who just declared war on us for killing his son" Seraphina's words bring back images of Magnus Blaine and his promise to extact revenge for his psychotic son who almost killed us all for power not meant to be his.

Reed

Eliza's voice rings in my head through the link that remained between her, Luca and I after those life changing events years ago.

Hey, what's up?

The twins and Gigi aren't being a handful are they? Luca and I are coming to you in about an hour. Stefan and Lexi are meeting up with Annalise for an issue on the ranch.

" The twins and Gigi are still here?" I ask aloud and Rosalie gasps before darting down the hall and out the front door.

Uhhh I'll give you guys details when you get here. We had company of the pig headed sorts

I always knew your kind would flock towards you bro.

The link cuts as Luca's laughter dies out and I growl beneath my breath. Seraphina reaches out to clasp my hand on my lap and I look up to give her a lopsided smile with a shake of my head.

"Luca and Eliza are on their way" I say to her and she nods before shifting to sit in my lap, wrapping her arms around my neck and resting her head on my shoulder.

"Alpha Salazar may be someone to deal with in the near future. He doesn't know about Orion's power, otherwise he would have been more interested in actually seeing him" I tighten my arms around Seraphina and inhale her scent deeply. Gareth purrs contentedly in my mind as she places a soft kiss at the base of my neck.

"Are we still thinking about that eye sore? We'll deal with him after I deal with his son. Help or not, that kid is within Rosalie's orbit and I don't like it"

"Reed..." Seraphina chides but I stand with her still in my arms and she shrieks out loud.

"Luca and Eliza will be here in about half an hour, let's go take a quick shower!" I wag my eyebrows wickedly and Seraphina laughs as I dart up the stairs two at a time.

"You're incorrigible Reed Royal!" Seraphina giggles as she smacks a hand on my arm.

"Ah love, I love it when you speak dirty to me!"