The Royal Alpha King's Mystical Surrogate

Chapter Three

KEAGAN

**

“Nat, is everything set?” I asked Natalie; my competent Beta Royal. I glanced at my watch and it was almost time for us to leave, as night had already fallen and the moon's reflection ricocheted on my watch dial. If any later than this, it would be too late to arrive in the other territory.

“Yes, Alpha. We’re all set. Luna said she had something to give you, for which we are waiting.” She responded to me and I nodded. “Once she is here, we can leave.” She conveyed it to me. I wondered what was so urgent that Maia had to give me. Before I could comment, my mate came rushing towards us with a bright smile.

“I’m so sorry, Keagan.” She apologized hurriedly. “I know you loathe being tardy. I’ve made this warm tea since it’s getting chilly at night these days.” She explained to me, handing me a big flask, and I offered her a small smile on my usual calm face.

“Very thoughtful, Maia.” I praised her and she blushed. I handed the bottle to Natalie and she kept it in the car. “We’ll depart now,” I told Maia and she hugged me. I caressed her hair and let go of her, before going and sitting in the brown SUV.

I wasn’t a very touchy-feely kind of person, so I kept my skin contact to the minimum. Even with my mate, the case was the same.

“Come home soon. I’ll miss you.” Maia said to me, standing next to the window. I nodded in response, not saying anything more than that.

“Move,” I ordered, and Jonathan started driving the car. I glanced at Maia one more time before looking straight ahead. Even though I didn’t show my emotions often, I hoped my mate understood my concern for her. And she did, but sometimes we ended up in an argument regarding the same thing.

“I wonder how she bears your gaunt face the whole time,” Natalie commented after a while. I only offered her a blank look; it was my usual face.

“What’s wrong?” I asked her and she sighed. I didn’t express a lot with my facial expressions but I surely felt everything.

“I hope if I tell you, you’ll understand.” She commented, more gauntly than my supposed face was. “Santo told me he hadn’t notified Alpha Leo of the Evergreen pack that we had left and would be reaching them early.” She informed me as she texted on the phone. Santo was my very talkative Gamma Royal.

“Good thing. Surprises are best.” I responded and she looked up at me while opening her pack of gum and tossing it in her mouth.

“You do know the number of surprises Santo can plan. We both know all of them don’t end well.” She retorted and I couldn’t deny her statement. It was true that my Gamma was a man-child with a responsible and mischievous side to him.

“Don’t remind me.” I shut my eyes, not wanting to go through the memories of Santo’s birthday that he had planned on his own, despite us having celebrated his birthday the previous day. Apparently, he wanted to celebrate it for two days.

Flashback

--

“What is happening?” I questioned, glancing around my supposed-to-be neat house. It was not how I wanted it to be. “Who made this mess?” I asked again and Maia was in my peripheral vision, who was almost sprinting towards me.

“Your oh-so-lovely Gamma wants to celebrate his birthday today, again,” Maia answered, looking exhausted by Santo’s actions. I couldn’t blame her because he was a bit overboard at times. But he was a hearty boy and very kind at that.

“For his happiness,” I told her and she huffed in response. I walked inside and Natalie appeared as annoyed as Maia was but she had a happy vibe towards him, unlike my mate, who was indeed annoyed.

“I’m taking extra credit and a bonus for staying here in my free hours,” Natalie said, straight up to my face. “That man needs to be taught some lessons.” She whined but kept blowing the balloon using the balloon blower. She tied the balloon and threw it at the back, grabbing the next one.

“Did he appoint you?” I asked and she gave me a mirror of my usual facial expression, a blank face.

“What do you think?” She was surely annoyed as her responses were so taut. No matter my livid demeanour, I was holding it in for Santo’s happiness. We were the only family that boy had.

“Let him. We are his only family.” I told Natalie and she huffed.

“Don’t guilt trip me? He is turning twenty-five this year. I wonder when his a-r-s-e is getting matured.” She commented but was diligently working on the balloons. She was just twenty-two but way more mature than Santo and even held a higher position than him.

“Natalie,” I said, and she understood.

“Yes, Alpha. I’ll love our Gamma and continue spoiling him and not ruin his sunflower-like personality with my black dahlia aura.” She chanted and I shook my head.

“Good, Nat,” I said to her and wandered toward the kitchen since all the talking had me thirsty.

When I opened the door to the refrigerator, I could only notice what I assumed was a huge cake. I took the liberty to have a peek inside the box and there was a Shrek-stomach cake inside.

A literal Shrek cake with the doll stuffed in the cake in a sitting position where the huge round belly was the cake.

It was a boy's version of the Barbie doll dress cake.

Later, when all the decorations were done, Santo entered the house acting surprised in the video and shredded fake tears. He came and hugged me, even though he knew my dislike for unnecessary skin-ships. I let it slide, not wanting to make a tainted memory in the video.

He pulled the last straw when he burst five helium balloons as a surprise for us and all our voices had changed to something that would be engraved in our memory forever.

“Santo!” I yelled, along with all the others in the room.

--

End of flashback

“We’ll keep his surprises to a minimum,” I commented, and then just shut my eyes, not wanting to replay that day in my head.

**

“We’re here.” I heard Natalie mutter and I opened my eyes. I only had a short nap and the whole ride I was resting my eyes, keeping them closed. The ride was silent since everyone was trying to get the most rest before a sharp morning. It was only Liam who moved, switching to driving after Johnathon drove for three hours on the six-hour journey. Otherwise, we all didn’t move an inch.

“Border patrol. Observe.” I ordered the others in the car and they nodded. Natalie, Johnathon, Liam and Jeremy, were all the responsible soldiers of my pack.

As expected, a very surprised border patrol halted us. They were eyeing the car and then they recognized who it belonged to because I was sure my scent had reached them. A knock on the driver’s side was heard and Liam rolled his window down. The eyes of the captain landed on me and they all bowed in unison.

“Alpha King, you’re early.” He commented and I just looked at him. I was not going to explain my actions to anyone. It was an inspection and it was a given that I could arrive unannounced. They shouldn’t have had any issues if the pack was in order and no malicious activity was going on.

“Guide us to the packhouse,” I ordered, and he nodded frantically.

“Please follow the motorbike ahead.” He informed me and I looked ahead. Liam followed the motorbike as he rolled the windows up. I was certain the news of my arrival in the territory was already circulating like wildfire.

“This is why I prefer sneaking in,” Natalie commented and tied her hair in a ponytail. Her straight blond hair fell perfectly at her back. Her blue eyes had turned even fiercer than usual. “It’s more threatening.” She declared to me with a determined face.

“They already fear me.” I blandly commented and she huffed.

"So obnoxious!" She narrowed her eyes at me, showing me her disapproval of my comment while I had the same face.

"You’ve covered my expressions," I asserted, hoping that she would tone it down a bit, but she only widened her eyes.

“I have to. Looking at you, no one can tell what you’re feeling on the inside. It’s that blank and straight.” Natalie reminded me. “I told you to play poker but then again, you’re not lacking money that you have to earn through that.” She commented, dryly, as she wore her jacket.

There surely was a huge story in that comment, but now was not the time to think about it. Also, why dig memories that you're hidden deep inside, right?

“You do comprehend we’ve stepped on a different territory, right?” I asked her, changing the course of our conversation and her eyes widened. She placed her hand on her heart, dramatically, and I narrowed my eyes at her, visibly.

“Please don’t talk in such huge sentences. It causes cardiac arrest.” She muttered and looked ahead. Santo was a man-child with senseless ideas and Natalie was a complete perfectionist with a sarcastic tongue. Both of them had one trait in common; not holding back their thoughts.

It was only that they were both responsible individuals or I would’ve ripped them off their titles long ago.

Also, Natalie had won the title fair and square, while Santo had been my shadow for as long as I could remember and had acquired his title from his father and earned my trust from me. He was trained from a young age and was aware of the system around the pack, unlike Natalie, who learnt as she forwarded and had bloomed out the best.

“Alpha King, what a pleasant surprise!” Alpha Leo greeted me with a big smile. I nodded in response and looked around to see quite a few pack members ready to greet me. They all bowed down to me and I gave them curt nods in response.

“Resume your day like usual,” I ordered the people, who seemed to have a lot on their plate but were greeting me, and they bowed before scurrying away. Fewer crowds were better and I felt more relaxed.

“How generous of you!” Alpha Leo praised me and I darted at him. He was a young Alpha, who had taken over only two years ago and was still learning how to make an individual impression rather than trying to make a pack impression.

“I value others' time,” I responded and he smiled at me, not realizing the taunt I had flung at him.

“Yes, Alpha. Why don’t we have breakfast and then I can show you around for the inspection?” He asked and I shook my head in denial.

“Show me around now. Breakfast will be a break.” I told him and he nodded.

“As you wish, Alpha King.” He answered and then guided me through the packhouse first.

As we looked around, he didn’t appear anxious or edgy. It did seem like things were okay around here, but then you may never know one’s true face.

Natalie and Jeremy were appointed to take care of the special checks. They were going to be attentive and study people to see if anything was awry. I had to do this inspection because I had received many anonymous bullying reports from a few packs, this being one of them. I had to make sure things were in order and in peace.

We were then taken to the hospital. I looked around and pointed out a few things that were supposed to be modified for betterment. He made notes of the things. We exited the hospital and ambled to the storage areas.

“Alpha King, I was hoping to get some budget to get new machines for the hospital,” Alpha Leo expressed. “The pack has several old people and we require an update, as you already witnessed.” He presented his point and I nodded.

“Beta Natalie will settle it. Send her a request.” I told him and he nodded with a big smile. “Make it detailed with numbers. She is strict.” I advised him. Natalie was good at numbers, so she kept a tight rein on the finances.

“Yes, Alpha. I will take care of it. I will not disappoint you.” He vowed and I hummed in response.

“This is the storage section. We’ve segregated it into three sections. New, old and reusable.” He informed me and I liked the idea of how they had divided their things. It was a good way if handled well.

“Very well,” I commented, and he seemed delighted to hear me praise him. He unlocked the doors and I examined around to see them neatly placed. I smelled the disinfectant and I could tell that it had recently been scrubbed. Even in that case, it was well-maintained.

We strode to the last door but it was unusual. The key to the door was right on the door when Alpha Leo went ahead to open it with another bouquet of keys in his hands.

“Why is the key already present?” I asked and he looked as astounded as I was curious. It was a matter of security and misuse. He went ahead and twisted the key, opening the door.

Out of all the scenarios that played in my head, what I didn’t expect to come face to face in the ‘Reusable’ room was a woman lying on the cold floor.

“What kind of treatment is this, Alpha Leo?” I questioned and the woman opened her eyes, looking at me with wide green eyes and orange dots.