LIKE EDEN. Princes of Anon (3)

A THOUSAND MILES BEGINS

King Eldrige headed to his room after he was teleported back to his office. Sensing the probing on his mind’s wall, he tightly held it close, not allowing anyone to mind link him. His heart was thumping hard and fast in his chest so much that he could hear his heart beating. His palm was sweaty and his mind was muddled with so many questions and chaos. He wondered if he was forever meant to worry and drown in agony when it came to matters of his mateship. However, He was glad and was filled with a sense of satisfaction at finally finding her, but then it seemed that trouble and setbacks flowed into his life one after the other.

The King knew that at that moment the only thing he could do was calm down and think, but Goddess it was easier said than done. He sat at the edge of his bead, so lost in thought that he could do nothing but ponder with his elbows on his knees and his chin resting in his palm. The silence of the night made his thoughts louder and bolder. He had gone tens of years without her, there was no way that he was going to let an illness take her from him for eternity. Seeing her; Kita, so skinny that her skin seemed to be glued to her bones and looking so frail and weak like glass, King Eldridge couldn’t get the image out of his head.

Every part of her that he saw was etched into his head like a portrait.

“Is my life a joke to you or something?” He whispered in the silence to the Goddess who etched her promise onto his wrist. The mark had long disappeared but he could still feel his wrist tingle. He wondered how many more jokes the Goddess was planning to make of his life.

The night went by with the King pondering on what to do and what can he do and how he could do it. It was a miracle that he was able to fall asleep with his wolf whimpering in his head and his heart bent on not giving him rest.

......

“Are these all the work I have to do for the next seven days?” King Eldridge inquired of his Betas and Deltas. The paperwork he had to do for a week looked like a mountain he had to cross on his desk. The moment the sun rose, he ordered for the work he had to do for the week brought to his office.

“Yep. Although I don’t know why you wanted it all now. That’s all there are.” Elex answered. He and the others were curious. The questions they had were on the very tip of their tongues but the crease on their Alpha’s brows made them think twice about asking. There was not a single person on Eren who hadn’t heard His howl the night before. King Eldridge had a very dominant wolf so whenever his emotions were stacked to the max or something surprised him so hard that it shook his wolf, he let it out in a thundering howl.

So they knew something was up.

“I’ll try to finish it all today.” Eldridge finally lifted his eyes from flipping through the files on their finance and the new buildings and other documents.

Saxan let out a sigh. The unwavering determination in Eldridge’s eyes was both scary and awe-inspiring.

“Seeing as no one is going to ask, I’ll do it,” Elex mumbled, making the King raise a questioning brow when he leaned forward.

“We know there is something up, Alpha.” He started, his lips lifted upward in a smirk. “Did you find her?”

Elex being the one who spoke the most and said what he wanted most of the time, Eldridge was not surprised by his blunt question. Although the question brought forth the image of Kita; skinny and dull eyes evident of her poor health. He felt sorry for his mate and his heart went out to Rose who had to watch her daughter in such a poor state for as long as he could only imagine.

“I did.” He answered their question with a new sense of determination. He could only wallow in his emotions for so long. It was not going to make Kita better again, so it was useless. If he wanted to help her, he first had to get closer to her family and not remain a stranger.

“And? When are you going to bring her to the pack?” Xidorn asked with clear excitement and curiosity. He, like the other three, wanted nothing more than for their Alpha to have what he had always wanted and needed.

“That’s why I need to finish everything today,” Eldridge answered. “I’ll leave the pack to you four for the next seven days. There is something I need to take care of before I even think about bringing her here.” He answered. He knew that his answer was unsatisfactory. But he couldn’t help but be a little selfish in things concerning her. And he also didn’t want Elex to make a fuss, because he tended to make the smallest situations too big and loud.

“Is th…”

“That is all I’ll say about it for now.” Eldridge sternly cut Elex off before he could say more. He spent the next few hours discussing things they had to do on their own for the week that he wouldn’t be there, seeing as they wouldn’t be able to contact him. He also instructed them to start building a house for him. All the Kings had their own homes and didn’t live with their packs. But he saw no need in that with how long he remained mateless. However, it was all different now. He was going to put his all into preparing for when he brought her there whilst hoping that things went well.

The hours went by with them making plans for his house and managing the pack in his absence. The knock turned his attention to the door. Lucien entered. Eldridge had called for Lucien a few hours ago. If he was going to stay on earth, there were a few things that he needed.

“We’ll talk about the rest later,” Eldridge said to his betas and Deltas, dismissing them when Lucien entered.

“You called for me, uncle.” Lucien sat down on the seat Xixorn was sitting, which was facing Eldridge.

“Mhm.” He hummed. Eldridge could see how different Lucien seemed now compared to when he was without his mates. And he was both glad for him and envious of him.

“How are your mates?” Eldridge asked, making Lucien raise his brows. Everyone knew that Eldridge was the most straight forward person amongst the royals apart from him. Still, he indulged him. After all, he was also curious as to what happened the night before and what his uncle wanted to talk to him about.

“Athena is still… Athena. And Mars is still Mars. Although they now scarf down food too much and sleep too much.” Lucien gladly answered with a smile.

Eldridge nodded with a shadow of a smile on his lips.

“Since I don’t want to keep you away for too long, I’ll go straight to the point. How long did you stay on earth for?” He went on to ask. The question caused Lucien’s brow to lift in confusion before he answered. “Long enough to have settled down well there.”

“So you are familiar with how things are done and their currency.” Eldridge thought out loud, leaning back in his chair.

“Naturally.”

King Eldridge and Lucien were the two people who talked the less.

“Is there something you need from there?” Lucien voiced out his curiosity. His uncle nodded his head.

King Eldridge proceeded to let Lucien know about his mate who was a human and how he met her, down to her health. Lucien couldn’t imagine how he would have felt if it was either Mars or Athena who were in the same position as his uncle’s mate. Still, he silently listened to Eldridge as he talked about going to earth for seven days to familiarize himself with, and get close to his mate and her family.

Lucien couldn’t voice out his concern when he thought of Eldridge’s mate being human. From what he heard, Kita looked old enough. And unlike Anonians who waited on their mates and didn’t choose anyone else unless their mates were dead, humans weren’t like that. He thought, what would his uncle do if his mate was already married or had a family and was unwilling to be with him.

Lucien counted himself lucky that his mates were already together when he met them. And it was all made easier that Mars already knew of their existence.

“ So you need funds and a place to stay for the time being.” Lucien summarized his uncle’s request when he was done. Eldridge nodded his head.

“That can be taken care of. When do you plan to leave?” He continued to ask.

“Tomorrow would be best.”

Lucien’s thought went back to the conversation he and his mates had a few weeks ago. Athena wanted to go visit her family. They hadn’t decided on the specifics but they all agreed to go on a vacation on earth and visit her parents.

“Athena wanted to go see her parents, so we’ll go with you tomorrow, and then I’ll help you settle down. It shouldn’t be a problem.” Lucien said. King Eldridge felt relieved and giddy.

Although Lucien insisted that the money he let Eldridge use on earth didn’t need to be paid back, Eldridge denied it continuously. So they settled it with going to earth together and Eldridge giving any money he used on earth back to Lucien in their currency.

Before he knew it, the moon went into hiding for the sun to rise only for the hours to tick by for the moon to rise once more surrounded by bright hopeful stars and without the King getting a wink of sleep. Calm as he was on the outside, his heart was beating a little faster than it used to.

King Eldridge was filled with a new determination as he briefed his Betas and Deltas for the last time. Lucien and his mates made their way to Eldridge’s packhouse so they could leave together.

“Remind me again why we had to leave at night?” Athena asked.

Lucien pressed a kiss to her cheeks when they arrived at the packhouse.

“How do you think people would react when they see us appear out of thin air,” Mars answered in his stead. Lucien had explained everything to them so he didn’t pay much mind to Athena’s stubbornness. He understood that she simply missed her parents and doting brother and wanted to see them as fast as possible. After all, it had been a couple of years since she met them in person even though they still contacted her.

“Ignoring me now, aren’t we?” Athena paid no mind to Mars’ answer, and instead raise a brow at Lucien with her hands stuffed into her jeans, standing her ground.

Mars snickered when Lucien immediately turned back to her, lifted her into his arms by her waist, not caring about the onlookers, after all, people were used to such display of affection.

“I wouldn’t dare.” He whispered with his lips tilted in a grin.

“Didn’t look like it.” Mars continued adding wood to the flames.

Athena had been very moody in recent weeks. Since she was in for a surprise, Lucien and Mars doted on her more than usual.

“Wouldn’t dare my ass.” She tsked, reluctantly holding onto his shoulders for support. Lucien playfully glared at Mars who wouldn’t stop snickering and kissed his female; soft and shot.

Not a day went by that he didn’t fall deeper in his love for his mates. Lucien knocked on his uncle’s door after setting Athena down. They were all ready to leave and if he was certain about one thing, it was how excited and impatient everyone was for his uncle to come home with his mate.