༺ ALL HANDS ON DECK

~ XANDER ~

༺༺♡♡༻༻

I sat still listening intently to Ryderb and Aurora’s conversation with so much interest.

What had caused the change in her mood? How did she go from conversationalist overnight?

Perhaps it's the Ryder’s effect. Ryder was the most easy going one of us all and the easiest one to relate with.

It could be that, yet my mind could not ignore the fact that somehow there was something there.

What was going through her mind and what caused this sudden shift?

I do hope it is good.

Approaching footsteps interrupted my moment and I looked up to see my mum approaching me with a smile.

Uh-oh.

“Hello mother.”

“Oh, so you do remember that I am your mother. What with the way you were challenging me yesterday in the presence of everyone.” She said with a pout and I smiled.

“I am sorry mother.” Was all i could say and she shook her head.

“It is fine Xander. But I still maintain my stance. I do not care that you are mated to that low life, you will not have any sort of relationship with her. We need as much power as you can get to stay on top, not mating and bonding with some nobody.”

I looked away, saying nothing.

It was like she doesnt understand and I am not even executing her too. There is only one thing my mum is after and all she is willing to accept is anything that will serve as a stepping stone towards that goal.

“By the way,” she continued when she noticed that I was not going to respond, “I just got news from Alpha Marvel. We have pushed some of the plans forward and his daughter will be coming tomorrow.”

I sat up straight but maintained a calm composure so the shock and surprise I felt would not reflect on my face.

“Really,” I asked, trying as much as possible to sound as unconcerned as I could and she nodded.

“Yes. Really. We have to hasten things up.”

My mother stayed for a few more minutes talking about how she has to get busy to prepare for the arrival of the princess, before she left.

When she did, Mindy came in with concerns on her face.

“Were you eavesdropping?” I asked and she nodded.

“Mother cannot be serious and you cant be okay with this, Xander.”

“You know that I cannot stop her, Mindy.”

“But you can. You are Xander, the tough and strong one. I hope a day will come when you will be brave enough to start dancing to every tune our mother plays.”

“I can't change anything. She is only doing it for our own good.”

She should know that.

“Well what about your mate?”

“Well she really doesn't matter, does she? It is only a mate bond. One that can be terminated anytime.”

Mindy’s eyes widened and she stared at me with disgust in her eyes, “I never thought that a time would come when I would watch my brother turn into a pussy and a coward. But I guess the world is always full of surprises isn't it?”

“Mindy…..”

‘Do not dare use that tone on me Xandert. Don't you dare go all primal wolf on me because obviously you do not know hen and when not to flex your muscles. We have something big at stake, asides that you are supposed to be a better man, but no. Keep allowing our mum manipulate you.``

“She is not manipulating me.” How could she say that and what has gotten into her? This was our mother. The only one who stood by us when everyone including our father turned against us. How could she stand three and say something like that?

“Of course she is not. End of discussion. Ryder and Zephyr are on their way, let's talk about something more serious.”

“Why are they coming here into my chambers?”

“The beast, Alpha Callum, remember? We have not discussed that yet, what will you and Zephyr be doing like children and interrupting me. And I have to give you the same warning I gave Zeph. You either behave or I will give you pain worse than anything you have ever felt or will ever imagine.”

“Stop talking to me like a kid.”

“Good,” Mindy shrugged, “Do not act like a kid.”

I was about to respond when Zephyr and Ryder walked in and interrupted the resort on the tip of my lips. Mindy shot me a final glare before she brought out two chairs for them to sit down.

“Thank you for coming. Now I do not want us to waste much time or beat around the bush here. You three might not understand the threat we face, but I do and I am going to give you five seconds to think and imagine what would be of us when Callum attacks us. Of what our father built.”

She paused and looked at our faces one after the other perhaps taking in our expression or god knows what.

I do understand the threat we face. I understand just how much of a risk it would be.

“There would be no throne left to fight for. No lands left to dwell in or fight for. I know about this enmity and competition going on between you three, but perhaps you could consider working together to defeat your common enemy.”

I leaned back in my chair, waiting for the others to respond.

“Even if we work together,” It was Ryder who spoke first, “We still do not stand a chance against Callum.”

And that was exactly what was on my mind.

But we all know that Mindy has a solution, otherwise she won't be trying so hard to talk to us.

My sisters do not just see doom, thank the goddess.

She provides solutions too.

“Let's just settle the unity first. So are you three willing to put all differences aside and work together to protect what we have?”

We all exchanged glances and said nothing.

“I need all hands on deck guys and I would not want to forcefully compel you because it must happen.”

Damn, when did she get so brutal?

“I am not against working together,” Ryder said with a shrug and gave me a smile, “It's these two over here that you have to be worried about.”

I gave him the middle finger and he grinned.

“Fine, what the heck? Let's do this.” Zephyr said.

Everyone turned to me waiting for my response.

“Xander is in,” Mindy said when I did not respond, “He does not have a choice.”

“So what is this solution that you have?” I asked.

Mindy sighed, “The key, to defeating Callum, is your mate Aurora.”

I almost scored because she cannot be serious. Here I was thinking that perhaps she had something better for us.

My shock was also mirrored on Zephyr and Ryder’s expression, and surely we were all thinking the same thing.

What does she have to do with anything?

“The first day she came,” Mindy started, after perhaps noticing the look on our faces, “I saw a mark on her inner thigh. A very rare mark but I was sure I had seen it somewhere before…so I went to research in my father's library and after some hours of doing it, I discovered what the mark was.”

She paused, peering into our faces and maybe waiting for her to ask questions, but when no one needed her she sighed in frustration and continued, “It was the mark of the Nexus.”

That caught my interest along with that of my brothers because Nexuras were words and creatures we almost don't hear of anymore.

“That does not make sense,” Zephyr broke the silence, “The Nexuras are extinct. THey have been for centuries now. Hell you could almost think they are just a myth.”

“Yes I know that. But what if they all aren't? You never know.”

“So how sure are you that she is one? I hope we are not riding on possibilities here. The mark does not explain that she could be anything other than an Omega. It could be a coincidence.

“Yeah, i almost thought it was a coincidence too but, then i noticed that she has a strong magic coating her aura. Which could make you miss whatever power she is harbouring in her and making her appear as an Omega. Why would anyone do that if she was not something else.

Secondly, I saw her rising up from the ashes as our saviour, so that just confirms everything.”

“So what do we do now? Apparently she has no idea what she is, so how exactly is she going to save us against this doom?”

“First I am currently trying to work on a spell that can break the magic coating her. Then I will be the one to let her see what she is. But the most important thing is the part where she has to want to help us because there is a lot of work to be done. This part is what you three will need to handle.”

How long has she been thinking about this?

“And how do we handle this mother?”

“It is easy. First of all, you three should try harder to form a relationship with your mate. Make her feel loved, at home and welcome. She is your queen. Let her realise that and accept that she is family. Make her see us as family. A family that she would want to protect and fight for. Now that cannot be too hard, right?”

“In order words you seduce her.” Ryder stated plainly and Mindy smiled.

‘Whatever you want to call it.But I trust you three are mature enough to spark some sort of interest in her. She has to want to, that is only when she will under h the training required for her to form into her true self.``

I leaned back on my chair, still not saying a word but carefully watching everyone's reaction.

One thing was for sure.

I knew my sister enough to know that she was up to something that is not just about this whole Calum shit.

But i won't ask because i also knew that whatever she does was for our own good.

“So are you all in?”

We all nodded.

“Cool. So operation wooing our mate into loving us is a go.”