Chapter 3

"That was close!" Julius fell beside his master. Stealing two bottles of wine from the cellar was the easy part. Nearly bumping into Rufus was their reason for running.

" How come you're not out of breath?" Jules consoled his heaving chest with deep gusts.

" I am a Braddock; I never get tired," Arlen smirked. His profound boasting nearly earned him a knock on the head. This was his doing. 

"Whatever, let me quench my thirst. Here, have this." Julius drowns that urge with mercy. He handed the first bottle to Arlen and rushed the second down his throat.

Arlen wiped the excess booze trickling down the corner of his mouth. A silent grin perched on his face when he tried to determine why that alpha looked so stiff. 'Luca Beaumont, I bet you would look scarier with a smile on that face. Who else can survive such a miracle if not me?' He sent the bottle to his lips, keeping to his thoughts.

***

Claude Loughty was a quiet man, kind and understanding. Many say his lack of a strong personality matched his wife's fierceness. Having guests were expected. The distinction was that Theoden Beaumont rarely asked for assistance or dug for knowledge outside his territory. Not only did he visit with his sons, but his sister, Roxanne, also made an exciting appearance.

Roxanne was not just an alpha with a title; she was the brain behind Damaris' fast-growing economy.

Rufus was okay with having Theoden or his second son around. It was the other two he could not stand. To him, the variety between them was the elder bearing a sharp tongue and a different organ between her legs.

"Traces of the plague has reared its head in the remote areas of Tremainia and Cloverdane. A few have been sighted in Damaris, but nothing cannot be handled. I do, however, have a recurring issue about sirens in one of our fishing communities," Theoden said.

Claude: "Yes, I know the young masters are here to learn how to deal with them effectively. My son will see to that. He is the best in that field."

Theoden: "Thank you, old friend."

Roxanne: "My brother says this is another plague effect, but I disagree. This is a vivid sign that Caeser is on the move. Instead of pruning the overgrowth, why not uproot the tree? The world would be a lot safer with his demise."

"With all due respect Madam Roxanne, there is no solid evidence that Caeser Braddock is responsible for this," Rufus interrupted. His eyes locked on a cup of tea deters him from glaring rudely.

Roxanne: "Well, do you know of any other beastman that could control darkness?"

Rufus: "There are imitators out there trying to learn the arts. If this was his handiwork, wouldn't he do worse than deploying a few puppets?"

"Does Master Rufus defend the enemy? Has your father not told you of the day the packs invaded Ingram and what horrid things we saw?" There was a disapproving pitch in Roxanne's tone. That did not shake Rufus out of his opinion. "I know my father stood with you and the others to save us," Rufus stressed. " However, I find it disturbing that we celebrate the massacre of women and children like an honourable achievement." He stunned those present with his bold remarks.

"It seems you have forgotten about the innocent ones who died because an alpha wished to become more powerful," Luca chipped in, his poker face fixed on his age mate.

Rufus tilted his head, holding a growl when he said, "If King Caeser was that powerful, why couldn't he stop your father from murdering his wife, burning down half of his kingdom and constantly slandering his name?"

"Rufus, enough! This is no way to talk about your elders." Claude said. He knew the passion and hate that scorched his son's pride each time he heard such tales. More so because they knew the Braddocks had been wrongfully accused and misjudged.

"My apologies; I did not intend to overstep my bounds with unreasonable opinions." Rufus lowered his head, cutting short the argument.

Theoden: "It's fine. We are entitled to have thoughts, but we must not forget the truth. Claude, let us not ruin the day with bad memories. Roxanne and I will be meeting Prescott on our way back. I trust that my sons are welcome in your abode."

"Always," Claude answered with a grin.

**

The quest to make a stranger smile leads Arlen down a destructive path, and he drags Julius down with him. As usual, the servant refused to be his accomplice, but heaven knows how fickle his resistance was. They had no idea which room belonged to whom when they snooped around the guests' rooms at the main house, but Arlen guessed with Julius as his lookout.

The first thing his eyes landed on was one of those uniforms he saw on the Beaumont brothers. For some reason, Arlen thought he would sniff it to see if his nose could capture a bodily scent. He smothers the jacket, rubbing his face like a curious cat. He would have made out the man's scent with little effort if he had been an omega or an alpha.

Arlen stops when his eyes flash over a stack of books in the bedside drawer. He drops the uniform on the round table in the sitting area and ventures beyond. Arlen flips through a few, then grabs another when he gets bored.

He then turned his attention to the giant bed fit for two. Grazing the sheets with his fingers, the young man resists lying down. Suddenly something which sparkled against the sunlight boring through the window caught his eye...

*

Arlen stares at his souvenir on the way back, rubbing the silver crest between his fingers.

" You should not have taken that," Julius pointed out.

"I needed it," Arlen said.

"For what?" Julius stood in the other's path. "Master Arlen, I know that alpha is handsome, but you cannot fancy him."

"It's not what you think. I'm just having fun." Arlen smiled sheepishly.

"Axel is not the problem here; you're the future of Ingram and..."

"Axel?" Arlen raised a brow.

"No...no way. Do not tell me you're like this because of the ice-cold Luca!" Julius raises a fist with eyes that could fall out of their sockets.

"Relax, I just..."

"Luca Beaumont does not have a love interest, and I doubt he ever will!" Julius stressed.

"Oww, is that so?"

"Wipe that smile off your face. You'll be an alpha someday; you can't love another male- alpha!" The servant massages his temple, feeling perplexed.

"Jules, stop talking about what I know nothing of. And for the record, my mother always wanted an omega." Arlen snickered.

"Your mother was an alpha!" Julius shook the featherweight vigorously before finding his breath. "Please, Arlen, let this be the last time we speak of the Beaumont brothers. Whatever infatuation you have, kill it before it's too late," he advised.

Love was a phenomenon that never came to Arlen, not even in his dreams. He did not think he had any infatuation with Luca Beaumont either, but at that hour, he began to wonder what was written in the stars for him. Would he fall flat on his face in love with someone with a soul? And if that happened, would he be accepted for who he was?

Dwelling on that thought dampened Arlen's spirit. No one could lie with an omen like him. He wanted to believe in love, that it could free him of his bondage and even change his name. But it can't.