Chapter Six

ALPHA KING Xavier

I sensed her before seeing her on the floor.

My car, the one befitting for my Alpha King Staus, not the one I usually use when I wanted in disguise, stopped suddenly and when I caught sight of Ariel through the mirror, my first instinct was to hide my face so she wouldn't see me.

I quickly bent my head, hiding as she got off the floor. I didn't want her to see me. For one I was dressed as the Alpha King and everything about me schemed riches. I wasn't the Xavier she met yesterday at the moment.

“She can’t see you, Alpha King. the window is one way.”

Jaxon who was sitting in the passenger seat informed me. The car had three rows of seats. The driver row, the passenger row that Jaxon was sitting on, and the last row was where I was sitting. I raised my head high again and pretended as if I wasn't just hiding seconds ago.

Jaxon snickered before speaking to the driver who kept apologizing for his rough driving skills.

“You can continue the journey—”

However, he was cut off when a knock resounded on the window close to him. That frightened him and even I was shocked to see Ariel standing by the window. She looked breathtaking even though she was on the floor seconds ago.

Again, I was quick to lower my head and this time, I bent it to the side to hide my face as Jaxon rolled down the window, giving his attention to Ariel. My nostrils got filled with her sweet scent and I struggled between hiding and jumping out of the car to meet Ariel.

To think that I suspected that she could be taking advantage of the bond since she was related to Alpha Clavin yet I found her irresistible…. She wasn't even trying to be irresistible.

“I hope you weren't hurt, Miss?” Jaxon calmly asked Ariel.

From the corner of my eyes, I saw Ariel nod before speaking up, “I am fine, thank you. I am sorry for jumping into the road and my bix scorched your car. Can you come out and see the damage done?”

“I want to know how much I will have to pay to get that repaired,” Ariel added, surprising me.

I was concerned that if Jaxon alighted, Ariel might see me sitting behind him. I thought of mind linking my Beta but he was smart enough to decline Ariel’s offer to pay for the scratch part of the car.

“That wouldn't be necessary, Miss. You don't have to pay.”

It was shocking that Ariel took the steps to pay after scratching the car. Maybe she wasn't as bad as I had assumed.

“Of course, she isn't bad. Can you stop hiding now and make your presence known to her?”

Karl muttered, urging me to go out and meet Ariel but I stayed put, still hiding. I listened to the conversation between my Beta and my mate, taking Ariel’s attitude into consideration. I perceived her relief when Jaxon informed her that she doesn't have to compensate for the scratch.

But as fast as it came, the relief disappeared and was replaced by intense worry., I wished I could hear Ariel’s thoughts at that moment because rather than accept that she doesn't have to pay, she insisted on paying.

“I appreciate that you think I don't have to pay but the car looks expensive. I wouldn't want to inconvenience you. So let me pay.”

She was even considerate of Jaxon. That was an important attribute of Luna and the Queen. I doubted that Ariel had enough money to pay for repairing the scratch. Her small diner couldn't have earned enough money.

When Jaxon and Ariel kept arguing, I impatiently coughed from behind, letting my Beta know that I wanted the issue resolved quickly.

“As I said earlier, you don't have to pay, Miss. I have to leave-”

“Can I have your number then? Just in case the expenses turned out too expensive and if you think I have to pay later. You can have my contact details too. That will ease communication.”

Ariel offered when Jaxon insisted on not getting compensation. My Beta wouldn't dare ask for compensation even if I wasn't here. He knew that Ariel was his Luna. however, my presence didn't stop Jaxon from exchanging contact details with my mate.

I didn't like that very much… to be sincere.

I felt angry and Karl intentionally irritated me, asking me to go out to Ariel for the hundredth time even though he knew that I couldn't reveal my identity to her. As Jaxon exchanged numbers with Ariel, I remembered that I had also collected Ariel’s number at her diner after I marked her yesterday but I couldn't remember the number. I doubted that I saved it. And I also didn't give her my number like Jaxon was doing before me. I was pissed. I picked up my phone and searched through my contact but there was no new number except familiar ones.

Ariel and Jaxon didn't call out their numbers, instead, they exchanged phones and pressed their numbers into them. It was as if both of them had planned to annoy the shit out of me. Kate left after that and the driver began driving again. We were supposed to head to a banquet that was to be held in a neighboring pack.

“Let me have her number, Jaxon.”

I uttered casually and I could have sworn I heard my Beta chuckle. He didn't dare tease me though but Karl wouldn't stop irritating me as the drive continued. Jaxon gave me the number and I searched on my phone only to raise that Ariel’s cell phone number had been blocked by me.

When? Why? And how did I block her if I didn't even remember her contact details?

My questions got answers when I discovered that Ariel was the one that texted me yesterday night. She was the one that texted “Your Wife!” I had assumed that the text was from one of the random female wolves that had been trying to pursue me and get my attention.

What have I done?

“Who are you asking? Have you stopped to think about how your action would affect the relationship between Ariel and you if she finds out that you have been lying to her all this while and what if she isn't the suspicious person you have tagged her to be in your head!”

Karl scolded me. I touched my forehead helplessly and released Ariel’s number from the blacklist and hoped that she hadn't noticed that I blocked her but that didn't stop Karl from scolding me. He must have inherited that trait from grandma.

“It wasn’t intentional, Karl. stop making–”

My cell phone blared in my hands at that moment, interrupting me. My eyes widened when I saw Ariel’s name flashing on my screen. Was she telepathic or something? I answered the call regardless.

“You have removed me from your blacklist.”

She voiced immediately after I answered the call. Shit! She knew. I explained to her that I didn't intentionally block her number. I was so embarrassed but she didn't seem to care.

“I am on my way to your house, I hope I wouldn't be locked out, Xavier. Regina gave me the address and—-”

Ariel was being sarcastic but I ignored that when I heard that she was on her way to my house and I cut her off asking, “what address did my grandma give to you? Where are you heading to?”

Ariel called out the address, confirming my suspicion. My grandma had given her the address of my original home… the Alpha King’s palace. Fuck! Thank goddess that she called to inform me. Ariel could have gone to the palace and found out my real identity.

“That’s the address to the Alpha King’s house, Ariel. You can't go there. I got a house for us both since you wouldn't be able to live with other warriors in the Alpha King’s home.”

It was becoming so easy to lie to her even though Karl hated me for that.

“Where is this new house located?”

She questioned me and the moment I told her that I had texted the address to her, Ariel hung up on me. That was a new one. No one had ever hung up on me before. I was in a complicated mood after that and my gaze met Jaxon’s playful ones.

I pushed myself to be indifferent again.

But, I thought to myself, “shouldn't I help her pack? She is going to my home for the first time.”

Karl supported that thought and she encouraged me to do just that. Who would know that he was scolding me some minutes ago?

“Detour. Head to my new home.”

I ordered the driver to my Beta’s surprise. Jaxon turned his head to stare at me but he didn't dare question me, not when my eyes were daring him to make a sound. This was the second time I wouldn't show up at a banquet in the same week and two days in a row but who would persecute me for that? No one.

The car stopped before we got to my new house because I didn't want Ariel to see me in such a luxurious car…. And definitely not the same car she scratched earlier. I also changed the Alpha attire that I was wearing before walking to the small apartment that I had gotten after I left Ariel’s diner yesterday. All the houses owned were too big and luxurious to fit the new identity that I had taken on… so I had to buy this smaller one at the last minute.

Upon reaching the door, I found out that I had been locked out. I knocked on the door but I didn't get a response nor could I find a key anywhere. I didn't have the habit of carrying keys around since I always had servants working in my house.

As the Alpha King, this was the first time I would be banging a door this hard yet receiving no response. I could perceive Ariel’s scent meaning she was inside the house. Was she doing this because I blocked her? Did she lock me out?

My blood began to boil but my wolf beast found the moment uproarious. Karl laughed while I kept knocking angrily and impatiently.