"I will be right back, Dad," Raymond said as he rushed to Emma's room. The maids trailed behind him.
"What did you say was wrong with her?" he inquired, but no reply came. "Are you both deaf or something?"
"We are sorry, Alpha," they both answered in unison.
"Alpha, we can't come in with you. Your Luna said we should only make sure you got to her room but shouldn't come along with you."
Raymond shook his head, surprised they were now following orders from Emma. A part of him was happy about that, but he wondered what the problem might be.
He opened her chamber doors and walked in.
"Emma," he called out but couldn't find her. He closed the doors and tried to follow her scent. Before he could—Emma came out of the restroom, looking all seductive in lacy wear with no clothes underneath.
"What the hell, Emma?" Raymond exclaimed as he turned his face away from her.
Emma chuckled as she neared him. She faced him, and his eyes were still closed.
"Oh, dearest Alpha. Why are your eyes closed?"
"Emma, get dressed this instant."
Emma smiled mischievously as she moved closer to him, making him step back until he was finally on the bed. She was happy and straddled him immediately, feeling his member grow from below.
He opened his eyes, and they lit green again. Emma kissed him. He didn't respond to the kiss, so she did it again, this time playing with him.
Raymond could feel his claws elongate and his fangs coming out. His eyes went to her neck. There she was—his mate—ready to be claimed by him. But then he remembered the mysterious girl, and his eyes went back to normal. He pushed Emma gently off him.
"Seriously, what has gotten into you? Are you sure you haven't worked in a pub before?" he asked.
"So this is what I get for trying to be intimate with my Alpha, right?" Emma folded her arms defensively and stared away from him.
He couldn't fathom all that was happening. Yes, he wanted her—but not this way… not now.
"Behave yourself, Emma. Come, get dressed. My parents are downstairs waiting for us."
"Oh, really? I heard they came with a lady for you."
"What the—" Raymond stopped halfway.
How fast news flies these days.
"Is she the reason you don't want me anymore?"
"No, Emma," Raymond chipped in. "I want you—really, I do—but not in this way. Now, can you please get dressed?"
"I carefully handpicked that dress for you," Raymond said, raising her face to him.
"Really?"
"Yes, Luna."
Those words made Emma happy.
"Okay, get me dressed, will you?" She picked the dress and handed it over to Raymond.
Emma went bare before him.
Raymond was in shock at her behavior. Wasn't she concerned about whether he would like her body or not? Well… she was perfect in every form.
"You like what you behold, don't you?" Emma chuckled as she neared him.
Raymond closed his eyes and sighed.
"Come, get dressed, Emma." He motioned for her to step into the red and black royal gown.
"Aren't you forgetting something, Alpha?"
"And what's that?"
"My undies."
"Well, go get it."
Emma wanted to ask Raymond to handpick that for her as well, but she decided to get it herself.
Raymond read her mind and shook his head in amazement.
He got her into the dress, and he led her out of the room.
***
"We look good together," Emma giggled as she saw their reflection in a crystal-clear surface.
Raymond smirked as he was torn between how to introduce Emma as his Luna to his parents.
They approached the dining room, and all heads turned to face them—except for the mysterious lady with a veil.
Concern was etched on their faces.
"Who is this, Raymond?" his father, the King, asked.
All the elders seemed to agree as they nodded their heads.
"Greetings, Your Majesty. Greetings, My Queen. My name is Emma Anderson, and I'm Raymond's mate," Emma introduced herself.
"What?!" Raymond's father reacted.
Raymond cut in immediately.
"Dad, let's talk about this after breakfast."
His father only nodded and returned to his meal.
He blessed the meal, thanked the gods for their journey, and started eating—and so did the others.
Emma sat close to the mysterious lady, and Raymond sat opposite her. The room was filled with silence, except for the clinking of cutlery.
He knew they were all confused about what would happen now.
"Oh Gods, this has never happened before. Why does this have to happen now?" Elder Cupa thought.
"I know Alpha Raymond is just playing tricks so as not to get married, but that wouldn't work," Elder Xender thought.
Raymond sighed as he read through all the elders' minds.
This was the sad part about his gift.
His father had told him to keep it a secret so they could use it to their advantage, as he had the ability to read everyone's thoughts—except sometimes his father's, because he blocked him.
Others couldn't, because they didn't know he could read minds.
Even if they did, it would take a very powerful Alpha to block him.
This gift seemed like a curse sometimes.
Imagine knowing your birthday present before it was presented to you—and having to act surprised.
Or knowing your test score before the game was over…
He remembered reading his mum's thoughts one day. She wanted to get him a red bow weeks before his eleventh birthday.
He fought the urge to tell her he wanted a blue bow—but no, he couldn't.
So he had to make do with the red one when she presented it to him.
Raymond stopped eating as he thought about what the mysterious lady was thinking.
He closed his eyes.
Raymond couldn't seem to hear a single thought from her.
"Why the hell couldn't I read her thoughts?" he thought.
"Wasn't she thinking?" he almost spoke out loud.
That's impossible.
Everyone thinks.
"Hi, Alpha," he heard.
Raymond opened his eyes immediately but couldn't seem to catch the eyes of anyone but Emma.
She was only smiling at him as she continued eating.
"Hello," the voice came again.
Impossible.
No one could read nor reply to his thoughts.
Not even his Father.
Then what was that? Raymond thought.
Besides, the voice sounded like a lady's.
"Don't get yourself worked up trying to figure out who is speaking in your thoughts. I'm Lila. And why are you trying to read my thoughts, Alpha?"
He looked over at the mysterious girl.
She casually took a spoonful of soup to her lips—the only exposed part of her face.
Her lips were beautifully shaped… and familiar.
"I'll take that as a compliment, Alpha."
"How the hell are you doing this? As far as I can remember, I was the only one born with that ability."
"Not anymore, Alpha."
She looked so innocent doing this.
How long had she been reading minds?
"Well, that should be the least of your worries now, Alpha. Your Luna's mind is what you should be reading—not mine. Besides, you don't want to know what her thoughts are," she chuckled.
He quickly shifted his focus to Emma.
That meant this mysterious girl could not only read his thoughts but others' as well.
But besides that…
What was my Luna thinking?