Unmarked by the Alpha

"If I may, my lord," Bianca swallowed hard, "I say this with all due respect. I feel like you are doing too much."

Brynn didn't answer.

"You have totally neglected your family," She said, "And all for what? All because of that thwa…"

She paused, remembering that she had been warned.

"I know that you have been trying to make up for the guilt you feel about our daughter," She continued. "But I feel the same guilt, too, and I definitely won't handle it like you are doing now, if our positions were switched."

She took in a deep breath. "I find your actions disrespectful to Azalea."

Brynn's eyes opened once. His wolf growled in guilt.

He took a moment to calm himself. "Disrespect?" He asked coldly, "Do you want to know what I find disrespectful?" He stood up slowly, and Bianca's heart skipped a beat.

"You, automatically thinking that my son belongs to the daughter of a witch, just because she is your friend." He started walking slowly, closer to Bianca, and she stood up, her heart pounding hard, as she slowly took steps backwards.

"You, making my son think that what he feels for Ingrid is love. Grooming him to be the perfect husband for Ingrid." He said, "And what did that do to him?"

Bianca, at this point, had touched the wall with her back, with nowhere to run to.

"My son no longer attends business meetings with me; he now thinks his world revolves around Ingrid." He continued, "You have turned him into a mere chicken who eats the corn Ingrid throws at him."

He halted and turned his back, and Bianca heaved a sigh of relief. "You know, at first, when he started to become distant, I thought it was because he had seen what I had done to his beloved sister, that he had refused to forgive me for it." He turned around sharply, startling Bianca. "But then I realized that it wasn't about what had happened that night, it was because all he wanted to do now was please Ingrid."

He started to walk towards Bianca, "And for that, I will continue to detest that Ingrid of a woman," Brynn said, "She doesn't make him be a better man, she makes him a henpecked lover, and that isn't what a true leader should be. I look at my heir and I see a weak man, instead of a man with all the qualities of a leader. The pack would need a leader when I'm gone,"

At this point, he was already brushing his body with Bianca's.

For a while, he felt like a stranger to her, a dangerous man that she wished to get out of his grip. Feeling his dark stare, she looked away, afraid of meeting his eyes.

"Do you think your son would be up for it? I don't think so."

Bianca's breaths were heavy.

"I need a wash; I can't continue this conversation."

He turned away and went into the bathroom.

Bianca held her chest, breathing fast as though she had just broken loose of a choke hold. She dared not speak further.

Aurora and Luke were heading to the study room,

"Mr. Luke?" Aurora called, "I know you probably know about the turmoil going on with the young master and me. Do you think I am doing too much?" She looked at him.

"Honestly speaking, I would say that it isn't too much." He answered, "But I believe that you know that there's a very thin line between messing with someone and overstepping your boundary."

"So you think I am doing too much."

"Not too much, but I think you should tune it down a bit. He is still the young master of the house, no matter how unimportant the master makes him feel."

"I really didn't mean it. He started it." She said, looking down a bit. "He refused to let me out of prison, and kidnapped me, that's the highest I could do to get even."

"I know," Luke said, "still, doing this with him won't get you anywhere. You should also consider if the master is going to condone disrespect towards his son forever."

"I guess I never thought about that part." She bit her lip and looked at Luke, "I will be the bigger person and end the charade."

"That'd be so wise of you."

"Thank you for talking some sense into me." She grinned.

"My pleasure, Lady Aurora." He bowed.

"One more thing," She said, "Just Aurora, and no bowing, when we are alone."

"Noted."

A few minutes after Aurora had been in the study room, Brynn came in and saw her reading a book.

"I was told I would find you here." He said, walking into the room and seeing Aurora sitting and reading a book on business.

"I think you followed your fatherly instinct instead," she said, "good to see you, father."

"Likewise," He sat on the chair's handle, "You're reading a book on business. What did you read in school?"

"Yes," She answered, "Unfortunately for me, I ended up in a coffee shop instead of an office. Getting a job in my place, for someone like me, is like a camel passing through the eye of a needle."

"And why's that?"

"I don't have a strong status in society; they pick the influential people."

"You could work here in Oregon; you know? I could get a job in an office, you just say the word."

"You would do that?" She asked with her eyes wide open.

"Yes,"

Aurora kept quiet for a few seconds,

"I think I'm good," She said, "I want to do this all by myself."

"Really?" Brynn asked, amazed by her refusal of help

"Yeah," She said, "But thank you so much for offering to help."

"You're welcome."

There was silence as Aurora went back to reading,

Brynn broke the silence, "Do you not think that the young master has suffered enough?"

Aurora grinned nervously, looking at Brynn, "He told you." She said.

"He was obviously vexed today," Brynn said, "so I was hoping for mercy from my princess."

Aurora chuckled sweetly,

"I had actually thought about it, Mr. Luke said I should tune it down a bit."

"Luke?" His brows lifted.

"Yes," She answered, "But now that you've asked, I will stop it entirely.

"Thank you." He smiled faintly.

"I was just pissed about how he treated me," She said with a guilty expression, "but I'm sorry."

"It's okay, as long as you have decided to show my son mercy. My princess."

She bowed, "I will, my king." She laughed, and Brynn's lips tugged a bit.

"Now," He said, "what do you already know about business?"