Chapter 8 - Pretend mate

Kieran heard soundless footsteps following him. Even though the person following him made sure not to make any obvious sounds, he could still hear it with his keen hearing. “what?” he glanced back.

Rue stood there blankly. “Well, you have to make your son agree to my plan. He thinks I’m a weirdo,” he grimaced.

“I still don’t trust you,”

Rue frowned. “I told you everything. What else do you need to prove my sincerity?”

“There was an obvious flaw in your story. You said you were born on an eclipse and the moon goddess did not gift you with a mate, if so, then the whole clan must have known about this. There is no use for you to act out a charade. If you clan doubts your lies then Nico will be in even greater danger,”

He sighed loudly. This young girl was smart, but sometimes younglings were quite naive.

Kieran glanced at her but she had a triumphant smile on her face. he frowned.

“No one knows.. Because my mum gave birth to me away from the clan.”

“w-what?” this was new information. He peered into her eyes. She looked very sincere.

“Arctic wolves have been powerful for a very long time. The other werewolf clans also had their eyes on us. So Alpha Lowe, um my so-called father sent away my mum far away. My birth was a secret. No one knows when I was born, well except you and as well as Nico.”

Kieran slightly contemplated what to do now. This girl’s word rang truth. Alpha Lowe was known to be very protective of his mate. He did not even expose his mate’s location to anyone. Not even the clan member knows who or where she is. It was kept secretive.

Another small doubt arose in his mind. If he is such a protective alpha, why did he bring his daughter here and put her at risk? Succession? Maybe.

“I can see the doubts in your face. I am in fact my father’s child and I was brought here because I was showing signs of early change. Since I don’t have a mate, my wolf is very agitated and sad…My shiftings are uncontrollable. Only the pack can comfort my wolf,”

“oh,”

“Still don’t trust me?”

Kieran coldly looked at her. “Maybe... follow me,”

“Yeah~” she happily hopped behind him. ‘so what is your grand plan to tell Nico. It better be soon, things are moving faster,”

“What else do you know?”

Rue smirked widely. “Pack secrets.”

“Fine don’t tell me,” he led her to his house and opened the doors wide. “Come in.”

“dad!” Nico came running down the stairs. “where the heck were you? I was talking to you one minute and the next you were gone. What the hell...”’ he ran to him and patted the snow off his shoulders. “Why didn’t you wear a darn coat? Fuck, what if you freeze your finger off? You know vampires can’t regenerate...”

“Nico,” Kieran gently patted his cheeks.

Nicolai looked behind him at Rue. “oh...”

“So you visited that place? It’s amazing right. I love it,” Rue excitedly ran up front and chattered about.

Nico gave his father a look.

“Nico we have to talk.”

He led them both to the hall and made them sit on the comfy sofa beside the lit fireplace. He even made sure to bring out a plate of freshly made cookies and biscuits.

Nico became skeptical of the topic they were going to discuss. But he kept his mind open.

“Listen Nico from this day forth. I want you to pretend to be Miss Rue’s mate.”

“What!!” Nico snapped in just a second. “no offense Rue I didn’t mean it in a rude way, but what?” he glanced at his dad, winking at him subtly.

“None taken,”’ Rue just casually sat there eating the biscuits. “These biscuits are good,” she happily hummed.

“Sit down, Nico,” he pulled him down onto the sofa.

Nico just blankly looked at him. “Dad you said I will find my beloved... is this... is that it? But I don’t feel anything with her... she.. I don’t think she’s it.”

“Shh. Listen to dad okay? You are just going to ‘pretend’ to be her mate. Nothing more. You are not her really mate nor is she your beloved, so calm down,”

Nico sat back down. Taking a deep breath, he sat there trying to process the information that was just thrown his way. “Why?”

“I need the pack men off my back,” Rue interfered before his father could even answer.

Nico glanced at her with a frown. “you could have asked any wolf. Why me? I’m a vampire,”

“Spitting out the facts, eh? Look I don’t care if you are a vampire or werewolf. I just want those sniffing nostrils off my butt. If I find a wolf, then they would gain a small amount of control over the pack, but you, you’re a vampire. You can be my mate, but you won’t gain power,”

Nico glanced at this girl. “You don’t want your mate to become alpha, do you?”

Usually in Rue’s situation, after she mated with someone, that person would become the next alpha. She can only be a beta. But if she had a human mate or a vampire mate, then she would inherit full control of the pack for her dad.

It was a genius idea. But there was one thing that was nagging his mind.

There was no benefit for them.

His father never accepted a deal that was not beneficial.

‘So... what are we getting out of it?’

“Nico?” his dad glanced at him.

Nico had a small clue what their benefit was. Protection.... if he was acting as Rue’s mate then the pack won’t hurt him during the uprising….

If an uprising ever happened…

‘Fuck... this is getting worse by the day.’

He could not stay silent in the dark any longer.

“Are we going to war?” he uttered.

Rue fell silent and so did his father.

“Yes,” Rue said confidently. “we are. The wolves will attack any minute now. that’s why you need to be protected.”

Nico stood up and glanced down at her coldly. “And why is that?”

“Cuz... you... you’re...”

“Rue, it's time you left,” his father pulled her away from him and pushed her out the door. “Come home anytime for cookies.”

“Sure~” she happily shouted from outside.

Nico peered at his dad this time.

“There’s going to be no war happening any time soon. She’s just making fun... chill,”