4: Stranger In My Eyes

*ALEX*

As we walked in the hallway, my mother looked at me.

"Son, did you say that you transformed into your human form and then the ugly scars on Lauren's face disappeared after you marked her as your woman, or did all these things happen before you marked her?" My mother asked me in confusion.

"I shifted into my human form after I marked her. Her blood tastes so sweet, like honey. And the ugly scars slowly disappeared from her face. In short, my transformation and the disappearance of Lauren's scars both took place after I marked her." I elaborated further to clear up her confusion.

My mother halted in her tracks and stared at my face for a few seconds, then she asked me, "Y-you mean to say that Lauren's blood holds the key to your transformation and the mark you gave her made all her ugly scars disappear completely? Did I say it right?"

"Yup, that's right, Mom." I nodded my head in confirmation.

"Oh, I see." My mother said, closing her eyes for a few seconds and then continuing to walk beside me until we reached the room.

I grabbed the door handle, and we entered the room. Lauren was still sleeping in the bed in the same position when I left her earlier. My brows furrowed. Why is she still sleeping now? She was supposed to be awake now.

My mother walked to the bed and stared at the flawless face of the beautiful woman lying on it. "Wow, she's definitely a beauty!" She gushes, her voice filled with admiration.

"I told you so." I spoke with pride in my voice.

"But she's still human. Only a woman with a werewolf lineage can become your Luna. The council will never agree that you will choose a mere human to be your Luna!" My mother stated this in a firm tone, addressing me like I was a six-year-old boy.

"But, let's say, if I don't want to inherit Dad's Alpha King throne, I'm free to choose my mate, right?" I inquired curiously.

Mom looked at me, her eyes wide with shock. "What the hell are you talking about, son?"

I sighed deeply. "You heard it right, Mom. Being a powerful Alpha King is useless if I can't even choose my own Luna. Am I right, Mom?"

Mother glared at me, trying hard to control her temper.

"Son, please don't make things complicated for all of us. You are going to be the future Alpha King the moment your father steps down from his position. You need a pre-bred werewolf woman to be your Luna. It's been our tradition for a long time. We have to follow it! You have to follow it! You must abide by our tradition!" She insisted, getting livid and sounding like a broken record.

I was shaking my head, not liking where our conversation was heading. Suddenly the door opened, and Granny Ursula entered. A nice, welcome distraction!

"Welcome back, Luna Alicia. It's nice seeing you again! The refreshment is ready in the living room." Granny announced cheerily.

My mother smiled and nodded at Granny but glared at me before leaving the room. I shifted my attention to my nanny. "She's not awake yet? Is this normal?" I asked worriedly.

Granny Ursula went to bed and placed her hand on Lauren's head. "I think she is about to wake up in fifteen minutes."

"Great!" I said excitedly, looking forward to having a proper conversation with my human mate for the first time. I'm looking forward to discovering her likes and dislikes. Hear her voice again, lose myself in her beautiful smile, and find out the things that can make her happy. I don't want to force myself on her just because I'm going to be the next Alpha King. My future title would surely intimidate her.

"Should I leave the two of you alone, kiddo?" Granny Ursula asked me.

A smile of amusement graced my lips the moment I heard my nanny call me kiddo again, as if I were still a ten-year-old kid. She is the only one who is allowed to call me that nickname. My parents instructed the servants to always call me Alpha Alex, even at such a young age.

I shook my head. "Nah. I want you here with me when Lauren opens her eyes to avoid scaring her further. The last thing she remembered before she fainted was the horrendous sight of a beast running after her. Your presence would surely calm her down."

"Okay, I'll stay." Granny Ursula replied, lowering herself on the chair beside the bed while I remained standing on the other side, away from my mate's direct line of vision, to avoid startling her. Seeing a stranger in her room after remembering her scary experience in the basement will surely confuse her even more.

I remained quiet, observing my mate, watching the rise and fall of her chest, when it suddenly hit me. I can't possibly introduce myself to her as the horrifying beast in the basement or the future Alpha King. I must put up a charade and pretend that I'm an ordinary guy in order to cultivate her friendship and trust.

A bright idea came into my mind. I went to Granny's side and whispered, "Don't introduce me as the beast in the basement or the future Alpha King. Just tell Lauren that my family hired a repairman to do some repairs in the house, and I'm that person."

Granny looked at me with confusion flashing in her eyes. "A-are you sure?"

"Yup!" I nodded my head, liking the disguise that popped up in my head at the last minute.

Granny was shaking her head, finding the whole thing absurd, but eventually replied, "OK."

I gave her a thumbs up. That was also the moment that I'd been waiting for. My human mate slowly opened her eyes, and her gaze landed on Granny's face. She stood upright and hugged the old woman tightly, her body shaking due to fear.

"Grandma, there is a beast in the basement! Have you seen it? Let's leave this place now before the beast finds us!" Lauren exclaimed in a horrified tone as I listened quietly in the corner. Her eyes darted towards the door in panic and finally landed in my face.

Our eyes met, and the world stood still, frozen in time.

She was so beautiful that, for a brief moment, my heart stopped beating and melted into a puddle. Her expressive eyes and red lips captivated me. Her delicious aura enveloped my entire being with euphoric feelings. I can feel my heart singing a melodious lullaby right now.

"Child, calm down!" Granny told Lauren, then added, "Can't you see we are in the safety of your room? The beast you saw in the basement is just a product of your imagination."

Lauren didn't take her eyes off of me as my piercing gaze started drilling a path towards her heart. "W-who is this guy, Granny?" she asked, pointing her fingers at me.

"He is the repairman that the Alpha King hired to do some repairs around the mansion." Granny Ursula replied according to my wishes. I was glad she cooperated with my silly disguise.

"Ah, okay," Lauren replied, as the shock slowly wore off. When her breathing finally returned to normal, she settled back in bed, facing Granny.

"But why is he here in my room?" Lauren whispered in Granny's ears.

I heard Lauren's question loud and clear. I cleared my throat, ready to explain my presence in her room. "Um, Miss, let me explain. When I arrived here, I heard Granny scream. I quickly entered the house and searched for where the scream was coming from. I arrived in the kitchen, and Granny asked for my help to get you out of the basement because you fainted on the floor. The rest is history." I quickly ended my narration, feeling confident that I sounded convincing in my mate's ears.

Lauren slowly nodded her head; she finally smiled at me and said, "Ah, okay. Thank you so much for saving my life!"

"My pleasure, Miss!" My heart somersaulted when she smiled at me. I feel like I'm floating on cloud nine right now.

Awkward silence enveloped the room, and I felt Lauren's discomfort return. It was time for me to take my leave and join my mother in the living room. I looked at her and said, "I've got to go and start some repairs around the house." I glanced briefly at Granny before leaving the room.

"Thank you again!" Lauren spoke before I could leave the room.

I turned around, flashed my brightest smile at her, and replied, "You're welcome!" I closed the door behind me and walked into the hallway. Her mesmerizing voice still echoed in my mind, putting a megawatt smile on my face.

When I reached the living room, my mother was still munching on the refreshments prepared by Granny while she was browsing her phone.

She sensed my presence and asked, "How's it going? Is she awake already?"

"Yup!" I responded, lowering myself on the couch and picking up one slice of apple and putting it in my mouth. "Yummy and crunchy, just the way I like it!" I raved and continued eating the delicious fruits. Then I looked at my mother and said, "Mom, I think you and the servants need to go home now."

Surprised, Mom looked at me with a raised brow. "I just arrived here, son! Now you are going to send me back home right away? Are you serious?" She asked in disbelief, annoyed with my statement.

"Yes, mother dear, loud and clear." I replied calmly; this time I picked up a delicious-looking strawberry and popped it into my mouth.

"Son, listen to me..." Mom said softly. I could see that she was getting angry at my erratic behavior.

I breathed deeply. "Mom, there's no need to stay for another night or day here. I know you don't like staying in such a secluded place, far from the city. You just came here to visit me. Now that you see with your two eyes that I'm fine, there's no need to stay longer. You and the servants can go home now. I will contact you if I'm ready to go home. Just leave me some money." I requested calmly, wanting to get rid of my mother and the servants before my cover was blown.

My mother looked at me suspiciously, then she asked me point blank, "What is going on with you, son? Are you planning something? Tell me about it. I'm all ears. You better have a good reason for sending me away!" She huffed.

I released a deep sigh. I hate explaining myself to anyone, but my mother is my greatest supporter and the best mother anyone could ever wish for, so I have to be patient with her. "Um, Mom, it goes like this..."