Asher was led to the head of the table, flanked by the Alpha on his right, and the daughter and her scent that was putting him off his bacon and eggs, on his left.
“That room is so small. You will be much happier in the room next to mine,” Honey whined.
“Honey is right, it will be much more what you are used to your highness,” Qamar intervened, agreeing with her daughter, desperate for Asher to move up beside her.
Asher sighed, he hated to be called ‘Your Highness’, but at the same time, he disliked Qamar more, so he didn’t ask her to call him by his name.
“You do yourself an injustice, Luna, the accommodation I am currently staying in is very comfortable, and I find it suits my purposes for this visit more than adequately,” Asher diplomatically answered.
“Oh, but we have so much fun upstairs, lots of pranks and things going on,” Honey declared, hoping to win him over, not that she had ever done anything like pranking people, and found the whole thing childish and beneath her. She reached out and placed her hand on Asher’s arm, causing him to snap it away instantly. Max began to growl in his head, and Asher had to force him to the back of his mind.
“I am not here to play silly games, I am here to work,” Asher shut down the conversation, then turned his attention to Jabez.
“Talking of which. Where are the Edensor pack’s Alpha and her sister?” Asher said.
Jabez gulped slightly, his hands beginning to slightly tremble. He had a plan that he had come up with late in the night when he could not sleep from being so stressed about the Prince’s early arrival but had not run it past his leadership team as yet.
“Oh, they are away at present, your highness. They like to spend time together, and are off in the far part of the forest, about five miles north of here, in a small cottage we have there. I believe Alisha is trying to access her wolf,” Jabez lied through his teeth.
“Bull shit! He is lying out of his ass straight to our faces, rip his head off!” Max shouted in disgust to Asher.
“Calm down Max, yes, he is lying, but we need to know what the hell is going on, so let him think we have bought the lie, there is more than one way to skin a rabbit,” Asher answered his wolf.
“If you like, your highness, we could go visit the cottage today so you can meet them,” Jabez smiled.
David and Mike whipped their heads around and looked at their alpha, confused as to what he was planning.
Instantly, Jabez linked with the pair of them.
“I will take him to the cottage this afternoon, send someone to make it look lived in. I would say they may have returned to the pack. When I am gone, you get those girls out of here, then have someone kill them. Those rogues who helped us before would happily do it. Then I will bring him back, and he can find their bodies,” Jabez linked.
Asher did not miss the look the Beta and Delta gave their Alpha, nor did he miss the fact they were currently having a conversation via mind link. His mother’s words played in his head, to remain in the pack house for four nights, no matter what. He could not help but wonder if this was ‘the what’, and as much as he needed to find those girls, he was not going to leave the packhouse.
“It is fine, if they have not come back before I leave, I will have my Warrior James go with you, I have a lot of paperwork to go through.” Asher smiled, then continued to eat his breakfast.
“The girls were supposed to attend the academy a couple of years ago. Can I ask why that did not happen?” Asher asked.
“They said they wished to do hands-on learning and remain here under my instruction, as their pack members are here,” Jabez lied again.
“There is more shite coming out of his mouth than out of your arse after a Vindaloo!” Max growled.
“Interesting, so I will find a full record of their training in the paperwork then,” Asher smiled.
Jabez gulped again, this was not going as he wanted, and he felt like the walls were closing in on him. He needed to do something, anything to stop the Prince from this line of questioning.
“Yes, it is all stored on my personal laptop, I will make that available for you,” Jabez answered, buying himself some time, and hoping he could cobble something together at some point during the day.
“Excellent, I look forward to seeing that. Now, would you please show Dr. Andrew, the pack hospital Alpha and Luna, whilst I do my Omega checks when we have finished breakfast?”
Jabez resisted the urge to curse, it was standard that Omega checks were done without the presence of any leadership or warrior present. He was hoping to use that time to cobble up a training plan on his laptop, but now that plan was totally kyboshed.
“Your highness, my mate has lots of pack work to do, why don’t I show your Doctor and his mate the hospital and take Beta Mike with us.” Qamar quickly suggested, realising her mate had dug himself into a hole, and she was desperately trying to get him out of it.
“I understand the responsibility of running a pack. However, I require that both you and the Alpha attend the hospital part of my visit. Your leadership team will show James here how training works, and what patrols look like, whilst Cheryl and I interview your omegas,” Asher stated, his tone indicating he was not to be challenged on this point further.
“What would you like me to do prince Asher?” Honey smiled, trying once more to place her hand on his arm, only to have him move it before she could manage.
“I have no requirement for you at the moment, I will summon you if I do,” Asher declared, hoping she would finally get the hint. He hated pulling rank and making people feel small, but it had to be done, this girl needed to get her aspirations of becoming his chosen mate out of her head once and for all.
~ ~ ~
Alisha let out a contented sigh as she lay in a bath of bubbles. She had been in so long. Every single one of her fingers had turned wrinkly but she could not bring herself to come out just yet. Each time the water turned cold, she extended her foot and turned the hot tap with her toes to bring it back to temperature. After all, she did not know when she would get this opportunity again to have a hot bath.
“Alisha, are you staying in there all day?” Iesha giggled at her sister.
“If I can, why are you bored?” Alisha smiled at her sister.
“No, I am watching children’s TV, it is so cool. I remember Grizzly and the Lemmings, and I have been watching it again.” Iesha grinned happily.
“Ah yes, you used to be obsessed with that show,” Alisha smiled.
“It is still great, so funny, the bear with his jars of yummy, and his girlfriend, who clearly isn’t his mate,” Iesha said happily.
“Are you hungry?” Alisha asked, beginning to feel a little peckish herself.
“Yes, but I don’t want to go to the bathroom all day,” Iesha sighed.
“You won’t. We will have a light snack. It should be okay. We should eat little and often,” Alisha smiled.
Alisha reluctantly let the water out of the bath, then walked into the shower to rinse herself off, taking a clean razor she found, and for the first time in three years, she shaved her legs and under her arms, making sure she was hair free. She sighed with relief, it felt good to feel like a girl again. Finished, she stepped out, finding a bottle of expensive body lotion, and with a giggle of revenge, she used more than required, putting it all over her smooth body, then taking the high-end moisturiser she amply applied that on her face as well.
Bending over, she picked up the rotten threadbare clothes, and with a sigh, took them through to the kitchen. The one thing this place didn’t have was a washing machine. However, she placed them in the sink, with some shower soap, along with Iesha, then gathered the Alpha’s robe, as Iesha was wearing the Luna’s, and headed to get a small amount of food for them both.
“Eat chicken,” a very faint pretty voice said in her mind.
Alisha stopped what she was doing, frozen to the spot.
“Is that you?” she asked out loud.
Iesha snapped her head around from watching her program, furrowing her brow.
“Was what me?” she asked.
“Not you Iesha, I heard a faint voice,” Alisha said.
“YOUR WOLF!” Iesha cried out in joy.
“Two seconds, Iesha, let me listen please,” Alisha instructed her sister.
“Is that you?” She tried again.
Alisha felt a stirring in her spirit, her stomach made a small leap, then the faint voice spoke again.
“Yes, please eat chicken, I need protein,” the faint voice answered.
“Yes, it is her and she wants us to eat chicken!” Alicia shouted, then promptly fell on her knees, her head in her hands, and began to sob her heart out in utter relief.