EZRA'S P.O.V
I sat there waiting for Tanner to send me an update. I wasn't wasting time; however, I was also looking in the archives for any possible loopholes that I could use to change the way the Elders had so much control over the King's life, they didn't need control over who, what and when it happened. I wanted to change the restrictions on fated mates, change the idea of what makes a queen be qualified. The moon Goddess wouldn't have given a king a fate mate if the bond weren't supposed to benefit the kingdom. I had been looking for days with no success, even before I had mentioned it to Uriah. Maybe a fresh set of eyes will help find something we could use.
"It's 6:45am, Ezra, our meeting starts in 15 minutes. We should probably head there."
"Okay." I said as I put the papers down.
We made our way to the other side of the palace to go endure yet another pointless meeting. I sat in my normal seat waiting for everyone else to arrive. Once we were all present, the meeting began.
"We have pack funds to go over, the royal banner needs to be updated, and then we also need to discuss the selection of potential brides. I had each pack send in possible candidates." Elder Jackson said, making me roll my eyes.
"I already have a mate."
"No, she was without a wolf, and you rejected her. It is time we let that go and find a new match." He said as my phone pinged with a message notification.
"Ezra, silence your phone." My mother said as I pulled it out.
"Sorry, I have important business to attend to." I said as I stood up and began to walk out.
"But King Ezra, the meeting?" Another Elder spoke up finally.
"Right. My mother is well familiar with pack finances. Uriah can handle the decisions of the Banner. Then the list of potentials can be trashed."
"King..."
"Fine, put them on my desk and I will make sure to look through them. I have another urgent meeting to get to, if you will excuse me." I said before taking my leave.
Once I was free from the meeting, I opened up the message from Tanner.
-They are on their way to eat at Hideaway, the small cottage restaurant just on the outskirts of town. -
-Thank you. - I sent my reply before grabbing my keys and heading to the car.
I made my way through town before getting to the outskirts where the restaurant was located. When I finally arrived, I saw Tanner waiting just outside the doors.
"Do I need to come inside with you, Alpha?"
"No, this is a friendly meeting." I said, knowing it could easily become a heated meeting in no time. "I won't disrupt their breakfast. Not at first, at least." I said before entering the restaurant.
"Welcome in, take a seat anywhere you'd like, a waitress will be by shortly to take your order." An elderly woman hollered from the kitchen.
I immediately spotted them sitting at a booth table. He was slick. I will give him that. A booth is easier to inch your way over closer to the other person, whereas at a table you don't get that comfortable option.
I sat at a table across the way, luckily, they had a good morning rush so my scent could be hidden. The perfect table was available. One that allowed me to watch them without them seeing me, at least not easily.
I used my wolf hearing to zone in on their conversation.
"I know how you feel. I lost my parents at a young age." He said, trying to relate to her experience of losing her mother. Is he really feeding her lies? He didn't care. He never did.
"You've had so much loss in your life, how are you still so confident and strong willed?" Her voice sounded different, not nearly as muffled as before. How has so much changed in such a short amount of time?
"With being the only child of my family, I had to put my feelings aside and become the leader of my pack."
"You didn't have time to mourn?" She asked.
"I did, but only when I was alone. The pack didn't need that."
"How old were you?"
"16."
The age one can take over a pack if needed by law. Convenient if you ask me.
"And at what age were you when you lost your mate?"
His mate disappeared one night and was found weeks later near their pack in a ditch, beaten so badly you could hardly recognize her. She had been dead for a while before she was found. Nobody ever figured out who did it. Makes me question a lot. He never fought hard enough to locate her murderers, which made me wonder if it were him. And if it was him, why the hell would he do such a thing?
"I was 20."
"So much loss in such little time. How old are you now?"
"25. And you?"
"I am 20. You have already gone through such life changes before my age. I couldn't imagine."
"From what I hear, you didn't have it easy either."
"No, but I can for sure say you have had it worse."
"Guess the fates have it so we could stumble upon each other. We have both suffered so much in our lives. We deserve to be happy. It's like two broken souls who were meant to be together." He said as he scooted closer, making King on edge.
"Hello dear, what may I get you?" The question came from right in front of me.
"Sorry, um I will have iced water and for my food I will order some pancakes, 2 sunny side up eggs and some toast please."
"I will get that right in, and if there is anything else I can do for you, please let me know." She said with a flirtatious smile as she pranced away.
I shook my head as I looked back at the booth to see Liam was even closer than before, his hand now resting on her leg. This motherfucker has a death wish, doesn't he?
He was eyeing her in a way that pissed me off on our wedding night and now has the audacity to throw all the charms that he possibly can at her to try and pull her in. Well, that was the last thing that I would allow to happen. I quickly pulled my phone out to send a message.
-Make him remove his hand before it is removed forcefully. -
"Sorry, let me check that." She said, grabbing her phone, then looking around before her eyes met mine.
"Everything okay?"
"Yeah, just fine, it's nothing." She responded, putting the phone back in her bag.
-Mind your own business. I am busy. - The response to me said.
She was now closer than before, purposely trying to piss me off. I stood as a growl erupted all around the room. If she doesn't remove his hand, then I fucking will.