Chapter 5 Surprising the Alpha

• Serena
• Honestly, I wanted to join the leader’s meeting in Agotta on the second day. I wanted to mingle with the rulers of each realm and establish a good working relationship with them. The last time the leaders and I met was at Phanteon’s masquerade ball. That was close to two months ago. Like Aero, Queen Adna advised me to join too and I would have if not for my plan today.
• I purposely blocked Aero’s mind from reading part of my thoughts as I didn’t want him to learn about the special surprise I’m putting up. I was pretty sure though he had sensed I had been secretive. He’d probably even interrogate me about it when he returns to the castle later, but by then, he’d see the many things I prepared for him.
• Damn, I’m so excited to break the news to him. He’d surely flip out!
• While I was inside the receiving room of our chamber, I heard a knock on the door. With a smile, I dropped the powder blue and light pink flaglets on the coffee table, stood up, and waltzed across the room to open the door. Rhea’s wide grin flashed before me thereafter.
• “Have you started already?” she asked as I gave her space to enter.
• “Just pulling some of the decorations out of the box,” I told her whilst pointing to the two boxes I hid since yesterday. While Aero was in the meeting, I went to Earth and bought these decors and one particular cutie he definitely wouldn’t miss.
• “Okay,” Rhea turned to me with her hands clasped. “Guide me to your vision, Serena. Where should I hang those decors?”
• “Just here and there in a crisscross style,” I instructed. “I don’t want to overdo it. There will be balloons later to fill the ceiling.”
• “Sweet!” she exclaimed with another wide smile. “Okay, we should start while it’s still daylight.”
• I nodded but before we went to the boxes, I spread my arms and gave her a bear hug.
• “Thanks for coming here, Rhea. I really appreciate it.”
• Rhea, along with Aunt Margaret, knew about the good news. The former just randomly popped the question days ago and I had no choice but to say yes, while the latter, being the alpha healer and part midwife of the kingdom, sensed I was carrying. Her experiences with these things made her sensitive enough to pinpoint one that was pregnant. Well, that and coupled with the fact that it was her special ability.
• “You’re welcome,” Rhea reciprocated my embrace and patted my back. “I did experience some problems on the way here, but that’s already sorted out.”
• “By problems, you mean, Prince Elijah?” I queried. It wasn’t hard to notice the hickeys on her neck and chest. Since they were betrothed, Rhea moved to Elijah’s manor that was located near the castle. It doesn’t take a genius to know what they had been doing there.
• “Yeah, he was suspecting I was hiding something,” Rhea replied as she started pulling out the flaglets.
• “And what did you tell him?” I cocked a brow at her, feeling curious about her response.
• “I just said he had to be patient and that he’ll know tonight.”
• I chuckled at this. Her discretion was highly appreciated. I of course wanted Elijah to be surprised too. Through mind-link, he kept on reminding me how he wanted to become an uncle soon.
• “I’m glad he released you even with that vague statement,” I sighed.
• “Yes, but not before paying a price.” Rhea winked at me and then turned to a nearby wall holding up the end string of the flaglets. Beside her was one of the steel ladders I had requested William to bring. He sent me a curious look when I requested it but didn’t probe more.
• “Right, you guys truly fit each other.” Holding the other end of the string, I strode to a corner of the room that had the second steel ladder and stretched it.
• Wearing slim-fit jeans, Rhea effortlessly climbed up the ladder, secured the string with a hook, climbed down, and checked her handiwork with her arms akimbo.
• She then turned to me looking for approval and I, in return, nodded. “That’s good.”
• With an affirmative hum, she neared me and took the end of the string from my grasp.
• “Elijah has an honest heart,” she started before climbing up. “He may be like a clown sometimes—being happy-go-lucky and all, but in truth, it is just his way of hiding his real emotions and insecurities of being lonely. I’m happy I broke down this obstacle wall around him.”
• “He is lucky to have you, Rhea,” I told her.
• “And I’m lucky to have him,” she smiled. “Our wedding will be held two weeks from now.”
• “Really?!” was my immediate response. “Oh my goodness, that’s great news, Rhea!” I quickly embraced her again, feeling too happy with this much good news around our lives. “Aero and I wouldn’t miss it!”
• “Of course,” she giggled, “being our king and queen aside, you guys are the guests of honor.”
• She maneuvered her feet up the steel ladder again and did the same thing with the previous string and hook. With this, the flaglets hang taut near the ceiling. It was cute to watch.
• When she was back to the safety of the floor, I tossed her a contemplative look and asked, “Hey, I couldn’t help but think, when you first met Elijah, did you feel an instant connection with him?”
• Yes, I was there when they first met inside Lord Hale’s lair, but I was out cold at that time and never saw their magical exchange. Now, I was curious to find out about it, along with what she felt at that time.
• “Yes,” Rhea answered in a dreamy tone. She leaned back against the steel ladder and gazed at me. “It was so strong it almost scared me, Serena. Never have I felt such feelings before towards a man. Being a human, I didn’t understand what it was until he explained it. This magical, mysterious connection was the mating power over us.”
• “I see...” I trailed off, contemplating my experience too; of how different it was when I first met Aero and of how I didn’t feel the bond until late.
• “Looking back, I didn’t think I felt that same strong connection with Aero when I first met him, but I admit, I was very attracted to him physically,” I sat on a nearby settee and directed my eyes on the floor. “Maybe because his atrocious attitude that time hindered me from feeling the connection...or maybe because my werewolf blood that time was still locked along with my powers.”
• “Whichever is the reason, you guys are totally and irrevocably made of each other, Serena,” Rhea remarked.
• “Yes,” I awarded her a smile, “and I’m so happy with everything that has happened so far. I wish to change none of it.”
• The sound of someone knocking abruptly interrupted our conversation. Before I could stand up, Rhea straightened and raised a hand.
• “I’ll get it,” she volunteered.
• I watched as she opened the door. Using my werewolf senses, I knew already who it was that had arrived.
• “Alpha Margaret,” Rhea exclaimed with a slight bow.
• “Are we late?” Aunt Margaret queried, her attention falling to the inner room.
• “No, not at all. Serena and I just started,” I heard Rhea reply before opening the door wider.
• I stood up from the settee bearing a wide grin on my face. “Auntie, great to know that you made it.”
• Aunt Margaret neared me with arms wide open.
• “Trust me, darling, I wouldn’t miss this important milestone for anything,” she expressed when we embraced.
• From the corner of my eye, I saw other healers enter the room, all women and all ready and enthusiastic to help me out with my surprise.
• “Thank you, Auntie.”
• She patted my back before pulling away and facing the whole room.
• “Okay, let’s get busy.”
• *
• *
• *
• “Your Highness, an update,” at exactly six in the evening, William mind-linked me.
• I was just about to walk out of the bathroom, done with my bath and changing clothes when this happened.
• “Yes, go ahead William,” I replied whilst looking at the full-length mirror and adjusted the sweetheart neckline of my peach gown.
• “His Majesty and I were returning to the castle by way of the coach but suddenly, he jumped outside and took off in his wolf form.”
• A short laugh escaped my lips because of this. “He’s impatient to see me again, huh?”
• “I believe so, Your Highness. We are in the town of Orotea fifty kilometers from the castle, but with the king now on paws, he might arrive there half an hour later.”
• “That’s fine, William,” I nodded. “Thank you for updating me.”
• “You’re welcome, Your Majesty,” he replied and thereafter cut our mind-link.
• Right after the war, Aero taught me about this mind-link ability of the werewolves and lycans. Sure I had already used this many times to communicate with him, but not with the other werewolves so he trained me on how to open half of my mind for possible telepathic conversations with my subjects. At first, it was awkward, but then soon, I mastered it and this was the main form of communication William, Chris, the other Alphas, Aunt Margaret, Elijah, and father use when dealing with urgent matters with me.
• “Alright everybody, finish your work in less than ten minutes and vacate the room,” I announced the moment I entered the receiving area. Earlier, what was initially planned to be just decorating soon became a chill out session for all of us. The servants, under Aunt Margaret’s guidance, brought wine and food. I noticed it was getting dark already until too late, so I hastened to take a bath and change clothes.
• Aunt Margaret stood up with a wine flute in hand and neared me. “Let me guess, King Aero is arriving soon.”
• “Yup,” I confirmed. “Aero is certainly not a patient man. Although he has been keeping his promise to use his teleportation ability only in special circumstances, he still manages to arrive in the quickest time possible.”
• “Well, he is the Alpha King after all,” she reminded me. “He is hailed as the fastest in all of Phanteon.”
• I scoffed at this. “Hmf, no surprise in that.”
• I watched with pride as the decors and the balloons spread evenly in the ceiling. Knowing that he hasn’t experienced this before, his eyes would pop but it likely would pop more once he hears of the news.
• “Two days of meeting in Agotta might have bored him a lot,” I stated as I watched the healers leave the room one by one. Rhea stayed behind, still doing some final touches to a medium-sized box containing a rather bouncy life.
• “I don’t think that’s the reason, Serena,” Aunt Margaret opposed. “He just wants to see you, and I reckon, he might have noticed a change in you.”
• “Hm, I’ll find out soon enough if what you said is right, Auntie,” I answered with a wink.
• She leaned over and gave me a peck on the cheek.
• “I’ll head on out. Update me later,” she said.
• “Yes, I will.”
• Auntie and Rhea left together. Once I was alone, I bit my lip and giggled to myself, feeling over-the-moon excited for later. I did a final sweep of the area to make sure everything was flawless and once I was satisfied, I used my fae power to manipulate the light of the room, turning it dark and gloomy.