Because they couldn’t reach a conclusion, no final decision could be taken. For a week, they both avoided the discussion.
When only a few days were left, in the morning at breakfast at the dining table, they were both sitting quietly as Mia chirped happily away.
“I am thinking of giving all my friends a fantastic party!” she declared as she picked up a buttered toast. “I want to call them to the castle’s rooftop! Will you allow it, brother?” she asked Hunter, the toast crunching in her m*outh. “Yes,” he replied nonchalantly as he glanced at River who had a very t*ight expression. “Wow!” she said in a bubbly voice. “Thank you! And I want to decorate the place with a theme! So I would like decorators to come over!”
“You can do whatever you like Mia,” Hunter said. “Did I ever stop you? Besides, will you call me for your birthday at the rooftop?”
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Mia stopped eating her toast as his words fell on her heart. “Why do you say that, brother?” she said, going all emotional. “Of course I am going to call you.” She got up from her place and hugged him from behind. “I love you so much. How could you even think that I will celebrate my birthday without you?” She k*issed his cheek and he glanced at River.
River shook her head slightly. She scooped out a large spoonful of maple syrup and poured it on her pancakes. As she dug her fork in it, from the corner of her eye, she saw Elijah coming in. The moment he was there, Mia became highly aware of him. She straightened herself as a pale blush came to her cheeks. She regarded him with a different kind of awareness and tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear.
“Hi Elijah,” she said, sounding like she was trying to control her excitement.
Elijah too let out a ragged breath as he came to stand opposite to her. He couldn’t help drawing his attention away from her and in the process, he didn’t acknowledge Hunter.
Hunter gritted his teeth and then made a huge drama of coughing.
“Brother!” Mia said as she started stroking his back. “Are you alright?”
Elijah too stood there, tense as his reverie broke. Hunter was able to snatch their attention to him.
Hunter took a deep breath in. “I am okay…” he said in a hoarse voice. “Why don’t you join us for breakfast, Elijah?” he offered.
Elijah sat down immediately on the chair next to Mia’s. “Thank you,” he muttered. He started serving the steaks for himself.
“I believe you have come here with some news?” Hunter probed.
When Mia saw that Hunter was fine, she circled past the table and went to sit next to Elijah. Elijah was now so aware of her that he couldn’t even serve his breakfast properly to himself. Hunter’s question was disregarded. Elijah raked his f*ingers through his hair as he looked at Mia. “How are you?” he asked in a low and soft voice. “I am fine,” she replied in the same low and soft voice. Her cheeks heated a bit more and the two seemed like they were in their own cocoon. The world didn’t exist for them.
“Good to know,” he said, not really knowing what else to say to her. After looking at her face and reading all her features for the millionth time, he added, “You look beautiful.”
And that comment brought in another bout of cough from Hunter. “Ahem!” he coughed. He glared at Elijah and said, “Any report you have to share with me?”
Elijah snapped his head at Hunter as if he was shocked that he existed in this world. His face flushed, he said, “Y-yes Alpha. The demons were requesting for you to take a look at their makeshift camps. I believe that they have contracted some disease which is local to that area and needed urgent attention.”
“Disease?” Hunter was surprised. “What kind of disease?” It was odd.
“I don’t know. It’s a skin disease, I think. It has affected their younglings,” Elijah replied. As if on a basic instinct, he picked up the juiciest piece of meat from the dinner plate and placed it on her plate. She gave him a fond smile and started piecing the meat in small squares.
“Then arrange for a doctor to be sent to their campsite immediately;’ Hunter ordered.
“There’s a young and upcoming doctor in my pack, Hunter,” River interjected. “He has returned from the human world a month back after you announced that you will be constructing a new township for my pack members. He wanted to show his appreciation to you and is eager to meet you. Lena reported it to me a few days back. I can ask him to check the demons.”
“Yes, sure!” Hunter replied as his gaze fixed on the two lovebirds in front of him.
Mia picked up the cut meat pieces from her plate and kept them in Elijah’s. “Eat,’’ she said with a smile. And Elijah ate only that while still gazing dreamily in her eyes.
“Would you like to go to the creek in the evening? The young wolves will be coming out for a small gathering,” Elijah asked.
“No, she won’t go there!” Hunter barked. He knew that near that creek all kinds of young wolves, especially those in the high school and college, came over and feasted and drank and danced all night.
Elijah whipped his head at the sudden interruption. “Why?” he demanded. “I will be there with her.”
River g*roaned. How could she tell Elijah that it was the precise reason why Hunter wasn’t allowing him?
“I will be sending the decorators to her in the evening. She has plans!” Hunter growled. Then he picked up chicken wings from River’s plate and gobbled it down.
Elijah took a deep breath as his l*ips downturned. He looked at her and said, “We can go later…”
“If that is done, should we go to the training house?” Hunter snapped.
“I will be there in a few minutes,” Elijah responded.
River was annoyed. “I need to talk to you, Hunter.” Her eyes were a glacial blue and Hunter knew that she was going to fight with him.
“Okay.” His teeth clenched, he got up and walked to their bedroom.
River wiped her h*ands with the napkin, used the f*inger bowl and then walked after him, leaving Mia and Elijah alone. When she reached her bedroom, she closed the door. “Hunter, you are being too obvious!”
“I don’t want to argue on this, River,” he said mulishly. “I am just trying to protect my little sister from an impending heartbreak.”
“What if you are preventing her from her mate?”
“That is a point of discussion that can be held once she turns eighteen!” he said in the same stubborn manner.
“You have to let her go. Damn it!” River’s frustration was palpable. “She is big enough to take her decisions. Your overprotectiveness is not going to help her!”
“River,” Hunter replied in a very low feral voice. “My decision is made. I will wait for her eighteenth birthday. It is possible that she finds her mate in a different guy, okay?”
“What if Elijah is her mate?” She couldn’t believe that while Hunter had agreed with her earlier and let Elijah spend time with her when she was sick, now he was being so suspicious. Was it because as and as the time drew near, he was getting overly possessive about his little sister?
“If Elijah is her mate, I will allow them to go together for the Mediterranean cruise!”
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