Found By The Lycan King
14: Bargaining For Her Freedom

ALPHA XANDER'S POV

I'd just returned from my run, feeling slightly better than I did before I left. I was restless through most of it but once I shifted and found that harmony with the earth, everything felt better and I was able to think clearer.

I walk up the stairs, still trying to drag out my time before I get to work for the day. Daciana is at the top waiting for me, 1 groan lowly but don’t stop walking. She glares at me and opens her mouth to speak, I stop her with my hand raised and if looks could kill, I would have dropped dead.

There are a lot of things she hated and one of them was being cut off, especially when it is done to dismiss her. I love her but I don't have the strength to deal with that, or her.

“I need to get ready for work, I'll see you later.” I'm about a hundred meters away from her when I offer that explanation. She growls in a way that tells me it isn't appreciated but what can I do?

My shower is quick and I dress simply in jeans and a plain t-shirt. Since I'll be working from home, I don't see the need in getting dressed up. I'm relieved when I don't find Daciana waiting for me by my office. That is what she usually does after I dismiss her, she finds a way to make sure I listen to whatever she has to say, she also makes sure to do it in the most annoying way possible.

I start working in peace, ignoring the thoughts that keep pushing to the forefront of my mind. Most of them involve or are completely about Adriana, what I will do with her. If she is worth the trouble and why the hell my mate is a werewolf. Surely, the moon Goddess isn't playing any games with me. My thoughts drift to Donovan and it doesn't matter how much I try to push them away, they still come back. I'd acted rash, but I couldn't handle all the disrespectful things he was saying. As my friend, he gets away with a lot of things but he knows it is only because I allow it, I can easily change my mind about all of it.

“Xander,” a heavy sigh slips past my lips at the sound of the voice. I knew she wouldn't let me have peace for long.

Daciana saunters into the room like she owns the place, she looks around the office with a visible frown before her unimpressed eyes land on me. I cock a brow when I see the filthy look she is throwing at me.

What is her problem? It is like everyone in my life just chose this time to be a pain in my ass. The fact that life is also giving me a short hand doesn't make it any better.

“I think you should let Adriana out of her room now, the punishment is enough.” She says not missing a beat. Her eyes are dark and though she isn't outwardly daring me, there is defiance in her body language.

“I don't think she is ready for that.” I tell her simply, using the same fran tone she did. She grumbles inaudibly, then shakes her head. She seems to work through some things mentally before nodding with a sigh. She leaves where she had been standing like someone told her if she walked any further into the room, she would burst into flames. She sits on one of the two visitors chairs in front of my desk and rests her back. She closes her eyes for a brief moment before opening it and fixing her dark eyed gaze on me.

“She made one mistake, I don't even get what you're upset about.” My teeth grind but I control myself and stop from saying anything that'll anger her. “You're just being difficult Xander and you know it.” She pushes, giving me an exasperated look. “Or is there something you're not telling me?” her lips purse and she watches me with scrutiny. I don’t move or do anything, confident that she won't find anything on my face. She doesn’t and she sits back with a sigh again.

“Normally, I mind my business when it comes to your leadership and your women,” the last word comes out with a bite. Though what she is saying is the truth, she minds her business more than any other sister in the world probably, and once she realized my women were never going to be permanent. She stopped bothering herself with them. I don’t even know why she'd taken interest in Adriana, seeing how when I invited her to go to the ball, she'd rejected the invitation and instead went out for a drink with a few humans that she mingles with.

"What you're doing isn't fair and I can't sit back and let you destroy her or whatever. She is so sweet and she seems nice, please don't ruin this Xander.” there is an air of frustration around her words. I don't let it bother me that much but I'm aware I'm going to be thinking of how “sweet’ she is, except in a totally different context from what Daciana expects. “She isn't like the rest of them, is she?” I shake my head no.

Hell no! Adriana is not and will not never be like the rest of them, not in the way that she thinks. There is no way she is joining my harem. I share that with others and just the thought of another man looking at her perfect body and face for more than a few seconds has my blood boiling, I can't even picture it happening in real life. I know I'll just tear that person into pieces.

“If there is something more, you can tell me. I'm worried about her,” she pleads with a resigned sigh. I study my sister, looking like I'm considering what she said and I might actually indulge her, but I know I won't. She realizes that the first few seconds and her frown returns.

I rake my hands through my hair, still not saying anything of substance. I'm worried about a lot of things and if I honestly thought Daciana could help, I would have gone to her. I know she wants the best for me and she tries hard to give me good advice even when I don't ask for it at times, or when I know I won't use it. She has never given up on me and I'll forever love her for it.

“Alex,” I ignore the pang that goes through my heart at the sound of “that’ name coming from her lips.

The single word erases more than two centuries of my life and I'm back to a more vulnerable place, a place where all we really had were each other and the disaster that was all around us.

“Don’t.” I tell her, my voice coming out more choked than I had intended. Of course, Daciana sees the crack in my perfect demeanor and that is what she is looking for. I see her slight smirk though she covers it by immediately frowning and looking away. I'm not fooled, but it doesn't lessen the effect of that name.

“Come on Alex, please.” She pouts, her voice changing from the stubborn sister that looked like she wanted to fight me seconds ago, to the harmless one that doesn't look like she can hurt a fly.

I know she can hurt a fly, even very big ones. I've seen her throw a man twice her size without even flinching. Her breathing was also perfectly steady after that and she helped him up because she felt bad for him.. “Just please let her out of her room, I'll make sure she is careful and doesn’t do anything you won't approve of.” she says, interrupting my thoughts with her pleading voice.

I hold back a laugh but the amusement is clear as day on my face. “And I should trust you with that specific task because you're very good at avoiding things I don't approve of?” if it was anyone else, they would act even mildly embarrassed but not Daciana. She has a proud smile on her face and I roll my eyes, having nothing better to say to her.

The one thing she is very good at is throwing my orders away and doing whatever she likes. Most of the things she likes, I definitely do not approve of but she doesn't care and does them anyway. "What do you mean dear brother? I always do what you approve of, only what you approve of.” She bats her eyelashes in what I guess she is trying to make an innocent way. I don't let it fool me. Daciana could as well be a devil dressed in disguise and I see right through her.

“Yeah right,” I mutter sarcastically, barely stopping the eye roll.

We've had conversations similar to this more than I care to remember and it always ends in the same way. I know she won't listen, and she might even try to do that for the first few days but believe me when i say it won't last for more than a few hours.

We sit in silence for a few seconds, I can't tell what Daciana is thinking about because her expression for the most part is passive. All that is on my mind is Adriana and with how often it is happening these days, it isn't even a surprise.

There are many things involved in this and the more thoughts I have, the more complicated it seems to be. I've never heard of a lycan being mated to a werewolf before. We might be similar but they are a lesser species and we do not cross that line, ever. If the moon Goddess is actually playing a game with me, then she chose the absolute worst one, and if this is actually the truth, then the entire world has to be fucking with me.

Just being my mate will put many targets on Adriana’s head, I don't even have to go too far out. Just from inside, I know quite a number of people will want her dead. Starting with Donovan, not only because he has made what he thinks of her and what I should do with her quite clear. “Xander,” my thoughts are interrupted by Daciana’s voice. I look up to meet her expectant gaze. “When are you going to release her from her room then? I can just do it because you look busy.” She just doesn’t know how to give up. I shake my head and she chuckles.

“Daciana,” I call her name the way she did mine and she rolls her eyes and sits back down. She'd been on her way to probably let Adriana out, even without waiting for my confirmation. That also is not surprising when it comes to her. “I didn't say she was being released today, or even tomorrow.” She inhales slowly. Sᴇaʀᴄh thᴇ FɪndNøvel.ɴᴇt website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

“When then?” she groans.

"When I make sure she is not going to be in, or cause any trouble.” I reply, a thoughtful look overtaking my features. She shakes her head. “I can't handle her talking about th—that man. So if I'm even going to consider letting her out, you need to make sure she never brings him up around me.” she nods vigorously.

“That? Done! I'll make sure she never talks about whoever you mean. Is that all? I can let her out now?" she sounds so excited and with her eyes widened, coupled with the excitement I feel growing around us, she looks like a child at their favorite store or candy store. I have to bite the insides of my cheeks to stop from grinning because this is actually a serious conversation, believe it or not.

“Make sure she is protected at all times and keep me updated with whatever you're doing every hour.” I stress the last part, I want her to know it is not debatable.

Word goes around fast, mate or wife to be, it doesn't matter. A lot of people will come after her and I don't want anything to happen to her.

“I'll do everything. Thank you Alex, you're the best.” She is already out of the room before I can think of something else to add to the list. That was intentional and I know it.

I make a mental note to mindlink her every other rule that comes to my head later on.

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