Among The Darkness

Sixteen

"Mate," Akio murmurs as Warren's arm brushes his.

"What?" Albert questions, tilting his head in confusion. "They are your mates, Warren? Why did you fail to mention this to me?"

"Because," Warren yells, turning around. A burst of anger surging through him. "I do not want weak omega males as mates! They are a disgrace and will bring nothing but dishonor to our family!"

"How dare you," Albert says, shocked his son was behaving in such a manner. "How dare you discard a gift from the Goddess herself?"

"I do not need them to be happy. I already have Kathrine. She should have been my mate from the beginning! She is the one baring my pup after all. I will mate with her and not with the two mutts that are my so-called 'mates'."

Lenore's heart throbs with pain. A woman was carrying Warren's pup? Tears well up in his eyes at the thought of Warren being happy with another wolf. He could not bear to imagine Warren's life with his pup and the woman he claims that he loves. His heart and head hurt and all he wanted to do was go home.

Akio tightens his grip on his mate's hand, pulling him close in attempts to calm him. He knew that Lenore would continue to be upset about the fact that Warren had bed another and impregnated her. But all Akio could do at that moment was offer him support and a sense of comfort.

"You bed someone other than your mate?! Having an omega mate will not bring dishonor to our family. You are bringing dishonor to our family name. By you being unfaithful and producing a pup with her! You are the disgrace! I am embarrassed to say that you are my son!"

Lenore had never seen Albert this angry before. He wanted to do something to stop Warren from making his father hurt. Anything to help. But his words did anything but get through to Warren.

"Warren," Lenore speaks up, his timid voice making Warren turn to him. "Think about the pup. The innocent pup had nothing to do with what you chose to do. Yet that pup will be the one to suffer the most. A pup is meant to carry the scent of its parents. The man who produced the seed to create him, and his mate. You can tell if a pup is created from adultery. That pup will have to endure insult after insult its whole life. Out of all the cruel words that will indefinitely be thrown at them, the worst of all will reflect upon what you chose to do. Your pup will be called a bastard child. Is that what you want? Because that is what the little pup will have to endure. Being called a bastard child-,"

Lenore is cut off when Warren shoves him to the ground. Lenore gasps as Warren straddles him, punching Lenore in the stomach. Once. Twice.

Two guards burst through the bakery entrance, grabbing hold of Warren and hauling him off of Lenore.

"Who are you," Albert questions the guards. Afraid of the two large men who seemingly appeared out of nowhere.

"Stop," Lenore orders the guards who were about to tie Warren's wrists together. Likely about to take him to prison for assaulting the crowned prince.

"We have been ordered from His Majesty that if any harm was to befall you-,"

"Do not forget that I am also your superior. I am the crowned prince. And when you are not in the presence of my brother, you take orders from me. And I say that I do not want him arrested."

Albert stands in shock, staring at Lenore with wide eyes. He thought that the rest of the royal family was dead. Yet Lenore was part of the royal family all along. He was embarrassed and ashamed that he had not given Lenore the proper respect that a royal deserved. All of the treats Lenore paid for should have been given to him free of charge. He should have allowed Lenore to skip the long line of customers on days when he visited Albert. Albert was lucky that Lenore had not ordered Warren to be hanged after how he mistreated the prince.