Submitting to My Lycan Prince Mate

36 A Strange Man

I turned my head to look at him. The speaker was a handsome man, and he appeared to be a few years older than Prince Louis. Deep-set eyes and jet-black hair gave his appearance a somewhat cold air, yet he was undeniably gorgeous. His sharp green eyes resembled the lake where forest nymphs were said to reside, exuding a mysterious and alluring charm. He was dressed in a dark gray wool coat with a deep blue scarf around his neck, paired with a pitch-black suit underneath. I gazed at him with surprise, wondering how he could wear so much in this weather without feeling hot. Noticing my expression, he chuckled softly, his voice unexpectedly deep and gentle. "Apologies, is it strange? I've had an injury, and I tend to feel cold more easily." "No, I didn't mean that." I quickly clarified. It was only at that moment that I noticed he was holding a wolf-head cane. The style of the wolf head on it was somewhat similar to the wolf head ring Prince Louis wore, but it had two blood-red gemstones set in its eyes, giving it a more sinister appearance. Pausing for a moment, I asked, "Who are you? Do you have something to discuss with me?" He looked thoughtful for a second and then spoke, "I forgot to introduce myself. I'm Garfield Evans, the Alpha of the Black Mountain Pack." "The Black Mountain Pack..." I frowned, pondering. "I've come to apologize to you, Miss Gambino." Garfield said earnestly, "Lucy is my brother's girlfriend, and I'm sorry I didn't detect this situation earlier and prevent it. But don't worry, I've given them a lesson." Finally, it clicked into my mind about the significance of the Garfield surname. I hadn't really cared too much about this matter, but I was curious about their subsequent experiences. Prince Louis hadn't told me the details of how he questioned Lucy and her boyfriend. He just assured me that things had been resolved and there was no need for me to worry. I inquired, "What kind of lesson did you give them?" "They offended His Highness, which is an unpardonable offense." Garfield said with a detached expression, "However, His Highness is merciful enough to allow them to confess and expose the mastermind behind their actions to offset their guilt. It's just that my brother was too afraid. He and his mate committed suicide in prison before the interrogation even began." My eyes widened, "Suicide? They're dead?" "Yes." Garfield answered in a matter-of-fact tone, as if the deceased were not his brother and his brother's mate, but two strangers. A shiver ran down my spine. However, as I noticed his grip on the wolf-head cane had turned white-knuckled, I felt somewhat relieved. Maybe he was just a reserved person by nature, I thought. After all, how could someone remain indifferent to the sudden loss of loved ones? Even I, someone who had grievances with them in the past, would have a dazed expression upon hearing such news, let alone Garfield, who was his brother. I attempted to console him, "I'm sorry, but please accept my condolences... I don't want to see such things happen either." "I know," Garfield mused, "perhaps I was too harsh in my reprimand at the time. I regret it deeply. But the most important thing is, the trail behind him has been completely cut off." Hearing this, a peculiar feeling welled up within me again. Frowning, I asked, "Did you notice any unusual behavior from your brother during that time?" "Apologies, my usual work keeps me busy, and I don't pay much attention to my family." There was a hint of guilt in his eyes as he watched the girls performing on the stage. He sighed, "Even for my daughter, I haven't had much time to be by her side. Since... this is the first time I've accompanied her to a public school event." I followed his gaze to the front and saw a black-haired girl with the same green eyes as Garfield sitting in the front row of the choir. "Is that your daughter?" "Yes, I call her Kitty." Garfield smiled, "Isn't she adorable? To me, she's everything." I nodded in agreement, noticing a silver ring on his ring finger. "She's indeed adorable. Her mother must be a beautiful Luna." Garfield shook his head. He seemed unwilling to discuss Kitty's mother and shifted his gaze toward the backstage area. Since the performance area was outdoors, we had a clear view of the entire backstage from our position. "That woman actually came today?" He arched his eyebrows high upon seeing Maria standing next to Louis, giving me a meaningful look. "I thought she would be more discreet." I forced a dry smile, "Prince Louis is Chris's uncle. Maria asked him to come to Chris's school event. I don't think there's anything wrong with that." "Is that so?" Garfield posed a question that left me in silence. I didn't know how to respond to his inquiry. However, I had decided to dislike this man. I wasn't sure of his intentions in approaching me, but it certainly wasn't solely for an apology. His regret felt insincere. Rather than an apology, it felt more like a form of probing. My silence seemed to alert Garfield to something. He turned his head to stare at me for a while, until I couldn't maintain the veneer of calm any longer and gave him an irritated glare. Suddenly, he burst into laughter. "...What's so funny?" I grew angrier. All the grievances that had accumulated since morning surged out like a flood from a breached dam. Clenching my teeth, I glared at him almost fiercely, "Stop laughing!" However, Garfield only laughed louder. As he had mentioned earlier, his health was indeed frail, and his laughter turned into a fit of coughing. His already pale handsome face appeared even more ashen. I couldn't bring myself to argue with a sick person, so I pursed my lips and stewed in my own anger. Perhaps I shouldn't be so petty, I thought. So what if Maria and Prince Louis appeared more like family? I shouldn't care about that at all, because I'm his mate. Well, who was I kidding? I couldn't help it! Sulking in self-pity, I sat in my seat. I heard Garfield cough softly and he asked, "Miss Gambino, he's right. You are indeed an interesting person." "Who?" I replied stiffly, "And by the way, don't call me that. I have no connection to the Gambino family anymore." But Garfield didn't answer my question. He smiled and changed the subject, "Alright, Claire. I admit I'm quite intrigued by you. Here's my number and Instagram." He took out a piece of paper from his coat pocket and handed it to me, but I didn't accept it. "What's your motive?" I stared at him and asked. Upon hearing my words, Garfield smiled. He finally dropped the pretense of gentleness that had concealed the ambition hidden in his emerald green eyes. Gripping his cane a bit tighter, he looked straight into my eyes and said, "No offense intended, dear." He extended his hand, lightly brushing a strand of hair from my temple, his words dripping with ambiguity, "I'm just... curious about his mate."