Reject (mxm)

Chapter Thirty-Six: Ciaran

"He's not meant to be here." Someone intruded in my thoughts. I looked up and saw Harkin staring at me. So he's the one with the natural aptitude for telepathy.

"And what made you say that?" I asked.

"You saw his show of power and it's not even close to his real potential." He answered. "I know you're feel it too. He doesn't belong here."

"Hold your tongue Harkin!" Sorell chided. "It's not our place to say where he should belong or not. Let Kevan talk to him. What we're here for is to keep them safe, nothing more. Your impudent behavior would result to nothing but trouble!"

"But you know I speak the truth Sorell," Harkin retorted back unfazed. "He's the rightful..."

"It doesn't matter what you or I think you immature pup!" Sorell snapped. "No more word out of you! In case you've forgotten, the one you're antagonizing is his mate and the alpha of this pack. Do you think he'd even consider coming with us if he learns of your impertinence towards his consort? Who do you think you are chiding someone who's far above your station?"

Harkin immediately bowed his head in shame and muttered a silent apology to me.

I know status and position are important to royals but this is insane! Harkin was just expressing an opinion. It not wholly true but he has a point. He doesn't need to be reprimanded because of that.

"I deeply apologize for Harkin alpha," Sorell turned and bowed low to me. "He's untried and very emotional. He often forgets his place."

"It's alright, no harm done." I answered a bit uneasy at how formal he is. "What do you mean when you said you're here to protect 'them'? I thought you were Kevan's personal guards?"

"We are personal guards but our master is not only Kevan." He answered. "We're born to serve both Ruari and Kevan. I don't know if you've heard of the Radbourne pack alpha. It's a royal bloodline sired mostly of red wolves, their mother Alessandra hailed from that pack. And our family have been serving theirs for generations."

"You mean to say you're slaves?" Lorcan said aghast. I guess it's a bit daunting to hear someone refer to themselves as servants. And wolf slavery had been banned for centuries. But I've been to court and it's a normal thing for royals to have someone specifically serving under him or her.

Sorell just chuckled at Lorcan's callous comment and slightly shook his head.

"I prefer to think of our position as keepers or guardians but yes, I guess we are, to some degree, no more than slaves." He explained. "But you have to understand that this is our way of life, what we've been taught from infancy and our reason for being. No one forced us. We live to serve and would do anything for our masters."

It's a bit over the top if you ask me but sure I could understand. I'm just worried how Ruari would respond to this new addition to his life. He's barely accepting his role as pack leader and still clams up when someone addresses him as alpha. I wonder how he'd react when someone calls him 'Master'.

"Uh, word of advice." I said. Might as well help them a little. It looks like they'd be a permanent addition to Ruari's life therefore to mine as well. "I think you should refrain from addressing Ruari as master for the time being, at least until he gets used to your presence around him. He could be very stubborn and he hates these sorts of things. You know titles and labels..."

"We'd take you advice under consideration alpha." He bowed again.

I tried not to grind my teeth at the formality. It's easy to tell Sorell is a stickler for propriety and manners. I wonder what it would take to get him to loosen up. But looking at him, I think it would take a hundred years, if not a thousand, for that to actually happen.