The Alpha's Progeny [The Alpha's #3]

MALIK VLADIMIR

Malik was so nervous he arrived at her house ten minutes early. He had also bought two bouquets of roses – one for his mate and the other for his mother…now, he just wished she didn’t have any sisters – and a case of beer. He contemplated waiting outside until seven like they had agreed but he was pretty sure they were able to sense him pacing outside.

Suck it up and go knock on the door! his wolf instructed him, eagerly pacing around in his head. I still think you should have messaged asking to come sooner.

Do you know how desperate that would have made me look?

But we are desperate, the creature pointed. We’re desperate for our mate.

Of course, we are! But I don’t want her family thinking that.

Either way, shut up and go in! his wolf huffed, leaving him no choice in the matter.

Taking a deep breath, Malik walked up the porch steps and came to a stop in front of the door. Unconsciously holding his breath, he knocked on the door and waited rather impatiently. In the five seconds that it took for Trinity to open the door, Malik had tapped his foot several times and chewed on two of his nails.

“I was starting to think that you’d forgotten about me,” Malik teased as his mate opened the door.

“Sorry,” Trinity apologised, stepping out of the way to let him into the house. “The house has been a total mess since I told everyone that I met my mate. It probably would have helped if I told them you would be coming over for dinner more than an hour ago.”

“I don’t mean to cause any trouble,” he winced, starting to feel bad for causing such an uproar, even if unintentionally.

“Don’t apologise. Completely my fault,” she laughed, closing the door behind him.

His lips curled up into a nervous smile as he stared at his mate, struggling to believe that she was standing in front of him right now. Like any other wolf, he dreamed of meeting his mate. He had lay wondering many a night what she would look like, how she would be, how their life together would be like. Born an Alpha, he often pondered whether she would be happy about becoming Luna. While the power was appealing to many, he knew that not everyone was not content with having so many people on rely on them.

He hadn’t thought that he would be meeting his mate this early, not even six months after his eighteenth birthday, but now that he had, Malik couldn’t be more glad about it.

You’re starting to look creepy here, his wolf warned him. Go any longer staring at her without saying anything and she’s going to send up packing.

I doubt she’d do that, Malik snorted but just to make sure he didn’t, he cleared his throat.

“These are for you,” he reached over to hand her the flowers.

“They’re beautiful, thank you!” she answered with a sweet smile, sniffing the red roses. It was cliché from him but at the moment, Malik was more concerned about playing it safe than anything else. “I didn’t get you anything.”

“You invited me over for dinner. I couldn’t turn up empty handed.”

“And the second bouquet?” she asked, quirking a brow at him.

“For your mum,” he smiled nervously. “I didn’t know if you had any sisters so I just got one bouquet…if I leave now, I can go out and get some more. You just need to tell me how many sisters you have.”

Trinity cooed at his reaction. Placing her bouquet down on the side table, she moved over and wound her arms around his waist. “I don’t have any sisters, don’t worry,” she murmured into his chest, sighing when he eventually wrapped his arms around her in return. “You didn’t have to get two separate bouquets, though.”

“I wanted to make a good impression,” Malik whispered in her hair, unable to hold himself back from running the tip of his nose along the side of her neck. When she shivered in his arms, only pressing her face further into his chest, a content groan escaped him.

“Well, you’ve definitely made one,” a cough sounded out from behind them. The disturbance really ticked off Malik and his wolf, especially since this was the first intimate moment with his mate. It was even more special as she had been the one to initiate it.

It was only when the second rather obvious and loud cough sounded aloud that Malik forced himself to look up. His first reaction was to growl at whoever had disturbed their moment but the moment his eyes landed on the same shade of jet black hair and golden brown eyes, he knew he was staring back at his mate’s father.

Much to both his and his wolf’s dismay, Malik gave his mate one last squeeze before reluctantly pulling away. Stood in front of them were Trinity’s mum, dad and brother. No sisters, just as she had promised.

How are we supposed to address them? We don’t know their surname? his wolf asked, sounding almost panicked.

“It’s nice to meet you, Sir, Ma’am,” he greeted them both with a large grin, hoping they wouldn’t be able to see the cracks at the corners. He then turned and nodded respectfully at her brother who didn’t return the gesture. In fact, neither of the three returned his greetings. Instead, they all stared at him with wide eyes, as if he was on exhibit and they were the spectators.

“As you can see, my family are really excited to meet you,” Trinity chuckled, but the sound was strained and dry. “Mum, dad, Paul, this is my mate, Malik. We met at the store earlier when he came in for some ice cream,” she smiled at them before turning to him. “Malik, this is my family. My dad, Joshua, my mum, Opal and my older brother, Paul.”

“You can call us Mr and Mrs Dalm,” Joshua, Trinity’s father replied dryly, rooted to the same spot.

“It’s nice to meet you all,” Malik attempted a smile but with how tense the atmosphere around here was, it didn’t quite reach his ears.

“Now that everyone has met everyone, let’s get started on dinner,” Trinity reached down to slip her hand into his, giving it a reassuring squeeze. “The table is pretty much set up, right, mum?”

Instead of answering her daughter, Opal Dalm pursed her lips and sent Malik one more disapproving look before turning her attention away. “Nearly done. I’m going to need another set of hands in the kitchen.”

Trinity smiled and nodded before she led him into the dining room. When she moved into the kitchen to help her mum with some last minute dinner prep, he was left alone with her dad and brother at the table. He wouldn’t have minded if the atmosphere still wasn’t so tense.

“I wasn’t sure what beer you liked so I just brought the normal kind. I hope that’s ok,” Malik spoke up, gesturing to the beer – and flowers – which Trinity had taken into the kitchen for him.

“I prefer light,” Paul piped up; the first

“And I prefer dark but I guess you tried,” Joshua snorted, making a point of tipping his can of beer in Malik’s direction; rubbing salt in his wounds.

The table was engulfed in awkward silence and Malik couldn’t count down the seconds fast enough until his mate returned to save him from the harsh glares of her male relatives.

“Trinity and I met at the ice cream store earlier this morning,” Malik told them, hoping to ease the situation with small talk.

“Trinity already told us that,” Paul frowned.

“Right,” Malik replied dryly, having no choice but to resort to twiddling his thumbs. He opened his mouth several times to start several conversations but was quick to close his mouth each time. What was stopping them from shutting him down once again?

I never worried about our mate’s family not liking us, his wolf murmured in a dejected tone. I was more worried about our mate struggling with the responsibility that comes with being a Luna. Especially if she wasn’t born into a position of power herself.

I never worried about it either, Malik frowned. But I don’t know what I could have done for them to dislike me so much.

You know why.

No, I don’t think I do.

It’s because we’re from the Apo to Chaos pack.

That has nothing to do with this situation, Malik groaned. It can’t be that. They don’t know what pack I’m from. I haven’t even told Trinity what pack I’m from.

Then what other explanation do you have for them being so biased against us for no apparent reason? his wolf questioned him. Malik opened his mouth but couldn’t think of a reply. How could he when none of this made any sense to him?

Thankfully, Malik didn’t need to reply as Trinity and her mum returned from the kitchen with a pasta dish.

“I hope you like pasta,” she smiled as she placed the dish in the centre of the table.

“I love it,” he grinned at his mate, only exaggerating a little. He liked pasta but he definitely didn’t love it, but voicing that would be far from appropriate right now. Even more so when her family looked like they wanted to kill him.

Perhaps you’re exaggerating a tad bit, his wolf murmured.

“So, Malik, have you got a surname? Or is it just Malik like Cher?” Paul asked, more interested in him than he was in the meal in front of him.

“It’s Malik Vladimir.”

“Son of Orpheus Vladimir?” Joshua questioned in a quiet tone, his eyes wide and fearful.

“Yes,”

Ok, I now see you’re not exaggerating, his wolf came in to correct his earlier statement.

They fucking hate me! Malik grumbled but it was no use. If they hated him, most probably they would hate his wolf even more.

“You’re Malik Vladimir of the Apo to Chaos pack?” Joshua continued to question but by this time, his whole face had gone pale.

“Yes,” Malik confirmed again with a nod, confused as to what had triggered his reaction. Surely, it couldn’t just be because of what pack he was from. He understood that they were a little different in their beliefs and traditions but it wasn’t anything to make a big fuss about.

“Dad! Please stop grilling Malik. This isn’t twenty questions,” Trinity huffed from beside him, reaching under the table to give his hand a reassuring squeeze. When he turned to face her, she sent him an apologetic look but he was quick to shake his head. The last thing he wanted was to make his mate feel bad, especially for something that out of her control.

“When you told us that you had met your mate and he was an Alpha, you didn’t tell us that he was the Alpha of the Apo to Chaos pack.”

“I didn’t know,” Trinity shrugged. “But what’s the big deal?”

“What’s the big deal?” Paul spat as he pushed back his chair and leaped up from the table. “What is wrong with you? How can you not have heard the rumours?”

“I’ve heard the rumours but have chosen not to believe in them. After all, they are just rumours,” Trinity huffed and rolled her eyes, giving his hand another reassuring squeeze. However, this one felt more apologetic than all of the others.

“How can you say that? Rumours always resonate from the truth.”

“Mum, can you please tell them? We’re trying to have a nice dinner here.”

“I’m sorry Trinity but I agree with your dad and brother here,” Opal sighed and began to explain as if she was talking to a child, and not a grown adult that was capable of making her own decisions. “The Apo to Chaos pack is known for their cruelty and brutality. Are you sure that’s a pack that you want to join?”

“I can’t believe this.”

“It’s not too late to reject him,” Joshua told his daughter, uncaring of the insinuation behind his words.

Trinity opened her mouth to say something, no doubt to rebuke her mother’s statement but Malik could hold himself back no longer – or rather, his wolf. He had been forced to sit and listen to all the vile and cruel things that her family had to say about him and his pack, but rejection? Rejection was where he drew the line. Sure, he wanted his mate’s family to like him but at what cost?

“Have you never heard of the saying, when you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all,” Malik growled as he slammed his fist on the table, demanding everyone’s attention. “I’ve sat here, listened and put up with all your bullshit because you’re my mate’s family. You’ve slandered me and my pack and I didn’t say anything but now you’re suggesting rejection? That’s literally asking for it!”

“Do you not see how cruel this man is?” Joshua was literally quivering at this point at his tone and the power radiating off him, but still he couldn’t resist trying to turn Trinity away from him. Away from her mate; the wolf that was destined to be hers.

“Do you not see how cruel you are? All of you?” Malik countered, not realising that he could get so angry and worked up over something. “How cruel do you have to be to suggest rejection? You would be destining both your daughter and I to an unfulfilled, sad life. She will never be happy without me, nor will she be granted a second mate. How can you wish that upon your daughter?”

“If it means saving her from the likes of you, then so be it,” this time when Joshua spoke, he puffed out his chest and his voice didn’t tremble nearly as much. Regardless, it was still a very pathetic sight. What he said next, Malik did not expect. “Rejection may destine my daughter to an unfulfilled, sad little life but at least she would be alive.”

“What are you trying to say?”

“I’m just a concerned father trying to save my daughter from suffering the same fate as your mother,” Joshua spat but when Malik threw his head back and growled so loudly that the floor underneath their feet began to shake, regret wrapped all around him. And not because he felt bad.

“I’m going to leave now before I do something which I know will upset my mate,” Malik announced.

When Malik and his wolf could take no more disrespect, he turned to his mate. He sent her a soft, slightly pathetic smile before he excused himself and let himself out of the house without looking back.

He wasn’t walking away from his family. Just her family who had judged him without getting to know him. Honestly, Malik shouldn’t have been surprised. After all, why would they react differently to everyone else?

-

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Layla Knight

13.08.2021