The Prince's Fated Mate: M/M Alpha/Omega Paranormal Werewolf Romance (Norvargen Wolves Book 1) (9 page)

Pa bowed his head. “It is an honour to serve,” he said.

“You are certain about this? This extension won’t be too much of an imposition on you?”

“Not at all, Alpha Miles. My staff will be able to rearrange our guest lists for the next few weeks and accommodate everyone.”

“Well, with that settled, we can send word to the mayor of Hemslock of the postponement. However, we have another just as pressing issue on our hands,” said the Alpha. He looked askance at his son, but all Prince James did was simply stare straight ahead, looking not bored, but simply vacant, putting in no more effort than to be present.
 

Is this who my fated mate is?
Will wondered, starting to feel more and more disillusioned.
 
The prince was kind and polite to him and everyone, yet he seemed so detached from any conversation Will had the chance to partake in. It seemed impossible that Will would ever get Prince James to show anything beyond reserved politeness to him — even the twin pups were able to see more than that.
 

Fated mates were meant to have poignant romances that lasted their whole lives. They were meant to have it easier in some ways — yet all Will was finding was trouble after trouble, disappointment and hardship.

Alpha Miles carried on, “You are aware, of course, that the wolves along the western border are mostly travellers from the far west.”

Of course they were; Will’s own mother had come from the far west. Unlike the many who simply ended their travels at the border however, she had come further into the Norvargen territory and made herself a home and family in Hemslock.

“As luck would have had it, Advisor Niers was one the unlucky few of our court who have fallen sick,” sighed Alpha Miles, “and he was our designated translator for our westward journey. Since it is unlikely he will pull himself together by the end of the week, that means that we’ve an issue to work out. I know the people of Hemslock speak only the common Norvargen tongue, so I’m not very optimistic of the chances of finding a suitable alternative here, but would you happen to know anyone who could journey with us and assist us in speaking with the border villages?”

Pa’s eyes widened, and he looked as eager as he could be as he answered. “My son!” he said excitedly, “William here, he can join you.”

Will blanched at the sudden attention cast on him, all eyes in the room turning to stare at him.

“His mother, my late wife, she came from the west, you see, and Will learned how to speak her language before she passed. He handles any guest we receive from the west as well. He’s very good,” Pa said insistently. As subtly as he could, he jabbed an elbow into Will’s side, encouraging him to say something.

“Uh, um,” Will stuttered nervously, feeling very pressured all of the sudden, “I-I can help, if that’s what you want…”

“You will be free for a two-month journey with my son?” asked Alpha Miles. “I’m well aware that you’re busy enough helping your father around the inn.”

“It won’t be a problem,” Pa assured. “I’ll have my other men cover his duties, of course.”

“It’s a hard journey,” said the Alpha, raising an eyebrow. “Can you handle it?”

Will swallowed hard and nodded, feeling that it would be most impolite to decline anyway, and wondering what on earth had his father just roped him into. Two whole months away with his fated mate who was disinterested in him entirely? This was neither a dream come true nor the worst nightmare possible, but something that rested unpleasantly in the middle.
 

The youngest advisor with the brown beard cleared his throat suddenly. “May I ask a question to the innkeeper’s son?”

Alpha Miles nodded briskly. “You may, Advisor Keanes.”

Will found himself being glared suspiciously at by the brown-bearded man.
 

“You are, judging from your scent, an unbonded omega?” he asked.

“Yes,” Will answered, thinking that a rather stupidly obvious question to ask. Why bother asking when a simple sniff told him just as much?

Advisor Keanes whipped his head back to face the Alpha, and continued speaking as if Will wasn’t sitting right there. “I do not think it very wise to bring an unbonded omega along for the journey. Despite his assertions, I doubt he will find himself suited for the journey very long, and it would be troublesome having to turn back halfway if he decides to give up.”

Will looked at him, annoyed at his unfounded assumptions. “I’ll be fine,” he said snappishly, trying to keep his temper under control. Pa patted his knee, an act of both support and warning — it would be bad to lose his temper in front of Alpha Miles.

“So you say, yet I think you might find the road harder than you imagine,” said Advisor Keanes silkily. “Either way, even if you insist, I do discourage an
unbonded
omega to accompany us on a two-month long tour. What happens when your heat comes? Will you be able to control yourself?”

Much to Will’s dismay, about half of the other advisors seated on the opposite side were nodding their heads in agreement with the point raised.

“I’ll bring some wagsroot, if you even know what that is,” Will said, now well and truly pissed. What business was it of the advisor how he handled his own body?
 

Advisor Keanes’s face twisted in anger, and he was about to respond when Alpha Miles cut in. “I will let my son decide for himself what he deems right on this matter.”

Prince James looked up, finally participating for the first time. He looked around the table, first at Advisor Keanes and the rest, and finally laying his eyes upon Will.

Will swore he saw something twinkling in the First Son’s eyes, something alive and intrigued flickering in those ice-blue eyes, and his heart stopped.
 

“I myself have no objections to Master William joining,” said Prince James easily, smiling one of his rare genuine smiles. “We need his help, and I trust he will be able to take care of himself. He is a grown adult after all, Advisor Keanes.”

The advisor sat with a displeased expression on his face. “As you wish, First Son,” he answered, and Will could tell the advisor was now doing
his
best to control his temper.

“Then it is settled,” said Alpha Miles.
 

“We’ll be setting out by the end of this week,” said Prince James to Will, giving a sudden friendly smile, making Will feel like he were being welcomed whole-heartedly to a new team. Will’s heart skipped a beat, thinking that he just might be seeing one of the true sides of James, and he wondered what was in store for him.

*

“You shouldn’t have volunteered me, Pa,” Will muttered to his father after the meeting had concluded and the father and son duo had hurried away to find their own privacy.

“This is your chance, son!” Pa said. “Byron was right. If nothing else is working, it’s time to take the old-fashioned route to love. This just bought you two whole months to spend with your fated mate, Will.”
 

Will felt the tips of his ears turn red. “But I don’t know what to do, Pa,” he said, starting to ramble anxiously. “Whenever I talk to him, it never really goes anywhere, and I can’t seem to get any closer to him. I’ve never been interested in anybody before, and I’ve never…I’ve never been in a relationship before, I’ve never had to romance somebody. And Kytes won’t be there to help me, and I won’t know anybody else there — ”

Pa held him by his shoulders and looked at him in the eyes. He was smiling calmly, the crow’s feet by his green eyes wrinkling deeply. “You will know what to do, Will, when the time comes. I’m sorry you’re having a hard time of it, and I wish that I could do more as your father — but you’re a lot smarter and stronger than you think you are, and you will be fine. The prince would have to be blind and deaf to ignore your charms any longer. Give this a chance, Will, and don’t give up just yet. What did your Ma used to say? To find your happy ending, all you need is courage, strength—”

“And love,” said Will. Hearing his father’s words, Will felt strangely emboldened. A feeling of hope came up inside of him, the same feeling he would get as a child when Ma was reading a story to him, and the hero was about to defeat and villain and win his quest.
 

“I don’t know what’s going to happen next, Will, but I have every bit of faith in you,” said Pa, finishing by patting his shoulder. “You don’t want to miss this chance, trust me. Once you know you have a fated mate, you won’t be able to live without him. You’ll regret not spending every single second you can with him.”

He gave a sad smile, and Will felt a pang of grief. Pa was thinking about Ma again.

But before the moment could last any longer, Pa clapped his hands together. “Now, come, we have to start preparing for your departure. There’s a lot of work for us to do now.”

*

The day they were to leave was a hectic one. Will spent the night before running around, trying to settle the contents of his bag, adding things and throwing them out, frantically imagining what would he need for a long journey. Food was not a worry; there were wolves accompanying them that would hunt for them. How much clothes would he need? Could he sneak in a couple of books to entertain himself while he was away? Was he allowed to bring one extra bag, or should he limit himself to one?
 

In the end, he opted for a single bag as small as he was willing to reduce to, which he packed as tightly as he could with everything he could possibly need. In one of the compartments was a decent supply of wagsroot that the kitchen had set aside for him; he wouldn’t be able to bring soup along on the journey, but he could still nibble the root directly.
 

He was one of the earliest to arrive in the morning. He waited outside the inn by the street, waiting for the rest of the group to get ready. One by one, a trickle of the Den-folk came out, all ignoring Will, until Advisor Keanes came out.
 

He took one look at Will, and went up to him.

“I should remind you that it will be a long and hard journey,” said Advisor Keanes, sounding almost as if he were threatening Will, “and if you’re not ready for it, you should turn back now before it’s too late. People who’ve only in their towns and never had to journey far wouldn’t know, but you might find yourself giving up halfway.”

“I’ve already told the Alpha I’m going,” said Will stubbornly, “and there’s no reason why I can make the journey.”

Advisor Keanes sniffed in displeasure and turned on his heels, marching back to attend to his own matters.

“Ass,” Will whispered under his breath, when he was certain the advisor’s sharp ears wouldn’t pick it up.
 

“He can be one,” chuckled a familiar voice, and Will froze as the prince sidled up by his side. “But he’s just not the best when it comes to dealing with people. He means no harm, honestly, he’s just a bit of an ass sometimes. He served as a warrior before he joined my father’s side as an advisor, and I think that’s how he got his rather crude demeanour. They’re not the most pleasant of wolves, those fighters.”

Will burst out into a smile hearing Prince James swear, and he had to quickly collect himself. “I see,” he replied.

“He just worries too much about things he doesn’t have to,” said Prince James, nodding towards the shadow of Advisor Keanes. “Likes to poke his nose in matters that don’t really concern him either. I hope he hasn’t scared you off.”

“It’d take more than an ass to scare me off,” Will said, stubbornly, and Prince James grinned in response.
 

“Good, good. Nice to see you still have your spirits with you. All packed and ready to go?”

Will nodded, jerking his chin towards his bag.

“That’s all? You can have more than one bag, you know. One of the servants will carry it for you.”

“It’s fine. I don’t need much anyway,” he said, even though he had spent the better part of last night wracking his brains for what to take out from his overstuffed bag.

Prince James smiled again, and Will saw it was one of the genuine variety rather than merely polite. He wondered why was the First Son in such a good mood.

“Have you said your goodbyes yet? To your father and your friends?”

Will bobbed his head. “All done. What about you? Already gave your goodbyes to your family and your fiancé?”

Prince James laughed, “I gave my goodbyes to my brothers and sisters, and they just waved me away, telling me I was bothering their sleep.”

Will noticed he didn’t address the fiancé part of his question, and he couldn’t help but turn hopeful. The past few days, he had rarely seen the two together, and though he had initially assumed that James must be head over heels in love with the handsome Redfang prince, he had actually seen no proof of it besides at the Redfang prince’s arrival. Still, it wouldn’t be polite to probe into that, so he changed tack. “You’re the only one who likes to wake early, aren’t you?”

“True. I take after my father in that way. My siblings love nothing more than lazing around in bed, but my father never let me indulge in that. He always wanted me to follow him around, and that meant waking early to accompany him. Now, I wake up even earlier than him.”
 

I’m actually learning things about him
, Will gawked.
This is a real conversation, isn’t it? Don’t mess this up, Will, not again!

But he didn’t get the chance to; a servant came up to James and spoke to him, and with that, James turned to Will and said, “It’s time to leave at last. Excuse me as I lead join the others at the front, will you? I’ll speak with you again another time.” James patted his shoulder in a friendly manner, and he was off.

Will stood, dazed, his shoulder tingling from where James had touched him.
 

He wants to speak with me later? Maybe this trip isn’t such a bad idea
, he thought, smiling.
 

*

A pack of wolves tore through the woods, their paws crunching on the fallen leaves and twigs and kicking up a storm of dirt in their wake.