Chapter 9: On the way to the royal pack

Lya's P.O.V

I take one last look at myself in the mirror while trying to convince myself that I'm not nervous. I've chosen to wear a petrol blue t-shirt, black jeans, and leather ankle boots. I know I have to go to the royal pack, but Caleb seems like the kind of person to dress casually. I have no desire to embarrass myself by wearing something too fancy. I don't know how I'll be received, so I might as well avoid making a misstep from the start, right?

At exactly 10 a.m., there's a knock on my door. "Okay, Lya, breathe, everything will be fine," I mentally encourage myself before heading to my door. When I open it, Caleb's broad frame fills my entire field of vision. I have to take a step back to see his mocking smile. I move aside to let him in. He looks around carefully. He's wearing a simple black t-shirt that fits him like a second skin and black pants. Now I know I made the right choice of clothing.

"Hello. So, ready?" he asks me.

"Hello. Yes, just the essentials," I reply, gesturing to my suitcase sitting in the middle of the living room. His smile widens.

"I didn't expect you to fit everything in one suitcase," he says mockingly.

I roll my eyes, and it makes him laugh. Damn, I think his deep, hearty laugh is now one of my favorite sounds! I feel like I'm becoming a fangirl, and honestly, I don't mind.

"I'll forgive you this time because we don't know each other yet."

"I'll make sure to fix that quickly. We should get going. We have a 4-hour drive ahead of us."

"Okay."

Caleb grabs my suitcase before I can even make a move and then leads me to his car. It's still the same black SUV with tinted windows. At least the journey will be very comfortable! He stows my suitcase in the trunk while I settle into the back of the vehicle, where he quickly joins me. He gestures, and the driver sets off. The journey starts in silence until I notice Caleb furrowing his brows while looking at his phone. I immediately sense that something is bothering him. I can see it on his tense face, and I can also feel it in the energy he exudes.

"Caleb, is something bothering you?" I ask, turning to him.

He seems surprised by my question. Embarrassed even.

"Tell me, Lya, do you know my story?"

"Not really, I'm afraid," I admit.

"I'm not surprised. I suppose the reputation I have in my kingdom is almost nonexistent in the lycan kingdom. I never wanted to be the Alpha King. My only ambition was to take over the Alpha title after my father and continue to grow my pack alongside my Luna."

I struggle to hide my astonishment.

"So why did you challenge the Alpha King?"

"Is that what they say about me? I didn't challenge the Alpha King," he asserts. "He didn't give me a choice. I was 15, and it had been two years since I had my first shift when our paths crossed..."

"You shifted at 13," I can't help but interrupt with a loud voice?

"You really don't know much about me," he says with a hint of disappointment. "Okay, let me start from the beginning. I'm the son of two Alphas, which already makes me someone out of the ordinary. Handres always claimed that we were destined for a bright future, but I never listened. As I told you, my only ambition was the prosperity of my pack. But my parents were proud when I shifted at 13. And not just them. The entire pack was proud of me."

"That must have been a lot of pressure, right?"

"Quite so. But it didn't bother me. Then the Alpha King started coveting some of our lands to expand the royal pack. My father had no intention of opposing him until we learned that the lands in question were those for which we had important projects to ensure our self-sufficiency."

Caleb's gaze seems to drift away. I give him time to gather his thoughts. I can feel that his past is not easy, and I'm really touched that he's willing to talk to me about it so early in our relationship. I can't help but wonder what it's like for him, feeling the soulmate bond while I can't yet respond to his budding and already strong feelings. He finally speaks again in a deeper voice.

"The meeting between the Alpha King and my father went very badly, and he simply killed my father."

"I..."

I'm shocked, but I don't know what to say to him. It's a bit late to express how sorry I am for his loss. It's been 10 years after all, if I'm not mistaken.

"I know what you want to say, Lya. But I've mourned for a long time now. When the Alpha King killed my father, I had no choice but to challenge him. Because after my father, my mother and I were next on his list. After that, he would take control of our pack. And that was out of the question. My mother and my pack were all that mattered to me. The fight was long and intense, but I defeated the King, and that's how I took his title and his pack. And merged it with mine."

"So you've been King since you were 15?"

"Exactly. My mother still holds the position of Luna by my side. It was tough for her at first to lose her mate. I saw her pain and sadness. That's part of what made me understand the importance of the soulmate bond. But it took me 7 long years before I met you. Which brings me to what's bothering me..."

I wait patiently as Caleb checks his phone again and sighs.

"I announced your arrival to Drake, my Beta, and he is, to say the least, very enthusiastic. Maybe too much. Having my future Luna by my side at last was eagerly awaited, you know..."

"Wow, I absolutely don't feel pressured now," I say, laughing.

I try to lighten the heavy atmosphere after Caleb's revelations, and finally, I can hear him laugh again.

"So, maybe I shouldn't tell you that Drake is planning fireworks to welcome us at the territory entrance?"

"Tell me you're kidding?!"

I stare at him in surprise, and Caleb leans towards me to show me his exchange of messages with Drake on his phone. I see several photos with banners or balloons.

"No, I really don't feel pressured," I murmur.

"You'll be perfect," he assures me in a gentle voice.

He's so close to me that I can feel his warm breath on my face.

"Have I ever told you how beautiful I find you?" he asks me in a low, magnetic voice.

"Um, no, but uh... thank you. You're very handsome yourself."

"More than Soren?"

His question surprises me, and I struggle to guess if he's serious or not from his tone. And is it just me, or is he getting closer and closer to me?