Chapter 228: Another option
As dusk painted the sky in heavy shades of bruised purple and crimson, the low, guttural roar of a motorcycle engine tore through the quiet air surrounding the Alpha’s private residence.
The sprawling estate was eerily silent. Alexander had deliberately dismissed the majority of the domestic staff for the weekend, leaving only a handful of senior maids and his elite perimeter guards hidden in the shadows to maintain absolute quiet.
The heavy sportbike skidded to a smooth, controlled halt at the front steps. The rider kicked the stand down, reached up, and pulled off his helmet in one fluid motion. A cascade of shoulder-length dark hair tumbled down around his neck. Kaden swept a hand through his messy locks, his icy blue eyes locking onto the dark windows of the main mansion.
Grabbing his helmet under one arm, he swung his leg over the frame and stepped onto the stone courtyard.
He pushed through the grand entrance doors, welcomed by a heavy, echoing silence. Kaden didn’t bother looking around; he knew the guards were concealed in the upper rafters and behind the stone pillars, watching his every breath. The Alpha’s safety was a non-negotiable priority, even within his own home.
As Kaden crossed the vast, marble-floored foyer, a deep, calm voice cut directly through his mind via the mind-link.
’The Alpha is not welcoming visitors tonight, Lord Kaden,’ Vincent, the Head Alpha’s personal guard, communicated flatly, his presence looming unseen nearby.
Kaden didn’t even slow his stride. His boots clicked rhythmically against the stone floor.
’Tell him that if he refuses to see me, I will gladly keep vigil outside his bedroom door,’ Kaden replied through the link, his tone dripping with cold arrogance. ’And we both know that if your men try to use force to drag me out, things are going to get messy very quickly.’
He felt a sudden spike of annoyance flare through Vincent’s mind-link, but the guard didn’t push further. A beat of heavy silence passed before Vincent grunted mentally.
’The Alpha is in his study.’
Kaden’s dark eyebrow lifted slightly. It seemed his dear father was already entertaining guests despite his claims of wanting solitude.
No one stepped out to block his path as Kaden traversed the high-arched hallways towards the private Alpha wing, which was a lengthy walk from the front foyer.
Upon reaching the end of the corridor, Kaden found the heavy oak doors to the study firmly shut. He didn’t bother with the courtesy of a knock. Extending a gloved hand, he shoved the door open with a sharp, heavy thud.
The moment the door swung wide, Killian’s deep, resonant voice washed over him mid-sentence.
"...do you really think an Alpha who has no visible weaknesses is your best option to protect a potential liability to you? His loyalty isn’t assured, Alexander."
A sharp, dark twitch touched the corner of Kaden’s lips. Well, wasn’t this a pleasant surprise?
Neither Killian nor Alexander bothered turning their heads towards the door. They had both smelled Kaden’s scent the moment he stepped foot onto the estate grounds.
"I hope I’m not interrupting anything cozy," Kaden chimed in smoothly, shutting the door behind him with his heel.
Alexander let out a low, irritated hiss, dropping his pen onto the desk and heavily massaging his throbbing temples.
"Another one," the Alpha grumbled under his breath, his deep voice thick with exasperation. "Just what my head needed tonight."
The dismissive complaint rubbed Kaden the wrong way, sparking a quick flare of heat in his chest. Letting out a sharp, mocking scoff, Kaden walked over to the desk and pulled out a leather armchair directly across from Alexander, sliding into it with lazy, deliberate insolence.
"You don’t seem particularly thrilled to see me, Father," Kaden sneered, leaning back and resting his boots near the base of the desk. "Trust me, if this wasn’t urgent, I wouldn’t waste my energy looking at your face either."
Beside the desk, Killian let out a sudden, dry cough that sounded suspiciously like a smothered laugh.
Alexander’s sharp features hardened immediately, his dark eyes narrowing at his son.
"What do you want, Kaden? I thought you were explicitly informed not to come by this weekend."
Kaden rolled his eyes dramatically.
"If you don’t want your sons dropping in on you, go on a proper honeymoon somewhere far away from sight," he shot back effortlessly. Then, as the banter faded, his sharp gaze flicked between his father and his beloved elder brother, his expression hardening into something serious. "Now... what exactly did I just walk into? It sounded like a rather vital conversation."
Killian’s steady gaze settled onto Kaden, assessing him in quiet silence. Kaden already had a fairly solid idea of what they were discussing, and Killian seemed to realise it. Instead of denying or deflecting, the eldest Ravencourt bypassed the pleasantries and went straight to the heart of the matter.
"Declan should be taken out of consideration as a potential match for her," Killian stated flatly, his deep voice carrying a strict, uncompromising weight. "If we are being practical, Yuki doesn’t even need to be married right now. She is still young. A formal engagement is more than enough to get the council off her back."
Killian paused, leaning his hip against the corner of the heavy wooden desk.
"If the council believes she has zero ambition towards taking the throne by getting involved with us, she can still live a completely normal, unbothered life. If genuine feelings happen to grow between her and her fiancé down the road, they can marry. If not, by then the spotlight will have faded, and she can quietly call it off without a scandal. But sending her off to Silverthorne..."
Killian stopped, a faint, dark smile curving his lips as he fixed his eyes directly on Alexander.
"...it isn’t because you genuinely want to protect her, is it, Father?" Killian said, delivering every single word in a smooth, icy breath. "You want the rights to the western mines adjacent to Ravencourt as her bride price. Tell me... does Aevia know you plan to sell her sister off like property?"
The heavy air in the study went dead silent. Alexander didn’t flinch. He didn’t shout.
Instead, a quiet, low laugh escaped the Alpha’s throat. He leaned back in his leather throne, steepling his fingers beneath his chin as he looked at Killian with a dangerous glint in his dark eyes.
"You seem particularly invested in your ex-mate, dear son, Killian," Alexander murmured, his voice smooth as silk and twice as lethal. "Only after one single date, and you already bring such a fierce argument to my desk. I see now why the council is so worried about Yuki’s influence."
Killian clicked his tongue softly, a flash of annoyance darkening his eyes.
"I am worried because I know you far too well, Father," Killian countered coldly, his voice dripping with bitter familiarity. "You never, ever miss an opportunity to turn a person into a leverage point."