Chapter 63: Am I missing him?
Knox froze. Kayden noticed his stiff reaction and explained, "I didn’t pry on your life. It just got wound up in some of Shawn’s information and I’m not so dense and slow to not connect the puzzles. I really thought he was the alpha who had you bonded before, but now it makes sense why he’s so overprotective of you," he shook his head after recalling the recent scandal that Diva specifically relayed the true story to them. "It seemed that my foolish cousin tends to lose his brain when it comes to you, Knox. He’s so frustratingly stupid. Should I keep this secret to him as well?"
Knox pouted, "I tried telling him twice but he kept interrupting me."
Mischief flickered in the doctor’s eyes. He hid his goofy grin as he began to plan his pranks on Azrael. His thoughts were only cut off when Knoa spoke again.
"I...can’t simply agree to your request. This involves my brother and my friend. Although it’s true that Shawn was forced into this arrangement, I don’t have any say in this as I am...merely an outsider in my family," he paused, choosing his words carefully. "There’s only one thing I can assure you, Dr. Kayden. Athan and Shawn had no feelings for each other. However, due to recent events, I’m afraid that Shawn might be forced to accept the marriage proposal, to appease his family and punish himself for what happened to his father. He’d been running away from it, but this might be the catalyst of his submission."
Disliking the turn of their conversation, Kayden snorted, "That’s not his fault. Is that why he was crying with your child?"
Knox nodded, "Yeah."
Kayden went silent. He was brooding over how to claim his little runaway omega without putting him under so much stress. After a while, he announced, "Then, I just have to come between the two families. Can you tell me about the proposal? If I offer a more beneficial proposition to Shawn’s family, I can free him from impending marriage."
"And get married to you after?" Knox sipped coffee. Then, he stared at Kayden seriously after, "I don’t think Shawn was simply hating the idea of marriage because it was something out of convenience. He probably wants freedom. As an unmated omega, his family was strict and he probably felt suffocated. He wanted to do things and stand on his own, perhaps pursue his dreams and his hobbies. He’s very good when it comes to tracking, hacking, and surveilling, I’m telling you, based on my experience."
"Then, he can work for my family. Aren’t we meant to be? I can protect him if he will only just walk under my wings."
Those words echoed in Knox’s head again and again, even as he walked on the unpopulated street to Franz’s café. He remembered Kayden’s affectionate look as he glanced at the window as if he was seeing Shawn’s image on it.
For a moment there, Knox felt envious. He abruptly stopped in his tracks, realizing where his mind was wandering off to. He shook his head to erase those thoughts and looked up at the clear night sky.