Chapter 136: Meeting The Second Brother.
So this was the famous second grandson of the Kings family, the richest one of the bunch, Leonardo Kings. We were sitting in a small, quiet cafe just a short walk from the Kings’ private cemetery. The air inside smelled like roasted beans and expensive pastry, a sharp contrast to the cold, somber feeling of the graveyard we just left.
All I could do was stare at him. I couldn’t help it. Even when Princess and Dina stood up to walk over to the counter to get our coffee and snacks, I was still staring. He looked young, much younger than I expected, probably around the same age as my brother or Eriko. But what really caught my eye, what really had me hooked, was his hair. It was a deep, striking blue. Why was it blue and not black like Princess and Adam? Even his daughter Dina had that signature black hair. It didn’t make any sense.
"I know I am the talk of the town, but one would think you are hitting on me with those eyes..."
Leo’s voice broke through my thoughts. He was looking right at me, a playful smirk dancing on his lips.
"What? I am not hitting on you! I was just admiring your hair color," I blurted out. The heat rushed to my face instantly. I felt like a total idiot. Now he must think I’m some kind of weirdo who obsessed over strangers in coffee shops.
"Blue is amazing, right?" he said. He didn’t seem offended at all. Instead, he swung his hair back, running a hand through it and showing off the way the light hit the strands. "I was born with black hair, just like the rest of them, but I didn’t fancy it much. It felt too blended in with the family. I wanted something that stands out, something that says I’m my own person. So, I drank a special concoction to permanently change my hair to blue. Science and magic, you know?"
"Oh... cool." That was all I could manage to say.
"Yeah, cool, right? But when I shift into my wolf, the black returns. The magic doesn’t reach the fur. So I only get to see my real color once a month during the moon," he said, smiling easily.
Wow, he was actually really friendly. I had expected him to be some tough, intimidating Alpha type who breathed fire, but his behavior was just like Princess when she was relaxed. He had that same charm.
Thinking about black hair and genetics, something crossed my mind again. A thought that started to itch.
"Alpha Leo, does that mean my pups’ hair is going to be black just like Princess’s?" I asked. I needed to know what to expect.
"Of course. We Kings have strong dominant genes. It’s a guarantee. Dark hair, dark\blue eyes, the whole regal look. It’s been that way for generations," he said. He sounded not proud of it.
I stopped listening after that. His mouth kept moving, going into detail about lineage and genetic markers and why the Kings look the way they do, but I was busy gritting my teeth. I felt a slow burn starting in my chest.
What the fuck. I am the one carrying them. I am the one going through the literal hell of morning sickness. My body is going to change forever. In fact, it already has. Just this past Monday, when the maternity teacher checked my weight for the school records, she pointed out that I had gained a significant amount.
I am going through all this physical and mental stress just for them to come out looking exactly like her? What about my genes? What about the brown hair and the features I bring to the table? I am not some fucking incubator for the Kings’ royal bloodline. It felt unfair, like I was being erased before they were even born.
"What is wrong with your face, Aunty Faye?" Dina asked. She and Princess had just gotten back to the table, carrying a tray of drinks.
"Princess is what’s wrong with my face..." I muttered unknowingly. I was focusing all my annoyance on her as she started placing the drinks down. She dropped two steaming cups of hot chocolate and a plate of biscuits in front of me and Dina, then kept the coffees for herself and Leo. Princess caught the look on my face and paused for a second, her eyebrows drawing together. She was clearly wondering why I was looking at her like she had just insulted my entire family.
"Sweetened?" Leo asked, reaching for his cup.
"Yes, sweetened, with your desired whipped cream," Princess said, finally pulling out her chair and sitting down.
"Is everything alright? What’s with that glare? You don’t like the chocolate?" Princess whispered to me. She leaned in, her voice low and private.
"You... better pray they don’t look exactly like you, because I want my pups to have brown fur too. They better have at least one thing from me," I said, glaring right into her eyes.
"What are you even talking about..." Princess looked completely lost. She blinked at me, then turned her head toward Leo. "Leo, what did you tell her about me? Why is she giving me the death stare?" she snapped, her protective side flaring up.
Leo jumped, almost spilling his coffee all over the table. A thick dollop of whipped cream stayed stuck to his upper lip, forming a white mustache.
"I didn’t say anything bad about you! I swear! She’s the one who has a crush on my dashing blue hair, and now she’s taking it out on you," he said, trying to wipe his face.
That instantly broke my glare. I turned to him, my eyes wide. Why on earth does he think I have a crush on his hair? I was just curious!
"Daddy, you have a white mustache..." Dina said, pointing and laughing. Leo didn’t get embarrassed. He started making funny, exaggerated faces with the cream, and he and Dina took a quick picture together. He said he needed to send it to Rik to show him how much fun they were having without him.
"Is Alpha Adam not going to be here?" I asked Princess, trying to settle my nerves and act normal.
"Oh, you’ve stopped glaring now? I thought you were going to glare at me forever."
"Hahaha..." I faked a laugh. It was dry and short.
"Today is the day we bring our family to our mom’s place. It’s a tradition. I brought you and my pups, and Leo brought Dina. I wasn’t here last year because I did not have one, so it’s important. Adam would have been here, but his wife is currently abroad for a gala, and he has no one to bring," Princess explained.
"Oh, okay.."
"Well, since Adam isn’t here to boss us around about his stupid allergies, little princess, go get me some carrot muffins. At least I get to eat something I actually want for a change," Leo said, looking at Princess.
"I’ve told you a thousand times to stop calling me that..." she pouted, but she stood up anyway. She didn’t look truly angry. We all chimed in and asked her to get some muffins for the rest of us too.
Later, the mood lightened as we went sightseeing around the more scenic parts of the estate and took pictures together. One of the shots, a candid one of all of us laughing, was printed out right there. Princess took it back to her mother’s garden and placed it carefully next to the other pictures. It felt like a real family moment, and for a second, I forgot about the genes and the black hair.
Then, Princess’s phone dinged in her pocket.
She pulled it out, and as she read the message, her face curled into a slow, satisfied smile. It wasn’t her usual soft smile. It was something sharper, something more intense.
"Looks like I’m getting my control tonight..." she said.
Hurray guys, we finally got to 100 Views. Thank you so much for reading my book, my imagination, I really appreciate from the bottom of my heart.
Your comments, likes and continuous reading gave me more imaginations and courage to write more Chapters. I’m really grateful to have you all in my life, thank you and I hope my imagination entertained you.
Arigato...
