CHAPTER 264: EAVESDROPPING

When Felix and Cael returned to the sandalwood and bitter nutty trail shortly after, they were no longer a golden brown wolf and a snow white wolf. Instead, they were two dark brown and moss green wolves. It was the result of jumping in the creek, then rolling around in the mud and the forest floor until they were both fully covered in dirt. As to why they would do something like that, it was naturally to cover up their scent as much as possible.

Would that be enough to avoid being sniffed by Wilder and Kade? They didn’t know, but it was worth a shot. At least it should allow them to get a bit closer without getting detected. Perhaps they would be able to sneak close enough to overhear their conversation, as long as the two Alphas didn’t lower their voices too much.

Either way, it’s not like they would get in trouble for approaching. In the worst-case scenario, they would just fail to learn anything, that’s all. So, once they were all concealed, they lowered their heads and started sniffing, stealthily following the trail of the familiar scents.

It took them quite a while to find Kade and Wilder. Not because the trail was so hard to follow - the two Alphas hadn’t even attempted to cover their tracks, because why would they - but simply because they had gone so deep into the forest. Felix and Cael moved swiftly, almost jogging at times, and yet it took them at least ten or fifteen minutes to track the two men down.

Well, that was to be expected. Kade and Wilder must have left the pack house long before Felix and Cael, and they didn’t need to take any time to mask their scents.

Eventually, though, two low voices reached their ears, coming from somewhere ahead of them, one velvety smooth, while the other somewhat harsh. Felix and Cael immediately came to a stop, exchanging glances. They had found their targets. From now on, they had to proceed carefully, to avoid getting noticed. Keeping their bodies low, they slowly moved forward, placing their paws with utmost care to avoid making any noise, their ears perked up, listening to the voices. They needed to get close enough to be able to understand what was being said, but not any closer, so as not to risk blowing their cover...

"...the mating ceremony..."

’Hmm?’ Felix tensed up, almost stepping on a branch by accident. What were Kade and Wilder talking about? He moved a few steps closer, listening intently...

"Ah, right. The Red River Pack has some unique customs, doesn’t it?" Kade’s voice drifted to his ears.

"They’re not that unique," Wilder seemed to disagree. "A lot of packs in the southern parts have similar traditions. For example..."

’Ah.’ Felix quietly exhaled, relaxing a bit.

So they were just chit-chatting about various packs and customs. Nothing special. Although the fact that they were discussing mating ceremonies of all the things made him rather uncomfortable, it wasn’t necessarily anything alarming.

However, after initial relief, Felix soon got tense again. If Kade wanted to talk with Wilder about various werewolf customs, then there was no need for him to take the other Alpha so deep into the forest, far away from the pack. Which meant that either he hadn’t gotten to the point yet...

Or that they had already discussed what they had to discuss, and Felix and Cael had arrived too late. Which it was, it was hard to tell. Felix had no choice but to listen quietly and wait.

At the very least he could find a little reassurance in Kade’s voice. The Alpha sounded rather lighthearted. A part of it was, of course, fake, a polite and friendly performance for the sake of Felix’s father, but Felix knew Kade well enough at this point to be able to more or less assess his mood. He was still perfectly calm, which meant that if he had already finished the conversation he wanted to have with Wilder, it must have gone well enough. Felix would just have to ask him about it later, and...

"...How are the mating customs in the Moonhill Pack?" Kade asked all of a sudden. Well, perhaps not exactly ’all of a sudden’, as it wasn’t out of place at all in the context of the conversation, but it felt sudden to Felix. It almost caused him to trip, especially when he heard the second part, "I was planning to have my mating ceremony with Felix according to the Bloodmoon Pack’s customs, but I’m more than willing to implement the Moonhill Pack’s customs as well. Anything for my cute little mate."

Felix almost choked.

Mating ceremony what? Whose? With whom?

And calling him ’my cute little mate’ in front of Wilder?

Was Kade of a sound mind? Felix had some serious doubts about it! And not for the first time...

"You are planning the mating ceremony with Felix?" Wilder asked. "I haven’t been informed about it."

"Well, we already have a pup together, so it’s only natural next step to take, right?"

"You should have become mates first before having a pup," Wilder pointed out.

Which annoyed Felix even more. Yes, that was indeed the correct order of things... But it was Wilder’s damn pupil, whom the Alpha was supporting so much, that took advantage of Felix when Felix was in heat. Even though he COULD have been able to resist it, if he wanted to. And he SHOULD have resisted, even putting Felix’s feelings and unwillingness to accept the fated mate bond aside. But of course, Wilder ignored that fact.

"Well," Kade said with a sigh. "We should have. But it already happened. We can’t turn back time, so we can only correct this mistake and become mates now, right?"

"That would make sense..." Wilder paused for a moment, before adding, "If Vivian was actually your daughter."

The whole forest seemed to have become awfully quiet for a moment, as if even the birds and other wildlife were holding their breaths.

"...I’m sorry, Sir, but I don’t know what you are talking about," Kade eventually said. There was a hint of coldness in his voice now, which he wasn’t able to fully suppress. "What do you mean by ’if’? Vivi is my daughter, there is no doubt about it."

"Let’s say that’s true, even though the time doesn’t add up," Wilder didn’t argue with him, but he still just HAD to add that remark, which stung both Felix and Kade like a needle, not extremely painful, but annoying, prickly, and unpleasant. "It is still inappropriate for the two of you to have a mating ceremony. I don’t know about the Bloodmoon Pack, but the vast majority of the packs, including the Moonhill Pack, forbids bonded wolves to mate with anyone else."

"...The Bloodmoon Pack also forbids it," Kade responded with hesitation. "However, I don’t understand how it is relevant..."

"Has Felix not told you?"

Kade went silent again. Felix couldn’t see what was happening, since they were still far away, and the two Alphas were out of sight - he and Cael had approached only close enough to hear the conversation - but he could more or less guess. Kade wasn’t able to play dumb any longer. Or maybe he didn’t want to play dumb, since even if he denied it, Wilder still knew the truth about Felix’s fated mate bond with Jared. In this case, perhaps it was better to just drop the act, so that Wilder would know that Felix was honest with Kade, and that Kade was still willing to support him, regardless of the situation...

Or so Felix had thought. But it seemed that Kade had chosen another approach, because he slowly spoke, "Not told me what?"

"Hmm." Wilder let out a noncommittal hum, which made Felix stir uncomfortably. Although he knew that he wouldn’t be able to read his father no matter what, he still wished he could see both his and Kade’s expression... But he also knew that if he tried to sneak close enough to see them, the risk that he would be discovered was extremely high. Thus, he had no choice but to hold back.

"If it’s about his bond with Jared Thorne, then I’m naturally aware of it," Kade spoke again, carefully picking his words. "I’m also aware that their fated mate bond has already been broken. Jared had rejected Felix during his visit to our pack. Therefore, Felix is now a free Omega, and he can become my mate, if he so wishes..."

"That would be true, if the bond indeed was broken," Wilder stated, his calm voice contrasting with Kade’s (fake) uneasiness. "However, it wasn’t. They are still bonded."

"How... How could that be?" Kade muttered, faking surprise. "No, before that... Sir, what even makes you think so? Did Jared Thorne tell you that? If so, then I must admit that we have pressured him into rejecting your son... He must be displeased with it, which prompted him to lie to you..."

"I’ve known this kid his whole life. I would know if he was lying to me," Wilder quickly shot Kade down. "You’re right, though. It is an unexpected situation. That’s why I rushed here as soon as I could to discuss it with Felix..."

"...And?" Kade asked expectantly.

"And Felix had confirmed it."