Mated to alpha triplets at all-boys school Chapter 198

The king pov

I barely get to air out the tiniest bit of my grievances when a loud sound catches me off guard.

Someone falls down the stairs and lands with a heavy thud, so I lift a finger, silently telling Gio to wait on me, and rush to check what's going on.

My eyes focus on a woman, laying on the ground and whining in pain right before my son's voice echoes against the walls.

“Looks like I found a rat, haven't I, father?” He asks and soon walks down the stairs far enough for me to see him.

While I'm surprised by his sudden appearance, I can't say I'm complaining. In fact, I'm happy to see him, especially now.

I was about to discuss a very important secret with my imprisoned best friend and if anyone overheard me, it might lead to big trouble.

“Kaiden, why aren't you in the hospital?” I ask, cautiously approaching the stairs where he stands frozen, looking bigger and more important than the rest of us.

He shrugs and looks around. “Decided to come and check for myself if the woman who tried to kill my mate is properly punished for her actions. Tossing her in the cell won't do it, I want to smell her blood. My wolf demands revenge.”

His words are so casual, I finally understand just how grown my son is. Instead of throwing a fit, he's keeping a clear mind and focuses on what is the most important - to teach a lesson to those who dare to harm our loved ones.

“She's in the cell for now, son. She'll rot here, awaiting the trial first. Since there is the issue I mentioned, we can't just start torturing her right now. We must follow the law,” I explain and smile at him.

Something flashes in Kaiden's eyes and at that exact moment, I realize he might have overheard me mentioning the Council.

To deal with the situation, I nod at one of the guards and point my finger at the woman on the ground. “Throw her into the cell too. I'll decide what to do with her later. For now, I have an important conversation to have with my son.”

With that being said, I encourage Kaiden to follow me to my office. This is no place where I would like to bring up the pack issues.

With Gio, it's different. The guards are insanely loyal to him, so every bit of information Gio keeps private always stays the same way. With Kaiden, I'm not so sure that those men would hold their mouths shut.

I start up the stairs first, Kaiden hot on my heels. I'm still not sure what his reaction will be once I break down everything that is coming our way, but now, there's no way to avoid this conversation.

I know he might blow up on me, which white frankly would be understandable. I've held back an important piece of information from him, so it would be expected.

But then again, seeing how much he has grown these past weeks, I could also hope that the reaction is more positive.

As we approach my office, he keeps looking around as if he's expecting something to happen.

“What are you looking for?” I ask, quietly, not to gain unnecessary attention from the servants.

“More rats. Found one, might have more and many more in the making. Just making sure they don't try to pull some stupid tricks on us, is all.” Kaiden grumbles.

I can't help but smile at his words. No matter what, my son is becoming the man I've wanted to see in him for many years, and finally, it's happening.

I couldn't be any more proud than I am today.

Once we reach the office and enter, he locks the door behind us without asking. That's another great sign in my books.

I sit in my seat as usual and wait for him to take a seat across from me, but he doesn't. Instead, he starts pacing the office, visibly worried. “Dad, I get that as a king you have many secrets, but I can't help but worry about what is happening. You don't have to give me the full story, it's not my place to demand the information I'm not entitled to hear, but seeing that our own people are spying on you, I'd assume it's serious.”

He bites his lip, looks my way and shakes his head. “I never thought we could encounter a situation in which we have to worry about an enemy from within. Our own pack, our kingdom, our people. You've done everything in your power to take care of them, the best care, yet this is how they repay you? By sneaking around and spreading vital information?”

Kaiden's words hit the spot. He's right. More than the enemies from the outside, we have to worry about those closer to us. The people we care about, yet they wouldn't waste a second to snitch on us.

“I'm not entirely sure what the woman's intentions were, son, but you're right. She might be curious and wants to have some food for gossip, but she might be a traitor as well. I promise I will investigate the matter.”

Kaiden flashes me a sad smile. “Good. That's good. Thank you.”

We both remain silent for a good while until I make my decision. He deserves to know.

“The Council is arriving soon,” I finally broach the topic, rightfully worried about the reaction he might have.

My words stop Kaiden in his tracks, freeze him up completely.

I bite the inside of my cheek, waiting for whatever onslaught might fall upon me, but nothing happens.

All Kaiden does is stand there and watch me, almost like he's scared to speak up and say the wrong thing.

Since I don't receive the pushback I initially expect, I'm quick to jump to only one conclusion - he's ready. He's finally ready.

So, with ease, I gesture towards the seat across from me and offer him a smile. “Sit down, son, we have plenty to discuss. Trust me, you'll need to sit, their visit is connected to your mate. I should've brought this up earlier, I know, but now that I see you're ready to take a real responsibility, I think it's about time to involve you into greater matters. Let's talk and come up with a solution, shall we?”