Chapter 533 No Good Elders

Laila shook her head. “I just realized my parents would shit themselves if they knew you were my fated mate and so will your mother. Oh, and congratulations, I heard the news today.”

Gilbert’s smile faded as he realized what she was congratulating him for. His mother was already announcing to her friends that once the grief over Zoe’s death settled, they planned to find him a wife to mate with, since he was too busy to find one himself and had been looking too depressed lately.

Gilbert hadn’t said anything back to her about it, because his mother had looked so excited talking about his marriage with his sisters that he’d excused himself today from the hall full of guests.

It was surprising how quickly people moved on from the death of someone they hadn’t known personally, talking about mating at a memorial ceremony, but then it wasn’t entirely their fault. None of them had known the deceased well enough to put their own life plans on hold for her.

But Gilbert knew her. He had treated her for years and saw her almost every day walking into his office. She gave him random gifts he had never asked for, and she had become a real friend to him. Because of that, he didn’t think it was right to suddenly start talking about another relationship or marriage so soon. That was why he hadn’t gone after Laila or tried to pursue their relationship again. He wanted to give it time out of respect for Zoe, even though their relationship had been short.

“I’m not mating with anyone. My mom is just making her own plans.” He told Laila.

“Last I heard, she’s matchmaking you with one of the guests. You’ll be mated before you know it. But before then, come here.”

Saying that, she took his hand and pulled him up to sit on the couch, and once he was seated, Laila pushed him down onto his back. He didn’t protest. Slowly she lay down next to him as the couch was wide, placing her head against his chest, where his heart was beating so fast.

“By lying on me, are you perhaps giving me a chance to pursue you?” Gilbert asked her, slowly lowering his hand to her back.

“No.” She said with a sigh, adjusting her head against his chest. “I never understood what other women see in lying with a man without doing anything, but it’s not that bad. You feel nice. But don’t you dare tell anyone I lay against you, Rodrigo, or I’ll have your balls.” She threatened, poking his chest with her finger for emphasis.

Gilbert laughed a little, daring to lower his nose to her hair and inhaling the scent that stirred him up in places. “I wouldn’t dare spoil your reputation, Serrano, by telling anyone you liked lying on your mate’s chest. And about my balls,” he cleared his throat, “in what sense will you have them?” He whispered softly.

Laila smiled, realizing the doctor knew how to talk dirty too, and she mused, “In every sense, as long as I make them stop working and put an end to your mother’s idea of getting you mated. Can I ask you something?”

“Shoot.” He said, laughing a little in amusement.

Laila batted her lashes. “Are you really a virgin?”

“I’m not answering that.” Came his brisk reply, a little color creeping into his skin, and Laila chuckled, laying her head back on him and closing her eyes, even though she knew there was no way his family would accept her, and there was no chance of a relationship building between them in the future, because everyone knew how much Gilbert loved and cherished his family and every word they say was what he did.

As the two of them lay there like that, talking and whispering, the drink having stripped away every last bit of Laila’s guard, in another part of Silver, Alex could be seen walking his grandmother back to her apartment, her arm tucked snugly through his. Though Eleanor was ninety-eight years old, she didn’t look a day past thirty-eight, her short hair a light, pale blonde, her low heeled shoe clicking against the smooth polished floor.

“What exactly do you two plan to do now? The pair of you played a cruel trick on many of us. Do you have any idea how much I cried, believing you’d died the way you supposedly had? I thought I’d never be able to look Sebastian in the face again for killing you, and I never once tried to reach him after he cut us all off. You can imagine my shock when I learned you were alive after all.” Eleanor said, walking beside the tall young man, who offered her an apologetic smile.

“I’m sorry, Abuela. It was never my intention to lie to you, but at the time, it seemed like the only way, especially with Seb being forced into the position and having no other option but to get rid of me.” Alex mused calmly, and the elder she-wolf’s face turned stern as she said,

“Those no-good Elders. They see you as nothing but your brother’s weakness. I should have come myself and taken you straight back to Steel Pack with my granddaughter.” Said the she-wolf, frustration coloring her voice, since the Elders her daughter’s husband had left behind to guide and protect his children had done nothing but a lousy job of it.

Her tone softened as she turned to her grandson and asked,

“Now that you’re back out in the open, what’s your plan for the future? Would you consider coming back to Steel Pack with us? I don’t think it’s safe for you here, not with everyone knowing now that whatever happens to you happens to your brother as well.”

Alex had thought about it more than once, but every time he circled back to the same realization: he didn’t have a life of his own to return to, and he couldn’t stay here either, hidden away by a brother who’d sacrificed so much just to keep them all safe. And yet, Alex didn’t want to be the coward who ran. He wanted to stay and fight for their home, especially with their sister’s killer still unconfirmed, dead or alive.

He wouldn’t find any real peace until that man was found and properly declared dead, one way or the other. And beyond that, since arriving here and finally learning the truth about his late wife’s death, he still hadn’t exchanged a single word with Sebastian. Whenever their paths crossed, his brother simply walked past him, as though he didn’t exist at all, and Alex wanted, badly, to finally clear the air between them.