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Chapter 180
Chapter 180
Knightly
There’s a huge line of cars waiting for their pups to come out. Malcom pulls up to the curb. We both watch as the pups all come out. Some of them are roughhousing, and their teacher is having a hard time keeping track of them. I look around for my son and decide that getting out would be better. I step out and shut the door behind me to lean against the back of my mate’s car.
I scan the area and don’t see him, but I can’t catch his scent either, so he hasn’t come out either. Buddy perks up, and I look up again. In the distance, I spot a woman leading a group of children in a straight line. She’s not looking back at them, probably knowing they’re behaving. At the end of the second line from the left is my son.
The lines emerge from the gate one by one and line up along the gate, keeping the boxed formation they had been walking in. The teacher begins to call their names. Before they leave, they thank the teacher and then wave goodbye to Aizen. When he spots me, his eyes light up, but he doesn’t come over to me. I wait until the kids all run off to their cars. He says something to his teacher and then points at me.
She recognizes me and gives me a slight bow before releasing him to me. He smiles up at her and thanks her before he turns his smile to me and runs over. This was not the greeting I was expecting at all.
“Dad, you’re here,” he beams, and I swear the knot I felt earlier fades away when his arms come around me.
“Hey, Buddy. What is going on back there?” I take his backpack and open the door for him.
“What?” he asks, crawling onto the seat.
“Why did you wait until everyone was gone?” I ask.
“Oh, because I don’t think it’s fair that our teacher is tired and that everyone is running around like the other kids. I stay to make sure that they be nice to her. She’s a good teacher. Not better than mom, but better than any other teacher I’ve had in other schools.”
“Okay,” I nod, loving his answer.
“How was school today?”
“It was a little hard. I didn’t know English was so hard to learn. I’m probably going to need Ayrie to help me,” he sighs. “That’s kind of embarrassing,”
“It’s not embarrassing, Buddy. English is hard, and I was born in America when I was learning it. I still had a hard time with it.” That’s a lie.
“You’re lying,” he smirks. “I’ve read some of your lyrics. Your American words are so good.”
“You probably shouldn’t be,” I laugh.
“It’s just that Ayrie is so good at stuff. It makes me angry.”
“Ayrie is just less distracted by things. She doesn’t like to do all the cool stuff you do with your friends.”
“So, I’m dumb because I’m fun?” he gives me the cutest side eye ever.
“You’re not dumb. You’re good at many things she isn’t. Like having fun with the pack wolves. You love doing that, right? And you’re really good at making them do what you want.”
“I am,
but only because Ayrie and Pop–pop taught me. I just don’t like asking her for help. I feel like she rubs it in my face. She keeps saying being alpha is not as cool as being a prince and princess.”
“Just because you want to become the alpha of this pack doesn’t mean you ever stop being the Prince. You’re my son, and I am the king. Remember that Ayrie misses you. She has a surprise for you.”
“Really?” he asks, unsurely. “So, why she kicks me out of her room and tells me I stink?”
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07:37 Tue, 1 Jul
Chapter 180
“Girls are a mystery, Little Buddy. They always have something to be mad about. Don’t take it personally and don’t tell anyone I said that, I pat his head.
“Amen,” Malcom laughs in the front seat.
“You should talk to her. Being just the princess keeps Ayrie from connecting with the pack the way you do. Because you’re always around the others and on this territory, you start picking up the others‘ scent. You might not be able to go into your sister’s room anymore, but that doesn’t mean she doesn’t miss you.”
“What if she did hang out with me and my friends?”
“Do you really think things would go back to normal? This is the one thing you’ll never have to share with her. She likes to be the Princess, and she likes having a small circle of friends. You have all the friends and you are going to be one bad ass alpha. You don’t have to do everything the same.
“You still have your videos and your super coolest Pop Mart collection with Auntie Vy. We’re also going to have a lot of fun going on trips and helping mommy with the new baby.”
“It’s not fair, it’s going to be another girl. Why can’t I have a brother?”
“Maybe we can try for a brother next time. It’s really hard to tell. It’s up to the moon goddess to pick what we get to have. I think a brother would be epic too.”
“Thanks for picking me up, D.A.D. I love hanging out with you,” he loops his arm around mine and hugs me tightly.
“The guys aren’t making fun of you anymore?” I ask him.
“Nah, I’m the alpha, and if they don’t like that my Dad is the rogue King, they’re the stupid ones. I think it’s the coolest that you’re the Rogue King.
“There are new transferable students that are rogues, and they said that you saved them. Is that the truth, Dad?” he looks up at me with his big green eyes, and I can’t help but feel all warm inside.
“I try to. It’s not easy being what I am.”
“You mean we?”
“No, Little Buddy. You’re a pack wolf. We are a family. You, Ayrie, Mommy, and me. That is never going to change, but you are so much more than that. You’re the alpha. Like Mommy. She’s a pretty cool alpha.”
“Everyone loves her,” he nods. “I guess you’re right. I am going to do my best so both pack wolves and rogue ones get along.”
“That’s good, because you have to remember that your sister is also a Rogue, and you don’t want your sister or others like her to be bullied. Being a bully is never nice.”
“Got it,” he nods. “So, what’s my surprise?”
“I can’t tell you, and I didn’t tell you that there was one. Ayrie would get so mad, even though I was defending her.”
The car stops, and before I can stop him, he hops out. I get out of the car, taking his backpack with me.
“Thanks, Malcolm,”
“You’re really good at this,” he says. “I can’t even make my kid say hi when I get home.”
“That’s all, Phoebe,” I laugh. “She makes everything look easy.”
“That’s where the little one gets it,” he agrees, I shut the door to find Aizen waiting for me at the top of the stairs.
“You waited?”
“You’re the best King Dad,” he says, hugging me and taking the backpack. “I’ll see you later. I’m pretty sure I have to get my laptop
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