The Forbidden Heiress At The All Male Alpha Academy-Chapter 157: The Half-Drunk Heir

The Crimson Den was exactly as she remembered.

Strippers on poles, Neon lights, scent of arousal and wine thick in the air it almost choked, and of course, bodies filling everywhere.

A lot of Luna girls were here, and they were either making out with the guys, or had their legs hanging in the air by the corner. Gasps and moans overlapped with the music, and Theo physically recoiled from it.

She had come here seeking some time away from the real world. Maybe watching the strippers would help, even if it did nothing to her. Even Seraphina yawned watching them.

Theo looked around, hoping to find an empty corner she could crash in. She was also hoping to run into the masked figure who had resumed stalking her. Who knows? He might just be the little birdie that told Heather about her.

As Theo looked around, her eyes fell on a muscular figure sprawled alone on a sofa. His shirt was wide open, and he looked half drunk. There were over thirty empty wine bottles in front of him, with a few smashed into pieces on the floor.

He still looked disturbed, with a hint of annoyance in his eyes as he stared at everyone like he hated everything he saw.

"Look at this mess," Theo teased as she stopped in front of him.

A smile finally touched his lips when he saw her, then he looked at the empty bottles and broken pieces, "What about them?"

"I was referring to you, not the glass," She said and propped down casually next to him. He reeked of alcohol and frustration, and his shoulders were still tense.

"You are a bigger mess than I am," He pointed at her, swinging a half-empty bottle along with a slur in his voice.

"I can’t argue with that," She gave up, looked at him and gently nudged his shoulders with her own, "But you look really miserable, you know,"

"Uh-huh...," He slurred again and lifted the bottle to his mouth. She snatched it away from him before he could get a drop out.

"Hey!" He cried.

"Misery doesn’t look good on you, and you’ve been like this ever since you returned from the break. Did something happen back at home?"

"Give me my bottle!" He leaned closer.

She brought it to her mouth, gulped everything down, wiped her lips and tossed it to meet the others, "What bottle?"

"You’re really annoying," He grumbled.

She snorted, "That’s rich coming from you of all people, Aurelius," And then, her gaze softened and she nudged his shoulders again, "Tell me what happened to make you this miserable. I can’t believe I’m saying this but...I prefer you being arrogant and annoying than seeing you like this. So, tell me!"

He stared ahead, like he was watching the dancing strippers, but his eyes were distant, "You know your father’s desperately looking for you, right?"

Desperately looking for her? Cain knows where she is. Her father should know that already too.

"Why do you say so? Did he visit the South thinking it was there?"

"No, he just visited my dad for a marriage proposal," Aurelius replied.

"Marriage Proposal?"

"Yeah, and I don’t know how he did it, but my dad agreed to it. It’s gonna be a secret wedding, held on the night of the next full Moon. That’s what? Like barely a week from today,"

"Who is getting married?"

"Your Dad promised his daughter to my Dad’s heir. It means, redhead, that he’s given me your hand in marriage, or rather, he’s given my dad your hand in marriage on my behalf,"

Theo blinked, "Huh? Are you joking with me?"

Aurelius laughed at himself, "I doubt Cain knows about this. I would have my head on a stick the second he learns it. You know the craziest part? My father is planning to pass the title of Alpha to me on that very same day. I’m too young to be Alpha! What the hell do I know about traditions and history and what it takes to rule thousands of warriors?"

At this point, Theodora was lost. She was still stuck in the part where he mentioned they were to be married secretly in a few days.

"Aurelius," She grabbed his shoulders and shook him, hoping that would make him less tipsy, "Get a hold of yourself, you’re taking nonsense!"

He stopped and looked her dead in the eye, "You wanted to know what was bothering me? Now you do,"

Was he actually serious about this? But why would her father go behind Cain’s back to fix another marriage deal after he had announced in front of everyone that she was to be married to Cain? There was also the fact that her father had kidnapped and hidden Thaddeus so Cain wouldn’t get his hands on him? Was her father... secretly against Cain too?

"No," She murmured to herself, thinking deeply, "They’re friends. And my father would never...,"

"He’s trying to protect you from Cain," Aurelius slurred in, cutting off her words, "Don’t you think being so close to Cain for years means your father knows first-hand what a man like him is capable of?"

"That doesn’t mean he should keep... making decisions for me!" She slammed her hands on the table, and a few more bottles slipped over and shattered on the floor.

"That makes the two of us," Aurelius groaned and his head fell back on the sofa, "But remember, you’re not supposed to know about this..."

"How is a wedding supposed to take place when the father doesn’t know where the bride is?" She scoffed.

"That’s simple. He’ll sign the papers on your behalf,"

She smacked his legs, "Shut up!" Theo grabbed her hair and pulled, "Now I’m regretting asking you what’s wrong. I was better off when I had no idea my future was being planned behind my back by a lot of Alphas,"

Aurelius was quiet this time, and she gave him an intense look. When she thinks about this carefully, being married to Aurelius was a thousand times better than being married to Cain. But neither of them was an option, because she already had two men she wanted to spend the rest of her life with.

But seeing Aurelius this miserable was saddening. She couldn’t leave him like this.

"I think you’re going to make a great Alpha," She began.

He glared at her again, "Shut up, redhead and go back to arranging props!"

She smacked his legs a little harder, "I’m being serious!" She took his hands and pulled him back up. His body slipped drunkenly, and his head fell on her shoulders. "Just think of the changes you could make as Alpha. And I’d be rooting for you all the way,"

"I’m mentally not ready for that kind of responsibility," He murmured against her neck, and she felt him relax on her, "It’s rough, and...I feel like it’s gonna change me,"

"Change you...how?" She asked softly

"I wanna keep being the guy I am today. But when I become Alpha, I fear it’s gonna change me in terrible ways. I fear I’m going to experience things that would...force me to make bad decisions, that’ll make me look back and not be able to recognise who I’ve become. I’m scared...I’m going to lose my friends, I’m scared I’m going to become like every other Alpha out there. Carrying deaths and sins on their back like it’s a trophy,"

She didn’t know when she began rubbing his back. She knew it was hard for him to admit this to her, but she was glad he did.

"It’s not a crime to be an heir, Aurelius. Everyone thinks you guys have it easier, but it’s actually the complete opposite,"

"Yeah," he sighed.

"Don’t let fear decide it for you. Don’t let anyone choose your course in life for you. Take me, for example, I should be Cain’s wife by now, but I keep rejecting it. And I will keep on rejecting it till I take my last breath," She grabbed his face and forced him to look at her, "If you’re not ready to be Alpha, then DON’T be. Don’t accept the crown. Don’t be forced into it. And when you’re finally ready, take it easy on yourself. Choose your own path, and don’t let the fear or the pressure make you look back. You’re from the Argent Tribunal Pack, make your own law. If there’s one thing I’ve always believed in, it’s that everyone’s destinies aren’t written, it’s forged by their choices,"

Aurelius was in awe. He just stared at her.

"It’s really unfortunate that you’re a girl, or you would have made a really amazing Alpha one day,"

"I will still become Alpha one day. Being a girl isn’t unfortunate!" She said.

Aurelius remained resting against her.

"Does Celeste know about all this?" She asked quietly.

"I haven’t told him,"

"Why? Isn’t he like your best friend?"

Aurelius snuggled more into the hug. He was enjoying it way too much, "Celeste has been keeping secrets from me, too. For a longer time than I have. In fact, he’s been hiding it from me since we met,"

"Maybe he has a good reason?"

"There’s no good reason enough to hide something from the ones you claim to care about,"

"What secret do you think he might be hiding from you?"

"I don’t know," Aurelius grunted, "But he always disappears at every Moon event. The next day, he shows up again with some excuse that keeps getting lamer every month."

Every Moon event. It’s the night he usually changes due to his blood. That must mean Celeste hasn’t told Aurelius about Veilbearers, or the Veil itself!

"But that’s how Celeste is. Quiet and secretive. After Cain turned him into his personal assassin as just a teenager and had him slaughtering important members of the werewolf council all across the world, it scarred him a lot," Aurelius was blabbing more than he should.

Theodora paused. Celeste was an assassin? Could Celeste...be the person behind the mask? But Celeste said he was no longer under the influence of Cain. Then again, no one ever fully escapes the Dark Alpha.

Just then, Theodora’s eyes fell on Celeste sitting across the room.

He was staring at them. No, he had been staring at them.