Chapter 99

Iris & Arthur

Iris

An awkward silence falls over the table. I shift uncomfortably. The only sound is that of the kitten racing around in the other room, playing with a bottle cap. Wendy glances at the cat with a wrinkled nose but says nothing.

Arthur clears his throat and offers me a grin. “Everything looks delicious, Iris. Thank you for arranging this.”

I flash Arthur a grateful smile as I serve Miles his mac and cheese, then offer the prime rib to Leonard and the salmon to Wendy. They accept and take their seats, but I can tell they’re not particularly thrilled.

Leonard takes a careful bite of his prime rib, chewing slowly. But Wendy merely picks at her salmon, pushing it around her plate more than actually eating it.

I can tell they’re both judging me, but I try not to let it get to me. Generational differences, I keep telling myself, as if the age gap can somehow justify their shitty attitudes. “I normally love to cook,” I say with a light smile. “Today was just an unfortunate accident.”

“Mommy makes the best pancakes,” Miles pipes up. His fork scrapes loudly on his plate as he stabs his macaroni, causing Leonard to wince. “With chocolate chips and whipped cream!”

Arthur smiles at me over Miles’ head, and the softness in his gaze settles some of my nerves. “She sure does.”

“Pancakes,” Leonard repeats, glancing at Miles’ plate. “Is that all he eats? Pasta and pancakes?”

“Miles is in a bit of a picky phase right now,” I laugh. “You know how kids are.”

Leonard frowns. “A young wolf needs protein to develop properly. Especially an Alpha. At his age, Arthur was already eating rare steaks.”

“Miles does eat meat,” I explain. “He’s just particular about it. He loves chicken nuggets, and he really enjoys the steaks that Arthur makes. Don’t you, Miles?”

Miles nods, although the attention makes him blush, and he stares at his plate.

“If the boy responds so well to Arthur’s presence,” Wendy says, setting down her fork, “it seems to me the logical solution would be for you to move in with Arthur permanently. Leave behind this—” she gestures around us— “small apartment and give Miles the stability of his father’s home.”

I blink. “I have a residency here,” I remind her. “It comes with the apartment.”

“Surely art is just a hobby,” Wendy says with a shrug. “The boy needs his father. And it’s not appropriate for Arthur’s mate and child to be living elsewhere. What will people think?”

“Iris’s career is important to her,” Arthur says before I can respond. “And to me. We’re taking things one step at a time.”

“Still,” Leonard adds, “Wendy has a point. This place is hardly suitable. It’s small, in a less desirable neighborhood. The Alpha President’s mate and heir should be living in better circumstances.”

A knot forms in my stomach. My apartment is small and temporary, yes, but it’s clean and comfortable. I’ve worked hard to make it a home for Miles and me. To hear it dismissed so easily, as if we’re living in squalor, stings more than I want to admit.

“It serves us well enough for now,” I say, forcing another smile. “And the residency is a big opportunity for my career.”

“Yes, well,” Wendy says with a tight smile, “I suppose we all have different priorities.”

Her implication is obvious: my priorities are wrong. I guess, in her world, I should be focused solely on being Arthur’s mate and Miles’ mother instead of pursuing my own ambitions.

Thankfully, the rest of the meal passes without too much of a hitch after that, mostly thanks to Arthur repeatedly shifting the conversation to lighter topics. I contribute where I can, but the earlier exchange has left me feeling off-kilter.

“That was lovely, thank you,” Wendy says as she sets down her napkin after dessert. She hardly touched hers, just cut it up and moved the pieces around her plate with her fork. What a waste. “We should be going, though. It’s getting late.”

“Of course,” I say, relieved that the dinner is finally ending. “Thank you for coming.”

Arthur walks his parents to their car. As they exit, I begin clearing the table, grateful for the moment alone to collect myself. The dinner was even more stressful than I anticipated.

Curious, I move to the window, watching as Arthur walks them to their car parked in the alley behind the gallery below. Even from here, I can see the conversation isn’t pleasant. Leonard is gesturing wildly while Wendy is seething nearby.

I can’t hear what they’re saying, but whatever it is, it isn’t good.

…

Arthur

“What were you thinking?” Father demands the moment we’re out of earshot of the apartment building. “A restaurant meal, Arthur? For your parents?”

I sigh, having expected this reaction. “Iris explained what happened. The roast burned because she lost track of time while painting. It was an honest mistake. Besides, it’s not the fifties anymore. The fact that she was even gracious enough to host you should be impressive enough.”

Mother scoffs. “I’m not impressed. Maybe if she weren’t so preoccupied with that hobby of hers, she could actually focus on what’s important: her family.”

“Painting isn’t a hobby,” I counter. “It’s her profession. And she’s damn good at it. You saw her work.”

Father scoffs. “It’s derivative at best.”

“Like you know anything about art,” I growl.

“The ‘art’ is beside the point,” Mother cuts in. “That human is not fit to be your mate, Arthur. Surely you can see that now.”

I clench my jaw. “No, I can’t. Because that’s bullshit. She’s the best thing that’s ever happened to me, and I’m proud to say she’s my mate.”

“We could look past the fact that she’s a human if she only tried to do the right thing, but she insists on living in a shoebox,” Father sneers. “Not to mention the fact that she feeds your son processed garbage.”

“A wolf cub who won’t eat meat unless his Alpha father prepares it,” Mother says, shaking her head with disdain. “He can barely even look us in the eye, and he speaks so little and so simply for his age. That boy needs help, Arthur. He needs proper guidance.”

Anger heats my chest. “Miles is perfect exactly as he is. And Iris is an exceptional mother.”

“For a human, perhaps,” Father says dismissively. “But not for an Alpha pup. He needs to be with his own kind, learning our ways. And if she won’t put aside her own desires for his sake, then you need to take initiative.”

“What exactly are you suggesting?”

Mother and Father exchange a look, some silent communication passing between them. I know that look well; it was a look I saw them exchange often throughout my childhood, and it always preceded some kind of ultimatum or punishment.

Then Father turns back to me. “Take the boy,” he says simply. “Claim Alpha’s Heir. It’s your right.”

I stare at them, momentarily speechless. “You want me to take Miles away from Iris? His mother?”

“It’s for the best,” Mother insists. “For the boy’s development, and for our bloodline. You can raise him properly, teach him to be a true Alpha. That human is holding him back.”

“No. Absolutely not. I would never—could never—take him from her. We belong together. All three of us.” I spent too long missing Iris. I’m not betraying her. Especially not after I promised that I had no intention of doing that to her.

“You’re thinking with your heart, not your head,” Father says, jabbing his index finger sharply into the center of my chest. “This isn’t about your feelings. It’s about our legacy. Our bloodline has remained pure for twelve generations, Arthur. Do you understand what’s at stake?”

“What’s at stake is my family,” I counter. “Iris and Miles are my family. And I won’t let you or anyone else tear us apart.”

Mother’s face hardens. “Just as I suspected. That human has corrupted you. Made you weak. The Arthur I raised would never put one insignificant human above his duty to his bloodline.”

“Maybe I’m not the Arthur you raised anymore,” I reply coldly. “Maybe I’ve become someone better.”

“Better?” Father scoffs. “You think betraying your heritage, diluting our bloodline with human weakness, is better?”

“I think love is better than prejudice,” I say firmly. “I think family is more than blood. And I think it’s time for you both to leave.”

Mother shakes her head as she turns to the car. “Consider what we’ve said, Arthur. That boy is an Alpha. He deserves to be raised as one. The human can visit, if she must, but his place is with his father.”

“Go,” I growl, warning in my tone. My wolf is just barely contained right now. An insult against my mate is an insult against all of us, and we won’t stand for it.

Thankfully, my parents catch the hint; and despite the fact that they’re my parents, they know that they’re not immune to the wrath of the angry Alpha President. They finally get into their car, but not before they each give me one last parting glare.

I watch them drive away, my hands clenched into fists at my sides. Once they’re out of sight, I turn back toward the apartment building, lifting my gaze to Iris’s window.

Just as I suspected, she’s standing there, watching. Even from this distance, I can see the glint of tears in her eyes.