LYALL:
"Has she been found?" I asked as soon as I walked into the dining room.
A few guards were situated on each corner of the room and as soon as I entered, they all moved towards me. "Not yet, your majesty. She is yet to be found."

I caught Sheila staring at me while she was eating her food. Thankfully, Mason wasn't here to anger me further. I would have driven my fist into his nose after reminding him to be sensible for once.
"And no one has caught her scent yet?" I looked from one guard to the other. They shook their heads to affirm my statement as correct. "Why?! Why hasn't no one found her? Is something fucking wrong with you all? Weren't you taught to follow people through scents? Why is this one hard to achieve?"
"Lyall," Sheila called to my attention. "You need to calm down. I don't know why you're fretting over her. If she's never found, another mistress can always be found. It shouldn't be that hard."
"Stay out of this, Sheila," I warned, ignoring the look of shock that crept into her face. She was about to speak but I continued, thereby, cutting her short. "Not now, Sheila. I am not ready to hear you say a thing, not after what you did to her."
"What did I do to whom?"
"Never mind."

"I won't," She let her fork clatter to her plate. "Just remember your uncle and aunt will be here anytime soon. We don't want them getting the wrong ideas."
She was right. But I wasn't going to admit to that. Never.
I took a seat and instructed the guards to make sure they found her before tomorrow morning before settling in.
"What exactly is wrong with you, Lyall?" Sheila asked once the guards left.

I ignored her and continued to eat. Mason soon joined in. He was all sweaty and smelled of grass. I turned to him. "Did you go for a run?"
"A ride actually," He replied without a hint of sarcasm for the first time. "On a horse. Rides are taken on horses."
"And did you by any chance see someone?"
"Someone like who?" He replied after winking at the maid who had placed his food in front of him.
"Aria. My mistress."
"You're looking for her?" He asked with his fork hanging mid-air.
"It's obvious that I am. Did you see her?"
"No, I didn't. I don't really care about her so even if I saw her or not, I don't know."
"Can you act like a fucking normal person for once!" I banged my fist on the table. "Did you see her?"
"Fuck, no, I didn't!" Mason snapped, matching my tone before he went back to eating.
I went silent, falling back into my seat and catching my breath. A headache was starting to bud behind my head. It banged away, leaving me in despair. I was about to leave the dining room when I heard familiar voices from the other side of the dining room.
"They're here," Sheila smiled and pushed to her feet before leaving us brothers in the room.

"Kendrick and Serene are here and you didn't think to inform me?" Mason asked. I noticed how uncomfortable he suddenly got and I lived for it.
Mason was born by another woman and even if Uncle Kendrick was still his direct Uncle, the old man didn't really like him. They never got along like that.
"I didn't think of it. He's our uncle. I see no reason why you look like you don't want him here."
"He doesn't want me here, and you know that." Mason hissed and pushed to his feet.
Just as he got to the door, they both walked in with Sheila following beside Serene, her arms snaked around hers.
Mason slowed down and I pushed to my feet with a smile.
"Young man, where are you off to?" Uncle Kendrick asked, staring at Mason. I could see how he struggled not to stare at him in disdain which was progress. Mason, on the other hand, couldn't hide his discomfort. I lived for it.
"I have somewhere important to be."
"And somewhere in here," Uncle Mason slapped him on the arm and led him back to his seat. Mason plopped in, looking really stressed and all red in the face. I was going to make tonight unbearable for him the way he'd been doing for a while now.
"Lyall!" Uncle Kendrick called out with a smile. "Come over here and give me a hug."
"It's been ages, Uncle," I smiled before he pulled me into a manly hug and hit me on the back. "I am really happy to see you."
"So am I, Nephew. So am I."
"Aunt Serene!" I pulled her into a hug and lifted her off the floor, causing her to giggle and playfully hit me on the back. "I miss you so much!"
"And you've grown bigger than the last time," She checked me out. "Sheila is probably falling in love with you every morning she wakes up."
Sheila and I exchanged glances but I replied anyway. "She is. So am I."
Mason snorted and everyone turned to him. "Something funny, boy?" Uncle Kendrick asked. This was one reason he didn't like Mason so much. He could be rude at times.
"Not at all, Uncle Kendrick. Something stuck in my throat."
"It better be that." Then he turned to us. "Let's all have a seat and talk about how we miss each other."
"Of course," I pulled out a seat for Uncle Kendrick and Sheila did the same for Aunt Serene.
"How have things been going?" Aunt Serene asked. She was the least talker of them both. She was very good at composing herself and it was one thing I admired in her because we were alike in that aspect.
"Fine, Serene," Sheila smiled. "And how was your journey?"
"Oh, very hectic," Uncle Kendrick replied with a grimace. "There were road thieves. So brutal I had to kill a few and send the rest off with broken limbs."
"I told him not to," Serene sighed. "He should have just had his guards do the killing but he took it into his own hands. You know how he gets when he's mad, right?"
"Definitely," I laughed. "I can't even remember the last time I saw him kill. I would have loved to be there."
Serene gave me a stern look. "Lyall. You both are two peas in a pod. I don't even want to think too much about how you're even worse than he is."
I raised my hand in surrender. "Sometimes, for justice to be served, people have to be killed."
Uncle Kendrick nodded in approval and pointed his spoon towards me. "And that is why he is the Alpha of All Alphas. Not everyone is capable of making those decisions and you know that."
"There are other ways though," Mason shrugged.
"What other ways?" Uncle Kendrick focused his attention on him. I watched, hoping it wasn't going to end up in one of them leaving the room angrily. I just wanted them to be civilized for once and realize that this table was for eating and not arguing.
"I don't know. Capturing them and making them your slaves?"
"Just like your father did to your mother?" Uncle Kendrick asked in the most normal tone ever. The table was suddenly tense and Mason tightened his fingers around his fork.
"I know you hate me, Uncle Kendrick," He began. "But you don't get to fault me for the mistake your brother made. I didn't ask to be brought here and every time, you keep reminding me of the mistake my parents made like it's my fault."
Uncle Kendrick smiled. "It's not your fault, Mason. But if you would appear less and remember your place, then things might get better."
Mason banged his fist on the table as soon as one of the guards rushed in, his clothes dripping with water.
"Why the fuck do you look drenched?" I asked as I pushed to my feet.
"We found her. She was floating in the water and she's unconscious."
Without waiting for anyone else to speak, I pushed my seat back and ran out of the room.