After the Omega's had come to take their orders and hurried back to the kitchen to prepare their plates, Lexi sat back with a sigh, still quietly seething after the confrontation with Genevieve.
She wanted nothing more than to rearrange her face a little just to teach her a lesson, and as much as she was furious with Greyson for stopping her at the time, she was also grateful for his intervention.
She was impulsive and hot-headed when it came to confrontations like this and if it wasn't for the frequent interventions of her mates on her behalf, she was sure that one day she might inadvertently cause a full-scale diplomatic incident, and she really didn't want that.
She tried to reign her temper in, but there was something about bullies who went out of their way to tear other people down that really irked her. They were adults now, all of this playground bullshit should be left in the schools with children who didn't know better, not carried over into adulthood and enacted time and time again. It was just unnecessary drama and heartache for everyone involved.
"You seem to have slipped right into the role of doting grandmother quite easily," Lexi observed as she watched Eleanor cooing over the little boy.
Her head snapped up to look at Lexi with pure joy radiating over every inch of her face and she beamed happily.
"Of course! Isn't it every mother's wish to one day hold the children of their children?" she laughed, "There's no greater reward in this life."
"I'm sure it's well deserved as well. He seems to adore you as much as you do him," Lexi smiled back as the baby gurgled happily up at his grandmother, "Has Brad settled on a name for him yet?"
Eleanor screwed her nose up at the mention of her son and shook her head.
"I don't think he has. This has all happened a bit suddenly for him if I'm honest. After that wretched girl disappeared we had given up hope of ever seeing his baby again if I'm honest."
"I take it you didn't approve then," Lexi answered dryly before she felt a sharp nudge in her side from Allen and she turned to glare at him while swatting his arm away.
Eleanor chuckled at the two of them and sighed lightly.
"Of course I didn't approve. Ann was everything that anyone could ever have hoped for as a Luna. To know that my son disgraced himself, and our pack with his actions hurt us all deeply, and quite honestly, it was touch and go for a little while as to whether or not he would retain the Alpha position."
"For infidelity?" Allen asked curiously, "I understand it's frowned upon, but to lose his leadership over something that he actually had no control over? You do realize it was because of magick that he was coerced into bed with Ada?"
"That's no excuse," Eleanor hissed vehemently, "He should never have been in a position where they were able to enact the spellwork on him. He had no business being alone with her for any reason and his complete lack of judgment and disregard for his wolf's thoughts and feelings on the matter as well as the lifelong bond is inexcusable. He knew it was wrong, and didn't care either way."
"I completely agree with you on that, Luna." Lexi grinned.
"Yes, I thought you might. I've heard that you have never had any problems putting my son in his place," she grinned conspiratorially as Lexi's cheeks flushed in embarrassment, a little taken aback by the frankness of Eleanor's words, "Don't worry dear, I'm not angry. Sometimes these young hormonal Alpha's need putting in their place a little. The world doesn't revolve around them and I think it does them good to be challenged outside of their pack. Helps to keep them grounded I think."
Lexi snorted loudly, making Eleanor's grin even wider.
"Well, thank you for not being offended at least. Apparently I'm a little fiery when it comes to the wellbeing of those that I love and care about, and as much as I try to reign it in sometimes…other times I can't hold back."
"There's nothing wrong with being brutally honest. The world needs more of it. There's far too much fakery and two-faced people in the higher ranks of our society, perhaps we should make it a regular occurrence." Luna Eleanor said with a wicked grin.
"Really mother? I'm not sure society is ready for the brand of honesty that you and Lexi peddle so mercilessly." Brad's voice came from behind them and as they turned, Lexi snorted at the image of his disapproving stance.
"Oh come now dear, don't play the big bad Alpha with your mother, it doesn't work and you know it." Eleanor said with a dismissive wave of her hand towards where Brad stood with his arms folded in front of him and an eyebrow quirked.
"It's easier if you just let them talk honestly," Allen whispered loudly as Brad snorted and shook his head.
"I'm not sure if it's easier, but if you ever find a solution, let me know. I've been dying to find a way to get her to behave in public for years."
"Well, this badly behaved mother and grandmother is going to take GREAT delight in teaching your son how to respect strong, opinionated women without making a complete ass of himself," Eleanor said with a matronly wink as she turned back to cooing at the delighted child in her arms.
Brad made his way over to where his mother was sitting and stood cautiously behind her, watching the interaction between the two of them.
Lexi watched quietly as a myriad of emotions flickered across his face. She could definitely see love and pride in his eyes as he looked down at his son, but also a barely perceptible sadness and what she felt looked like concern.
"Do you want to hold your son?" Eleanor asked as she looked up at him over her shoulder.
Brad froze as panic flitted across his eyes and then shook his head.
"As much as I want to, the last attempt wasn't very successful," he answered sheepishly as his eyes flicked across to Lexi, "I don't think I'm very good with small children."
"Oh nonsense," Eleanor insisted, standing and turning to Brad, "He is your son and whether you both like it or not, you will both have to get used to each other. If you don't spend time with him properly, and make yourself familiar to him, how on earth is he going to recognize you as his safety net?"
Brad suddenly found himself with the little boy thrust into his arms and his huge hands seemed to dwarf the tiny little thing. As the baby's contented gurgles turned into grizzles and then into distressed wails, Brad's face fell and he looked helpless across at his mother.
"He hates me already…" he murmured sadly, "you should take him back."
"For the love of the goddess…seriously Brad. He is your child! If you're uncomfortable and anxious, then he will pick up on that and react accordingly…"
Lexi glanced up from the plate that had been deposited in front of her by an omega and stopped ramming the chicken into her mouth long enough to grunt a suggestion.
"Why don't you let your inner psycho out to see his kid?" she mumbled as she hastily swallowed the mouthful of food she had been chewing, "The little man is his kid too, right?"
Brad looked across at Eleanor with his lips pressed into a tight line before looking back at Lexi.
"The thing is, since Ann rejected me…he's sort of abandoned me and barely talks to me anymore." He said quietly as both Allen and Greyson choked noisily on their mouthfuls at his words.
Eleanor sighed softly as she nodded her head.
"I didn't want to go into too much detail with it, but it's true. It's the main reason that his Alpha status and leadership of the pack was called into question."