Greyson aimed a murderous glare at his brothers as they continued to take the same line that they always had when it came to discussing him leaving home.
It always ended up the same way, with him and Sebastian coming to blows while his brothers watched, until Hudson, ever the peacemaker, felt it his duty to step in and de-escalate the situation.
It was bad enough without an audience, but having Allen stood on the sidelines and witnessing his less-than-stable relationship with his brothers, for some reason, infuriated him further.
"I didn't come here for an argument," Greyson snapped as he jammed his hands in his pockets.
"No? Then why did you come here?" Sebastian interrupted with a smirk, "Since when does a prince of the Lycans have any business acting as a delivery boy for the Alpha Queen and her lackeys?! Have you no fucking pride?! You're a disgrace to our family name!" He continued, hissing furiously and baring his canines.
"I'm not listening to this," Greyson muttered angrily as he pushed past him and motioned for Allen to follow, knowing full well that he was going to have a myriad of questions.
He swore internally and clenched his jaw, his fists balling tightly at his sides as he ignored the provocative shouts of his brother behind him.
As much as he hated to admit it, Allen's presence at his side helped enormously in keeping his urges under control. He refused to show himself up in front of him. Lycans had a reputation for being feral, primitive, and brutal in their interactions when angered, and he refused to give either Allen or Lexi an opportunity to push him away.
He refused to be rejected by his soulmate just because he wasn't as refined and composed as he was. Allen had already had a head start on winning her affections, and he knew damn well that he had been possessive and aggressive to his detriment in every encounter that he had shared with Lexi.
If he could go back and change his behavior, maybe reign his jealousy and possessiveness in a little, then he would, but that was the curse that being half-beast and half-man forced him to live with…it was precisely why he had left his family in the first place.
"Listen, I know you and I aren't exactly on friendly terms just yet," Allen said calmly as they ascended the staircase together, "But if you need to offload or talk about anything…"
"I'm fine," Greyson growled, a little more forcefully than he had intended and he stopped with a sigh as they reached the landing, pinching the bridge of his nose as he tried to reign his fury in.
This wasn't Allen's fault, and deep down, he knew it.
"Sorry, that came out a lot harsher than I meant it to," He grunted, exhaling heavily.
"No worries," Allen shrugged, sensing that something was clearly eating at him, but unable to outright ask him because other than both being mated to Lexi, they shared no other meaningful connection.
Hurried footsteps on the staircase behind them had them both whirling to face the sound quickly, already on the defensive as they both readied themself for the unexpected, but as their eyes landed on Brad's flushed face, they relaxed slightly.
"I'm sorry, I had no idea," Brad apologized, stumbling over his words. as he held Greyson's gaze sincerely, "If I had known that there were issues between you..."
"And why would you be aware of any conflict within the inner circles of the Lycan Royal Household?" Greyson bristled instantly, his challenging stare and the aggression in his tone catching Brad off guard as he looked to Allen for help.
"I don't think he meant that the way that you're taking it," Allen interjected hastily with a subtly placating tone, keeping his cool demeanor in an effort to keep Greyson's temper from escalating, "Things are obviously a little tense. How about we find somewhere to have a drink and maybe…I don't know…cool off a little bit?"
The silence was deafening as Brad seemed almost hopeful that Greyson might be amenable to the suggestion.
Allen felt relief wash over him when Greyson didn't immediately reject the idea, instead letting out a low huff of irritation.
"It's been a stressful couple of weeks, Alpha Brad. I'm sure you understand." Allen continued with a very diplomatic smile, "There's been very little opportunity for any downtime and I think maybe it will help a little with diffusing the tension that occurred here tonight."
Brad's shoulders sagged a little as he looked back at where the Lycan delegation was waiting in the hallway below, and turned back to them with an apologetic shrug.
"As much as I would love to join you, I don't think leaving my guests to their own devices would be a good idea," Brad said as his lips disappeared into a thin line, "I believe my mother has allocated you all rooms on the same floor, and the lounge area does have a partially stocked bar, although if you want anything specific do let one of the omega's know."
Greyson hummed in disapproval as Brad looked at Allen uncertainly, and he shook his head gently to let him know that he would handle it from here.
As much as Allen disliked the Brad that he had heard about when Ann first entered Adam's life, he had to admit that he had redeemed himself somewhat with her rescue from Narcissa's clutches.
The initial reports about the Crystal Pack's status after Ann had rejected him had not been promising, but clearly, he had managed to pull himself around and found something to keep him pushing forward as Alpha and had successfully managed to pull his pack back into prosperity. He stood here now, not as a rival but as a potential ally, and Allen didn't want to do or say anything that might jeopardize any potential future alliance that may arise.
"Thank you for your hospitality, Alpha Brad," Allen said cordially with what he hoped was a reassuring smile, "Please, feel free to attend to your guest's needs. I'm sure we can find our own way from here."
"Your understanding is appreciated. Things have been a little…strange around here to say the least. But, we can discuss that tomorrow." He said warmly as he gestured down the corridor in front of them, "If you follow the corridor, there's a second set of stairs at the end, you can't miss it. I believe Mother allocated the third floor for you all. I'll send one of the staff to call you for breakfast tomorrow. I have an early morning meeting that I need to attend, but I will meet you in the dining hall afterward."
"Perfect," Allen answered, smiling broadly as Greyson fought the urge to roll his eyes heavily.
All of this political pandering and false politeness pissed him off on a normal day, but today for some reason, he had even less tolerance than normal. He scowled deeply as he took off down the corridor towards the staircase that Brad had indicated only moments earlier.
If he couldn't fight with his brothers here and have a viable outlet for his rage, then he would damn well make sure that he drank himself into oblivion. Allen didn't seem like the ideal drinking partner for the mood that he was in, but at the very least, it would help keep him from losing control.