Lexi woke with a start to the sound of a warning growl and two empty spots in the bed next to her. Her eyes drifted towards the doorway to see both Allen and Greyson blocking entry to whoever was outside.
She cursed her luck at not having hearing as sensitive as they did, as the words that she barely managed to make out amongst their conversation didn't enlighten her at all to what was wrong.
She flicked her eyes across to the crib in the corner of the room, registering that the baby was sleeping well, before slipping out of bed as quietly as she could and padding quietly across the carpet towards them.
Before she had got more than a few steps though, Allen turned and his eyes met hers as an amused smirk appeared on his face.
"Trying to sneak up on us now?" He asked wryly as Lexi pouted back at him and crossed her arms in front of her in irritation.
"Listen, if you guys are going to sneak around and have hissing contests at the door like a group of fucking alley cats, then you have to expect that I'm gonna want to know what's going on."
Allen chuckled as his smirk widened into a grin.
"You could have asked, you know."
Lexi ignored him and tried to shimmy around both of their bodies to get a better look at who they were arguing with outside but all she could see was a sliver of a face through the crack of the door before Greyson snarled loudly, pushing his arm through the door and shoving the male away before shutting it decisively.
When he turned around to find himself face to face with Lexi's innocently smiling face, he blanched slightly.
"Wanna tell me what that was all about loverboy?" she purred as his face seemed to harden slightly.
"Not really." He shrugged as he tried to walk past her and back into the room, but she wasn't in the mood for evasion anymore.
"Listen here buster," Lexi smiled sweetly as she grabbed hold of his arm, " If this is going to work between us then you need to put your big boy panties on and talk to me."
Greyson grunted as he tore his shoulder out of her grip and turned to walk away, but again, Lexi reached for him and in her anger, dug her fingers into his arm and she pulled him back to face her.
Greyson's eyes flashed dangerously as he scowled at her, and his lip curled slightly, but Lexi was having none of it.
"Don't even think about starting with that bullshit stubbornness," She hissed, "Clearly someone has provoked this reaction from you and your being an ass by shutting us out and not telling us."
"And I suppose you're going to tell us about your nightmare too?" Greyson shot back, "You weren't ready to talk about it last night and we didn't force you. Maybe I'm not ready to talk about this with you either. Why is it always double standards with you?"
"Double standards?! How have there been double standards on my end?!" Lexi scoffed angrily as she let go of his arm, ignoring Allen's pleading for them both to calm down and pointing her finger accusingly at him, "If anything, you're the one with the double.."
"For fuck sake! Enough already!" Allen roared as he pulled them both away from each other, "This won't solve anything."
"Who died and made you boss around here, Allen? What gives you the right to tell either of us what to do?" Lexi fumed as she pulled away from him.
Allen sighed internally and resisted the urge to run his hands over his face in exasperation.
"Right now, I feel like the parent trying to stop their kids from tearing each other apart, and it's a little ironic that you left us in the entrance hall yesterday to take the baby away from all of the confrontation, and yet here you are causing a whole mess only a few steps away from him!" He said as calmly as he could although his jaw clenched painfully.
Lexi huffed and folded her arms in front of her as she glowered back at him, but she didn't pursue the argument any further.
"Listen, both of you very clearly have issues that need talking about…I'm speaking from experience here as well, Lexi, so you can stop glaring at me like that. The sooner you BOTH open up, the sooner we can ALL move on and figure out how and if we can help each other." Allen said firmly, "We're a team now, all three of us…it's about time we started acting like it."
Greyson nodded curtly as he shifted uncomfortably on the spot and shoved his hands deep in his pockets, glancing across at the baby with a guilty expression on his face.
"Those men yesterday were my brothers," Greyson admitted begrudgingly as he avoided Lexi's eyes. "We don't have the best relationship as a family…although for now I won't go into details why. I want to figure out what they're doing here first before I start reliving my chaotic childhood."
"So, your brothers are high ranking lycans then? Or are they diplomats?" Lexi asked, her anger almost forgotten as her curiosity piqued.
Greyson snorted as he rolled his eyes to the ceiling.
"They…all of us actually are the beloved princes of the Lycan Kingdom." Greyson said sarcastically, an ironic smile slipping onto his face, "At least to our people anyway. Inside the castle and behind closed doors, the reality is very different."
Lexi blinked in surprise.
"Wait a minute. You're a prince?"
"Not that I'm particularly pleased about it, but yes." he growled.
Lexi was silent for a moment as she processed the information before rushing forward and slapping him on the chest in indignation.
"And you didn't think to tell me about it?!" she shrieked as Greyson looked down at her with an expression like stone.
"I don't see why it's relevant." he shrugged.
"How is being a prince of the fucking Lycans not a relevant piece of information that you should be telling your mate, hmm?"
"Considering I left and had no intention of returning at any point, then why would I mention it? Besides, we haven't really been in much of a position recently to sit and talk seriously without interruptions have we?" He answered flatly, unmoved by Lexi's furious glare.
"Oh, and the fact that any future children could possibly be of royal lycan blood..that has zero relevance?"
Greyson snarled loudly as Lexi's words clearly hit a sore spot.
"They will never be a part of that family." Greyson hissed venomously, "Not if I have my way. Children deserve to be loved and cared for with warmth, not broken down and forcibly rebuilt into whatever their father has need of …you know what, I'm done talking about this." Greyson hissed as the vein in his neck seemed to pulsate furiously.
Without another word he stormed past them both and left the room, slamming the door behind him.
"Well that could have been handled a little more diplomatically, Lexi." Allen observed dryly.