Eero's perspective
"Father, there's really no need for you to do that. If you really want to see me, then fine. I'm coming home tonight so that we can talk about this," I said, but the end tone from the other line caught me off-guard.
"Shit!" I curse, covering my face with my palm.
"Did he hear me? Was he really going to call all the hotels that RGC owns to check whether I checked in on one of them to spend the night?" I asked my wolf. My wolf advised me to take a deep breath, but that wasn't helping as I succumbed to total panic.
"What would I tell him once he found out that I didn't check in to any of our hotels?"
"Shit! I need to go back to the realm now or in RGC."
"RGC is a better choice than I'll pretend that I'm already busy so I can dodge any of his inquiries if he ever got one." I shrieked and almost fell after I clashed with a massive frame of a man.
"Please send a mind-link to your pilot that he needs to fly me back to RGC. Codrus wanted to talk to me about what happened. I lied to him, but because I'm not that good at lying, I think I'll be caught."
Claudius held my shoulder and beamed a smile that helped me calm.
"I booked you a room in one of RGC's hotels. The helicopter is already waiting for you. I knew that something like this could happen, so I prepared a shred of evidence that would support your alibi." Claudius handed me my bag.
"You must go. You have to be in your hotel room before Codrus arrives in the building," Claudius said as he was walking me out of his mansion.
"I'll kiss Perseus for you, and we'll video call you later," he assured me. Claudius pecks my lips. He closed the door of the chopper, and not even a minute late, we took off.
Claudius conspired with the manager of the hotel. He was waiting for me in the helipad when we landed, and he was the one who guided me to my room.
"I asked our staff to set up a bubble bath to make it look like you're just relaxing to make it more believable to the Chairman that you were here the whole night," he said before pushing me inside the hotel room.
"Chairman."
"Are you sure that my daughter is inside of that room?" Hearing Codrus asking the hotel manager that. I ran to the bathroom, stripped my clothes and soaked my body in the tub.
"Eero, are you in there?" A familiar voice said.
I stayed silent until I heard the doorknob rattling. I debouched from the bathtub and wrapped myself in a robe before I opened the door myself with a scrunched look on my face.
"Well, you found me." Codrus glared at his Epsil, who quickly turned their back and left the room.
"Go dress up, and I will wait for you at a restaurant down in the lobby," he said.
"I was about to, but I was afraid that you'd burst the door open if I didn't open it fast." Codrus didn't say anything anymore. He left the room, too, and I fell on a chair as my legs lost their strength from fear.
"That was a freaking close call!" I muttered to myself.
It was just me and Codrus inside the restaurant. It looked like he reserved the whole place.
"If you come here to pick me up and ask me to come home personally, don't worry. I'll come home tonight after I sign a few documents in my office."
I spread out the menu, and even when I was not that hungry, I ordered something.
"Okay."
"And remember my ocular visit to Phuket with Claudius? We rescheduled it to next week so I can still make it to your mating ceremony with Aeli–" Before I could finish saying her name. I chose to shut up.
"Okay, now can we talk about me and Aelice."
"What about you and your child bride?"
"Eero," he said, a hint of warning that was generously asking me not to cross the line, but what else can he do if I want to?
"Please, sweetie. Don't let this union ruin the friendship between you and Lady Alice."
"Does it have to be her? You said that you'll never choose her–"
"I tried too, but it's my wolf that wants her. I've become fond of her. She was the only one that was by my side when my mate and Luna died."
"That is bullshit, father. She was not by your side according to her own will. She was coming to your room because her father asked her to. Octavio was selling her to you."
"I'm in love with her. I need her, and I believe that she'll learn to love me, too."
"As a second father? Maybe."
"Eero, your sarcasm isn't helping us here."
"What would you have me do? Actually, that is not what I should be asking you right now." I rested my back on my chair.
"You said that you adopted me and made me your heir to stop a war from happening."
"I did."
"And you having a second chance, mate, means there's a possibility that you'll soon have pups of your own, one from your blood and flesh, and if that pup happens to be a boy, then what will happen to me, hmm?" I paused for a while.
"Didn't it cross your mind that Beta Octavio will push his grandson to be the heir and future Alpha of Regulus instead of me?"
Codrus scrutinised me, "Is this the reason why you don't want me to have a second chance, mate? You're threatened that I'll strip you of your current position?""Even if I don't open up this topic to you now, sooner or later, we'll have to face this topic."
"I might have a son with Aelice, but that won't change anything. You'll remain my heir, Eero, and I won't let my future pup with her challenge your claim to the throne. You're my one and only heir."