Chapter 22

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"Take me with you" She said after a moment of silence, desperation seeping in to her voice.

The way his shoulders drooped and his eyes reacted to her statement she knew the answer even before he voiced it out.

"I will come with you" She suggested again, she sounded so clingy but she couldn't help it.

"Evy" He said softly, running his hand through her hand "I only wish I could" He signed in resignation.

"Why? Why can I come? I will stay in the room out of your way. I am done with my exams and there is nothing holding me back" She pressed.

"Evy" He sighed again "Baby. You don't even have a passport"

She bit her lip. It was true, they had applied for her passport and it was supposed to come in any day.

"Can't we wait it arrives, it's supposed to be here any day now"

"I...Evy, I just can't take you over to Africa, it's not safe"

"But you are going!" She retorted back, if it was not safe why the hell was he going?!?

"Evy, I cannot be distracted and worried there and I would be. We will have to make double the security arrangement and we might as well take an ad in the newspaper that I have a mate. Every enemy of mine will know in the next twenty four hours that I have a mate and at this point I don't want to put you in that risk" He gently explained, while massing her neck and shoulders.

"But people will know about me anyways" She offered weekly as he pulled her to the sofa and planted her on his lap.

She tucked her head under his chin and softly massaged his chest with her hand.

"By the time they do Evy, you will be safely tucked in Roma with me" He answered.

She pulled back and looked up and asked her eyes wide "You mean I can't travel anywhere?" Would she be caged in Roma?

"No, No, nothing like that we will travel anywhere we want to but we need to plan, proper security precautions need to be taken. Roma has enemies Evy and it only takes one mistake" Max said grimly, he knew it too well.

He pulled her back and tucked her under his chin and put his arms around her, soaking in to her scent and surrounding her with his which he knew she needed.

She soaked in to her mates sent as it surround her, the sense of security it offered was unparalleled and you could only describe it in one word – Home. He felt like home.

"When?" She asked after a moment of silence "When do you need to leave?"

He hugged her tightly and murmured close to her ear "tonight"

She pulled back, eyes wide and heart pounding "tonight?" she rasped.

"Yes, the jet is in the airport and is being refueled, in a few hours it will be ready to fly" He said

"Few hours?" she echoed in disbelief.

"The sooner I am done, the sooner I will be back Evy" He offered "and I hate staying away from you too" his hands were gently massaging her arms trying to sooth her.

"But..." She stuttered, he was leaving tonight?!?!

"I will be back before you know it Evy" He offered.

"How long?" She asked.

"Four, maybe five days tops. You spend some time with your mom and Jeff and your pack because once I am back, I am going to keep you for myself" he promised, his eyes turning dark with desire.

A shiver of pleasure ran through her at the look he was giving her.

She moved in his lap, putting her legs on either side of his and sat down pulling him closer and as their faces almost touched she whispered to him "In that case let me show you what you will be missing"

And show she did.

***

"You wanted me here?" Jeff asked his alpha who he saw was looking deep in thought.

"Sit down Jeff" Nick said distracted "I have a task for you he added "I had an interesting phone call"

Jeff waited.

"The American Council is sending a courier" Nick informed.

Jeff leaned forward in confusion "A courier?"

"Yes a wolf courier" He elaborated.

A wolf courier was a werewolf sent between packs with an important message to be delivered. Too important to be delivered in conventional means. Since the courier was a messenger he had immunity. Each alpha offers immunity to the courier that he would not be harmed and would be returned back safely. Treaties and offers of peace were exchanged through couriers.

"I See" Jeff said, leaning back "any idea why?"

Nick just shook his head "No idea"

"Do you thing he is a spy?" Jeff aske worried.

Yes, while couriers were supposed to be low key omegas sometimes alphas were devious enough to send couriers to do reconnaissance.

"Unlikely" Nick offered "They know we don't trust them and would watch anyone who came here like a hawk, it would be suicide at this point"

Jeff nodded, agreeing with his alpha's assessment.

"Then, what do you think they are offering?" Jeff asked.

"Don't know. Don't want to speculate but when the courier gets here I want the Roma wolves out of the picture. Keep them away, just in case" Nick added.

"Got it. How much time do we have?" Jeff asked. If the courier was indeed gathering intel. He would not find any Roma wolves around.

"A few hours, so get started" Nick added dismissing his beta.

"On it boss" Jeff mock saluted and stepped out.

***

Evy sat in the car next to Max as they were driving towards the airport. She couldn't stay away from him touching him in some form or fashion, even the tryst earlier with him did not impend her worry about the separation. Even he seemed in similar state of mind. The ride was silent both showing support to each other physically with touches.

The airport arrived too soon, this was not a regular airport but a private airfield and the cars drove up to the tarmac. As they got out of the cars Evy gasped, when Max said a jet she had assumed it was one of those small once she saw on TV, this was a jumbo sized airplane.

"Impressive isn't it?" Max asked grinning from behind her as he saw her taking it in.

"I assumed it would be smaller" She confessed.

"They usually are" he admitted "But when you need to travel across the continent you need a bigger jet" he explained.

"And you guys own it?" She asked, she had not truly realized the wealth of her mate but to own a plane of this size at their disposal.

"Technically, it's the property of Kingdom of Roma" Max said.

"Technically?" deadpanned.

He just grinned at her as the pilot walked up to them.

"We are ready for takeoff sir" He informed Max.

Max acknowledged the captain "Will be in shortly, captain"

"Sure sir, whenever you are ready" and he walked off.

"Max" Evy's voice quivered as she realized what it meant, her internal resolve for being strong dissolving.

He laced his fingers with hers looking at her "I will be back Evy, Promise" he vowed.

"I..." tears started pooling in her eyes, she hated this, she has wanted to tell him goodbye strongly not like a weak whimpering fool that she was being. Was it going to be always like this?

His thumbs gently wiped away at her tears that leaked out of her eyes. Leaned in and gave her a gentle kiss, a kill full of promise. She put her hands around him and pulled him in to a deeper one, one full of need.

They broke up heaving, desire soaring. He stepped back just to get his bearings.

"Come back to me in one piece Max" She whispered, it was not a request.

He just gave her a nod unable to form words, she gave him her bravest smile.

He turned and walked away. She saw him ascend the flight without turning back, she knew what he was doing and he would not be able to step away if he looked at her. Her hands formed in to fists, nails biting in to her palms as those traitorous tears broke out again.

She stood still as the flight taxied in to the runway and eventually took off, taking her mate away from her and eventually it disappeared in to the dark night, consuming it. The sense of loneliness overwhelmed her, her bond lashing out against the separation.

A gentle hand on her shoulder shook her out of her misery.

"We need to go back Evy" Sebastian softly told her, his eyes shining in understanding.

She gave a broken nod as one of the guards near the car opened the door for her. The convoy started back to the hotel, she would go back to her mother's house early in the morning.

***

Jeff stepped in to Nick's office and saw his Alpha staring at the wall in deep thought, he hand not even looked at him when he entered.

"Well?" Jeff asked, cutting in to his thought. He wanted to know what the courier wanted.

Nick just pushed something on the desk towards him.

Jeff walked over to the desk and picked it up his eyes scanning the content and took a deep breath.

"Looks like the cat is out of the bag" Nick said, lacking any enthusiasm.

It was an invitation, an official invitation to "The Prince & Princess of Roma" to attend a ball in their honor in Montana, it was an official request by the American council.

"Can they refuse?" Jeff asked after a moment.

"No" Nick added "It would be considered an insult to turn an official request down without a good reason"

"Shit!" Jeff muttered as he planted himself in one of the chairs.

"We need to let Max know" Nick said and just at that though his phone rang, it was Sebastian

"Sebastian, the very person I wanted to talk to" Nick informed.

Sebastian on the phone informed Nick of Max's trip, they had not informed him earlier.

Jeff saw as Nicks frown deepen.

"When is he expected back?" Nick asked over the phone.

His frown deepened.

"Can you come over? Something came up." Nick asked.

"Ok, will see you in a while" Nick said and hung up.

"What's wrong?" Jeff asked.

"Max had to leave for a while" Nick muttered in displeasure, his timing could not have been worst.

"Leave, where?" Jeff asked and what about Evy?

"Something came up. Sebastian was vague, he is however coming over, so I suggest we wait" Nick offered.

Sebastian walked in thirty minutes later and sat down next to Jeff facing Nick.

"Max had to leave to Africa" He said "Something came up which couldn't wait"

"What's so damn important that he had to leave so suddenly?" Jeff muttered unconvincingly.

"The elders there were threatening to pull out of our alliance if Max did not show up, he had walked out earlier abruptly when he came over to America. The elders didn't take that very well"

"I see" Nick added in understanding. He very well knew about elders and their ego they were the same everywhere.

"What about Evy" Jeff asked.

"She is at the hotel, she called an early night" Sebastian offered.

"She alone there?" Jeff asked concerned.

"I assure you she is adequately protected, I would not have left her if that is not the case" Sebastian assured and added "By the way, she will want to move back to the house for a few days until Max returns."

Jeff nodded eagerly "When will he be back?" he asked.

"A week tops, it depends on how quickly he can sort it out with the old fools" Sebastian added his displeasure on the whole episode showing.

"Well, it could not have come at a worst time" Jeff grumbled.

Sebastian rose his eyebrow at that while Nick nudged something at him.

Sebastian picked it up and whistled when he read through it.

"Damn!" he muttered.

"Can we not refuse, since Max is not in town" Jeff eagerly asked.

"They would expect Evy to represent him" Sebastian said.

"Evy?" Jeff echoed, what did she know about politics and shit?

"Yep. Her being princess of Roma and all" Sebastian deadpanned.

"You seriously thinking she should go?" Jeff asked in disbelief.

"How would it look if we turned it down?" Sebastian asked both of them.

"It would look absolutely fine" Jeff replied immediately.

"Would it? It would look as if we are afraid of American Council, it would look as if we don't trust them" Sebastian told.

"Well, we don't!" Jeff stressed.

"Yes, but you don't want to publicize it, make an official statement about it and snub them on their invite. It would look like they are offering us an olive branch and we are refusing it" Sebastian explained.

"Then what do we do?" Jeff asked frustrated.

"We accept" Sebastian looked at Nick and said and Nick nodded in acknowledgement.

"We do?" Jeff asked still unconvinced.

"Don't you think it's dangerous?" Jeff was nervous about her safety.

"It's an official invitation, I don't think they would try anything" Sebastian voiced out.

"What if they do?" Jeff insisted.

"They we will be ready, wont we?" Sebastian said.

"So it's decided then?" Nick asked for final confirmation.

"Yes. Looks like we are going to a ball. Let them know" Sebastian said getting "I need to start preparing" and with that he left leaving Jeff and Nick alone.

"Nick..." Jeff started to voice his concern out.

Nick put his hands up in surrender "Not my call Jeff" he declared.

"Talk to your daughter" Nick suggested.

Jeff got up with displeasure "You bet I will!" he promised and left Nick alone in his office.

Nick sighed and leaned back. He knew it would not help, Sebastian was right. Evy will have to attend the ball alone.

He did not like it. Not one bit, he had a bad feeling about this whole thing. The invitation coming in just when Max had to leave the country.

A very bad feeling.