Everyone was standing in the living room when I walked in, and I couldn't help but scowl and roll my eyes, pressing my lips into a thin line. They bowed and submitted, but they didn't say a word nor did they sit down like I hoped they would as soon as I entered the room.

"Go ahead and sit down," I said with a scowl on my face and narrowed eyes. "I do not know why you are all standing. I am not even the Alpha, so you do not need to wait to sit until I have seated."

"But you are the stand in Alpha and have been that way for two years, Beta," one of the Elders said and continued to bow, and I glanced at them from the corner of my eye with lips pressed into a thin line. "We would much rather wait until you are seated and get comfortable before we take a seat."

I scoffed a laugh and rolled my eyes, pursing my lips in annoyance. I didn't say a word and let my grandmother help me sit, biting back a tired sigh and closing my eyes just a tad, the exhaustion slowly but surely creeping in, and all I wanted to do was fall asleep right then and there and not worry about the people that were gathered.

Oh, Goddess, give me the strength to finish this conversation...

"Alpha?" the Elder asked, and I opened my eyes with a small frown on my face, biting back a small growl of annoyance. He frowned and studied me, and concern flashed through his eyes. "Are you ok?" he asked and cocked his head to the side while he studied me.

I bit back a tired sigh and shook my head while I moved a hand through my hair and across my face. "No," I said before I cleared my throat and shifted in my seat, rubbing the bridge of my nose and pursing my lips in annoyance. "I am not ok, and I believe that the only thing that I need now is sleep."

The group looked at each other before they looked at me, and a look of worry and fear filled their eyes. "Do you want us to leave?" one of the other group members asked and raised an eyebrow in question while they studied me.

I shook my head and bit back a small snort while I frowned. "No," I said before I cleared my throat and shifted in my seat. "Unfortunately, we have to talk about this now. I will rest later after I finish this conversation with all of you and then a separate conversation with our two other guests." I gestured toward Salem and Filip, who were standing to the side with a small nervous look on their faces.

"Are you sure?" another of the group members asked while he studied me, and I nodded in confirmation. "But what about your sleep, Alpha?" he asked and raised an eyebrow in question. A small frown appeared on his face, and he tucked his head closer to his chest while he stared at me. "You need rest."

"I will get some sleep as soon as I am done with everything that I need to do," I said, biting back a tired sigh while I leaned back in my seat. "I am not sure if the Alpha will be coming to visit, but there is a chance that he will do that."

"And what are we going to do with him?" Corey asked and raised an eyebrow in question while she studied me. She cocked her head to the side while she studied me, biting back a small frown on her face.

I scoffed to the side and rolled my eyes while I pursed my lips in annoyance. "You won't be doing anything to him," I said before I cleared my throat and shifted in my seat. "I will talk to him when he gets here. No one is going to enter the kitchen when we are talking, not even you or Anthnoy."

Corey shrugged and grimaced, biting back a small grin. "Eh, we weren't going to go in there anyway," Corey said, earning an annoyed look from Anthony. "And I will make sure that my good ol' pal will not go in there either," she added and patted her comrade's arm.

Anthony growled and pursed his lips in annoyance. He didn't say a word and shot her an annoyed look before he looked at me, silently telling me that he didn't like the idea that I would be there alone.

I rolled my eyes and scowled, pressing my lips into a thin line. "I will be fine, Anthony," I said and leaned back in my seat. "Grams will be with me, and she will make sure that I stay safe." I gestured toward my grandmother, and Anthony glanced at her before he looked at me.

"A-"

"And you will stay in the living room as well, Filip," I said, interrupting him while I looked at the Vampire with a small scowl on my face and narrowed eyes. "I do not need either you or Salem with me so that means you can not shift into a small animal and stay near me." I looked at Salem when I said that, pressing my lips into a thin line.

Salem grinned and bowed their head. "Of course, Alpha," they teased, and I bared my teeth in warning and growled, which they ignored. "I will stay here and not be in the kitchen with you or your grandmother." They looked at Filip. "Right?" they asked and raised an eyebrow in question.

Filip rolled his eyes and scowled, pressing his lips into a thin line. He didn't say a word and looked at me, silently telling me he wouldn't follow me into the kitchen while I talked with my mate, much to his annoyance and disgust.

Oh thank Goddess... I breathed a small sigh of relief and slowly nodded, pressing my lips into a thin line. I didn't say a word and leaned back in my seat, biting back a tired sigh.

"And why would the Alpha want to come see you, Beta?" another elder asked and raised an eyebrow in question while he studied me. "Does he know what has happened to you?"

I shrugged and pressed my lips into a thin line. "I do not know if he does or not," I said before I cleared my throat and shifted in my seat. "I wouldn't be surprised if whoever has him under their control has told him," I said and folded my arms across my chest while I tapped my side. "That is why I wouldn't be surprised if he appears soon just to make sure that I stay safe."

"And we have someone watching the main house as well as your house, Alex," Aaron said, and I breathed a small sigh of relief while I slowly nodded. "They will contact you as soon as they know if he leaves or not."

'Alpha, the Alpha Male is on his way to your house,' someone linked me just as we finished talking about him, and I couldn't help but roll my eyes and bite back a small scowl, even though I couldn't help but be amused.

"Speaking of the devil," I said and looked at my grandmother, who was still by my side, leaning against the armrest with her arms folded across her chest. "Grams, he is on his way."

My grandmother nodded and chuckled while she stood. "Yes," she said and held out her hand for me to take. "I will help you go to the kitchen so that you can talk with him. We should get you more tea while we are at it."

I bit back an annoyed groan and rolled my eyes while I scowled and pressed my lips. I took her hand when she held it to me, and I started to stand with her helping me.

'Alpha?' the warrior asked nervously when I hadn't responded to their comment. 'Is that ok, or do you want him to not come over?'

I bit back a tired sigh and shook my head, pursing my lips in annoyance. 'You can not stop him from coming over to the house,' I said. 'Let him come.' "No one can say a word and will have to stay in the living room until he leaves. He is coming and is coming in hot. We will talk more later when he leaves, and I come back into the living room."

"Yes, Alpha," the group in the living room said and bowed, submitting.

"And do not enter the kitchen," my grandmother said while she started to lead me to the kitchen after I was "steady" on my feet. "As she had stated, there is no need for you to be in the kitchen. Is that understood?"

"Yes, Ma'am," they said and bowed, showing her the respect that she deserved.

"Good," she said with a small click of her tongue. "I will be back with tea for the rest of you later as the Alpha has left, and it is safe for us to enter the living room." She shot the group a look to stop the muffled groans that were coming from them, and I couldn't help but bite a small smirk.

Serves them right, I thought. They thought that they were going to be free from that, but they were not. No one is free from being served tea when they are a guest at my grandmother's house.

"And you will drink the tea when we give it to you; is that understood?" she asked but didn't turn to look at them while she continued to help me to the kitchen to help me with my mate.

"Yes, Grandmother," they said in unison and bowed. "We understand."

"Good, come now, Alex, Dear, let's get you settled before your mate arrives. Hopefully, he will continue not to ask questions about what you are hiding in the living room."

I bit back a tired sigh and slowly nodded, pursing my lips in annoyance. "Me too, Grams," I said, my voice barely above a whisper.

Me too...