"Time to go in," one of my guards announced.
I glanced at my watch. "We have another thirty minutes."
"Alpha says now."
There was no arguing with the alpha.
"Tommy, honey, it's time to go in."
"But, Daddy…"
"I know, but Grandpa wants us to come inside."
The smile slid from Tommy's face as he glanced toward the house. I hated that he knew fear as such a tender age. He should only know joy and happiness and the love I had for him. It was wrong on so many levels that he knew fear or that the man he feared was someone who should love him unconditionally.
Sadly, that was our life until I could find a way for us to escape.
I scooped Tommy up into my arms and tickled him as I carried him back toward the house. I wanted the fear to go away. I knew it wouldn't last long, a few minutes at best, but for now he was smiling again.
Once inside, I started up the stairs to head to our suite of rooms only to be brought up short by the nanny my father had insisted we have.
"Can I help you?" I asked when she stood in my path.
I hated the woman. Mary Poppins she was not. But then, I didn't choose her. My father did, and since she essentially worked for him, she did everything he told her to do. I suspected she was even warming his bed, which was totally disgusting.
"Your father wants to see you in his office," she said. "I'll put the young lord to bed."
Young lord.
I almost rolled my eyes.
Tommy was a kid, pure and simple. He was not a "young lord." As the firstborn grandson of the alpha, it was assumed by all in the skulk that he would one day take over as alpha once his grandfather passed on.
Apparently, I wasn't alpha material.
Whatever.
I set Tommy on his feet then squatted down in front of him. "I want you to go with Ms. Vega while I go talk to Grandpa. I'll be up to help you with your bath in a few minutes, okay?"
Tommy knew how the game was played. "Okay, Daddy."
My stomach turned into a knot as I watched my son walk the rest of the way up the stairs. Once they disappeared down the hallway, I turned and headed for my father's office. I had no idea what the man wanted, but I knew it couldn't be good.
It was never good.
I knocked on the door then entered when I heard my father tell me to enter. "You wanted to see me, Father?"
"Shut the door."
I quickly did as he ordered, not stupid enough to fight him. He was a monster and had been long before I came along. That I was born smaller and weaker than him made his hatred of me a living, breathing thing.
"I've signed a mate covenant for you, Joseph. You'll be leaving at the end of the week."
I gasped as agony lodged in my chest. "You can't do that."
My father struck out with his fist, sending me to the floor. I kept my pained cry trapped behind my lips and cradled my bruised cheek. I knew arguing with my father was a bad idea before the words were even out of my mouth, but I couldn't let him mate me to someone again.
The last time had been a dismal failure.
