Chapter 194 An Apology From Brielle
_Rowena’s POV_
After Kasper walked out the front door, the dining room settled back into an uncomfortable silence. Ezekiel finished the rest of his food without saying another word, that was practically a new personal record for him. He even helped himself to more food twice, stacking his plate with warm pastries and fruit.
I let him keep eating in silence, eating was definitely much better than talking right now. I could clearly see him using the food as something to do with his hands while his brain slowly caught up with everything that had happened this morning.
Eventually, he pushed his empty plate away, leaned back in his chair, and looked across the table at me.
"Do you think Pierre meant what he said?" he asked softly.
He was not asking me to fix things between them, nor was he asking for relationship advice. He just wanted to know if I thought Pierre meant it when he said they should not contact each other. He wanted to know if Pierre was just reacting to the chaotic news, or if he had actually made up his mind to end things for good.
I looked at him and answered with complete honesty. "I don’t know what Pierre decided in his head," I told him gently. "But I do know that Pierre is not the kind of man who says things he doesn’t mean. However, what Pierre says and what Pierre actually feels inside are not always the same thing. The gap between what he says and what he feels is where you need to be patient."
Ezekiel absorbed my words without his usual jokes or dramatic talks. He just nodded his head slowly, in understanding.
He sat there for a moment before looking up again. "What about Kasper and Gideon?"
I immediately gave him a warning look.
Ezekiel quickly raised both of his hands in the air. "I’m asking seriously this time, Rowena. I promise, no jokes."
I looked at him for a long moment, deciding how much to share. Then I told him briefly, keeping it simple.
"Kasper and Gideon have a long history," I explained. "It goes back way before Gideon took his position in Alaric’s inner circle. It is something that was never fully resolved between them, and both of them have spent years trying to manage around each other. This golf trip is either the beginning of them finally resolving it, or just another way of managing around it. I don’t know which one it is yet."
Ezekiel went quiet for a moment, processing that. Then he shook his head and muttered, "This pack has more unresolved tensions per square foot than anywhere else I have ever been in my life."
"That is what happens when serious people refuse to talk about serious things," I replied smoothly.
Ezekiel narrowed his eyes at me. "Is that directed at me?"
"It is just a general observation," I said.
He scoffed softly, clearly not believing me for a single second.
Before he could say anything else, my phone began ringing on the table. The screen lit up with Alaric’s name.
I picked it up right away. "Hello,."
"How are you doing?" his deep voice came through the speaker.
"I am fine," I answered.
"Where are you right now?" he asked.
"I am at the Asthorne residence," I told him.
"I am coming over," Alaric said firmly.
"Alright," I replied.
"I have something important to tell you," he added.
"Okay. See you soon," I said and ended the call.
I looked up to find Ezekiel shamelessly leaning across the table, listening to every single word.
"He is coming here, isn’t he?" Ezekiel asked.
"Yes," I said.
"Should I leave?" he asked, pointing toward the door.
I looked at him carefully. "Do you want to leave?"
Ezekiel paused for a second. "No," he admitted honestly, looking down at his hands. "My hotel room feels very empty and quiet right now."
I said nothing back, Ezekiel instantly took my silence as permission to stay, smiling faintly as he reached across the table for yet another sweet pastry.
Alaric arrived about forty minutes later.
He walked into the main sitting room and found the two of us waiting there. Ezekiel was lounging on the sofa with his phone in hand, while I sat in the armchair by the window with a book I hadn’t actually been reading. Alaric took in the scene and walked over to take the empty seat right beside my chair without making a single comment.
"Ezekiel," He finally greeted.
"Alpha King," Ezekiel replied politely, he immediately glued his eyes to his phone screen, giving us the closest thing to private space that the room allowed.
Alaric leaned slightly toward me and began to tell me quietly what he had come to say.
"I have received fresh information about Drake," Alaric said, his voice dropping low.
It wasn’t just general news about Drake’s movements, and it wasn’t just random sightings. They had found a physical location, and possibly a name connected to him. Celeste had been tracking the lead closely and had finally pinpointed it to a district in the city.
Alaric was telling me all of this now, privately, before the official pack briefing tomorrow. He wanted to give me enough time to prepare myself emotionally, because he knew what finding Drake meant to me beyond the official pack operation.
I listened to Alaric without moving a muscle, my heart beating steadily in my chest.
"Are you ready for us to move forward with this?" Alaric asked, searching my face.
"Yes," I said without a single second of hesitation. "I am ready."
Alaric nodded his approval. His large hand reached out and covered mine where it rested on the arm of the chair.
Right at that exact second, Ezekiel happened to look up from his phone screen. His eyes caught our hands resting together. He immediately froze, blinked, and looked right back down at his phone.
"I saw absolutely nothing," Ezekiel announced loudly to his lit screen.
Neither Alaric nor I bothered to respond to him.
Ezekiel quickly set his phone down, stood up from the sofa, and announced, "I am going to the kitchen to get more food." He walked out of the sitting room.
Alaric watched Ezekiel walk out down the hallway, a small glint of humor in his eyes, before turning back to me.
"Is he going to be alright?" Alaric asked softly.
"He will be fine," I replied, and let a small smile slip out.
“Let’s go shopping tomorrow for a new dress for Brielle’s party,” he suggested.
“Okay.” I nodded.
“Don’t worry, I already had a word with her about what she did, she’s sincerely sorry and would apologize formally at the party. She was just jealous.” He added.
I rolled my tongue and replied, “I really don’t need her apology, but if she’ll offer it sincerely, then I’ll take it for sure.”