Chapter 42

42 The Giant Orange

Kinnon took a deep breath. He then released his grip on Lucien and leaned back on the bed.

“I should be grateful that you are not denying it,” he said, his anger subsiding slowly. “I was worried that you would lie to my face.”

“Why should I?” Lucien asked.

Kinnon shot him a smile. “Because I am not such a saint to let my Luna be taken advantage of before our upcoming wedding.”

Speaking about that.

The lump in Lucien’s throat seemed to grow larger.

How should he even breach the topic now that Annalynne was involved?

“You rejected Ronan’s proposal but then you slept with him, is that right? Or is it the other way around?”

Kinnon seemed to be more interested to continue talking about the relationship between Lucien and Ronan.

.....

Any start was a good start.

“It was after I rejected him.”

Kinnon narrowed his eyes at Lucien. “Why? Did you change your mind? Are you here to tell me that you are rejecting me because you choose him over me?”

Lucien exhaled. He straightened his collar to hide the wound. “Not quite. I was hoping that we can make things work somehow.”

The part where Lucien did not wish to marry Kinnon was implied.

The two men looked at each other for some time. And then the door burst open and a loud, childlike voice was heard along with the pata pata sound of small footsteps approaching.

“Daddy...!!!”

It was a toddler with a pair of big, gray-blue eyes and curly blonde hair. His little mouth dropped open in amazement when he caught sight of Lucien.

The little boy stopped running and stood there, unsure what to do. Kinnon smiled and extended his hand to his son.

“Ralphy, come here.”

Ralph Youngshaper lit up with joy. He rushed to his father’s arms happily. Lucien tactfully stepped away so that Ralph could climb into Kinnon’s bed.

Kinnon kissed the little boy on the cheek. Then he looked up and smiled at Lucien. “Lucien, meet my son Ralph. Ralphy, this is Lucien, my...”

Kinnon pursed his lips. Lucien was also silent.

But Ralph did not care what Lucien was. His gaze was full of admiration when he shouted happily, “Orange!!!”

Lucien was baffled.

“Excuse me?”

“Uncle is a giant orange!”

“...”

“...”

Kinnon coughed lightly.

“Ralphy, don’t be rude. Lucien is not an orange.”

Although he did smell like oranges. And he kinda looked like an orange too, with the red-blonde hair and a pair of bright caramel-brown eyes.

Ralph crawled away from Kinnon and stood on the bed in front of Lucien. He scrutinized this giant orange that was not an orange for quite some time. Lucien was not sure what to do.

The little boy suddenly grabbed the front side of his clothes and slipped from the bed. Lucien instinctively grabbed him and held him in his arms. Ralph happily sniffed at Lucien’s neck.

“Orange. I love orange.”

Kinnon shook his head but he could barely contain his smile.

“Silly boy, he is not your orange. He is...”

Lucien shot Kinnon a look. They should not talk about it in front of a little boy.

At any rate, Lucien still had to talk to his twin sister. He approached Kinnon and patted his shoulder.

“Why don’t you rest for a while? Let’s talk later.”

Kinnon took Lucien’s hand and kissed the knuckles.

“Okay. It is time for Ralph’s nap. Please hand him over to the nanny. She must be outside, waiting for him to come out.”

“Sure. Rest well.”

“Bye-bye Daddy!” Ralph shouted, waving at his father as Lucien carried him outside.

The nanny was indeed waiting outside. She was horrified when she saw Lucien with Ralph in his arms. She did not expect the Alpha to be having a guest inside his private bed-chamber at all!

“I... I am so sorry,” she apologized profusely. “I thought that...”

“It’s fine,” Lucien said, handing Ralph over to the nanny.

Unfortunately, Ralph was not willing to part from his giant orange. He pouted and grabbed Lucien’s clothes.

“Noo, orange...!!!”

Lucien smiled.

“We can play together later. It is time for your nap, okay?”

“Oh, but... Daddy has not kissed me yet!”

“...”

“Daddy always kisses me! I don’t want to nap without a kiss!”

The nanny looked as if Ralph just asked her to please throw herself into a sea full of sharks.

It was one thing when the Alpha was not injured. Who dared to disturb the Alpha when he was resting???

“I want a kiss I want a kiss I want a kiss!!!”

The little boy did not understand the situation. He was simply unhappy that he was not getting his usual kiss before his nap.

Lucien grabbed Ralph’s tiny face with both hands and gave him a kiss on the forehead.

The nanny gaped.

The little boy was dumbfounded.

“There, will that do?” Lucien asked.

Ralph lightly touched the spot on his forehead and blinked. Then his little face melted into a huge grin.

“Un! Thank you, Uncle Orange!”

The nanny bowed at Lucien and hastily took Ralph away before he started making more demands from the esteemed guest.

Ralph giggled and waved Lucien goodbye.

“Bye-bye Uncle Orange, bye-bye!!!”

Lucien waved back.

After Ralph and his nanny disappeared, Lucien went along the corridor. In front of the elevator, a man in a black suit was already waiting for him. It was one of the two men who picked him up from the train station.

When he saw Lucien, he pressed the elevator button and it opened immediately with a ding sound.

“Mr. Clearwater, please.”

Lucien entered the elevator wordlessly.

“Our Beta has arranged a guest room for you, Sir. Would you like to rest a while after a long trip?”

It was indeed a long and exhausting trip. Lucien could feel his body aching for a soft mattress, but his mind had never been clearer.

It was not the time to rest.

“I wish to talk to my sister,” he declared.

“Very well, Sir. Miss Annalynne Clearwater is currently relaxing in the south garden.”