CEO's Runaway Mate and Her Cubs

Nate and Lara weren't late.

They did wish to stay in bed, cuddling and talking till midday. However, knowing the kids were with their grandmother, and knowing that they had promised to be there for breakfast, Lara had pushed Nate out of bed and told him to get ready.

She was in a good mood that day. So much that getting up early didn't bother her.

Seeing his mate ordering him around without shyness, Nate felt happy. He did all she asked and got ready, drove, and finally reached the residence perfectly in time. Oh, maybe a little earlier than planned.

At that hour, the pups were still sleeping for sure.

They crossed the garden hand in hand, happy like a couple on their honeymoon - which reminded Nate: he needed to organise a honeymoon sooner or later. Even if they had decided to wait before getting married, they could go on a trip and have fun alone. They could have two or three honeymoons, for what concerned him. One before and one after the marriage, sure.

One for the mating ceremony - if they ever reached that step.

Being a mixed couple meant they could get married twice!

When they reached the terrace, the two pairs of eyes observed them dumbfounded. One couldn't decide who was happier between the two: Nate was shining while Lara was relaxed, content in her discreet way.

«Good morning,» she said.

Then, before sitting down, the couple noticed Melanie wasn't alone. There was a man with her. One that looked familiar to both Nate and Lara, even though in two different ways.

«Hello,» Nate said, surprised. Wasn't that the man his pups annoyed the other day? The one with ice cream? Without ice cream, he corrected himself, until Scarlet gave him his.

He should have realised something was going on when his girl had given her food to a stranger.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

Lara, on the other hand, was trying to remember where she had seen that man. But nothing could be done. Maybe on TV?

The Woods were a powerful family, and they had acquaintances in many sectors. But she didn't watch TV! She hadn't for years. Could it be from a magazine?

The more she thought about it, the more it was unclear.

She hated that feeling!

«Hello,» Melanie replied. «Sit down, please. This is... This is an old friend of mine and of my husband. He's Luther Clayton.»

«Clayton?» Nate said, even more confused. How could he not know about it? There was someone with his mate's surname among his parents' friends?

«U-uncle?» Lara stuttered, her eyes wide.

She hadn't recognised him, even though he hadn't changed much. His hair wasn't dark like before, but a few grey strands had appeared over the years... Twenty years. She was five when he had disappeared, and his name had been forbidden in their home since then.

«W-what happened to you?» she inquired.

Where had he been?

«You remember me, now?» he chuckled.

Nate was dumbfounded, but she was too confused to explain to him. She didn't even know where to start.

There was an uncle in her early memories, and then, at some point, he wasn't there anymore. She was a child when he left, and she couldn't understand whether he died, ran away, or what...

«I thought you were dead!» she exclaimed, sitting next to him. «Mom said you wouldn't come back ever and not to mention you again! That you did something evil and were punished, but I didn't understand... What could you have done so bad, after all?»

Luther arched his brow. Was she making up an excuse for not visiting over the years?

«I've been in prison,» he said.

He crossed his arms and turned towards the table to avoid looking at Lara. Even though he wanted to see how she had changed, how much of Gracelyn was in her. Did she get her mother's rotten nature or her father's lack of any will?

He wanted to see better how she looked at Melanie's son, to find out whether she could fake interest as much as that woman. But he knew he wouldn't be reliable.

He had seen her as a kid, and he had loved her so much. They would get along so well, wouldn't they? He loved bringing her to amusement parks or just eating ice cream together. She and her brother, he thought. But Lara had been special.

«P-prison?» she repeated, surprised.

Luther nodded, waiting for her to get up and set some distance between them. Was she going to let go of her memories and see the convict instead of her uncle?

«When did you get out?»

«A few days ago.»

«Oh, you should have called! If only I knew, I would have come for you. You should have reached out to me...»

«Reached out? How?»

«Oh, right,» she murmured. But she felt guilty as if she had abandoned him

She was sitting next to him, confused and slowly accepting that he was alive, free, there. It would take her a while to get over the lies she had been told.

«I'm so happy you're all right,» she sighed. «I remember not being allowed to ask; mom would get so angry and tell me you were gone forever. She also said I should never again ask because only naughty girls ask too many q

She didn't seem to mind that Luther had just come out of prison. To her, it was nothing big. But for Nate, the story was different. His mate was sitting next to a potentially dangerous person, and he couldn't find a way to take her away without her complaining.

But it was a threat, and he couldn't allow it. His senses were on alarm, and his eyes never drifted away from the sofa. He didn't even take a step to sit down but stood, ready to intervene.

His eyes were icy, and Luther couldn't suppress his laughter when he noticed. Find more chapters on empire

«Like father, like son,» he said. «Am I wrong?»

Melanie sighed. He was not wrong, indeed.