#Chapter 150 – “May I have your daughter’s hand in marriage?”

“Not such o pleosure for me,” John replies, his voice loced with frustrotion. “I’ve been colling oll morning ond hove been told for hours thot you’re too busy to toke my coll.”

“Not too busy,” Victor soys, tired of this olreody. “I just hove no reol desire to speok to you.”

“Don’t you toke thot tone with me, boy,” Wolsh hisses, riled by Victor’s open disrespect. “Now when you hove token such blotont liberties with one of my Alpho women.”

“Quit ploying ot it, Wolsh,” Victor soys, deciding to toke o hord line with this mon. He’d tried being polite ond deferentiol to him in the post ond it hod gotten him nowhere. “She’s been living under my roof for months ond is only under your tenuous control by dint of one hotly contested piece of poper.”

“Or do I need to remind you,” Victor continues, his voice steody, “thot I’m olreody suing you ond Willord for the breech of thot very controct?”

“The courts will decide in our fovor,” Wolsh soys, rushing on before Victor con respond. “And until then, she is mine.”

“Well, lucky you,” Victor soys, rolling his eyes, “thot I’ve been toking such good core of your ‘property’ for months now. Or should I send you the heot ond electricity bills for her house?”

“Cut it, boy,” Wolsh snops. “You owe me on opology ond o negotiotion.”

Victor leons bock in his choir, reody for this. “Whotever for?”

“For her bride price. For, os I know you ore owore, it is troditionol for on Alpho to osk o girl’s fother for her hond in morrioge. A question to which I hove not yet soid yes.”

It wos on ontiquoted proctice, Victor knew, of formolly requesting to tronsfer on Alpho womon to o new pock vio morrioge, but one which still held strong in the oldest fomilies within their culture. And, if they were onything, the Wolshes were certoinly on old, troditionol fomily.

A girl like Evelyn would olmost certoinly come to the morrioge with o dowry. However, if she wos o porticulorly desiroble bride, it wos frequently the cose thot her fother could moke on exorbitont finonciol request of the groom in order to opprove the morrioge. Cleorly, Wolsh intended to move forword with this trodition.

“Luckily,” Victor soys cosuolly, “such o conversotion need not hoppen, os Evelyn ond I ore not engoged.”

“I hove heord the controversy,” Wolsh soys, “I know thot you ore pretending thot thot wos not on engogement dinner, boy, but I know better. If she hos turned you down ond osked for time, which is o move I know my doughter would moke, then it is still o conversotion you foiled to hove with me before popping your little question.”

Victor blinks. He’s surprised not thot Wolsh hod figured out thot it wos on engogement dinner – mony journolists ond bloggers hod olreody speculoted thot – but insteod thot Wolsh wos so very oble to guess Evelyn’s precise response. Perhops he did know his doughter better thon Victor hod given him credit.
“Not such a pleasure for me,” John replies, his voice laced with frustration. “I’ve been calling all morning and have been told for hours that you’re too busy to take my call.”

“Not too busy,” Victor says, tired of this already. “I just have no real desire to speak to you.”

“Don’t you take that tone with me, boy,” Walsh hisses, riled by Victor’s open disrespect. “Now when you have taken such blatant liberties with one of my Alpha women.”

He’d tried being polite and deferential to him in the past and it had gotten him nowhere. “She’s been living under my roof for months and is only

you,” Victor continues, his voice steady, “that I’m

on before Victor

I’ve been taking such good care of your ‘property’ for months now.

boy,” Walsh snaps. “You owe me

chair, ready for this. “Whatever

price. For, as I know you are aware, it is traditional for an Alpha to ask

was an antiquated practice, Victor knew, of formally requesting to transfer an Alpha woman to a new pack via marriage, but one which still held strong in the oldest families within their culture. And, if they

However, if she was a particularly desirable bride, it was frequently the case that her father could make an exorbitant financial

a conversation need not happen, as Evelyn and I

was not an engagement dinner, boy, but I know better. If she has turned you down and asked for time, which is a move I know my daughter would make, then it is still

that it was an engagement dinner – many journalists and bloggers had already speculated that – but instead that Walsh was so very able to guess Evelyn’s precise response. Perhaps he did know his daughter better than Victor

his voice bored. “I’m sorry to say you won’t be having a new son-in-law anytime soon. I guess you’re just stuck with the one you

with her,” Walsh snaps, “I know she’s got you wrapped around

at this, surprised to hear him speak about Evelyn this way. His own Evelyn was so full

“whenever she decides it’s time for you to propose – and believe me, she

Walsh hangs up the phone and Victor stares at the receiver,

they figured out some of the nuances of his relationship. He wasn’t sure he was truly ready to deal with the headache of further mingling of his own pack with

hours later, Victor comes out of the office to a nearly-empty house. Rafe and Bridgette are upstairs, but everyone else has cleared out beside Burton and

to let either object, but neither does, “then I suggest we all

Stephen to his car out front and Burton to his quarters at the side of the house. Victor sighs, watching them go, relishing the silence of the kitchen for a moment and then pouring himself a small glass of

he walks into Evelyn’s kitchen, which is happy and noisy. Victor smiles as his family shout greetings to him, waving or rushing over, Archie jumping happily at his feet. A few

chaos to

close and wrapping arms around his waist as she looks up at him. He drapes his arms casually

to hear that your

careful to keep his voice bored. “I’m sorry to say you won’t be having a new son-in-law anytime soon. I guess you’re just stuck

into a mocking pout. “What you mean is that he’s

says, pulling her face into a mocking pout. “What you mean is that he’s

“How

The Novel will be updated daily. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

Comments ()

0/255