Chapter 26: The Preparation

I wanted to meet Cameron in the living room of Alpha Fred’s house, but a servant bowed at me at the door. It seemed he was waiting for me as he was pleased to see me.

“Delta Nathanael?”

“Yes.”

“Beta Cameron asked me to let you know he’s waiting for you in his room.”

I raised my eyebrows. “Oh, and where is his room?”

“Follow me, sir.” The servant showed me the way to a medium-sized house. “Beta Cameron is inside. Do you need anything else?”

I shook my head. “No, thank you.”

The servant bowed and left me. I opened the door. Cameron sat on the couch in the living room, shutting his eyes. When he heard the door’s sound, he opened his eyes.

“Hey, Nate. So, how was it?”

“Can we talk in your room?”

Cameron shrugged. “I don’t have any room, but you do.”

I frowned. “Aren’t we supposed to stay the night here?”

“Only you.”

“Huh?” What happened? Why it was only me who must stay here. I didn’t understand.

“Alpha Fred accepted your dowry and my apologies. So, I can return to our pack. Yet, he will wait for Lisa’s answer about you. If she accepts you, it’s final. After that, you will be his mate and Alpha Fred’s son-in-law.”

“As easy as that?” I creased my forehead.

“I don’t know, but I guess Alpha Fred’s interest is more to do with the alliance between our pack and his. So, maybe for him, it doesn’t matter whether you or I will be Lisa’s mate.” Then Cam stopped and stroked his chin as if he noticed something. “Nate, what’s wrong?”

Cam truly knew me well. “Let’s go to my room.”

We walked to the only bedroom provided in the house. It was a large and luxurious room, perfect for a distinguished guest. Two couches and a table were there too. So, we sat on the couches.

“What’s wrong, Nate?” Cam asked me again.

“I don’t know. But I got the impression that Alpha Fred isn’t easy to accept such a thing.”

Cam shrugged. “Maybe he only wants to see Lisa happy.”

“I doubt it. As you will return soon, please let our father know I will do my best.” I sighed. Suddenly, I felt so tired.

“Nate? Is there something else you want to tell me?”

I hesitated to tell Cam, but he’s my best friend and now my brother. So, after taking a deep breath, I told him, “It’s about Lisa. She wanted me to do something against my principles.”

“Huh? Is it bad? I mean, will it involve your loyalty to our pack?”

I laughed and shook my head. “Nah, not like that. It’s between her and me.”

Cam scratched his head, but then his eyebrows rose. “What? Did she ask you to not touch her?”

“I wish.”

“Whoa! Did she ask you to touch her?”

“Yeah, and more.”

Cam laughed aloud and patted the couch. “Wow! I can imagine how amazing your night will be. Enjoy it, man!”

“But I want to do it when we have been officially mates.”

“Nate, maybe it’s a way to ensure her to be yours. But then, if you mate with her, she can’t back off the deal. So I think you have been given gold in your hands.”

“You think so?” I raised my eyebrow again.

“Yeah! What did she say?”

“Uh, well, she wanted to ensure our compatibility.”

“Hmm, I think she has already had a lot of experiences. Then you must do your best.”

I let out a long sigh. “True. The problem is ….”

“Hm?”

“It’s my first time.” I scratched my nape as it was embarrassing to admit it to Cam.

“What?!” Cam gaped, but then he moved and sat next to me. “I will guide you, then. Don’t worry.”

For the next fifteen minutes, Cam taught me everything he knew about how to please women in bed. Of course, I tried to remember all he said.

“Nate, don’t overthink this.”

I breathed hard. “There’s a lot of pressure tonight. If I fail, it will ruin everything. While she is my mate, I don’t want to disappoint her.”

“Hey, listen to me. Don’t overthink when you are with Lisa. You like her, don’t you?”

I nodded. “I do. Lisa is too good to be true. She is beautiful, bold, and honest. Well, I can’t deny she is stubborn and spoiled—well, just a little- but I can understand that. I even like her because of that.”

Cameron grinned. “Oh, boy. My brother falls in love with his mate! It will be great to see your relationship turn into a real one from a political marriage.” Then he patted my back. “About tonight, you only need to remember that she’s yours, and you only do your best to make her happy.”

I nodded. What Cam said was right. “Yep. I can’t deny how surprised I was when my wolf confirmed Lisa as my mate. But Lisa’s wolf has confirmed nothing. That’s why she wanted me to mate with her.”

Cameron frowned. “I have heard nothing about mating with someone will help our wolves to confirm whether she is our mate. But then, who knows?” He shrugged. “Maybe it’s a way to do it.”

“I have known nothing about that, either.” I almost told Cam about Lisa’s ex, but I stopped before blurting it out. It was her privacy.

“Okay, then. Have a bath and prepare for dinner first. You must look good when you meet with Alpha Fred and Lisa again,” Cam said.

“You will stay until dinner, right?”

“Yeah. Then I will return. Alpha Fred has agreed. But you must stay at least two or three days.”

“It’s a good arrangement. I can get to know Lisa better in two or three days.”

“Nate, though you don’t like to do it before the marking ceremony, there’s an advantage if you have mated with Lisa.”

“Hm?”

“Your bond with her will be stronger. Besides, sexual compatibility is important in a happy relationship.”

I shrugged. “Thanks for trying to ease my conscience. But my mother told me not to play with girls. So I feel guilty that I can’t follow her advice.”

“Hey, your mother will understand. Besides, Lisa is no longer a girl. She is a woman, and she’s the one who asked you to get to know her better. Though she told you a stupid reason, you can think of another perspective. Remember what Father said. She even helped you to do what Father said.”

I could only let out a sigh. “Okay. I know I overthink about it. I will take a bath first. Thanks, Cam!”