Asher sat at his desk, Jael standing behind him as he stared down at the unlikely visitors in his office.
Noah was sat on the chair facing his desk, two High Council representatives standing behind him.
The High Council representatives were familiar and it was ironic to meet them in the same way again.
"Caspian and I aren’t divorced, I want my mate back." Noah pronounced, confidence dripping down his words.
Asher would have honestly taken a visit from Nikolai over this.
He wasn’t worried about Caspian being taken away because that couldn’t happen anymore, he just didn’t want the slow Alpha seated across from him to even lay his eyes on his mate.
"Right, right," Asher murmured with exaggerated understanding. "And you’re telling me this, why?"
"Because I know you have him, and if you don’t let him go, I’ll have the High Council take you down."
Asher flicked his gaze over to the two familiar representatives, both men wisely avoiding his hazel-gold stare.
"Right, right," He continued in that accommodating tone, "And if I say I’m not stopping him from leaving?"
"You’d be lying," Noah leaned back in his seat, pleased that things were going so well.
He knew that all he had to do was get the backing of the High Council, and if he did that, the Mafia King would be shivering in his boots.
He was having the time of his life putting a Mafia King in his place, riding the high of believing that he had backed Mafia King Asher into a corner.
"And that would be the end for you." He concluded, so self-confident his chest was puffing out.
Jael had to bite the inside of his cheek not to break his stoic mask. It was like listening to a child boast of things they didn’t understand.
"This has nothing to do with me or the High Council," Asher spoke carefully so that Noah could understand.
"Caspian left because you treated him horribly. So go ask him or something if he’ll take you back." Asher said dismissively.
He didn’t want Noah within a mile of Caspian but he couldn’t resolve this issue without getting his mate involved.
And he wasn’t going to be so quick to forget the last interaction Caspian had with Noah, he wasn’t too worried about his mate.
Noah straightened up at that, clearing his throat. "Uh, you’ll uh let him go?" He said uncertainly, caught off guard by the Mafia King being so agreeable.
Asher grinned, the expression all teeth and no humor. "I did say I wasn’t holding him captive, didn’t I?"
"Ye-Yes?" Noah stumbled over his words.
"Hell, I’ll take you to him myself, come get your mate back." Asher rose to his feet as he spoke.
The High Council representatives standing behind Noah took hurried steps back, reaching instinctively for their weapons.
Asher didn’t even flick his gaze in their direction, his carefree attitude downright terrifying.
"I will." Noah rose to his feet as well, getting some of his confidence back.
His threat had worked far better than he previously thought, it actually caught him off-guard.
Jael kept to the rear of the unlikely group as they made their way through the back doors of the club.
He got into a car with Asher, driving his Mafia King while their visitors followed behind.
"Are you going to give Caspian a head’s up?" He asked Asher as they drove away from the club.
Asher was already reaching for his phone, "Sure, I will."
Caspian was in the walk-in closet choosing what lacy socks to wear for the night - a very important decision - when his phone rang.
"Asher, hi," He beamed into the phone, tossing a pair of knitted white socks to the side.
"I’m on my way home," Asher’s odd tone made him momentarily forget about the socks.
"Did something happen?" Caspian immediately asked.
"Yeah. Noah showed up to my club with High Council representatives claiming you’re still with him."
Caspian clicked his tongue, the sound heavy with exasperation. "Is he coming with you?"
"Yeah, I couldn’t resolve it by myself."
Caspian rose to his feet from where he was crouched beside a drawer. "I’m not surprised, he has as much brain activity as a geriatric school of fish."
Asher’s held-back laughter was audible in his next words. "I told him I wasn’t keeping you captive, that you left because he was a shitbag, and he’s free to try and get you back."
Caspian was pleased that his mate wanted him to help resolve things, even if the issue was all about him to begin with.
"I’d love to see him try." He muttered, "Are you almost home?"
"Give or take, ten minutes."
Caspian crouched to reorganize the socks, he was dressed in one of his cozy little tops and shorts, and he had no intention of changing into something else.
The conversation wouldn’t even get into the mansion, he would step out to deal with it before then.
So as soon as he was done putting away the socks, he started out of the bedroom, wearing only bunny slippers.
Caspian made his way downstairs and to the front doors, stepping out just as the gates were opened to let a trio of cars in.
He stood on the top stair with his arms crossed and waited for the inevitable confrontation.
Noah was really bold to try coming back after what his mom did, and Caspian knew that it would take a lot of self-control not to kick him right in the balls.
He came down a step when Asher strode over to him, immediately recognizing the representatives from the High Council.
He didn’t expect that they would send over two of the three men that he previously met.
A twinge of anxiety fluttered through him, worried that he might be recognized and hoping it wouldn’t bring back issues from the past.
There was also a chance they already knew it was him, because things kind of blew up in everybody’s faces back in Moonstone.
"Will you go back to work after this?" Caspian asked in hushed tones. going easily when Asher pulled him into his arms.
"Unfortunately." Asher muttered, his voice heavy with disapproval.
When his mate stepped away, Caspian could now see Noah, who had hurried over, with indignation on his face.
Caspian closed the rest of the distance between them, his fear of the Alpha long gone.
"What do you want?" He demanded, displeased.
Noah would reply if his mouth wasn’t hanging so low it almost touched his chest. "You were marked?"
Caspian dipped his head low, although he knew he couldn’t see his own mating mark. "Oh yeah, you should also get one, it’s really nice."
Noah gritted his teeth at that, "But we’re mated. That’s cheating."
Caspian froze for a second and then laughed out, the pealing sound brightening the reddening sky.
"Right, it is. I cheated." He admitted seamlessly.
Noah was at a moment’s loss, Caspian admitting to that wasn’t part of his plan.
"A-And you’re not supposed to, so we’re getting a divorce!" He practically yelled out.
Caspian’s smile was serene, "Sure, where do I need to sign?"
"W-Wait!" Noah exploded, stammering harder the more things went wrong. "That’s not what I want."
"I don’t care what you want," Caspian handed to him, "If you don’t know how to arrange for a divorce, I’ll spare you the trouble." He concluded, already starting for Asher.
Noah took a step forward, starting to realize that he might have had less of an upper hand than he thought. "So you’re just going to abandon Moonstone?"
Caspian turned around, "If you wanted to reminisce, you shouldn’t have come to me."
"Moonstone is essentially without an Alpha; it’s your hometown and your pack. Moonstone needs you."
Caspian was frankly impressed by Noah being able to string that many sensible words together.
"So you came to find me because you can’t run the Pack alone?" He bluntly asked.
"Well, you got my mom put in fucking prison, and my dad shot himself, so someone’s gotta do it."
Caspian massaged the sides of his head. "Look, I don’t want to hear your sob story. I’m not a part of Moonstone pack anymore, go ask someone else."
"You’re really not going to help me?" Noah demanded; the bully who was always under his skin coming back.
Caspian walked right up to his face, "No." He said decisively, "So fuck off."
Asher stepped forward and put himself in between them then because Noah had been about to reach for Caspian.
"Take him away, or you are all getting shot." Asher tossed to the High Council representatives, his jaw clenched with how much effort it took not to lunge at Noah.
Lance and Platt got with the program, holding the Alpha’s arms.
Caspian pressed himself to Asher’s side with a bright smile, unshaken by Noah’s reaction.
"I’ll be waiting for the divorce papers, Noah." He called to the Alpha as he was being pulled away.
"That way, you can mate someone that’ll run the Pack, and everybody wins!" He beamed, waving him bye.