The Unfortunates | COMPLETED

Part 5

"You're not as clever as you two think you are," Marie smirks, laughing a little as she observes her son hiding in the kitchen with her.

"What do you mean?" York hisses, shushing her as they peek out the kitchen door and watch Richard walk into one of the conference rooms with Avery and Roman, the former looking smug, and the latter still looking a bit lost.

"So where are your guards, oh all-mighty Alpha Lancaster?" Avery grins, throwing herself into one of the spinning chairs around the table.

Richard clears his throat, sending a silent message to his daughter to behave, and she shuts her mouth and sits up properly. Her dad is rarely serious with her, so she knows to zip it and pay attention.

She still doesn't appreciate that she's been left entirely in the dark about whatever is about to happen. 

Richard throws a set of clothes at Roman, and he catches them with an appreciative look on his face, walking into the bathroom to change, and emerging in under a minute, the dress pants and button-up shirt hugging him as though they were painted on.

Avery stares at him, enjoying the view.

They all sit around the table, Avery at the head, Roman on her right, and Richard on Avery's left.

"What I am about to ask involves both of you," Richard begins, looking very hesitant to open his mouth.

"I want your help in finding the Unfortunate Alpha, Roman," he announces, and Roman's brow furrows for a second.

What did he just say?, Sonya gapes. 

Honestly, I have no idea, Avery responds to her wolf, equally baffled. 

"Why?" He asks, raising his brow, clasping his hands on the table in front of him.

Avery also leans forward, curious about what her father is going to say.

"Because I want to arrange a meeting between him and Avery," he states, and Avery bolts out of her seat, her face turning scarlet.

"Dad," she snarls, looking ready to leap at him and scratch his eyes out.

Roman senses this and leaps out of his seat too, making her sit back down, and leaving his hands on her shoulders, staring at Richard evenly.

With Richard involved, it wouldn't be a friendly meeting.

It would be a meeting he set up with the intent of having his daughter find somebody.

Richard was a great dad, and he never let anyone say a bad word about Avery's status - but he had never stopped trying to find her somebody, even when she begged him to leave it alone and wait for nature to take it's course.  

"I won't set that up without Avery's consent," Roman states, and the older man twitches, two sets of eyes boring into him.

"Roman, I am asking you, Alpha to Alpha," Richard says, standing up and staring at the other man.

"Richard, I am asking you, as a father, to consider what you are asking me and what this says to Avery," Roman responds, letting go of Avery's shoulders as he feels her standing up.

Avery is shaking with rage, and she points a finger at her father.

"Avery-" he tries, and she shakes her head, her face scrunched.

"I don't care, you had absolutely no right," she growls, and Richard's face crumbles, walking towards his daughter, but Roman stands in between them.

"With all due respect, Richard, I think she needs to cool off," Roman says quietly to the man, keeping an eye on Avery in case she springs at her father, "she attacked me an hour ago, and her wolf isn't fully healed yet."