Page 42 of The Forbidden Alpha

I watched him as he turned back to Adea. The spark was there again. I forced my eyes away, scanning the room as we walked in.

“James.” I nodded toward my Luna. “Do your job.”

I stood by the door, the Beta who enforced the rules once again, but the air had changed. The blond wolf, Gabe, wasn’t looking at me the way everyone else did. His eyes were measuring the distance between my throat and his teeth—marking his territory even in a room that belonged to my King. My wolf let out a warning rattle in my chest. He’s not a friend, Warrick snarled from the back of my mind. He’s a rival.

Chapter 23

Adea

Gabe and I followed the pair inside. The Beta stood by the window, a silhouette against the light, while the doctor began setting up on the bedside table. My heart gave an uneven thud against my ribs; I felt Gabe stiffen beside me. His hand dropped from my shoulder as I moved for the bed. A look flashed in the Beta’s eyes as he tracked the movement.

“Why are you in here?” I asked, my voice hoarse.

The mattress dipped beneath my weight. Odis didn’t answer immediately. His jaw was set in a hard line, and I wished Olivia was here to soothe him. “As I said, I have orders to help you move in. The Table is pushing for the trial to begin later today. They don’t want Shane behind bars a second longer than necessary, and Alpha won’t have you staying on a guest floor while enemies are within the walls.”

“You mean he wants you to guard her and keep her safe,” Gabe said before I could protest. Odis’s gaze darted to him as his fists clenched.

I focused on the doctor. He was younger than I expected, not much older than me. His shoulders were lax—the complete opposite of the rigid tension rolling off Odis. I’d never been seen by one before. He turned to me, stepping into my space. He leaned down to look at me, careful to leave more than enough breathing room between us. “I’m going to keep this as simple as possible. We won’t be doing anything intrusive.”

Relief filled me, and I let out a sigh. He nodded, then lifted my chin with a gloved hand, tilting my head back to inspect the darkening bruises. His touch was gentle and efficient. “Are you hurt anywhere else?”

I could feel the weight of Gabe’s gaze, but I couldn’t look at him as I lifted my hand to my head. He moved my hair out of the way and stopped, his fingers hovering just above the knot on my skull. “Did you lose consciousness last night, Luna? Any nausea or blurred vision this morning?”

I flushed at the title. “I… no, I don’t think so,” I whispered, trying to track his finger as he moved it in front of my face. “Just a headache that won’t stop throbbing.”

He pulled a small penlight from his pocket. “Follow my light,” he said, nodding when I obeyed. “You’ve got a mild concussion. Your brain took a rattle, but you’re tracking well.”

Gabe cursed as he slammed his fist on the wall. Odis gave a sharp nod and the doctor started packing up.

After he asked me a few so-called general questions, he straightened. “After the trials, stay off your feet. The swelling on your cheek will look worse before it gets better, but some ice and rest will have you right as rain in a few days.”

He reached out and squeezed my hand, a brief kindness. The action made me pause, and I looked up into warm, honeyed brown eyes. Could eyes smile? They seemed to. Then he turned to the Beta. “I’ll be outside. Let her pack in peace,” he said, before he headed out.

I looked at the space where the doctor had been, then to Odis. Odis’s glare could have put Gabe six feet under.

“I’ve got this, thanks, Beta,” Gabe said, his voice flat.

Odis’s gaze shifted to me. It was only when I nodded that he dipped his chin. “I’ll be right outside,” he said, before leaving.

Gabe remained standing by the wall, his eyes locked on Odis until the door closed. Then he turned, flashing me a smile, but it lacked the brilliance it normally held. He walked over and sat beside me.

“How are you?”

My breath caught in my chest. “Fate, right? This is what was always going to happen, but had I stayed behind, I wouldn’t have met Ethan.”

“Was he… did he hurt you?” Gabe asked, his knuckles cracking. My eyes dipped to where my best friend’s fists trembled in his lap. “I don’t care if he’s the Mad King, I swear I’ll kill him if he hurt you.”

I couldn’t help it. A giggle escaped and burst free. I’d been on the verge of crying, and now a fit of giggles made me sound crazy. When I was done, wetness coated my cheeks and I grabbed his hand. “Goddess, I love you, Gabby. But I’d hate to see you get killed today.”

“I love you too,” he choked. “But I’m serious.”

“I know.” He smiled at my words.

“Tell me,” he whispered, his voice thick. “Every detail. From the moment we got split up.”

I explained how quickly it had happened. Ethan’s voice, the dance, and him being called away. “I’d needed a break from… the crowd. I stepped out and…” I spared no detail of Shane coming out of the shadows, his hand connecting with my face, and I admitted it wasn’t the first time he’d hit me. My best friend’s scent wrapped around me with his arms, and the dam finally broke.

I buried my face into the crook of his neck as his own tears wet my hair and we rocked back and forth. Two terrified kids who had no one but each other.