Page 37 of Abandoned By My Alpha Husband

Like a button had been pressed, the other two started yelling too.

"Yeah! She taught us!"

"It was her—"

I glanced sideways. Elena held Liam's shoulder, fingers tightening then releasing. She didn't explain. Just looked at me, tension and... hope in her eyes.

She was waiting for me.

"My God," Lina covered her mouth. "Elena, how could you? Liam, come here, let me check if you're hurt." She tried to pull Liam, but he twisted away.

I ignored Lina and faced the three kids. Gave a cold laugh. "Her?"

"She nearly died saving Liam." My tone stayed calm, but anger burned hotter inside. "She almost took that knife through the heart. You think she'd turn around and humiliate him?"

The kids stood there speechless.

"Do you know who she is?"

The children stared silently.

"She's Reserpine's Luna." My voice didn't rise, each word deliberate. "You're standing in front of me, pointing at my wife, saying she's hurting my son?"

My wife.

The instant those words left my mouth, from the corner of my eye I saw Elena's eyes go wide. Something warm flooded through me. The phrase had slipped out so naturally—like it was meant to be.

The garden went dead silent. The three kids looked at each other, faces white. The boldest one choked out "Sorry, Luna," nearly crying. The others echoed him. But Elena crouched down, pulled Liam from behind her, gripped his shoulders, and turned him toward the three children. She didn't speak for him. Didn't defend herself. Just held his shoulders and made him stand in the sunlight.

"Who should you be apologizing to?" Elena's voice was ice.

The kids lowered their heads, one by one saying to Liam, "Sorry." The timid one was already crying.

"You can go." I stared at them, moved to Liam's other side—flanking him with Elena, becoming his support together. "I'll be speaking with your fathers. They'll teach you some manners."

The kids bowed and ran off, footsteps quickly fading behind the hedges. Elena's back suddenly went soft. I caught her as she fell into me. Lina turned to look at me.

"You're not healed yet," I said, chest tight. "Why'd you come out here?"

"I wanted some air," Elena said quietly. Liam held her hand.

Sunlight came from behind her. She looked smaller than she had days ago—I hadn't noticed when she was lying in bed those five days, but now that she was standing, I could wrap my arms completely around her.

I bent and lifted her without hesitation. She weighed less than I expected—light enough to make something in my chest clench.

"You've lost weight," I said, thinking of before the Grays took her back, when she'd been working odd jobs. She must have suffered a lot.

"I—" Elena tried to get down. "I can walk."

I frowned. "Stop talking." Her body was so soft. I wanted to hold her.

Elena went still in my arms, stopped struggling. Her fingers rested on my shoulder, cool through the fabric. I watched her ears turn red and couldn't help smiling.

"We're going back. You need rest."

"I wanna come too."

Liam spoke up suddenly.