Chapter 154
We’d just eaten at a steakhouse in town and I was so full that even my breaths were tipping the scale to nausea. Gabe was on his phone half the ride back to the palace and the other half was spent discussing Kiera and how they planned to make the adjustment as painless as possible for her. It quickly dawned on me that they didn’t have a plan, I don’t think they’ve ever done anything the painless way- inflicting as much pain as possible with little to no remorse was their chosen way to do things so they would need to rewire their brains for this one.
We drove up to the palace and even though I’d been gone for nearly four hours and the sun was setting over the roofs and casting a shadow over the fields, I dreaded walking back in.
I needed someone to tell me how to act because I was in escape mode- run away and never look back. This whole ‘figuring everything out’ and ‘inner- healing’ bit was bringing me more dread than anything else. Darian would be in there, hopefully he’d be so caught up in royal duties he’d missed in his time away that he wouldn’t come to bed.
The driver opened the door and stood like a warrior as we got out. He didn’t look at me when I smiled at him or acknowledge my ‘thank you, maybe he wasn’t allowed to.
That’s sad, and I would feel even worse if I didn’t know that he conversed with the other drivers- at least he wasn’t alone.
We were heading in when I realized that I had forgotten the bags in the car and turned around. Gabe walked into the palace and I hurried down to the car where the driver stood with the bags in his hand and a small smile stretched his lips when he saw me running back.
“Thank you, again,”
He didn’t say anything but there was a slight bow of acknowledgment before his lips turned back to their earlier firm line.
At least I had some nice new items, I was especially excited for the royal blue satin pajamas.
The leaves crunched under my feet and I drew a deep breath of the fresh air. Whenever seasons were about to change, I could always smell it before I saw it.
The air was fresher, colder, and heavier with scents of everything in nature slowly dying.
I took my time walking up to the palace doors, making sure to inhale a few good breaths seeing as I didn’t know what nightmare awaited me inside.
The warm air inside the palace circled me like a hug and caressed my arms. Trixy was purring, pleased with the day we’d spent with Gabe. He did the impossible today; he made me forget.
I walked down the hall about to turn and head upstairs to leave my things when I heard Gabe’s voice coming from around the staircase.
The least I could do was thank him for today, he turned my mood around and kept me distracted from my thoughts.
But where was he?
I headed around the stairs and toward another hallway.
“It’s strange to have the princess back, we never heard her say full words before Ophelia took her. Imagine the shock when everyone finds out that there’s an heir to the throne,” It was someone else who said that, probably a Guard.
“All in due time, nobody needs to know just yet. Not until she’s settled in and we’re increasing patrol around the palace to make sure that she remains safe,” Gabe’s voice was commanding and strong.
“We’ve been briefed, I’m taking three more shifts and we’ve moved a few of the combat squad from the Old Town border to fill out the gaps around here. There’s no place then inside these walls,”
I saw them now that I rounded the corner and smiled while I walked over.
“You have your orders then,” Gabe said, slamming the Guard on his shoulder and the Guard bowed his head in respect.
“I heard you do too, babysitting the King’s mate. Man, I wish I would’ve been ordered to do that, would’ve gladly been paid to go shopping,” he chuckled and raised his head. His eyes locked on mine, he saw the exact moment I stopped in my tracks like I’d walked into a wall, and his jaw dropped to the floor.
1/2
Chapter 154
“Shit,” he groaned and flickered his eyes over Gabe before he cleared his throat and disappeared around the corner- scratching the back of his head as he
left.
Babysitting the King’s mate, that’s what he said. I’m the King’s mate, Gabe was babysitting me.
The Guard was gone, and Gabe still stood with his back toward me. His head fell and he dropped the bags from his hand.
That’s one way to ruin an entire day, not one I ever thought of but here we were. Gabe didn’t want to spend time with me, he wanted to follow the King’s
orders.
His brother told him to watch me, so he did- my mate, my King, my worst headache.
“Turn around,” I ordered.
Gabe slowly shifted his feet and turned to face me.
“What he said is not-”
“Stop. Talking,” I said.
His face fell, his jaw clenched and the Guard did well in running off.
“I was a job to you today. You knew which cards to play, and which buttons to push because you know me now, you know me so well that you can manipulate me. You and Darian have a lot more in common than just your last name,” I spat.
“Yes, he ordered me to follow you today but it doesn’t mean that I didn’t want to, if you’ll just-”
I scoffed and raised the bags and threw them across the floor but they flew right past him- not that I wanted him to get hit, or maybe I did but it was
clothes so it wouldn’t have hurt.
“Where is he?!”
Gabe shook his head and reached out his hands.
“Hazel-”
“WHERE IS HE?!”
He bit down on his tongue and brushed it over his teeth.
“Bedroom,”
The Alpha’s Hunt
