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.
The heavy thud of Odis’s knuckles against the doorframe snapped us apart. He pushed the door open, his dark gaze scanning the room before settling on our joined hands. “Ten minutes,” he rumbled.
I swiped the wetness on my cheeks and started to stand, but Gabe’s hand was firm on my shoulder, pushing me back down. “Sit,” he commanded. “Didn’t you hear the doctor? You’re not all there. Stay put. I’ll get everything.”
“Gabe, I can—”
“I’ve got it. You didn’t bring much anyway,” Gabe interrupted, standing abruptly and facing the Beta, his chin tilted up in a silent challenge.
I sat there, watching them move. It was the natural thing to do—the standard protocol. In our world, once a mate is identified, the board is reset. The two become one. It didn’t matter that I didn’t know Ethan; the law of the pack and fate had already decided I was his.
It was quick. Gabe picked up my bags as I turned to Odis and found him watching. “Follow me, Luna.”
We got into the elevator and he pressed a smooth, unmarked button that lit up. When Odis pressed his thumb to a hidden scanner, the doors closed. When they opened, Gabe turned to me as his eyebrows rose. I laughed quietly and nodded.
We walked down the hall and into the living room I hadn’t had a chance to see earlier. Gabe set the bags down and I grabbed his arm.
“Everyone will be leaving tomorrow, but I’ll be staying behind with you. I was a witness to… before. Alpha Ethan has given me a way to make amends,” Gabe said.
I hugged him, the relief nearly bringing me to my knees. “It’s selfish of me, but I’m happy you’re not leaving yet. Thanks, Gabe.”
“I’d stay behind regardless,” he murmured.
Odis cleared his throat, standing in the hall between the elevator and the room we were in. “We have things to talk about.”
“Okay, yeah,” I said, releasing him.
“I love you, Ady. You have your phone?” Gabe asked.
I nodded. “Somewhere, I’ll find it.”
“Call me if you need anything. I won’t be far,” he said before turning and walking to Odis.
The Beta pulled something from his jacket pocket and offered it to me. I took my phone from him. “I found it this morning.”
My throat tightened as they headed for the elevator and panic flared. The fortress walls were beginning to feel like a gilded cage, and I couldn’t be left alone here. Not yet. “Wai—”
The elevator pinged before I could finish, the doors sliding open to reveal a figure standing inside. All three of us turned to her.
The Gamma.
Olivia lurched out of the elevator, her nostrils flaring. Her eyes weren’t the commanding gold of an Alpha. Instead, her gray irises bled away, replaced by a glowing silver that shimmered with an intent that made the hair on my arms stand up.
She stopped dead, her gaze pinning us to the spot, wild and unhinged.
“MATE.”