9

Gabriella "Why are you here?" I can't help myself from asking angrily. My heart pounds in my chest. My wolf whimpers, torn by her need for her mate, and her loyalty to me. Elijah adjusts himself to sit properly. "How are you feeling?" he asks, his eyes darting over my face while a concerned frown settles on his mouth. I snort. "You're seriously asking me that right now?" He winces and shifts his weight on his hands. His large body practically crowds me against the wall. He's so close that I can smell him. My lungs gleefully drag in more of his spicy, earthy scent. I want to bury my face in his neck, his chest, his hair: anywhere I can drown in that fragrance. "About earlier..." His eyes dart away from mine. "It's not what it seemed like." At the mention of earlier, my rage burns hotter. If he thinks I'm that stupid to pretend like him flirting with other females and kissing their hands was a simple and friendly gesture of a soon-to-be alpha king greeting his subjects, then he's dead f*****g wrong. "Then explain it to me." "I'm sure you have heard the rumors about my ascension." My brows knit together. There have been many rumors, most of which I've mainly chalked up to being just that. Rumors. We may be within Elijah's territory, but we're far away from everyone else. Far enough that we're typically left to our own devices. He glances back at me when I remain quiet. "It's...about my Luna," he admits. "What about it?" "In order to take the throne, I must find a Luna. That's why my advisors are throwing this weekend-long ball." I blink. Alpha Storm had told us all as much—or rather, he'd hinted at it. Heavily. Besides, it's not so much of a rumor as it is a heavy speculation. Obviously the king-to-be would need a Luna by his side. And obviously the coincidence of a ball being held right after it was announced he'd be taking the throne would get people speculating, especially when young females had been requested to attend. "What does that have to do with you flirting at breakfast?" The question comes out harsher than I meant it to. My anger is taking hold of me and not giving me any slack while I try to sort through my conflicting emotions. "And that too with..." I shake my head, trying to keep calm. Linda had been smug alright, when she saw how much Elijah kissing her hand affected me. He sighs. "I know. I'm sorry. It's...my advisors want me to meet as many of you as I can while you're all here. I know it doesn't make any sense, given our...ah, predicament. But this was all put together well before I met you, Gabriella. Or even knew you existed. I swear this isn't a slight against you." For some reason, his words seem to settle me a bit. Sure, I'm still pissed, but it's not the rage I was feeling only moments ago. The explanation makes sense, even if it has me wanting to shift and go claw those other girls' eyes out. But what good would it do to go rabid and attack a bunch of people who never asked to be in my way? I will have fun putting Linda in her place, though. Elijah is right—how could he have planned for any of this when neither of us knew of each other's existence and our bond? I sigh to myself. "Right..." He surprises me by leaning back in order to lift a hand. His fingers lightly brush along my cheek and trace down my jaw. "I'm sorry, Gabriella. Please tell me you haven't been cooped up here since breakfast. Did you even eat?" My stomach clenches at the care in his tone. Does he care? I mean, I am his mate after all. He should care, right? All of this is such a foreign concept to me. No one, besides my dad and Raya, has ever cared for my well-being. No one. And here is this gorgeous alpha with tousled honey-colored hair, deep golden eyes, and a face and body that look like they've been chiseled straight out of a marble statue by a sixteenth-century sculptor, asking about how I'm doing when he's got an entire harem running around his estate. "I ate a few bites," I admit. He sighs, sitting back. "I'll send food up to you." "Wait!" I jackhammer upright and grab at his arm before he can slip off the bed. "Where are you going?" He blinks at me with slightly widened eyes that soon soften. His fingers come up to drag along my skin, this time my bare arm and up to my shoulder. It seems he's more of a touchy-feely alpha, liking that physical connection rather than having a long, drawn-out conversation. "I have to attend to some things with my pack. I will be at the ball tonight. You'll come too, right?" I hesitate. In reality, I really should be telling him absolutely f*****g not. Especially if it means watching over 100 females throw themselves at his feet. But then again...being away from my mate has felt like complete torture. "We can meet after the ball," he says, catching my uneasiness. "Just you and me." I swallow thickly. "Really?" It feels like a trap. I know it shouldn't be, but I'm so used to things kind of going my way, only for them to be snatched right out from under me at the last moment. It's always been Alpha Storm's favorite game to play. "Yes." He cups my face. "I want to see you, Gabriella." My body practically melts into his touch. Damn, he's got me good. If this is all a game to him, then I'm f*****g screwed. Because there's nothing I, or my wolf, can do to stop him. "Okay. I'll be there." He grins. "Excellent."