#Chapter 41 – Appease Him

Olivia’s POV

I leave the hospital shortly after Gabriel’s outburst. I never knew I could see him so angry, his skin almost turning to fur in the hospital hallway. I’m glad he kept it somewhat together, but not that he is off to get Alpha Connor for a love affair that doesn’t really exist. I almost consider removing the mind link to call him back, but I think better of it.

Instead, I pace the foyer in my short, silk nightgown. I figured being at the palace would be enough for him to calm down after his warning earlier. He hasn’t returned and from what the guards tell me, they haven’t heard of him through the link in a while.

I consider the news tomorrow, the countless reports of Gabriel killing off an Alpha of a subpar pack in the middle of the woods. It brings me an ache in my heart to think of how this would affect my charity, my brother Reese’s care, and even how it will affect Gabriel if he kills an Alpha I am not actually having an affair with.

His life, his blood, would all be on my hands.

The palace doors are thrown open, splintering in the process and I pace a step back while my pulse reels in shock. I clutch my heart, feeling the pulse in my eardrums, while the warriors all dash forward, catching my mate as he stumbles, threatening to fall forward. It takes two of them to hold him upright, my eyes bringing me closer to his horrid state.

He has a long gash raging down his side, the blood pooling against his bare body and his bruised, scrapped skin. It doesn’t look like a wolf bite or claw marks, but that doesn’t negate the fact that his wound is dangerously large.

“Gabriel,” I breathe, my voice demure and weak at the sight, and smell, of his fresh, outpouring blood. “Moon goddess—what happened to you, Alpha?”

“Just get me to our room,” he growls, eyeing his warriors and ignoring me outright.

I give him a pass for now, knowing he is still probably furious with me. I accept the fact he will hold onto this anger for a minute and walk with the warriors as they lead him to the bedroom. One of them suggests bringing the royal physician by the palace but I solemnly remind him that Eugene is too wounded to leave the pack hospital right now.

Gabriel plops down on the couch and I wave away the warriors against Gabriel’s behest.

I hurry to grab a towel and dunk it into hot water. I start up the bathtub for now, knowing it will take a long time to fill up its large surface. Bringing the towel back to Gabriel, his head is slouched over the back of the couch, his chest moving slowly as he takes methodically deep inhales and exhales, each breath more weary than the last.

“Gabriel, please don’t pass out,” I groan, pressing the towel to his long, severe gash.

He hisses in response to the hot towel and reacts at last. “Fuck, my dear. That stings.”


“I have to clean it,” I breathe, my hands shaking against his side. I almost feel overwhelmed, my eyes misty as I think of Reese unresponsive in the hospital, Eugene knocked out from surgery and now Gabriel wounded from his attack tonight. “This is all my fault.”

Gabriel grabs my hand, stopping me from tending to his wound, his bloody, muddy palm circling my wrist as he pulls me closer to him on the couch. His eyes narrow, the sight of them so daunting it’s as though I’m staring at the stars in the dark sky above.

“Do not say that,” he says, nearing the line of growling at me. “I didn’t attack that precious Alpha Connor. I was on my way to confront him and I misjudged the ground. I fell off a cliff and hit a dead tree that had grown into the side of the rock. It was my poor judgement.”

I swallow hard, nodding as he finally releases my wrist, leaving his handprint of blood circled around my arm. I brush it off with the towel and press the clean, warm surface back onto his side. He hisses a noise through his clenched teeth and locked jaw.

“So, you didn’t attack him?”

He glowers at me. “Your boyfriend is safe, my dear.”

I look aside, something about that notion making Gabriel lean forward. He reaches for my jaw and clutches it gently, pulling me to stare at him directly. I sink into the couch, my hands pressing the towel into him still, but my gaze stuck on his suffering one.

“Tell me, my dear. Tell me again that it’s true.”

I groan slightly, squirming in his grasp. “What are you talking—”

“Tell me you love another wolf. Just like at the hospital.”

I hesitate, my mind running too fast for me to process my next move carefully. I inhale sharp to reply, to perhaps tell him I made the whole thing up to hurt him, but I never imagined it would lead to a wound like the one he bares now. With my lips parted, no words leave my tongue.

He seems satisfied with that, releasing my chin and wiping my jaw with the clean section of his wrist. “Think you can help me into the bathtub, my dear?” he says, purring in tone.

“Of course,” I breathe.

I set aside the towel and help Gabriel to his feet, his overpowering, towering stance overcoming me instantly but I stagger to keep us both upright. I lead him to the bathroom and try to help lower his bare, solid exterior into the steaming hot water in the bathtub.

The floor is slick and when I finally get Gabriel upright and safe in the tub, I attempt to step back and fetch the soap, my heel catching on the slick tile and sending me forward. My heart drops and so does my body, landing straight into the bathtub and slaying me innocently over Gabriel’s naked lap.

I push my drenched hair aside, my cheeks burning red in embarrassment. “Oh my—”

“Are you okay, my dear?” he barks, helping me sit up in the water. I shiver, my clothes wet and the air cold as I try to stand, his hand catching mine and pulling me back into his warm, settled side. “Don’t get up so fast. Did you hit your head?”

I stare at the King Alpha’s side, the wound healing quickly thanks to his superior genes. “I’m fine, Gabriel. Did I hurt you? Did I hit your cut?”