Alpha Alexander

Chapter Thirty-Five

"Why is she not healing?" a harsh whisper greeted me as I slowly faded into consciousness.

"From what you've told me, she nearly severed your mating bond when she went after Leo. The strain could have made the bond too fragile."

"Fragile?" Gabriel snapped in a low voice.

The familiar second voice continued calmly, nonplussed at my mate's harsh tone, "The bond isn't strong enough right now for her to naturally draw on your abilities. It will mend on its own over time, but until then, she will heal as slowly as any other human not mated to a werewolf."

Gabriel didn't respond.

The man cleared his throat. "I guess I should say congratulations."

"Thank you, Gerald," Gabriel said softly. "Once Phoebe's health has improved, we would welcome you and your mate to celebrate with us. I am sure Phoebe would like another human mother to talk to."

Oh, I would. I totally would, I thought. I definitely couldn't see myself talking to my own mother about how Gabriel Jr.'s puberty included growing fur and accidentally clawing couch pillows.

"Chloe would be delighted, but that's not what I was refer to, Alpha Rex."

The sound of metal creaking echoed through the hospital room. "I have not accepted the offer."

"But you will," Gerald said sternly.

Gabriel growled and my body instinctively tensed. "I am not a pawn in your political agenda, Sophos. And neither is my mate. Leave us out of it."

"No, not a pawn," Gerald said fiercely. "You're a king, Gabriel."

"I was your king. The war is over; my reign is finished."

"The war is over, yes, but the mess it left behind isn't going to just disappear. The packs still need you—both of you. If they didn't, they would not have extended the offer to you. Phoebe has done what most would think is impossible for a human. Whether you like it or not, your mate is their Alpha. They need her. And the packs need someone to keep the peace when all hell breaks loose—"

"Leave, Gerald," Gabriel snapped.

The Sophos sighed. "They need your guidance, Gabriel. I won't tell you not to turn your back to them, because I know you're too honorable to do such a thing."

A door opened and then closed.

"It's rude to eavesdrop."

My eyes opened. My mate sat beside my hospital bed, in a metal chair with a prominent dent in the armrest. He stared at me passively, leaning back into the chair. I raised a brow. "It's kind of hard not to when you're talking business in my hospital room."

His jaw clenched and I would have melted if his expression wasn't so serious. Then again, he always looked serious. I sat up shoving the thin hospital blankets off my body and swinging my legs over the edge of the bed. He watched me slip off the bed and into his lap, his arms still crossed over his chest. I stared at him as he continued frowning at me. I poked his forehead. "Why so serious?"

I'll admit, my Joker impression was nowhere near as awesome as Heath Ledger's, but Gabriel did roll his eyes and his frown disappeared as his arms wrapped around me.

I leaned forward until my forehead touched his. "What's going on?"

His thumb traced circles in my back as he sighed. "With Leo gone, the rogues need a new Alpha."

I swallowed. "Me . . ."

"Us," he said strongly. "We will need to relocate them. The packs are growing uneasy because every Alpha wants a different outcome—wants them to be punished for their crimes—and we do not need another war."