Chapter 30
Althea sat sideways on the horse, positioned in front of Gavriel as they rode back with the convoy. Her face was burning red, and it had nothing to do with the wind brushing against her skin. She was still sore from the nonstop intimate exercises Gavriel had with her in the forest!
She kept her gaze low, avoiding eye contact, especially after she’d accidentally peeked into the thoughts of a few guards and servants when they arrived. It was a mistake. A terrible mistake.Particularly Beta Simon. The man stood near the front, receiving orders directly from Gavriel. But his thoughts had been so loud and unfiltered, Althea had unintentionally picked them up.
‘These two reek of sex! I can’t believe our Alpha King—the Alpha King—has turned into a damn beast in heat. Couldn’t he at least wait until we reached the Capital and got settled? Seriously? Did she bewitch him or something p>
Althea’s shoulders stiffened. She wanted to curl into herself and disappear.
Gavriel, of course, seemed completely unbothered. If anything, he looked far too smug, his arms loosely wrapped around her waist as he guided the horse.
“You’re too tense,” he murmured against her ear, his breath tickling her skin.
“Why wouldn’t I be?” Althea mumbled, pouting as she kept her head down. “Look at their gazes… I’m sure they’re talking behind our backs p>
Gavriel let out a short chuckle but quickly sobered. “Let them talk. Who cares what they think? Don’t waste your energy on it.” His voice dropped low as he added, “You’re my breeder. They should expect that I’ll take you—nonstop, however, whenever, and wherever I want p>
Althea stiffened, swallowing hard. His words made her body heat up all over again, especially between her thighs. She shifted slightly in discomfort and cleared her throat. “Are we… going to stop somewhere soon? Maybe an inn? I feel sticky p>
“We’re not stopping,” Gavriel said, his voice firm as his grip around her waist tightened.
“We’ll travel in our beast forms to reach the palace before midnight. There’s no need to rest p>
He paused, his tone suddenly sharpening. “You seem experienced in riding wolves p>
Althea frowned at the sudden change in his mood. “What?” she burst out, turning her head slightly to meet his gaze.
“Tell me,” he hissed, eyes narrowing. “Do you often ride him in his beast form p>
She blinked, surprised by his possessiveness. ‘Could that possibly be jealousy?’ She averted her eyes and shook her head. It was impossible for it to be jealousy.
“No. Only whenever he visited the pack.” Her voice was even, almost emotionless when she answered him.
Gavriel’s horse came to a sudden halt, his jaw clenched tight. His voice barked through the air, “We shift. Now! Everyone either into your wolves or beast forms. I don’t care which p>
He dismounted without another word. Althea followed hesitantly, stepping down and watching as the rest of the convoy eagerly prepared for the transformation.
‘Finally. This entire trip has been dragging on because of that human breeder.’ A servant’s unspoken thought suddenly entered her mind.
Althea’s shoulders tensed. She was already feeling self-conscious, and reading those kinds of thoughts didn’t help.
Melva approached with a cheerful smile, seemingly unaware of the rising tension. “My lady, you can ride with me again! Just like before p>
Althea offered her a small, grateful smile. The werewolves’ wolf forms were significantly larger than those of ordinary wolves, capable of easily carrying a human or larger objects. She also knew that some werewolves could shift into smaller wolf forms, similar to a regular wolf, although not all possessed this ability.
Before she could answer, Gavriel growled possessively, “No. She rides with me p>
Melva quickly bowed her head and stepped back. Althea sighed inwardly. Gavriel’s hot and cold behavior was giving her emotional whiplash. One moment, he was tender, or at least tolerable, and the next, he was snapping at her like she had committed a crime.
Then, with a ripple of energy, he began to shift. Bones cracked, fur spread over his skin, and within seconds, Gavriel stood before her in his beast form. And unlike the others… he was enormous.
His beast form wasn’t just bigger, it was more primal, more regal, and far more intimidating. His thick, dark silverly fur glistened under the setting sun, and his glowing silver eyes locked onto her as if daring her to look away. The power rolling off him was unlike anything she’d felt before.
Even Kael, who had a rare and powerful beast form of his own, didn’t look like this.
Gavriel groaned, then without a word, scooped Althea into his arms and took off running.
She blinked in surprise. Didn’t he say she would ride his wolf form?
Still, Althea didn’t ask questions. Instead, she instinctively curled against his broad chest and thick fur. He was warm and strong, and the steady rhythm of his strides lulled her senses. Before she realized it, her eyes grew heavy and she dozed off in his arms.
Gavriel, now in his full beast form, ran with smooth, powerful strides. Although this form wasn’t as fast as his four-legged wolf form, he chose it for one reason only: he refused to let her ride him like she used to with Kael.
Just the thought made his jaw tighten.
She had wrapped her arms around that man’s wolf form… leaned against him… held him with ease… No. She would never ride him like that!
His grip on her tightened just a little more as his pace quickened. Thıs text ıs hosted at.net
Then, glancing down at the sleeping woman in his arms, Gavriel let out a quiet, disbelieving huff.
“I can’t believe she fell asleep,” he muttered, but there was a flicker of amusement in his tone. Even when he tried to stay angry, she always had a way of softening the edge.
‘This is nothing but that damn mate pull,’ Gavriel told himself firmly.
But Chaos, his inner wolf, wasn’t having it. [I wonder how long you’re going to keep lying to yourself?] Chaos grunted. [She’s already growing on you. Don’t keep blaming everything on the mate pull or our bond p>
Gavriel clenched his jaw, ignoring him, but he could feel the truth of those words sinking in. “No… she’s Cain’s daughter. She carries his blood,” Gavriel reminded himself, his voice low and tight, as if saying it out loud might help him resist what he was feeling.