Forbidden Alpha - Chapter 169

Adea

When I woke up, the room was dark, a little bit of light shined through the windows from the crescent moon. I remembered I had another hour of jokes with Gabe before I started to yawn. Gabe demanded I rest, he caressed my hair and I quickly dozed off. There was no longer a blonde in the chair by the bed. My eyes took in my mate’s large frame, the moonlight lit up his chiseled chest, his head rested against the chair at his back.

“Ethan,” my throat was dry and my voice came out choked. He sat up quickly and grabbed the water off the table. He slid onto the bed and helped me sit up. I took the water with a slight smile, which he didn’t return. I tipped my head back and drank the water down, my thirst wasn’t quenched until I finished the cup.

My mate took the cup from me and placed it on the table. He took a deep breath before exhaling deeply and turned to face me. The angry expression on his face left me quiet. I didn’t know what to say. I searched his face for an explanation, I didn’t want him to be angry.

“What were you thinking?” Ethan asked, his voice low and accusing. The muscles in his jaw flexed as he clenched his teeth. I knew I looked like shit but my body was healing. I’d been training, he knew that, and despite how I looked I felt a lot better than I had a few hours earlier.

“What do you mean?” I asked.

“Don’t play with me, Adea. Don’t act like you don’t know what I’m talking about,” Ethan growled. “I don’t have the patience for this. Gabe said you were fine but when I get back the first thing I see is you passed out. Why wasn’t I told of your condition? I should have been called the moment you were knocked out on the field.”

“I was resting,” I said. I rested my hand on top of his. He didn’t move to hold my hand but he didn’t move it away either. I knew he’d be upset but I didn’t think he’d be angry. I thought I would be able to heal a bit before he got home but I’d been wrong.

“I’ve been sitting by your side for the last few hours. You never woke up, you didn’t so much as stir. Before Gabe left, he assured me that you had woken up.” He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply. “He brought you to the room and you’d still been passed out. Why didn’t Doctor James tell me? Why didn’t you tell me when you woke up? Why did Gabe keep this from me? How can I leave you in his care if I can’t trust him to keep you safe?”

“That’s not fair and you know it,” I said. “I’d trust Gabe with my life. I asked Gabe not to make a big deal of it.”

“When was this?” Ethan asked. “Before or after you passed out?”

“Gabe knew what I would want.”

“What about what I want?!” Ethan said angrily. “Look at you! I didn’t assign them as your bodyguards for them to sit by while you got beat up!”

“Where’s Gabe?” I asked.

“I sent him to his room when I arrived,” Ethan said.

“What did you say to him before he left?” I asked. Ethan looked at me with an expression I hoped wasn’t guilt. “What did you say to him?”

“I was angry, I dismissed him from his duty for today. I told him we would speak tomorrow.”

“I was training, Ethan. I wasn’t in any danger. I woke up in bed and Gabe explained what happened. I didn’t think… I should have linked you. I’m sorry,” I said. His shoulders dropped an inch and I knew his anger was dimming. “Don’t be mad at me.” Ethan sighed and shook his head slightly.

“I’m not angry at you,” he said quietly.

“During training, I am not their Luna, I am just like every other warrior out there who needs to test their limits and be tested. It was not their place to step in during training. Had she been trying to kill me, yes but I was in no real danger, Ethan.”

“I understand that but this,” he said waving at my body, “is too much. I can’t stand to see you like this. There was no reason for it to get this far. Gamma should have stepped in.”

“Why?! I don’t get to have special treatment. She assigned me to someone she knew would be a challenge. I got my ass kicked today but that only shows me how much harder I need to work.”

“Stop being so stubborn, Adea!” Ethan said in frustration. “You will always have someone by your side, me or your guards. I’ve seen you fight and I know you can handle your own. On top of you being able to put up a fight, why can’t you trust in us to protect you?”

“It’s not that I don’t trust you,” I said as I caressed his cheek. “I don’t just need to be able to put up a fight. We’ve talked about this before. Can you honestly say that I could hold my own against you in a fight?” I asked. Ethan blinked and I knew by the expression on his face that he knew I couldn’t.

“Shane may not be an Alpha anymore but he has alpha blood in his veins. I need to be strong, I have to be able to fight. I want to be able to defend myself against the strongest warrior we have. If I’m ever in the position of weakness against Shane, I need to know I’ll be able to defend myself. I have to be able to take him down.”

“Okay,” Ethan murmured as he held my hand and kissed my palm. I didn’t realize I was trembling. “Just please, I can’t come home and see you like this. Don’t let it get this far… next time.”

“Next time?” I said hopefully.

“Next time,” Ethan nodded. “But you need to promise me you’ll tap out or something when you know you’ve lost.”

“I promise,” I smiled. I flinched slightly when the pain in my cheek got worse. The swelling had gone down but it was still bruised.

Ethan lifted the blanket and slid beside me. His arm slid behind me and I rested my head on his chest. He lifted me as if I were as light as a feather and he laid me down. He pressed a kiss lightly to my temple and his fingers caressed my arm.

“I love you,” Ethan said.

“I love you,” I whispered as I fell asleep to the thrum of his heart.