Page 23 of The Alpha's Stolen Mate

No.

I couldn’t even consider the possibility of Summer being severely ill.

But why else would Healer Elijah have sent her away if there wasn’t something horribly wrong with her?

My stomach churned with anxiety as I checked my phone again.

Nothing.

No news from Summer or her parents.

I continued to walk the same path on my floor, idly wondering if I’d eventually make a rut in the floor.

Summer’s well-being was my top priority, but my brain couldn’t help but agonize over the two gigantic issues that had been eating away at me this past month—my political marriage to the Alpha King’s daughter and the fear of Summer being exiled. If I couldn’t find a way out of my arranged marriage with Olivia—a deal that would help protect us from the Rogues—because we’d made love, Summer could be exiled from the pack for obstructing this marriage. Even if it was just that once, some of our Elders might consider it breaking wolf law.

Ever since Summer and I spent the night together, I’d been racking my brain, trying to find a way that I could protect my pack without the help of the king to ensure that I could be with my Mate—also to ensure Summer wouldn't be exiled. I’d spent many nights at my desk, contacting Alphas of tribes WaterLock was aligned with, but none of them could spare any warriors.

Next, I thought about bringing in warriors from the Pyregate Kingdom—their soldiers were known for being strong and formidable—but I didn’t have the money or the resources to do so.

How was I going to make sure WaterLock was protected and have Summer in my life at the same time? If I didn’t marry Olivia, my pack wouldn’t be protected from the threat that seemed like it was breathing down our necks, ready to pounce at any moment.

Two days ago, another Rogue wolf attack occurred. When I heard the news, it made me dizzy with fear. The victim had been a seventeen-year-old girl with long black hair. The Rogue had killed her slowly, dragging out her pain.

Even if Summer wasn’t sick, she was still in danger of being harmed by one of those monsters—for a second time.

And what if Summer was exiled because we spent the night together?

One week ago—during one of our family’s nightly dinners that Axel had made a rare appearance for—I’d asked my father if a member of our pack were to interfere with my marriage with Olivia, even if it were in a small way, what would happen to them.

My father gave me a suspicious look, then explained that the pack member would be exiled without trial since they had knowingly put our pack in danger. Our entire pack knew about the Rogue wolf threat, and if they were to hinder our deal with the Alpha King—in any way—then they would be breaking wolf law.

Then, Axel had said something that made my stomach drop and caused cold dread to wash over me.

My brother said, “Don’t worry, Gabriel, if someone were to stand in the way of your marriage with Olivia, I’d kill them myself. Isn’t that my job as your Beta?”

He had said it like a joke, but there had been a flash of violence in his eyes that made me choke on my dinner.

His words had been another reason I hadn’t told him about me and Summer sleeping together.

No one could find out that Summer and I had had sex.

What if I wasn’t able to stop the Elders from exiling her? I would follow her into the woods, of course. And so would her parents. But could four of us really survive hungry packs of Rogue wolves? They would sense we weren’t like them and single us out.

The memory of Summer being bitten by that Rogue wolf haunted me. Her piercing screams of pain plagued my nightmares. And the image of her lying on the rock, not knowing if she was going to survive, exploded into my mind.

What if I couldn’t save her a second time? Summer couldn’t be exiled. It would be more damning than a death sentence.

The weight of my worries crushed me until I was suffocating under their pressure.

A knock on my bedroom window interrupted my racing mind.

Could it be…

I whirled around before I finished that thought. The sight of Summer standing outside made my body numb with relief. Rushing to the window, I threw it open, the pane of glass vibrating dangerously.

“Summer, I'm so happy to see you,” I said and helped her inside.

When Healer Elijah told Axel and me to leave the hospital earlier today, the Mating bond urged me to push past the healer and see if my Mate was all right with my own eyes. Ultimately, I fought the bond and left the hospital, assuring myself that Healer Elijah and her parents would take good care of her.

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