Page 151 of Chased By My Grumpy Alpha
“The palace staff adores her,” he continues. “She’s constantly making treatments for them—headache remedies for the maids, joint salves for the gardeners, sleep drafts for the guards pulling double shifts. They’d probably riot if anything happened to her.”
I’m stunned. I knew Astra was working in her garden, but I didn’t realize she was treating so many of the palace staff. The knowledge sits uneasily in my chest—another reminder of how much I’ve missed while drowning in all these investigations.
“The royal healers want to meet her, but she’s too…reluctant to leave her little sanctuary.”
The criticism in his tone is unmistakable. My jaw tightens. “She’s safe where she is.”
“She’s stagnating where she is.” Luna meows as if in agreement, the little traitor. “A future queen who can’t navigate court politics is a dead queen, Lucian. You’re setting her up to fail.”
The words land in my chest like lead weights. I want to argue, to tell him he’s wrong, but the truth is, I’ve been so focused on keeping her safe that I haven’t thought about what she needs to thrive in this world.
The Umbra Council looms in my mind—High Inquisitor Draven’s interest in her, the fragments of information about a supposedly extinct bloodline, the way danger seems to follow her like a shadow. How can I expose her to more threats when I’m still trying to understand the ones already targeting her?
“You say the tutors you assigned are being condescending,” I say finally. “If they can’t treat her with respect—”
“Then replace them with ones who will.” His tone suggests that this should be obvious. “But don’t abandon the idea entirely. She needs to learn how to be one of us or she’ll never survive what’s coming.”
What’s coming. The Council’s obsession with her, Draven’s probing questions, the way politics in this kingdom can turn deadly without warning. My father is correct—she needs more than my protection. She needs weapons of her own.
“Fine,” I say, the word coming out rougher than intended. “I will choose new tutors. And if any of them so much as look at her wrong—”
“You’ll eviscerate them, yes, I’m sure.” He scratches Luna’s chin, earning another rumbling purr. “Just remember that she needs to learn how to fight her own battles. You can’t always be there to shield her.”
The thought of not being there to protect Astra makes my insides twist violently. But he’s right. I can’t be with her every moment, and the capital is full of bad actors who will see her perceived weakness as an invitation.
“I’ll handle it,” I say finally.
“See that you do.” He rises from the chair, and Luna protests the loss of her comfortable perch with an indignant meow. “And, Lucian?”
I look up at him.
“Don’t suffocate her with your protectiveness. Your mate is stronger than you think. Stop treating her like she’s made of glass.”
With that, he strides toward the door, Luna trotting after him like a devoted servant. I watch them go, irritation and grudging acknowledgment warring in my chest.
My father is spot on, damn him. Astra is strong—strong enough to stand up to me, to survive everything that brought her to this palace. She deserves better than to be kept in a gilded cage, no matter how beautiful I’ve made it.
But the thought of letting her navigate the court’s treachery without me there to intervene makes my protective instincts roar in protest. Still, she needs more than protection. She needs purpose, respect, the tools to carve out her own place in the kingdom. And I need to swallow my possessive instincts long enough to give her what she needs to thrive.
Even if it kills me to watch her fight battles I can’t fight for her.
I’m still contemplating my father’s words when a measured, professional knock echoes through the office.
“Enter.”
Leon steps through the doorway, his usual composed demeanor intact, but I catch the tension in his shoulders immediately. His blond hair is slightly disheveled, as if he has been running his hands through it, and there’s something grim in his brown eyes that makes my blood run cold.
“Lucian.” His voice is tight. “I have information about your mate’s background. You’re not going to like it.”
I lean back in my chair, every muscle in my body coiling tight. “Tell me.”
Leon moves closer to my desk, his hands clasped behind his back. “I’ve been investigating the Silver Stone Pack’s records, trying to piece together Astra’s family history.”
“And?”
“Her mother, Elena, was the daughter of the previous alpha. She was supposed to marry Gareth in an arranged union to solidify his position in the pack.” Leon’s jaw tightens. “She refused. Instead, she eloped with a rogue shifter.”
The pieces start clicking together in my mind, none of them painting a pretty picture. “Go on.”
