Gabriel’s warm breath grazed the curve of Alie’s neck, his lips barely a whisper away from her skin when an unexpected sound broke the mont.
A growl from her stomach.
He stopped, then slowly pulled back with amusent flickering in his eyes as he looked down at her belly.
Alie quickly covered her stomach with both hands, her cheeks flushing in embarrassnt.
Gabriel sat up, barely hiding his grin. "I think soone’s more hungry for food than for ," he teased, brushing a thumb over her flushed cheek.
She bit her bottom lip, her eyes playful but shy. "I don’t think lunch is ready yet," she said, pulling herself up and sitting cross-legged beside him.
"You don’t have to wait for lunch," he replied gently. "You can eat sothing light to tide you over." He stood from the bed and began buttoning his shirt, his movents smooth and unhurried. "Stay here. I’ll get you sothing."
Alie caught his hand before he could turn. "You don’t have to—"
"I want to," Gabriel said, leaning down to press a soft kiss to her temple. "My mate and pup are hungry. I can’t ignore that."
He gave her a reassuring smile before heading toward the door, leaving Alie sitting on the bed.
Seeing Gabriel in the kitchen, one of the maids approached him.
"Please bring so fruits," he said.
"Also, start preparing lunch."
"Should I cut the fruits for you, sir?" the maid asked.
"No, I’ll do it myself. Just hand a bowl, a knife, and a plate."
Once the maid passed him the items, Gabriel took them and headed back to the bedroom.
Alie lowered her glass as Gabriel returned to the room. When he sat down on the bed, she raised a brow.
"Are you actually going to cut those? I doubt you even know how. Give it here. I’ll do it," she said, reaching for the plate after setting her glass on the side table.
"Of course I know how," Gabriel replied, brushing her off. "Just stay seated."
He picked up the apple and tried to peel it, but it was clearly a struggle. He hesitated with the knife, squinting as if ntally bracing himself each ti the blade got too close to his fingers.
Alie watched, trying not to laugh as he clenched his jaw and fumbled with the peeling. But more apple ended up wasted than being peeled.
"At this rate, I won’t have anything left to eat," she said, snatching both the apple and the knife from his hands.
"See? This is how it’s done," she demonstrated, peeling it with ease. "You act like such a big boss in front of everyone, and here you are, terrified of a kitchen knife. I can’t believe what I just saw." She shook her head, smiling in amusent.
"Th-That’s not true," Gabriel insisted, still trying to defend himself. "The knife’s the problem. My hands are too big for this small knife."
Alie raised an unimpressed eyebrow. "Just admit your defeat, Prince Gabriel," she teased, lowering her head to slice the apple in two halves, before doing more of it. Then, picking up a piece, she gently pushed it to his lips.
Gabriel bit down and chewed quietly, not eting her eyes.
’You acted like you’ve spent years in the kitchen,’ Valko’s voice echoed in the back of his mind, laced with amusent.
’It was my first ti... I didn’t know it’d be this hard,’ Gabriel replied.
"A, I never asked you before, but... did you use to cook back at your house?" Gabriel asked.
"Yes," Alie nodded with a fond smile. "Mom especially loved the braised chicken I made."
She glanced at him. "You don’t let cook much. Otherwise, I would’ve already spoiled you with plenty of delicious als."
"That’s because I have cooks for that," Gabriel replied with a small smirk. "But I’ll admit, the first ti you cooked for , I genuinely enjoyed it. You really do have so kind of magic in those hands."
"Then it’s decided," Alie said, her eyes lighting up. "I’ll start cooking more often from now on."
She leaned closer and gently pressed a finger against his lips. "And you won’t stop . In fact, you’re going to learn from too."
As Alie pulled her hand back, she popped the another apple slice into her mouth.
"Gabriel, I have a question," she said, chewing thoughtfully.
"Ask away," Gabriel replied, watching her with interest.
"Well... Karn didn’t seem to like much when I first approached you for help," Alie said, a hint of embarrassnt in her voice. "And honestly, no man would’ve liked the way I barged into your life back then."
Gabriel’s brows furrowed slightly. "Why are you thinking about what Karn thinks?"
"It just crossed my mind," Alie admitted. "He’s your beta, soone close to you. I was wondering if he still feels I’m not the right person for you. I an... I want to have a good relationship with the people who matter to you."
"His opinion about you doesn’t matter to ," Gabriel said firmly, holding her gaze steadily. "What matters is that I love you... and Noa."
He reached for her hand and held it gently.
"I wonder if you’re recalling the things he said in the past," he continued, his voice softer now. "But let assure you. Karn would give his life to protect you, simply because you’re mine. That’s how loyal he is as my beta."
Alie simply looked at him.
"Also," Gabriel added with a faint smirk, "Karn doesn’t exactly have a lot of experience dealing with won. I’d say my beta seriously needs soone who can shake up his world a little."
That made Alie smile.
"I hope he does," Alie murmured. "But what’s his type?"
"I’m not entirely sure. I never asked him," Gabriel replied. Then, after a pause, he added thoughtfully, "Though... I think I know. He seems to prefer mature won, definitely not the clingy kind."
Alie chuckled. "Clingy kind?"
Gabriel grinned. "Yeah. Back in the day, we used to hit a few bars. One ti, this woman practically glued herself to him, and he completely lost it. He snapped at her right there."
Alie laughed. "Poor girl. Karn must’ve terrified her."
Gabriel leaned back, amused. "He did. But to be fair, he’s always been private about such stuff. He remains rigid when it cos to won. Whoever ends up with him will have her work cut out."
Alie humd in a thoughtful gaze.
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