As Alie stepped back into her private chamber with Noah, she was t with an unexpected, yet welco, sight of Gabriel, who had returned too.
"Da!" The single word, a pure expression of delight, slipped from the little pup’s lips the mont his eyes landed on his father.
A warm smile touched Gabriel’s mouth. "Yes, Daddy is back," he murmured, instantly closing the distance between them. He gathered Noah into his big arms. The pup’s tiny hands instinctively reached up, cupping Gabriel’s cheeks as he gurgled happily, finding imnse, simple joy in the contact.
Gabriel kept his voice low, his eyes eting Alie’s over Noah’s head. "I will be leaving this evening," he revealed. "You have to be on alert until I return. Do not accept anything from anyone, especially objects like jewelry or gifts. And most importantly, do not let any unfamiliar people near you or Noah."
Alie humd, telling him not to worry.
Alie watched the sweet interaction between father and son for a mont, then gently steered the conversation back to her worry. "Did you talk to Sage yesterday?" she asked.
Gabriel shifted his attention, still holding Noah securely. "Huh? We only talked when you and Kate were together," he replied, watching Noah’s tiny fingers busy themselves with the buttons on his shirt. His brow furrowed slightly. "Did sothing happen?"
"You tell if Sage told you sothing odd," Alie said, her tone laced with worry. "Kate and I were conversing, and he heard it. He completely misunderstood Kate." A sigh escaped her. "Last night, they even argued, and Sage said so harsh words to her."
Gabriel looked displeased. "He was talking about Kate not trusting him. I told him about the ss Nick fell into." He frowned, his voice taking on a warning edge. "Let them solve it on their own. Why are you getting involved?" He clearly did not want Alie intervening, especially in his sister Katelyn’s ssy relationship.
"Kate is my friend. She was crying earlier," Alie pronounced, her voice soft with sympathy. "I’ve never seen her this upset before."
"Da," Noah called out again, successfully pulling Gabriel’s attention back to him.
"Yes, boy?" Gabriel focused his gaze on the little one, a warm smile spreading across his face. He kissed the top of Noah’s head, then returned his stern gaze to Alie. "You shouldn’t help her," he reiterated. "If anything goes wrong, Kate will bla you. I understand you’re trying to be a good friend, but Kate tends to bla others if things don’t go her way."
Alie’s temper flared instantly, her brow arching in defensive fury. "Why do you speak so ill of her? Shouldn’t you protect your sister and stand for her?" she challenged.
"Whenever I bring up Kate, you only speak negatively. She’s your youngest sibling; they do tend to make more mistakes than the elder ones. But I don’t think Kate was wrong this ti." She leaned in slightly, emphasizing her point. "Sage was involved with many won. What if they trouble Kate in the future? Or his stepmother does sothing to her? Katelyn is only being cautious."
"Hey, calm down," Gabriel said gently.
As if on cue, "Ma," Noah spoke up, tilting his tiny head to look from his father to Alie.
"See?" Gabriel smiled slightly, gesturing with his head toward the pup. "Look, even Noah got worried for you."
Alie softened, taking a steadying breath. "I didn’t an to be angry," she stated, her voice quieter now. "I only wanted to help them a little."
Gabriel’s expression turned serious again. "There’s an incident from the past, specifically from our childhood. Katelyn was eight at that ti. She once put the bla on Karn for hurting her during a ga. It beca a huge ss in the palace. Mom and Dad almost punished Karn, but I intervened."
Alie furrowed her brows. "You all were kids at that ti," she pointed out, suggesting it wasn’t a fair comparison to adulthood.
"Listen to first," Gabriel insisted. "Well, the first incident we both ignored. However, she kept doing it later too. Not with Karn, but with others. And this habit of hers hasn’t changed." His grip on Noah tightened slightly, emphasizing the severity of his point. "If a big ss occurs, she will bla soone else. And if you get involved, she will bla you. That’s why I am telling you to not give her relationship advice."
He conceded slightly, seeing the distress in Alie’s eyes. "Since you’ve asked to help them, I’ll just tell Sage to solve it ASAP."
"Hmm. Maybe Kate finds herself alone in such situations, so she ends up—" Alie started, still trying to find a reason for Katelyn’s difficult behavior.
"A," Gabriel interrupted gently but firmly, "it’s not like I don’t care for her. I did warn Sage that if he hurts Kate with an unserious commitnt, he would face my wrath. But Kate wants help in everything. That’s not right."
"She didn’t ask for my help though," Alie clarified, bringing her hand up to Noah’s back and patting it gently. "It was I who was worried for her."
Gabriel smiled, his eyes warm with affection. "You worry too much for everyone. First, it was for Casaio, then Nick, and now, Kate. I get surprised by your kindness," he remarked, his words a genuine, gentle praise.
"They are worried for as well," she murmured, her gaze soft. "Besides, they all have been nice to since the beginning. Brother Cas did have his own doubts, but he never said anything bad to . The sa goes for Brother Nick."
"Yeah, I get it," Gabriel said. "Now, take a deep breath and let all the troubles leave your head. Just keep your focus on . Your mind should be filled with my thoughts only." His violet eyes shimred in possessiveness and admiration.
Alie smiled as her heart raced a little faster. "Well, you occupy my head all the ti," she murmured. Then, leaning close to him on his right, she hugged him too. Gabriel circled his second arm around her, pulling her close.
Reviews
All reviews (0)