The truth didn’t shake Gabriel’s feelings for Alie in the slightest. If anything, it made his resolve stronger.
"Where did this High Priest live?" he asked calmly.
"The High Priest passed away... ten years ago, Your Highness," Samyra replied with a respectful bow of her head.
"I see." But Gabriel wasn’t done. "Why didn’t Mrs. Conley ever tell Alie the truth? I assu she kept it hidden from everyone. Did the High Priest say anything more to you? You should speak now, because I am the only one who can keep Alie safe," he said.
He caught the flicker of hesitation in Samyra’s eyes.
"I’m not trying to force it out of you," Gabriel continued. "But it’s better if you speak of your own accord. Tell , during the ceremony, the mont Alie was revealed to be an oga... was that the High Priest’s doing?"
Samyra hesitated, then nodded. "Yes."
"Interesting," Gabriel murmured, stepping closer. "Then answer the question you left untouched. Why?"
"To keep Alie out of other people’s sights," Samyra said quietly.
"You an... to limit her? Suppress her? And is that why she was treated so cruelly?" Gabriel’s anger suddenly flared. "It almost feels like Mrs. Conley deliberately mistreated her eldest daughter. Or is there more that you’re still hiding? Sothing you don’t have the courage to say aloud?"
Samyra’s lips pressed tightly together. Her throat felt parched. She wanted to beg him to stop asking, to leave the past buried, but she couldn’t bring herself to say it.
Gabriel’s violet eyes glinted with rising fury. "Why the silence, Mrs. Conley? Why is it so hard for you to speak plainly?"
After a mont, he said what she feared the most. "Alie loved Alex... but that bastard didn’t die, did he?"
"No," Samyra admitted. "He didn’t. Maybe it was fate. Maybe they simply weren’t ant to be. But you, Prince Gabriel, you could be the one the High Priest spoke of. You’ve done so much for her. You could—"
"I’m not sending her back," Gabriel cut her off coldly. "She’s not returning to that place. You may go."
He turned to walk toward the mansion, but Samyra’s voice stopped him.
"There’s sothing else," she said. "The High Priest... he told Alie was cursed by a witch in her last life. The curse would break only if she t a man in this life... but he would have to pay a price to love her."
Gabriel paused.
"That’s why he told never to let her leave the Red River Pack. I wasn’t trying to be cruel. I was trying to protect her. But... I beca a bad mother instead," Samyra confessed, her head bowed in sha.
Gabriel turned his head slightly. "What if the High Priest didn’t see the full truth?"
"Every word he ever spoke eventually ca true," she countered, still respectfully. "Your Highness."
"And what if he only saw a fragnt of Alie’s fate?" Gabriel asked softly. "Perhaps destiny brought her to , despite your best efforts to keep her caged. And now... she can’t leave my side. We’re to be married a week from now."
He tilted his head, the barest hint of a smile tugging at his lips. "I haven’t decided if I’ll send you an invitation. But if Alie wishes it, I’ll be sure to include you and Mr. Conley."
With that, Gabriel turned and walked away, leaving Samyra in silence, realizing how foolishly she ruined her relationship with Alie.
As Samyra slipped into the back seat of the waiting car, David turned to her with curiosity.
"Why did you take so long, Darling? What did Prince Gabriel ask you?"
"A few questions," Samyra replied, brushing off the weight of the conversation. "But they aren’t important." She paused briefly before continuing, "Prince Gabriel and Alie... they’re getting married soon."
David’s eyes widened in surprise. "What?" he exclaid. But unlike before, his reaction quickly turned into a grin. "That’s wonderful news! She’ll be part of the royal family now."
However, the mont he noticed his wife’s solemn expression, his joy faltered.
"Why do you look so down? Alie won’t have to raise the pup alone anymore."
Samyra shot him a sharp look, her eyes filled with an emotion he couldn’t quite read. But she said nothing.
"Drive," she told the chauffeur coldly, leaning back into the seat as the car pulled away.
~~~~
"Alie, what are you doing here all alone?" Gabriel’s voice broke the silence as he stepped into the room where Alie had just spoken with her parents.
She was seated in a lone armchair, her back slightly hunched, her fingers hastily brushing away the tears on her cheeks. When she heard him, she quickly straightened, schooling her face into a smile, one that didn’t reach her eyes.
"Sorry for bothering you like that," she said, rising to her feet. "Let’s go."
She moved to walk past him, but just as she brushed his shoulder, Gabriel gently caught her wrist before stopping her.
"A," he whispered, turning toward her. Without hesitation, his arm wrapped gently around her shoulders, drawing her into the warmth of his chest.
"You don’t have to carry this weight alone. I’m here, always," Gabriel murmured, holding her tightly, as if shielding her from everything that had ever hurt her.
"I know," Alie whispered back, a faint smile tugging at her lips. Her hand reached up, resting over his forearm.
"Thank you for everything you’ve done for so far, Gabriel," Alie whispered, her voice filled with sincerity. "Even if I started repaying you now, it would never be enough."
Gabriel let out a sigh, then looked at her with a gentle firmness. "I didn’t do you a favor, Alie. So don’t talk about repaying ," he said, leaning in to press a tender kiss to the top of her head. "Your presence... that’s all I’ll ever need," he murmured.
Alie humd softly in response.
Gabriel slowly withdrew his arm but didn’t step away. Instead, his fingers found their way into her hair, lightly brushing through the strands with a softness that made her close her eyes for a mont, just to feel it better.
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