Mated To The King’s Gamma By Jessica Hall

Chapter 23

Gannon POV

It took a while for the King to wake up from his drunken stupor, and the moment he does, he reaches for the bottle. I snatched it, needing him to come to his senses, needing his word he wouldn’t hurt her. Which, in turn, would hurt Abbie. He loves Ivy. Everyone in the castle is aware of his affections toward the girl, and for once, the castle and everyone in it can finally breathe. We all lived with his depression, lived with his anger and torment. Watched him destroy himself and blame himself. None of us wanted to see him go back to that dark place, and I also worried that he would lose his Kingdom if he couldn’t see past who her parents were.

Kyson reaches forward to snatch the bottle, but I pull it away. I’ll give it to you. First, we need to talk,” I tell him. He was far too drunk to cause me any real damage, his eyes bloodshot, and he reeked of liquor.

We still had a couple more hours left before we reached home, and he needed to either get his frustration and anger out now or talk it out. Either I was fine with. Everyone back home has prayed for the miracle that the king would find his mate, find someone to help tame him, and bring him back to us, and Ivy was doing that without even knowing it. . .

“Gannon!” Kyson growls, but I fold the bottle in my arms as I cross them over my chest. He sighs.

“I’ll talk, but give me the damn bottle.” I raise an eyebrow at him. Copyright Nôv/el/Dra/ma.Org.

“No, talk first, then depending on how I feel about your mood afterward is whether I will return it,” I tell him. He presses his lips in a line. He could command me, but I knew some part of him knew he needed me to prevent him from letting the monster inside of him out; his father would command anyone and everyone. You never held a normal conversation with that man.

Even though Kyson respected and loved his father, we all know that was why he hated commanding his men. Though he seems to get a kick out of using that and his calling on Ivy. At first, it shocked Damian and me. We both put it down to it being a mate thing and his alpha instincts to keep her under control and safe.

One thing I liked about him being king was he would give you a chance to answer, only using his command when needed or if you truly pissed the Alpha King off. Rarely would you see him use it? He didn’t need to most of the time because he earned the respect of his people, and they answered truthfully though sometimes I wondered if he was a little too trusting.

He strived to be a better man than his father, who was a right prick, not that anyone told Kyson that. We dance the line when it comes to mentioning his father. Kyson had always looked up to him despite him putting so much pressure on his son when he was alive that it almost killed him.

He endured his father for his sister’s sake growing up so she didn’t have to. Once she was gone, I lost count on the number of times Damian, Liam, and I had to pull him back from the brink of madness and stop him from ending it, and oh, how he had tried. His sister was his to protect, and he believed he failed her because of Marrissa Talbot, and now he had a constant reminder in his mate.

If I had known this was what Alpha Dean wanted to speak to him about, Damian and I would have covered it up, so he never found out. This piece of information wasn’t needed and would only cause harm, and looking at Kyson, I could tell he wanted to hurt Marrissa in the only way he could now, and that was through Ivy.

“She isn’t her mother,” I tell him and the low growl that leaves him.

“Alpha Dean could be lying,” I continue when he says nothing.

“Kyson, you know the pact you had us all make. It may have been years ago, but it hasn’t changed. We can’t allow you to kill her. We will put you down if you try.”

“I’m not stupid, Gannon, I know that. I wouldn’t kill her, anyway.” I let out a breath of relief that was very short-lived.

“Because if I did, I would only be killing myself, and that means that bitch won in eradicating the royal families.” I groan. That’s not the answer I wanted to hear.

“Let me double check with Ivy. I don’t want you near her until we are sure, and you need to speak to Damian about this. Her safety depends on it,” I tell him. His eyes flicker, turning black as coal. His canines slipped out.

“You won’t hurt her,” I tell him.

Then what? I can’t keep her either; I don’t fucking want to look at Marrissa’s spawn every damn second,”

“Well, you can’t keep her locked up in the fucking dungeons; I won’t allow it,”

“It isn’t your choice, she is my mate, and I am fucking King.” He bellows.

“Right now, the only thing you are is a fucking idiot. Now you need to pull yourself together. You need to see past which her mother was!” I snapped at him when he growled, leaning forward on his seat.

His claws slip out, cutting into the leather upholstery, and I curse, knowing what he wants. He wants to forget, wants to drown himself with the bottle, and clearly, I wasn’t getting anywhere and need to hope Damian got through to him because I can’t.

“Promise me you won’t do anything stupid. Promise you won’t destroy your bond,”

“I can’t promise that,” he says, and I grit my teeth.

“At least promise to speak with Damian before you do anything you will regret, Kyson. You’re upset, and if you break the little trust you have built with her, you will regret it, and if you harm her!” I don’t finish. He knows what will happen if he tries to kill her. We all took the same pact. A pact he made us take after losing his sister.

That no matter the circumstance, if his future mate’s life is in danger, we are to choose her over him, every time, no matter what. If it comes to her and him. We take a bullet for her and let him die. That was the pact we chose to take, and he begged us to take it. That goes for him, too. He tries to kill her, and we would be forced to put him down to save her.

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