E & Gabriel


    E


    Lilith and I stood in the doorway watching Sophia and Sarah face off like two alley cats fighting over the same scrap of meat.


    “You bitch!” Sophia shrieked, hurling what looked like a ceramic figurine at Sarah’s head. ” You don’t belong here!”


    Sarah dodged the projectile, causing it to shatter on the wall behind her. “At least I’m not some pathetic woman who can’t take a hint!”


    “Pathetic? You’re a fucking maid who thinks she can seduce an Alpha!” Sophia’s face was turning an rming shade of red. “You’re nothing! A nobody!”


    “And everyone knows that you’re a spoiled Daddy’s girl!” Sarah shot back, hands on her hips.


    1


    I found myself staring at this absurd disy of jealousy over Alexander, and something bubbled up in my chest. Not anger or hurt or even embarrassment. Laughter.


    Here I was, dying slowly because my mate wouldn’tplete our bond, and these two idiots were literally throwing pottery at each other over the chance to climb into bed with him.


    It was so fucking ridiculous that I couldn’t believe I’d ever wasted a single second worrying about either of them, or Alexander, for that matter.


    I was dying. Actually dying. And instead of spending my remaining time with people who genuinely cared about me-people like Lilith and Liam-I’d been letting myself get worked up over… what?


    What was the point? Even if Alexander marked me tomorrow, was this the kind of life I wanted? Constantly defending my ce, constantly worried about the next beautiful woman who might catch his eye?


    Fuck that.


    Lilith stepped up beside me. “Should we do something?” she whispered.


    “Let them destroy each other,” I said, folding my arms across my chest and casually leaning against the wall. “I don’t care anymore.”


    Sophia had just picked up another decorative object and was winding up to throw it when Alexander’s voice boomed through the foyer.


    “What the hell is going on here?”


    Both women froze and whirled around. Alexander was standing at the bottom of the main


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    staircase, looking absolutely murderous.


    “She started it!” Sarah said immediately, pointing at Sophia.


    “I started it?” Sophia’s voice went up about three octaves. “You’re the one-”


    “Enough.” Alexander’s Alpha Voice cut through their bickering with ease. Both women snapped their mouths shut. “Sarah, you’re fired. Pack your things and get out of my house.” Sarah’s face crumpled. “But Alpha, I didn’t do anything wrong! She attacked me!”


    “You destroyed property, disturbed the peace, and conducted yourself in a mannerpletely unbing of staff.” Alexander’s voice was ice cold. “You have thirty minutes to gather your belongings and leave the premises.”


    “This is so unfair-”


    “Twenty-nine minutes.”


    Sarah shot a venomous look at Sophia, then at Alexander, then stormed toward the servants’ quarters without another word.


    Alexander turned to Sophia next. “And you. I thought I made myself clear about your behavior.”


    “Alex, she was beingpletely inappropriate with you! Someone had to put her in her ce!” Sophia tried to step closer to him, but Alexander held up a hand.


    “Leave. Now.”


    “But-”


    “Now, Sophia.”


    For a moment, I thought she might argue further. Her mouth opened and closed like a fish out of water. But even Sophia wasn’t immune to Alexander’s fury, and when she saw the thunder in his expression, she seemed to think better of it


    “Fine.” She swept toward the front entrance in a huff. The door mmed behind her, leaving the foyer in silence.


    Alexander just stood there for a moment, surveying the damage. Broken pottery, scattered dirt, flower petals everywhere. Then he rubbed his face with both hands and let out a long, exhausted sigh.


    “Goddess give me strength,” he muttered, clearly not realizing that he still had an audience consisting of me and Lilith.


    That was when I lost it.


    Theughter started as a snort, then grew into giggles, and finally exploded into the kind of hysterical cackling that made my sides hurt. I couldn’t stop. Every time I tried to get control of myself, I’d look at the destroyed foyer or remember the sour expression on Sophia’s face, and I’d startughing all over again.


    It was the first realugh I’d had in weeks. Maybe months.