Chapter <b>207 </b>
My fist connected with his face before I could control myself. Gabriel stumbled backward, mming into the coffee cart behind him. Cups and saucers went shattering across the floor, and blood immediately began <b>to </b>trickle from his broken nose.
“Don’t you ever talk about my mate like that again,” I growled.
Gabriel wiped the blood from his face and red at me. “Hitting me doesn’t make me wrong.”
“No, but being an insubordinate asshole makes <b>you </b>useless to me.”
“I’m trying to save you from making the biggest mistake of your life!”
“By constantly questioning my judgment? By whispering in my ear like I’m some kind of idiot who can’t think for himself?<b>” </b>
“Because you’re acting like one!”
The words were clear. Gabriel thought I was being a fool. And perhaps I was, but a Beta had no right to speak to me–or his Luna–like that. No matter what he thought about the situation, I was still his Alpha. His Alpha King.
<b>I </b>would not tolerate it any longer.
I should have stopped tolerating it that night in the alley all those months ago when I beat him within an
inch of his life.
“Say that again,” I said quietly.
Gabriel lifted his chin. “You’re being naive. Stupid. She’s ying you, and you’re too infatuated to see it.”
“Get out.”
“Alexander-”
“I said get out. You’re demoted, effective immediately.<b>” </b>
Gabriel’s face went white. <b>“</b>You can’t be serious.<b>” </b>
“Dead serious. You’ve questioned my authority one too many times. A Beta who doesn’t respect his Alpha is no Beta at all.”
“You’re making a mistake.<b>” </b>
“The only mistake I made was keeping you in that position as long as I did.” I turned away from him, effectively dismissing him. “And another thing–how exactly did E get her hands on those investigation files<b>?</b><b>” </b>
Gabriel’s silence was telling.
“Those were ssified materials, Gabriel. Top secret. The only way she could have found them is if
someone left them somewhere they shouldn’t have been<b>.</b>”
“I don’t know what you’re implying.”
<b>“</b>I’m not implying anything. I’m stating a fact. You were careless with sensitive information, and now it’spromised.” I faced him again. “I don’t trust you anymore, Gabriel. I’ll handle the Stormhollow situation myself from here on out. And if I’m making a mistake, then it’s my mistake to make.”
Gabriel stared at me for a long moment, his jaw working like he wanted to say more. Finally, he straightened his jacket and walked to the door.
<b>“</b>You’ll regret this,” he said without turning around.
“The only thing I regret is not doing it sooner.”
The door mmed behind him, and I was alone.
I stood there for a moment, adrenaline still coursing through my veins. Gabriel had been my Beta for as
long as I’d been an Alpha. We’d fought together, nned together, built this pack together. And now it
was over.
But I couldn’t bring myself to feel sorry about it. Gabriel had crossed too many lines, questioned too many decisions. A Beta was supposed to support his Alpha, not constantly undermine him.
Especially not when it came to my mate.
Suddenly, the door swung open again. I whirled around in a rage, mouth opening to tell Gabriel to get out before I made him really regret it. But it wasn’t Gabriel who I found standing in the doorway.
“What do we think? Blue or green?”
It was E, holding up two swatches for the baby’s nursery.
And the smile on her face made me soften in an instant.
Without a second thought, I crossed the room in two long strides and pulled her into my arms. She stiffened, making a small squeak of surprise, but quickly rxed and rested her forehead against my
chest.
Perhaps this was a mistake. Perhaps she was ying me like a fiddle and Gabriel was right all along.
But… dammit. I couldn’t keep myself away from her anymore.
If this was a war, then I’d just lost.