<h4>Chapter 776: Learned how to hide it</h4>
Gabriel held Noah tight against his chest, his eyes narrowed as he tracked the doctor’s every movement. The toddler’s small arm was bare, and the boy looked up at his father with wide, curious eyes, entirely unaware of the impending sting.
"Doctor, you need to be careful with that needle," Gabriel warned.
"Gabriel, Noah has gotten injections before. The doctor is experienced," Amelie hissed, her hand resting on Gabriel’s shoulder as if to physically pull back his hovering intensity.
"I know... but that needle looks far too big for him," Gabriel insisted, his protective Alpha instincts clearly shing with the reality of a pediatrician’s office.
"Gabriel, seriously? If you can’t handle this, go out and give Noah to me. Other patients are waiting," Amelie scolded him. She then turned and offered a quick, apologetic smile to the doctor, silently pleading with him not to take her husband’s overbearing nature to heart.
Noah let out a series of babbling sounds in his own littlenguage, reaching out his free hand toward his mother as if sensing the tension and deciding her arms were the safer bet.
"Alright! Alright! Just... be gentle," Gabriel conceded, finally shifting to allow the doctor ess, though he didn’t look away for even a second as the needle drew closer.
The nurse leaned in close to Amelie, her voice a conspiratorial thread. "It seems the Alpha Prince is getting the injection, not the young prince," she whispered.
"True," Amelie agreed with a suppressed giggle, watching her husband’s face go pale.
The doctor was incredibly efficient, sliding the needle into Noah’s vein with a steady hand. Gabriel instantly squeezed his eyes shut, his entire body tensing as if he were the one being poked, acting more like a nervous child than the dangerous Alpha Prince.
"It’s done, Your Highness," the doctor announced, already pressing a small cotton ball over the site.
"What? Really?" Gabriel’s eyes snapped open, his voice filled with genuine shock. He looked down at his son, who had only given a tiny, curious flinch before returning to his babbling. "Why didn’t Noah cry? I was certain he’d be in pain."
"Because Noah is a strong boy," Amelie replied, reaching over to ruffle her son’s hair. She caught the doctor’s eye and offered a grateful nod.
"Thank you, doctor. And forgive my husband for his tantrums," she muttered.
Gabriel cleared his throat, trying to reim his regalposure as he adjusted his hold on the toddler. "I wasn’t throwing tantrums. I was... being vignt."
The doctor couldn’t help but chuckle as he marked a neat circle on the medical card. "You need toe back in two months for the next dose," he asserted. Gabriel didn’t wait a second longer; he swiftly yet gently guided Noah’s small arm back into the sleeve of his soft baby clothes, acting as if he were shielding him from further battle.
Amelie settled Noah into her arms and led the way out of the cabin, Gabriel following close behind.
"You aren’ting with me and Noah for the next appointment," Amelie said firmly as they stepped into the hallway.
"Ya!" Noah chirped from her shoulder, sounding suspiciously like he was taking his mother’s side.
"Why?" Gabriel asked, sounding genuinely offended.
"Because you are more terrified of the needles than Noah is," Amelie stated, her pace brisk as they moved through the hospital lobby.
"I wasn’t scared of the needle!" Gabriel argued, throwing a defensive nce back toward the treatment rooms. "I was just affected by the screams of the other babies. It creates a very tense atmosphere for an Alpha."
Amelie just shook her head, a yful smile dancing on her lips as they reached the car waiting outside.
Karmen held the rear door open as Amelie and Gabriel climbed in with Noah. Once they were settled, he slid into the front passenger seat and buckled his belt.
"How did the checkup go? Are Amelie’s reports clear?" Karmen asked, ncing at them through the rearview mirror.
"Everything looks good," Amelie answered, shifting Noah into a morefortable position on herp. "But Gabriel was nearly in tears over the needles. I think he felt the sting more than the baby did."
Karmen let out a short, knowingugh. "He’s always been like that. Ever since he was a boy, he’d bolt the second he saw a syringe. The servants once spent an hour chasing him through the pce corridors just for a flu shot."
"What!?" Amelie and Noah turned their heads in perfect sync to stare at Gabriel.
Even the toddler seemed to sense the shift in the power dynamic, his wide eyes fixed on his father. Gabriel felt his face heat up and quickly looked out the window, clearing his throat to try and salvage some dignity.
"Karmen, that was years ago," Gabriel muttered. "There’s no need to bring up old stories in front of my son."
"Old or not," Amelie teased, "it exins why you were gripping the armrest like your life depended on it."
Karmen’s smile widened into a fullugh, the sound echoing in the quiet car. "Who would ever believe that the Alpha Prince’s biggest fear is a simple, sharp needle?"
"Stay quiet," Gabriel muttered, shooting a sharp re at the front seat.
Amelie shook her head, her expression softening from teasing to concern. "You really should have told me before we entered that room. Some fears shouldn’t be taken lightly, Gabriel. I wouldn’t have forced you to stay if I’d known."
"I’m not scared of them anymore," Gabriel insisted, trying to regain hisposure. "I used to get suppressant shots all the time. I’ve had plenty of practice."
"Gabriel, don’t lie to her," Karmen interjected, ncing back through the rearview mirror. "You always had to distract yourself with something else just to get through it. That fear hasn’t gone anywhere; you just learned how to hide it."
Gabriel shifted in his seat, his jaw tightening. "You’re making me look weak in front of my family," he muttered, his pride clearly wounded.
"You’re not weak," Amelie said gently, reaching over to rest her hand on his arm. "Don’t get so worked up. Everyone has something that gets under their skin."
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