Chapter 137 Jealous
Althea’s mouth fell open. “I—uh—it’s not what it sounds like!” she stammered, clutching her cloak nervously. “Melva just said we should stay and watch, and I—”
Melva immediately waved her hands in panic. “I didn’t say anything about perfect bodies! That was all you, my lady!”
Althea’s eyes widened at Melva.
‘My Lady, please forgive me. I can’t bear the Alpha King’s wrath, but you… he adores you at this point, so he’ll never hurt you. Besides, you’re his mate. You can easily take his madness away—just be extra sweet with him later!’
Her face paled, and she didn’t even have the time to scold Melva telepathically for not helping her out.
Rudy turned his head away to hide a smirk, while Ben looked like he wanted the ground to swallow him whole.
Gavriel took a slow, measured step closer, and Althea could practically feel the weight of his gaze pressing down on her. “So,” he said lowly, “you enjoy watching men without clothes now?”
Her face burned hot now. “That’s not— I was just being… appreciative of their training progress!” she blurted out.
Alpha Maurice gave a low chuckle. “Appreciative, she says. Nothing’s wrong with that right?”
Simon cleared his throat quietly but said nothing, though Althea could have sworn there was a flicker of amusement in his eyes.
Gavriel’s eyes narrowed slightly, but there was something in them that wasn’t quite anger—something darker, possessive. “Next time,” he said in a voice so quiet it made her shiver, “if you want to admire someone’s body, you’ll do it when I’m the one standing in front of you.”
Althea’s breath caught. “Y-your Majesty!” she sputtered, eyes wide. She couldn’t believe he would say something like that or even act the way he was acting now. If she didn’t know better, she would’ve thought he was being petty and jealous.
‘Was he truly jealous?!’ she confusedly mused, staring at him in disbelief. Was it still part of his mate bond instinct? She was aware of how possessive Gavriel was because he believed he owned her, but something was telling her—
Althea quickly erased even the slightest hope that had started forming inside her head and heart, reminding herself once again that she shouldn’t hope or expect anything. That was for the best.
He held her gaze for a few seconds longer, his expression dark and unreadable. Then his voice broke the silence, low and edged with command.
“Everyone, leave. Now.”
The tone alone was enough to send the everyone scattering. No one dared to question the Alpha King. Within moments, the lively training grounds turned eerily quiet—only the sound of retreating footsteps and the wind brushing past remained.
When the last of them disappeared, Althea finally lifted her head, realizing they were now alone. Gavriel’s piercing gaze was still fixed on her, the weight of it enough to make her chest tighten.
“My King…” she started, her voice small as she quickly moved so she could approach him.
He took a slow step forward making her halt her step. “Enjoying the view?” he asked, his tone deceptively calm.
She blinked, unsure if he was teasing or furious. “I—I was just curious. I’ve never seen shifters train like that before,” she tried to explain, forcing a nervous smile.
His eyes narrowed slightly as he closed the distance between them. “Curious,” he repeated. “You call staring at half-naked warriors curious?”
Heat flushed to her cheeks. “They were shifting! I didn’t—”
“Didn’t what?” he interrupted, his voice dropping lower. “Didn’t realize you were admiring them?”
Her heart pounded faster as he stopped just inches from her. She could feel his breath against her skin, and the sharp edge of possessiveness in his gaze made her forget how to breathe.
“Tell me, Althea,” he murmured, “were they that impressive to make you laugh like that?”
She opened her mouth but no words came out. Gavriel’s hand raised not to hurt her, but to brush a stray lock of hair from her face, his touch both gentle and charged.
“Since you have free time to admire my men train, let’s see what you’ve got. Didn’t I told you that we’d see if you’re getting rusty from what you learned about fighting when you were little?” he commented.
“Now? Here?” she questioned as she turned to look at the spacious training grounds.
“Why not? This is the perfect place,” Gavriel uttered, still with a dark expression as he walked past her. “Come here,” he instructed, and Althea quickly followed him.
He moved to the center of the field, and despite her nerves, she followed.
“Show me what you’ve learned.”
The ground felt warm beneath her boots, a soft breeze brushing against her skin. She took the sword he offered and studied it for a moment. It was a double-edged blade, perfectly balanced and just the right weight for her.
What caught her attention most was its beauty, one edge gleamed gold while the other shone silver. It felt almost made for her, especially the handle that fit so naturally in her hand as she adjusted her stance, trying to remember how she used to hold it before.
Gavriel lifted his own sword.
Their first clash echoed sharply, the sound slicing through the silence. He didn’t use full strength—he was testing her, watching her moves. Every time she swung, he blocked easily, forcing her to step in closer.
Her pulse quickened. He moved like water—smooth, precise. She could feel the heat of his body every time he circled near her.
“Your stance,” he murmured, stepping behind her. “Too narrow.”
Before she could fix it, his hand came to her hip, steadying her and guiding her leg outward.
She froze, her breath catching.
“Better,” he said quietly, his voice low near her ear. “Now, again.”
She tried to focus, but his nearness made it hard. The scent of his skin, the warmth radiating off him—it was distracting. Still, she swung again, and this time her blade grazed his sleeve.
He raised a brow, a faint smirk forming. “Not bad.”
Then, faster than she could react, he stepped forward, his arm looping around her waist as he disarmed her. Her sword fell to the ground. Her palm pressed against his chest, feeling the strong, steady beat beneath her hand.