Mated To The King’s Gamma By Jessica Hall

Chapter 40 The following morning, | decided to take a look around. | had tried ringing Kade a couple of times before | decided to venture out and see what was nearby. If there was anything nearby: | doubted it very much. Besides the road at the end of the long driveway, | saw nothing but trees.

| had just finished eating the last of the crackers which | had for breakfast; the cereal was stale and rock hard. He toldsomeone stocked the place, but everything was already opened, and a half was gone. Even the milk went bad overnight. But hunger pains were something | knew | would get used to. Hunger was the least of our problems in the orphanage, and we would have to scavenge for food, or sometimes the kids would sneak us stuff.

That didn’t last long, though, not after one of them got caught and smacked. We told them not to worry about us and that we would earn our keep. So | knew I could last a while without eating, but since Kade was ignoringsince | interrupted his meeting, | knew | had to look around to see what | could find in case he didn’t return.

First, | investigated the back of the cabin, which was putting it nicely. It looked more like a cubby house skids built. | found an old barrel which | figured would cin handy to do swashing, so | spent a good chunk of the morning soaking the bed-lined and torn curtains before rewiring the close line as best | could. It leaned to one side and had barely enough line to hang the linen and curtains on.

Once | finished that, the sun was high in the sky, and the heat madeexhausted, but still, | powered through the need to lay down and rest. | made my way through the forest at the back, wanting to shift, but instead wandered around looking for berries or anything remotely edible. | found a few birds’ nests but was too tired to even attempt to climb the trees to retrieve them. | also found a small dam. It was shallow; the water looked slimy and murky. With a sigh, | turned back around and headed back toward the cabin.

Quickly checking the clothesline, | was walking back to the front door when I noticed the car parked along the road. | stared at it, wondering if it was Kade, yet as | walked across the vast dead lawn along the dirt driveway, it screeched as its tires tore off down the road.

Wiping my forehead, | turned back to the cabin, thinking they must have had the wrong address. Stepping inside the cabin, the tin roof had heated inside to the point that it was hotter inside than outside. It was like an oven, so hot that after twenty minutes, it was becoming difficult to breathe. | must have passed out because the next thing | knew, | was waking up to Kade shaking my arm. Startled, | lurched upright, and glanced around. | had fallen asleep on the futon.

“Sof my patrols saw you in the forest. What were you doing?” he asked. | blinked at him.

“Pardon?” | ask, rubbing my eyes and peering at the windows. It was dark outside. Did | really sleep the rest of the day away? | shake my head, trying to regather my thoughts.

“I said my patrol saw you sneaking through the forest. Now, what were you doing out there?” he demanded. My brows furrowed in confusion. It was only a forest.

“I was just looking around. | was also trying to see if there were any berries.” | told him. Kade clicks his tongue, and | reach out for him, needing scontact to know he is really here and not just in my dazed thoughts.

“I can’t have you running through the forest, Abbie. It is dangerous out there,” he tells me, yet | saw nobody, not a single person or strange scent. He growls angrily.

“And to think | was going to reward you, but after such behavior, | don’t know if | should!” he growls.

“I can chwith you?” | ask, excited.

“What? No! It's unsafe; | have told you this,” he says, shaking his head at me. He gets up, moving toward the small kitchen.

“I see you cleaned up.” he states, glancing around at the small area. Yet | scoot to the edge of the bed when | see he has splastic bags on the small counter. My mouth waters when | catch a whiff of something hot to eat.

My stomach growls embarrassingly loudly at the smell of food. Kade smiles, digging through the bag before coming over to me. He set a plastic container in my lap full of pasta and meatballs. “I had my housekeeper cook you sdinner,” he says, passinga fork.

I look up at him, waiting for him to sit with me. “You're not eating with me?” | ask.

“No, | already ate before heading over here.” Instead, he watchedwhile | ate, which | had never ever been so self-conscious of before. His eyes made my skin prickle with goosebumps as if he was judging the way | ate. Or maybe | was reading too much into it. When I finished, | washed the container and turned it upside down on the counter.

“See what being good gets you?” Kade says, and | peer up at him. “Good?” | ask him.

“Yes, of course. You behave, and | reward you. Today I let you off easily with you wandering around. You understand why | can’t have that, right?” he asks. | swallowed because | didn’t see an issue with what | did, yet the look on his face when | didn’t immediately reply toldhad done something terrible.

“I was only looking for berries. | was hungry.” | tell him.

“I told you I would bring you back food,” he says, rustling the bag at me.

“How do you expect to be my Luna when you can’t follow simple conditions?” “But you never said | couldn't look around,” “Well, now you know. Don’t forget your place, Abbie! You are my Luna. | am your Alpha. What | say goes. What would happen if | presented a disobedient Luna to my pack? | would be the laughing stock. You need to think hard about your actions,” he scolds.

*Now, put these away before | change my mind. I will think of something suitable for punishment for your actions,” he says, walking off to sit on the couch. | stare after him before looking at the bag of groceries.

*That should last you a couple of days,” he says, and | nod. Pulling the stuff out. | found a fresh loaf of bread, coffee, and three liters of milk. Packing half the bag away. | turned to glance at Kade, who was texting on his phone.

“Did you get sugar for the coffee?” | asked, chewing my lip. | knew that brand of coffee. It was nasty and cheap.

Extremely bitter tasting, Mrs. Daley called it visitors coffee when she bought it, and it was the only coffee we were allowed.

“I will drop you ssugar cubes tomorrow. Try not to use too many. You always chatter too much when hyped on sugar,” he says, not even bothering to look up from his phone.

| swallow a strange hollow feeling that sinks into my stomach. Shaking the feeling off, | retrieve the rest of the groceries, finding sdried meats and a bag of carrots. Not wanting to sound ungrateful, | put it away quickly.

With the limited supplies, | didn’t want him taking any away.

“Chere, my love,” he says, wavingforward. | hesitantly move toward him. | stop just out of reach, and he looks up at me. When he reaches for me, | step back, wondering why he was being like this. Didn't he missas | did him? My bond cried out for him, but all he had done was scoldsince being here. Is the bond not the sfor men? “Why are you being like this? Have | hurt you?” “No! | haven't, have 1?” He answers his own question. “I would never hurt you, Abbie! So why are you so fearful?” he snaps.

“I was going to punish you, but | changed my mind. | would rather give you something else. Something I know you will love,” he says, motioningtoward him. | shuffle my feet, but he grows impatient, reaching over and pullingdown between his legs.

He sweeps my hair over one shoulder, and | peer up at him over my shoulder.

“Letmake you my official Luna,” he purrs at me. My bond flares excitedly. He was officially claiming me. That meant he wanted me, that he loved me. | nod, and he kisses my cheek before gripping my chin and tilting my head back further and kissingdeeply. His tongue tastes every part of my mouth before he pulls away, leavingbreathless.

He brushes my cheek gently with the back of his hand, then turns my face away before sinking his teeth into my neck. Pain slices through me, but only briefly when I feel the bond calive with full force. Sparks rush over my entire body as | feel the bond snap into place. Kade pullsonto his lap, cradlingagainst his chest. He kisses my nose and | feel my canines slip out. My soul is screaming out for his, and lean forward, eager to mark him in return.

Yet, at the last second, he pulls away from me. “I said | was being lenient, Abbie. | didn’t say you could mark me! Not after you disobeyedearlier!” he snaps at me. It was as if he punchedin the stomach.

“But...” he places a finger to my lips.

“When you prove you can be trusted and do as you're told, | will allow it. Maybe once you go into heat,” he tells me. My face heats at his rejection, and | turn in his lap, tears pricking my eyes, and | hold them back.

“Now, now, don’t be upset. | can still mind link you, so at least | can keep you company when | am not here. You just can’t talk toback. But you can hear me,” he tells me.

“Now get srest. | will be back tomorrow,” he tells me, getting up while | touch my fingers to my neck. Pulling my hand back, my fingertips are covered in blood. | stare at the door after he leaves, trying to figure out what it means.

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