Page 7 of Cruel Alpha: Season Two

My glare hardens. “What are you suggesting?”

“The same thingyou’dsuggest if your heart weren’t involved. She should be removed from the premises. Immediately,”he adds. “And from there, pending further investigation, punishment might be in order.”

Punishment.

That word lingers with me as I nearly forget that the man standing in front of me is my brother.

“I’ll handle it.”

“Caspian, we?—”

“I said I’llfuckinghandle it!” My voice booms and there’s no way Annalise hasn’t heard it. Dimitri continues to stare, nearly frothing at the mouth to say more, but he knows better. I won’t be strongarmed by him or anyone else. I’ll meet them in the study, I’ll let them get their thoughts out into the open, but I’ll be damned if I’ll let them sway me.

He’s still staring with hellfire in his eyes when I step back inside the room and slam the door, effectively shutting him out. My stare lands on Annalise, and she stares back, wide-eyed and anxious, having just heard me yell.

While I’d love to say something to comfort her, the termpunishmentreverberating in my thoughts has me at a loss for words. Mere hours have passed since I risked my life to save hers. Now, depending on how the next hour plays out, it’s possible I may have to fight to save her once again.

4

The Heart Knows

Caspian

Anger ripplesthrough me as I search for my shirt, running through a mental checklist while rushing to slip my arms into the sleeves.

I need to send word to Jezebel to come sit with Annalise while I’m gone, see to it that she’s still healing properly. It’s also true that I want her here because she’s one of the few people I trust to keep watch over her in my absence.

“Cas.”

Then, I need to have a guard sent up, which hadn’t been necessary while I was resting with her tonight, but now that I have to leave to put out this quickly-growing fire, she’ll need protection.

“Cas…”

If things go south, I’ll have to act quickly to get her out of here. That means no time to pack, and I wouldn’t bother with a driver. The fewer people aware of our location, the better.

“Cas!”

My steps halt midway through searching for my shoes, but only because Annalise has climbed out of bed, tucked the sheet around herself, and stood right in front of me. Her palms warm my face as she holds my jaw, forcing my eyes to settle on hers.

“Talk to me. Whoever you’re rushing off to see, whatever it is youthinkyou need to do, remember that you’re the alpha. It can all wait,” she says calmly, causing my racing heart to settle. “What’s happening?”

That question leaves her mouth, and it causes one word to echo inside my head.

Punishment.

“Nothing’s happening.” I follow the lie with a smile, keeping in mind that she’s still coping with the stress of what she’s recently endured. “I’m just needed in my study. Something’s come up that requires my attention.”

She holds still when I take her hands, lowering them to my neck as I lean closer to place a kiss on her forehead.

“I’ll still run your bath. Relax, take as much time as you need, and if I’m not back by the time you’re done, lie down and get some rest. I’ll return eventually.”

Her brow arches when I lean away, and it’s clear she isn’t terribly fond of the vague timeframe I’ve just given.

“I heard you yell. That didn’t sound like nothing.” Her throat moves when she swallows deeply, and I note how her shoulders square the next moment. “Tell me the truth. I can handle it.”

On a normal day, I wouldn’t question that, but considering everything?—

“I don’t need to be coddled,” she says, cutting into my thoughts. “Tell me what’s going on.”

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