Page 68 of Destined Mate

If it hadn’t been for the delicious buttery taste swirling in my mouth, I would’ve snapped at him—I hated when he talked to me like that. Instead of arguing, I took another bite and snatched the plate, then settled into a light maple chair at the table.

“When you’re done with that, you can take another pill,” Tina added as she soaped up the pan.

“I’m fine. I don’t need it.” I took another bite, hunger panging my stomach. I hadn’t noticed how hungry I was until now.

“You may feel fine, but you were significantly injured yesterday.” Tina scrubbed the inside of the pan with a brush. “You were stiff this morning. A pill will keep you comfortable and allow you to rest well.”

In other words, I shouldn’t have gotten up. She didn’t know I hadn’t taken the medicine last night, and despite the pain, I’d slept perfectly fine.

“Okay, thank you.” I’d just pretend to take it like last night.

As soon as I agreed, Zeke’s face smoothed into a mask of indifference. “Ladies, I must head out.” He placed his hands in the pockets of his tan slacks. “I have an hour and a half drive to meet with the other alphas.”

Tina rolled her eyes. “I don’t know why they can’t just come here.”

Their entitlement grated on my nerves. Blood heating, I said, “Bodey lives three hours away, and Lucas, Jack, and Miles live even farther. They’re meeting in the middle.”

Cracking his neck, Zeke leveled his gaze on me. His body tensed, and I prepared for him to insult or scold me.

“Callie isright.” The last word dripped with disdain before his tone eased back into the same cadence. “Besides, it won’t matter much longer. The coronation is in four days, and we’ll all go back to being responsible for our individual states. Unlike the other advisers, I can’t venture far. I take my job seriously and have a whole territory to run.”

He could spin the truth any way he wanted, but he couldn’t fool me. He had to make sure his packs didn’t do anything he deemed out of line. He didn’t trust anyone but himself. Based on the conversations I’d heard at every breakfast, lunch, and dinner when I’d been with the other alphas, I knew they were keeping in touch with their territories.

Zeke grabbed his keys from the counter and faced me. “You’re going to eat, take your medicine, and head back to bed. Right?”

Meaning I was not to go into his room again. Keeping my eyes from rolling physically hurt. “Yes.”

“Good.” He strolled out of the kitchen, heading toward his room. “Tina, keep an eye on her.”

I ground my teeth, causing my jaw to pop.

She didn’t say anything, which suggested they were talking through the pack link. But that was fine. I didn’t give a damn about what they were saying, anyway.

Some banging came from his room, most likely him dealing with the picture and box, and a few seconds later, the garage door opened and shut. Tina tossed more dishes into the sink, creating a loud crash. How the plates didn’t break was beyond me, but she continued to clean with a deep frown. I usually cleaned up after them in the morning.

With the last bite of biscuit, my mouth became dry. I stood and headed to the black refrigerator behind Tina. I removed a bottle of water but paused. I needed something I could dissolve the pill in, so I snatched the orange juice as well.

Tina glanced over her shoulder, watching me like she thought I might stab her in the back.

I hadn’t considered that until now, and the thought had merit. But I’d rather not deal with Zeke’s wrath and the consequences of that action.

Forcing myself not to tense, I opened the cabinet to her right, grabbed a large glass, and filled it with juice. I put the juice away and took the drink and bottle of water back to the table.

As soon as I was done, she snatched a bottle off the windowsill and brought me another white pill.

I popped it into my mouth like I had last night and pretended to swallow. The combination of the bitterness of the pill and the acid of the juice was harsh, and I nearly gagged. “Thanks. I’m gonna go lie back down unless you need me for anything.”

Her face looked strained. “Nope. Just go rest,” she replied, way too sweet.

If she thought I’d push more, she’d learn from her mistake.

Taking my juice and water, I hurried back to the bedroom, not bothering to look at the box on their bed. I couldn’t risk it; she’d check on me if I didn’t go into the right room.

I shut the door and spat out the pill. The bitterness lingered on my tongue, and I gulped half the orange juice to hide the taste. It didn’t work, but I couldn’t drink more. I needed to leave enough juice to dissolve the pill.

Like last night, I dropped the medicine into the juice and swirled the cup, then set it on the nightstand. That was when I noticed my cell phone on the charger.

Someone had brought it to me.

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