Page 45 of The Alpha's Stolen Mate

“Summer, can I speak to you in private? Please?”

She looked at her aunt and mom.

“We will keep an eye on Grayson and Goose,” Mia, Summer’s aunt, promised.

“Fine,” Summer muttered to me. “You can help me get the bags out of the car.”

“I’ll give you a tour after,” I told the other two women and led Summer back off the porch.

I looked at my watch. I had a conference call in ten minutes with Alpha Armstrong from the Tideridge Kingdom. I'd been ignoring my father's texts and calls about the arranged marriage he was setting up with the Alpha King's daughter. I texted him that I wouldn't align myself with a corrupt king. But my father just ignored these messages and continued to update me with news about my “wedding” in two weeks.

I had a plan to protect WaterLock and my compound another way—a way that didn't involve the Alpha King. A way that I didn't have to marry someone else when I would always be in love with Summer Golding.

“How’s your father?” I asked.

Yesterday, after I spoke with Summer about staying at my house, I went to my office in the compound and informed my vice president that I’d be gone for a couple of weeks. Preparing for Axel’s attack was going to take up most of my time. The rest of yesterday I spent working with my VP to get things squared away for my absence. I hadn’t had time to go to the hospital again, but Healer Nia made sure to text me updates.

“He’s the same,” Summer replied and let out a long breath.

We were silent for a moment as we walked past the fountain.

“What exactly do you do at your cybersecurity company?” my Mate asked as we walked across the lawn, back to Mia's car.

Her question threw me. I was flattered that she was curious about my life, but I wanted—needed—to talk about Grayson.

“My company provides technological security for packs in our kingdom—and for Tideridge and Pyregate as well,” I answered. “This protects their cameras, computers, basically any technological device, from being hacked.”

“You always were interested in computers,” Summer mumbled, seemingly to herself. “So, you stay here,” she gestured to my house, “by yourself?”

Was that a hint of jealousy in her voice?

I leaned against the back of the Jeep and crossed my arms.

“Sometimes families who are visiting their loved ones at the hospital need a place to stay, you know, like you and your family—“

I paused.

My throat became tight. I couldn’t finish my sentence. It killed me to know that I couldn’t count Summer and Grayson as my family.

If my Mate had it her way, would she ever consider me her family? Would Grayson never know me as his father?

“We need to talk,” I said.

“I don’t want to talk about us right now, Gabriel.” She sighed and looked away from me.

“I don’t want to talk about our relationship. I want to talk about our son.”

Chapter Fifteen: The Fourth Day

Summer POV

Of course, I knew that Gabriel wanted to talk about Grayson—about why I didn’t introduce him as Grayson’s father. I’d kept trying to change the subject so he wouldn’t get a chance to ask this.

But we had to have this conversation at some point.

Gabriel stood against my aunt’s Jeep, waiting for me to reply. The sun broke through the clouds and highlighted his light-brown hair and brightened his green eyes. He brought his hand up to shield his eyes from the glare. My former Mate was wearing a white dress shirt and—with the help of the sun—I could see the tan skin of his taut stomach.

I looked away from him and shifted my weight from one foot to the other.

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