Gabriel’s hand slid back to her thigh, giving it a tender squeeze as his lips continued their slow torment along the curve of her throat.
Her top slipped from one shoulder, baring the mark he had left on her, the shimmering imprint of their bond.
"Why aren’t you stopping me?" Gabriel whispered against her ear. His warm breath fanned across her skin, sending a shiver down her spine.
Amelie turned her head slightly, her gaze meeting his.
"I... I don’t want you to stop," she breathed.
Gabriel pressed soft, showering kisses along her jawline. "Then, when Albus comes to call us for dinner, you’ll respond, won’t you?" he murmured in a playful tone.
Amelie let out a soft sigh, her fingers grazing his shoulder as she tilted her head back slightly. "You’ve completely ruined the mood," she muttered, a playful frown tugging at her lips.
Gabriel chuckled softly. "I didn’t ruin anything," he replied with a mischievous grin. "I simply made a request, one that you’ll fulfill when Albus arrives."
Amelie pulled her skirt down and stood up, a playful glint in her eyes. "Fine, I won’t bother you," she said.
Gabriel raised an eyebrow. "Huh? Don’t tell me you’re planning to sleep in a separate room tonight?" he asked.
Amelie smirked, her gaze shifting to the pastry box and plate as she picked them up. "Hmm. I should," she replied casually. "See you at dinner, Prince." With a sharp glance in his direction, she headed for the door.
Gabriel watched her, his smile widening before he let out a light chuckle. He went to the washroom to wash his face with the cold water to relieve himself from the building heat in his body.
’Around your mate, it’s not easy to stop the rut,’ he thought, taking deep breaths.
Drying his face with the towel, he went to pick his phone from the table and dialed Karmen’s number, his fingers moving swiftly across the screen.
The call was answered almost immediately. "Yes, Gabriel?" Karmen’s voice came through.
"Where are you?" Gabriel asked, already feeling the need to move.
"In the mansion. With Prince Casaio," Karmen replied.
"Are you in the living room?" Gabriel asked, heading toward the door.
"Near the pool area," Karmen replied.
"Hmm." Gabriel ended the call without another word and made his way downstairs.
When he reached the swimming area, he spotted Casaio in the pool while Karmen stood nearby, watching quietly.
"I heard you haven’t been using the pool for a while," Casaio said, swimming to one edge before pulling himself up to sit on the platform. Water dripped from his dark hair as he ran a hand through it. "I’ve sent Zilia to the capital. I’ll conduct a thorough investigation into her actions, without any bias. Karmen assisted me, so we were discussing the details."
Gabriel’s gaze briefly flicked to his beta, before settling them back on his brother.
"Where’s your beta?" Gabriel asked, his tone calm but direct.
"Mine isn’t here," Casaio replied, a smirk tugging at his lips. "I thought you’d be with Amelie," he added with a teasing glint in his eyes.
Gabriel turned to Karmen. "You should head home."
Karmen gave a respectful bow to both princes before quietly taking his leave.
Gabriel then walked over and sank into one of the poolside chairs, the tension in his shoulders easing slightly. "Thank you for helping me out," he said, glancing at Casaio. "I overreacted earlier when things were getting intense."
"That’s strange!" came a familiar voice, sharp with sarcasm. Dominick approached, stopping just in front of him with his hands casually tucked into his trouser pockets. "Are you actually apologizing for once? For your harsh words against us?"
"Don’t tease him," Casaio intervened with a chuckle. "Come on, let’s dive in and enjoy the pool a bit," he added, inviting his younger brothers.
Gabriel shook his head lightly. "I had a shower earlier, so I’ll pass on the pool."
Casaio let out an exaggerated sigh. "Such a boring younger brother you are," he said, grinning as he rolled his eyes.
"I don’t want to either," Dominick said, settling into the pool chair beside Gabriel.
Casaio dove back into the water, his body slicing through it with ease as he enjoyed the cool water against his skin.
Dominick glanced at his brother. "Amelie’s changing you. Have you noticed that?"
Gabriel responded with a nonchalant hum, neither confirming nor denying it.
"Since you’ve already decided to give her pup a father’s name, what are you thinking about for the future?" Dominick asked, turning slightly to face him. "If Alex survives, he might use his own bloodline to come at you. He won’t just walk away."
Hearing that, Casaio swam to the edge and pulled himself out of the pool. He grabbed a towel and wrapped it around his waist, eyes narrowing slightly at the mention of Alex.
Gabriel’s gaze remained steady. "That won’t happen, Nick," he said firmly.
"You’re always so sure about everything," Dominick said, his tone laced with quiet frustration. "But don’t forget that Dad might take a diplomatic route. Alphas hold status in our society. If every omega’s voice starts carrying weight, then alphas and betas could face consequences every other day."
He leaned forward slightly. "I’m the one who stopped you from killing Alex at the last second. But make no mistake this time. He shouldn’t leave that prison alive."
Gabriel narrowed his eyes in suspicion. "What exactly are you implying?" he asked. "I don’t think Dad will overlook Alex’s punishment this time," he added.
"Nick, this time it will be seen as an attack on the fiancée of a prince. The first attack on Amelie happened before she knew Gabriel, so that time outrage from the alphas could have been more. But this time, the attack happened after Gabriel proposed her. Alex was being warned, but he didn’t listen," Casaio explained.
"I know. I’ve been thinking on a broader side," Dominick said.
Gabriel furrowed his brows together, deciding to pressure his father to give Alex death sentence only.