Dancer in the waves, p.9
Dancer In The Waves, page 9
Daniel sighed and looked at Gabriel for permission. Gabriel nodded.
“Alice, if you don’t take the pills, I will have to give you an injection instead. You are not calm, and it’s going to get worse. I need you to sleep.”
Daniel might as well have slapped her with the look she gave him.
Lips trembling, she took the pills one at a time and stared straight ahead.
“Good. Do you want to go to the bedroom to sleep?” Daniel asked, still using his doctor’s voice.
“No!” She sank deeper into the couch to get away from him. “Please, no. I prefer to stay here.”
“It’s okay. I’ll stay here with her.” Naomi rushed to their bedroom and returned with a blanket and a pillow. Bruno’s scent wafted into the room.
“You’ll let me know if you find him, right?” Alice asked Gabriel. Her eyes were unfocused, and her voice sounded calmer already.
“I will.” He didn’t like lying, but this wasn’t the time to be honest.
He joined Daniel in the kitchen, surprised to find him crying. Gabriel was doing his best to keep his own emotions in check. He was in charge now. He was responsible not just for Alice, but for everyone in their pack of friends.
“Why was it so urgent for her to go to sleep?” Gabriel asked.
“I told the lead doctor for the omegas about Bruno. She ordered me to immediately sedate Alice.” Daniel pinched the bridge of his nose. “One of the other omegas—she lost her fiancé, an alpha, to an accident.”
“And…?” Gabriel didn’t like where this was going.
“She tried to kill herself. Sarah said the omega had complained of chest pain, then started to harm herself. Then she almost successfully killed herself.”
“What happened next?”
“I don’t know. She’s probably with the second on her list. I wanted to get here as soon as possible, so I didn’t ask.” Daniel took more pills from his backpack and started writing down instructions. “What’s important right now is that Alice is always supervised and medicated. If we can hold off any self-harm attempts, we may be able to avoid more serious issues.”
Shit, the last thing Gabriel needed was for Alice to get hurt too. His phone rang with an urgent call. After hanging up, he said, “I have to go to the site. Can you keep an eye on things here until the others arrive?”
“Sure. Who is coming?”
Gabriel checked his phone again to see who was available to help. He wasn’t surprised. “Everyone.” He put the phone away. “Are you going to the morgue?”
“Yes.” Daniel gave him a worried look. “Doesn’t all this seem… strange to you?”
Gabriel looked at his friend. If there was anyone he could trust right now, it was him. He took a deep breath and admitted his worries. “There was an emergency meeting called at six in the morning. I didn’t hear the message, and most people couldn’t join so early. I double-checked with the higher-ups this afternoon. No meeting had been requested. They had no idea what I was talking about.”
“What does that mean? You make it sound like it was a trap.” Daniel leaned against the counter, his face pale.
“I believe it was. The message asked for the chairs and their secretaries. Alice is not registered as a government worker, so I can’t say for sure if they were counting on her going with Bruno or not. It was deleted from all mobile phones a couple of hours after being sent.”
“But more people saw it, right?”
“All chairs, I assume. The secretaries only received messages from the chairs, asking them to come in.”
Gabriel’s cellphone rang again, and he took the call with a frustrated growl. On the other side of the line, someone complained that the registry server for all converted had been damaged in the fire. They needed his permission to download the missing info from a mirror server.
More calls kept coming in regarding other issues caused by the fire, demanding his attention. He double-checked on Alice before rushing to the site.
To top it all, there were the families of the people who had died. He needed to take care of them also.
If there was one good thing about being Bruno’s second, it was that this kind of shitstorm would have gone to him. But now it had dropped in Gabriel’s lap; he needed to rise to the challenge.
And he was going to push the fact that he was now at the top of the list for Alice to the back of his mind.
Portuguese funerals took too long for Gabriel’s taste. So many people wanted to talk with Alice, to say how sorry they were for her loss. She held their hands, accepted their hugs, and spoke soft words with a polite smile. But she didn’t take any comfort for herself. She seemed to be in an odd, numb state, hardly aware of her surroundings.
When they returned home, she went directly to her bedroom without saying a word. Marina followed her to make sure she wasn’t alone. Everyone in their pack of friends was dedicated to ensuring she was never alone. Gabriel had noticed her looking thoughtfully at the box of pills Daniel had brought. She didn’t need them to sleep anymore, as sleep was all she did lately. It was a hard task to convince her to eat. Naomi was the only one who could bully her into eating.
One day after Bruno’s passing, Gabriel had gotten a call informing him he had temporary guardianship of Alice. On the day of the funeral, he received a call informing him of a hearing to decide Alice’s future. All other men on the first list had been invited to attend, and the voice on the phone sternly reminded him his guardianship was temporary, and that any abuse of Alice would not be tolerated.
Gabriel fumed and paced the living room, looking at his phone with disgust. It was fewer than five days since Bruno died, and already the vultures were circling Alice.
How was he going to explain this to her? Had Bruno told her about Gabriel being second on the list? If Alice was a beta, that would just mean he had a chance to court her unchallenged, but as she was an omega, he would have far too much power over her.
Shit, how he dreaded the conversation he would have to have with her. For the first time since he was converted to an alpha, Gabriel felt like a coward.
9
A Visit to Court
Gabriel
The hallways of the courthouse were empty. No paintings on the walls, no potted plants, no furniture except for some wooden benches that looked extremely uncomfortable in front of each room. It was the opposite of a cheerful place.
On his right, Alice walked in tandem with him, keeping her head low and her eyes on the floor. On her right was Daniel, a stern expression on his face. Every step the men took echoed loudly down the stone walls, announcing their presence. Alice’s steps were softer.
They reached the second-to-last room of the hallway, and he knocked gently on the double doors. Alice looked around, shifting from one foot to another, and crossed her arms over herself.
Gabriel grabbed one of her hands and made her look at him.
“It’s going to be okay. There’s nothing to worry about. This is all just standard procedure,” he said while he passed his thumb over her fingers.
One of the double doors opened and an alpha stood in the doorway, inspecting them silently. He had reddish-brown hair, was shorter than Gabriel, and built like a tank. He swept his suspicious gaze over Gabriel, the wrinkles around his mouth tightening with displeasure. “Gabriel Taveira?”
“Yes.”
“And this is your temporary ward, Alice Lopes?” the man asked, scrutinizing Alice. She flinched at his words, something displeasing her. If it was the “temporary” or the “ward” part, Gabriel didn’t know. Maybe both.
“Yes…” Gabriel replied slowly. “And her doctor, Daniel Infante, as requested.” This man was pissing him off. Just how many omegas were they going to rule on today, that he had to check each name?
The man looked him in the eyes for two seconds before stepping back and fully opening the door for them to step in. If he had held his gaze for any longer than that, he might have punched the guy.
Although it was rude to step in front of a lady, he entered the room first. He saw only one other man in the room, leaning on a table and scrolling on his phone. Probably the judge in charge of the claim case. He gestured for Alice to enter. Daniel followed her in, a protective hand on her back.
The man leaning against the desk straightened and walked over to Alice with a kind smile on his lips, but an eerily eager look in his eyes. Gabriel instinctively stepped between them, protecting her.
The man who’d opened the door rushed to the judge’s side and glared at Gabriel.
“Please don’t worry, Wayne, he’s only protecting her.” The judge spoke with a Spanish accent, putting a reassuring hand on Wayne’s shoulder. Wayne relaxed and stepped aside, allowing the judge to face them. Gabriel forced a smile on his lips and also stepped aside so the man could see Alice.
“I’m sorry about that” Gabriel said. “Instinct has been running high and tempers running short lately.”
“It’s understandable, considering the circumstances that have brought us here today.” the judge replied, his attention fully on Alice.
“My dear,” he said, putting out his hands so he could grab hers. “I’m so sorry for your loss.”
Alice reached out with one hand to offer him a handshake, but the man brought her hand to his lips and kissed it, then held her hand in both of his. Alice gave the man a weary look, clearly uncomfortable with his intrusion in her personal space.
“My name is Alexander Villalobos, and I’m the lead judge responsible for the Claims Court in the Iberian Peninsula.” The bastard was stroking her hand. “I usually don’t interfere directly with these cases, but considering the importance of your dynamic, I thought it wise to supervise this transition directly.”
“I still don’t understand why I need to be claimed by anyone, much less have to come to court like a child, to hear who ‘gets to keep’ me.”
Alice said this in such a conversational tone that anyone that didn’t know her would think her calm and collected right now. Gabriel recognized just how pissed off she really was, and placed a hand on her back as a warning.
The judge finally dropped her hand, although his smile didn’t budge. His eyes narrowed on her for a moment, then relaxed again into that predatory gaze.
“I also apologize for making your”—the judge hesitated for a moment, looking at Gabriel—“guardian bring you here today. Usually ladies aren’t in attendance for claim hearings, but I so much desired to meet you.”
“Yes, why would women be present for a decision that affects their whole lives?” She had a sarcastic smile and a bite in her tone.
Shit. If she pissed him off, he might just rule in favor of the second on the list as a punishment.
“I understand your frustration regarding the lists and the claim. Many women have voiced their opinion on this before.” The judge placed a hand on his cheek and rubbed it. Maybe one of those women had slapped him. It would serve him right, him and all the assholes making these decisions.
Gabriel just hoped Alice wouldn’t slap the man too.
The hair on his neck raised, and his mind alerted him. There were steps echoing down the corridor. They sounded hurried and strong, and like more people than what he’d expected for this hearing.
He turned briefly. The door was still open. If they saw the door open, they might just take it as an invitation to come in. He could close it, but his instinct was to stay close to Alice, to protect her from the judge and his goon. He hesitated, but chose to remain at her side.
“I asked for you to come, my dear, exactly because of that.” The judge put his hand over his heart, as if he wanted nothing more than to be honest with her. “I want to hear what you would prefer regarding the claim.”
That made Gabriel forget the incoming steps. “You do?”
He heard people coming into the room and settling on the audience chairs, but he didn’t take his eyes off the judge.
“Of course I do. And don’t be afraid of saying what you would really like, my dear.” The judge shot Gabriel a quick glance, then focused back on her. “Would you prefer to keep your current guardian as a mate, or would prefer someone else on the list?”
“Mate?” Alice was taken aback by that word.
“Yes.” The judge’s smile had lost all traces of kindness now. “Also, if you would prefer, you can choose someone not on the first list at all. There are other alphas on the second list who would be most honored if you would consider their claims.”
Son of a bitch!
“I can make sure you will be absolutely safe,” the judge continued, as if it was already decided. “The first claim list will be revoked as nonsecure options, and the High Court would present you with other options. No male on the first list, alpha or beta, will be able to interfere.”
So this was his game all along. Alice just had to say the word and he would take her away from him, to somewhere “safe,” to present other options that he deemed better.
Alice just watched the judge, looking perplexed. “No,” she finally muttered.
“I’m sorry, my dear?” The judge inclined his head, like a dog trying to understand his master.
“I said no! I don’t want to be tossed around like a toy by men who think they know what’s best for me, even though they don’t know me at all.” She took an angry step towards the judge, whose smile fell as he took a step back. “If you think that taking me from the ones I love is better for me, when I just lost the one person who was making this whole stupid situation bearable, then you show a terrible lack of understanding, and that you don’t care for my well-being at all!”
The judge looked at her as if she had just slapped him. Gabriel heard eager whispering behind him.
“My choice” Alice went on, “would be to be free of any list, or mate, or claim, or whatever it is that you want to call this new form of forced marriage. But if it can’t be that, then at least let me keep my friends. Let me keep Gabriel.”
Gabriel didn’t know if he should panic at the judge’s shock, or hug her because she chose him. The men behind him didn’t seem to like her answer, however.
“I understand.” The judge gave her his kind smile again, and this time it did reach his eyes. “I will take your choice into consideration, my dear. Please rest assured that it is important to me.”
He took her hand in his and kissed it again. “If you don’t mind, I believe it’s time to start the hearing.” He delicately pointed to the door, dismissing her. “It was wonderful getting to know you, and perhaps getting to understand your dynamic a little better.”
Alice said a polite goodbye and turned to leave.
Shit.
With the turn of the conversation, Gabriel had forgotten about the people in the hearing room. It seemed like all the men from the first list had decided it was okay to forgo their anonymity and come to the hearing. They were spread out in the audience seats, trying to keep their distance from each other. The silence in the room was now obvious as all men had their attention focused on her. Some had gentle smiles, but others smiled in the same way Gabriel imagined a cat might smile when it spotted a mouse. One of the bastards even licked his lips.
The tension in the room rose with Alice’s sudden stress, sharpening all the men’s gazes. She remained frozen.
Gabriel was going to kill them all. His instinct to protect her was pushing him to a need for violence he had never felt before.
While he was trying to keep his composure, Daniel was quicker to react. He put his arm around Alice’s shoulders, pulled her close, and quickly walked out the door with her.
As soon as she was outside, the tension broke and the men started to talk among themselves again. Some even laughed, as if her fear was entertaining.
A young man entered the room and closed the door behind him. He walked to the front of the room, a laptop under his arm, and offered a quick apology to the judge.
Then he sat down, opened the laptop, and placed a microphone in the center of the desk. He tapped a button on the microphone and leaned into it while reading from the laptop.
“Claim case A-2903847, the Honorable Judge Alexander Villalobos from the Iberian Peninsula High Court is in session.” He turned to the judge. “The meeting is now being recorded, Your Honor.”
Gabriel took the seat nearest the judge, something that made the Wayne guy uncomfortable. The man stood back from the judge, leaning against a wall, but kept scanning everyone present.
The judge remained standing in the center of the room, next to the desk. He took some papers from a briefcase and flipped through them until he found the one he wanted.
“Good morning, everyone.” He looked at every man in the room as if he was counting them, then returned his attention to the paper. “I see that all of you in the list decided to give up your anonymity in order to stake a claim for Alice Lopes.”
Some men nodded at what he said; others leaned forward, focused on the judge.
“For security reasons, I will still refrain from mentioning any of your names for the record, and will refer to you by your numbered place in the claim list instead.”
Many nodded again.
“To start, I officially inform you that all beta claims are immediately denied and will not be taken into consideration.”
The judge almost had to shout the last part to be heard over the angry voices of the betas. Wayne, the judge’s companion, stepped forward. His arms were relaxed, but his hands closed into fists.
The judge put his hands up, demanding silence. The men calmed down, but still whispered angrily among each other. Gabriel heard words like “unfair” and “appeal” flying around.
Gabriel let out a humorless chuckle. This was not the kind of court you could appeal to.
“This means,” the judge said, “that you are all free to enter another list, as only the four alphas will be considered for the claim.”
Three men shifted in their seats, but Gabriel tried to remain relaxed. The betas still looked displeased, and he was happy to see that the jerk who had licked his lips was now sulking.
“Alice, if you don’t take the pills, I will have to give you an injection instead. You are not calm, and it’s going to get worse. I need you to sleep.”
Daniel might as well have slapped her with the look she gave him.
Lips trembling, she took the pills one at a time and stared straight ahead.
“Good. Do you want to go to the bedroom to sleep?” Daniel asked, still using his doctor’s voice.
“No!” She sank deeper into the couch to get away from him. “Please, no. I prefer to stay here.”
“It’s okay. I’ll stay here with her.” Naomi rushed to their bedroom and returned with a blanket and a pillow. Bruno’s scent wafted into the room.
“You’ll let me know if you find him, right?” Alice asked Gabriel. Her eyes were unfocused, and her voice sounded calmer already.
“I will.” He didn’t like lying, but this wasn’t the time to be honest.
He joined Daniel in the kitchen, surprised to find him crying. Gabriel was doing his best to keep his own emotions in check. He was in charge now. He was responsible not just for Alice, but for everyone in their pack of friends.
“Why was it so urgent for her to go to sleep?” Gabriel asked.
“I told the lead doctor for the omegas about Bruno. She ordered me to immediately sedate Alice.” Daniel pinched the bridge of his nose. “One of the other omegas—she lost her fiancé, an alpha, to an accident.”
“And…?” Gabriel didn’t like where this was going.
“She tried to kill herself. Sarah said the omega had complained of chest pain, then started to harm herself. Then she almost successfully killed herself.”
“What happened next?”
“I don’t know. She’s probably with the second on her list. I wanted to get here as soon as possible, so I didn’t ask.” Daniel took more pills from his backpack and started writing down instructions. “What’s important right now is that Alice is always supervised and medicated. If we can hold off any self-harm attempts, we may be able to avoid more serious issues.”
Shit, the last thing Gabriel needed was for Alice to get hurt too. His phone rang with an urgent call. After hanging up, he said, “I have to go to the site. Can you keep an eye on things here until the others arrive?”
“Sure. Who is coming?”
Gabriel checked his phone again to see who was available to help. He wasn’t surprised. “Everyone.” He put the phone away. “Are you going to the morgue?”
“Yes.” Daniel gave him a worried look. “Doesn’t all this seem… strange to you?”
Gabriel looked at his friend. If there was anyone he could trust right now, it was him. He took a deep breath and admitted his worries. “There was an emergency meeting called at six in the morning. I didn’t hear the message, and most people couldn’t join so early. I double-checked with the higher-ups this afternoon. No meeting had been requested. They had no idea what I was talking about.”
“What does that mean? You make it sound like it was a trap.” Daniel leaned against the counter, his face pale.
“I believe it was. The message asked for the chairs and their secretaries. Alice is not registered as a government worker, so I can’t say for sure if they were counting on her going with Bruno or not. It was deleted from all mobile phones a couple of hours after being sent.”
“But more people saw it, right?”
“All chairs, I assume. The secretaries only received messages from the chairs, asking them to come in.”
Gabriel’s cellphone rang again, and he took the call with a frustrated growl. On the other side of the line, someone complained that the registry server for all converted had been damaged in the fire. They needed his permission to download the missing info from a mirror server.
More calls kept coming in regarding other issues caused by the fire, demanding his attention. He double-checked on Alice before rushing to the site.
To top it all, there were the families of the people who had died. He needed to take care of them also.
If there was one good thing about being Bruno’s second, it was that this kind of shitstorm would have gone to him. But now it had dropped in Gabriel’s lap; he needed to rise to the challenge.
And he was going to push the fact that he was now at the top of the list for Alice to the back of his mind.
Portuguese funerals took too long for Gabriel’s taste. So many people wanted to talk with Alice, to say how sorry they were for her loss. She held their hands, accepted their hugs, and spoke soft words with a polite smile. But she didn’t take any comfort for herself. She seemed to be in an odd, numb state, hardly aware of her surroundings.
When they returned home, she went directly to her bedroom without saying a word. Marina followed her to make sure she wasn’t alone. Everyone in their pack of friends was dedicated to ensuring she was never alone. Gabriel had noticed her looking thoughtfully at the box of pills Daniel had brought. She didn’t need them to sleep anymore, as sleep was all she did lately. It was a hard task to convince her to eat. Naomi was the only one who could bully her into eating.
One day after Bruno’s passing, Gabriel had gotten a call informing him he had temporary guardianship of Alice. On the day of the funeral, he received a call informing him of a hearing to decide Alice’s future. All other men on the first list had been invited to attend, and the voice on the phone sternly reminded him his guardianship was temporary, and that any abuse of Alice would not be tolerated.
Gabriel fumed and paced the living room, looking at his phone with disgust. It was fewer than five days since Bruno died, and already the vultures were circling Alice.
How was he going to explain this to her? Had Bruno told her about Gabriel being second on the list? If Alice was a beta, that would just mean he had a chance to court her unchallenged, but as she was an omega, he would have far too much power over her.
Shit, how he dreaded the conversation he would have to have with her. For the first time since he was converted to an alpha, Gabriel felt like a coward.
9
A Visit to Court
Gabriel
The hallways of the courthouse were empty. No paintings on the walls, no potted plants, no furniture except for some wooden benches that looked extremely uncomfortable in front of each room. It was the opposite of a cheerful place.
On his right, Alice walked in tandem with him, keeping her head low and her eyes on the floor. On her right was Daniel, a stern expression on his face. Every step the men took echoed loudly down the stone walls, announcing their presence. Alice’s steps were softer.
They reached the second-to-last room of the hallway, and he knocked gently on the double doors. Alice looked around, shifting from one foot to another, and crossed her arms over herself.
Gabriel grabbed one of her hands and made her look at him.
“It’s going to be okay. There’s nothing to worry about. This is all just standard procedure,” he said while he passed his thumb over her fingers.
One of the double doors opened and an alpha stood in the doorway, inspecting them silently. He had reddish-brown hair, was shorter than Gabriel, and built like a tank. He swept his suspicious gaze over Gabriel, the wrinkles around his mouth tightening with displeasure. “Gabriel Taveira?”
“Yes.”
“And this is your temporary ward, Alice Lopes?” the man asked, scrutinizing Alice. She flinched at his words, something displeasing her. If it was the “temporary” or the “ward” part, Gabriel didn’t know. Maybe both.
“Yes…” Gabriel replied slowly. “And her doctor, Daniel Infante, as requested.” This man was pissing him off. Just how many omegas were they going to rule on today, that he had to check each name?
The man looked him in the eyes for two seconds before stepping back and fully opening the door for them to step in. If he had held his gaze for any longer than that, he might have punched the guy.
Although it was rude to step in front of a lady, he entered the room first. He saw only one other man in the room, leaning on a table and scrolling on his phone. Probably the judge in charge of the claim case. He gestured for Alice to enter. Daniel followed her in, a protective hand on her back.
The man leaning against the desk straightened and walked over to Alice with a kind smile on his lips, but an eerily eager look in his eyes. Gabriel instinctively stepped between them, protecting her.
The man who’d opened the door rushed to the judge’s side and glared at Gabriel.
“Please don’t worry, Wayne, he’s only protecting her.” The judge spoke with a Spanish accent, putting a reassuring hand on Wayne’s shoulder. Wayne relaxed and stepped aside, allowing the judge to face them. Gabriel forced a smile on his lips and also stepped aside so the man could see Alice.
“I’m sorry about that” Gabriel said. “Instinct has been running high and tempers running short lately.”
“It’s understandable, considering the circumstances that have brought us here today.” the judge replied, his attention fully on Alice.
“My dear,” he said, putting out his hands so he could grab hers. “I’m so sorry for your loss.”
Alice reached out with one hand to offer him a handshake, but the man brought her hand to his lips and kissed it, then held her hand in both of his. Alice gave the man a weary look, clearly uncomfortable with his intrusion in her personal space.
“My name is Alexander Villalobos, and I’m the lead judge responsible for the Claims Court in the Iberian Peninsula.” The bastard was stroking her hand. “I usually don’t interfere directly with these cases, but considering the importance of your dynamic, I thought it wise to supervise this transition directly.”
“I still don’t understand why I need to be claimed by anyone, much less have to come to court like a child, to hear who ‘gets to keep’ me.”
Alice said this in such a conversational tone that anyone that didn’t know her would think her calm and collected right now. Gabriel recognized just how pissed off she really was, and placed a hand on her back as a warning.
The judge finally dropped her hand, although his smile didn’t budge. His eyes narrowed on her for a moment, then relaxed again into that predatory gaze.
“I also apologize for making your”—the judge hesitated for a moment, looking at Gabriel—“guardian bring you here today. Usually ladies aren’t in attendance for claim hearings, but I so much desired to meet you.”
“Yes, why would women be present for a decision that affects their whole lives?” She had a sarcastic smile and a bite in her tone.
Shit. If she pissed him off, he might just rule in favor of the second on the list as a punishment.
“I understand your frustration regarding the lists and the claim. Many women have voiced their opinion on this before.” The judge placed a hand on his cheek and rubbed it. Maybe one of those women had slapped him. It would serve him right, him and all the assholes making these decisions.
Gabriel just hoped Alice wouldn’t slap the man too.
The hair on his neck raised, and his mind alerted him. There were steps echoing down the corridor. They sounded hurried and strong, and like more people than what he’d expected for this hearing.
He turned briefly. The door was still open. If they saw the door open, they might just take it as an invitation to come in. He could close it, but his instinct was to stay close to Alice, to protect her from the judge and his goon. He hesitated, but chose to remain at her side.
“I asked for you to come, my dear, exactly because of that.” The judge put his hand over his heart, as if he wanted nothing more than to be honest with her. “I want to hear what you would prefer regarding the claim.”
That made Gabriel forget the incoming steps. “You do?”
He heard people coming into the room and settling on the audience chairs, but he didn’t take his eyes off the judge.
“Of course I do. And don’t be afraid of saying what you would really like, my dear.” The judge shot Gabriel a quick glance, then focused back on her. “Would you prefer to keep your current guardian as a mate, or would prefer someone else on the list?”
“Mate?” Alice was taken aback by that word.
“Yes.” The judge’s smile had lost all traces of kindness now. “Also, if you would prefer, you can choose someone not on the first list at all. There are other alphas on the second list who would be most honored if you would consider their claims.”
Son of a bitch!
“I can make sure you will be absolutely safe,” the judge continued, as if it was already decided. “The first claim list will be revoked as nonsecure options, and the High Court would present you with other options. No male on the first list, alpha or beta, will be able to interfere.”
So this was his game all along. Alice just had to say the word and he would take her away from him, to somewhere “safe,” to present other options that he deemed better.
Alice just watched the judge, looking perplexed. “No,” she finally muttered.
“I’m sorry, my dear?” The judge inclined his head, like a dog trying to understand his master.
“I said no! I don’t want to be tossed around like a toy by men who think they know what’s best for me, even though they don’t know me at all.” She took an angry step towards the judge, whose smile fell as he took a step back. “If you think that taking me from the ones I love is better for me, when I just lost the one person who was making this whole stupid situation bearable, then you show a terrible lack of understanding, and that you don’t care for my well-being at all!”
The judge looked at her as if she had just slapped him. Gabriel heard eager whispering behind him.
“My choice” Alice went on, “would be to be free of any list, or mate, or claim, or whatever it is that you want to call this new form of forced marriage. But if it can’t be that, then at least let me keep my friends. Let me keep Gabriel.”
Gabriel didn’t know if he should panic at the judge’s shock, or hug her because she chose him. The men behind him didn’t seem to like her answer, however.
“I understand.” The judge gave her his kind smile again, and this time it did reach his eyes. “I will take your choice into consideration, my dear. Please rest assured that it is important to me.”
He took her hand in his and kissed it again. “If you don’t mind, I believe it’s time to start the hearing.” He delicately pointed to the door, dismissing her. “It was wonderful getting to know you, and perhaps getting to understand your dynamic a little better.”
Alice said a polite goodbye and turned to leave.
Shit.
With the turn of the conversation, Gabriel had forgotten about the people in the hearing room. It seemed like all the men from the first list had decided it was okay to forgo their anonymity and come to the hearing. They were spread out in the audience seats, trying to keep their distance from each other. The silence in the room was now obvious as all men had their attention focused on her. Some had gentle smiles, but others smiled in the same way Gabriel imagined a cat might smile when it spotted a mouse. One of the bastards even licked his lips.
The tension in the room rose with Alice’s sudden stress, sharpening all the men’s gazes. She remained frozen.
Gabriel was going to kill them all. His instinct to protect her was pushing him to a need for violence he had never felt before.
While he was trying to keep his composure, Daniel was quicker to react. He put his arm around Alice’s shoulders, pulled her close, and quickly walked out the door with her.
As soon as she was outside, the tension broke and the men started to talk among themselves again. Some even laughed, as if her fear was entertaining.
A young man entered the room and closed the door behind him. He walked to the front of the room, a laptop under his arm, and offered a quick apology to the judge.
Then he sat down, opened the laptop, and placed a microphone in the center of the desk. He tapped a button on the microphone and leaned into it while reading from the laptop.
“Claim case A-2903847, the Honorable Judge Alexander Villalobos from the Iberian Peninsula High Court is in session.” He turned to the judge. “The meeting is now being recorded, Your Honor.”
Gabriel took the seat nearest the judge, something that made the Wayne guy uncomfortable. The man stood back from the judge, leaning against a wall, but kept scanning everyone present.
The judge remained standing in the center of the room, next to the desk. He took some papers from a briefcase and flipped through them until he found the one he wanted.
“Good morning, everyone.” He looked at every man in the room as if he was counting them, then returned his attention to the paper. “I see that all of you in the list decided to give up your anonymity in order to stake a claim for Alice Lopes.”
Some men nodded at what he said; others leaned forward, focused on the judge.
“For security reasons, I will still refrain from mentioning any of your names for the record, and will refer to you by your numbered place in the claim list instead.”
Many nodded again.
“To start, I officially inform you that all beta claims are immediately denied and will not be taken into consideration.”
The judge almost had to shout the last part to be heard over the angry voices of the betas. Wayne, the judge’s companion, stepped forward. His arms were relaxed, but his hands closed into fists.
The judge put his hands up, demanding silence. The men calmed down, but still whispered angrily among each other. Gabriel heard words like “unfair” and “appeal” flying around.
Gabriel let out a humorless chuckle. This was not the kind of court you could appeal to.
“This means,” the judge said, “that you are all free to enter another list, as only the four alphas will be considered for the claim.”
Three men shifted in their seats, but Gabriel tried to remain relaxed. The betas still looked displeased, and he was happy to see that the jerk who had licked his lips was now sulking.
