The Alpha's Unclaimed Mate-Chapter 116: She Lied. He Knew.

"Gav." Dex’s voice was quieter than usual. The kind of quiet that meant something was about to cost one of them. "Got a second?"

The war room emptied outside of them both. Of all the things Dex could have asked him, this was the one Gav had been dreading.

Dex had pulled him aside a day ago about Serena when she was still unconscious.

Gav looked up from the map he’d been studying.

"She’s struggling with it," Dex said truthfully. "Understandable. I wanted to see if you could talk with her. Someone she trusts. Not to sell her on me. Just to help her sort through it."

Gav studied his best friend’s face. The desperation Dex was trying to hide and failing. The trust in his eyes, absolute and unearned in ways Dex would never know.

"You’re asking me to do what you can’t," Gav said.

"Yeah." Dex held his gaze. "I am. You have a talent for making the heavy feel light. And right now, she’s carrying a lot." He paused, then added. "And you’re the only person I’d trust with this."

Something in Gav’s chest tightened. He ignored it.

"I’ll find the right moment."

Dex clasped his shoulder briefly. "Thank you, brother. I don’t know what I’d do without you."

Then he turned and left.

Gav stood there, eyes on the map.

Dex trusted him with Serena. Trusted him completely. The kind of trust that would shatter if Dex ever learned what Gav carried.

He’d find the right moment. He always did.

✦✦✦

Serena’s energy was lagging by mid-afternoon. Her head was throbbing. As soon as the meeting was over, she excused herself.

She and Elara were heading back to their quarters when it happened.

"Thank gods we got out of afternoon paperwork," Elara giggled.

Serena cracked up too. Elara talked her ear off about the usual stuff and Serena listened. Elara had a talent for making her feel normal.

Then, the air turned to ice.

A spike of pain hit Serena. It was so sharp that it whited out her vision.

"What the..."

She faltered, hunching over. Luckily, there was no one in the hall. Elara was calling her name, but it happened again.

A cry of pain escaped her lips and her hidden flame mark flared hot.

In front of her, she saw him. A Fae King, tall and cold-eyed, she assumed was the High Emperor of Orosia. It was so vivid she reached out, fingers stretching toward the image, but her hand passed through empty air.

He didn’t seem to notice her.

A third wave of pain lanced through her body. Her head included. Like a surge of something that didn’t belong. She dropped, falling to her hands and knees, blood streaming from her nose, and looked up at Elara in shock.

When she glanced back towards the Fae King who was still there, she realized he was watching her. She felt pure terror in that moment. Like he wasn’t supposed to be able to see her but he could. She screamed scrambling back on instinct.

The Fae King laughed.

Perfect. She could hear him too. Exactly what she needed.

Serena forced herself to breathe.

Elara was watching Serena, all color drained from her face. She looked at where Serena had been staring, where the Fae King was still standing. Then looked back at Serena, brows furrowed.

"I’m okay," Serena said. "Just drained."

Dex’s voice slid into her mind at the same time as his worry did through their matebond. Great. He could feel it too. Fantastic. Just when he stopped worrying.

Dex: Serena, what’s going on?

Serena forced herself calm.

Serena: I’m okay, just feeling sore. Nothing to worry about, Dex.

She pushed herself up to her feet, ignoring the Fae King that stood three feet from her, watching.

It’s not real. None of this is real.

She kept repeating that to herself.

"Serena..." Elara said. "Should we get Alaric? You’re bleeding."

"No," Serena said right away. It came out more aggressive than she intended. "I just need to sit down for a moment. Let’s just get to your quarters."

Elara didn’t look convinced. "My mark is searing hot. Why?"

Serena didn’t answer and began walking. The High Emperor followed them, and tilted his head watching.

They made it down one more corridor when it happened again.

A piercing pain split through her skull. Her legs gave out. She hit the ground hard, with a grunt.

"Serena!" Dex was already there, pulling her up into his arms. "What happened?"

He saw the blood and his face darkened. He lifted her off the ground without a word, one arm under her knees, the other braced against her back. She didn’t fight it.

Another jolt tore through her. Dex flinched at the same time, his arms tightening around her.

He moved quickly, mindlinking Alaric. Elara kept pace beside him.

Alaric was already waiting when they arrived at Dex’s quarters, leaning against the doorframe with his bag slung over one shoulder.

Dex pushed open the door, putting Serena on the bed. He moved to the bathing chamber and returned with a clean wet cloth.

He cleaned the blood off Serena as Alaric asked her questions and examined her.

Alaric opened his bag, retrieving a vial of something thick and amber.

"The matebond rejection is physical as much as it is mental. That on top of maxing out your magic to the degree you did is why this is happening." He uncorked the vial. "Hence the bleeding."

"What does that mean?" Dex asked.

"It means she needs rest. Actual rest. Not the kind where she leads a war meeting for six hours and calls it a light day." He handed the vial to Serena. "Drink. All of it. And before you ask, yes, it tastes terrible."

He was right. It tasted like ass.

"She needs sleep, fluids, and approximately zero stress or thinking," Alaric continued, packing his bag. "If the bleeding starts again, mindlink me." He looked at Dex. "And stop clenching your jaw like that. You’ll give yourself a migraine."

Alaric left. Elara squeezed Serena’s hand, exchanged a look with Dex, and followed.

After they left, Dex helped her into a silk camisole and shorts, then handed her a tonic. She drank it.

Her hands were trembling. The glass shook against her fingers.

"Serena... you held something back from Alaric. I could feel it..." Dex said after a moment. "Am I wrong?"

Serena swallowed. This would have been a Hyran question. She realized how insane it would sound.

"What is it, baby?" Dex said, kissing her hand. "Help me understand."

She opened her mouth. Shut it. Opened it again. Shut it. The words wouldn’t come. The last thing she wanted Dex to do was worry about her more than he already was.

"Whatever it is, I’ve survived Viper’s Kiss, your rejection, and Gavriel’s commentary. My threshold for shock is astronomically high at this point."

She laughed, tension leaving her shoulders.

"I saw something when my head was hurting." Her voice cracked and she didn’t know why.

Dex pulled her into his arms, cuddling with her. His presence calmed her, so did his scent. It was confusing because her head and heart were still trying to work through everything with Dex.

She knew he held off touching her today. He didn’t pick her up or play with her like usual. She wasn’t sure if that’s what she wanted.

Before her emotions spiraled, Dex pushed calm and love into her through their matebond.

"Hey... look at me," Dex said.

Serena looked at him.

His eyes were locked on hers. No charm. No deflection. Just him.

"It’s okay. What did you see?"

"A Fae. I think the High Emperor of Orosia," she said, face burning. She forced herself to hold his gaze.

"You saw him ... what do you mean?" Dex asked, voice calm.

"I saw the Fae King three feet in front of me, like I was standing in the room with him." Her voice was steadier than she expected. Just facts. As if she could keep the terror at bay by reporting it like intelligence. "It looked so real ... I reached out and my hand went through air."

She swallowed. "He followed me until you got there."

"I’ve grown up with mages and dragons," Dex said after a moment. "I promise that’s not the craziest thing I’ve heard."

Serena smiled reluctantly. "I’m not losing my mind then."

"No."

"I understand why you didn’t want to say that with an audience," Dex continued. "But Serena, Alaric needs to know. Whatever is happening to you physically, it’s tied to this. He can’t treat what he doesn’t understand."

"I know."

"And you don’t keep this from me again," he said, firmly. "When I mindlinked you, Serena. You told me you were fine. And you weren’t."

Guilt flickered through her chest. Because he was right.

"Your track record for ’I’m fine’ is statistically abysmal at this point," he added.

Serena gave a reluctant laugh at that.

"I know what you’re doing," he continued. "You’re protecting me from worrying about you. And I need you to stop." He pressed his forehead to hers. "I am going to worry about you. And you are going to let me."

"And for the record, trouble finds you like you owe it money. I made my peace with that a long time ago."

Serena closed her eyes for a second.

"I’m sorry," she whispered.

"Don’t be sorry." He kissed her forehead. "We’ll figure out what this is. But we do it together. That’s not negotiable."

She nodded against him.

"Dex?"

"Yeah?"

"He ..." She felt her pulse climb. "He looked at me, Dex. Right at me."

Dex’s wolf surged and he swallowed him down. He kept his voice calm.

"Then he made a mistake. Because now I know he’s looking."