An Alpha's Favor

Chapter 6: The Protective Brother

-Hunter-

Oh, this was so much better than I had expected. The room didn’t just fall silent. A thick, tense energy filled the air, making me smile as I let my words sink in. I focused on Chris, who blinked rapidly, clearly struggling to believe what he had just heard.

“What did you say?” he finally asked.

“I’m her ma—” I didn’t get to finish before he let out a deep, possessive growl that only an alpha could muster and lunged at me, knocking both me and the chair to the ground. Everyone sprang into action. Chris growled down at me, grabbing the collar of my shirt.

“No! Not you! Anyone but you!” he yelled, pulling back his fist. But before he could punch me, the sound of a gun being c*cked echoed in the room.

Archer…

I knew he wouldn’t let anything harm me, and as expected, he was ready to shoot Chris at my command. But then more guns were drawn, and suddenly everyone was aiming at everyone else. Fantastic… that certainly went well.

“Put down the guns! Not in my f*cking house!” the king shouted.

Everyone remained frozen, keeping their weapons trained on one another, just in case. The king growled deeply, making the walls shake, before he stepped around the desk and pulled Chris off me by the back of his neck, as if he were a small pup. He threw him back, and Evan was right there to hold him, along with James.

The king turned to me and held out his hand, but I pushed it away, rising to my feet with only the desk to support me. This was not good… I could feel pain shooting through my lower back, and my head had taken a hit too, but I acted as if I didn’t feel a thing. I stood up straight, brushed my sleeves, and adjusted my clothes.

The king watched me with eyes that clearly conveyed that I had it coming and that he felt no remorse. I ignored him and turned to Archer and the others, signaling for them to lower their guns.

“Chris,” the king said, turning his attention to him.

“Don’t you f*cking do it!” Chris yelled. “She is MY sister!”

“Don’t you think I f*cking know?” the king shouted back. “And she’s technically not mine to give away. All I’m asking is for you to listen, because if Angela will listen to anyone, it’s you.”

“I won’t ask her to go with this psychopath! Over my dead body!”

“Just listen!”

Chris still had to be held back, but at least he had gone quiet.

“I don’t like it either,” the king said, “but Hunter pointed out that it would be best if she left with him.”

“He isn’t f*cking touching her!” Chris sneered, glaring at me.

I gave him a crooked smile. Oh, I wouldn’t just touch her. I would f*ck her until she forgot her own name and screamed mine. I would explore every sweet spot on her body, learning what made her whimper and moan. As if he sensed my thoughts, Chris growled deeply at me.

“Get those sick ideas out of your head!” he sneered. “It isn’t happening!”

“Oh, but it will. She is mine, after all.”

Chris pressed forward, ready to lunge at me again, but the others managed to hold him back as the king continued.

“Connor has friends on this side of the water. If Angela leaves with Hunter, she will be hidden and protected. Hunter is much stronger over there than I am here. We know this. I’ve gained control over the council and removed the law that allows them to take Octavia from me, but that won’t stop Connor from finding another way to take her—or my throne. Hunter can keep her safe… better than we can.”

Chris fell silent, glaring at me but not saying a word. I didn’t care. He didn’t matter to me, but his sister did, and she would come with me, whether they agreed or not.

“No,” Chris said.

“You don’t have a choice,” I replied. “Your king owes me.”

Everyone turned to me, their eyes filled with hatred, but that only made me smile.

“And let’s not forget why he owes me. Think about it, Chris. He would never have been in this situation had you not taken Kaytlyn with you. It all traces back to you,” I said.

“That’s enough,” Valerio snapped. “I made the decision, and I will honor my word.”

“Then I don’t see why we are still discussing this,” I said. “She is coming with me.”

“Angela isn’t a thing!” the king growled. “It’s not like I can just pack her in a suitcase and hand her over. She needs to be convinced, and he is her brother! He can do that.”

The king pointed at Chris, who shook his head.

Valerio turned to him. “You need to think about what’s best for her.”

“I am!” Chris shot back.

“No, you’re not. Right now, you’re focused on keeping her close because you’re her brother, and you don’t want to see her leave again. It’s been almost a year since you two last saw each other, but she has to leave. That way, she’ll be out of your father’s reach.”

“We don’t know that for sure! He could easily find a way over there and take her again! If she stays here, I can protect her,” Chris argued.

“I will make sure to be prepared for him,” I told him.

“How? You don’t even know the man!”

“I know enough, and I assure you that Angela will be kept safe.”

“Yeah, and that would mean something if I actually trusted you, assh*le!”

I sighed and rolled my eyes, growing tired of the conversation. I could technically just find Angela, throw her over my shoulder, and take her with me. No one could stop me, but it would be so much easier if she came with me willingly.

“Chris, she will be safe over there,” the king said.

“She belongs with me!”

“No one doubts that, but if she is really his mate, then you know what that means…” The king let his words hang in the air, and it was clear that almost every male in the room understood their significance. “He won’t hurt her.”

“I can’t be sure of that…”

“But you can,” the king insisted. “Because you know what it means to find your mate. You didn’t want to leave Kate behind, no matter what. Hunter won’t leave without Angela, and he certainly won’t let anyone hurt her.”

Chris sighed deeply, his body relaxing, and Evan and James released him. He took a few deep breaths before looking at me and pointing a finger.

“Give me your f*cking word she will be safe with you,” he sneered.

“I don’t think I need—”

“Now! Or I will finish what I started, and this time I won’t be stopped!”

I straightened my back. “Fine. If you want to hear me say it, even if it’s already obvious, then fine… I give you my word: your sister will be safe with me,” I replied.

“And you won’t touch her without her permission.”

I sneered, irritated. This was taking too long, and I wanted my damn mate right now! Chris and I stared at each other for what felt like an eternity. He seemed to be waiting for me to mess up, to give him an excuse to attack again and make sure I didn’t get up again…

“Yes! I won’t touch her without her permission. I told you! She is safe with me.”

“You’re f*cking sick, and if I hear that you’ve hurt her in any way or gotten too close—”

“You will kill me. I understand, but I won’t do anything to her that she doesn’t want me to.”

Chris growled at me again, clearly struggling with the idea that his sister might be touched by any male, especially me.

“I can’t say you won’t have to drag her with you, but I will try to convince her,” Chris said before walking out, not even looking back.

I turned to the king, whose eyes were cold and hard to read.

“It isn’t just Chris who will come for you if you hurt her,” he warned. “We all will.”

“Message received,” I replied, turning away with the rest of my men. “I will be waiting in the entrance hall for her. Don’t let me wait too long.”