The Alpha's Unclaimed Mate novel Chapter 390

Chapter 390: You Look Like A Bitch

"Serena. We will be right back."

Elara crossed the Shadowfell’s main gallery, and grabbed Serena’s arm before anyone could object.

Hyran opened his mouth.

"Right back," Elara repeated, already walking, already pulling, already navigating the corridors of Shadowclaw like she lived there. Probably how Serena should have been considering.

Serena let herself be pulled.

"Do you have a room here?" Elara asked, her stride unbroken.

"No."

Elara stopped walking. Turned. Looked at her.

"That is problem number one."

She resumed walking. She stopped at a sitting room that looked empty, unused.

Elara pulled Serena inside. Shut the door. Turned the lock.

She faced Serena with crossed arms, assessing using best friend diagnostics.

"Talk. You look like a bitch."

Serena blinked. "Excuse me?"

"I said what I said. Your face is carrying an expression I have seen on angry horses and overworked commanders. Something is wrong. Multiple somethings, if I had to guess, and I always have to guess because you hoard your problems like a dragon hoards gold and you let them pile up until the pile falls on you. So." She pointed at the nearest chair. "Talk."

"Nothing," Serena said.

Elara rolled her eyes. She had been Serena’s best friend long enough to know that ’nothing’ was never nothing.

Serena’s hands flew into the air. Her composure had just received its final load-bearing straw and was collapsing in real time. The gesture was dramatic, expansive, and involved both arms.

It was so unprecedented that Elara’s mouth fell open.

Then Serena unloaded.

"There are a million and one things wrong, Elara. What isn’t wrong? Where would you like me to start? First." She held up a finger. "I have to have a whole goddamn audience for training, which includes both of my mates, who have the emotional regulation of Alphas. Both of my mates are military commanders. If I hold a sword wrong, I feel BOTH of them through the matebond."

She was pacing. Straight lines. Sharp turns. Military precision.

"I am going to be very clear about this," she continued, her voice climbing into a register Elara had never heard from her. "I am bad at fighting. I’m a lover. What can I say. I am learning and every time I fail or forget something, I can feel both matebonds clocking it. I am under a microscope on something I am not remotely naturally good at and feel worse at it the longer they both are there. I need them to go. Or I am going to give a double middle finger to this entire plan because I am over it."

"Who are you, and what have you done with Serena?" Elara sat in the chair Serena had ignored. "This is the best day of my life."

"Second." Serena held up two fingers without breaking stride. "Apparently Dexmon and Fin are the best of friends now. Dex told Fin about the time he lost my wolf in the forest and we ended up in Nightspire in the middle of a coup. And Fin told Dexmon about Shadowclaw getting attacked on my first shift and him having to carry me out." She put both her hands in the air. "Big deal. Oh no. Serena was attacked."

"Have they met you?" Elara agreed.

That was staying buried until Gavriel woke up. Buried deep. Under concrete. With a headstone that read Never Happened in bold lettering.

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