Chapter 14

((EDITED 5/18/2016. Some dialogue changes – also changed the timeline of this chapter a bit, but no significant events were changed. Chapter is 700 words longer now, but I didn't add anything substantial.))

(The song is not the usual type I put up, but it's stuck in my head sooo...yeah. Goes well with the most depressing part of the chapter if you want to listen to it at that point. You'll know what I'm talking about when you get there ;) If you don't like dance-ish music, don't listen!

Also, another pic of Skylar, same actress.)

The next several days were absolutely miserable.

Strangely enough, my misery wasn't solely due to the violent images of Riley's death assaulting my mind every time I closed my eyes. While this was definitely an issue, the main cause of my agitation was Gabriel himself.

My stubborn, antisocial, over-protective Mate kept me locked in his house with no means of escape. He refused to let me leave for any reason, even during the day, and he kept two of his wolves constantly on guard at the front door with the Alpha Command not to let me leave. This was worsened by the fact that Gabriel was hardly at his own home during the day.

I was going stir-crazy, and my mood had steadily worsened as the days passed by. The first few days after Riley's funeral, I knew Gabriel and the others were trying to work out the logistics of defense against the vampires, as well as trying to get things settled, so I tried to be patient. I knew they had to organize patrols at all hours of the day. But after that, my patience began to wear thin.

I contacted my family a few times to talk with them (Shifting in the middle of my bedroom so it was easier to speak to them across the great distance, which I was sure looked comical), and I told them there'd been another attack on Gabriel's pack, but I did not supply them with the details. They would go out of their minds with worry. I also conveniently did not tell them that I was basically a prisoner in Gabriel's house.

I also read a couple of books to pass the time, but eventually my thoughts would always wander to Gabriel and I'd get distracted.

The one bright light of the miserable experience of being kept inside was the woman who cooked for Gabriel, Evelyn. She showed up every evening to cook dinner for me (and leave the leftovers for Gabriel, as he didn't get home until the middle of the night.) Gabriel had given her a few days off when I first came back to the pack with him, but clearly he realized that the amount of food was getting scarce, or perhaps he was worried I would start talking to the walls because I was so lonely, so every evening she showed up to cook dinner. She was wonderful at it. A tall woman in her mid-60s, Evelyn was one of the only wolves in the pack that treated me kindly. As the days passed after the funeral, I got to know more about her and about the Black Mountains Pack.

The fifth day after Riley's funeral, I tried to ask her more about Gabriel and his past. For the first time since I'd met her, she looked acutely uncomfortable at the questions and gave very evasive answers, so I didn't press. I didn't want to anger her and lose one of my only friends in the pack.

My determination and optimism about retrieving much-needed answers from Gabriel was beginning to fade. He was very rarely alone in the house, and the few times he was, I got the sense that he was avoiding me. We had very short conversations when we did speak. He knew I was determined to find out what secrets he kept and he was dead-set on hiding them from me as long as possible.  My Wolf was almost as agitated as I; while our Mating bond was strengthening because of our proximity with Gabriel, it was not the natural order of things to resist the pull for so long. Most wolves consummated the bond as soon as possible. Our behavior was unnatural.

Any patience I would normally have had was nearly gone. I could scarcely sleep at night because of the horrible recent memories and the lack of rest was beginning to take its toll. Gabriel had held several meetings downstairs, but I dared not intrude because it would risk a lot of negative attention from his pack. Besides, most of the meetings pertained to patrol strategies and the like. Clearly, most of Gabriel's warriors already knew about the existence of vampires so were not surprised about the many precautions they were taking. I could not help but wonder why I had been kept in the dark in my pack for so long, especially considering my parents and Alpha Brett had seemed to know about the vampires, too.

I had overheard one thing when I was grabbing a granola bar from the kitchen while Gabriel was conducting a small meeting in the living room. While vampires could travel fast, Gabriel had said there was no way they could have made it from the nearest town in time to strike that soon after dark; this meant that either one or many of them had a hideout nearby in a cave or some other shelter. The thought was not pleasant. So far, the searches had found nothing.

Although I did not admit it out loud, Gabriel's behavior hurt. The rare times when he was around the house, his eyes would find mine briefly before flickering away with an unreadable expression, he often brushed by me with only a short word or two in explanation of where he was going, and the few conversations we did have were short and awkward. I was always asleep before he came back at night and woke up after he left in the morning. He was working himself to death but not seeking my comfort or companionship in any way, and intentionally avoiding any sort of confrontation with me. Every time it happened I felt myself getting closer and closer to a breakdown.

A week after Riley's funeral, I had gotten up super early to catch him and finally confronted him about it while he was halfway out the door at 5 in the morning. I had told him that I was suffocating, and asked if he'd at least let me go outside to train. I must have looked completely insane, or some part of Gabriel knew how poorly he was treating me, because he conceded.

After that, Gabriel instructed Eli or one of the other "babysitters" to accompany me to the training field in the afternoon. They let me train for a couple hours with the other wolves each day. I was not allowed to patrol, but at least I got to demonstrate my agility and fighting skills.

It was still immensely uncomfortable with the way the others treated me. And Gabriel did not once observe my training. Plus, although I was keeping up with his packmates, two hours a day was not nearly enough time for me to stretch my legs. If he wasn't going to change his mind about keeping me locked up, I would take matters into my own hands.

So on the twelfth day after Riley's funeral, I decided I'd had enough. I had to get out of the house no matter what it took. I had begrudgingly followed Gabriel's orders so far but at this point I did not care about disobeying him. It had been a week and a half since the funeral, two since I first arrived, and we'd made no progress! He couldn't treat me like an insignificant speck of dirt and expect to get away with it. To my surprise, my Wolf actually agreed with me. She wanted to run free for a little while, work the agitation out of her limbs.

As soon as Gabriel left for another search, I put my plan in motion. I walked quietly down to the foyer, glancing outside to see that the two 'guards' were loitering about in front, looking irritable. They likely thought that guarding Gabriel's Mate was a waste of time but they dare not disobey the Alpha. I couldn't blame them; I, too disagreed with his decision to keep me cooped up like a prisoner. I knew he was trying to protect me in some way but it was ridiculous. I was not some pet to be caged up.

And despite the fact that he was trying to protect me, it was still childish of him to avoid me the very few hours he was around.

Assuring myself that they weren't really paying attention, I hurried back upstairs. I slowly walked down the hallway to the second floor, opening doors as I went and peering out of the windows in the rooms. What I really needed was a window near a large, sturdy tree. Shimmying down a tree wouldn't be the world's most graceful exit but I needed some fresh air before I went crazy.

I finally got lucky when I opened the door to the bathroom nearest to my bedroom. There was a decent-sized window that I could likely fit through, and it was along the back side of the house so the guards would be less likely to hear me. I doubted they were alert enough to catch the subtle noise I would make when climbing down the tree.

Gripping the ledge of the bottom half of the window, I quickly unlocked the latch and then heaved the window up in one fluid motion. It was a relief to see that there was a thick branch pretty close to the window. I clambered out and onto the branch; having climbed a lot during my childhood years, it wasn't overly difficult. I had werewolf grace to thank for that.

Trying to be as quiet as possible, I slowly crawled along the branch, dropping to a lower branch once one was near enough. I repeated this action with two more branches, eyeing the ground below me with some caution. I wasn't too far up now, and my landing shouldn't make too much noise. I swung myself below the branch and then released it, landing on my feet in the thick grass behind Gabriel's house with a soft thud. I couldn't waste time now. I quickly took off towards the nearest copse of trees, stripping my clothes off and tying them around my ankle in record time.

I easily welcomed the contortion and burning sensation that the Shift brought. It had been too long since I had last Shifted; in fact, I hadn't been in this form since I had started living with the Black Mountains pack. My Wolf yipped with excitement, stretching her long, powerful legs.

Where should we go? She asked me, tone lighter than I had heard it in days.

Let's just run for an hour or so, not so far that we can't easily make it back hours before sunset. I was hoping to talk to our pack. The thought of opening my mind and hearing others' voices was a relief; I had been quite lonely the last few days.

I took off without further ado, My Wolf and I enjoying the breeze whispering through our fur and the thick grass of the forest under our paws. The trees provided shelter from the sun for a few moments before the woods ended, giving way to rockier, hilly ground that the Black Mountains Pack was known for. I slowed my pace, treading cautiously around the sharper rocks that would hurt my feet. I began to climb onto large rocks and leap from boulder to boulder, relishing the feel of my Wolf's powerful muscles in this form. My human body was just so frail in comparison.

We ran like that for just over an hour, having no issue traversing the rougher territory, although some part of me missed the dense forests from closer to home. After a while I instructed my Wolf to slow down and she did so, although regretfully. I waited until we found a large stretch of relatively flat ground overgrown with thick grass before stopping completely. We would probably be here for a while.

I turned in a circle, stretching my large form out in the warm sunlight. Holding my breath in anticipation, I lowered my mental barriers and stretched tendrils of thought out to my mother and father, leaving the others for later.

Skylar! Why haven't we heard from you in days? As expected, my father was angry. It had been three or four days since I'd last spoken with them.

Skylar! So glad to hear your voice, sweetie! My mother, after greeting me, attempted to calm him. Typical responses from both of them.

Sorry, Dad, I tried to make my tone as apologetic as possible. Before he could lecture me I gave a brief explanation of my training during the past couple of days, and how I was holding my own. I didn't include the way Gabriel was treating me; that would only serve to infuriate my father. Once more, I didn't mention the fact that I was cooped up pretty much all day.

At this point, I had contacted Alpha Brett to join our mental discussion. I had a question for him, as there was something still bothering me.

I've been wanting to know. Why did nobody tell me about the vampires before all of this? I always thought they were a myth!

There was silence for a few seconds before my father spoke.

I've only met one once when I was very young. They are rare creatures, rarer than werewolves. I'd hoped you'd never come into contact with one, never have to know they exist.

I advised them not to tell you, Alpha Brett continued where my father had left off. Same with many of the other families. That's why none of the younger generation knows.

I remained quiet for a moment, not sure how I felt about them making this decision for me. Maybe if I'd had some idea of what waited out there....

Now, of course, I realize that it would have been easier for you had you known, Alpha Brett admitted, after several seconds of silence.

Skylar, honey, don't blame your father or the Alpha. We argued over it and I thought it best we stay silent. Of course, now I wish we would have said something. There was a piercing sadness in her tone and I decided to drop it.

After half an hour of catching up, I requested to speak to Maria or Will. I knew that it was likely that neither one of them was in Wolf form at the moment, but I hoped they were missing me enough to want to Shift for a few minutes. I politely asked Alpha Brett to convey the message then said goodbye to my parents. Talking to too many wolves at once could be near impossible, especially when I was at this distance.

A few minutes later, I felt both of my friends' presences in my mind. My Wolf gave a small yip of elation as I realized just how much I had missed them. I had only been able to talk to them once since I left home, and it was over a week ago.

Skylar! Maria said excitedly, and I could sense her excitement even at this distance. Will began to greet me but his calm voice was drowned out as Maria started grilling me with questions. How are you? Has anything new happened? How is that Mate of yours? Have you guys...um...she stuttered off into awkwardness and Will seemed tense for some reason.

Calm down, calm down. I'm fine. I've started training with the wolves here. He's....frustrating. And no. I gave the last answer shortly. I knew that in human form I would have been beet red.

The conversation continued from there, although Maria gave considerably more input than Will. It was odd, how it felt like I hadn't seen them in months when it had only been a couple of weeks. It was definitely difficult to be away from the pack you were born into. Maybe it would've been easier if Gabriel wasn't so impossible.

After an hour of conversation, my mental barriers were slowly beginning to rise again. I had expended a lot of energy talking to all of them for an extended period of time from this distance. Glancing up, I realized it was afternoon and I needed to return to the pack soon. Hopefully Gabriel wasn't back yet; he'd likely be infuriated that I had passed his guards.

I said goodbye to my best friends, my tone tinged with regret. I could only hope I would see them again soon.

Take care of yourself, Skylar, Will said softly. I smiled mentally, glad to see that somebody cared. Closing off the conversation for good, I stood up and shook my thick silver fur out. It was time to head back to the pack and see what kind of trouble I was in. With any luck, Gabriel would not be home (it was the norm, after all) and I'd be able to sneak back in.

----

I really didn't think this through, I berated myself as I exited the trees behind Gabriel's house in human form again. I could hear Gabriel from this distance, shouting at the guards for letting me slip by. He must have just gotten back. I couldn't help but feel a surge of irritation directed at him. If he had paid attention to me in the first place I wouldn't have resorted to such extreme measures to make myself feel better. Besides, it wasn't exactly like I was trying to make a grand escape for good.

Gabriel's deep yelling abruptly cut off; he must've caught my scent. I hurried around the side of the house, eyes falling upon the exact scene I had constructed in my mind: Gabriel yelling at two downcast guards. One of them flashed me a murderous stare as I walked up.

Gabriel was facing me, standing stiffly with his arms crossed in front of his chest and his eyes cold. I felt a spike of pain deep within my chest. He was looking at me as he would any other disobedient member of his pack, whereas I couldn't help feel admiration every time I saw him. I wished for the umpteenth time that he could see me the way a Mate was supposed to.

"You weren't supposed to leave the house," he said icily, anger resounding in his tone.

"I didn't come here to be a prisoner," I replied shortly, not liking his tone. While part of me was intimidated by his Alpha posture, all of my patience had worn thin and I was barely keeping my agitation at bay.

"I can't constantly keep an eye on you when I'm dealing with everything else."

I gritted my teeth. "I don't understand why you think you need to babysit me!" I noticed Eli walking up from the corner of my eye and I blushed with embarrassment. Did Gabriel really have to confront me in front of three others?

"Haven't you noticed what happens every time you wander off?" His arms were by his sides now, and he was clenching and unclenching one of his fists in agitation. Corded veins stood up along his arms, and he was tensed up as if in preparation for an attack.

"I-" I started to defend myself but he cut me off.

"You don't do as you're told."

My eyes narrowed. "Maybe because I-"

"You always get into some sort of trouble. You're reckless and impulsive."

Again, calling me reckless. I flushed, this time with anger. I felt emotion rising in my chest. I could not believe he was calling me out like this in front of others. Talking down to me.

"I didn't leave just now to try to go get into trouble, I just needed to run after being locked in your house for so long!" I made no attempt to mask my growing frustration.

"Why is it so hard for you to understand that you attract danger?" Gabriel ground out through gritted teeth.

"If I'm such a hazard, maybe you shouldn't have brought me here!" I snapped, fury evident in my tone.

Gabriel looked away, his jaw clenching, staring off into the distance. Then he spoke so quietly, I barely heard it.

"I wish I didn't."

I gasped despite myself, eyes widening. It felt like he'd driven something sharp directly into my chest. For a moment I couldn't breathe. How could he just say something like that? I felt burning at the corners of my eyes and I knew I was dangerously close to crying. I couldn't cry here, I couldn't break down now. I turned away from him. I had to make it back inside the house, quickly, before emotion took over and I was further humiliated.

I began to walk away without another word, trying to fight the rising pain. I felt, rather than saw, Gabriel make a move towards me. I turned my head slightly to see him reaching out to try to stop me. I spun around fully then, my Wolf snarling in the back of my mind. For once, she was angry with her Mate. My angry eyes fixated on his, fury taking over. How dare he make a move to touch me after what he had just said?

"Don't you fucking come near me," I hissed, putting as much venom as I could into every word. Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned, they always said. Well, after being scorned for days and then basically rejected in public, I now knew that to be true. Gabriel recoiled from me, and I thought I saw visible pain flash in his dark eyes before he turned away.

I didn't care either way. My Wolf was as angry as I, not appreciating the way her Fate-given Mate had insulted her pride. I stormed inside, ignoring everyone else as I slammed the door behind me. I dashed up to my steps and into my room, closing and locking the door.

My Wolf was whining softly in the back of my mind. The way he had treated us had been insulting the last few days, but never had he come out and said something like that.

I wish I didn't.

I wish I didn't.

I wish I didn't.

The words kept running through my mind. Blinking rapidly to fight away the tears, I entered my bathroom and started up a hot shower. The last thing I wanted to do was cry; especially if there was a chance he could come up here and overhear me. I was starting to lose this battle, though.

As the water got hot and steam began to escape the confines from the shower, I thought I heard a knocking on the door.

"Skylar." The baritone was unmistakable; Gabriel was at my bedroom door. I shut the bathroom door nearest me loudly so he got the message. I closed my eyes tightly as the pain rose again. I wasn't sure if he was coming to yell at me for snapping at him or coming to apologize; the former seemed more likely, but it didn't matter. I had no desire to talk to him. As far as I was concerned, he had made it apparent that he didn't want me. My Wolf whined, loudly.

I stripped off my clothes and stepped into the scalding water, my eyes still burning from unshed tears. I heard knocking again and a muffled voice calling my name. I couldn't care less. He would have to break down the door to talk to me. Hopefully he would respect me enough not to, although with his recent behavior, that was doubtful.

In the haze of internal turmoil, I made a decision. I knew it was going to be the most painful thing I had ever gone through in my life, but I was going to have to leave Gabriel. It was apparent that he was too heartless to ever want me or to ever love me. I wasn't sure what exactly I had done to deserve a Mate that didn't want me, but that was what I got. I would have to return home to my pack, to the people that cared. All of my previous determination to get to know him was gone. Gabriel had given me absolutely nothing to work with.

I slowly slid down the side of the shower until I was sitting, the water pounding against me and traveling in rivulets down my skin to the ceramic tile below. I shut my eyes tightly, feeling the tears gathering. It already felt like something was breaking inside. My Wolf felt it too, I could sense it. He hadn't said the words of rejection but he might as well have. I felt like this whole trip had been a gigantic waste of time.

There was no more knocking for the rest of my shower.

I climbed into bed about half an hour later, feeling almost completely numb. All of the little rejections and brush-offs had just added up to one question: why didn't he just reject me first, instead of stringing me along like this? I should have known all along that what everyone said about him was right, he was just cruel. Soulless. In my state of dejection, I blamed Fate for giving me an impossible task. I'd always thought I was more compassionate than most but even I couldn't break his shell. I was just going to have to accept that and move on with my life.

I fell asleep with all of those disconcerting thoughts whirling through my brain.

---

My tired eyes slowly opened and I blinked, trying to adjust to the lack of light in my room. I frowned in confusion; why was I awake, anyway? It was the dark of night and my room was slightly chilly. I turned to the side, glancing at the clock above my bed. It read 2:58 a.m. Why the hell was I waking up at this time?

My Wolf was whining softly in the back of my mind. At first I thought it was because of the events from earlier, with Gabriel, but then I realized it was something else. She was nervous about something.

I sat up slowly, rubbing my tired, itchy eyes. I shivered slightly; it really was cold in here. At this time of the year it was chilly at night. I frowned again. How had it gotten so cold? I heard a slight rustling noise and I turned to the side, my eyes widening.

My window was open. Had I left it open? I didn't remember doing so. I felt a twinge of nervousness and I took a deep breath. There was a strange scent in the air. It almost smelled like blood, and I felt my stomach plummet as my eyes scanned my bedroom with renewed vigor. The air in my room felt different than normal, less stale, as if something had stirred it.

It was then that my eyes fell on something at the foot of my bed. A small sliver of paper gleamed white, and next to it was a medium-sized brown shape that looked like a box or container of some sort.

My heart began to pound as I realized that someone had been in my room, that they had likely come through the window I had left open. They had been in here while I had been sleeping and had been quiet enough that I hadn't heard them. The thought was deeply disturbing and I shivered, not from the cold. I crawled out of bed, the hairs of the back of my neck standing up as my nervousness increased tenfold. Holding my breath as the stench akin to blood increased, I warily approached the items at the foot of my bed.

---

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~~~~~Eli's Point of View~~~~~

I leaned back in the armchair, attempting to stifle a yawn. We had been at this nearly all night and still there was a pronounced lack of progress. Working with maps and coordinates was not my favorite thing; my Wolf and I would rather be outside patrolling than doing the paperwork. Not that I would tell Gabriel that. When he put his mind on something, he doggedly pursued it until he achieved his goal.

I glanced up at the Alpha, who was broodingly examining a map on the table from the chair opposite mine. He had been quiet and sullen tonight, even for him. I was pretty sure I knew the reason. I could still recall the stricken look on his face as Skylar had walked away from him earlier this evening. I kept my opinions to myself but after the way he'd acted towards her, I couldn't say her reaction was unforeseen.

I sighed. Gabriel and I had been friends a long time and had been close growing up, although I'd stopped calling him by his first name out of respect as soon as he became Alpha. Despite the fact that he was more withdrawn now than when he was younger, on rare occasions he would confide in me. I had hoped he would talk to me about this but he was stubbornly keeping his lips sealed. He wasn't used to opening up, that I knew, but if he wasn't careful he would lose her. He might already have. I didn't want to know what would happen to him if Skylar left.

"This quadrant needs to be searched again." Gabriel was saying, tapping a pen impatiently on an area of the hand-drawn map that he had circled. I leaned forward, examining it.

"Vincent said he took that quadrant yesterday," I commented.

Gabriel shook his head. He drew a line with the pen straight through the middle of the indicated quadrant. "He only took this left side. The right side has only been searched once, but not by our best teams. We need to check it again."

I nodded. "What time tomorrow?"

Gabriel leaned back again, his expression hooded. He looked exhausted. "I'll tell them first thing in the morning."

I studied him for a moment. He looked more drawn than I had ever seen him, and there was a grim set to his mouth.

"If there's nothing left for tonight, Alpha, maybe you should rest." I knew I was one of the few that could get by with saying something like that.

Gabriel made a noise deep in his throat. "I don't think that's possible right now." As if on reflex, his eyes flickered up towards the staircase. I hesitated, wanting to say something but completely sure how to approach it.

"What is it, Eli?" Gabriel did not miss my expression.

"It's....nothing, Alpha." I winced internally, knowing I should've just come out with it.

"You're not a good liar."

I snorted slightly, it was one of our inside jokes. I really was a terrible liar and he'd always called me on it.

"It's just...you've seemed a bit tired since...earlier." I didn't dare elaborate on that but Gabriel's eyes flashed as he got my meaning. He tensed, remaining silent for a few seconds. I hoped I hadn't pushed him.

"I didn't mean to talk to her like that." He finally said after a moment of silence. His voice was quiet, and there was genuine regret in his tone. I blinked with surprise at the admission; perhaps this was one of the rare times he was going to talk through his internal struggles.

"I didn't intend it to end that way. I was just....recognizing my own selfishness." His expression had morphed into one almost akin to self-loathing.

"I know that. She's just...confused," I muttered half-heartedly, not knowing how to console him. It was true that Skylar didn't have a clue about Gabriel's history. In truth, I could see both sides. In her position I would want to know everything about my future Mate, but I could see the various conflicts that Gabriel was presented with. He was having to fight his Wolf every step of the way.

"I want to tell her." Gabriel said abruptly. He seemed almost uncomfortable that he was being so forthcoming. "But she'll be even angrier after I do."

I shook my head. "You don't know that for sure."

Gabriel sighed, rubbing his temples as if he had a headache. "I was thinking about taking her with me to visit Raziel."

I tried to hide my surprise. I knew Gabriel was considering paying Raziel a visit, as he might be the only one who had the answers we needed about the vampires. If Gabriel was willing to take Skylar along, that would mean he had decided to tell her.

"I think that would be a good thing," I replied, trying to keep my answer fairly neutral. I really did like Skylar; she was tenacious and had a big heart. It was about time for Gabriel to let her in.

Gabriel narrowed his eyes in silent contemplation. I didn't press him any further, as he'd already been surprisingly forthcoming. He shifted position as if he were about to say something when a loud sound cut him off.

It was a horrified shriek, coming from the upstairs bedroom.

"Skylar!" Gabriel muttered, an overwhelming expression of worry and concern crossing his features. In an instant he had leapt out of his chair and was hurtling up the stairs, trying to get to his Mate as fast as possible. I stood up and followed him, feeling a twinge of worry myself; Skylar didn't seem to be the type to be easily spooked. I took the stairs two at a time, rushing into Skylar's room immediately after he did.

The brunette was huddled in the corner of the room, staring with a horrified expression at something Gabriel's figure was hiding from my view. Gabriel glanced at whatever it was before his shoulders stiffened and he quickly darted over to his Mate.

My eyes sought out whatever it was on the bed. It looked like a small slip of paper and a brown box. Cautiously sniffing the air, I walked over to the objects. My body instantly became on full-alert as I caught the scent of blood. Whatever was in that box smelled absolutely foul.

"Did you open it?" Gabriel was asking. He was gripping Skylar's arms and staring at her intently. Almost numbly, she nodded. I could see disgust evident in her blue eyes.

I gently picked up the slip of paper and read it aloud, my horror growing with each word.

You look lovely when you sleep. Thought you might want this as a reminder....

With great trepidation, I picked up the box. It was surprisingly light, although I wasn't sure what I expected to be in it. Gabriel had turned and was staring at the box with an unreadable expression, still gripping Skylar's arms, although his hold was gentle. He shifted slightly to block her view of the box.

"Open it," he commanded.

Holding my breath, I undid the latch on the outside of the box and slid the lid open.

My stomach plummeted as I saw the box's contents. Inside was a rotting, bloody chunk of remains that I quickly determined to be the heart of a werewolf. I knew instantly who it had belonged to. Riley. The stench of blood grew thick in the air as I dropped the box, snarling with disgust. The horrible smell of old blood and decomposition was nearly overwhelming, especially now that the box had been opened. I quickly backed away, trying to fight the bile that was rising in my throat.

"Who the hell-" I began, feeling my fury rise.

"Vampires," Gabriel spit out the word with disgust. "They came in here and put this on her bed while she was sleeping." He glanced down at Skylar, who just stood there frozen, thankfully unable to see the contents again because of her Mate's hulking figure. Gabriel's expression was dark and murderous, and he was clearly trying to restrain himself from tearing after the culprit. I couldn't blame him; one of our worst enemies had snuck right in here in the middle of the night. Into his Mate's room.

I swallowed, trying to regain control of my emotions. The thought of a vampire slithering in here while an innocent girl was sleeping was vile and disgusting. It was also disgusting that the vampire had been carrying that rotting heart around for nearly two weeks, just to torment Skylar, it seemed.

"What are we going to do?" I asked, attempted to keep my voice level. The box now lay on the ground, half-opened, a faint glistening sliver of the organ still visible. I turned away so I wouldn't heave.

Gabriel's jaw was set. "I know we discussed this as an option before, but now I see no other alternative. We need answers and it's even more urgent now. I'm not sure how a vampire could have gotten in here completely unheard by any of us."

He sighed, closing his eyes for a brief second as if he was having a mental battle. He let go of Skylar's arms, stepping a bit away to give her some space as he'd nearly been pressed up against her. I noticed out of the corner of my eye that Skylar shuffled closer to him almost unwittingly, seeking the comfort of her Mate. Her eyes were looking anywhere but at the box, although I could tell that she was trying to keep a straight face and regain control of her emotions. I couldn't imagine how she must be feeling right now, with a sick monster watching her sleep. The thought gave me unpleasant goosebumps and made my stomach lurch. My Wolf, too, recoiled at the thought.

Gabriel's dark eyes opened again and I knew he'd made a decision. Skylar slowly looked up at him in dazed expectation. "I'm going to see Raziel. And I'm taking Skylar with me."

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A/N: So I know a lot of you are probably going to hate me for this chapter and doing that to poor Skylar. Before you hate Gabriel, though, just know he has his reasons for everything. EVERYTHING. You'll be finding out what those reasons are verrryyyy soon. So keep reading :)

A lot of you are still asking about Gabriel's P.O.V. I already went over this in an earlier chapter so I won't do it again. Go back to chapter 11/12 and I think I covered it in an author's note.

MULTIMEDIA:

Another picture of Skylar (same actress!) And no, I didn't edit it. xD

A song that I can't get out of my head. 'Forever Now' by Ne-Yo. If you don't like techno-ish, don't listen.