Chapter 16

((EDITED 5/19/2016))

(( Picture on the sidebar is Raziel in his prime. Also, the song might be best listened to in the beginning of the chapter. It's a beautiful Christina Perri song that can describe Skylar and Gabriel's relationship at this stage.

Prepare for a fairly long rant at the end...heh.

Sorry for any spelling/grammar errors))

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It took me a very long time to fall asleep.

My upsetting thoughts continued to relentlessly circulate in my mind and my Wolf's agitation did not help the matter. On top of all that, it was still dinner time, as we'd arrived around dark. I was only praying that my all-nighter the day before left me sleep-deprived enough to pass out so early. I didn't want to deal with my Mate anymore tonight.

Before Gabriel got out of the shower I reached over and snagged the TV remote, turning the nearby lamp off in the process. I needed some sort of noise in the background, a distraction to keep me from thinking. It didn't help that I still felt a trail of heat on my neck from where Gabriel had kissed it, and the thought of him naked in the shower not too far from me only worsened things.

Stop thinking about him like that. I instructed myself angrily. I was supposed to be ignoring his existence, preparing myself to get over him. Yet, even through the pain that clouded my mind, I still was having lustful thoughts about him.

I bared my teeth in a silent snarl, turning over onto my back. The humorless sitcom on TV did little to lessen my hurt and frustration but at least I could focus on something mindless. Several minutes later, I heard the shower stop. I turned back over on my side and squeezed my eyes shut, remembering my earlier plan to fake being asleep.

It worked, or at least I think it did. Gabriel made no attempt to speak to me as I heard the bathroom door open, footsteps lightly padding on the carpeted floor, and then a rustle as he rummaged around in his bag. It occurred to me that he hadn't grabbed his clothes before storming into the bathroom, either.

I couldn't help myself. I slightly opened my eyes, just barely peeking out from behind my lashes. Call it morbid curiosity or my Wolf's instincts, I still could not prevent myself from wanting to get a glimpse of my Mate only partially clothed.

Seeing him nearly made me choke on my own spit, and I had to bite down on my lip to keep from making any sort of verbal reaction. It was dark in the room but I could still see enough with werewolf vision. Gabriel loosely held a towel wrapped around his waist while his other hand pulled clothes out of his bag. That meant that his entire chest and stomach were bare, glistening in the flickering light of the television. Moisture clung to his skin from the bathroom's humidity.

With a visible effort I shut my eyes again, refusing to ogle him any longer. I blamed it on my still-raging hormones. It was pathetic how little control I had with him, especially after he had just caused me so much pain. I turned over so I was facing away from him.

I forced my body to relax, muscle by muscle, as Gabriel quickly changed clothes in the confines of the bathroom before he returned to the main room, climbing under the sheets in his bed. To my surprise, I heard the lamp on the far side of his bed turn on, although it wasn't bright enough to disturb me. Apparently he was making no attempt to go to sleep so early, which shocked me. He had pulled an all-nighter just as I had and hadn't slept on the drive here. I supposed Alphas barely needed the rest, or Gabriel had more fortitude than most.

I bravely maintained my façade of sleep. I absolutely refused to let Gabriel get under my skin again tonight, when I was still hurting.

After another grueling two hours of fake-sleeping and mental turmoil, I eventually drifted away amidst my disconcerting, painful thoughts.

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"Skylar."

I moaned something unintelligible, turning so I could escape the bright light that had fallen upon my closed eyelids. I felt like I was cringing away from something that I couldn't place, something awful that I did not want to have to deal with.

"Wake up."

"Go away," I muttered. I was not a morning person.

"Skylar!" He said, irritated, and it was then that I recognized Gabriel's deep voice. I quickly sat up in bed, rubbing my sleep-filled eyes to see him standing nearby, looking down at me with an impassive expression on his face. The events from the night before suddenly came rushing back and I blushed furiously, looking away from him. I couldn't help the fresh wave of hurt that washed over me and my Wolf whined quietly in the back of my mind.

"What time is it?" I asked, attempting to keep my voice devoid of emotion. I couldn't help but feel paranoid about my appearance; did I look like a sleep-deprived corpse? Did I have bed-head? I felt embarrassingly self-conscious to have him seeing me first thing in the morning. I attempted to smooth my hair down a bit without making it too obvious.

'Skylar, what are you doing? Who cares what this emotionless prick thinks?' I mentally berated myself. I had intended to give Gabriel the cold shoulder today and that's what I was going to do. After the way he treated me last night, I felt pretty confident that I'd do a better job of being cold to him today than I had yesterday.

"Just before six. We need to go."

I just nodded mutely, hating the fact that he was waking me up at what felt like an ungodly hour in the morning. I knew we had to make it back before sundown, but still! As Gabriel stepped away from my bed and strode over to his belongings, I reluctantly stood up and stretched. I slowly and monotonously began to gather my own things, already knowing that today was going to be miserable. I could only hope that the answers I obtained would be worth the wait.

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As Gabriel checked out of the hotel I grabbed a muffin and a small coffee from the free breakfast bar; might as well eat while I could. The food was still piping hot as it was six in the morning and it had just been laid out. I clambered into Gabriel's large car as I munched on breakfast, attempting to keep thoughts of last night at bay. Such thinking would only make this day far more difficult.

Gabriel climbed in and we drove off, the silence thickening above our heads. The atmosphere in the car was tense. I refused to make simple conversation like I had the day before. I had every intention of remaining stonily silent as much as I could, at least until we were in Raziel's presence.

The minutes trickled by as we drove through town. I pretended to be extremely interested in the passing city scenery, although it was a dull grey day and all of the buildings blended together. I noticed that as we drove it became slightly more rural, the houses larger and further apart than the ones in the central part of the city. As Gabriel turned a few more corners I was taken aback by the sheer size of the homes we passed; they all had massive plots of land and a couple of them were three stories tall. This Raziel must be a wealthy fellow.

We wound our way up a fairly steep hill, and I could barely tell that we were anywhere near a city. The trees arched overhead and pressed thickly on either side of the car. Open fields whizzed by, cattle grazing idly in one of them. I spotted a few rolling hills in the near distance. It really would have been a beautiful scene if not for the dark sky and the even darker mood inside the vehicle.

The silent tension was crackling between us but if Gabriel thought I was apologizing he was very much mistaken. He was the one that had treated me like dirt, regretting even the simple action of putting his lips on my skin. The thought caused pain to lance through me and I huddled in the seat, keeping my face stubbornly turned away from him.

To my great shock, he actually broke the silence (for once). Hearing his words, however, pissed me off even more.

"I have my reasons, Skylar."

While I loved the way he said my name, the way he could just dismiss his actions the night before infuriated me to no end.

I tried not to let my anger show. "I'm sure you do," I said, my voice coming out satisfactorily indifferent.

I was looking out of the window still, refusing to notice his reaction, whatever it may be.

"If you knew them, you never would have done that last night."

Oh, so apparently I was the only one in the wrong? I gritted my teeth, trying to calm myself. The tactic wouldn't work if I displayed my anger openly.

"Whatever you say." Again, I kept my voice devoid of emotion.

This time I glanced out of the corner of my eye to see him tensing.

"Skylar." I repressed a shiver as my name rolled off of his tongue. Would I ever get tired of hearing my name fall from his perfect lips? 'Don't think like that,' my logical side reprimanded.

"That's what they call me." I was actually impressed with my own stubbornness. It was clearly irking Gabriel to no end, and I thought he might've been a bit insulted, too.

"Don't do that," he said, an edge in his voice.

"Okay," I replied coolly.

His hands clenched the steering wheel. I was sure it bothered him, as an Alpha, to have a wolf being borderline disrespectful with him.

"Stop being difficult!" He snapped. I almost spluttered with indignation; out of all people, GABRIEL was telling ME to stop being difficult? Just because I was giving him short, emotionless answers like he always gave me? I had to force my retort down, instead continuing to stare mutinously out of the window. He deserved every second of the cold shoulder treatment.

Thankfully, his escalating anger was cut short as he turned into a narrow drive and we pulled up to a large house. I couldn't help but stare, impressed. It was two stories, built in a traditional style with imposing columns in the front. There was a large, wrap-around porch. It was excellently landscaped, bright flowers bringing attention to the detail of the front garden. The road continued to the side of the large house up to a separate garage, which contained a sleek silver car. Apparently, Raziel had a decent amount of money.

Gabriel pulled up behind the silver vehicle and turned off his car with a bit more force than necessary. I hurriedly opened my door and scrambled out, not wanting to continue the argument where we left off.  I tried to ignore Gabriel's obvious tension as we strode towards the sidewalk leading to the front of the house. Three steps led up to the massive porch, which we followed to an imposing wooden door. I suddenly felt my nervousness spike. What would Raziel be like? Gabriel raised his fist and knocked loudly, three times. I couldn't help but wonder if he'd even bothered to tell Raziel we were coming; I hadn't heard him making any calls.

I heard the large doorknob turn and I shifted position, chewing on my bottom lip nervously. With a loud jerk the door was yanked open, and I couldn't help my mouth from dropping open slightly as my eyes fell upon the man standing there.

I recognized him instantly as the man from the picture in Gabriel's closet. The one I had presumed to be Gabriel's grandfather.

But this was impossible. The picture had seemed slightly worn so I'd assumed it had been taken when Gabriel's grandfather was younger. He'd have to be at least in his sixties now, considering the fact that Gabriel was in his mid-twenties. Yet the man standing in front of us was clearly in his mid to late thirties; he hadn't aged a day since the day the picture was taken. Obviously he was nowhere close to mortal. Perhaps I had been wrong about his identity altogether.

All of this processed in an instant as I attempted to control my shock. Raziel was intimidatingly tall, about the same height as Gabriel, so I estimated him to be at least 6'5. I felt tiny next to the towering men standing near me. Raziel had dark brown hair and the stunning blue eyes that I remembered from the picture, and his build was surprisingly muscular. He was exceedingly attractive, with the same chiseled jaw and sculpted features that Gabriel had. I had absolutely no clue how old he actually was.

"Raziel," Gabriel was greeting the other man as I tried to get ahold of my surprise.

Raziel looked my Mate up and down appraisingly, and I was surprised to see a fair amount of warmth in his gaze.

"Would it be too cliché to say you look all grown up?" The man said, a hint of teasing in his melodic voice. I blinked, taken aback. Definitely not what I was expecting.

"That's what werewolves do. They age," was Gabriel's neutral response. He seemed as if he was trying to control his emotions and I was left even more befuddled.

"This must be Skylar, then," Raziel said after a slight pause, and his gaze slid to meet mine.

I froze, completely taken aback by the intensity of his stare as our eyes locked. His eyes were the most electric shade of blue I had ever seen. It was like they were deep, unfathomable pits, drawing me in. I got the same sensation I had felt upon looking at a picture of him; that there was something foreign and unnatural about him, something I could not comprehend. I felt incredibly intimidated as I could sense his power and wisdom just by looking into his eyes, but I bravely held eye contact.

He is something else. Not werewolf. Not vampire .Other, my Wolf said, and she, too sensed Raziel's powerful presence.

I didn't want to appear rude, so I forced myself to speak before I made a complete idiot out of myself in front of Gabriel. Pushing aside my wariness I replied, "Nice to meet you." My voice came out slightly shaky, to my embarrassment.

Raziel smiled slightly, and I couldn't help but feel like he was sizing me up with his penetrating eyes. I held my ground stubbornly, not wanting to show how intimidated I was. "Pleasure is all mine."

"Are we going to stand out here all day?" Gabriel snapped, clearly annoyed. Typical Gabriel behavior. Raziel chuckled lowly as if he was expecting this before standing aside and beckoning us inside.

Once inside, I glanced around in wonder at his expensively decorated and richly furnished home. There was a plush carpet under our feet with intricate designs, and next to us sat a table covered in oddities. Some over them looked very old and very expensive. Paintings adorned the walls as Raziel led us to a sitting area. The pictures depicted everything from landscapes to war scenes. Apparently he was some sort of collector, with extremely expensive taste. I would try my best not to touch anything.

Raziel glanced over his shoulder, icy gaze catching mine once again. "Would you like some tea?" He asked politely as he indicated we sit down on an expensive leather couch nearby.

"Um..." I started, not wanting to impose on his hospitality.

"I don't mind, really. I haven't had a guest in a long time." He grinned a bit, flashing a set of brilliantly white teeth. I blinked, slightly stunned.

"Okay...thank you," I managed to force out. Raziel was disconcerting to say the least. Gabriel, for his part, turned down the offer of tea, still looking irked. I sat down slowly on the couch, unsure what to make of this situation. Gabriel sat down on the same couch, as far away as possible from me. I was slightly hurt before I remembered I was ignoring him as much as possible. Even so, I could tell he was very tense.

I glanced to my left to see Raziel rummaging around in a grand kitchen with marble countertops and stainless steel appliances. Exactly what did he do for a living?

A tense silence descended upon the two of us. I tried not to fidget, wanting to appear collected and cold. Even his presence mere feet from me was enough to set my nerve endings on fire.

Raziel thankfully returned a moment later as the tea was brewing. He eyed us with an unreadable expression on his face before he sat on the armchair across from us.

Gabriel wasted no time getting to the point. "So you got my message then," he said, somewhat abruptly.

"I couldn't exactly miss it," Raziel said wryly, his eyes glimmering as if he had some sort of inside joke.

Gabriel glanced at me out of the corner of his eye. "You told me to come here once the vampires showed up. Well, two of my pack members are dead," his voice had grown cold and monotonous as he spoke of the tragedy. My eyebrows rose; so Riley hadn't been the first?

Raziel nodded, his expression turning solemn. "I'd hoped you wouldn't have to come find me. I thought there was a chance you were well enough hidden."

"Apparently not. And they seem to take pleasure in harassing her," Gabriel said, indicating me with a jerk of his head. I tried not to look hurt at the fact that he wouldn't even look at me.

Raziel looked at me thoughtfully. "I need you to tell me everything, Skylar. From your first interaction with the vampires to the last."

I swallowed hard, not exactly wanting to relive the kidnapping experience. If it could help the werewolf packs, though, it was my duty to speak about it. If Raziel really knew so much about vampires we needed his help. I knew nothing about this man, but if Gabriel was familiar enough with him to trust him, I would have to as well.

I nodded and tentatively began to describe what had happened, starting from the time I had felt like I was being watched in the forest right after meeting Gabriel, then to the fight in the alleyway, up to everything that had occurred in the storage room. I made sure to give Raziel the names of the vampires that I remembered and the things they'd said about the rest of their 'pack', or whatever vampires called it. When I got to the part about being silvered I noticed that Gabriel had visibly stiffened. As I continued to talk about my 'interrogation', his agitation only worsened. I was pretty sure he'd figured out what had gone on in there but had never expected to hear it outright. I tried to keep my voice toneless as I described the brutal beating I had received, but right when I got to the broken rib Gabriel couldn't contain a vicious snarl from emerging from his throat. His hands gripped the couch cushion. I glanced at him in open surprise, not expecting such a strong reaction.

Raziel's eyes flickered over to my Mate, who was staring into the distance with his jaw clenched as he tried to get ahold of himself. I couldn't help but feel a small prickle of warmth that the thought of someone hurting me was pissing him off so much. At least it was some sort of emotion.

"Gabriel. Calm down," Raziel said firmly. I blinked in shock; I had never heard anyone order Gabriel to do something before.

Gabriel folded his muscular arms in front of him, glaring down at the ground. "I didn't know all of the details," he hissed, apparently trying to explain his reaction. "I should have made them suffer a lot more than they did." I felt another rush of warmth, vainly trying to control my body's reactions.

"It doesn't matter now," Raziel said, keeping his voice calm. "It's over. Skylar, continue please."

Still surprised that Gabriel wasn't getting mad at the way Raziel spoke to him, I hurriedly continued my story up until my rescue, not wanting my Mate to lose control in Raziel's sitting room. From then, I skipped to the night in the forest when Riley had died. This story was much more difficult to tell because as I did so I could see the images flashing behind my eyelids. I tried to stay composed, keeping my voice fairly devoid of emotion as I described Riley's last moments and the brutality of the vampire attack. Raziel's gaze darkened as I spoke and I could see his visible dislike of the horrendous creatures.

I ended with the gruesome discovery on the foot of my bed, trying not to think about it too hard to avoid being freaked out again. When I was finished, he leaned back in the armchair with a contemplative expression on his face. The teapot in the kitchen suddenly startled me as it began to emit a high-pitched noise, and Raziel went to fetch it as Gabriel and I once again let tension surround us. I bit my lip, a small part of me wanting to talk to him after seeing his angry reaction to the way the vampires had treated me.

I tried to remind myself of the emotions I had felt last night after he stormed off. He had acted like a complete ass, so he deserved my less-than-friendly treatment.

Raziel returned shortly with two cups of tea and a couple packets of sugar. He placed one steaming cup in front of me and one in front of himself; I gratefully clutched it in my hands and inhaled the soothing scent.

After a moment or two of silence, he finally spoke. "I know exactly who you're dealing with. There's only one vampire that would behave like that, who has so many vampires under his thumb, and who is old enough to attack with such silent brutality and move around without being detected. In fact, he's the oldest vampire in existence."

I frowned, not liking where this was going.

"I've never heard you mention him," Gabriel responded, confusion evident in his voice.

Raziel sighed, expression dark. "I hoped I would never have to. It's not a good situation if he is involved. Vampires had to come from somewhere, of course, and at the beginning there were only two. Regardless of how those two became vampires in the first place, they began to turn others. They are the makers of all other vampires. The eldest and more vicious of the two is named Cain. I believe it is Cain and his coven of vampires that are attacking you."

His eyebrows were furrowed with concern, which worried me. If Raziel was nervous, then perhaps we were underestimating what we were dealing with. I shuddered visibly; the thought of the oldest vampire in the world creeping into my room was horrifying. He could have snapped my neck in an instant. Why didn't he? And what did he want with Gabriel? I took a sip of tea, wincing at the scalding heat, but the taste was soothing and left a trail of warmth down my throat.

"Cain," Gabriel said quietly, testing the name. "What do you know about him?"

"He created his own bloodline of vampires, although none of them are as strong as he. A turned vampire, no matter how old, will never be as strong as the one that originally created them all. Cain is ruthless and sadistic. He likes to toy with his victim's mind before killing them. He plays games with his prey. Creeping into Skylar's room would be typical for him."

"You sound like you know him," I blurted out before I could stop myself. It was true that Raziel knew an awful lot about Cain's killing methods.

Raziel's grave eyes met mine. He stared at me for a moment, solemnly, making no effort to contradict me. My eyebrows raised. Was he implying what I thought he was implying....?

"I have....come into contact with him a couple times over the years," he admitted.

"How many vampires does he have with him?" Gabriel asked, effectively cutting me off from asking any more questions.

"I would guess about fifty or sixty, from the whispers and rumors I've heard throughout the years. Vampires are exceedingly rare creatures that prefer to live solitary lives, so I don't doubt that Cain's coven is one of the largest—if not the largest—around."

"How do we get rid of him?" Gabriel continued, just as I'd opened my mouth again. I tossed him an irritated look, as there was a question I desperately wanted to ask.

Raziel stood up, drawing himself to his full imposing height. "I'll have to do some research. I've been having difficulty discovering intel on this particular subject. I need some more information on the timing of...." He trailed off, giving me an odd glance that told me there was something I wasn't aware of. I frowned as he continued. "....everything. Truthfully, Gabriel, when I told you to come to me if the vampires ever discovered you, I'd hoped I was just being paranoid. Your pack is almost impossible to find in those mountains." His expression darkened. "Then again, Cain has all the time in the world on his hands. I should've known he'd never stop."

The man set his cup of tea back down on the table, looking perturbed. "I do have something that can help you, though. A protection of sorts. Give me a moment." Mumbling something unintelligible to himself, Raziel left the room and I was alone with Gabriel again.

I sighed, not wanting to speak with him, but I was burning with curiosity. Too much was being left unsaid.

"So all along he knew that the vampires might find you?" I asked finally, trying to keep my voice neutral.

Gabriel shifted on the couch, still looking down instead of directly at me. "He came and warned me many years ago," he said, his tone indicating that he was reluctant to tell me this.

"How did he know?" I continued to press him.

"He's been around a long time and learned a lot of things." He kept his voice curt but I tried not to let this annoy me.

"Why do they want you?"

The question that had been pressing upon my mind for a long time, that had been bothering me since the vampires had interrogated me in the storage room. They'd been desperate to find Gabriel and see how much I knew about him. Yet I had never received a solid answer as to why they wanted him.

Gabriel looked up at me finally, and his eyes were burning with a dark intensity. I saw reluctance in them, clear as day, but mixed with a bit of resignation. He clearly did not want to tell me but was trying to convince himself that he'd basically promised to reveal his secrets.

"You said I'd get my answers here," I continued, very softly. Gabriel's mouth tightened and wariness crossed his expression.

A minute passed in silence. I tried to be patient, even though I was practically sitting at the edge of my seat. Dimly, I registered Raziel's returning footsteps. He entered the room in my peripheral vision, carrying a very large box. I was too focused on Gabriel to query about its contents; I kept my eyes fixed on my Mate.

"Tell her, Gabriel, or I will," Raziel said calmly. Apparently he had been listening in.

Gabriel sighed heavily, running a hand through his dark locks.

"They want me for my blood, Skylar," he said, very quietly.

I frowned, not comprehending. "Well...they're vampires. Of course they want blood," I replied, feeling stupid.

He shook his head. "My blood isn't....normal werewolf blood. They want me because of my lineage." He exhaled slightly in frustration. I continued to stare at him in confusion. He wasn't doing a good job of clarifying things. What did he mean by 'normal werewolf blood'?

"There's a ritual," Raziel cut in, saving Gabriel as the latter was trying to find words to say. "They need Gabriel's blood for it. Skylar, there's a lot of things in this world that you never would have dreamed possible. Werewolves and vampires are the most common mythical creatures, but they aren't the only ones."

I blinked up at him, feeling a prickle of nervousness. I wasn't sure I liked where this was going.

"Vampires are creatures of the darkness, demons. Sunlight isn't their only weakness but it is the only guaranteed way to kill them. Cain has always believed that if he can walk in the sunlight, he will be truly invincible. However, a demon's blood will never let him do that." Raziel exhaled, and I felt my heart rate increase as my mind began to work overtime. "He needs the blood of something pure, made of goodness and sunlight. Something holy. Even just a small amount of holy blood will do." Raziel's eyes focused on something over my shoulder.

Feeling my nervousness spiking, I slowly turned around to follow his gaze. Directly behind us was a large, beautiful painting done in a medley of watercolors. However, the color wasn't what struck me. What stood out was what the picture depicted: a host of Angels, flying high in the sky, their beautiful white wings spread wide. As I looked upon the snowy white feathers of their wings, I suddenly felt like I was going to faint. I felt my mind flash back to the day I had snuck in Gabriel's room, when I had found the stunningly white feather and felt a strange sense of energy emanating from it.

"Angels...?" I stuttered out disbelievingly. "But...aren't Angels in Heaven?" I felt so incredibly dumb but my mind was refusing to comprehend what Raziel was saying. Wait...Raziel...Gabriel....Biblical names...was it just coincidence...?

"Not all of them. It is a rare occurrence, but once or twice in a millennium there will be an Angel cast down from Heaven for committing a Sin. The Angel will be doomed to spend the rest of their immortality on Earth unless they can redeem themselves." His piercing eyes grew distant, almost morose. "I was one such Angel, cast down a long time ago." His piercing eyes flickered to my face, which I'm sure was slack-jawed with shock.

No wonder my Wolf and I had felt the sense of foreignness and power. There was a holy being standing in front of us. I could only gape at him in disbelief.

"Sadly, I don't have my wings anymore, for I committed another crime, a terrible one in Heaven's eyes, here on Earth." His mouth twisted in a sardonic smile. "It took a couple centuries but eventually I fell in love, with a beautiful werewolf, and I unintentionally impregnated her. Fallen Angels are never supposed to reproduce. We cannot reproduce with humans, so normally it isn't an issue, but a werewolf is physically capable of carrying an Angel's child. My choice was to either kill the child or sacrifice my wings and special abilities. It is obvious which one I chose." He sighed, his next words coming out almost bitterly. "My Angelic abilities slowly faded over time, my strength ebbing until I'm as fragile as a mortal being now. My wings molted and I had to watch the feathers drop, one by one. The one thing that wasn't taken from me was my immortality. I'm destined to live among the sinning, mortal beings forever, never aging or dying. Witnessing human wars, hatred, and strife for the rest of eternity."

I dared glance at Gabriel. He was refusing to look at me, but at some point he had stood up from the couch and was pacing back and forth, fists clenched at his sides. I felt slightly dizzy as I tried to absorb the new information. I actually felt a pang of sadness for Raziel. I couldn't imagine what it would be like to lose my werewolf senses, my Wolf herself.

"So if you're an Angel...then your child...and Gabriel?" I was a step behind, trying to put the puzzle pieces together.

"Gabriel's mother was my one and only child, making Gabriel my grandson."

I stared at my Mate in shock as the pieces clicked together. Gabriel was one-fourth Angel. My Mate had Angelic blood running through his veins. Part of me didn't want to believe it, yet it all made sense. The feather in his closet, his regal features, and his ability to Command other Alphas. He had holy blood in his veins; of course he would be stronger than any other Alpha on the planet.

It was such a foreign concept. I'd never really considered religion before, so the ideas of Heaven and eternal life were mostly beyond my comprehension. Yet, being in Raziel's presence, I believed him. My Wolf and I had already realized he wasn't werewolf or vampire, he was other. And now we understood.

Raziel gave me a few seconds to process before he continued speaking. "Unfortunately, when I chose to let my child live, I didn't realize the danger I'd be putting her, and her future child, in." His jaw clenched and I saw visible self-loathing flash through his icy orbs. "You see, vampires can't drink pure Angel blood. It will burn them from the inside out."

He glanced over at Gabriel, who was still refusing to look at me. How was I supposed to act around Gabriel now? Why had Fate chosen ME of all people to be his Mate? "But the blood of a hybrid will not. Werewolf blood dilutes Angel blood to a level where a very strong vampire, like Cain, can drink it."

"So then Cain..." I began, numbness beginning to take over my body as everything started to make horrible sense.

"Gabriel is the only living hybrid on this planet. Cain will stop at nothing to get his blood because it will allow Cain to walk in the sunlight, breaking his curse of the darkness." His face was grim.

"Cain, and every vampire he has ever turned, will be invincible."

A/N: So I decided to divide this chapter into two parts because, quite frankly, it was long enough and I didn't want to overload you all with information. There will be more secrets and answers to your questions next chapter. I hope you all liked the revelation; I've had it in my mind since Chapter 1.

Okay, so I'm going to address a few issues. First of all, please don't ask questions that aren't already addressed on the FAQ's on my profile. Also, if you have an important question or want me to read your story, PM ME. Don't leave it in a comment or on my profile, it will be more likely to get lost in the crowd and I don't want to dig through everything to find it. Also, I'm very backed up so it might take me a while to get to your story/question. I get lots of inbox messages a day.

Secondly, PLEASE understand that I do have a life. I absolutely love my readers' support but I can't update every day or every other day. I simply don't have time. I like my chapters to be long and thorough and I know you guys don't want to have to read crappy story development. So don't be rude about asking me to update, I've had a few less-than-friendly comments/inbox messages.

Lastly, I'm concerned. My chapters have been getting like 90,000 views but this last one doesn't even have 10,000. I'm worried that I'm losing readers for some reason or another, even though I'm getting a record number of comments. Truth be told it's disheartening. I don't want to think that people are giving up on this story when there's still so much left. I don't know how I could drop from 90,000 views down to less than 10,000 but it is cause for worry. Let me know if you have thoughts about why that's happening...it is especially strange because my story is constantly in the top 10.

Okay, -end rant-. Thanks for reading. More revelations on the way :) And I really do appreciate all the comments!!!

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MULTIMEDIA:

Picture of Raziel. Beautiful, no? (yes, I know the actor is homosexual in real life. Such a pity for females everywhere. Lucky men.).

"Distance" by Christina Perri feat. Jason Mraz. Lyrics go well with the story.