Chapter 26

((Sorry for the delay. Yes, I am safe despite all of the tornadoes, see more info at the end A/N.

The song for this chapter was requested a dozen or more times so I relented and put it up. It is quite catchy and actually suits the story pretty well.

And a lovely cover by tinkerbelltales!

Thanks Belle for editing! :) ))

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My eyes flickered between Maria’s parents to Gabriel and back again. Normally, I would’ve been feeling a rush of embarrassment at this point. The alcohol had definitely tampered with my emotions, though, because although my logical side knew I was embarrassing myself, in my drunken state I didn’t care. At this precise moment I actually found the situation quite funny.

“Hey Mom… Dad…. Alpha….” Maria greeted nearly incoherently. I could tell she was feeling the awkwardness of the situation, unlike me. She wasn’t quite as drunk as I was.

“Do you have an explanation for this?” Jack demanded. Gabriel remained silent, eyes boring into me. I realized I was still standing on the table and that 'A Girl Worth Fighting For' had just ended in the background. I fought down the urge to smile because I knew it wasn’t amusing, yet the laughter was threatening to bubble up. I cautiously stepped down from the coffee table, swaying slightly as I stood on the ground. The world was nearly spinning around me but I attempted to stay upright so I wouldn’t appear as drunk as I really was.

“Um… we….” My best friend began to stammer, slurring her words a bit. I quickly covered my mouth with my hand so they wouldn’t see me grinning. Maria’s face was so red with embarrassment that it was hard not to giggle. “Well... we just wanted to loosen up. I thought you guys wouldn’t be home for another couple of hours!” Her dark eyes looked absolutely miserable. Feeling brave, I attempted to distract Jack’s glaring eyes away from Maria. I didn’t want her to get in trouble.

“We were watching Mulan!” I burst out excitedly, realizing belatedly that it was pretty obvious what we had been doing. I racked my brains for something more clever to say but came up with nothing. Unfortunately for me, the intelligent side of my brain had all but disappeared, and drunken babble began to escape my lips before I could stop it. “Maria said that I act like a mom. And she wanted to see me smile. And act spontaneous! Also, we really wanted to look at Shang. I know he’s a cartoon character and it’s weird but he looks really good shirtless-”

“Enough!” Gabriel snapped, cutting me off. I frowned at him, not caring if he saw me. My inner caution was not making an appearance now – not when I had consumed so much alcohol.

“Maria, you know better than this! You’re underage for crying out loud! And dragging Skylar into it?” Her mother lectured, and Maria shrank down slightly.

“We don’t even really follow human laws, Mom, so the underage thing is-”

“Upstairs. Now!” Her father commanded. Maria flinched and glanced at me over her shoulder. I blinked at her, bewildered, and opened my mouth to speak but my brain couldn’t conjure up a coherent sentence. My amusement was gone now that my best friend was getting in trouble.

She sighed and began to trudge up the stairs, her mother saying a respectful goodbye to Gabriel before following suit. Jack’s stern gaze landed on me but he didn’t speak, instead asking Gabriel’s permission to leave the room. I had a bad feeling in the pit of my stomach now seeing Gabriel’s expression. He granted Jack’s request, staring at me all the while.

I shifted from foot to foot, drunken brain scrambling to think of something to say. ”Um…I should go home now,” was all I came up with, and my words were pretty obviously slurred.

Avoiding Gabriel’s gaze, I made my way towards the front door. Before I could get there, Gabriel shifted position and stood directly in front of me. “I’m walking with you.”

“I can find the way to my own house. I’ve made the trip from here like a bazillion times.” I was pretty sure ‘bazillion’ wasn’t a word but hopefully he got the point.

“You’re drunk. I’m not letting you wander around.”

I huffed, knowing I would not win this argument – especially in my drunken stupor. I shook my head a bit, trying to clear it of the fuzziness, but that only made the world shift around me so I immediately stopped. Trying not to let my dizziness show, I followed Gabriel as he turned around and opened the front door for me.

“And they say chivalry is dead!” I said loudly as we exited the house. Gabriel gave me a very strange look.

“What?” I demanded defensively. I really was not thinking at all before I spoke, I realized. I had no filter right now.

“You’re really drunk,” was all he said as we strode across the porch and began walking towards my house.

I turned my head to look at him. It was dark out, but the light from nearby houses illuminated his profile. Gabriel’s jaw was set, his eyebrows furrowed. It was the same look he had given me upon first seeing me in Maria’s house.

“Are you mad at me?” I asked bluntly, the alcohol making me braver than usual.

Slight surprise overtook his features and Gabriel’s eyes flicked to me. The silence stretched out for a few seconds before he spoke. “….no. I just did not like being ignored.”

“When did I ignore you?” I frowned slightly. “Oh, wait! You mean all day today? Well, honestly, you deserved it because-”

“No, not then,” he cut me off. “I mean an hour ago when I tried to mentally contact you.”

“Oh, THAT’S what was going on in my head! I wondered!” Once again, the words were escaping my mouth without any sort of thought process. I could tell my Wolf was irritated at the immature way I was acting, but it was easy to ignore her in my current state.

Gabriel sighed and said nothing for a long moment. Our light footsteps seemed unusually loud with the tense silence between us. I glanced up at the sky, admiring the bright stars as we walked. I was mostly managing to walk in a straight line, although the faint dizziness would not subside. I didn’t mind it though. I felt courageous and almost fever-free, and my heart wasn’t aching like it had been all day. I could understand alcohol’s appeal now.

“What did you do all day?” Gabriel asked tersely. I glanced at him again, having to squint slightly to focus on his face. There was an edge in his voice as if it was a loaded question.

“Oh, you know, hung out with a bunch of guys!” I remarked flippantly, grinning at my own brilliance. That would teach him to ask cryptic questions.

I thought I heard a growl, low in Gabriel’s throat, and he spun to face me as he halted his stride. I stopped too, stumbling slightly. “Not funny, Skylar.” He said with thinly veiled irritation.

“Relax, I was just joking!” Some distant part of me felt irritated that he was playing 'Mr. Possessive' when he’d had sex with another she-wolf! Before me, I knew, but it still hurt although the pain was dulled for the moment.

“This isn’t a joking matter,” was Gabriel’s snappish reply.

“Calm down,” I said, feeling a burst of annoyance. The alcohol spurred me on, the fuzziness in my brain preventing me from really thinking my words through. “I would never do that to you. I am faithful to my own Mate.” My tone was incredibly bitter.

A very visible expression of hurt flitted across Gabriel’s features and he turned away, hunching his shoulders. My sense of compassion kicked in and I felt a prick of guilt, which caused me to make an attempt to lighten the mood. I knew I shouldn’t have said that.

Again, the drunken babble began to emerge as I tried to think of anything to take that expression off of his face. “….Besides, you’re way hotter than any guys here.” ‘

Really, Skylar? That's what you came up with? I wasn’t sure if it was my conscience or my Wolf speaking.

Gabriel’s face was absolutely priceless as he stared at me in open incredulity, as if he couldn’t believe I was saying something like that.

“In fact, you’re even hotter than Shang!”

“Skylar, just stop,” Gabriel muttered under his breath. He looked uncomfortable.

“What, you don’t know how attractive you are?” Why the HELL was I saying these things? Why wouldn’t my mouth stop? I made a vain attempt to shut up but as I continued to stare at my Mate’s perfect face, the words kept coming.

“Why are we talking about this?”

“The first time I saw you, I-”

“Drop it.”

“Was terrified of course, but I couldn’t help but notice-”

“SKYLAR!” He shouted, and it was then that I took a closer look at his face and my mouth dropped open in surprise.

He looked embarrassed. For the first time ever, Gabriel actually looked embarrassed. I couldn’t help the grin that spread across my face until I knew I was smiling like the Cheshire Cat.

“I can’t believe it. You’re actually embarrassed!” I said aloud before I could help myself. It was true. Gabriel was looking anywhere but at me, shifting from foot to foot. It was an expression I had never seen on his face and it was absolutely worth every moment of acting like an idiot. Maybe I should drink around him more often.

Gabriel did not deny my allegation, instead setting off for my house again without a word, walking stiffly. While we did not talk the rest of the way, I couldn’t keep the grin off of my drunken face. I had made him show some sort of non-customary emotion. I couldn’t help but feel proud.

---

When we reached the threshold of my house, a lot of my good mood dissipated. I remembered what had happened the last time was in here and just like that, I felt my bubble burst. I wasn’t sobering up quite yet but even my drunk mind knew I had a large amount of problems to deal with, and likely a lot of hurt still to go through.

If Gabriel noticed my mood, he didn’t comment as he opened my front door. I couldn’t help but openly goggle at the way his muscles tightened and shifted as he moved. I felt a sudden rush of desire and I had to quickly turn away, cheeks tinged pink. I knew that in this state of mind I was greatly at risk of acting on my hormones, so I would make sure not to have any more inappropriate thoughts. Instead, I observed my house’s contents with forced curiosity as if I’d never been here before, keeping my eyes far away from Gabriel’s muscular frame.

Thankfully, nobody was home. I had no idea where my parents were but it was only about ten o’clock, so perhaps they were out running or spending some time alone together. Gabriel’s packmates – except for Eva – had left to return to the Black Mountains Pack now that the emotions were slightly more settled here. My pack still had some adjusting to do but at least nobody was launching themselves at my Mate.

Gabriel stopped at the foot of the stairs and turned to face me as I eyed the stairs dubiously. I hoped I could make it right now with my increased clumsiness.

“Do you want me to come up? Can you make it up those stairs?” He asked, and I blinked at him in surprise. It was a surprisingly considerate request from him, and I felt a little warmer. I desperately wanted to say yes and my Wolf was relishing the thought of having him in my bedroom while we were alone. But then my thoughts drifted to the events from earlier, and I remembered what Eva had said, and the fact that she could walk in at any moment if she was still staying here.

“Is Eva sleeping here still?” I asked, completely ignoring his question, instead making my way cautiously up the first couple steps so he would know I could make it without his aid. I had to know about Eva's situation; that was more important. I absolutely didn’t want her here but if Gabriel did….

His face tightened and he shrugged. “Haven’t seen her.”

“I don’t want her back here,” I said, my words coming out much more vehemently than I’d intended.

Gabriel’s dark eyes bored into mine. The intensity in his expression was almost unnerving. I itched to reach out and run my fingers across his smooth skin, and I folded my arms behind my back to prevent myself from acting on my impulses.

“I promise you, Skylar, I never had feelings for her. It never meant anything.”

I looked down, some of my hair falling forward to obscure my face. My happy-go-lucky drunk state was gone, and now I just felt morose and depressed. Was that normal? Perhaps I just needed sleep.

“I don’t want to talk about it,” I muttered, feeling a lump in my throat. Just like that, I felt like I couldn’t be around him any longer. I was dizzy and my energy was severely depleted now. I just wanted to crawl upstairs and pass out. I began to head that way, taking the steps very slowly, but I stopped abruptly when something strong wrapped around my forearm.

I spun backwards a bit, glancing down. Gabriel’s hand rested there, sending warm tingles shooting up and down my spine. He was looking at me with that same intense expression.

“I know you’re drunk and tired, and I know you’re angry with me. I don’t expect you to talk to me now, but I need to explain myself. Just give me a chance.”

I hesitated, even though I already knew I would cave in. I just couldn’t stay away from him and I really wanted to hear his explanation.

“Please,” he added, his voice lower now. Knowing Gabriel almost never said please, I nodded.

“Okay,” I said softly, realizing he truly did want a chance to explain his motives for sleeping with Eva.

Gabriel released my arm and stepped back. “I’ll give you some time while I take care of a few things, but I’m going to find you soon. Then we’ll talk.”

I nodded again, mutely. My Wolf itched to close the distance between us and hug him. She was so forgiving of Gabriel’s actions. Normally I was the more patient, compassionate one, but when it came to Gabriel, my Wolf was a complete pushover. She was absolutely crazy for him.

Gabriel made his way towards the front door again but I could only stand there on the step, staring after him and feeling a bit bereft after he walked away.

You’re the one who wants him to leave, my Wolf chided, though there was no real venom in her voice, she just sounded sad.

I don’t want him to leave me. I’m just not ready to talk about it yet.

No, you’re too drunk to talk about it, and you don’t trust yourself with him, she said wisely. I sighed.

Okay, those reasons too.

The Mating bond is natural for us. Why can’t you just give in?

I didn’t bother answering, instead brushing my teeth very quickly before changing and climbing into my bed. As my drunkenness was slowly subsiding, I felt the heat of the fever returning and I quickly stripped off the stifling covers. I knew my Wolf had a point. I was wasting time and I needed to decide what I was going to do. I had no more time to lose. As soon as Gabriel told me everything, it would all be out in the open, and it would rest on my shoulders. I could only hope I would make the right choice.

---

I didn’t see Gabriel again until two nights after my drunken episode.

The first morning afterwards, I woke up with a pounding headache and a severe case of nausea. Now I could understand some of the drawbacks of alcohol. I lay in bed for a while, lamenting my poor choices as my still-present fever and my hangover symptoms combined to make me feel altogether unpleasant. Worse, my parents had heard about the whole thing from Maria’s parents so I had to sit and endure a half-hour lecture while I felt like I was going to throw up.

That evening, I felt considerably better so I decided to wander around the village. I was tired of being cooped up all day and the fresh air would hopefully help me think. As I aimlessly meandered, I couldn’t help but notice that many of my packmates seemed to be avoiding me or deliberately not looking at me. I tried to smile at them anyways and put on a brave face, but deep down it hurt. I knew it probably had something to do both with my involvement with Anne’s death and my relationship with Gabriel. I knew they were still scared of their new Alpha, but these Wolves had known me for years! I couldn’t believe their opinions of me were so easily swayed. It angered my Wolf as she pondered how they would act if I ever became Luna.

I stopped her right there. I couldn’t think about that now. I could honestly say that the concept of becoming Luna one day was equally intriguing and intimidating. Part of me relished the thought of having such a powerful position in the pack, and my sense of pride encouraged the notion that I would do a great job. However, the smaller, insecure part of me couldn’t help but wonder if I was strong enough for the position. Eva sure as hell didn’t think I was worthy of being Luna. I gritted my teeth, feeling a new surge of determination to prove her wrong.

By the next morning I had learned that Gabriel had gone to meet with Eli halfway between pack territories. Even so, I knew he was back by now, and I still hadn’t seen him. I spent the majority of the day in the building that was built especially for training in human form. It had punching bags, weights, and the like. I had always scoffed at this, thinking I was plenty strong in human form, but my fight with the vampires had made me realize just how vulnerable I was when I couldn’t Shift. I would be prepared next time.

My fever made my moves more sluggish but I kept at it for a couple hours until my body ached so badly I didn’t think I could take it anymore.  Mopping my sweaty forehead, I sat down on the bench next to the weight rack, taking deep breaths. My whole body was burning and sticky with sweat. I knew that training might only make my fever worse but I had to do something. When I was alone, all I could think about was Gabriel and Eva, and then I felt a rush of humiliation as I remembered some of the things I had said to Gabriel while I was drunk (I still felt my cheeks redden when I recalled how many times I had commented on his physical attractiveness).

I sighed, preparing to head back home, but just then someone broke into my thoughts.

There is going to be a pack meeting in two hours, in the usual clearing.

Gabriel’s deep voice speaking inside my head made me jump, startled. It was the first time he had mind-linked me. I knew he had probably sent that message to the entire pack simultaneously but I still couldn’t help the butterflies that erupted in my stomach. Hearing him in my mind like that just felt so… intimate. I knew I was blushing, and quickly hurried out of the building before I could feel any more pathetic. I was very tempted to send him a mind-link message in return; however, I knew it wasn’t customary to respond to a pack-wide message so I resisted the urge.

Still, I couldn’t help but briefly consider what it would be like to be fully Mated with him and able to sense his every emotion at will, communicating mentally with him with minimal effort.  I would not deny that I liked the idea.

---

A little less than two hours later I sat in the clearing, Maria sitting next to me and grumbling about how her parents had lectured and grounded her. I winced sympathetically, blushing when she began to remind me exactly how much of an idiot I made myself out to be. I blamed it on the alcohol and fever. Thinking of my fever, I realized that it was very slight now, hardly noticeable. I was feeling a lot stronger. Perhaps that workout today had helped, as miserable as it had been.

“Don’t forget when you told my parents and the Alpha how dreamy you thought Shang was!” She was giggling almost maniacally. My cheeks reddened further.

“Oh Maria, I managed to do worse than that while Gabriel was walking me home,” I replied morosely.

To my surprise, Maria didn’t ask what embarrassing thing I did. Instead, her face suddenly grew serious and she examined me. “So…about the whole Eva thing. Have you talked it out?”

I shook my head. “No. He said he’d find me soon though because he wants a chance to explain himself.”

Her expression was contemplative but she didn’t get a chance to respond as Will plopped down on my other side, sounding glum as he greeted us. I noticed that Maria stiffened but managed to still say hello.

“What’s wrong?” I asked him, already knowing what he would say.

“It’s just…I smelled my Mate, Skylar. At the Purge, remember? And now I can’t find her anywhere. Sometimes I catch her scent and follow it but then she’s gone. It’s like she is avoiding me. I think it’s that redhead that the Alpha brought with him.”

I chewed on my lip, wondering how much I should tell him. “Yeah, her name’s Eva. She has a lot of issues…”

“I don’t care! She’s still my Mate, the only one I have! I’m willing take her AND all of her issues,” Will replied desperately, ripping grass out of the soil viciously as he spoke.

I looked down at the ground, unable to respond to that. I suddenly felt chastised even though Will’s words weren’t directed at me. After all, I was the one having trouble accepting Gabriel even though I desperately wanted to. Will would think I was a coward if he knew. Perhaps I was a coward.

Seconds later Gabriel arrived, and my eyes inevitably found him as he climbed up to the wooden platform to address us. He looked glorious as usual and my eyes scanned every inch of his face and body. It just wasn’t fair how physically perfect he was. How on earth was I supposed to resist that?

“The purpose of this Meeting is to update you all on our progress on combining the two separate packs. As you know, the more stretched out a pack’s territory is, the more vulnerable they are. Jack and some of your elders have worked with me on the logistics of combining the two groups.  Right now, our predominant idea is to build a third village in the location of our former semi-annual Meetings. This is an ideal area because it is in the middle of the territory. I do not expect all of you to relocate to this new village. I will live there, along with the Betas, senior warriors, and a Pack Doctor. It will make it easier for us to manage things from the middle instead of one end or the other.”

His eyes roved over the pack, my face burning as they hovered on me for a few seconds before moving on. “Think of it almost as a center of operations for the pack. If any of you want to move to the new village, you will be allowed. We have plenty of wolves available to help construct the new village along with installing the water and electrical systems. If we contact…”

He began to explain some of the more technical issues, most of which were over my head. However, I knew that a few of the wolves that had built our pack village were still around so they could help with the construction of the new village. Werewolves did have extended lifespans, after all. The average werewolf lived to be over a hundred. Once a werewolf was fully grown and matured, which usually happened in the mid to late twenties, the body’s aging process slowed. We still aged, just slower than humans did.

Overall I thought it was a good idea, or the best we had for now, although I couldn’t help but wonder where I would live. Would Gabriel want me with him in his new house? I was surprised he was willing to move out of the old one in the Black Mountains Pack, although it likely held a lot of unpleasant memories of his father.

After we were dismissed and we stood up, I noticed something next to me.

Will had stiffened completely and his eyes were fixated on something across the clearing. My eyes followed his line of sight until they landed on a slender, red-headed figure: Eva. She was standing in the shadow of the wooden platform, mostly hidden, and facing away from Will. I felt a surge of anger as I realized she was still avoiding him even at pack meetings. I watched in complete disgust as she turned away from the platform and began to stride into the forest.

Gritting my teeth, I turned to Will. “She-” I began, but I never got the rest of the words out, because Will instantly leapt into action, dashing across the clearing towards the place Eva disappeared. He shoved fellow packmates out of the way as he desperately chased her, vanishing into the forest mere seconds after she did. Apparently he was determined not to let her get away again. I could only stare at the fringe of the trees, not sure what to think. Will deserved happiness but I wasn’t sure Eva would ever be worthy of him.

“Skylar.”

I tried not to shudder as Gabriel spoke my name, the sound falling so perfectly from his lips. I wrenched my gaze away from the forest to see him standing a few feet away from me, observing me with an unfathomable expression in his eyes. I swallowed hard, feeling the customary surge of lust as I noted his proximity.

“Um…hi.” I replied, wincing internally. Was that seriously all I could come up with?

“Can we talk?”

I realized Maria had long since disappeared, and most of the pack had left the clearing. The few that were left were sneaking glances at Gabriel and I from the corners of their eyes.

I felt my nervousness spike but I nodded anyways. “Uh, yeah.”

Gabriel indicated that I follow him and he led me towards the forest, thankfully on the opposite side of the clearing than the area in which Will and Eva had disappeared. All thoughts of Will were soon forgotten as I followed my Mate deeper into the trees. It was dusk and the animals in the trees and bushes were coming alive, although they gave us predators a wide birth. I studied Gabriel’s broad back as I followed him, once again admiring the way he moved.  My fingers itched to trace his muscles and I bit my lip. My hormones were going absolutely crazy and I needed to get a grip.

There was a small creek a safe distance away from the clearing and Gabriel stopped in front of it. A couple of small boulders were scattered next to the creek and I sat down on one of the smoother ones. The sound of the gurgling water was actually soothing as I braced myself for whatever Gabriel was going to say. I was all too aware that it was just us out here, with nobody to intrude, unless they mentally contacted us.

Gabriel seemed to be organizing his thoughts for a moment before he finally turned to face me. The dim lighting made his eyes look completely black. I knew it would be hard to read his emotions from this angle as his face was so unexpressive most of the time.

“First, I have to tell you that she never meant anything to me outside of the fact that she’s one of my pack members. She called us ‘lovers’, but there was nothing close to that emotion involved.”

I glanced down at my hands, intertwining them in my lap. I wasn’t surprised, even though I did feel a bit of relief. I didn’t even think Gabriel could love me, his Mate, let alone Eva. I wasn’t sure he was capable of such emotion. The thought was quite disheartening.

“I had the blood of an Alpha, thus the increased sex drive. I tried everything to tame it from running to fighting. Sometimes I would be furious for no reason, and my father only made things worse. I thought I didn’t have a Mate. I knew I needed some sort of release. Eva was there. She told me she never wanted a Mate after seeing her mother’s heart break when her father died. As I’d never met my Mate, I just accepted her words without argument.”

I remembered some of Eva’s words the other night, when she told Gabriel she’d thought he understood why she didn’t want a Mate. I also recalled how angry he’d gotten when he'd learned that Eva was sitting around at my house instead of finding Will. It made me feel a bit better than meeting me had changed his reaction to Eva's stance on finding her Mate. Still, I remained silent, waiting for him to go on.

“The first time happened by chance, but it was not the only time. I went to her when I needed release and there was no other way. Quite honestly, I used her, although I told her from the beginning that nothing would ever come of it. I thought she understood.”

“She doesn’t feel like it was a casual hookup,” I replied, trying to keep my voice toneless. The fact that they’d had sex numerous times made me nauseous.

“I’d never seen that side of her until the other night. The way she looked at you and treated you made me realize that she’d grown attached.”

I stared down at my hands. “I saw it before. She flirted with you and it pissed me off. My Wolf sensed that she had feelings for you. And then you defended her-”

“I defended her as my packmate, Skylar. I didn’t want you feuding with anyone from your future pack. I would have defended any other wolf in her position in the same way.”

I was silent for a bit, trying to think what I wanted to ask him. So many questions swirled through my brain, but I didn’t know how to bring them up.

“How often did it happen?” I finally blurted, unable to help myself. I knew the answer was going to hurt but I had an insatiable curiosity. I just had to know.

Our gazes met and his eyes burned into mine. “It wasn’t like it was a weekly or even a monthly thing. I didn’t want to form any connections with even the slightest romantic connotation. I did it for release, and it was my last resort.”

“It’s kind of heartless the way you used her.”

“I know that now. At the time, quite honestly, I just didn’t care. I had my father and then Alpha duties to deal with. It wasn’t until after I met you that I realized what a selfish pig I’d been.” It was hard to tell in the dim lighting, but I thought his expression softened. “You’ve taught me a lot about emotions,” he said quietly.

I felt my face heating up and I quickly changed the subject. “I guess what I’m angriest about is the fact that you didn’t tell me, and how pissed you got about me kissing Will when you had slept with another woman.”

“I didn’t know how to bring something like that up. You already had so much to deal with when you’d learned everything about me. I was waiting until a better time when you weren’t overloaded.” Gabriel looked away, clenching his jaw. “It was selfish not to tell you, now that I look back on it. Part of me was worried what you’d think of me. You already had enough reason to hate me.” His head swiveled back towards me. “I would have told you though. I promise.” He spoke gravely, sincerity oozing from his words.

I sighed. My Wolf was already begging me to forgive him. Honestly, I knew I had forgiven him for sleeping with Eva. He hadn’t known about me at the time. It was disgusting, but I could accept it; it wasn’t in my nature to be unforgiving. I was just angry about how he’d handled it.

“And Will?” I pressed.

“I can’t help it, Skylar. I know I have no right. But I’m an Alpha male, dominant and possessive. The thought of another male touching you makes me want to rip their head off.” My Wolf was basking in his possessiveness. I found it both irritating and flattering.

“You knew I was jealous of Eva. I told you about Will, I just wish you’d told me about her. I might have reacted differently if I had been told differently. The thought of you two….and what if she’d gotten pregnant?” I realized I was rambling now but all of my insecurities were rushing to the surface.

“Wolves that aren’t Mates have a much lower chance of reproducing, you know that. Her genes were not designed for me like yours are. Besides, it wasn’t like I didn’t use protection. A child was the last thing I needed with my bloodline.”

I felt yet another blush coming on as Gabriel spoke of my genes being made for his. It was true. Wolves had a very low chance of getting pregnant by someone who wasn’t their Mate. It was all orchestrated by Fate; Fate determined the best wolf to reproduce with.

“You’re right. I should have told you differently. If I could go back and change it, I would.”

I nodded, unsure what to say now. Once again, my Wolf was begging me to voice my forgiveness aloud. For the second time, I was struck by her depth of emotion for Gabriel. He was completely perfect to her. She wanted him unconditionally.

Honestly, she was in love with him. There would never be anybody else for her.

This thought practically made me tremble. Love. It was an equally exhilarating and frightening concept. I stared up at Gabriel, feeling my nerve endings come alive as I realized he had taken a couple steps closer and was now a mere few feet from me. He was gazing at me intently, observing every inch of my face as if he desperately wanted to know what I was thinking.

“What else did she say to you?” Gabriel asked quietly. I instantly knew he was referring to Eva and I looked away. Her words had been humiliating, and I didn’t want to repeat them. “I could tell you were arguing before I arrived. Tell me what she said.”

I sighed, feeling the heat of embarrassment under my skin, hotter even than the traces of the fever that remained. It was going to be horrible to say the words again aloud.

“She just told me her opinion. She has a right to-”

“Skylar,” he growled impatiently and I sighed again.

“She told me that I’m weak, and insecure, and not worthy of an Alpha, and also not pretty.” My words were mumbled almost incoherently.

Gabriel growled, low in his throat. “None of that is true. She was speaking cruelly to you out of selfishness and you shouldn’t have listened.”

As was customary, I felt insecurity rushing to the surface. Eva had definitely been right about that part. “Some of it is true, Gabriel. I’m sure she’s not the only one from your pack that thinks you deserve someone stronger as a Mate-”

“I don’t care what they think. You’re a lot stronger than you think, and you are mine.”

There was actually pride in his voice and I felt my heart flutter as my Wolf purred. “Lucky you,” I muttered, torn between feeling embarrassed and completely elated at the way he spoke about me. I knew I was acting a bit immature and attempted to push my insecurities aside. I had been doing so well a couple of nights ago; if only I had access to the alcohol-induced bravery now!

Gabriel made a noise of frustration and stepped forward. I felt his strong hand grab my chin and tilt my head up as he glared down at me. The breath left my lungs in a rush as I realized just how close we were, our faces less than a foot apart. I could see every perfect detail of his features and the way his eyes were burning, whether with anger or desire, I didn’t know. My body was heating up as every inch of me craved him.

“Do not talk about yourself like that,” He said firmly, although his voice was deeper than usual and I thought I detected a husky edge to his tone. I was still sitting on the large boulder while he stood immediately next to me, staring down at my face ensnared in his hand.

I bit my lip, unable to speak in that moment. Desire was pooling in my belly and I was pretty sure I was trembling as my Wolf urged me to close the distance between us.

Gabriel made a growling sound deep in his throat and I realized his burning eyes were fixated on my mouth as I bit my lip. Slowly, I let my eyes trail down to his lips. In that moment I wanted him to kiss me, in fact my entire body was practically begging for it. I wanted to know how it felt to have his mouth on mine. Gabriel was still staring at me intently, and I could’ve sworn his grip on my chin tightened.

We were only inches apart. His scent completely enveloped me and my lust was increasing by the second. For a brief moment, I saw something flash through his expression and I thought he was going to kiss me.

Then, all vestiges of emotion vanished and he abruptly dropped my chin and pulled away. I stared after him, feeling completely bereft as he walked away. A lump rising in my throat, I looked down. I did not attempt to mask the hurt that was washing over me in waves. How could he do that to me? How could he just pull away like that so easily? It had to be me. I had to not be very appealing to him. I knew it wasn’t normal for Mates to resist each other, yet Gabriel had done it on multiple occasions.

I felt a rush of bitterness rise to the surface and I couldn’t help but say something. “Eva must have been right about the attractiveness thing, huh? I mean, it takes no effort for you to push me away while you welcomed her with open arms.” I knew my words weren’t fair but I was hurting and I couldn’t help but lash out. I almost felt like I had been rejected in some way.

Gabriel spun around, and to my surprise he looked furious. What right did he have to be furious?

“Are you kidding me, Skylar?” He snapped angrily. I blinked at him, unable to comprehend why he had gotten so angry so quickly. “You honestly think I’m not attracted to you, that I don’t want you?” His voice was nearly a snarl. “Have you ever stopped to consider that I just have a sense of self-preservation? Every time I touch you, my Wolf just gets more attached to you! Yet, you haven’t even given me a fucking answer! You could decide to reject me tomorrow!”

I sat there, the reasoning behind his words dawning on me.

“Why would I do that to myself? Why would I do something that I KNOW will just make me want you more when you can decide tomorrow that you don’t want me? Worse, it’ll make your decision even harder, when you already have enough to think about and you said you wanted to make up your mind without my influence!”

I was completely speechless, and then I felt a burst of shame. Gabriel was right. I was being incredibly selfish. I was expecting him to treat me like he was my Mate when I technically hadn’t even accepted him yet. He was just following my lead, and I was getting angry at him for it.

“I…..you’re right. I’m sorry. It’s just…” I vainly tried to find words so he would understand where I was coming from. “My Wolf goes crazy when you’re so close. I’m not as strong as you and I can’t resist you easily. I guess it just seemed like I was nothing if you could push me away with so little effort.”

Gabriel ran a hand through his hair, closing his eyes momentarily as he got a grip on himself.

“Resisting you is one of the hardest things I’ve ever done,” he said through gritted teeth. “But until you make up your mind, I have to deal with it.”

Feeling ashamed still, I stared at the ground. I let a moment pass in silence so Gabriel could calm down a bit. He was right, and I was disgusted with myself for not thinking of how he must be feeling.

When I looked up and opened my mouth to apologize yet again, what I saw took me completely by surprise.

Gabriel had a glazed expression in his eyes as if he was mentally talking to someone, but the item clutched in his hand was not what I expected to see: Raziel’s large, snow-white feather. When had he gotten it? More importantly: was he communicating with Raziel through the feather?

My question was soon answered as Gabriel’s eyes re-focused on me, all anger drained from their depths.

“Raziel just contacted me. He said he found out something very important concerning the Ritual. We are meeting him in the closest town.”

“When?”

“Tomorrow.”

---

A/N: Sorry for the delay, guys. My brother graduated and then we had a ton of tornadoes in Oklahoma today, some of which were fairly close to my house. Thank you to all of those that sent me messages of support. It really means a lot to me :) My family escaped unscathed but many people didn't, so please send prayers this way.

Thank you for all of your patience. I know I was a tease with this chapter, and I promise, your patience with the romantic development of the story is duly noted. ;) I am very excited to write the next two chapters.

Also, the next update will be sometime soon. I'm not giving you all a day count again because a few people took advantage of this and sent me angry messages saying "It's the 5th day and you haven't updated", etc., etc., and a couple of these messages annoyed me. Just know the next update will hopefully not take longer than normal.

MULTIMEDIA:

Cover by tinkerbelltales, this chap is dedicated to you!

As requested (like twenty times), "Just Give Me a Reason" by Pink ft. the dude from Fun.