Chapter 5

GABRIEL'S POV

I let out a sigh of relief the second my meeting with the council was over. The moment they rose from the round table, I could feel the life returning to my eyes. "Finally," I thought to myself, alone in the common room at last. There were harder things than being an Alpha. But I could only think of one—being the Supreme Alpha. How many council meetings would I have to attend then?

A knock on the door diverted my attention. I knew the scent of the woman on the other side even before she let herself inside.

"Did the councillors see you, perchance?" I asked her, watching as she made her way toward me, her hands on her hips. Delancy shook her head softly and took a seat beside me, crossing her legs daintily as a sultry smile played on her pretty pink lips.

"They don't need to," she replied, tilting her head to the side flirtatiously. "This is their pack, after all. They know everything that happens behind closed doors." She lifted her leg and slid it between mine. "And open ones too."

I felt my lips curl into a frown. "Correction. This is my pack. My pack." My voice came out low and stern, and I could tell it sent shivers down her spine. If there was one thing I hated more than meetings, it was disrespect. She of all people would know.

"My apologies, Alpha," she breathed out, pulling her leg away from my body in haste. "Did I catch you at a bad time?"

I let out a short sigh, leaning into my chair thoughtfully. A bad time? "Hmm…let's see. You came into the common room dressed to seduce me after a five-hour meeting."

Delancy batted her lashes at me, her fingers reaching for my arm. "So a good time then?"

I scoffed dismissively, letting out a hearty laugh at her expense. "Your efforts are adorable, Lancy."

Lancy was what I called her when I wanted something or when I was simply being sarcastic. The latter was one of these times.

She let out a mirthless laugh along with me, ignoring the pang of embarrassment that hit her like a wave. It was pathetic of her, wasn't it? Loving someone who only wanted her at night? Regardless, she sat up straight and changed the subject.

"What was the meeting about this time?" she questioned, toying with the hem of her light blue dress. "Are they still on your neck about defeating Michael's pack? Do they still want a war?"

The mention of his name alone was enough to grate against my nerves. The coward's family had been at war with mine for centuries. While we relied on strength, his dealt with deception and disguise. If Michael really believed he could fight against me, he'd step out of the shadows to do it.

I cocked a brow at Delancy, my dark hair falling over my eyes as I stared at her. "You say that as though it's a bad thing."

As far as I was concerned, war was natural. None of my ancestors had lived in an era of true peace. Wolves were always out for blood; it was a part of their nature. Until an overall ruler could be picked.

Delancy shrugged her shoulders carelessly. "All that trouble for the title of Supreme Alpha? All that bloodshed just for a title? It sounds ridiculous to me."

I turned to her, my expression unreadable for a split second.

"Just a title?" I scoffed, raising a brow at her. That statement was as good as treason as far as I was concerned. "Your mind couldn't fathom how much of an honour it would be." I ignored the look of hurt drawn on her features and continued.

"My father was Supreme Alpha, so was his father and the father before that," I explained, unable to hide the pride creeping into my voice.

"A generational burden?"

I smiled at her in a way that surely made her toes curl. "A burden I would love to have on my shoulders."

She bit her lip, and I could tell she was unable to understand. She never could tell what was going on in my head. After all, I never let her in. I always preferred to keep my women at an arm's length. But sometimes she wondered if she'd be the one to get past my defences. That was a crazy dream, wasn't it? It was fun to watch her try.

Sometimes, when we lay next to each other at night, I'd read her thoughts. She would imagine raising a family with me, and she believed she could make me happy. To her, I just needed to give her the chance.

Her eyes flitted back to my arm again. Though it was completely covered, she knew what lay beneath.

"How much time do you have left?" came her question. And I peered at her through hooded eyes before cracking a small smile.

"All the time in the world, darling."

Delancy fought the urge to scoff at me. She often said it would kill me to take her seriously. Even if it were for as little as five minutes.

"I'm gravely serious, Gabriel," she retorted, eyes never leaving my hand. "It is clearly causing you pain."

I'd been trying so hard to hide it. But sometimes at night, when I held her, I let out a few strained grunts. And when she reached for me, I would dismiss her.

"You know what causes me pain? My back. It hurts like hell," I mused, reaching for my lower back's tense muscles.

Delancy was not amused.

"Stop this. We're not even sure how much this is killing you. The medics have tried, and even the witches have failed."

I narrowed my gaze on her, wondering how she'd figured that out. My meetings had been so private only a handful of my councillors were aware.

But Delancy arched a brow. "You thought I wouldn't notice witches in the palace?"

I shrugged my shoulders carelessly. And she let out a deep sigh from her lips, shaking her head at me.

"End the war. You're in no shape to fight. Surrender," she began, noticing the subtle change in my expression as she spoke. But Delancy thought it was time to test the waters. After all, we'd been together for nearly a year. She thought it was time I put away my own ego and took care of the pack. And her.

"Instead of potentially dying in this war, you could do the smart thing. And stay with me," she suggested, her eyes watching me cautiously. Her heart did a flip when she noticed me stiffen. Then I rose to my feet, glowering at her as I looked down.

"You're getting a little too comfortable around me, Lancy." There was nothing teasing in my voice. Just a stone-cold threat. Before Delancy could take back her words, my fingers curled around her chin, forcing her to look at me.

She gasped, staring at me, her cheeks flushed in fear. I was a man who had seen more wars than she had heard of. And now, I stared at her the same way I'd look at an enemy.

"You think because you've seen me bare that you can speak to me like that?"

"I…I apologize, Alpha," she croaked. Sometimes she forgot that she was sleeping with someone who could split a man's head in two. And I had, on more than one occasion.

Wouldn't that be something?

"I have this itching urge to get rid of you," I mused, craning my neck as though I were actually considering it. Delancy's heart panicked in her ribcage. I could hear it. And it only eased the moment my grip left her.

"But I'm not going to," I told her, my voice far from comforting. "You still have your uses."

She blinked, her throat dry. Still, she managed to croak out a thank you.

"Good girl," I said lowly, tilting her chin and pressing my lips onto hers. My skin felt warm and cold at the same time. And she closed her eyes, leaning into me, her fingers trailing down my chest. But after a minute or two, it was over. And I noticed a familiar expression on her face. Delancy hated herself for missing the feeling when I pulled away from her.

"Where are you going?" she asked breathlessly, watching me reach for my coat and sling it over my shoulders.

"Out, darling," I replied, my lips curling into a sly smirk. "Even I need a moment of peace."

A moment of peace? I needed more than a moment. Whether I wanted to admit it or not, Delancy had a point. The smart thing to do was to avoid a war. After all, my troops had grown weary claiming clans and expanding the territory. Though if I stood aside and waited, it would only be a matter of time before Michael's pack attacked us.

And then what? We'd be defenceless. And more importantly, I would do nothing but disappoint my ancestors if I gave the enemy an opportunity.

Perhaps they'd be more disappointed if I didn't get that title of Supreme Alpha. The name alone would send chills down any wolf who heard it. Heads would bow immediately, and more importantly, I could lead the packs into an era of peace. And maybe then I'd be able to settle down like Delancy wanted.

I would push down the mate instinct and start a little family with her. Strong pups who would one day take the responsibility of ruling the Dawn Claw pack from my hands.

All I needed was a way to become even more powerful. But that would take something stronger than a miracle.

Especially with poison swimming in my veins. I'd brushed off the battle on the Beaumont Pack months ago as though it were nothing. Only to discover days after the attack that I'd been stabbed by a silver knife coated with poison.

My veins turned darker with every passing day. Now, they were pitch black and crawling up my arm like branches.

It was a hideous thing to look at, so I kept it covered.

But even the councillors knew. Delancy herself had noticed. Perhaps I couldn't hide it after all.

With a grunt, I mounted on top of my horse that had been tied just at the edge of the palace. She neighed as I touched her. "Careful, girl," I spoke to her, running a hand down her neck until she relaxed and snorted.

"We'll be back before you know it," I assured, pulling back at the reins as I led her into the woods. It was a routine of ours that had been going on for years until the first attack from the Blood Moon pack. Michael's forces were determined but patient. They wanted to test the waters and see how much they could get away with without retaliation.

"No matter," I thought to myself as my horse trodded along the path. Conversations for the common room were supposed to remain there.

I strained my eyes against the darkness, making out the shape of a mysterious figure hiding behind a tree. Instinctively, my fingers reached for my sword like second nature, sensing the threat in the woods. So did my horse. She reared her front legs and neighed crazily despite my attempts to restrain her. "Down, down, relax," I coaxed, but she shrugged me off from behind her and I fell on the leaf-ridden ground with a thud, wincing in pain.

"No, no, no. Get back here," I yelled, watching her panic and gallop in the opposite direction.

I muttered a foul word under my breath as I struggled to my feet. A trail of blood trickled down my side, but I ignored it. "Fucking horse. I should invest in a damn camel next time," I scowled, leaves and twigs clinging to my clothes.

Just then, my ears pricked up, and my eyes scanned the trees around me until I saw the dark figure again. It seemed to be walking toward the edge of the woods.

Curiosity piqued, I followed it carefully, concealing myself underneath the foliage from the trees with my hand pressed to my side to stop the bleeding. Why hadn't I healed by now? Was the poison stopping me from doing that too?

I stared at the gaping cut, muttering a curse again before ripping at the fabric of my cloak to wrap around my side. By the time I tied it up, the woods fell silent. And the footsteps of the figure I'd followed had quietened.

I froze, my eyes darting around the trees and vines. Where had the figure gone?

Then, I saw it again by the river. It looked like…

A woman.

And no ordinary woman too. Her scent felt…familiar in a way I couldn't explain. It woke up the wolf inside me, and for some reason, I couldn't look away.

She knelt by the creek with an injured deer at her feet. Her hand ran across its leg tenderly. And I watched as she held a knife against her palm and made a small cut into it. Eyes wide, I stared unwaveringly as her blood dripped onto the animal's wound. After a minute or so, it twitched its leg and the wound was…gone.

Healed as though nothing had happened.

My eyes widened in astonishment. In all my years of living, never had I seen something like that before.

How could a woman's blood do something as much as heal another living creature? Moreover, how had I not known that it was possible?

My arm throbbed like a silent reminder. I held my breath in pain and pulled back my sleeve, my eyes locked on the spider web of blackened veins beneath my pale skin.

Could her blood heal that? Could it cure poison?

I looked toward the creek again. She had disappeared, but the deer stood on its legs and skipped away. And for a second, I suspected that the gods had been listening to my prayers all along.