SYNERGY

Chapter Four

Beans and onions are of course healthy and meant to be eaten and not carefully picked out of one's food as Gabriel was presently doing. He couldn't help it. He had hated those two since childhood.

"Grandma, isn't an alpha supposed to eat all kinds of food to be healthy and strong?" Clara asked as she gobbled up spoonfuls of wild rice and beans.

Raphael rolled his eyes and gave his sister a look. Beatrice Adams nodded and positively glowered at both Gabriel and her husband Nicholas Adams who was also guilty of doing the same thing.

"Of course baby, refusing to eat healthy food won't do an alpha any good."

 Both father and son rolled their eyes. Beatrice was nothing if not obsessed with good nutrition. Her grandkids were allowed to have sweets only twice in a month.

Beatrice's glowering should have been warning enough, but both Nicholas and Gabriel paid no heed until she gave them her famous sinister smile.

"Uh oh" Raphael muttered.

The duo began gobbling up their food. Rice and beans and all. Beatrice was warm and so

motherly and friendly but could be scary when the need arose.

Gabriel saw his mother was still fuming at being ignored and tried to direct her attention elsewhere.

"I found my mate" he blurted out.

It worked like magic.

Beatrice's eyes positively sparkled with delight. Nicholas knew exactly what Gabriel had just done and smiled knowingly at him, mouthing the word 'thanks'

"Is she pretty?" Clara questioned.

"Of course silly. An alpha's mate is always pretty, the moon goddess makes sure of that" Raphael answered

Clara stuck her tongue out at her brother. "So when are you going to make her Luna?" Nicholas chuckled. One step at a time Beatrice. We haven't even met her yet and besides they just met."

"Oh really? You marked me the first day you found me. Three days later we mated" Gabriel gasped in shock before he burst out laughing.

"What is mated?" Clara questioned looking from Beatrice to Nicholas.

Her large brown eyes betraying her fascination.

Beside her, Raphael reddened and Gabriel strongly suspected that he had been listening to the older boys of the pack.

"You two to your rooms" Beatrice ordered. "It's time for the adults to have an adult discussion. Goodnight my sweet darlings."

Raphael practically fled to his room looking relieved. Clara was more reluctant to leave and they had to painfully watch as she slowly retreated, glancing back at intervals giving the adults her best puppy look.

Finally she was gone and they collectively breathed a sigh of relief, silently applauding themselves for not giving in this time to her puppy eyes. Even Beatrice wasn't immune to them.

After they had cleared and washed the dishes, they settled on the plush sofas in the living room sipping wine.

"So you were going to tell us about your mate" Beatrice began.

"Yeah about that...."

Gabriel paused and wondered if he should start with a description of the way she looked–how her beautiful hair gleamed like a horse's skin; how her turquoise eyes were so startling unique– Beatrice was sure to be interested and fascinated but Nicholas who was already beginning to nod off in his chair, was definitely going to be bored.

"Yes?" Beatrice pressed.

"Her name is Selena and she's human not a werewolf."

Nicholas sat straighter in his chair, blue eyes already shining with alertness. Beatrice looked at her husband and they both sat in silence for a moment absorbing this bit of information.

Gabriel was starting to get impatient when finally Nicholas spoke.

"This hasn't happened in a long while"

 "So there have been cases like mine?" "One of your ancestors had a human for a mate.

Coincidentally you both share the same first name."

"Gabriel" Gabriel whispered.

"Yes. Gabriel Adam's mate was a human. "Who also happened to be a witch," Beatrice added. "Well, Selena doesn't look like a witch." Beatrice rolled her eyes.

"Does anyone look like a witch?"

"Did she make a fine Luna? Was she able to carry pups? Were there any problems with the union?" Gabriel asked in a rush.

He was already considering the possibility that Selena was not just human but also a witch. Vampires and werewolves were mortal enemies but they also happened to have a common enemy–witches.

Beatrice was just about to answer her son's questions but was interrupted by Nicholas. "The pack's library has enough information about our history dating back to even the 1500s.

You'll find answers there. In the meantime we should all get some sleep." Beatrice kissed her son goodnight and Nicholas squeezed his shoulder reassuringly.

Gabriel knew that trying to sleep anytime soon was going to be futile. He quietly slipped out of his parents house.

After the attack, Nicholas and Beatrice had decided to leave the pack house and settle on the outskirts of Avalon hills which was quieter and had denser forest.

He shed his clothes, took a deep breath and transformed into his wolf. He was larger than most werewolves because he was an alpha. His thick white fur shone under the crescent moon. He howled and broke into a run.

His powerful paws pounded against the forest floor as he thought of a number of things that could go wrong because of the Moon goddess's match. Or maybe he was just overthinking it.

Just because an ancestor who also happened to be Gabriel Adams had had a mate who was human and a witch doesn't mean Selena was a witch. It was just a coincidence.

She was clearly human and nothing more. What troubled him most was her ability to carry pups. It was quite dangerous for humans.

He might have to reject her to keep her safe but decided to first visit the pack's library f before making any decision.

It was nearly 5 a.m. when he slipped back inside the house sweetly fatigued. He took a quick shower and was out almost immediately he landed on the bed.

●***

Raphael and Clara both took delight in tormenting their uncle. It was one of the few things they both agreed on.

It was nearly noon and they had both cooked up the perfect plan to get Gabriel up.They slipped quietly inside his room, pans stolen from the kitchen in their hands.

Clara took her place beside the bed where Gabriel's head lay nestled against the pillows, while Raphael gently climbed on the bed and knelt beside his uncle who was still fast asleep.

He gave the signal and Clara banged the two pans together hard. Gabriel sat bolt upright disoriented, ramming his head against the pan Raphael had been holding right in front of his face.

They both squealed in delight and ran out of the room. Gabriel nearly ran after them but remembered he was naked under the sheet.

He settled on throwing a pillow furiously at the door.