Kate and I didn't need to worry about getting through the crowd, as thick as it was. Everyone seemed to part for us, their heads bowed in respect.There was a melancholy feeling in the air, causing my stomach to tighten in an even tighter knot. The long sleeve shirt I had chosen to wear from the clothes Kate had placed in my closet no longer felt comforting. I had chosen to wear it with a pair of jeans as it helped hide most of my injuries. With my hair hanging down to cover some of my face and neck like a shield, I felt more confident. It made me feel better to be covered so that people wouldn't only see my bruises and scabs when they first looked at me.After the way Gabriel had looked at it when he caught me with my hair up, I never wanted to show that part of my body again. If he ever looked at me with disgust or repulsion, I would not be able to take it.The sun was bright as it sat high in the center of the sky, beating down on us with its hot summer rays.
Abram let out a deep breath but did not look surprised by Gabriel's declaration. The disappointment on his face was evident when he turned away from the pack to face us. His jaw tightened, and he was silent for a long moment as if he were waiting for Gabriel to take it back."I had a feeling you were going to say that," He said under his breath. His chest expanded as he took in a large inhale before projecting his words out to the crowd. "Alpha Gabriel, under the bylaws of our counsel, an investigation will be open on you and your actions. Until a verdict has been reached, regarding the violation of the treaty and the attack on Shadow Hill, you are hereby stripped of your title."The pack all gasped or growled in response, mimicking my own anger. I sent a glare toward the visitor, hoping I could melt him into a puddle or open a portal that would swallow him into the ground."Beta Nichols will stand in as your acting Alpha for the time being. I will be calling up
I learned several things that night. The most important one, and the one that had been eating away at me in the back of my mind, was that all of the humans that died that night, including Dr. Kellerman, they did so at the hands of the vampires. There was not a single human murdered by a wolf, and I let out a sigh of relief at the news.The second big thing that was brought to my attention was that there were a few pack members who were injured in the battle. Two of which were gravely injured and remained in the care of the pack doctor.The assuaged guilt from the death of the humans came back ten-fold when I realized that I had not bothered to ask if anyone in our pack was hurt during the battle to save me. As a Luna, that should have been one of the first things I should have checked on.Finding out that one of the two wolves that were still getting treatment was Scarlett had me confused. While she was a part of the pack and a warrior by title, I somehow didn't
Gabriel was gone the following day. There was a note on the kitchen counter explaining that the additional committee members had arrived. They had summoned him to attend an inquest to provide his side of the events. I was disappointed that I couldn't be there to support him, but I would do my best to be there for him at home. He kept me blocked from his mind, so I knew it was a difficult day for him. I wasn't sure how the connection that we had worked, but I did my best to push positivity and calmness his way. Elena had come to visit me early this morning. She even brought breakfast. I was so relieved to see her safe. Athena had shown up at my parent's house after the crowd dispersed that morning. Much to my parent's protests, she helped to pack up Elena's belongings before they marched out of the house hand in hand. She said she hadn't talked to them since. That bothered me for a minute as I didn't want to get between Elena and our parents since they always had such a good relations
I bounced on the bed when he tossed me down onto the plush duvet. Gabriel never liked wearing a shirt, so I wasn't surprised when he quite literally ripped it off his body. The sight of his muscles flexing as he rid himself of the useless fabric made my mouth go dry, my thighs pressed together. It had been far too long since I had this man under me, behind me, on top of me….dominating me. I sat up, hurrying to my knees at the edge of the bed, impatient for him to join me. The need to feel his lips against mine was that of a starving woman. He bent down, capturing my mouth, holding the back of my neck to keep me close. When he tilted my head, my hair fell back behind my shoulder, and I paused. My injuries had mostly healed, but there was still some grey and yellow discoloration where my bruises once were. Most of my scabs had come off in the shower, but the fresh pink marks of the healing flesh were hard to look at. Gabriel seemed to notice how I tensed and lost rhythm in our kiss. H
Gabriel's P.O.V I froze inside of her, terrified to move and have her change her mind. My entire body tensed, and I could feel my black eyes turn the glowing red of my wolf as he came forward in excitement. "Are you sure?" She nodded. That one small movement confirming that she was ready for me to finally make her mine had my body heating up even more. I felt myself grow impossibly harder inside of her at the thought of finally having my mark on her skin. It had only been a couple weeks, but I was already impatient to claim her. Once she had my mark, it could never be disputed that she was mine. As soon as she turned, I would demand that she mark me as well… when she was ready. I wanted everyone to see that I belonged to her. I slid my right hand beneath her, enjoying the feeling of her soft skin in my rough and calloused palm. Her ass cheek fit so perfectly in my hand as I lifted her an inch off the bed and began to thrust. My
I wore my mark with pride. My hair was pulled up in my usual bun, and the tank top I had slipped on displayed the new addition to my skin beautifully.There were still some yellow and grey bruising along my body, but I didn't feel the need to hide them anymore. I wanted everyone to see that my mate had marked me, and boy, did they ever. Gabriel laughed loudly when I offered to get us breakfast from the dining hall instead of the two of us cooking anything.My hair was up off of my neck, and I was bouncing out the door before he could even collect himself and agree. Every wolf that passed me sent me a knowing smirk or a head nod as a greeting after they eyed Gabriel's claim. With me walking around, covered in his smell and his mark, I was openly claiming him too… or as much as I could for being human.That was all going to change soon.I spotted Athena waiting at the end of the line. The tall warrior woman paused in what she was saying. As I approac
All four of the council members had been dressed similarly, in business casual attire. I made sure to make eye contact with each one, keeping my head held high as I recounted the events that transpired. Not one of them reacted to anything I said, but they took notes diligently. I left like I was being interrogated instead of giving a victim or witness report. There was no funny business in the way they spoke to me or in the questions they asked. It almost seemed as if they were frustrated by the fact that they had to be here at all. That made five of us, but I bit my tongue and kept my thoughts to myself. My anger at their presence was well masked as I didn't want to piss them off. As soon as I left the room, I took a deep breath to calm myself. It just seemed like there was always something trying to get in between Gabriel and me. We had only been together for the better part of a month, and yet, we had to overcome obstacle after obstacle right from day one.