"Gabriel, it's me again. I've been calling and leaving you messages for the last three months and you still haven't called me back. What I want to talk to you about has nothing to do with our relationship or lack of." I stared down at Kennedy as she sighed deeply in her sleep, cuddling close to her blanket as she occupied her crib.
"It's important and I need to speak to you about it, I can't keep leaving you voicemails when we both know you've heard them all. It's not something I want to discuss with you over text. Please Gabriel, if you have any respect for me and our wolves, you will call me back."I stroked my daughter's head, lightly brushing my fingers across her smooth skin. Her features the same as her fathers, making my heart ache.I gulped, my mouth becoming dry suddenly overwhelmed with my emotions as I spoke my next words. "I won't call you again and if you can't pick up the phone and call me back to find out what's so important, then that will be it. I won't bother you again."I ended the call after that, I had been trying to contact Gabriel for months. A week after Kennedy was born, I realised that I couldn't allow my fears and my hurt from Gabriel's rejection to reflect onto Kennedy.They could have a relationship without Gabriel and I having one, he was her father, and he had a right to know but he obviously wanted to ignore me, not wanting to hear what I had to tell him.I had even showed up at the border of his territory on three occasions, but each time his Third in Command had told me that Gabriel didn't want to see me, that he would escort me back to my territory and to not return.My heart seemed to shatter into more pieces whenever I thought of him, when he wouldn't pick up my calls and at the thought that he must truly loathe me.I had left him countless voicemails and text messages; I had asked Dylan for his mobile and office phone number. He just didn't want to know what I had to say, and he didn't want to know me.He had made that very clear when he rejected me that night over seven months ago.He never did call me back.~*~I had decided once Kennedy was six months old that we needed a change, going back and forth between The Blood Walker's pack and my aunties pack in Austin, Texas was exhausting with a young baby.I needed to set up home and begin studying, working, and getting into a routine.I couldn't move around forever, I needed to set up home somewhere.My heart couldn't bear the thought of staying in California any longer, my wolf couldn't accept that our mate didn't want us. She constantly had the urge to find him, to beg and plead him for forgiveness.Neither of us could understand his reasoning for the rejection, but I refused to beg for him. I hadn't done anything wrong and I told him that if he walked away, I wouldn't follow.I wouldn't chase him and no matter how much my head and my heart desperately wanted him, I couldn't.Moving to Texas was a new start, a fresh start away from Gabriel and the drama that was brought with it. My aunty had always told me that I was welcome there.Telling Julian, Grace and Dylan was the hardest part, I couldn't stop the tears that fell down my cheeks. Grace held onto me tightly and made me promise that we would visit often, that she would call me every few days.It was clear on their devested faces that they felt the same as me, but they understood why, and I was thankful for that."I have the plane tickets booked for Friday, gives me a few days to pack and get everything ready." I said, my voice still a little raspy. "I'm going to miss you all so much and so will Kennedy."Nates hand flung out, grabbing me roughly by my hair causing a loud screech to exit my mouth. My hands instantly flew up to his grip, trying to pry his hands off. He kept the tight grip while his other hand covered my mouth, muting my screams.I clawed at his throat, my nails digging in deeply at the sensitive skin and he growled lowly at me, pulling me backwards as he dragged me across the woods towards the back of a warehouse.My legs were buckling from beneath me; I moved my hand back to my hair where his hands were, trying to loosen the tight hold he had while my other stayed on my stomach. Nate could not find out about my pregnancy, if he did, we would be in mortal danger.As we grew closer to the warehouse, he shuffled himself, so his arm was around my neck, his arms crushing my throat making it difficult to catch a breath. He held me hostage as he yanked the back door open to the warehouse."Nate," I croaked, my breathing hard and low from his crushing grasp. "I can't breathe."
I felt my heart physically stop when those words left that man's lips. I wanted to cry out in pure joy and excitement, but I also didn't want to get my hopes up. I wouldn't be able to cope with another dead lead.Gabriel's voice echoed through the pack mind link, breaking me from my thoughts. 'All pack warriors and trackers are to meet me outside my home in ten minutes.'Dan and Eli were in the office within minutes, both ready and prepared. Gabriel had provided them with more information and him and the guys were extracting all the information they needed from the tracker who had discovered Kennedy's location.Gabriel and Jayden were both scanning through maps on Gabriel's desk with Jayden pinpointing Kennedy's exact location. "Me along with Kellan had both caught a scent from a rogue, we decided to follow it on a hunch. Turned out he was a member of Marcus's rogue pack. It led to an abandoned warehouse a few towns away, it is three hours from here.""How sure are you that Kennedy is
Nate had taken her.He had kidnapped my daughter and had killed two of our pack warriors.The feelings and sensations that I was feeling were immense. It was fear, terror, anguish and pure murderous.Gabriel grabbed my shoulders harshly, pulling my body to his. His mouth moving, trying to communicate with me, but his words were mute. His lips were speaking but no words were coming out.All my senses had disappeared, fear disabling me.Gabriel shook me roughly, the movement waking me, pulling me out of my shocked state. "Lara!"I closed my eyes, squeezing them tightly, my hands reaching up and into my hair, tugging at it tightly. He wouldn't hurt her; no Nate could never hurt Kennedy. He wouldn't do that. He wouldn't do that. I kept repeating to myself, trying to convince myself of the fact.My wolf was pacing around my mind, begging to be released. She was pushing herself out as I held her down, needing to concentrate instead of allowing her to explode, to let a bomb off that I needed
The last few weeks had passed quickly, the days had been merging as time flew by. We celebrated Gabriel's birthday last week before him and Eli left to visit a bordering pack yesterday morning.Gabriel had informed me that the Alpha wanted to discuss a potential share of land which we owned between the border of both packs.Gabriel was debating the idea since it would bring in business for our pack wolves as the land that he wanted a share in was part of our town. Where many of our wolves owned restaurants, shops, and cafes.Gabriel was still indecisive about the prospect of mixing two packs together; wolves were very territorial creatures and having two packs merge in one area can be explosive. It could also make some of our wolves uncomfortable or wary of the outsiders on their territory.The benefit of it was the revenue it would provide; we did also have a very secured treaty with Alpha Kane. One that had never been betrayed or broken. It was the same pack that Gabriel had trained
Taylor and I both looked up horrified by the intrusive voice, not expecting anyone to have heard our confidential conversation. One Taylor wanted to keep a secret between her and I.Gabriel stood in the doorway, his hand gripping the door handle as his gaze followed to both of ours, his attention landing and staying on mine.Confusion flashed through his eyes as if the information he had heard, sounded incorrect. A frown appeared soon after, the room surrounding in an awkward silence as we all went into a state of shock.Wanting to speak to Gabriel in private and knowing that Taylor needed to rest, I gently squeezed her hand. Rubbing my thumb across her knuckles reassuringly. "Why don't you go to bed and sleep on it. You don't have to make any rash decisions and it will make you feel much better."She agreed before giving me a small smile and heading out the door, brushing past Gabriel as she gave him a respectful nod.Gabriel copied her gesture as we watched her leave our bedroom in
I woke up with a headache, my neck and shoulder in agony from the position I was lying in. Gabriel laid next to me fast asleep, his chest rising and falling. I sat up and yawned, manoeuvring myself off the bed and towards the window.Looking out only to see darkness. It must have been the early hours of the morning, the events of yesterday suddenly invading my mind.Taking a step back, I see Gabriel sitting up, his back leaning against the headboard. "How are you feeling? Michael said you should have healed fully by the morning.""I feel exhausted, but my mind is wide awake." I admitted, walking back towards the bed.Gabriel pulled my body on top of his, his eyes scanning over my injuries, his demeanour protective and possessive as he held onto me tightly. "You can't go for runs on your own any longer, not after today."I frowned, raising my eyebrows. "Why? You killed Olivia; she was the problem. Why would I now need a protective detail?""Because we've still got rogue problems, and t