I blinked in surprise and felt a mild surge of frustration. I still had no idea what I was supposed to do next. In a traditional relationship the female would join the male's pack and live with him after they Mated, but I was nowhere close to ready for such a thing. In fact, the thought of living in the Black Mountains Pack territory was horrifying. I needed some more time to figure things out. To make matters worse, our conversation had only served to muddle my emotions even more.
Truthfully, a large part of me didn't want him to go. There was still so much left to discuss, and on top of that my Wolf would pine after him the second he left, I knew. But if Gabriel thought the emergency was important enough to return to his pack I was going to make no attempt to dissuade him.
"I can't wait here. Alpha Brett and my father expect me home." I replied, infusing my tone with finality. He wouldn't order me to return with him, would he? I would have no idea how to handle such a situation.
I saw a glimmer of irritation in Gabriel's eyes but then it was gone. He slowly took a step forward. With his hulking height and muscled physique, the action almost looked menacing, especially with the light of the moon throwing his face into a sharp contrast of light and shadow.
For a moment I thought he was going to force me to come with him. From what I had been told he was merciless and demanding; it wouldn't be out of character. The moment stretched on until the tension was nearly unbearable as he stared me down, deliberating.
"Very well, I won't make you return with me." He finally said, his tone devoid of emotion. I blinked in surprise. Part of me hadn't expected such consideration.
"I just....need to think," I muttered as he stared at me. The excuse sounded feeble even to me but I had no clue what else to say.
"Then think. But in the meantime, Skylar, don't forget that Fate has determined you to be my Mate. I expect your pack to respect that." The last part came out nearly in a growl, his eyes flashing. Some part of me idly wondered if he meant that generally, or if he was referring to anything in particular...for instance, if he'd noticed Will comforting me in the clearing. The whole Meeting was a blur now – I couldn't remember if Will had maintained the contact in Gabriel's presence.
My Wolf yipped in excitement and I felt a strange mix of fear and pleasure as he verbally determined me as his. Although my logical side recoiled from such a cruel wolf claiming me, the rest of my being could not help but feel elated at the proclamation. It was a confusing mix of feelings.
Before I could retort, Gabriel had moved to the edge of the clearing in the blink of an eye. He made to enter the woods but then turned back over his shoulder. His gaze fixated on me and held me in place as I was mesmerized once more by the black pools of his eyes. We stood there, motionless, for a few seconds. I couldn't help but feel as if the world had stopped around us and was holding its breath, watching.
He had a strange look on his face as he stared at me, his eyes roving over my figure then rising again to my face. If I didn't know any better I would have thought his expression was one of barely concealed longing. The logical side of my brain tried to convince me that was impossible.
"I know you dislike me, but I will not apologize for my pack's actions against yours." His tone was clipped, without remorse. I opened my mouth without thinking, feeling a surge of anger at his brusque and unfeeling comments but he cut me off. "I will be seeing you very soon, Skylar." And with my name hanging from his lips, he vanished into the trees.
I stood there for several minutes, staring after him. My mind was a complete mess, muddled with so many thoughts and emotions that I did not even know where to begin. Gabriel was as infuriating, cold, and demanding as I had thought, but I had seen real emotion in a few brief instances, like when he asked if I was going to reject him, when he took in my scent, and even that look on his face before he left. I couldn't help but feel that there was a lot more depth to him than anyone in my pack had ever realized.
But I shouldn't be thinking such things, should I? He had caused death and destruction in our pack. He was my Mate, and that sure as hell confused things, but it didn't erase the past. I was supposed to feel only hatred for him, and here I was transfixed by his power and beauty.
I'm pathetic, I thought miserably. My Wolf attempted to soothe me, liking these newfound ideas about her Mate, but it did little to help because I already knew her thoughts on the matter.
I had to get back home. Perhaps getting away from here would help my mind be free of the thoughts of Gabriel. My parents and Alpha Brett could help talk some sense into me, or at least distract me.
I needed to contact them and inform them that I was coming home. I opened my mind once more, expecting Alpha Brett's and my father's presences to once more enter in a rush. To my surprise, they were there, but my father seemed much more restrained and in control of his emotions than last time.
Dad, Alpha Brett, I'm coming home, I'll leave now. I just talked to him and he said-
Skylar, I think home would be a better place to talk about this. My father replied calmly. I could sense Alpha Brett's agreement. There is a lot to discuss. Your mother still has to hear about this and it would be better to go over it in person.
I did not want my mother to know about this but there was obviously no way around it. I sighed in resignation. I'll be there as soon as I can. I glanced up; it was a while until sunrise and our pack village was hours away at a wolf's speed. It'll likely be morning or afternoon.
Hunt along the way, my father replied. Focusing on him more, I could tell that his mental state of calm was more forced than I previously thought. It wouldn't be good to push him now.
Keep your eyes and ears open, Skylar. Let us know if you run into anything. That was Alpha Brett, and with one last mental goodbye, they were gone.
After shifting into wolf form, heading west for a bit and catching a quick meal of rabbit, I decided I was in roughly the right position to head directly north, which would take me to our home on the far side of the valley. I was still relatively close to the meeting place and it was best to just put all of that behind me, for now. No sense in wasting any more time.
I began to run in full wolf speed, forcing all of my doubts and confused emotions into fuel to increase my pace even further. The undergrowth rushed by in a blur beside my powerful figure as I leapt over rocks and logs in a single bound, thrilling in the joy of running completely free. It was true that running really was the best therapy, and with the haunting promise of Gabriel seeing me again soon, my Wolf at least was letting me be.
I ran like that for a long while before deciding to take a break. For all I knew the Meeting wasn't even over yet; they could often last hours because of negotiations. It seemed more likely that the 'pack emergency' Gabriel had was enough to cause an end to the Meeting but I couldn't be sure, and I definitely did not want to beat my father home and encounter my mother alone.
I had just lowered my head to a nearby creek in order to quench my thirst when I felt it.
Somebody or something was watching me.
The fur on the back up my neck stood up with awareness and I quickly swiveled my head from side to side, trying to catch a glimpse of whoever was nearby. I saw nothing except the trees swaying with the breeze, leaves rustling. Pricking my ears, I listened intently.
Nothing.
That was unusual in itself. Usually, if I listened hard enough, I could hear the faint cries of small animals, the chirping of birds, or even the noises of various insects. However, the forest around me was oddly still. It wasn't the same feeling I'd had in the clearing with Gabriel. This time it was as if the forest was hiding from something.
A deep growl emanated from my chest as I raised my head, sniffing the air. If anyone was close by, I would be able to smell them with my overly keen senses. For half of a second, I caught a whiff of something unfamiliar. It didn't smell like anything I recognized, animal or human, and it definitely didn't smell like a werewolf. Even with such a brief whiff I could tell it was dangerous, and I growled louder.
Lowering myself into a crouch, I sniffed once more, fur standing on end. Again, I detected nothing. A growl continued to emanate from my throat as my claws dug into the ground.
I remained in that position for a few more moments but I could not catch the scent again. Whatever had been nearby was gone.
My fur slowly lay flat again as my sense of awareness disappeared. Whatever the hell it was had left me alone but I was paranoid now. I needed to get home before it came back. I had no idea what had been watching me but I knew instinctively that it was highly dangerous.
I took off running for home again, my Wolf and I both on high alert.
I tried to put the thoughts of the unknown creature and Gabriel's dark eyes out of my mind as hours passed and the sun finally rose. Tendrils of color stretched across the sky, turning it brilliant hues of orange, yellow, and pink. The forest around me was thrown into sharp relief, every leaf and twig defined by the bright light of the sun. I was trekking downhill now into the gigantic valley we called home. I could see the entire lay of the land thanks to the beautiful sunrise. I was struck by a pang of possessiveness as I gazed at our territory...the territory my Mate was trying to take away.
What would Gabriel do now? I still felt my dislike and distrust for him, but I was unsure if my original idea of his character was accurate. After all, if he was as cruel as they said, he would have Claimed me without my permission or forced me to come along with him. Yet he didn't. That meant he had a selfless bone somewhere in his body, right?
After stopping once more to rest for a while and dine on another rabbit I found nestled in a burrow, I started on the final leg of my trip. I kept a slower pace now to assure that I wouldn't beat everyone home. The slow trot had my Wolf pacing in anticipation; she didn't like moving at what felt like a snail's speed. However, it did allow me to appreciate the full beauty of the morning as I watched the sun rise in the sky and morning turn to early afternoon.
Fortunately, a couple hours later I caught my father's scent on the wind and knew they had beaten me home. I picked up my speed again then stopped at the fringe of the trees before shifting back into human form. I had tied my clothes tightly around my ankle before shifting and I retrieved them now, swiftly donning them and exiting the shelter of the forest.
I smelled them before I saw them. As I turned the corner, I came face-to-face with Alpha Brett. He and all of the others from the group that attended the Meeting were standing around nervously, talking amongst themselves and waiting for my arrival. As soon as I entered their peripheral all heads turned to face me. I detected a wide range of expressions from nervousness to outright disapproval.
"Skylar, we've got to talk about this." That was my father, stepping forward and speaking softly.
It was time to face my pack, but instead of looking at me as Skylar, they were looking at me as their worst enemy's new Mate.